Final Statistics: Army 3, American 0

Army Quotes

WEST POINT, N.Y. - For the first time in eight years, a team not wearing red and blue hoisted the 2009 Patriot League Championship trophy. In a stunning 3-0 sweep of eight-time defending champion American, the Army volleyball team made history as the top-seeded Black Knights won their first Patriot League title since 1994 in front of a packed house on Sunday afternoon at Gillis Field House.

Army (26-5) rolled to identical 25-16 victories in the first two sets and the Black Knights were able to grind-out a thrilling 28-26 victory in the third to secure the program's first-ever bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Senior S Maureen Bannon, named the Patriot League Tournament Most Valuable Player, led all players with 41 assists to go with eight digs and two blocks, while freshman OH Ariana Mankus, the first player in conference history to win Patriot League Player and Rookie of the Year in the same season, topped all players with 18 kills and did not commit a single hitting error on her team-high 36 swings. Mankus completed a double-double with 14 digs. Freshman RS Francine Vasquez totaled 15 kills and hit for a .433 percentage with just two miscues. Both Mankus and Vasquez, along with Bannon, represented Army on the All-Tournament Team.

"This is an absolutely incredible feeling," said 2009 Patriot League Coach of the Year Alma Kovaci. "I am so happy for our players. They worked so hard the entire season. They believed in us and the journey and it is so good to see them succeed. We have had so much support, including former players in Iraq that have been sending so many messages our way and following our team. It is amazing for the United States Military Academy to accomplish this great feat."

Army hit a blistering .328 percentage (52 kills, 11 errors, 125 attempts), an average that included hitting better than .400 in the first two sets. Junior MB Amanda Rowell hit .286 with seven kills, sophomore OH Fabiola Castro added five kills. Junior L Brittany Jensen tied Mankus for a team-high 14 digs for an Army defense that held American's powerful attack to a .202 hitting percentage.

The teams played through eight ties and four lead changes in the opening set before Army was able to go ahead for good midway through the set. Bannon broke an 8-8 tie with one of her two service aces of the day, before three-straight Army kills by Rowell, Mankus and Vasquez gave the Black Knights a 12-8 lead. Army continued to roll from there, turning a three-point lead (15-12) into a nine-point victory (25-16). Army closed the opening set riding a 10-4 run, while hitting a match-high .429 with 17 kills and just two hitting errors.

Momentum carried into the second set for the Black Knights, which took a 1-0 lead on a Mankus kill and never trailed from there. American pulled to within one (9-8) on back-to-back kills from junior OH Magdalena Tekiel, but a Mankus kill on the next point jumpstarted an 11-2 run to put Army in the driver's seat (20-10). Bannon and Mankus served for three points during the set-changing surge and the Black Knights answered two American timeouts with kills from Rowell. American never got closer than eight (23-15) the rest of the way.

A back-and-forth third set included 14 ties and four lead changes. Army build a 14-10 lead on a kill and block from senior captain Rachel Dunn in the middle. American did not back down, however, leveling the score again (21-21) after consecutive Tekiel kills. Coming out of an Army timeout, the Black Knights went back on top (23-22) following a Mankus kill. The score see-sawed from there, while the Eagles took their first lead since the start of the set (26-25) on an Army hitting error. Returning from another Kovaci timeout, the Black Knights used back-to-back kills from Castro and Vasquez, which put Jensen on the line to serve for match point leading 27-26. American got one possession before Vasquez and Dunn stuffed second team All-Patriot League player Angelina Waterman on the outside to set off a bench-clearing celebration.

Tekiel paced American, which finished the regular season with an 18-12 mark, with 15 kills and a .308 hitting percentage. Freshman S Krysta Cicala totaled 27 assists and senior L Cynnamon Burns led all players with 22 digs. American, which came into the match leading the Patriot League in blocks, totaled just four on the afternoon.

Army will wait a week to learn its NCAA Tournament fate. The NCAA Volleyball Selection Show will air live on Sunday, Nov. 29, at 3 p.m. on ESPNEWS. First round matches are set to be played at campus sites (to be announced) beginning on Thursday, Dec. 3.

Match Notes: Head coach Alma Kovaci collected her 76^th career win on Sunday, including four over the powerhouse Eagles ... Kovaci was doused in water as the final Army point was scored ... the victory clinched the fourth Patriot League title in Army volleyball history (1991, 1992, 1994, 2009) with the previous three coming before the Patriot League secured an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament ... Army will enter the 2009 NCAA Volleyball Tournament riding a four-match win streak.

2009 Patriot League All-Tournament Team

Magdalena Tekiel, American
Claire Recht, American
Maureen Bannon, Army
Ariana Mankus, Army
Francine Vasquez, Army
Meghan Fanta, Colgate
Taylor Poole, Lehigh

Most Valuable Player: Maureen Bannon, Army