VOLLEYBALL
Ualbany fell just shy of a second straight America East title
University at Albany volleyball sophomore Kamara Kelly said the Great Danes had a “very stacked, poised team” this season, just the kind of squad that seemed equipped to repeat as America East champion during the coronavirus pandemic.
Even with those admirable qualities, Ualbany fell just shy of a second straight title. The Great Danes lost 3-2 to Maryland-baltimore County at University Gym on Friday night by the scores of 2523, 23-25, 25-21, 22-25, 13-15.
“I think we all took it really hard because we won it last year,” Kelly said. “We were so keen on winning this year and we didn’t. We didn’t finish. We didn’t take it all the way, and it sucks. But for the ones coming back, I think it’s a learning lesson. It’s something we don’t ever want to feel again. It’s something we can use to fuel us to get the ring next year.”
The Retrievers (11-3) snapped a nine-match losing streak against the Great Danes (10-5), who had swept UMBC in two regular-season meetings this year.
“I don’t agree with this old saying, but sadly, it was right this time: it’s hard to beat a team three times,” Kelly said. “It’s really hard. They start to see your cracks. They start to see how things work. They start to see things that maybe might not have worked last time we played them, so they’re going to try something new They were prepared. We were prepared as well, but I don’t know. It’s hard to beat a team three times.”
The Great Danes were limited to a .170 hitting percentage, below their .202 average during the regular season.
Kelly, the America East Player of the Year, led Ualbany with 14 kills, followed by senior Danielle Tedesco’s 12 and freshman Hannah Rowe’s 11.
“They had a great gameplan against us,” Great Danes head coach Josh Pickard said. “They came out and did things. We lean on our outsides (hitters) a little bit more than we have in years past and tonight we weren’t operating at as high a level of efficiency as we hoped.”
For the first time this season, the Great Danes got to play in front of a crowd as 100 guests of the players and coaching staff made noise.
“I think we were feeding off of it,” said junior defensive specialist/libero Charlotte Macken, a Shenendehowa graduate, who had 26 digs. “I think that it was a great help. It really benefited us and our energy. I just think it didn’t work out in our favor.”
UMBC head coach Cristina Robertson led the Retrievers to their first NCAA Tournament bid since 1998 with a young roster with several European players. Bulgarian freshman Darina Kumanova led the team with 22 kills on Friday.
“It’s been obviously a hard season for all of us,” Robertson said. “Coaches and players know how hard this COVID year has been. It’s been a lot of stress. All of us have worked toward this championship and it’s really good at the end when you play such a talented team as Albany to come out on top.”
On the other side, Macken said she was proud of her team in defeat at the end of a demanding year. The Great Danes had to forfeit their final two regular-season matches because of a presumptive positive test in their program.
“I honestly think we put it all out on the floor,” she said. “It didn’t turn out in our favor, but I think we should be proud of our performance because we really put in a lot of work and I’m proud of everybody.”