Cortland Wins Division II National Championship
Posted: 4/12/2009
With their gold medals around their necks, the Cortland Red Dragons stood triumphantly on the stage of Kansas City's Municipal Auditorium and then posed for team pictures, realizing that they will forever be remembered as national champions. In heart pounding fashion, Cortland defeated Eastern Illinois 2-1 (27-25, 25-21, 18-16) to capture the 2009 NCVF Division II Championship. Each game went back and forth, as the two teams traded momentum. Thanks to a punishing barrage of kills by Middle Hitter Bryan Patterson, Cortland controlled much of the first game, maintaining as much as a four point lead before Eastern Illinois closed the gap down the stretch. In game two, however, Cortland got stuck in a bad rotation while Patterson was on the bench, and Eastern Illinois took advantage of the opportunity to smother the Red Dragons' offensive attack. Eastern Illinois seized the lead halfway through the game and never looked back. In the third and final game, Cortland once again relied on Patterson's thunderous arm to jump out to an early lead, but with a 14-12 advantage, Patterson was subbed out of the back row and had to watch from the bench as Setter Steven Strollo put his other hitters in position to seal the win. Eastern Illinois clamped down defensively and stopped the Red Dragons for three straight points and the lead. In the ensuing moments, Libero Eric Buggs stepped up and made multiple match-saving digs to keep Cortland alive. When Opposite Hitter Jason Aldrich's next attack found its way through the block and hit the floor, the team erupted into celebration as players and fans stormed the court. The win marks Cortland's first ever national championship. Bryan Patterson was voted the 2009 Division II Most Valuable Player. Strollo and Buggs both earned First Team All-Tournament status, and Aldrich was named to the Second Team.
Hokies Repeat as EIVA Champions, Brockport Claims D-II Crown
Posted: 4/5/2009
The Virginia Tech Hokies have won back to back EIVA East Coast Championships. In a thrilling day of collegiate volleyball at Maryland's Reckord Armory, the EIVA's best teams battled back and forth for nearly twelve straight hours, until there was only one team left standing.
Led by 2008 NCVF Coach of the Year, Sean Callahan, and a team of talented giants, Virginia Tech pummeled Maryland and Syracuse 2-0 in pool play. The Hokies were then stifled by the U.S. Naval Academy in a heart pounding three game match that ultimately went Navy's way (23-25, 25-20, 15-12). In other pool play action, the Penn State Nittany Lions went undefeated, not dropping a single game against Virginia, Cortland, and Pennsylvania. James Madison overcame Buffalo, Delaware, and Army to win their pool.
The quarterfinals saw Virginia Tech dispatch Buffalo 2-0, and Navy defeat Pennsylvania 2-1. The semifinals were highlighted by a clash of the titans, when Virginia Tech took on Penn State in a rematch of last year's EIVA Championship finals. Once again, the Hokie onslaught was too overpowering for the Nittany Lions. The Virginia Tech blockers controlled the net, and Setter Casey Doyle fed his horde of monster hitters set after set until Outside Hitter TJ Purcell put the final nail in the coffin (25-21, 25-19). In the other semifinal match, Navy's Opposite Greg Reichel and EIVA Conference MVP Austin Lanteigne were too much for James Madison to handle. The two teams traded blows until a Navy block sealed the Dukes' fate in game three (26-24, 22-25, 15-11).
The final match featured a rare showcase of talent and a rematch of what was perhaps the most exciting match of the day, when Navy defeated Virginia Tech 2-1 in pool play. This time, though, the Hokies were determined to exact their revenge. Reichel and Lanteigne did all they could to beat the Hokies, but the Midshipmen were ultimately frustrated by a relentless Virginia Tech attack. Game 1 went back and forth until the Hokies prevailed 33-31, despite Lanteigne's heroic effort to save a ball from going out of bounds. Virginia Tech had less trouble in the second game, as Libero Chris Hazell made one athletic play after another in the back row, and Opposite Bob Hoke hammered home three of the Hokies' last five points to win the game 25-21.
With the win, Virginia Tech earned the right to be called the EIVA East Coast Champions for the second consecutive year. Virginia Tech, Navy, Penn State, James Madison, Buffalo, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Virginia, Syracuse, and Cortland will all represent the EIVA at next week's NCVF National Championships in Kansas City, MO.
In Division II, SUNY-Brockport's Timothy Price and Terry Brogan led their team to victory over Liberty University in the championship match 2-1 (23-25, 25-20, 15-12). Brockport earned a tough 2-1 win over Virginia Tech B (20-25, 25-22, 15-8) in the semifinals, while Liberty defeated James Madison B 2-1 (25-16, 20-15, 15-8). Price took home the Division II Most Valuable Player award.
The tournament All-Star team consisted of the following players from each division:
| Division I |
| Austin Lanteigne MVP |
#10 |
OH |
Navy |
| Chris Hazell |
#5 |
L |
Virginia Tech |
| Casey Doyle |
#4 |
S |
Virginia Tech |
| TJ Purcell |
#16 |
OH |
Virginia Tech |
| Greg Reichel |
#15 |
OPP |
Navy |
| Patrick Vandenberg |
#12 |
S |
Penn State |
| Randy Jones |
#6 |
L |
James Madison |
| Division II |
| Timothy Price MVP |
#1 |
S |
Brockport |
| Johnathan Willis |
#14 |
OH |
Liberty |
| Sam Ahn |
#5 |
S |
Liberty |
| Mark Farrel |
#3 |
OH |
Liberty |
| Terry Brogan |
#18 |
MH |
Brockport |
| Andrew Wagner |
#18 |
MH |
James Madison B |
| Brian Pine |
#4 |
OPP |
Virginia Tech B |
2009 EIVA East Coast Championships
Posted: 4/3/2009
The field of teams has been set for the 2009 EIVA East Coast Championships. Doors at Maryland's Reckord Armory will open Saturday at 8:00 am. Admission is free for all spectators. Competition will begin at 9:00. The pools are listed below.
| Division I |
| Pool A |
| 1. Buffalo |
| 2. James Madison |
| 3. Delaware |
| 4. Army |
| Pool B |
| 1. Penn State |
| 2. Cortland |
| 3. Virginia |
| 4. Pennsylvania |
| Pool C |
| 1. Virginia Tech |
| 2. Navy |
| 3. Syracuse |
| 4. Maryland |
| |
| Division II |
| Pool A |
| 1. Virginia Tech B |
| 2. Salisbury |
| 3. Fredonia |
| 4. Liberty |
| 5. Syracuse B |
| Pool B |
| 1. James Madison B |
| 2. Brockport |
| 3. Georgetown |
| 4. UMBC |
| 5. Radford |
Hokies Dominate South Division
Posted: 3/31/2009
Virginia Tech became the first school to win divisional championships in both Division I and Division II in the same season on Saturday, when both the Hokies' A and B squads captured titles in the EIVA South. The Virginia Tech A team defeated both James Madison and Virginia to claim the D-I championship, while the Tech B team triumphed over Longwood, Radford, Liberty, and JMU B to earn the Division II crown. Both teams will attempt to defend their 2008 conference championships as they enter the 2009 EIVA East Coast Championships as the South's top seeds. Last year, Virginia Tech claimed EIVA titles in both D-I and D-II.
Buffalo, Rochester Claim Titles in North
Posted: 3/30/2009
Buffalo defeated Cornell to capture the D-I North Divisional Championship on Saturday. With the win, UB has earned the North's #1 seed heading into the EIVA East Coast Championships. Despite the 2nd place divisional finish, Cornell will not attend the EIVA Championships, leaving the #2 spot to Cortland. Syracuse will be the #3, and Army the #4 slot. In the D-II North Championship, the University of Rochester claimed the title with a victory over Brockport. Rochester will be the #1 seed from the North, Brockport #2, Fredonia #3, and Syracuse B #4.
Penn State, Loyola Win Central Division Championships
Posted: 3/30/2009
On Saturday, the Penn State Nittany Lions became the 2009 Central Division Champions by defeating Navy in the finals of the D-I Central Championships. Penn State earned a tough 2-1 victory over Delaware in the semifinals before beating Navy 2-0 to take the crown. With the win, the Lions guarantee themselves the Central Division's top seed heading into next weekend's EIVA East Coast Championships. Navy will occupy the #2 seed, with Delaware at #3 and Maryland the #4. In the Central's D-II Championship, Loyola prevailed over Salisbury to claim the title, while Georgetown and UMBC round out the top four.
Nittany Lions, Hokies Sweep
Posted: 3/8/2009
The two teams that met in the finals of last year's EIVA East Coast Championships appear poised to rematch for the gold in 2009. #24 ranked Penn State came to Annapolis fully staffed and swept the opposition at the most recent D-I Central Play Date. After a dismal 2-3 record at the first D-I Central Play Date, the Nittany Lions exacted their revenge on their divisional foes by earning a perfect 5-0 match record, beating #12 ranked Navy and #22 ranked Delaware in the process. At last week's D-I South Divisional Play Date, Virginia Tech beat rivals James Madison, Virginia, and Duke to stay perfect at 5-0 atop the South Division. Penn State improved their overall record to 7-3 in the Central, but still trails the 8-2 Midshipmen. Action on the courts will continue to heat up, as the North, Central, and South Divisional Championships will be held in the coming weeks. The top four teams in each division will represent their regions when they qualify for the 2009 EIVA East Coast Championships, which will be held on April 4th at the University of Maryland's Reckord Armory.
Latest NCVF Rankings Released
Posted: 2/19/2009
The National Collegiate Volleyball Federation (NCVF) released its most recent polls for both Division I and Division II today. The James Madison Dukes climbed all the way up to #5 in the Division I poll, while Navy spiked their way up to the #12 spot. Several other EIVA teams also remain among the nation's best. Virginia Tech sits at #16, Delaware at #22, Buffalo at #23, Penn State at #24, and Syracuse received Honorable Mention. In Division II, Cortland jumped up one spot to #4 nationally, while Brockport earned the #15 spot. The full rankings can be viewed on the NCVF website: ncvfvolleyball.org or by clicking on the Ranking tab of this site.
Fightin Blue Hens Earn Big Wins in Central Division
Posted: 2/15/2009
 The University of Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens created a buzz in the EIVA Central Division by knocking off rivals Penn State, Navy, Pennsylvania, and Temple during Saturday's Divisional Play Date. Led by the excellent play of Opposite Brian Wiest, Libero Pete Donatich, and Setter Dan Sandusky, the Blue Hens finished the day with a record of 4-1, losing only to Maryland. Delaware battled back from a 22-25 game one loss to upset the #24 Nittany Lions 25-23 in game two and 21-19 in game three. The Hens then earned a tough 2-0 victory over Navy (25-23, 25-23) before dispatching Temple 2-1 (25-16, 19-25, 15-10) and UPenn 2-0 (25-13, 25-23). The Midshipmen of Navy also finished the day with a 4-1 record, posting wins over Penn State, UPenn, Maryland, and Temple. With both teams tied at 4-1, Delaware assumes temporary control over the Central based on the head to head victory. The Midshipmen will have a chance to turn the tide when they host the second Central Divisional Play Date in Annapolis, MD on Feb. 28th.
NCVF National Rankings Released
Posted: 1/21/2009
The National Collegiate Volleyball Federation recently released its first polls for Division I and Division II. Last year's national runner-up, Illinois, returns a talented nucleus of star players and begins the season as America's top team. The Illini are followed by 2007 Champion Wisconsin-Oshkosh at #2, #3 Fresno State, and #4 California. Several EIVA teams appear in the rankings. The defending EIVA East Coast Champions, Virginia Tech, sit at #5, while their EIVA South rivals, James Madison, enjoy the #10 slot. SUNY-Buffalo, who humbly entered the 2008 national championship tournament as a sleeper team and made a name for themselves by finishing ninth, is ranked #21 in the initial poll. The Penn State Nittany Lions sit at #24, while Navy and Cornell received Honorable Mention.
In the Division II poll, SUNY-Cortland begins the season as the nation's #5 team, while SUNY-Brockport appears at #16. The complete polls can be viewed on the Ranking page.
The National Collegiate Volleyball Federation (NCVF) is comprised of Commissioners from leagues and conferences all across the country and is the national governing body for collegiate club volleyball.
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