ALBANY, N.Y. – The University at Albany volleyball team is set to host Sacred Heart for a doubleheader on Saturday, marking the team's first game action since Dec. 5, 2019.
Game Info
Saturday, February 20 vs. Sacred Heart (3:00 p.m.) / (6:00 p.m.)
Live Stats |
Live Video
Leading the Pack
- Malea Stanton returns her team-leading 601 assists that ranked third in the America East
- Both Stanton and Danielle Tedesco played a team-high 99 sets in 2019
- Tedesco ranked second in the America East with her team-leading 115 total blocks. Noa Brach ranked third in the America East with 106
- Charlotte Macken ranked fifth in the America East with 292 digs
- The Great Danes Return six-of-eight players from the 2019 season who played more than 83 total sets
- UAlbany added five new players, three freshman and two transfers, for the 2020-21 season
Scouting Sacred Heart
A member of the Northeast Conference, Sacred Heart began their season with a 3-0 loss at St. John's. The Pioneers finished the 2019 season with a 20-12 record and won the Northeast Conference Championship 3-0 over Central Connecticut State University. They return junior Sarah Ciszek who led the conference with 1,147 assists and ranked fifth with 204 kills, and junior Emma Smallcomb who ranked fourth with 434 digs.
All-Time vs. Sacred Heart
UAlbany has only faced off against Sacred Heart one time in the program's history, securing a 3-0 win in 2012. Neither team has hosted the other, as the only matchup was played at a neutral site in West Point, N.Y.
Last Time Out
The Great Danes last match was Dec. 5, 2019 in the NCAA Tournament when they lost to second-ranked Texas 3-0. In their last America East action, UAlbany defeated Hartford 3-2, winning the final set 15-12. The America East Championship win marked the program's first conference win since 2011.
Around the America East
The America East added the New Jersey Institute of Technology, who become the seventh volleyball program in the conference. Stony Brook was the first America East team to begin the 2020-21 season, losing 3-2 against St. John's. UMBC and NJIT are scheduled to play this weekend, while New Hampshire, Binghamton and Hartford start their season next week.
Picked To Repeat as Champions
As defending America East champions, UAlbany was picked to repeat as champions in this year's Preseason Coaches' Poll. The Great Danes earned 33 points, including four first-place votes, to claim the top spot in the poll. Hartford, UAlbany's 2019 championship opponent, was second, with 28 points and the remaining three first-place votes. Stony Brook (27) and New Hampshire (24) followed behind in a close third and fourth, respectively, ahead of UMBC (17), Binghamton (10), and America East newcomer NJIT (8).
Returning 2019 Award Winners
Three players,
Danielle Tedesco,
Noa Brach and
Malea Stanton, return for the 2020-21 season after earning 2019 All-Conference Selections. Tedesco was named First Team All-Conference after her 99 regular season blocks helped the Great Danes rank No. 21 in the nation in blocks. Brach and Stanton earned All-Rookie selections after they ranked third in the America East with 106 blocks and 601 assists, respectively.
New Faces
UAlbany welcomes five new members to the 2020-21 roster, composed of three freshman and two transfers. Freshman
Hannah Rowe earned First Team All-State honors in Pennsylvania and compiled 673 kills, 212 blocks and 522 digs. Junior
ShaLi Niu transferred from George Mason where she earned First Team OIA East College and averaged 2.63 kills per set. Freshman
Allie Sturgess earned All-State honors her senior year and
Naliah Grannell totaled 419 kills in her high school career.
Big Shoes to Fill
Two Great Danes who lead the offensive attack,
Chloe Evering and
Akuabata Okenwa, graduated from the program after the 2019 season. The pair led UAlbany in kills with 538 combined, as well as both placing top-four on the team in blocks. Okenwa's 331 kills ranked fourth in the America East as she earned First Team All-Conference honors. Evering earned a Second-Team selection along with All-Academic honors for her 3.99 GPA as a Biology major.
America East Announces Volleyball Scheduling Format
The teams will compete in a double round-robin (12 matches) from Feb. 28 to March 29. Once the regular season matchups conclude, the top two teams will qualify for the America Each Championship match that is schedule for April 4.
Next: UAlbany is set to host NJIT in the first conference action of the season Feb. 27.
