Posted on Nov 12, 2002

Schedule

Thursday, November 14
Union vs. Vassar at Nazareth College, 4:30

Friday, November 15
Union (if it wins on Thursday)
vs. Nazareth, 7:00 p.m.

Saturday, November 16
Union (if it wins on Thursday & Friday)
in Regional Championship at Nazareth, 7:00 p.m.

The 2002 Dutchwomen are the first team in the sport's 27-year history at Union to qualify for the NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament.

Union's selection fulfills a goal and a promise made by third-year head coach Sandy Collins. Collins, who was hired to take over the program in the summer of 2000, told the search committee that she was committed to building the Dutchwomen into an NCAA contender.

“This is unbelievable,” said Collins after being informed of the national committee's decision to take Union into the 48-team field. “What an accomplishment for my players, for Union, and for the program.”

Union, which posted its second-straight 20-win season (23-10) for the first time in the history of the program, vaulted into the national limelight thanks to last weekend's second-place finish in the Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association Tournament (which was held at Clarkson). Union finished 3-1 in the round-robin event, losing to second-year champion Vassar in four games. Fortunately for Collins and her Dutchwomen, history did not repeat itself entirely. In 2001, Union finished second in the UCAA event, losing only to Vassar, for a 25-12 record. However, the NCAA committee overlooked the Dutchwomen in favor of third-place Skidmore, which Union had beaten in the tournament. While they didn't get an NCAA invitation, the Dutchwomen did receive the program's first-ever ECAC championship tournament bid, losing to top-seeded and homestanding Springfield in four games.

“I think last year's selection of Skidmore had to do with past performances,” explained Collins. “They (Skidmore) had been to the tournament a couple of years in a row and we were the new kids on the block. Sometimes it takes a year or two to prove to the national committee that your team deserves an opportunity to compete at that level.”

Collins certainly has shown her Dutchwomen “belong.”

In 2000, her first year at the helm, Collins led a young Dutchwomen team to an 18-14 overall record and the program's first invitation to the New York State Women's Collegiate Athletic Association's post-season tournament since 1996. Last year's final record of 25-13 not only gave the Dutchwomen their first ECAC invitation, it was the second consecutive season that they were asked to participate in the state event. The 25 wins also set a Union standard for single-season victories. This year, besides finishing second in the UCAA Tournament, the Dutchwomen were again selected to the NYSWCAA event. Union's 23-10 record going into the National Tournament gives Collins a three-year record of 66-37 (a winning percentage of .641).

Union's first opponent in the NCAA Tournament is a familiar one—-UCAA rival Vassar (24-6). The Dutchwomen are 1-4 against the Brewers this year. The first meeting, in the second game of the Vassar Tournament, the hosts won the tie-breaker, 15-12. Union won the second meeting, 3-1, after losing the first match, before Vassar came back to capture the final two meetings, 3-0 and 3-1 in the second game of the UCAA Tournament.

“Neither team will spend a lot of time looking at films,” said Collins. “We have played each other so often over the last two years that the coaches and players know each other as well as they know their own team.

“Now is not the time to change strategies and systems, now is the time to raise our play to a higher level. Whatever happens, this is an exciting time for Union College and Union Volleyball.”

Here is a list of team and personal accomplishments by the Dutchwomen.

• Sr. Corrin Jordan – career totals of over 1500 kills – 1900 digs – over 100 blocks – numerous All-Tourna-
  ment selections – MVP of this year's UCAA tournament – UCAA “Rookie of the Year” in 1999 – UCAA All-Conference in 2000, 2001 & 2002 – Dutchwomen MVP in 2000 and co-MVP in 2001 – UCAA All-Academic
• Sr. Katie Lombardo
  – over 600 career digs
  2002 Tri-Captain
• Jr. Sarah Pontius – third consecutive 1000 assists season – over 200 career service aces – over 200 career kills – over 500 career digs – Co-Captain in 2001, Tri-Captain in 2002 – UCAA All-Conference selection in 2001 & 2002
• Jr. Kirin Liquori – over 500 career digs
• Jr. Julie Moran – 500 career kills – over 100 career service aces – over 100 career blocks – 900 career digs
• So. Sue Getwick – over 200 career blocks – 400 career kills
• So. Jess Meliosky – over 200 career blocks – over 200 career kills
• Fr. Suzy Barbaritz
• Fr. Charelle Carter
• So. Katie Chylinski
• So. Ashley Clark
• Fr. Sarah Conant
• Fr. Katja DeVries
• Fr. Steph Schuman
• So. Erin William

GOOD LUCK UNION!!!