UAlbany Volleyball Splits Pair of Five-Set Thrillers in Arizona
UC Riverside: Box Score | Box Score (PDF)
Grand Canyon: Box Score | Box Score (PDF)
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – UAlbany played a couple of five-setters to open the Lumberjack Invite, defeating UC Riverside (25-23, 19-25, 20-25, 25-23, 15-12) and falling to Grand Canyon (25-20, 23-25, 22-25, 25-23, 11-15).
UAlbany (2-6) played each opponent, UC Riverside (2-5) and Grand Canyon (6-2), for the first time in program history.
Laini Leindecker led UAlbany in kills in each match and had double-doubles in each with 16 kills and 19 digs vs. UCR and 17 kills and 31 digs vs. Grand Canyon to total 33 kills and 50 digs on the day. Viktoriia Stroilo earned 27 digs in match one and 25 digs in the second to total 52 digs. Olivia Schonewise totaled 21 kills and 12 digs Friday, Tatum Jungsten had 14 kills and 10 blocks and Mikala McCauley totaled 77 assists, 19 digs, seven kills and seven blocks.
Against UAlbany, Fabiana Rosa had a double-double with 15 kills and 15 digs. Alex Gresham and Megan Reza each contributed 11 kills and six blocks.
Grand Canyon's Natalie Tardy hit .262 with 27 kills and two blocks. Shannon Dugan had a double-double with 21 kills and 22 digs, while Michelle Steagall tallied 57 assists and 12 digs.
Set one between UAlbany and UC Riverside started as a back-and-forth struggle. Down 5-3, UAlbany got three points in a row off a trio of UC Riverside errors, which was countered three-straight UC Riverside kills. At 12-10, three more UC Riverside kills gave the Highlanders a five-point lead. Three kills from Jungsten helped UAlbany stay within striking distance, but UC Riverside built a 23-19 advantage. Sofia Furlong notched the kill to take the serve, as Stroilo went back for UAlbany. UC Riverside had two unassisted attack errors, then UAlbany tied the set with a Jungsten-Amanda Dolan combo block. Jungsten earned a kill to give UAlbany the lead. At 24-23, Reza hit the ball out-of-bounds, sealing a 6-0 run for UAlbany as the Great Danes grabbed set one 25-23.
After a 3-0 start to set two for UC Riverside, UAlbany won five of the next six points, including two Dolan blocks, to take a 5-4 lead. The two sides exchanged points until at 12-12, the next five points went to the Highlanders to make it 17-12. Two Schonewise kills stopped the run and got UAlbany within three, but the team was not able to get closer. UC Riverside won the set 25-19 to tie the match.
UC Riverside got another 3-0 start in the next game, later going up 6-2. A Dolan kill started a 7-2 spurt to give UAlbany a 9-8 lead. At 10-9, two Rosa kills started a 3-0 run to put UC Riverside ahead 12-10. The two sides battled back-and-forth, until at 18-15, a Schonewise kill and two Reza attack errors tied the set at 18. Reza got back and served the Highlanders through a 4-0 run to go up 22-18. Kills from McCauley and Leindecker got UAlbany within two, but UCR got three-straight kills to get the set 25-20.
The fourth set was a battle to begin, with neither side getting an early big edge. At 8-7 UA, Schonewise capped a 3-0 run for UAlbany with a kill and block solo to go up 11-7. UCR countered on Amanda Press's serve, taking six-straight to go up 13-11, later leading 19-14 with a couple small runs. A Leindecker kill and Jungsten ace pulled UAlbany within three, but UCR put the lead back to five at 21-16. The captain Leindecker took control off McCauley's serving, delivering four kills in a 5-0 run to tie the set at 21. The teams exchanged points when at 23-22 UCR, a Schonewise kill tied the game. Two Highlander errors sealed the set to UAlbany 25-23, forcing a tiebreak.
Four of the first five points of set five went to UC Riverside. Later at 5-3, a service error and two Schonewise kills put UAlbany in front 6-5. UA built the lead to two after a Bri Holmes kill for UCR, Schonewise kill for UA and Dolan block. UCR countered with a 3-0 run for the lead. After another Schonewise kill, McCauley blocked an attack and completed one of her own to pull UAlbany in front 11-9. UA did not lose back-to-back points again, with a couple late Leindecker kills sealing the set for UAlbany 15-12 for the 3-2 match win.
UAlbany looked for the sweep on the day against Grand Canyon. Following a Tardy kill, four-straight GC attack errors put UAlbany ahead 4-1. Including two kills each from Dugan and Hannah Hankins, the Antelopes eventually went ahead 11-10, later leading 14-12. Capped by a Dolan kill and Jungsten solo block, UA took the lead. At 16-16, Lauren Spreen served UAlbany through a 4-0 run, and the Great Danes did not relinquish control from there, taking the set 25-20.
The second set saw each side exchange points, with neither team leading by more than two during the first 20 points. At 9-9, GC won five in a row, including two Dugan kills to lead 14-9. At 17-12, UAlbany climbed back in off three GC errors, two Leindecker kills and a Spreen ace to go ahead 18-17. Tied at 20-20, GC got two points off a Hankins kill and block. Despite late kills from Furlong, Schonewise and Dolan, UAlbany could not tie the set and fell 25-23.
Including three service aces, Grand Canyon started up 7-2 in the third game. The lead went to seven at 11-4, later to 16-9. UAlbany began a comeback attempt, starting with a 4-0 run, capped by two Leindecker kills, to pull with 16-13. Later, the Antelopes built the advantage back to seven following a 4-0 run, sandwiched by two Tardy kills, to make it 22-15. The Great Danes charged forward as UAlbany won seven of the next eight points, including two kills and a block solo from Leindecker, to pull within one at 23-22. But the comeback was stopped short, as Grand Canyon won 25-22 to take a 2-1 match lead.
Each side had an early 3-0 run in set four as the sides tied at 4-4. UAlbany took three of the next four, capped by a kill and block by Dolan. The teams again went back-and-forth, with UAlbany never relinquishing the lead. At 15-13 UAlbany, three-consecutive GC errors, the first aided by a Furlong-Dolan combo block, made it 18-13. GC countered with a 3-0 run to pull within two, but at 20-18, a Jungsten kill and block put UAlbany up four at 22-18. UA held off a late comeback attempt to take the set 25-23 and force a tiebreak.
A pair of points in a row, started by a Jungsten kill, gave UAlbany an early 3-1 lead in the final set. Started by a Tardy kill, Michelle Steagall's serving led GC through a 7-0 run for an 8-3 lead, later leading 10-4. UAlbany began the comeback surge, using two Dolan kills to pull within two at 10-8. After losing a point, a Dolan kill and Dugan attack error pulled UAlbany within one 11-10. But that is as far as the Great Danes went as the Antelopes won four of the last five to win 15-11 and take the match 3-2.
UAlbany will finish the tournament tomorrow when the Great Danes take on tournament host Northern Arizona at 2 p.m. ET (12 p.m. MT).
