Women's Volleyball | 10/21/2019 10:24:00 AM
New York, New York | After four consecutive CUNYAC Community College Women's Volleyball Titles, Queensborough will look to extend their reign at the top this evening. Tonight, a four-team tournament field will square off for the 2019 CUNYAC Community College/Pepsi Women's Volleyball Championship at Borough of Manhattan Community College, as the tournament site was switched from its original location at Queensborough Community College.
The tournament will begin with two semifinal matches played back-to-back between second-seeded BMCC and third-seeded Kingsborough and top-seed Queensborough and fourth-seed Bronx Community College at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m, followed by the Championship match later in the evening.
2019 CUNYAC Women's Volleyball Championship Central- Link
2019 CUNYAC Community College Women's Volleyball Championship Program- Link
Making The Trip To BMCC To Attend?
If you are making the trip down to BMCC Gymnasium for the 2019 CUNYAC Community College Women's Volleyball Championship Tournament, please note that there is no admission fee for the game tonight. For more information, click here.
Live Coverage For The Championship Game
The CUNYAC will be providing live stats for the contest on Tuesday Night. Links will be available on the CUNYAC Championship Page.
Fernandez on Fire
Sophomore Nolverys Fernandez (Santiago, Dominican Republic) enters the CUNYAC Community College Women's Volleyball Championship off of three consecutive double-digit kill performances and 55 kills in her last three games. She also put up back-to-back double-doubles in the final two games of the season. Fernandez has recorded double-doubles, and double-digit kill games (18 kills, and 16 digs and 15 kills and ten service aces) both Kingsborough matches this season, posting her previous career-high (18 kills) a week and a half ago.
Similar Script Same Result
The last two CUNYAC Championship Tournament semifinal matches between BMCC and Kingsborough have both produced hard-fought four-set decisions in 2017 and 2018. The regular-season series script was just a bit different, as the Panthers swept both matches, rallying from two sets down to defeat the Wave on the road in the last meeting 3-2 and winning three straight games at home to win 3-1 back on October 12th.
A Closer Look At The Teams
Queensborough- Record: 17-5 (6-0 CUNYAC) – Roster – Schedule – Stats
BMCC Panthers- Record: 8-8 (4-2 CUNYAC) – Roster – Schedule – Stats
Kingsborough- Record: 6-10 (2-4 CUNYAC)- Roster – Schedule – Stats
Bronx Community College- Record: 3-18 (0-6 CUNYAC) Roster – Schedule – Stats
How They Got Here
Queensborough Community College won its seventh-straight CUNYAC Regular Season title and earned the top-seed after posting a perfect 6-0 conference mark. The Tiger swept all six of their league matches this season against Bronx Community College, Kingsborough, and BMCC in straight sets.
BMCC earned the second seed for the 2019 CUNYAC Community College Women's Volleyball Championship after going 4-2 in league play. The Panthers swept the season series against Bronx Community College and Kingsborough Community College, defeating the Broncos both times in consecutive sets and the Wave in four and five games. BMCC was swept in their season series against Queensborough Community College in straight sets both times.
Kingsborough received the third seed for the 2019 CUNYAC Community College Women's Volleyball Championship after going 2-4 against conference opponents this fall. The Wave defeated Bronx Community College in straight sets in both matches while being swept in 3 games both times by Queensborough and in four and five games two times by BMCC.
Bronx Community College comes into the 2019 CUNYAC Community College Women's Volleyball Championship as the fourth seed. The Broncos were swept in straight sets in all six conference matches during 2019.
Queensborough Community College and BMCC have met in the Championship game for the last three years. BMCC is making its 19th appearance in the conference tournament, while Kingsborough appears for the 18th time and both Bronx Community College and Queensborough for their 14th. The Tigers won their seventh title last year. The Panthers have won a conference-best 11 CUNYAC Community College Women's Volleyball Championships, with back-to-back titles in 2005 and 2006 and six straight from 1996-2001.
Meeting Queensborough Community College
Head Coach Jason Demas, in his tenth season (205 career wins- 200th vs. KCC), has brought the Tigers to the CUNYAC Community College Championship Tourney every time since he took the helm in 2009. He has won seven CUNYAC Championships and made the title game the last six years while holding a 53-game conference winning streak dating back to 2012.
Queensborough has swept their last three Conference Tournament semifinals matches against the Bronx and Kingsborough in straight sets while defeating BMCC in the Conference Title game the previous three years in three games twice and in four games once back in 2017.
The Tigers possess a well-balanced offense equipped with three 100 plus kill swingers, led by CUNYAC Preseason Player of the Year, sophomore outside hitter Paige Hughes who leads the way with 137 kills. Classmates Tiffany Garcia-Lawson and Georgia Alexiou are second and third on the team in kills with 121 and 113, respectively. Garcia-Lawson comes into the tournament hitting a team-high .291, while Hughe's .270 hitting percentage is good for second on the team.
Freshman setter Amira Durkovic is the straw that stirs the drink for the QCC attack with a team-high 445 assists (6.1 assists per game). QCC is also lethal from the service line featuring seven players with 20 or more service aces on the campaign. Durkovic leads all servers with 61 service aces, and Alexiou is second on the team with 55 service aces, while her classmates Michelle Sosa and Chidera Nwaghanata are both tied for third with 33 service aces.
Sosa is the leader of the backline for the Tigers with a team-best 384 digs, while classmates Rachel Medina and Hughes are second and third in digs with 246 and 158, respectively.
Meeting BMCC
Sixth-year head coach Odaly Aponte has brought the Panthers to six straight CUNYAC Conference Tournaments while appearing in the last three conference finals. BMCC has won its previous two CUNYAC Tournament semifinals matches against Kingsborough in four games back in 2017 and 2018.
Fernandez spearheads the Panthers on both offense and defense, leading all swingers with 160 kills and 46 service aces to go along with a team-best 207 digs, all three career-bests. She comes into tonight's semifinals with a team-leading six double-digit kill games and six double-doubles, including three of them in her last three outings.
Fernandez recently posted a career-high 26 kills over the weekend in a four-set win over Dutchess C.C in her final tri-match of the season. Two of her six double-doubles and double-digit kill performances were against Kingsborough, where she posted a career-high ten service aces in a five-set road win, and a previous career-best in a four-set win a week and a half ago. She has also fired four or more service aces in seven contests this year.
Defensively, she has recorded 20 or more digs in four matches this season, with a career-high 29 digs coming against Westchester.
Classmate Lauren Malcolm (Bronx, New York) leads the Panther's front row, with a team-high 18 blocks while freshman Andecia Liverpool (Georgetown, Guyana) is second on the team with 12 blocks. Malcolm is also second on the team in kills and service aces with 59 and 28, while Liverpool is third on the Panthers in kills with 51.
Freshman Kaylin Nieves (New York, New York) is the chef of the BMCC offense, dishing out a team-leading 238 assists, with four 20 plus assist games on the campaign, including back-to-back against Dutchess C.C. and Monroe College Express in the season finale. Nieves is also second on the team with five double-doubles to go along with 27 service aces, good for third on the Panthers.
Sophomore Laisha Ulerio (La Vega, Dominican Republic) and freshman Alyssa Duran (Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic) also have contributed defensively with 114 digs and 109 digs, both good for second and third on the team.
Meeting Kingsborough
Head Coach Paul Wilson has led the Wave into the Conference Tournament consistently and has his squad there again this year.
Kingsborough has lost its last two CUNYAC Tournament semifinals matches against BMCC, both in four sets, in 2017 and 2018. The Wave is looking to get out of the semis for the first time since 2015 when they defeated Bronx Community College in consecutive sets.
Sophomore middle-hitter Prhisany Skinner heads the Kingsborough attack with a team-leading 138 Kills. Classmate Kinga Kupras leads the Wave on the service line with a team-best 36 service aces.
Freshman setter Brianna Ramos is the quarterback on offense with a team-high 125 assists.
Kupras also leads KCC defensively in digs with 285, while freshman Selina Berrezueta and classmate Daiana Garcia are second and third on the team in digs with 214 and 170, respectively.
Meeting Bronx Community College
Fifth-Year head coach Ingrid Carmona has directed the Broncos to their third straight trip to the CUNYAC Community College Women's Volleyball Championship Tournament. Bronx Community College has been swept in consecutive sets by Queensborough during their last two semifinals appearances and looking to advance to the finals for the first time since 2009.
Freshman outside hitter Nossamba Kone leads the Bronco attack with 72 kills, while classmate Nayely Rodriguez leads the way from the service line with 35 service aces. Rodriguez runs the Bronx attack, dishing out a team-high 140 assists and has chipped in with 51 kills, good for second on the team, while sophomore middle-blocker Floranni Tejada leads the front-row with 20 blocks.
Sophomore libero Alondra Mesa leads the defense with 204 digs, while freshman Rodriguez and Koneare second and third in digs with 160 and 130, respectively.
For more information on the game, go to the CUNYAC Homepage.
