UAlbany Volleyball Upends Dayton and Former Coach

Kellam Leads Great Danes Over Dayton in UAlbany Invitational Finale

Senior middle blocker Kamisha Kellam earned tournament MVP honors after recording 17 kills and seven total blocks in leading UAlbany to a 3-1 win over Dayton at the UAlbany Invitational on Saturday evening at University Gymnasium. The Great Danes posted a 2-1 record to claim the tournament record, after falling to Long Island, 3-2, earlier in the day. UAlbany defeated Dayton with scores of 21-25, 25-20, 25-17 and 25-15. The Great Danes dropped the five-set decision to Long Island with scores of 26-24, 17-25, 27-25, 28-26 and 20-18.

After the Flyers claimed a back-and-forth first set, the second set started in the same direction, with neither team getting ahead by more than two points. Junior defensive specialist Laura Livergood served for three straight points to give UAlbany a 12-10 lead before Dayton tied the set back up at 12-12 with a block by Lindsay Fletemier. A UAlbany attack error later in the match put the Flyers back on top, 18-16, but the Great Danes capitalized on a Dayton attack error, followed by a kill by Cate Eckhardt to tie the set. Senior Hillary White smashed a kill and then combined with Kalyn Mostert on a block to give the Great Danes back the lead, where they would stay. Eckhardt served the final four points of the set, taking an assist from Mostert to record the set-ending point.

UAlbany came out firing in the third set, building up a 9-4 lead on an Eckhardt kill. Kellam and sophomore setter Brooke Stanley combined for back-to-back points to put the Great Danes ahead, 14-8. The teams exchanged service errors before sophomore outside hitter Amanda Cowdrey slammed consecutive points to put the Great Danes up, 17-11. The teams switched possession several times over the final few points, with White and Stanley teaming up for a block on a Nicole Bateman attack to set the final score.

The Great Danes took off again in the fourth set behind Livergood’s service game, building up a 4-0 lead on back-to-back block assists by Kellam and Mostert. UAlbany’s tough defense stifled any momentum Dayton would hope to gain, as the Great Danes built up a 12-6 advantage on a kill by Stanley. After a kill by Kellam put the ball back in UAlbany’s possession, Cowdrey served for four straight points to get UAlbany up, 19-9. The Flyers attempted to rally, getting consecutive kills by Tiffany Gaerke and Bateman, but White gave the ball back to UAlbany to serve for the final point. Cowdrey drove home the final point off an overpass to give the Great Danes the win.

Kellam hit .440 in her final performance of the tournament to lead all players. Eckhardt finished with her first double-double of the season, recording a career-high 17 kills and adding 13 digs, while Cowdrey also finished with 17 kills and added eight digs. Stanley notched her fourth straight double-double, finishing with 48 assists and 11 digs, while also adding three block assists. Mostert also tallied a career-best, finishing with nine total blocks in the match.

Bateman paced Dayton (9-6) with 18 kills and added nine digs en route to earning all-tournament team honors. Sophomore outside hitter Tiffany Gaerke, who joined Bateman on the all-tournament team, finished with 14 kills, while setter Kacie Hausfeld finished with a double-double of 37 assists and 15 kills.

Kellam and Cowdrey also led the Great Danes in the earlier match against Long Island, finishing with 21 kills apiece. Cowdrey also added 17 digs, and her three-match performance earned her all-tournament honors along with Stanley, who finished with a match-high 58 assists and 16 digs. Sophomore outside hitter Valerie Sourbeer also tallied double digit kills with 14, while libero Laurie Gonzalez finished with a team-best 28 digs.

Yale also finished the tournament with a 2-1 record, and placed setter Ally Mendenhall and junior outside hitter Alexis Crusey on the all-tournament team. Long Island was represented by junior Svetlana Simic, who recorded a match-high 24 kills and 33 digs in the Blackbirds’ win over UAlbany on Saturday.

UAlbany (7-8) will return to action on Friday, Oct. 3, kicking off America East Conference play, hosting Maine at 7 p.m.


Long Island (6-8) def. UAlbany, 3-2 (26-24, 17-25, 25-27, 28-26, 20-18).
UAlbany (7-8) def. Dayton (9-6), 3-1 (21-25, 25-20, 25-17, 25-15).


UAlbany Invitational All-Tournament Team
Kamisha Kellam, UAlbany (MVP)
Amanda Cowdrey, UAlbany
Brooke Stanley, UAlbany
Alexis Crusey, Yale
Ally Mendenhall, Yale
Nicole Bateman, Dayton
Tiffany Gaerke, Dayton
Svetlana Simic, Long Island