UAlbany Volleyball Signs Three Players for 2013 Season

The University at Albany volleyball program has signed three players for the 2013 season, as announced by head coach MJ Engstrom on Wednesday, Dec. 12. The Great Danes will welcom middle hitter Chavi St. Hill, opposite hitter Olivia Schonewise, and outside hitter Laini Leindecker to the program in the fall.
a href="http://www.pntra.com/t/R0BFR0lFRUBLTEtGR0BGTEpESg" > St. Hill is 6-foot-2 native of West Orange, N.J., and will look to make an immediate impact on the Great Danes' front row next season. St. Hill recorded 137 kills, 56 blocks, 47 digs, and 23 service aces as a senior, en route to being named to the All-American Division First Team and the team MVP. A senior captain, St. Hill was named one of the best volleyball players in the region by USA NY this past fall, after earning two straight MVP awards for the Mountaineers. She recorded 358 kills and 193 blocks in her four-year career at West Orange High School, where she was also an all-conference member of the track and field program. The daughter of Randy St. Hill and Dawn Christian, she was also a member of the French Club and the Student Council.

A 6-foot-0 opposite side hitter, Schonewise is a native of Papillion, Nebraska, and helped lead Papillion-LaVista South High School to a 123-1 record over her three years as a letterwinner. Schonewise, who is currently ranked first nationally by Prepvolleyball.com, and fourth by Maxpreps.com, guided the Titans to the state championship for three consecutive seasons. Papillion-LaVista also claimed the ESPN Rise and MaxPreps National Championship in those three seasons, including 2010, when the squad was named the Omaha Sportswomen of the Year. A senior captain, Schonewise was named All-State Honorable Mention as a senior, and was also a member of the USA High Performance Continental Team. Schonewise is continuing a family tradition of collegiate student-athletes, as her father, Quintin, was a football player at Kansas and her mother, Karen, played volleyball for Nebraska, while her older sister, Lillian, is a sophomore middle hitter at California.

Leindecker, the final signee for the 2013 season, is a 5-foot-10 native of New Philadelphia, Ohio. As an outside hitter, Leindecker led the Quakers to back-to-back 20-win seasons and sectional and district championships. She was a four-time East Central Ohio League First Team member, as well as earning First Team District 5 honors all four years of her career. As a captain during her junior and senior seasons, Leindecker was named First Team All-Ohio, after earning Third Team and Honorable Mention accolades earlier in her career. During her senior season in which she produced 432 kills, 293 digs, 70 blocks, and 57 aces, Leindecker was named the East Central Ohio League and District 5 Player of the Year. She finished with 1479 kills, 1085 digs, 198 blocks, and 207 aces in four years at New Philadelphia High School. The daughter of Eric and Kristi Leindecker, she plans to major in human biology, and was a member of the National Honor Society and Student Council, and served as her Class Vice President.

NASSIB HONORED ON 2012 PRO FOOTBALL ALL-AMERICA TEAM

Syracuse University quarterback Ryan Nassib is one of college football's elite. The senior signal was named a to Pro Football Weekly’s 2012 All-America Team. The Pro Football Weekly All-America team annually recognizes college football’s most talented players and is determined based on extensive evaluation and considerable feedback from NFL evaluators, taking into consideration how players grade out both in their assignments and by the quality of critical playing traits. The All-America team was chosen by draft analyst Nolan Nawrocki. For the complete team, click here.

Nassib is one of two BIG EAST gridders on the All-America Team. Louisville quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is an honorable mention.

Nassib has also been honored for his recorded breaking senior season as a member All-BIG EAST Second Team. He was recognized as a 2012 NFF Scholar-Athlete for his successes in the classroom, in the community and on the gridiron.

Nassib leads the BIG EAST in total offense (312.3 yards per game) and passing (301.6 yards per game). In addition, he set the Orange single-season records for attempts (448), completions (283), yards (3,619) and touchdowns (24) in 2012. Nassib has accumulated 3,748 yards of total offense this year, another SU season record, and he has recorded six 300-yards passing games.

As one of four captains of the Orange, Nassib helped lead SU to a 7-5 record overall and a 5-2 mark in the BIG EAST this year. SU will be playing in its second bowl game in three years when it takes on West Virginia in the Pinstripe Bowl on Dec. 29th at Yankee Stadium (3:15 p.m.; ESPN). Tickets and travel packages for the game are available at SUathletics.com/bowlcentral.

MEN’S SOCCER PLAYERS JORDAN VALE, LOUIS CLARK NAMED ALL-REGION

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Freshman midfielder Jordan Vale (Auckland, New Zealand) and senior forward Louis Clark (Brighton, England) were named to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) All-Northeast Region Team Sunday, Dec. 9. Vale was picked to the second team, while Clark earned third-team honors.

Vale and Clark are the program’s first all-region selections since Hansen Woodruff (second team) in 2008. It marks the first time Syracuse has had multiple all-region honorees in the same season since 2002.

The pair helped lead an Orange offense that posted 39 goals in 2012, tied for the seventh-highest total in team history, and almost twice as many as it had last year.

Vale started every match for the Orange and finished the campaign as the squad's leading scorer. His nine goals were the most for an SU freshman since Kirk Johnson netted nine in 2000, and Vale's 21 points were the most for a first-year Orange player since 2001 (Jarett Park, 24).

Clark contributed 12 points on four goals and four assists. He also started every game and tied his career high with two goals, including the game-winner, to lead Syracuse to a come-from-behind victory against VCU in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

The honors are latest in a slew of awards for the Orange following its most successful season to date. Syracuse posted a 14-6-1 overall record and advanced to the third round of the NCAA Tournament were it was eliminated on penalty kicks by national runner-up Georgetown.

Key Free Throws Down The Stretch Extend Men's Basketball Win Streak To Five

HAMILTON, N.Y. - Another game in the books and senior guard's Mike Black and Jacob Iati combined for 38 of the team's 67 points to pace UAlbany past Colgate, 67-61, on Saturday, Dec. 8 at Cotterell Court. The Great Danes hit 8-of-11 from the charity stripe in the final 51 seconds of the game to improve to 8-2 on the season.

UAlbany (8-2) senior guards Iati and Black were the top-two scorers of the game, having scored 20 and 18, respectively. This is the ninth time in 10 games that both players have scored in double-digits this season. Redshirt-freshman Peter Hooley tied a season-high in scoring with 11 points, while tallying three rebounds, three assists, and a block.

Black sparked the Great Danes early in the first half, tallying the team's first seven points to tie the game, 7-7, with 13:33 remaining. Sam Rowley and Luke Devlin consecutively scored on layups to give UAlbany its first lead of four, 11-7.

Following four quick points by Colgate, UAlbany strung together a 15-0 run, 26-11, with 5:39 remaining in the half. Iati hit two of his four first half threes during the stretch.

Colgate (3-7) came back with a 10-3 run of its own to cut the deficit to eight, 29-21, with 2:31. Burnatowski lead the Raiders with four points in the run.

With a 10-point lead, 32-22, going into the second half, UAlbany's defense kept Colgate from grabbing any kind of lead in the final 20 minutes of the game. The Great Danes held the Red Raiders, who came into the game averaging nine three-pointers a game, to 1-of-6 from behind the arc in the second half and 2-of-15 for the game.

Colgate came within three points five different times in the second half, but UAlbany responded each possession after. As the Red Raiders came within three, 62-59, with 24 seconds remaining, the Great Danes' Hooley came back by hitting four consecutive free throws to put the game away.

UAlbany comes back home to the SEFCU Arena to finish the home-and-home series against South Carolina State on Wednesday, Dec. 12 at 7 p.m. The Great Danes defeated the Bulldogs earlier this season, 83-55. The contest will be aired on Time Warner Cable SportsChannel with Rodger Wyland as the play-by-play and John Quattrocchi as the color analyst.

Softball Announces 2013 Schedule; Look to Regain Top Spot in America East

Albany, N.Y.-The University at Albany softball team, led by 19-year head coach Chris Cannata, has announced their 2013 schedule. The Great Danes will head south to begin the season with three non-conference tournaments. Following those contests, UAlbany plays 36 games, hosting 21, as they look to reclaim their America East Champion title from 2011. They've reached the NCAA Tournament four of the last nine years. The Great Danes begin the season playing five games at the Florida Gulf Coast Tournament from Feb. 22-24 in Fort Myers, Fla. The weekend-stretch will include three match-ups against Big 10 opponents, two vs. Minnesota and one against Michigan State. UAlbany will also play Villanova and the reigning Atlantic-Sun Champions, host Florida Gulf Coast University, who upset No. 5-seeded Florida in last year's NCAA Tournament. The Great Danes continue play at the Coastal Carolina Tournament from March 1-3 in Conway, S.C. The weekend's games include two against the host and 2012 Big South Champion, Coastal Carolina. UAlbany will also battle Western Carolina, Drexel and Wichita State. The team concludes tournament action at the Rebel Spring Games from March 13-19 in Kissimmee, Fla. The purple and gold fittingly open up conference play where they left off last season, against Boston University. The Terriers defeated the Great Danes last year to claim the America East Championship. The AE foes will play a doubleheader on March 23 and a third game on March 24 in Boston, Mass. From there, UAlbany hosts 12 of their next 15 games. They play their first home series of 2013 against Hartford (March 29-30), then welcome Colgate of the Patriot League (April 2) and crosstown rival Siena in a doubleheader (April 3). After a road series against Maine, the Great Danes return home to play Bryant (April 10), and a series against Stony Brook (April 13-14). They hit the road once again, heading to the Bronx to play Manhattan on April 16. To finish off April home games, UAlbany hosts a conference series against UMBC (April 21). They match up against two Ivy League opponents, Cornell (April 17) and Dartmouth (April 24). UAlbany concludes the season with four of their final five head-to-head matches on the road. These include UConn (April 25), Siena (April 30), Patriot League runner-up Army at home (May 1) and a final conference series at Binghamton (May 04-05). The 2013 America East Championship will be played May 9-11 at the higher seed's home field. View UAlbany's complete 2013 softball schedule.

 

Key Free Throws Down The Stretch Extend Men's Basketball Win Streak To Five

HAMILTON, N.Y. - Another game in the books and senior guard's Mike Black and Jacob Iati combined for 38 of the team's 67 points to pace UAlbany past Colgate, 67-61, on Saturday, Dec. 8 at Cotterell Court. The Great Danes hit 8-of-11 from the charity stripe in the final 51 seconds of the game to improve to 8-2 on the season. UAlbany (8-2) senior guards Iati and Black were the top-two scorers of the game, having scored 20 and 18, respectively. This is the ninth time in 10 games that both players have scored in double-digits this season. Redshirt-freshman Peter Hooley tied a season-high in scoring with 11 points, while tallying three rebounds, three assists, and a block. Black sparked the Great Danes early in the first half, tallying the team's first seven points to tie the game, 7-7, with 13:33 remaining. Sam Rowley and Luke Devlin consecutively scored on layups to give UAlbany its first lead of four, 11-7. Following four quick points by Colgate, UAlbany strung together a 15-0 run, 26-11, with 5:39 remaining in the half. Iati hit two of his four first half threes during the stretch. Colgate (3-7) came back with a 10-3 run of its own to cut the deficit to eight, 29-21, with 2:31. Burnatowski lead the Raiders with four points in the run. With a 10-point lead, 32-22, going into the second half, UAlbany's defense kept Colgate from grabbing any kind of lead in the final 20 minutes of the game. The Great Danes held the Red Raiders, who came into the game averaging nine three-pointers a game, to 1-of-6 from behind the arc in the second half and 2-of-15 for the game. Colgate came within three points five different times in the second half, but UAlbany responded each possession after. As the Red Raiders came within three, 62-59, with 24 seconds remaining, the Great Danes' Hooley came back by hitting four consecutive free throws to put the game away. UAlbany comes back home to the SEFCU Arena to finish the home-and-home series against South Carolina State on Wednesday, Dec. 12 at 7 p.m. The Great Danes defeated the Bulldogs earlier this season, 83-55. The contest will be aired on Time Warner Cable SportsChannel with Rodger Wyland as the play-by-play and John Quattrocchi as the color analyst.

 

Lowrie Scores 21 Points to Lead UAlbany Women's Basketball to 65-43 Win Over Canisius

BUFFALO, N.Y. - Lindsey Lowrie scored 21 points on a career-high seven 3-pointers to lead UAlbany to a 65-43 win over Canisius in non-conference women's basketball action on Saturday afternoon at the Koessler Athletic Center. The Great Danes, who have now won five straight games, improve to 7-2 on the season, while Canisius drops to 2-5.

UAlbany scored the first six points of the game on a three from Lindsey Lowrie and a jumper from Ebone Henry, before Canisius got on the board on a long-range shot from Ashley Wilkes. The Great Danes extended their advantage to 12-5 on another 3-pointer from Lowrie at 13:29. Canisius finally ended a seven minute drought at 10:19 with a trey from Tiahana Mills, but UAlbany responded, as Julie Forster connected on a conventional three-point play at 9:57 to give the Great Danes a 17-8 advantage.

Canisius, which hit three shots from three-point land in the first half, attempted to use long-range shooting to come back into the game, but back-to-back layups by Tammy Phillip kept the Great Danes ahead, 26-13, with just over five minutes to play. The Griffs would hold UAlbany scoreless for the remainder of the half, as the Great Danes managed only 25.6 percent (10-39) shooting from the floor in the period. Canisius wouldn't fare much better, only getting two additional points on a pair of free throws from Ashley Durham with 1:32 to play.

The Golden Griffins had the first possession of the second half, but Henry promptly caused a Canisius turnover and put the ball in the hoop for the first points of the stanza. The Great Danes continued to build their lead, pushing the advantage to 35-17 on a layup by Keyana Williams. However, Canisius got back-to-back 3-pointers from Kayla Hoohuli and Jen Morabito to pull within 12 points with 14:50 left to play. Forster ended the Griffs rally with a jumper in the paint, while Lowrie nailed her fourth 3-pointer of the game to put UAlbany on top, 42-23, with 12:14 on the clock.

UAlbany continued to use a strong defense, combined with Lowrie's hot shooting to hold off any attempt of a Canisius rally. Freshman Shereesha Richards, who had a career-high 17 points in the last outing at La Salle, scored the final four points of the game for the Great Danes, to set the final score.

"Lindsey [Lowrie] was fantastic today," said UAlbany head coach Katie Abrahamson-Henderson, whose team has won its last five games by an average of 25.2 points. "She was a great leader on the court. We ran sets to set up wide-open threes, and she hit them. Some of these ladies are really starting to step up. Overall, it was a great team effort, once again, especially on defense."

Durham led Canisius with 12 points, while Morabito and Jen Lennox added six points apiece. Wilkes finished with five points and a team-high 10 rebounds. The Golden Griffins shot 29.5 percent (13-44) from the field, and committed 28 turnovers.

Forster added 14 points for UAlbany, going 6-of-11 from the free throw line. She also grabbed eight rebounds and recorded six steals, five assists, and four blocks. Henry finished with 10 points for the Great Danes, while Phillip grabbed a team-best 10 boards. The Great Danes shot 35.3 percent (24-68) from the field, and outrebounded the Griffs, 49-31.

UAlbany will return to action next Saturday, visiting Delaware State for a 5 p.m. tip off.