The Alfred State volleyball team won the AMCC Championship and become the first team at the college to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Championships.
The Alfred State volleyball team won the AMCC Championship 3-0 (25-23, 25-19, 25-21) over Penn State Behrend. The victory clinches an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament.
The Pioneers, the #1 seed in the tournament, complete AMCC play with a perfect 9-0 record. In matches at home the team was 13-0. The team is 21-6 overall and will become the first team in school history to play in the NCAA’s riding a sixteen-game winning streak.
After defeating Penn State Altoona in a thrilling five set match in yesterday’s semifinal, the Pioneers came back today and were firing on all cylinders jumping out to a 16-8 lead in the first set. The Lions fought back and scored eight straight points to tie the first set up at 16-16. After an Alfred State timeout, putting a halt to the Behrend run. The set continued to go back-and-forth before the Pioneers squeaked away with the 25-23 win.
The second set was neck-and-neck, with neither team gaining more than a two-point lead until the set was tied at 18-18. Alfred State scored the next three points and took the lead 21-18 and never look back taking the set 25-19.
The final set was also close throughout. At 17-16 with the Pioneers ahead, Alfred State went on a run to take a 22-17 lead. Karleigh Haines’ (Jamestown, NY / Jamestown) delivered the championship point on a kill to officially crown the Pioneers AMCC Champions.
Video of championship point:
Alfred State was led by Keturah Gregory (Laurel, MD / High Point) and Karleigh Haines who both had double-digit kills. Gregory led the way with 17 kills and 3 blocks. Haines had 15 kills. Nayomie Ferrer Santiago (San Juan, PR / Eastridge) tallied 36 assists and 10 digs and Adeline Milligan (Pavilion, NY / Pavilion) led the team in digs with 11.
Haines and Ferrer Santiago were named to the All-Tournament team.
Alfred State now awaits the NCAA DIII selection show to find out where they will travel and who they match-up with. The official bracket will be released on Monday (11/7) at 1 p.m. on www.ncaa.com