Dukes Sweep Delaware To Win 2016 CAA Championship

Sunday, November 20

Wilmington, N.C.

12:00 p.m.

James Madison University

21-10

Delaware

16-16

Delaware

James Madison

11/20/2016 3:43:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score @JMUVolleyball Highlights Box Score 2016 Statistics

WILMINGTON, N.C. – With a come-from-behind victory in the second stanza to set the stage for history, James Madison volleyball earned its first Colonial Athletic Association Championship title since 2000 as the Dukes swept Delaware (25-18, 26-24, 25-20) inside Hanover Hall on Sunday afternoon.

James Madison earned its fourth tournament title in program history and the first since the Dukes swept George Mason in Harrisonburg on Nov. 19, 2000 to win the conference championship. The victory was the 10th consecutive triumph by the Dukes and improved their overall record to 20-10. The Blue Hens end their season 16-16.

The Dukes were evenly matched offensively as sophomore outside hitter Bryn Recker headed JMU with 13 kills on 24 swings with just two errors for a .458 hitting percentage. The Austin, Texas native added eight digs, three service aces and two blocks. Senior right side hitter Janey Goodman added 10 kills on 19 swings for a .474 hitting percentage while delivering the championship-winning kill in the final set. Senior outside hitter Kate Whitmire was strong off the bench with nine kills and three blocks.

Freshman Sarah Martin and sophomore Tilbe Yaglioglu split time at setter garnering 16 and 17 assists, respectively, to help JMU to a .330 hitting percentage. The Dukes committed only nine errors over three sets compared to Delaware's 24 as the Blue Hens attacked a .145 percentage over the match.

Defensively, JUM tallied its second consecutive double-digit blocking effort of the tournament with 11.0 total. Six different Dukes recorded blocks in the match led by sophomore middle blocker Taylor Gail's six. Junior libero Taylor Austin garnered a match-high 15 digs, including point-saving dives to help JMU to the title.

Hot hitting was the key to JMU's victory in the opening set as the Dukes landed 15 kills on 24 attacks while committing zero errors to hit at a .625 percentage. Whitmire was dominant off the bench for the Dukes with five kills while JMU added four blocks to notch a 25-18 victory.

Delaware rolled out of the gate scoring seven of the first 10 points and pulled ahead of the Dukes by four, 12-8, to force an early Duke timeout in the second set. The Dukes battled back and was able to gain the lead, 18-17, off a kill from Whitmire. The Blue Hens rallied back with a 5-0 run to take a 21-20 lead over JMU before a late kill from Alexa Swann set Delaware up for set point. Goodman tallied three straight kills and a block with an assist from fellow senior Kelly Robertson to overtake UD, 26-24.

The Dukes used a 5-1 run midway through the final set to pull ahead of the Blue Hens, 15-11. JMU kept Delaware at bay and a timely kill from redshirt freshman Kelly Vahos set up match point for the Dukes, 24-18. The Blue Hens fought off a couple attempts by JMU before Goodman delivered the championship-winning kill to send the title back home to Harrisonburg for the first time since 2000.

QUOTING COACH STEINBRECHER
"The team has worked so hard, and they are just such great people. I am so proud and excited for them to win the title. We played as a team. Their character is so high, and they work hard for each other. That makes a big difference when you get in tight points. We are going to celebrate for a couple of days and see who we will play in the NCAA Tournament. We'll get film. We'll go out there and play our best and make it about us."

TWEET OF THE MATCH

For the first time since 2000, your Dukes are CAA CHAMPS! Let's go DANCING! ?? #GoDukes #DigTheDukes pic.twitter.com/JD6G5YLNCs
— JMU Volleyball (@JMUVolleyball) November 20, 2016

LET'S GO DANCING
For the first time since 2000, James Madison will make an appearance in the NCAA Tournament. JMU's last tournament appearance was cut short as Penn State swept the Dukes in the opening round. Head Coach Lauren Steinbrecher will be making her first appearance after winning her first title at the helm of the Dukes. Steinbrecher reached the NCAA Championship tournament all four seasons of her playing career at Georgia Tech.

PHOTO OF THE MATCH

The JMU bench rushes the court as the Dukes land the final point to win the CAA Championship.

ALL-CHAMPIONSHIP HONORS
A trio of Dukes earned All-Championship team honors after JMU's title-winning run in Wilmington. With 12 kills over two matches, nine coming in the title match alone, senior Kate Whitmire earned All-Championship team honors. Whitmire added five blocks and 15.0 total points for JMU. Leading the Dukes with 22 kills and a .333 hitting percentage, sophomore Bryn Recker joined Whitmire on the All-Championship squad. Recker averaged 3.67 kills per set while adding two assists, three aces, 23 digs and four blocks over the weekend. Senior Janey Goodman was named the Most Valuable Player as the Powhatan, Va. native garnered 20 kills on a .327 hitting percentage, adding seven blocks. Goodman was key in the Dukes' come-from-behind victory over Delaware in the second set, tallying the final four points, in the championship drive.

PLAY OF THE MATCH

Taylor Gail ends the rally with a monster solo block.

UP NEXT
The 2016 Selection Show for the NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship will be aired on ESPNU on Sunday, November 27 at 9 p.m. The First and Second round competition will be held at 16 non-predetermined campus sites over December 1-3.