Volleyball Sets Sights on Third Straight America East Title, Clashes Against UAlbany (Nov. 21; 5 p.m.)

DURHAM, N.H. -- For the second straight year, the top-seeded University of New Hampshire volleyball team will clash with the second-seeded University at Albany in the America East Championship match Saturday, Nov. 21 (5 p.m.) at Lundholm Gymnasium.

THE STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE: The top-seeded University of New Hampshire volleyball team advanced to the America East Championship match for the third straight season with Friday night's four-set semifinal victory against Binghamton University. The set scores were 25-17, 25-22, 22-25 and 25-22.

UNH, co-regular season champs with an 11-1 conference record, has won four straight and 14 of its last 15 matches to improve to 20-8 overall. It is the Wildcats' third consecutive 20-win season and ninth in program history.

The two-time defending America East champions are led by a strong senior class as well as juniors Demi Muses (Orangevale, Calif.) and Keelin Severtson (Delray Beach, Fla.), who were honored as the America East co-Player of the Year and Setter of the Year, respectively, on the eve of the tourney.

Muses leads the team in points (342.5) and blocks (67), and she ranks second in kills (270), kills per set (2.87), hitting percentage (.275) and service aces (53); she is also third in digs (271) and second in digs per set (2.88). In last night's semifinal, Muses tallied 17 digs, six kills and three blocks. She recorded two of her eight double-doubles this season against UAlbany with 12 kills and 13 digs in the 3-0 road win and 11K, 19D in the 3-0 home loss.

Severtson entered the postseason leading America East and third among Division I players with 0.54 aces per set. The three-time America East Setter of the Week ended the regular season as the conference leader in assists per set (9.53) and she armed the conference's top offense for the third consecutive season with a .203 attack percentage and a .251 clip in league tilts. Severtson also contributes to the offense with 53 service aces and 38 kills on a .209 hitting percentage. On the defensive side of the ball, she has tallied 195 digs (1.97 per set), which ranks fourth on the team. In Friday night's semifinal, Severtson recorded 40 assists, 12 digs, two services aces and four kills with a .333 hitting percentage.

Senior outside hitter Tori Forrest (Powder Springs, Ga.) joined Muses and Severtson on the All-Conference First Team; she has received that accolade three times in as many years. Forrest has racked up a career-high 11 double-doubles this season, chalking up a team-high 2.94 kills per set and 2.86 digs per set, which ranks third. The co-captain leads the team in kills (285) and ranks third in service aces (28). In defensive stats, Forrest is second in digs (277). One of her 11 double-doubles came in the home match vs. UAlbany with 10 kills and 17 digs. Last night, Forrest had 13 kills on a .191 attack percentage as well as six digs and two service aces.

Senior defensive specialist Madison Lightfoot (Clarkston, Mich.), an All-Conference Second Team selection who was also voted Fans' Choice Player of the Year, has powered the Wildcats to the league's best opponent hitting percentage with team highs in digs (426) and digs per set (4.30). The senior co-captain entered the tourney ranked third in the conference in digs per set. She is also one of six 'Cats who has tallied double digits in service aces with 16. Lightfoot recorded a season-high 31 digs against Binghamton in the semifinal to help hold the Bearcats to a .154 hitting percentage. She had 20-plus digs in five regular-season matches.

Senior outside hitter Abby Brinkman (Brecksville, Ohio) continues her strong play down the stretch. Entering the tournament, she ranked sixth in the conference with 3.03 kills per set against league foes. Against Binghamton, the two-time Capital One CoSIDA Division I Volleyball Academic All-District® honoree notched a team-high 14 kills to pace UNH offensively in the win. In the final weekend of regular season, she hammered a team-high 14 kills to pace the 'Cats in the four-set road win at Stony Brook (Nov. 13). Brinkman has tallied 10 or more kills in eight matches this season with seven of them against conference opponents. She has played in all 28 matches and started in 27 of them.

Senior middle blocker Cassidy Croci (Sylvania, Ohio) has put forth another strong season appearing in all 28 matches with 25 starts. She paces the 'Cats in hitting percentage (.296) and blocks per set (0.73) while ranking fourth in kills per set (2.01). Against Binghamton, she eclipsed double digit kills with 11 while hitting .280 in the semifinal win. The 6-foot middle blocker was instrumental in the final weekend of play, elevating her game. In the last two matches of the conference slate, Croci paced the offense by slamming 20 kills to average 2.86 kills per set. She unleashed a .333 hitting percentage for 11 kills while racking up five blocks against Stony Brook University in a four-set win. She chipped in nine kills on the strength of a .438 attack percentage in the straight set win at UMBC to conclude the regular season.

SCOUTING UALBANY: Second-seeded UAlbany brings an overall record of 17-8 into the America East championship match against New Hampshire. Since losing a home match to UNH, 3-0 (25-22, 25-20, 25-21), on Oct. 2, the Great Danes have won their last 11 matches. Albany's last three and seven of its last eight wins have been by 3-0 scores. The one score that was not 3-0 in that stretch was a 3-2 decision over Stony Brook on Nov. 6.

The Great Danes faced No. 3 Stony Brook again in the America East semifinals on Friday night in Durham and swept the Seawolves, 3-0, with scores of 25-18, 25-19, 25-15 to advance to their eighth championship match in the last nine years. The Great Danes have won six America East tournament titles, most recently taking back-to-back championships in 2010 and 2011. Albany is also the last team to win three straight titles, a feat it accomplished from 2006-08.

Albany and UNH split their regular season series with each team winning 3-0 on the other's home court.

Junior right side hitter/outside hitter Amanda Dolan hit .500 with 10 kills and five blocks in the semifinal win over Stony Brook. Dolan is third on the team in kills at 1.69 per set and leads in blocks at 1.21 per set. Junior outside hitter Laini Leindecker leads the team in kills at 3.52 per set and Shannon Hurley, another junior outside hitter, is next at 3.06 kills per set. Leindecker also contributes 3.18 digs per set, which is second-best on the team. Leindecker won America East co-Player of the Year honors, sharing the award with UNH's Muses.

Freshman libero Nicole Otero was named America East Defensive Specialist of the Year and leads the Great Danes with 4.82 digs per set.

Junior Mikala McCauley, an America East All-Conference First Team setter, averages 9.17 assists per set. Senior middle blocker Tatum Jungsten, an America East All-Conference First Team middle blocker, leads the Great Danes with 30 service aces and freshman defensive specialist/outside hitter Gabrielle Hansen has 25.

UAlbany head coach MJ Engstrom and assistants Josh Pickard, Traci Vandegrift and Ashley Castellana collected America East Coaching Staff of the Year honors.

ALL-TIME SERIES VS. UALBANY: The Wildcats trail the Great Danes in the career series, 17-19. New Hampshire's only loss in conference play this season came against UAlbany at Lundholm Gymnasium in a three-set loss (Nov. 1; 18-25, 23-25, 22-25). However, UNH swept UAlbany at University Gymnasium on Oct. 2 (25-22, 25-20, 25-21).

REMATCH: New Hampshire and UAlbany clash for the second straight year in the conference title match. UNH prevailed in the last meeting at Lundholm Gymnasium in a four-set battle last year (Nov. 22 2014; 25-22, 19-25, 27-25, 25-13).

WELCOME TO LUNDHOLM: UNH is a perfect 11-0 when it hosts the conference tournament, earning five tournament championships in its history. The road to the America East title has gone through the Durham the past two years. New Hampshire joins UAlbany as the only team to host the tournament in three-straight seasons. The Great Danes did it twice from 2004-06 and from 2008-2012.

DEFEND DURHAM: New Hampshire boasts a 29-9 record in the confines of Lundholm Gymnasium, dating back to the start of the 2013 season. Additionally, the Wildcats are 33-9 when hosting America East teams since 2011.

AMERICA EAST DOMINANCE: Through the league slate, the Wildcats have prevailed in 11 contests while only conceding one. UNH has yet to face a fifth set in conference play while sweeping 9 of 12 America East matches. New Hampshire leads the America East in hitting percentage (.251), opponent hitting percentage (.115) and service aces (86). Severtson leads all conference players in assists per set (11.26) and aces (27). In kills per set, the Wildcats are the only team in the league with three players who rank top-10 –Muses (3.06; fifth), Brinkman (3.03; sixth) and Forrest (2.97; seventh).

POCKET ROCKETS: Severtson has enjoyed a breakout year from the service line, ripping a league-best 0.54 aces per set to rank third in the nation. On 17 occasions, the junior setter has hammered two or more aces. UNH's 1.81 aces per set is the highest average by the team since the 2007 season and ranks eighth in the nation.

ROLLING DOUBLES: Forrest racked up 10 double-doubles to lead the team in 2014 and has surpassed that mark with a career-high 11 this season to pace the 'Cats once again. Muses (eight) and Severtson (six) have also tallied double-double performances this season.

CHART TOPPERS: UNH is among the upper echelon of America East in several statistical categories during the regular season. The Wildcats lead the league in opponent hitting percentage (.169) and service aces per set (1.81). Individually, Severtson paces the conference in assists per set (9.51) and service aces (51). Additionally, Severtson's 0.54 aces per set ranks third in the nation. Muses is sixth in the conference in kills per set with 2.93. Lightfoot's 4.15 digs per set is good for third in America East. Croci is second among league players in hitting percentage with a .288 clip.

HONORS AND AWARDS:

Abby Brinkman
Capital One CoSIDA Division I Volleyball Academic All-District® First Team (Nov. 5)
America East All-Academic Team (Nov. 19)

Cassidy Croci
Capital One CoSIDA Division I Volleyball Academic All-District® First Team (Nov. 5)
America East All-Academic Team (Nov. 19)

Tori Forrest
Fairfield Invitational All-Tournament Team (Sept. 4-5)
America East Player of the Week (Sept. 8, Sept. 21, Oct. 26)
Big Orange All-Tournament Team (Sept. 19-20)
America East All-Conference First Team (Nov. 19)
America East All-Academic Team (Nov. 19)

Madison Lightfoot
America East Defensive Specialist of the Week (Sept. 8, Oct. 5, Oct. 19)
Holly Young Invitational All-Tournament Team (Sept. 11-12)
America East All-Conference Second Team (Nov. 19)

Demi Muses
Rambler Classic All-Tournament Team (Aug. 29-30)
America East Player of the Week (Oct. 5; Nov. 16)
America East co-Player of the Year (Nov. 19)
America East All-Conference First Team (Nov. 19)

Keelin Severtson
Big Orange All-Tournament Team (Sept. 19-20)
America East Setter of the Week (Sept. 21; Oct. 12; Nov. 16)
America East Setter of the Year (Nov. 19)
America East All-Conference First Team (Nov. 19)

LIGHTFOOT BECOMES ALL-TIME DIGS LEADER: With the Wildcats' victory over Buffalo on Sept. 20, Lightfoot became the program's all-time digs leader. The senior co-captain surpassed Jen Williams '05 on the career leaderboard, who recorded 1,398 digs in her career. Lightfoot now boasts 1,627 digs and counting in her illustrious career. The two-time America East All-Conference Second Team honoree owns two of the top 10 single-season school records for digs, which includes tying the single-season digs mark of 560 just a year ago.

1,000/1,000: Forrest continues to ascend the UNH all-time kills chart, ranking fifth with 1,233. The three-time America East First Team honoree became the eighth Wildcat to reach 1,000 kills, reaching the milestone in a four-set win (25-12, 25-18, 13-25, 25-16) against Marshall University on Sept. 4. The senior outside also eclipsed the 1,000-dig plateau against UAlbany on Nov. 1, becoming the 10th member to hit quadruple digits. Forrest is just the third player in program history to register 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs.

FIVE-TIME CHAMPS: The Wildcats secured the America East title on their home court for the second straight year after defeating the University at Albany in four sets on Nov. 22, 2014. UNH has won the conference crown five times; all under the tutelage of head coach Jill Hirschinger. Additionally, all five of the program's titles have been won at Lundholm Gymnasium. UNH posted back-to-back championships in 2002 and 2003 as well as 2013 and 2014. New Hampshire has never won the league crown in three consecutive years.

TWENTY: Head coach Jill Hirschinger has piloted the 'Cats to 20-win season in three consecutive seasons. The 20th year head coach of the Wildcats has reached 20 wins nine times at UNH and 18 times in her 37 years serving at the helm.

HIRSCHINGER BY THE NUMBERS: Coach Hirschinger is one of just 12 active coaches that have recorded 700 wins or more. She recorded win No. 700 on Sept. 20, 2014 against the University of Rhode Island in a five-set battle. Already the program's winningest coach, Hirschinger earned her 300th career victory at UNH when the team captured a four-set triumph over Binghamton University on Nov. 2, 2014.

A WIN SATURDAY WOULD: The winner of Saturday's championship earns an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament. The NCAA Championship bracket will be announced Sunday, Nov. 29 (9:00 p.m.) on ESPNU.

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