The City College of New York claimed the 2009 CUNY Athletic Conference Women’s Volleyball Championship by defeating Baruch in straight sets (25-12, 25-21, 25-18) tonight at the Nat Holman Gym on their own home court. With the win, the Beavers advance to the NCAA Division III Championships, which begin next week.
Senior Floriana Garo earned Most Valuable Player honors by leading Beavers to the title.
"We were very positive in pregame," said CCNY head coach Krishna Dass. "We really understand what it takes to win as a team."
In the first game, Baruch did little to help its own cause. Baruch hit -.020 in the set, with only seven kills to their eight errors. CCNY, meanwhile, had a .393 hitting percentage. The Beavers were led with five kills and a .500 hitting percentage by Melissa Blass. CCNY had 14 kills with only 3 errors. In the game, CCNY jumped out to a 3-0 lead, which it never lost. At 11-5 Baruch took a timeout to attempt to stem the tide, but it did not help. The Beavers continued their onslaught and expanded the lead to an eventual 25-12 victory.
Game Two saw Baruch jump out to an early 3-1, but the Bearcats could not hold on. Losing 8-5, CCNY took a timeout and after the break began their comeback. The Beavers would eventually tie the game at 13-13, and then 15-15, before taking control. After losing the lead for the first time in the game, Baruch took a timeout at 16-15, but the team could not make a comeback. CCNY continued to build on their lead in a close, exciting game, winning 25-21. In the game the Bearcats fared better, with a .122 hitting percentage, only five errors, and five service aces. In the second game, Baruch was led by Mayra Estepan, who had eight kills, a .375 hitting percentage, and six digs. The Beavers hit .277 as a team, with 16 kills and only three errors. CCNY was led by Floriana Garo’s eight kills and .421 hitting percentage.
Game Three started with a 7-4 Beaver lead. Baruch would tie it at 9-9 and keep it close until giving up three straight attack errors, giving CCNY a five-point run and a 15-10 lead. Play went back and forth, with the Beaver lead never dropping below four. At 21-16, CCNY made a three point run, essentially sealing the victory. The game finished with a 25-18 Beaver win. In the final game, Baruch held eventual Tournament MVP Floriana Garo to just two kills. But, Blass chimed in with six kills to help CCNY sweep the Bearcats. Baruch was led by Martina Micko and Lauren Hayden each with three kills in the final game.
The NCAA will announce the pairings for the Division III Championships on Sunday, November 8. The probability is that the CUNY Athletic Conference champion will play in the NCAA Regionals at NYU on Thursday, November 12.
The Tournament MVP is CCNY’s Floriana Garo. Joining her on the All-Tournament team are Melissa Blass of CCNY, Melinda Santiago of Baruch, Lauren Hayden of Baruch, Lisa Jagdeo of Lehman, and Katina Boutis of Hunter.
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