Nov. 10, 2008
Patriot League Volleyball Release 11.10.08 
Center Valley, Pa. - The top seed in the upcoming Patriot League Tournament is still up for grabs. American and Army will battle for the right to host the Patriot League Tournament during the final weekend of League play. Also available is the fourth spot in the tournament. Bucknell and Lafayette will compete for the final position in the tournament field. American, Army and Colgate have already clinched tournament berths.
Baden Player of the Week (Nov. 3-Nov. 9)
Briana Stremick, Army Sr., RS, Langdon, N.D.
Stremick led Army in kills in a pair of victories for the Black Knights. She eclipsed the 1,000-kill mark for her career with 13 kills at Colgate. She finished the week with 28 kills, averaging 4.67 per set. She now has 1,016 career kills, ranking her eighth all-time at Army. Her .480 hitting percentage against Colgate on Friday marked the sixth time this season she has hit .400 or better. She finished the week hitting .418.
Baden Rookie of the Week (Nov. 3-Nov. 9)
Kyleigh McAhren, Bucknell Fr., MH, Napa, Calif.
McAhren registered 15 kills, four aces, six digs and a block in two matches last week. She notched 10 kills and three aces in Bucknell's 3-1 win over Holy Cross. She added five kills in 3-0 loss to Army.
Honorable Mention
Heidi Kamp, Bucknell So., MB, Springfield, Ore. Kamp finished the week with nine blocks, including seven against Holy Cross. Her seven-block effort against the Crusaders was one short of a personal best. Also produced 20 kills in seven sets.
Casey Ritt, Colgate So., MB, Colorado Springs, Colo. Ritt recorded 15 kills and hit .407 in two matches last week. Also registered two blocks an one assist.
Kayly Elmer, Lafayette So., OH, Wilmette, Ill. Elmer notched 35 kills in three matches. She also contributed two aces, 13 digs and four blocks.
Mo McReynolds, Lehigh Jr., OH, Wheat Ridge, Colo. McReynolds hit .448 in the Mountain Hawks' 3-1 loss to Navy. Produced 18 kills in two matches, including 15 against the Mids. Also provided six digs and two blocks.
Patriot League Notebook
Patriot League Recap
Colgate, which lost to Army but beat Holy Cross, joined Army and American in the Patriot League Tournament field. American remained unbeaten in League play with straight-sets wins over Lehigh and Lafayette. Army maintained its hopes of passing American for the League lead by recording a pair of sweeps, as well. The Black Knights topped Colgate and Bucknell on the road. Two teams are left vying for the final tournament berth. Bucknell, which beat Holy Cross but lost to Army, holds a one-match lead over fifth-place Lafayette. The Leopards beat Navy but lost to American. Navy was eliminated from tournament contention after a 1-1 week. The Mids beat Lehigh but lost to Lafayette. Lehigh dropped a pair of contests and remains in seventh place. Holy Cross rounds out the standings. The Crusaders fell to 0-12 in League play with a pair of losses.
Patriot League Preview
The site of the Patriot League Tournament, as well as the tournament's final participant, will be decided on the final weekend of Patriot League play. American, which leads the Patriot League by one match over Army, will travel to Holy Cross on Friday before meeting Army in West Point, N.Y. Prior to Saturday's showdown, the Black Knights will host rival Navy in a televised contest on ESPNU. Colgate, which has clinched its spot in the Patriot League Tournament, will host Lafayette and Lehigh. Bucknell currently holds the fourth position in the Patriot League standings. Looking to secure a spot in the tournament, the Bison will host Lehigh and Lafayette. Lafayette, which hopes to pass the Bison, will travel to Colgate and Bucknell. Holy Cross will search for its first League wins of the season when they host American and Navy.
2008 Patriot League Tournament
The 2008 Patriot League Volleyball Championship will take place Friday-Saturday, Nov. 21-22 at the site of the highest seed as determined by regular-season standings with the top four teams qualifying for the tournament. Two semifinal matches will take place on Friday, Nov. 21 with the No. 1 seed facing the No. 4 seed and the No. 2 seed facing the No. 3 seed. The championship match will be played on Saturday, Nov. 22 with the winner earning the Patriot League's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Team Notebooks
American The Eagles have now won 16 of their last 17 matches after a 3-1 week. American suffered a 3-1 setback against non-League foe Virginia Commonwealth on Tuesday in Richmond, Va. The Eagles rebounded for a resounding 3-0 win over North Carolina Central on Thursday, extending their home winning streak to 17 matches. The Eagles then swept Lehigh and Lafayette in road League action. American leads the Patriot League standings heading into the final weekend, with a one-match advantage over second-place Army. The Eagles will battle the Black Knights on Saturday after a Friday match-up against Holy Cross.
Army The Black Knights remained in second place with straight-sets victories over Colgate and Bucknell. Army has now won five straight matches and trails League-leading American by one match with one weekend left to play. Army's four seniors were named to the ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-District Team. Briana Stremick and Rachael Breinling were selected to the first team, avancing their names to the national ballot. The Black Knights will host arch rival Navy on Friday in a televised contest on ESPNU. The Black Knights will then host League-leading American on Saturday.
Bucknell With a 1-1 week, the Bison remained in fourth place in the League standings, one game ahead of Lafayette for the final Patriot League Tournament berth. The Bison topped Holy Cross, 3-1, on Friday before dropping a 3-0 contest to Army. Senior Shannon Pitsch was named to the ESPN The Magazine All-District First Team by CoSIDA last Thursday. Bucknell will hsot Lehigh on Friday before squaring off against Lafayette on Senior Night Saturday in Lewisburg.
Colgate The Raiders clinched a spot in the Patriot League Touranment with a win against Holy Cross on Saturday. Prior to Saturday's win, the Raiders were dealt a 3-0 defeat by Army. Casey Ritt led the Raiders with 15 kills in two matches. She produced a team-high 10 kills in the Raiders' win over Holy Cross. Colgate will host Lafayete and Lehigh this weekend.
Holy Cross The Crusaders dropped to 0-12 in League play with a 3-1 loss at Bucknell and 3-0 loss at Colgate. Holy Cross has now lost 16 consecutive matches. The Crusaders will close their season with a pair of home matches. Holy Cross will host League-leading American on Friday before welcoming Navy on Saturday.
Lafayette The Leopards enter the final weekend one match behind Bucknell for the final spot in the Patriot League Tournament. The Leopards went 1-1 during League play last week, garnering a 3-0 win over Navy before dropping a 3-0 decision to American. Lafayette also picked up a 3-0 non-League win over St. Francis. The Leopards will close the regular season with road matches at Colgate and Bucknell.
Lehigh Mo McReynolds registered 18 kills in a pair of Lehigh losses last week. She hit.448 in a 3-1 loss to Navy, helping Lehigh to a .248 team hitting percentage. The Mountain Hawks also dropped a 3-0 decision to American. Lehigh will close the regular season at Colgate on Saturday after a Friday match at Bucknell.
Navy The Mids were eliminated from postseason contention after a 1-1 week. Navy suffered a 3-1 setback at Lafayette before regrouping for a 3-1 win at Lehigh. Alexa Gibbs enters the weekend just four kills shy of 800 for her career. The Mids will play at rival Army on ESPNU Friday before closing the season at Holy Cross.
