2017 MAAC Volleyball Championship Program

2017 MAAC Volleyball Championship

2017 MAAC Volleyball Championship

19th time that Albany has hosted the event, more than any other location.

for student-athletes as the conference announced the formation of the MAAC Men’s and Women’s Lacrosse leagues. The men’s league began competition in the spring of 1996, while the women’s league commenced in the spring of 1997. Since their inception as associate sports leagues, both Men’s and Women’s Lacrosse have been upgraded to full MAAC sports. The men’s league currently consists of six MAAC schools (Canisius, Manhattan, Marist, Monmouth, Quinnipiac, and Siena along with one associate member Detroit Mercy). The women’s league features competition among nine MAAC institutions (Canisius, Fairfield, Iona, Manhattan, Marist, Monmouth, Niagara, Quinnipiac, and Siena). The 2017 Men’s Lacrosse Championship Game aired on ESPNU and Sirius XM for the first time in history. In the spring of 2014, the MAAC expanded the championship field to six teams in Men’s and Women’s Soccer, Volleyball, Women’s Lacrosse, Softball, and Baseball.

By having an excellent working relationship with various facilities, the MAAC has been able to attract a number of NCAA Championships. The MAAC alongside Siena is slated to host the 2018 NCAA Women’s Basketball Regional from the Times Union Center in Albany, NY from March 23-26. The NCAA Women’s Basketball Regional returns to Albany, NY for the first time since 2015 when the MAAC and Siena hosted the event at the Times Union Center, which was the highest selling site amongst all four regionals. The MAAC is slated to host five NCAA Championships from 2018-2022. Along with Siena, the MAAC serves as the host for the 2019 Women’s Basketball Regional from March 29-April 1 as well as the 2020 Men’s Basketball First & Second Rounds on March 19 & 21 at the Times Union Center in Albany, NY. Alongside Canisius and Niagara, the MAAC will host the 2019 Men’s Frozen Four from April 11-13 along with the 2022 Men’s Basketball First & Second Rounds on March 17 & 19 at the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, NY. In 2016-17, the MAAC hosted the NCAA Division I Cross Country Northeast Regional at Van Cortlandt Park with Iona and Manhattan, the 2017 NCAA Men’s Basketball First & Second Rounds at the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, NY with Canisius and Niagara, which marked the fifth time that all three parties partnered for this same event (2004, 2007, 2010, and 2014), and the 2017 NCAA Division I, II, & III Rowing Championships with the Ivy League at Lake Mercer in West Windsor, NJ. The MAAC, Canisius, and Niagara successfully hosted the 2014 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Second and Third Rounds at the First Niagara Center in Buffalo, NY. The MAAC and Fairfield hosted the 2013 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Regional at Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport, CT. The MAAC and Rider hosted the 2012 NCAA Rowing Championships at Lake Mercer in West Windsor, NJ and also co-hosted the 2011 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships at the Wells Fargo Center in

Academics and Athletics The MAAC prides itself on the accomplishments of its student-athletes in the classroom, as well as on the field. Mary Beth Riley, a 1991 graduate of Canisius, was the first recipient of the NCAA Woman of the Year Award. In the fall of 1998, Erin Whalen, a member of the Iona Women’s Rowing team, was awarded one of the nation’s 32 Rhodes Scholarships for academic achievement and civic leadership. The most recent APR’s are multiyear rates based on scores from the 2012-13, 2013-14, and 2015-16 academic years. All 11 MAAC institutions had at least one team that posted multi-year APR’s in the top 10% of all squads in each sport, with Siena having eight teams, Fairfield, Iona, and Marist all having six teams respectively in the top 10%. Men’s Golf and Women’s Cross Country programs led all MAAC sports with five recipients each. First-class facilities are the standard within the MAAC, as teams regularly play in top-notch arenas, such as Madison Square Garden, Barclays Center, Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, MassMutual Center, KeyBank Center, Times Union Center, Webster Bank Arena, Mohegan Sun Arena, and Sun National Bank Center. This year, the MAAC takes the 2017 Women’s Soccer Championships to the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, FL from October 27-November 1. The 2018 MAAC Men’s and Women’s Golf Championships will be held once again at Disney’s Magnolia Golf Course from April 19-22. In the past several years, a number of the MAAC schools have enjoyed success in national postseason play. This past season, Quinnipiac’s Women’s Basketball team won its first NCAA Championship game in program history and became the first MAAC school to advance to the Sweet 16 since Marist in 2007. The Bobcats defeated Marquette University and the University of Miami en route to their Sweet 16 appearance against the University of South Carolina. In 2015, Siena’s Women’s Basketball team became the first MAAC Women’s Basketball program to make it to a postseason championship game. The Saints advanced all the way to the title contest of the Women’s Basketball Invitational (WBI) where Siena fell to Louisiana-Lafayette. In 2007, the Marist Women’s Basketball team advanced to the Sweet 16 before falling to the eventual National Champion, the University of Tennessee. The Red Foxes have recorded an additional five NCAA wins since their run in 2007. Saint Peter’s Men’s Basketball team claimed the 2017 CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT) title, to become the first MAAC program to win a national postseason championship since Siena’s Men’s Basketball team in 2014. The Saints earned the league’s first basketball postseason championship in its history by winning the 2014 College Basketball Invitational (CBI). In 2013, the MAAC had a record six Men’s Basketball programs participate in postseason play – Iona (NCAA Championship), Niagara (NIT), Canisius, Fairfield, Loyola, and Rider (CIT). Canisius and Loyola both advanced to the Quarterfinal Round, while Rider reached the second round. In 2012, the MAAC had two teams advance to the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship for the first time in 16 years, with Loyola earning the league’s automatic bid and Iona garnering an at-large bid.

Philadelphia. The MAAC and Rider co-hosted the 2009 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship Regional at the Sovereign Bank Arena in Trenton, NJ, after recording the third highest attendance figure for the women’s championship with the First & Second Rounds in 2006. In March of 2017, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced the field of teams for the inaugural Basketball Hall of Fame Belfast Classic, a college basketball tournament held in conjunction with the MAAC, Sport Changes Life, Rory McIlroy’s Foundation, the Rory Foundation, and The SSE Arena, Belfast. The two-day tournament held on December 1 and 2, will feature Holy Cross vs. Manhattan College and La Salle University vs. Towson University, followed by consolation and championship play on the second day. In February of 2017, it was announced that the MAAC will play a Men’s Basketball tripleheader at the new Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum presented by New York Community Bank on Saturday, January 27, 2018, in what will mark the conference’s first-ever basketball games at the venue. In the LONG ISLAND HOOPS event, Iona will play Manhattan, Fairfield will play Quinnipiac, and Marist will take on Monmouth.

In June of 1995, the MAAC developed new opportunities

10 EXCELLENCE IN ACADEMICS & ATHLETICS

EXCELLENCE IN ACADEMICS & ATHLETICS 11