ALBANY, N.Y. - The University at Albany athletic programs return for two basketball AE-Metro Challenge games and double volleyball this week. 

Thursday, November 5

The Great Danes open the season at home after a nail-biter 65-61 victory at Northeastern on Monday (Nov. 2). In the first game of the 2026-27 season, two freshmen led the way with 19 points each. Freshman Noa López Tallón went 6-6 from three - she is the first Great Dane to do so since December 2024 and only the fifth Great Dane to earn six three-pointers in a single contest since January 2009. 

Senior Lara Langermann tallied a career-high seven assists and junior Daria Shishkina earned a career-high seven rebounds. Senior Madison Roman led the team with eight rebounds.

UAlbany will face a Manhattan that opened the season 1-0 against Pace with a 15-point win. Laura Ring led the way with 18 points. Amanda Baumgarte followed with 12 points and a team-high eight rebounds. As a team, the Jaspers totaled 14 steals and 20 assists in the contest.

Friday, November 6

As the end of the regular season draws closer, the Great Danes head back to PE Gym Friday evening (Nov. 6) to take on Binghamton. UAlbany enters this weekend with a 6-13, 2-5 record after falling to UMBC in three sets Sunday afternoon (Nov. 1). Junior outside hitter Pinar Erol continues to lead the team with 256 kills, averaging 3.46 per set, and junior libero Kasia Barletta takes the top spot in digs with 292, averaging 3.95 per set.

Binghamton enters Friday’s match with a 12-9, 3-4 record after taking the win against Bryant 3-2 Sunday afternoon. Junior outside hitter Viktoria Dimitrova is the leader in kills for the Bearcats with 232, averaging 3.46 per set, and sophomore libero Celeste Ocampo holds the lead in digs with 310, averaging 5.00 per set.

This will be the second time UAlbany faces the Bearcats this season. In their first meeting, Binghamton took the win 3-2 in a close matchup. However, the Great Danes lead the series against the Bearcats 30-15 overall, and 26-13 in conference play.

Sunday, November 8

The Great Danes return to Broadview Center on Sunday, Nov. 8, hosting Merrimack at 2:00 PM in the America East–Metro Basketball Challenge. UAlbany enters its second home game of the season with a new-look roster featuring eight incoming international players, one of the most internationally based rosters in the country. Abdoulaye Fall returns alongside experienced contributors Zacharie Matulu and Miles Rose, while Wilkin Paulino joins the returning group after redshirting last season. The Great Danes will look to build early-season momentum as they continue their opening stretch of the 2026-27 campaign.

Merrimack enters the week at 0-1 after falling to Appalachian State, 63-49, in its season opener on Nov. 2 at 6:30 AM vs. Appalachian State in the Field of 68 Opening Day Marathon. The Warriors are scheduled to host UMass Lowell on Thursday, Nov. 5, before traveling to UAlbany for Sunday's matchup. Merrimack finished 2025-26 with a 23-11 overall record and a 17-3 mark in conference play, claiming the regular-season title, before falling to Siena 64-54 in the MAAC Basketball Championship Finals. The Warriors were selected second in the 2026-27 Metro Conference preseason coaches' poll.

The Bulldogs enter Sunday afternoon’s matchup with an 11-15, 5-3 record after falling to Binghamton in five sets. Sophomore outside hitter Kaitlin Curran currently leads the team in kills with 256, averaging 2.72 per set. Senior libero Carrina Barron is the leader in digs recording 399, averaging 4.59 per set.

Bryant narrowly leads the all-time series against UAlbany, 6-5. The Great Danes played hard against the Bulldogs the last time they met (Oct. 17) as they pushed them to five sets, but Bryant ultimately took the win.

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