QU Volleyball Has Nation's Top Turnaround In 2016
1/11/2017 10:28:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
HAMDEN, Conn. - The Quinnipiac volleyball team won a total of 21 matches in 2016, an 18-win improvement from 2015, ranking as the top turnaround in the entire nation this fall.
The Bobcats finished their most successful season ever at the Division I level with a 21-12 record, a complete reversal from a 3-28 season in 2015. Notre Dame had the second-biggest turnaround nationally with a 15-win improvement (from seven wins to 22), while three schools (Bowling Green, Austin Peay and SIU-Edwardsville) increased their win totals by 14 from 2015 to 2016.
Quinnipiac had a breakthrough season in 2016, reaching unprecedented heights. The Bobcats came into the season with a high-water mark of 10 wins as full NCAA Division I members, and more than doubled that total this fall. The Bobcats picked up their 20th win with a dramatic 3-2 victory over Niagara (16-14 in the fifth set) in the opening round of the MAAC Tournament, and then added a 21st victory with a 3-1 win over second-seeded Marist in the MAAC Semifinals.
In addition, Quinnipiac's 11 conference wins (11-7) and third-place finish during the regular season both represented new program highs at the Division I level. The opening round MAAC win over Niagara was the program's first postseason win since 2000, while the win over Marist moved the Bobcats on to their first-ever Division I conference championship match, where it fell to top-seeded Fairfield (which went undefeated during the regular season).
The Bobcats showed right away that their season would be unlike past years, jumping out to a 5-1 record in their first six matches, passing last season's win total before the calendar even turned to September. A dramatic weekend at the Friar Invitational on Sept. 9-10, featuring comeback five-set wins over La Salle and host Providence (which had a nine-match winning streak coming into the contest), reinforced the team's newfound confidence. The Bobcats then started MAAC play with three straight wins, all on the road, including a comeback five-set win over Rider and a three-set sweep over traditional league power Siena, sending a message that they would be a contender for the 2016 conference title.
On an individual level, senior Allison Leigh and sophomore Jen Coffey earned first-team All-MAAC honors, the third and fourth Bobcats to earn first-team all-league honors at the Division I level (and the first since 2002). Quinnipiac also had three players earn MAAC All-Rookie honors, setter Maria Pansari, outside hitter Natalie Alechko, and libero Alejandra Rodriguez, the most all-rookie selections in program history as well.
Several individual milestones also fell this year, as Pansari set the new Quinnipiac record (all divisions) with 1,358 assists, becoming the first Bobcat setter to average more than 10 assists per set (10.37). Leigh set the program's Division I record for most blocks in a season with 184, while Coffey (403 kills) and Rodriguez (407 digs) joined an elite list of Bobcats to reach the 400 milestone in their top statistics. Senior defensive specialist Cody Michaels also reached 1,000 career digs in her final match in the MAAC Championship (1.004), only the third Bobcat to reach that plateau at the Division I level.
The Bobcats finished their most successful season ever at the Division I level with a 21-12 record, a complete reversal from a 3-28 season in 2015. Notre Dame had the second-biggest turnaround nationally with a 15-win improvement (from seven wins to 22), while three schools (Bowling Green, Austin Peay and SIU-Edwardsville) increased their win totals by 14 from 2015 to 2016.
Quinnipiac had a breakthrough season in 2016, reaching unprecedented heights. The Bobcats came into the season with a high-water mark of 10 wins as full NCAA Division I members, and more than doubled that total this fall. The Bobcats picked up their 20th win with a dramatic 3-2 victory over Niagara (16-14 in the fifth set) in the opening round of the MAAC Tournament, and then added a 21st victory with a 3-1 win over second-seeded Marist in the MAAC Semifinals.
In addition, Quinnipiac's 11 conference wins (11-7) and third-place finish during the regular season both represented new program highs at the Division I level. The opening round MAAC win over Niagara was the program's first postseason win since 2000, while the win over Marist moved the Bobcats on to their first-ever Division I conference championship match, where it fell to top-seeded Fairfield (which went undefeated during the regular season).
The Bobcats showed right away that their season would be unlike past years, jumping out to a 5-1 record in their first six matches, passing last season's win total before the calendar even turned to September. A dramatic weekend at the Friar Invitational on Sept. 9-10, featuring comeback five-set wins over La Salle and host Providence (which had a nine-match winning streak coming into the contest), reinforced the team's newfound confidence. The Bobcats then started MAAC play with three straight wins, all on the road, including a comeback five-set win over Rider and a three-set sweep over traditional league power Siena, sending a message that they would be a contender for the 2016 conference title.
On an individual level, senior Allison Leigh and sophomore Jen Coffey earned first-team All-MAAC honors, the third and fourth Bobcats to earn first-team all-league honors at the Division I level (and the first since 2002). Quinnipiac also had three players earn MAAC All-Rookie honors, setter Maria Pansari, outside hitter Natalie Alechko, and libero Alejandra Rodriguez, the most all-rookie selections in program history as well.
Several individual milestones also fell this year, as Pansari set the new Quinnipiac record (all divisions) with 1,358 assists, becoming the first Bobcat setter to average more than 10 assists per set (10.37). Leigh set the program's Division I record for most blocks in a season with 184, while Coffey (403 kills) and Rodriguez (407 digs) joined an elite list of Bobcats to reach the 400 milestone in their top statistics. Senior defensive specialist Cody Michaels also reached 1,000 career digs in her final match in the MAAC Championship (1.004), only the third Bobcat to reach that plateau at the Division I level.
Players Mentioned
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