WAYNE, N.J. – The Allegheny volleyball team captured the 2023 Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division III Championship Saturday afternoon (Nov. 18) in Wayne, N.J., sweeping Penn State Behrend in the semifinals before a sweep of host William Paterson in the championship match.
ECAC Semifinals - Allegheny 3, Penn State Behrend 0 (25-18, 25-17, 25-22)
The beginning of the match saw back-and-forth runs as the teams were evenly matched. Leading 10-8, the Gators then went on a 7-0 run to take control, 17-8. The set ended on an ace from
Alejandra Fernandez (Caguas, Puerto Rico/Commonwealth Parkville) as the Gators captured it 25-18.
The second set had a similar start as the first with the teams matching each other. Knotted at 13 apiece, the Gators won three straight points to take a 16-13 lead. The Lions were unable to overcome that advantage as Allegheny finished the set on a 6-1 run, taking it 25-17.
The Lions went on a 3-0 run midway through the third set to take a 15-13 lead. After the Gators called a timeout, they went on a 4-0 run to regain the lead, 17-15. Allegheny used that momentum to gain a match point at 24-20. The Lions fought off a pair of match points before a kill by
Emma Chambers (Stoutsville, Ohio/Amanda Clearcreek) gave the Gators a spot in the championship game against host William Paterson.
Inside the Box
- Dagney Javes (Frederick, Colo./Dawson School) led the Gators with 14 kills on a .520 hitting percentage. She also had a solo block.
- Chambers was also in double-digits with 11 kills.
- Angelee Bawek (Goodyear, Ariz./Estrella Foothills) had 11 kills as well as eight digs and a pair of aces.
- Meagan Robare (Moon Township, Pa./Moon Area) had 19 assists to lead the team.
- Izzy Gray (Erie, Pa./Harbor Creek) totaled 16 assists and 13 digs.
- Jacy Diaz (Barranquitas, Puerto Rico/Gallatin (Tenn.)) tied Gray for the team-high in digs with 13.
- Duru Akbas (Ankara, Turkey/Layton Christian Academy (Utah)) produced 10 digs.
ECAC Finals - Allegheny 3, William Paterson 0 (25-23, 25-16, 24-14)
The Gators led at multiple points early in the first set, but the Pioneers were able to keep it close. After William Paterson went on a 4-0 run to tie the set at 19, the Gators went on their own 4-0 run to take a 23-19 lead. The Pioneers answered again, tying the set at 23. However, a pair of errors by William Paterson gave the Gators the set, 25-23.
Allegheny had their best set start of the day in the second set, jumping out to a 10-2 advantage. The lead grew to as much as 11 multiple times as they won the set 25-16.
The Pioneers led early in the third set, but a 4-0 Gator gave them a 13-11 lead. Following a William Paterson timeout, the run extended to 7-0. That big run fueled the Gators the rest of the way, limiting the Pioneers offense to just three points. Up 24-14, a kill by Bawek, assisted by
Leah Ungashick (Akron, Ohio/Coventry), captured the championship for the Gators.
Inside the Box
- Bawek led the Gator attack with 15 kills while also producing eight digs.
- Javes finished with 11 kills and a pair of blocks.
- Chambers had seven kills while Sydney Kirk (Pittsburgh, Pa./Seton LaSalle Catholic) had five and Carly Beers (Warren, Pa./Warren) had three.
- Gray finished with 25 assists and seven digs.
- Robare tallied nine assists.
- Diaz led the team with 29 digs and six aces.
- Akbas totaled 14 digs and two aces.
News and Notes
- The ECAC Championship marked the first major championship tournament win for the volleyball program since winning the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) Championship Tournament in 1991.
- This marked the first appearance in the ECAC Championships for the Allegheny volleyball team.
- The ECAC title was also the first for Allegheny, having joined the organization in the 2022-23 season.
- Javes was named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament.
- Diaz, Gray and Javes were named to the All-Tournament Team.
- The team finished the year with a 24-9 record, their highest win total since 2000.
- Diaz finished the year with 81 aces, the second highest mark in program history.
