Albany, N.Y. - Senior Teresa Coppielle recorded a double-double of 21 kills and 15 digs to lead UAlbany to a 3-1 win over New Hampshire in America East Conference volleyball action on Sunday afternoon at University Gym. The Great Danes dropped the first set, 24-26, but were victorious in the next three with scores of 25-16, 28-26 and 25-20. Now standing at 13-5 overall, and 3-0 in conference play, the Great Danes have won five straight matches.

            New Hampshire won the first set, which was tied nine times. The Wildcats jumped out to a quick lead early on, but UAlbany would rally to tie the match at 4-4 on a kill by Dunja Prgomet. Prgomet would later serve for four straight points to put UAlbany up, 10-6, when New Hampshire would then battle back from the deficit to build up an 18-14 lead later in the set on a kill by Amy Keding. Prgomet's service game would again pull the Great Danes ahead, as she served for five consecutive points to put UAlbany on top, 21-19. A kill by Destiny Tolliver would put New Hampshire back in control, and a UAlbany service error gave the Wildcats set point. Coppiellie responded with a kill to send the set to extra points, but Justine Elliott and Morgan Thatcher combined for a block to end the set in New Hampshire's favor.

            UAlbany came out firing in the second set, building up a quick 13-5 advantage in the early going. Thatcher and Elliott would team up for back-to-back blocks to attempt to start a Wildcat rally, but UAlbany would get a kill from Traci Vandegrift and take advantage of consecutive New Hampshire attack errors to regain control. Casey Wright put down one of her four solo blocks followed by a bad Wildcat set to give the Great Danes set point at 25-16. Prgomet continued her strong service game, ending the second set for UAlbany with one of the Great Danes' five service aces.

            Setter Abbey Wexel, who finished with a double-double of 40 assists and 14 digs, served for the first four points of the third set to put the great Danes up early. Consecutive kills by Coppiellie and Prgomet forced New Hampshire to take an early time out, where the Wildcats regrouped and got a kill from Sara Heldman to end the UAlbany run. Behind the service game of Jayde Huxtable, New Hampshire battled back to within 15-13, then tied the match at 16-16 on a UAlbany attack error. The teams exchanged points for the remainder of the set, going into extra points once again before Wright and Wexel ended the set with a block assist on a New Hampshire attack.

            The teams played a closely matched fourth set in the early going before UAlbany pulled ahead, 19-9  on a New Hampshire attack error. The Wildcats battled back to within 10-15, getting kills from Tolliver and Keding, who lead New Hampshire with 15 and 10 kills, respectively, for the match. UAlbany got to match point on a Wildcat attack error, but then committed an attack error to keep New Hampshire in the set. Vandegrift ended the match, redeeming herself from the error, taking an assist from Wexel and smashing a kill down the line to give the Great Danes the victory.

            Prgomet and Vandegrift both finished with additional double-doubles for UAlbany. Prgomet recorded 13 kills and 13 digs, while Vandegrift recorded 10 digs and 13 kills to go aonlg with three block assists and one service ace. Libero Laurie Gonzalez totaled a match-high 26 digs, adding seven assists and two service aces for the Great Danes. Heldman recorded 39 assists and 13 digs for New Hampshire (7-12, AE 2-2).

            UAlbany (13-5, AE 3-0) will return to action on Friday, hitting the road for an America East match with Stony Brook at 7 p.m.

-agate-

UAlbany (13-5, AE 3-0) def. New Hampshire (7-12, AE 2-2), 3-1 (24-26, 25-16, 28-26, 25-20).

UAlbany 3, New Hampshire 1 (Oct 10, 2010)