Release courtesy of New Rochelle Athletics
NEW ROCHELLE, NY – For the first time in program history, The College of New Rochelle volleyball team has secured a spot in the ECAC DIII Metro/Upstate Volleyball Championships, earning the tournament's #5 seed. The Blue Angels will take on the #4 seeded Rutgers University-Newark on Wednesday, November 12 at 7:30 PM.
The postseason berth is the first for any CNR program since the 1984-85 basketball team's run to the NCAA DIII National Championship game.
The winner of the CNR/Rutgers-Newark (16-11) match will take on the top seed in the tournament, Ramapo College (25-9), in the first of two semifinal matches on Sunday, November 16. #2 Ithaca College (23-11) will take on #3 Alfred State College (25-9) in the other semifinal. The semifinals and championship matches will be held at Alfred State.
ECAC Metro/Upstate Championship Bracket (PDF)
CNR (25-7) has not faced any team in the field in season, but played both Rutgers-Newark and Ramapo last season. The Blue Angels defeated the Scarlet Raiders twice in 2013, winning 3-1 at the Manhattanville Tournament on September 28 and 3-2 in Newark on October 22. The Roadrunners defeated CNR, 3-0, at the Wellness Center on October 5. The Blue Angels have never competed against Ithaca or Alfred State.
The College of New Rochelle has won its last seven matches and brings NCAA DIII's top service team into the ECAC Championships, as the Blue Angels lead DIII in service aces per set, guiding home 3.80 aces per set.
The Blue Angels won the Hudson Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (HVIAC) regular season championship with an unblemished 5-0 record, with all five wins coming in straight sets. CNR also was victorious in the HVIAC Championship Tournament, repeating as champions after a thrilling five-set win over Pratt Institute in CNR's Wellness Center.
The HVIAC regular season title is the second for the Blue Angels in the last six years, while the tournament title is the fourth in the same time period, all under the leadership of Head Coach Georgia Efthalitsides.
Three All-HVIAC honorees; Meghan King, Fabiola Padilla Rios and Tiany Perez Diaz lead a deep and talented Blue Angel squad, which set program records this season for wins (25) and consecutive wins (11) and put together a perfect 15-0 home record.
Tournament Opponents at a Glance
| #1 Ramapo College Roadrunners 2014 Record: 25-9, 6-2 NJAC Last 5: 4-1 All-Time Series vs. CNR: Ramapo leads, 1-0 Last Met: 10/5/13, Ramapo, 3-0 2014 Common CNR Opponents: Alvernia: W, 3-0 Kean: L, 0-3 Keystone: W, 3-0 Mt. St. Vincent: W, 3-1, W, 3-0 Ursinus: W, 3-2 |
#2 Ithaca College Bombers 2014 Record: 23-11, 6-2 Empire 8 Last 5: 3-2 All-Time Series vs. CNR: Never met Last Met: Never 2014 Common CNR Opponent: Mt. St. Vincent: W, 3-0 |
| #3 Alfred State College Pioneers 2014 Record: 25-9 Last 5: 1-4 All-Time Series vs. CNR: Never met Last Met: Never 2014 Common CNR Opponent: Keystone: W, 3-0 |
#4 Rutgers-Newark Scarlet Raiders 2014 Record: 16-11, 2-6 NJAC Last 5: 3-2 All-Time Series vs. CNR: CNR leads, 2-1 Last Met: 10/22/13 – CNR, 3-2 2014 Common CNR Opponents: Albertus Magnus: W, 3-0 Centenary: W, 3-0 Kean: L, 0-3 Purchase: W, 3-0 St. Elizabeth: W, 3-0 Sarah Lawrence: W, 3-0 |
