SUNYAC.COM PREVIEW STORY
TOURNAMENT WEBPAGE
FREDONIA, N.Y. -- The Fredonia State women's volleyball team is on a roll heading into the 28th annual SUNYAC Tournament, which starts today at SUNY Cortland.
The Blue Devils (26-10) have won 13 of their last 14 matches, including nine in a row.
In the process, they earned the No. 1 seed from SUNYAC's West Division -- plus a first-round bye -- for the fifth straight year.
New Paltz and Geneseo square off at 6 p.m. Thursday, with the winner advancing to face the Blue Devils at 6 p.m. Friday.
Buffalo State and Oneonta meet in the other first-round game today for the right to face tournament host and nationally ranked Cortland in Friday's other semifinal.
"We're playing our best volleyball at the end of season," Blue Devil head coach
Geoff Braun said. "That's the way you want it."
Braun said team defense has been the key to the late-season success this season.
"Our defense has come to fruition," he said, "and we feel we can score off of it."
The Blue Devils are making their ninth straight SUNYAC Tournament appearance. They have reached the semifinal round each of the last two seasons.
The Blue Devils met both potential 2011 semifinal opponents during the regular season and posted a 3-0 record.
Fredonia State defeated New Paltz, 3-0, on its own floor Sept. 16 during the Hawks Invitiational. Set scores were 25-22, 26-24, and 25-20.
Fredonia State and Geneseo met twice during SUNYAC Pool Play. The Blue Devils were 3-0 winners Sept. 24 at Buffalo State by set scores of 26-24, 25-16, and 25-23. The second meeting -- Oct. 22 at Brockport -- ended 3-1 for Fredonia State by scores of 25-22, 21-25, 25-13, and 25-20.
The Oct. 22 match was part of Fredonia State's current winning streak. The Blue Devils were 14-2 in October and 50-12 during the month since 2008, the team's lone SUNYAC championship season.
Five of the current seniors were freshman on the 2008 team.
"We're at the point of the season," Braun said, "on a team with seven seniors, where you expect them to step up. They've been here before."
