Volleyball Falls to Albany, 3-1, in Temple Tourney

(boxscore)

11/26/05 -- Senior Jade Gold (Jupiter, Fla.) recorded 16 kills and four blocks but the Long Island University volleyball team (25-13) could not hold on to an early lead and fell to the University of Albany, 3-1, at McGonigle Hall in Philadelphia, Pa. on Saturday afternoon.

Senior Lizelle Jackson (Palmdale, Calif.) (13 kills, 18 digs) and sophomore Martina Wagner (Friedrichshafen, Germany) (15 kills, 18 digs) each notched double-doubles for the Blackbirds.

LIU won the first game, 30-27, and had a chance to take a 2-0 lead following a Wagner kill that gave the team a 31-30 advantage. Three straight points by the Great Danes (28-4) swung momentum in Albany’s favor and won the second game, 33-31.

The Great Danes opened game three with a 5-1 run behind the serving of libero Eileen N. Rodriguez. On the match, Rodriguez tallied six aces and kept the Blackbirds defense on its heels throughout. Albany’s offense came alive in game three, hitting .370 and taking the game, 30-18.

Down 2-1, the Blackbirds came out strong in game four and a kill by senior Adela Igniska (Baia Mare, Romania) pushed LIU's lead to 14-9. The Blackbirds would build their advantage to as many as seven points (26-19) in the game.

Rodriguez again came up big for the Great Danes as consecutive sevice aces knotted the match at 26-26. A kill by Ashley DeNeal and a block by Ashley Green, who had a match-high eight blocks, broke a 28-28 tie and gave Albany the victory.

LIU, which has already clinched a bid into the NCAA tournament via a 3-0 victory over Robert Morris in the Northeast Conference championship, will continue its season next weekend at a campus site to be determined. Seedings and schedule for the tournament will be announced on Sunday, Nov. 27 at between 2:30 and 3:00 pm on ESPNews.