New York University
New York, NY
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The New York University women’s volleyball team (35-5) earned its first NCAA Tournament bid under the tutelage of first-year interim head coach #Chris Pinto# and its second consecutive appearance overall. The Violets received a Pool C bid after their third-place finish in the University Athletic Association (UAA) Championship. It was NYU’s best UAA finish since 2006, as well as the most wins for the team since 2005.
In the Tournament, the Violets will face first-round opponent Westfield State College for only the second time ever and the first since posting a 3-0 win in 1998. NYU has also faced two other teams in the New York Region in 2010, defeating the U.S. Coast Academy in the first weekend of the year 3-0 at the Labor Day Invitational and sweeping Hunter College at the NYU Violet Classic.
Leading the Violets offense that is currently ranked fifth in Division III in kills per set (13.68) is sophomore middle blocker and four-time UAA Player of the Week, #Kendyl Dunn#. She leads the team with 447 kills (3.47 k/s) and a .346 hitting percentage, which is currently 43rd in Division III. Dunn, who was named First Team All-UAA, also leads the Violets with 87 total blocks (0.67 b/s).
Second-Team All-UAA honoree, freshman #Erin McLaughlin#, is also a large part of NYU’s powerful offense, putting down 304 kills (2.69 k/s) for the season. She has also contributed 58 service aces and 335 digs, good enough for second and third on the team, respectively. Fellow Second-Team honoree, sophomore transfer #Sally Downs#, has contributed 234 kills to the offense (2.54 k/s) while also recording 32 service aces and leading the team with 0.75 blocks per set (70 total blocks).
Junior setter and Honorable Mention All-UAA member #Mina Baban# has put together the best season of her career thus far in 2010, leading the team with a career-best 1,420 assists (10.7 a/s) which puts her at 16th overall among all Division III setters. Baban’s setting is also a huge part of NYU’s sixth-highest team assists per set number in the nation at 12.59. Aside from her setting duties, Baban has also contributed a career-best 328 digs and 36 service aces.
On defense, a stellar backline has helped NYU hold its opponents to a .121 hitting percentage. Leading the defense has been sophomore #Alexis Schwartz#, who broke a 16 year-old NYU record with 529 digs. She is also the only Violet to ever surpass 500 digs in a single-season. Senior #Rachel Sawyer# has contributed 440 digs on the year, extending her NYU career digs record to 1,751 while also contributing a team- and career-best 72 service aces. Teamwise, the Violets possess the 33rd-highest service aces per set number in Division III at 2.55.
