Volleyball Wins Spring Tournament at George Washington University

4/2-3/05 -- Long Island University, coming off its first Northeast Conference title and first trip to the NCAA Tournament, captured a spring tournament at George Washington University against some of the region's elite teams.

The Blackbirds upended George Mason, Duquesne and Georgetown during pool play. The squad went on to top former NEC foe UMBC in the quarterfinals, Duquesne in the semifinals and Villanova for the championship.

LIU (32-7, 12-4 NEC) is coming off a standout season in which it defeated top-seeded Robert Morris to win the league and played eventual national runner-up Minnesota in the NCAA Tournament. The Blackbirds also received a regional ranking according to the RichKern.com/America Volleyball Coaches Association Division I Poll for the first time as it closed 15th in the Mideast Region.

The squad has plenty to look forward to in 2005. The Blackbirds return senior setter Ivana Vasiljevic (Brcko, Bosnia & Herzegovina), an All-NEC pick each of the last three seasons. She is the school's all-time leader with 4,438 assists and 1,320 digs.

Also returning is outside hitter Dana Demayo (Ra'anana, Israel), an All-NEC selection last season as a sophomore after being named the league's Rookie of the Year in 2003. Melanie Fleig (Villingen, Germany) made her junior season at middle blocker a memorable one as she was named second team all-conference.

During their stay, the Blackbirds were able to enjoy the sites of Washington, D.C. and have dinner at the nearby home of sophomore Alexis Reed (Burtonsville, Md.).