BROCKPORT, N.Y. – The College at Brockport Volleyball team completed a perfect season within conference, winning the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Volleyball Championship in a hard fought 3-1 decision over reigning champions SUNY New Paltz in the Jim and John Vlogianitis Gymnasium Sunday afternoon.
Brockport (33-1 Overall) played inspired volleyball for a second day in a row, feeding off a passionate crowd filled with family, friends, alumni and Golden Eagle student-athletes from past and present. The Green and Gold quickly jumped ahead winning the first two sets 25-17 and 25-12 before nearly staging a comeback in the third set ultimately falling 26-24 prior to clinching its sixth title with a 25-20 game four score.
Senior Kayla Barber thrived for both matches in the SUNYAC Tournament earning the 2015 SUNYAC Tournament Most Valuable Player award while teammates Noelle Poloncarz and Kathleen Irwin were also selected to the All-Tournament team.
The entire Golden Eagles roster was energetic and involved in the action as several other members could have easily earned All-Tournament team distinctions after winning the championship in a true team effort.
The Jim and John Vlogianitis Gymnasium was rocking like a concert was in session and the Golden Eagles threw a block party behind a frontline of Ashley Capone, Jamie Schlesinger, Brianna Richardson, Barber, Sam Holdredge and Poloncarz. Collectively those Golden Eagles combined for 11 total blocks.
Irwin was yet again a prominent presence from the service line leading the Green and Gold with three aces while also leading the team defensively with 18 digs. Barber finished with an incredible 20 kills including 17 in the final three sets when Brockport needed her most. Holdredge also had a strong match averaging four kills per set, totaling 16 in all.
Game 1: Brockport 25 – New Paltz 17
Richardson played exceptionally well in the first set of the championship match. She selected prime spots for her attack attempts finishing with two kills, zero errors in five attempts.
The Golden Eagles dug themselves an early hole with some early contest jitters, giving New Paltz multiple points on errors. New Paltz led 4-0 prior to Capone and Schlesinger blocking a shot for the first Golden Eagle point.
The two teams traded points with the Hawks maintaining the lead until Rachel Fiser entered the match. The serve specialist led the Golden Eagles on a three point run to take an 11-10 lead when Capone's blocked solo shot gave Brockport its first lead of the day.
New Paltz answered back to even things up at 11-all before Barber trickled the ball over the net with her left hand to regain the lead. Poloncarz went to the line stretching out Brockport's lead to 17-11. A well placed New Paltz timeout ended the six point run momentarily.
Several plays later, Brockport was on the verge of winning game one, needing just a single point. However the Hawks showed its championship pedigree postponing game one for three extra plays. Richardson redirected a pass from Poloncarz, who finished set one with nine assists, to the near corner for the closing point.
Game 2: Brockport 25 – New Paltz 12
Brockport quickly jumped out to a lead in the second set as the crowd was going wild and loving every second of play. Barber had back-to-back highlight reel plays towards the middle of the set when Poloncarz's serves were too hot to handle by New Paltz, as the Hawks dig attempts soared towards Brockport's end. Barber alertly elevated to the ball seizing the opportunity with Hawks out of place defensively for two straight kills on nearly identical plays.
Poloncarz played exceptional leading Brockport on a six point swing from the service line but also had several point saving digs. Brockport worked extremely hard for its 12th point, as a long rally ensued her serve. She made several impressive digs to keep the rally going before setting up Holdredge's kill.
Barber led Brockport on its next run with multiple kills coming from Holdredge. Poloncarz made another incredible diving dig, getting just enough on the pass for Schlesinger to swoop in and set up Holdredge's kill to give the Golden Eagles an 18-5 advantage.
Kills from Barber and Richardson sprinkled in with a few New Paltz errors put the Green and Gold within one point of the second game victory. Capone and Schlesinger got the point in style for Brockport as the combo jumped in unison to block a Hawk's attack.
During the second game, Barber was on fire finishing with seven kills in only eight attempts!
Game 3: New Paltz 26 – Brockport 24
In perhaps the most entertaining set of the match, the Golden Eagles jumped ahead 3-0. Poloncarz sent a beautiful back set to Richardson for the first point. Barber followed the Richardson kill with one of her own, sending a powerful ball into a New Paltz defender which quickly flung off her hitting the ceiling before accelerating to the floor. Irwin aced the next point for Brockport as it appeared the Golden Eagles were on their way to sweep the Hawks.
But New Paltz remained in the match as they refused to give in because Brockport just week's prior had pulled the same feat on them, overcoming a 0-2 set deficit to win the match. The Hawks and Golden Eagles traded points in pairs for the next couple of minutes until a four point swing gave New Paltz an 8-6 lead. Kills from Holdredge and Schlesinger partially stopped the bleeding but the Hawks grew their lead to 13-9.
Barber capitalized on a big dig from Irwin with a kill and followed the point with another kill to close the gap to 13-11. New Paltz regained control causing a timeout from Brockport when the team trailed 17-12. However Brockport found itself right back in the game on a kill from Barber, a crafty kill from Schlesinger as she snuck the ball inside the pole on a wide set and a block from Capone and Schlesinger. New Paltz called a timeout holding a single point 17-16 lead.
Brockport rallied to tie things up at 18-all when Maddy Taylor's big dig extended the play so Schlesinger could send the ball over the net. Holdredge finished the play with a kill for the tie. New Paltz yet again went on a run and was a single point away from sending the match to a fourth set.
However a kill from Holdredge and block assist from Barber and Richardson caused a New Paltz timeout. The two point swing sparked the crowd, as chants of "I believe we will win" began emanating from the stands.
Following a Hawk error that tied the score at 24-all, it appeared the third set momentum had shifted and the Golden Eagles would fulfill the chanters prophetic statement in the third set, but New Paltz scored the next two points to postpone the inevitable.
Game 4: Brockport 25 – New Paltz 20
The opening point of the fourth set was battled for like whoever scored it would win the match. Both sides made remarkable defensive plays before Barber's kill gave Brockport the momentum. She combined on a block with Richardson for the second point after Holdredge made an incredible one handed dig to save the play.
New Paltz refused to succumb to the pressure and crowd noise overcoming the early Brockport momentum to take an 8-6 lead.
But who else than tournament MVP Kayla Barber would swing the momentum back in Brockport's favor. Poloncarz sought out Barber in a much needed point and she responded with a kill.
Barber followed the much needed point with back-to-back aces helping Brockport swing a two point deficit to a two point advantage at 10-8.
Brockport attempted to extend its lead to more than three points on multiple occasions midway through the fourth set but was unable to until a Barber kill gave the team a 20-16 lead. New Paltz immediately called a timeout.
At this point the Brockport fans once again had a belief that the Golden Eagles would win the game, match and championship when Capone sprung from the floor on a poorly dug Hawks ball to nail it onto the backline for a 23-19 lead.
New Paltz scored the next point before a kill from Holdredge put the Green and Gold a single point from the win. With Aimee Spilman at the service line, Holdredge cemented the Golden Eagles place in SUNYAC history with a kill on the back line to close out the championship match.
In just three seasons as The College at Brockport Volleyball Head Coach Steve Pike in a collective effort with his staff and athletes transformed a struggling program to the 2015 SUNYAC Champions. In his third season as coach, everything came to fruition with a strong influx of talent and high quality coaching from assistants Mary Cocking and Tyler North accelerating the development of a talented Golden Eagles roster. The win captures Brockport's sixth SUNYAC Volleyball title, as the team won five titles in a row from 1990-94 under coach Frank Short and currently ranks second in total conference volleyball championships.
Brockport awaits its fate for the NCAA tournament during the NCAA Division III Women's Volleyball selection show. The show will be broadcast here on Monday Nov. 9 at 11 a.m. If you are unable to watch the selection show be sure to follow @BportAthletics and like the "Brockport Golden Eagles" Facebook page for updates on the NCAA tournament status.
