Nov. 16, 2009
Center Valley, Pa.--The regular season has come to a close and the 2009 Patriot League Volleyball Tournament is on the horizon. Army will host American, Colgate and Lehigh in the tournament, starting Saturday. It is the first time since American joined the Patriot League in 2001 that the Eagles have not hosted the tournament.
Patriot League Volleyball Release 11.16.09 
Player of the Week (11.9.09-11.15.09)
Amanda Rowell, Army Jr., MB, Mogadore, Ohio
Rowell led Army in kills (4.67 kps), blocks (1.33 bps) and hitting percentage (.442) during a 2-0 weekend that clinched the top seed and home court advantage in the upcoming Patriot League Tournament. She recorded a careeer-high 17 kills in the Black Knights’ four-set win over Lehigh. For the weekend, Rowell finished with 28 kills and eight blocks.
Rookie of the Week (11.9.09-11.15.09)
Taylor Poole, Lehigh Fr., MH, Keller, Texas
Poole helped the Mountain Hawks clinch a Patriot League Tournament berth for the first time since 2003. She had nine kills, 11 digs and one block in the clinching victory against Holy Cross. She added a career-high 11 kills against League-leading Army, hitting .500 against the Black Knights. She led the team over the weekend with a .432 hitting percentage.
Honorable Mention Performances Last Week
Ariana Mankus, Army
Fr., OH, Lisle, Ill.
Posted a double-double with 10 kills and 17 digs in Army’s 3-1 win over Lehigh. Also had seven kills and eight digs against Lafayette.
Kaitlin Segal, Bucknell
Jr., OH, Pacific Palisades, Calif.
Recorded a double-double with 12 kills and 15 digs against American. Also had 10 kills, four digs, two aces and a block against Navy.
Kaylee Dougherty, Colgate
So., MB, Landisville, Pa.
Led the Raiders with a .480 hitting percentage in two matches. Finished the weekend with 15 kills, three digs and six blocks.
Alana Taylor, Lafayette
So., M, Portland, Ore.
Tallied 16 kills and nine blocks in two matches. Hit .722 with 14 kills in the Leopards straight-sets win over Holy Cross.
Angelika Kopacz, Lehigh
So., OH, Rutherford, N.J.
Registered two double-doubles, helping Lehigh reach the Patriot League Tournament. Had 16 kills and 15 digs at Holy Cross while adding 14 kills and 12 digs at Army.
Patriot League Notebook
Black Knights Clinch Home Court
With two wins, Army secured the top seed and home-court advantage in the 2009 Patriot League Volleyball Tournament. The Black Knights officially claimed the top seed on Saturday when Colgate defeated Navy. Army went 2-0 during weekend play, giving the Black Knights’ a 12-2 record in Patriot League competition. Army will be hosting the tournament for the first time since 1994.
Joining The Black Knights
American, Colgate and Lehigh will join Army in the Patriot League Tournament fold. The Eagles notched wins over Lehigh and Lafayette during weekend play, moving American into a tie with Colgate, which went 1-1 during the same period. As a result of American’s better overall set record in Patriot League play, the Eagles claimed the No. 2 seed ahead of the Raiders. Lehigh was the final team to join the fray, clincing its spot with a 3-1 win over Holy Cross on Friday. The Mountain Hawks dropped a 3-1 decision at Army on Saturday, leaving Lehigh with a 7-7 Patriot League record.
An Experienced Bunch
This year’s Patriot League Tournament teams are no strangers to the event, though some are reacquainting themselves. American has won the last eight Patriot League titles since joining the League in 2001. Army has tied Bucknell for the most all-time Patriot League Tournament appearances with 17, and the Black Knights are in the field for the 11th year in a row. Army has not hosted a Patriot League Tournament match since 1994, which is the last time the Black Knights won the tournament. Lehigh is in its 15th Tournament, and first since making the first 14 events from 1990-2003. Colgate made the field for the 14th time, while American is in its ninth League Tournament.
Set To Move Into Top Three
After dishing out 27 assists against Lehigh on Saturday, Army’s Maureen Bannon has 955 assists this season, and she’s been quickly climbing the League’s all-time list. Outside the top 10 when the season began, Bannon has made her way to fourth place on the career assists chart. Bannon owns a career total of 3,988 assists. She’s averaging 38.6 assists per match and she’s 104 away from moving into third place. She is 203 away from second and 396 assists away from tying the League record. She’s not the only League setter climbing the list as Colgate’s Meghan Fanta is ranked seventh with 3,927 assists, a school record. She had 48 assists during the Raiders’ two weekend matches and is now four behind Elita Powell for sixth place.
Keep Track of the Patriot League Through Social Media
In addition to visiting www.patriotleague.org, League fans and followers have plenty of new ways to stay updated and involved during the 2009 Patriot League Tournament. The Patriot League has accounts on Facebook and Twitter, and has now started a blog to give more information on the action on the field. All three accounts are accessible through the multimedia link at the right-hand sidebar on the front page of www.patriotleague.org.
Team Notebooks
American The Eagles finished the regular season tied for the second in the Patriot League with an 11-3 mark. American closed the season with eight straight wins, including weekend victories over Colgate and Bucknell. American has won the Patriot League Tournament every year since it joined the League in 2001. This will mark the first season that the Eagles will not be the top seed, meaning American will play a Patriot League Tournament match away from Bender for the first time ever. In the semifinal round, the No. 2 Eagles will meet No. 3 Colgate in a rematch of last year’s championship match.
Army The Black Knights won home matches against Lehigh and Lafayette to clinch the top seed and home-court advantage in the Patriot League Tournament. Army is the first team other than American to host the tournament since Bucknell did so in 2000. It is the first time since 1994 that Army will be hosting the tournament. The Black Knights will begin pursuit of their fourth Patriot League Championship on Saturday against No. 4 Lehigh.
Bucknell The Bison closed the season with seven consecutive losses, including weekend defeats against Navy and American. Freshman Regin Jackson finished the season with the team-lead in solo blocks. She also ranked second in total blocks and third in kills. She is the only Bison freshman to ever tally more than 100 kills in a season. Bucknell closes the year with an 8-18 overall record and a 4-10 Patriot League mark.
Colgate The Raiders went 1-1 over the weekend, defeating Navy but falling to defending Patriot League champion American. The Raiders sent their seniors out in style in their final home match, a three-set win over the Mids. It was Colgate’s seventh straight win against Navy. Kaylee Dougherty is hitting .342 over her last 10 matches and .520 in her last six outings. The No. 3 Raiders will open the Patriot League Tournament against No. 2 American in a rematch of last year’s title tilt.
Holy Cross The Crusaders finished the season with back-to-back losses to Lehigh and Lafayette. Senior Samantha Surface recorded a season-best 14 kills and a career-high 16 digs against Lehigh. Chelsey O’Donnell ended the year with 893 assists, which ranks second on the Holy Cross single-season charts. Junior libero Angela Chisholm recorded 360 digs, which ranks third all-time at Holy Cross. The Crusaders finished the season with a 3-11 Patriot League mark and a 5-24 overall record.
Lafayette Lafayette closed the season with a straight-sets win at Holy Cross on Saturday, securing an overall winning record for the Leopards. On Friday, Lafayette was dealt a 3-0 loss by Army. Alana Taylor had 14 kills while hitting .722 against Holy Cross. For the season, she played in 92 sets, missing just three all year. She led the team in blocks (66) and blocks per set (0.72). Lafayette ended the season with a 14-13 overall record and a 5-9 mark in Patriot League play.
Lehigh The Mountain Hawks are in the Patriot League Tournament for the first time since 2003 after going 1-1 over the weekend. Lehigh clinched its tournament berth with a 3-1 win over Holy Cross on Friday. The Moutain Hawks then suffered a 3-1 setback at the hands of League-leading Army. Angelika Kopacz pounded out 30 kills during the weekend. No. 4 Lehigh will meet top-seeded Army on Saturday in the Patriot League Semifinals in West Point, N.Y.
Navy The Mids went 1-1 during the final weekend of regular season competition. Navy notched a 3-0 win over Bucknell before dropping a 3-0 decision at Colgate. The Mids wrapped up the 2009 campaign with an 8-21 overall record and a 3-11 mark in Patriot League play. Of Navy’s eight wins, seven came away its home court. The Mids’ lone home win of the season came against rival Army on Nov. 6.
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