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WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL

November 15, 2007

Talent and Expectations Lead to Championship


In November, Lisa Gallagher’s Gator Volleyball team found themselves exactly where they had prepared to be when their season began, competing for the Skyline Championship and a bid to the NCAA Tournament.  The Gators defeated Mount Saint Mary College and SUNY Farmingdale to earn its first ever trip to the NCAA Tournament.   

Sage fell to a very talented Cortland State in the first round of the tournament, but they certainly left their mark on the Skyline in their first year of competition.  The Gators finished the season with an overall record of 18-17 and went a perfect 9-0 in conference play, only losing one game throughout. 

In addition to the NCAA berth, the Skyline Conference Championship, and the Skyline Conference Regular Season Title, the Gators gathered an impressive nineteen individual awards throughout the 2007 season.  

Senior Caitlyn Samoranksi (Balston Spa) was recognized by the AVCA as National Player of the Week for her performance during the Skyline Tournament, which also earned her the Most Valuable Player award for the tournament.  Samoranski wasn’t the only Gator to make some noise in the Skyline, the Gators posted four athletes on the All Conference First Team, Nicole Corbett (Castleton), Kaitlin Olmstead (Horseheads), Krista Provost (Delanson), and Shannon Young (Utica).   Corbett finished second in the conference in hitting percentage (.272), while Olmstead led the conference in assists with 1,270.  Provost was in the top ten in hitting percentage, kills and digs, while Young finished first in digs (852).

Corbett was named Skyline Rookie of the Week three times for her efforts this season, while Provost earned Skyline Player of the Week honors twice.  Olmstead and Young were each awarded Player of the Week.  Both also earned a spot on the Skyline Honor Roll in October.    

Young was recognized as the NYSWCAA defensive Player of the Week and was a member of their All State First Team.  Olmstead was placed on the All State Second Team, while Corbett earned NYSWCAA Rookie of the Week honors. 

In each of the four regular season tournaments Sage played in, three Gators made their way onto the All-Tournament Teams.  Provost found a spot in the Las Vegas Blast Tournament, Young in both the North Country Invitational and the Oneonta Invitational, and Corbett at the Union College Invitational.   

Olmstead finished the season with 1,297 assists, averaging 10.38 per game.  Young gathered 860 digs, moving her impressive total to 3,280 digs for her career.  Young finished the regular season ranked seventh in the nation in digs. 

Russell Sage will say goodbye to Seniors Jessica Nelson, Samoranski and Young.  Young leaves the Gators after being ranked in the top 30 in the nation for digs/game in all four years.  She is number three in career serve aces, number one in career reception percentage, number one in career digs per game and number one in career digs.    Samorasnki departs ranked number seven in career serve aces, number eight in career digs, number five in career kills per game and number three in career kills.    

All three will be missed as they have been a large part of taking the Gator program to where it is today.