WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – The UAlbany volleyball team gets back on the road for a couple of America East matches in New England, taking on Hartford on Friday, October 28th at 7 p.m. and UMass Lowell on Sunday, October 30th at 1 p.m.
Each match will be broadcast online for free on AmericaEast.tv. Each road match is free of charge to attend for the public.
The Great Danes had their 10-match winning streak snapped on Friday with a three-set defeat to Binghamton, but remains in first place in the America East at 6-1 and 12-7 overall. Hartford is tied for fifth place in the America East after a five-set home loss to UMass Lowell, standing 2-5 in the league and 5-15 overall. UMass Lowell, after that victory over Hartford, is in seventh place in the conference at 1-6 and 6-16 overall.
UAlbany defeated each team in four sets at home this year: Hartford on October 2nd and UML on September 30th. UAlbany is 28-4 all-time against Hartford and 7-0 in Division I play against UMass Lowell.
If UAlbany wins both matches this weekend, the Great Danes will lock down a berth into the America East Tournament in November.
UALBANY PLAYERS CHASING RECORDSTwo UAlbany players have etched their names to the record book. Amanda Dolan stands with 407 total blocks for 3rd place in program history, nine away from 2nd. Chris Hofer holds the UAlbany record with 597 blocks from 1984-87, while Kamisha Kellam has the DI record with 416 from 2005-08.
Mikala McCauley is currently in the UAlbany record book, standing 4th in program history with 2,973 assists. She is 287 away from 3rd. The UAlbany record is 5,049 by Blair Buchanan from 2003-06.
Laini Leindecker, the newest member of the 1,000-dig club with 1,032 in her career, is approaching a milestone mark in kills. She stands with 979 kills in her career, 21 away from 1000. Only three UAlbany players in program history have earned 1,000 kills and digs.
McCauley is also approaching the 1,000 dig mark, standing with 938 in her career. Nina Holmes earned 1,005 digs in two years at Feather River College.
LAST TIME: UALBANY FALLS TO BINGHAMTON IN THREEIn the start of the second half of league play, UAlbany fell to Binghamton in three sets (23-25, 20-25, 16-25), ending the team's 10-match winning streak.
Akuabata Okenwa led UAlbany with a team-best nine kills and four blocks. Chloe Evering had seven kills while Nicole Otero picked up 22 digs.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS:Standing fourth in the America East in kills per set, sophomore outside hitter Paulina Modestow leads Hartford with 250 kills, adding 128 digs and 14 aces. Freshman middle blocker Jenna Bridges holds 156 kills, 14 aces and 70 total blocks. Junior Astrid Mangual is the setter, standing with 695 assists, 12 aces and 186 digs.
UMass Lowell's leader in kills is freshman Madi Bell, who has 196 kills, 58 blocks and 123 digs. Senior middle blocker Lauren Bennett is second in the league in blocks per set, totaling 81 blocks and 106 kills. At libero, sophomore Lindsey Visvardis has 336 digs and 26 aces, each team highs.
LAST MEETING:
UAlbany picked up a four-set win vs. Hartford (25-6, 16-25, 25-17, 25-17) for a 3-0 start in America East play. Amanda Dolan hit .500 with 11 kills and three blocks while Chloe Evering had 12 kills and two blocks. Paulina Modestow finished with 13 kills, hitting .400 with five digs.
In its America East opener, UAlbany defeated UMass Lowell in four (25-18, 17-25, 25-14, 25-20). Laini Leindecker has a double-double of 15 kills and 12 digs as did Mikala McCauley with 37 assists and 17 digs. Leading UML, Katherine Claybaugh had 14 kills and eight digs.
LEINDECKER NAMED 2016 SENIOR CLASS AWARD NOMINEE
Laini Leindecker has been named one of 30 Division I players as a 2016 Senior CLASS Award nominee for volleyball. The Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities. She is the first volleyball nominee at UAlbany since Viktoriia Stroilo was nominated in 2014.
