Albany, N.Y. – University at Albany Vice President and Director of Athletics Lee McElroy announced on Tuesday, Aug. 30 that public orders for 2005-06 men’s and women’s basketball season and individual game tickets are now being accepted.

     Tickets may be purchased in person from the UAlbany Athletic Ticket Office, located in Room 135 of the Physical Education Building, Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. For more information, contact the ticket office, at 518-442-4683.

     "UAlbany basketball season tickets are one of the most affordable things in the Capital Region for sports fans and families," McElroy said. "For more than a decade, the RACC has served as a major venue for community and sporting events. The improvements that were made to the facility last fall provide a fan-friendly environment."

     A combined season ticket for reserved seating at men’s and women’s basketball games is $75, while chairback seating is $125. Courtside seating is available at $200 for men’s games only. A season parking pass for the Recreation and Convocation Center parking lot is also available for $40. Individual game tickets are priced at $9 for chairback and $7 for reserved.

     Men’s basketball plays a 12-game home schedule that includes eight America East Conference opponents, plus non-league dates with Harvard and Cornell. Women’s basketball has 10 home games in 2005-06, including a match-up with Big East Conference foe Syracuse on Dec. 20.

In addition, UAlbany basketball fans can purchase season tickets for just women’s games. The chairback price is $75, while reserved seats are $50.
     Four men’s and women’s doubleheaders are on the RACC home schedule, including the Big Purple Growl on Feb. 4 against Boston University. The other two-game dates are Dec. 20, Jan. 7 and Feb. 1.

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UAlbany Basketball Season Tickets (Men’s & Women’s Combined)

Reserved Seating, $75

Chairback Seating, $125

Courtside Seating, $200

Season Parking Pass (RACC Lot), $40

UAlbany Basketball Individual Game Tickets

Reserved Seating, $7.00

Chairback Seating, $9.00

UAlbany Basketball Season Tickets (Women’s Only)

Reserved Seating, $50

Chairback Seating, $75

     West Point, N.Y. – Senior Delaney Brown powered Army with two goals and two assists as the Black Knights beat UAlbany 6-1 Tuesday, Aug. 30.

     Brown, a two-time Patriot League, NCSAA and Soccer Buzz regional all-star, provided the only scoring of the first half at the 27:50 mark on a shot from the top of the 18 yard box that went into the top left corner of the net.

     Junior Leigh Kosco added a goal 2:11 into the second half and junior Silvia Longo connected from 25 yards out just 2:38 later to make the score 3-0.

     Jamie Dougherty, a junior midfielder for the Great Danes, scored for the second time in as many games off an indirect kick by senior captain Nicole Hercules 19 minutes into the second half. Hercules’ assist, the fifth of her career, moves her into a tie with three others for fifth best all-time. She has completed the feat in just 22 games, nine fewer games played than any other player in the top five.

     The Black Knights (2-1-0) out shot the Great Danes 40-5.

     UAlbany (0-3-0) is 0-9-1 all-time against Army.

     UAlbany returns to action on Friday, Sept. 2 when they visit Colgate at 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast free of charge on www.sportsjuice.com/providers/colgate starting at 6:50 p.m.

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Army 6, UAlbany 1

Army—Scoring: Delaney Brown 2-2, Leigh Kosco 1-1, Drew Biddick 1-0, Silvia Longo 1-0, Geralyn Pedicino 1-0, Jessica Congemi 0-1, Ronee Farrell 0-1Goalkeeper: Rebecca Garcia (90:00, 2 saves, 1 GA)

UAlbany—Scoring: Jamie Dougherty 1-0, Nicole Hercules 0-1; Goalkeepers: Ashley Nuessle (61:32, 6 saves, 3 GA), Andrea Dunn (28:28, 2 saves, 3 GA)

Shots: Army 40, UAlbany 5; Corner Kicks: Army 12, UAlbany 0

     Niagara Falls, N.Y. – Senior Heather MacDougall led St. Bonaventure with three goals and one assist as the Bonnies defeated UAlbany 5-1 in the Great Danes’ final match of the Niagara Soccer Classic on Sunday, Aug. 28.

     MacDougall, who was recently named to the preseason All-Atlantic Conference team, started the scoring action 19:56 into the game on an assist from Emily Krider. She then assisted on Mara Primmer’s goal and added another on Primmer’s assist.

     Jamie Dougherty, a junior midfielder for the Great Danes, scored on Adrienne Heady’s corner attempt to break up the Bonnies’ scoring streak. The Bonnies (1-1) then added two more as Lois Bennett and MacDougall each scored on assists from Jessica Bartock.

     Junior Andrea Dunn tallied 11 saves in goal for UAlbany during her first start of the season.

     UAlbany senior defender Jessica Insana and sophomore forward Uju Ogbuawa were named to the All-Tournament team for their performance this weekend.

     The Great Danes (0-2) return to action on Tuesday, Sept. 30 when they visit Army at 7 p.m.

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Niagara Soccer Classic – Niagara Falls, N.Y.

St. Bonaventure 5, UAlbany 1

SBU—Scoring:Heather MacDougall 3-1, Mara Primmer 1-1, Lois Bennett 1-0, Emily Kridler 0-1, Jessica Bartock 0-2; Goalkeepers: Lisa Eberhart (90:00, 3 saves, 1 GA)

UAlbany—Scoring: Jamie Dougherty 1-0, Adrienne Heady 0-1; Goalkeepers: Andera Dunn (90:00, 11 saves, 5 GA)

Shots: SBU 25, UAlbany 11; Corner Kicks: SBU 10, UAlbany 3

     Albany, N.Y. - Ashley Hunter led three players in double-figure kills as UAlbany defeated Buffalo, 3-1, in the home-opening match in University Gymnasium on Sunday, Aug. 28. The Great Danes, who have won 14 straight home matches dating back to 2003, registered scores of 30-22, 25-30, 31-29 and 30-20.

     Hunter tallied 23 kills, including nine in the first game and hit .422 (23-of-45) for the match. Shelby Goldman added 13 kills, while Ashlee Reed chipped in with 10 kills, six assists and five digs.

     UAlbany (2-0) hit a match-high .441 in the first game, converting on 19 of 34 attempts. Buffalo (1-1) rebounded to take game two behind six kills from Katie Weekley, who finished with nine kills and four blocks in the match.

     The Great Danes held on for a 31-29 decision in game three after Buffalo fought back to tie the game at 29-all. The Bulls committed a service error and attack error that gave UAlbany the final two points. UAlbany carried the momentum over to the deciding game with Reed and Rodriguez registering the kills for the last three points.

     Blair Buchanan amassed 51 assists, while Buffalo setter Amy Brown managed 45 assists. Jenna Mape and Nikki Morzenti posted 16 and 14 kills, respectively, for the Bulls. Buffalo also finished with 10 total blocks. UAlbany's Ashley DeNeal fueled the defensive effort with 17 digs.

     Storrs, Conn. – Sophomore forward Kristin Galuski led Connecticut with three shots and one goal as the Huskies defeated UAlbany in non-conference play, 4-1.

     UConn junior forward Meagan Hoffman scored first for the Huskies four minutes and 31 seconds into the game. Senior midfielder Kati Cavanagh, Galuski, and sophomore midfielder Lizzy Peijs added three straight tallies.

     Kristen Holder, an America East All-Rookie team selection last year, scored the Great Danes’ lone goal on an assist from senior captain Tina Bryson. Holder had two shots total, and freshman Arlette Westdorp had one in her UAlbany premier. Freshman Ashley Ross made her debut in goal for UAlbany, tallying six saves on the night.

     UConn’s field hockey team was recently picked to repeat as Big East conference champions in the coaches’ preseason poll.

     The Great Danes continue their season next Friday, Sept. 2 at 3 p.m. when they travel to Temple.

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UConn 4, UAlbany 1 (George J. Sherman Family-Sports Complex, Storrs, Conn.)

     UAlbany—Scoring: Kristen Holder (1-0), Tina Bryson (0-1); Goalkeeper: Ashley Ross (70:00, 6 saves, 4 GA).

     UConn—Scoring: Kati Cavanagh (1-0), Kristin Galuski (1-0), Meagan Hoffman (1-0), Lizzy Peijs(1-0), Laura Puddle (0-2); Goalkeeper: Melissa Bostwick (70:00, 2 saves, 1 GA).

     Niagara Falls, N.Y. – Sophomore Brittany Bisnott scored two goals and added an assist as Niagara defeated UAlbany 6-2 in the first game of the Niagara Soccer Classic on Friday, Aug. 26.

Sophomore Uju Ogbuawa, an America East all-rookie selection last season, scored both goals for the Great Danes. Senior captain Nicole Hercules assisted on the second goal. It was the fourth of her career, tying her with five others for fourth on the all-time assist list.

     Bisnott tallied the first goal 12:14 into the contest only to be answered by Ogbuawa three minutes later. The Purple Eagles (1-0) responded with three unanswered goals, including two just 1:18 apart to take a 4-1 halftime lead. Ogbuawa’s second tally came with eight minutes remaining and the game was already at hand.

     Bisnott, the 2004 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year, picked up where she left off from last season when she scored 15 goals.

     Junior Ashley Nuessle had seven saves for UAlbany (0-1), which was out shot 34-6.

UAlbany plays St. Bonaventure in the second round of the Niagara Soccer Classic Sunday at 11 a.m.

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Niagara Soccer Classic – Niagara Falls, N.Y.

UAlbany—Scoring: Uju Ogbuawa 2-0, Nicole Hercules 0-1; Goalkeepers: Ashley Nuessle (51:24, 7 saves, 4 GA) Andera Dunn (38:36, 1 save, 2 GA)

Niagara—Scoring: Brittany Bisnott 2-1, Stephanie Gartley 1-0, Aisha Eversley 1-0, Christina Langrell 1-0, Shaylan Lawrence 1-0, Sarah Campbell 0-1, Stephanie Conley 0-1, Kelly Flaherty 0-1; Goalkeepers: Katy Owings (82:25 1 save 2 GA), Jaime Giangreco (7:35 0 saves 0GA)

Shots: Niagara 34, UAlbany 7; Corner Kicks: Niagara 7, UAlbany 1

ASHLEY HUNTER LEADS UALBANY VOLLEYBALL TO WIN OVER SETON HALL
     South Orange, N.J. - Senior Ashley Hunter smacked a match-high 24 kills to lead UAlbany to a 3-0 victory over Seton Hall in the season-opening match for both teams on Friday, Aug. 26 at Walsh Gym. The Great Danes, who made their first NCAA Division I Tournament appearance last season, registered scores of 34-32, 30-27 and 30-21.

     Junior Shelby Goldman tallied 15 kills for the Great Danes, while senior Ashlee Reed added nine kills, five digs and three blocks. Junior Ashley DeNeal and senior Eileen Nicole Rodriguez paced the defensive effort with 19 and 13 digs, respectively. Junior setter Blair Buchanan amassed 50 assists to go along with six kills and eight digs. UAlbany (1-0) hit a collective .333 for the match, including .442 in the second game.

     Jessica King notched a team-high 15 kills for the Pirates (0-1), while Tricia Meyers chipped in with 10 kills. Jessica Pompei and Brittany Rahrer totaled 15 and 14 digs, respectively.

     The Great Danes host their first match of the season on Sunday at 2 p.m. when Buffalo visits University Gymnasium.

     Albany, N.Y. -- The New York Giants and the University at Albany jointly announced on Tuesday, Aug. 23 an agreement on a two-year contract that will keep the National Football League organization's training camp in the Capital Region through the summer of 2008. The arrangement also includes the option for a third year.

     With the two-year extension in place, UAlbany will become the site for the longest stint of any Giants' training camp. The Giants previously spent thirteen summers at Pace University in Pleasantville, N.Y. from 1975-87. The Giants, who have trained in the states of Vermont, Connecticut, New Jersey, Wisconsin and Oregon during their history, previously worked out at Fairleigh Dickinson University (1988-95) in New Jersey prior to their arrival on the UAlbany campus.

     "We have had an outstanding relationship with the University, its staff and Mayor Jennings and the Albany community over the past 10 years," Giants Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer John K. Mara said. "We look forward to the next few years here, and we certainly appreciate the support and cooperation of the good people here in helping us annually get ready to compete at the highest level."

     "We’re thrilled to have the New York Giants extend their stay at UAlbany," said University at Albany President Kermit L. Hall. "We enjoy hosting the Giants as well as the many fans they attract to campus. In the years ahead we look forward to welcoming the Giants and many more fans and hope that they’ll explore the campus and discover the many benefits of a UAlbany education."

     "Keeping the Giants training camp in Albany and New York is a huge boost for the Capital Region and the state," Governor George E. Pataki said. "From the moment when the team began holding their training camp here in 1996, we’ve seen a tremendous amount of community support with thousands of fans attending each summer. The training camp not only adds to the overall quality of life and has become a regular part of many families’ summer activities, and we are pleased that this tradition will continue for an additional two years."

     "I am extremely pleased that the New York Giants will continue to make Albany their summer home. The Giants are a first class organization and always add excitement to our City in the summer," said City of Albany Mayor Jerry Jennings. "We look forward to many more years as home for the Giants summer training camp."

     The Giants have trained on the UAlbany campus, nearly 2.5 hours from Giants Stadium, since 1996. The original agreement, a five-year deal, carried training camp through the summer of 2000. A pair of three-year contracts have since been signed, with the current arrangement set to expire following the 2006 camp.

In the 10 years that the Giants have trained at UAlbany, the preseason camp has averaged more than 29,500 fans per summer. The camp attendance mark of 45,040 was established in 2004.

UALBANY WOMEN'S BASKETBALL ANNOUNCES SCHEDULE FOR 2005-06 SEASON
     Albany, N.Y. - University at Albany Vice President and Director of Athletics Lee McElroy announced on Thursday, August 25 the school's women's basketball schedule for the 2005-06 season. The Great Danes are entering their fourth year of America East Conference competition.
     UAlbany's schedule is highlighted by non-conference tournaments at St. Bonaventure and California. The St. Bonaventure Shootout includes Niagara and Cornell and will be played at First Arena in Elmira, N.Y. on Nov. 19-20. UNLV, who made an appearance in the WNIT Tournament last season, and Columbia will round out the second annual Contra Costa Times Classic on Dec. 3-4 in Berkeley, Calif.
     The Great Danes also meet Connecticut, who advanced to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament last season, at the Hartford Civic Center on Dec. 29. A renewal of the crosstown rivalry with Siena is set for Nov. 23 at the Pepsi Arena. Siena and UAlbany have met nine times, with the Saints winning the last meeting, 63-46, in 2003.
     The Great Danes will travel to Charleston Southern (Jan. 2) and Savannah State (Jan. 4), while Big East Conference-rival Syracuse will visit the Recreation and Convocation Center on Dec. 20. UAlbany and Syracuse met for the first time during the 2004-05 season, with the Orange claiming a 66-56 victory at Manley Field House.
     UAlbany kicks off the America East portion of its schedule on Jan. 7 when Hartford travels to the RACC. The postseason conference tournament will be held March 8-11 at Hartford's Chase Arena at Reich Family Pavilion.
The Great Danes graduated four seniors, including three starters, from the 2004-05 squad that set the program's Division I record with 14 victories. Head coach Trina Patterson returns for her fourth season behind the bench. Senior guard Jen Schumacher, who established the school and America East standard with 77 three-point field goals last season, will lead the offense. Point guard Sherri Mikus added 3.0 points and 1.6 rebounds per game, while guard Tanya James contributed 2.8 points and 1.9 assists.

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2005-06 University at Albany Women's Basketball Schedule
November
19 (Sat.), at St. Bonaventure Shootout (vs. Niagara), 4:00#; 20 (Sun.), at St. Bonaventure Shootout (vs. St. Bonaventure or Cornell) 12:00 or 2:00#; 23 (Wed.), at Siena, TBA^; 26 (Sat.), Morgan State, 2:00; 30 (Wed.), at Army, 7:00.
December
3 (Sat.), at Contra Costa Times Classic (vs. UNLV), 4:00+; 4 (Sun.), at Contra Costa Times Classic (vs. California or Columbia), 4:00 or 6:00+; 20 (Tue.), Syracuse, 5:00; 29 (Thu.), at Connecticut, 7:00^^.
#First Arena, Elmira, N.Y., ^Pepsi Arena (Albany, N.Y.)
+Berkeley, Calif. ^^Hartford Civic Center (Hartford, Conn.)

January
2 (Mon.), at Charleston Southern, 7:00; 4 (Wed.), at Savannah State, 5:30; 7 (Sat.), Hartford*, 5:00; 11 (Wed.), at Maine*, 7:30; 18 (Wed.), Vermont*, 7:00; 21 (Sat.), New Hampshire*, 2:00; 24 (Tue.), at Boston U.*, TBA; 26 (Thu.), at UMBC*, TBA; 29 (Sun.), at Binghamton*, 1:00.
February
1 (Wed.), Stony Brook*, 5:00; 4 (Sat.), Boston U.*, 5:00 (Big Purple Growl); 9 (Thu.), at Hartford*, 7:00; 12 (Sun.), Maine*, 2:00; 18 (Sat.), at Vermont*, 1:00; 22 (Wed.), at New Hampshire*, 7:00; 25 (Sat.), at Stony Brook*, 2:00.
March
1 (Wed.), Binghamton*, 7:00; 4 (Sat.), UMBC*, 2:00; 8-11, America East Conference Tournament (Chase Arena at Reich Family Pavilion, West Hartford, Conn.)

*America East Conference Opponent
All Times Eastern

BRIAN BECKER, AARON KIMBALL AND COLIN DISCH NAMED UALBANY FOOTBALL CAPTAINS

     Albany, N.Y. – University at Albany head football coach Bob Ford announced today that Brian Becker, Aaron Kimball and Colin Disch have been voted team captains for the 2005 season. The Great Danes open their schedule on Saturday, Sept. 10 against Hofstra at University Field. Kickoff is 6:00 p.m.

     Becker, a senior from Gansevoort, N.Y., will start at inside linebacker for the third consecutive season. He ranked second on the team in tackles with 76, including 34 solo hits, last year. Becker, who has 150 career tackles as a collegian, added two interceptions, four pass break-ups and one fumble recovery.
     Kimball, a 6-foot-3, 310-pound right guard, was named to the Preseason All-Northeast Conference squad. A native of Fonda, N.Y., Kimball helped UAlbany’s offensive line pave the way for a unit that led the NEC in rushing for the sixth consecutive year. The Great Danes were seventh nationally among Division I-AA teams at 254.7 yards per game, plus ran for 345-plus on four occasions.

     Disch, the 2004 NEC Defensive Rookie of the Year, had a spectacular first season with the UAlbany program when he established a freshman record with 131 tackles. He added 15 hits for a loss, five sacks, two fumble recoveries and two interceptions. Disch, a sophomore inside linebacker who hails from North Plainfield, N.J., was a first-team Division I-AA Mid-Major All-America selection by Football Gazette and CollegeSportsReport.com. A first-team All-NEC choice, Disch recorded double-figures tackles in all 11 games.

UAlbany Notes: New York Giants offensive tackle Kareem McKenzie will speak to the UAlbany football team on Monday, Aug. 22, following the 3:00-5:00 p.m. practice at the campus’ Dutch Quad intramural field … McKenzie, a 6-foot-6, 327-pound lineman who played as a collegian at Penn State, was signed by the Giants as an unrestricted free agent on March 4, 2005 … UAlbany coach Bob Ford evaluated the team’s first week of preseason camp, "It was your typical first week where the offense takes longer to put everything together. Neither quarterback (Daniel Bocanegra, Brett Hall) has pulled away in that battle. I am impressed with both our receivers and inside linebackers. The defense is running to the football extremely well." … sophomore linebacker Colin Disch has been named to the 2005 CollegeSportsReport.com Preseason Mid-Major All-America Team … Disch earlier received the same recognition by The Sports Network …

     Boston, Mass. – The University at Albany field hockey team was selected to finish fourth in the America East Conference Preseason Poll, as voted on by the conference head coaches on Thursday, Aug. 18. Boston University, which fell to Northeastern in the 2004 conference championship, is slated to finish first.

     The Great Danes (7-11, AE 2-4) will look to improve on last season, when the team finished one game shy of reaching the conference tournament. Coach Phil Sykes returns seven letterwinners to the field this season, including senior forward Tina Bryson (nine goals, two assists), who was named to the All-America East first team last November. Sophomores Danielle Conklin (one goal) and Kristen Holder (four goals, one assist) will look to contribute to UAlbany’s offense after receiving America East all-rookie team honors last year.

     Boston, Mass. – The University at Albany men’s soccer team was chosen to finish in a tie for seventh with Hartford in the America East Conference preseason poll, as voted on by the conference head coaches on Wednesday, Aug. 17. Boston University, the 2004 America East tournament winners and co-regular season champions, has been selected to repeat as champions.

     The Great Danes (12-4-2, AE 6-2-1) captured their first America East regular-season title last season, sharing the crown with Boston University. UAlbany, which won a Division I program- record 12 games last season, fell to Binghamton 3-1 in the America East Conference Tournament semifinals.

Coach Johan Aarnio is entering his sixth season at UAlbany and returns nine letter winners to the team that shared the regular-season title a year ago, including seven that saw significant action last season. Junior captain Stephan Hall earned second-team All-America East honors in 2004, leading the team in assists with five and finishing second in points with 11. The other captain, Rodrigo Marion, a graduate student at UAlbany, started all but one game last season in leading a defense that had 12 shutouts. Senior Jon Stroud, assisted on the game winner against UMBC last Sept. 25. Junior Yan Gbolo, an America East all-rookie selection in 2003, has eight goals in his two seasons as a Great Dane, six of which have been game-winning shots.

     Nine newcomers signed letters of intent last spring to join coach Aarnio’s squad including: Timba Bimont, Steward Ceus, Erik DiLorenzo, Don Johnson, Tufi Long, Taylor McNamara, Brad Ray, Alex Ruhe-Lischke, and Gabriel Seguin-Gauthier.

     UAlbany opens its season at Oneonta State on Thursday, Sept. 1 at 4 p.m.

2005 America East Men’s Soccer Preseason Coaches Poll

1. Boston U. (8), 2. Binghamton (1), 3. UMBC, 4. Stony Brook , 5. Vermont,

6. New Hampshire, T7. UAlbany, T7. Hartford, 9. Maine.

( ) – number of first place votes

     Boston, Mass. – The University at Albany women’s soccer team was chosen to finish ninth in the America East Preseason Poll, as voted on by the conference head coaches on Tuesday, Aug. 16. Boston University has been selected to repeat as champions.

    The Great Danes (2-18, AE 0-9) look for continued improvement in their third season under Kalekeni Banda. Banda has a 128-56-11 career record at the Division I coaching level, including overtime victories over Holy Cross and Wagner last season.

     UAlbany returns 11 letter-winners from a year ago, including sophomore forward Uju Ogbuawa who became the first Great Dane women’s soccer player to earn All-America East rookie honors in 2004. She led the team in goals (5), points (13) and tied for the team lead in assists (3). Senior forward Nicole Hercules tied for the team lead in assists with three and was third on the team in goals with three and points with nine. Other returnees who had a combined 80 starts last year are sophomore back Meghan Garrity, sophomore midfielder Alicia Gibson, sophomore midfielder Adrienne Heady, senior back Jessica Insana, and sophomore back Ahkita Madyun.

     Nine newcomers join Banda’s squad including three junior college transfers: Andrea Dunn, Jamie Dougherty and Ashley Neussle. The incoming freshmen include Diana Barrera, Danielle Ethier, Liz Hanley, Allison Grossman, Alex Kitrilakis, and Sophia Tripoli.

     UAlbany opens its season at the Niagara Soccer Classic against host Niagara on Aug. 26 at 4 p.m.

2005 America East Women's Soccer Preseason Coaches Poll

1. Boston U. (4), 2. Maine (4), 3. New Hampshire, 4. Binghamton (1), T5. Stony Brook, T5. Vermont, 7. Hartford, 8. UMBC, 9. UAlbany. ( ) – number of first place votes

UALBANY VOLLEYBALL TABBED AS AMERICA EAST CONFERENCE PRESEASON FAVORITE
     Boston, Mass. - The University at Albany volleyball team was chosen the unanimous preseason favorite to repeat as America East Conference champions, as voted on by the conference head coaches on Monday, Aug. 15. The Great Danes received all six possible first-place votes and were followed in the poll by Maine and New Hampshire.

     "It's always an honor to be recognized by the coaches," said UAlbany coach Kelly Sheffield. "Being the preseason favorite usually means that you have the talent to be pretty good. Our goal is to be the best team we can be at the end of the year. To do that, we have a lot of work ahead of us."

     The Great Danes (27-7, AE 13-1) captured their first America East regular-season and tournament championships in 2004. They became the first women's program in school history to earn a berth in the NCAA Division I Tournament. Kelly Sheffield, the 2004 America East coach of the year, returns six starters and nine letterwinners from a team that won a school-record 27 matches last season.

     Junior setter Blair Buchanan, an honorable mention All-American in 2004, led the America East in assists (12.59 per game) to go along with 2.31 digs and 1.28 kills. Senior outside hitter Ashley Hunter, who was voted the conference tournament's most outstanding player, averaged 3.74 kills. Senior middle hitter Ashlee Reed (2.65 kills, 2.20 digs) and junior outside hitter Shelby Goldman (4.21 kills) were both named to the all-conference first team. Senior defensive specialist Eileen Nicole Rodriguez, who holds the NCAA record for career service aces, ranked second in the nation in aces per game. Junior libero Ashley DeNeal (4.28 digs) also returns for the Great Danes.

     Four newcomers join Sheffield's squad in transfer Hillary White, and freshmen Mari Serkowski, Kamisha Kellam and Allie Wolfe.

     UAlbany opens its season at Seton Hall on Aug. 26.

2005 America East Volleyball Preseason Coaches Poll
1. UAlbany (6), 2. Maine (1), 3. New Hampshire, T4. Stony Brook, T4. UMBC, 6. Binghamton, 7. Hartford. ( ) - number of first place votes