Frostburg State Volleyball Downs Mary Washington, 3-0 To Capture Bobcats' First CAC Crown
After struggling to defeat York in the Capital Athletic Conference semifinals Thursday, the Frostburg State volleyball team brought a championship-caliber performance to Bobcat Arena on Saturday afternoon as it defeated Mary Washington, 3-0, to win the CAC title.
It marked Frostburg State's first conference championship since
joining the CAC this summer.
The three-game sweep marks the 23rd of the season for the Bobcats
(32-3), but none came on a bigger stage. Frostburg got off to
a fast start, scoring the first five points and forcing Mary
Washington to burn a timeout.
The Bobcats kept pressuring the middle of the Eagles' defense,
dropping tips or crashing kills into the exposed areas. The Bobcats
cruised to a 25-12 win. Senior outside hitter Sarah
Stephens led the charge in game one, netting seven
of her match-high 16 kills. Junior setter Kylie
Carrington dished out 16 assists in the first
game.
Mary Washington (19-9) gained its composure in the second game and
did not trail until 22-21. The Bobcats, who trailed by as many as
six points, fought back to finally pull even at 17 apiece. The game
was tied at six different occasions, all coming at that 17th point
or later. Frostburg did manage to score the final three points of
the game to win, 25-23, and take a commanding 2-0 lead in the
match.
With the third game tied 3-3, Frostburg used a 12-4 run to put the
game - and the match - out of reach. The Bobcats put the finishing
touches on their first CAC title in their first year in the
conference with an easy 25-11 victory. Senior outside hitter
Jamie Thomas finished with nine kills
and 12 digs, while senior libero Brittany
McVearry finished with 13 digs and three aces. One
of those included the championship-clinching point in front of a
standing crowd.
Stephens finished with 16 kills and eight digs. Junior outside
hitter Amber Winterling chipped in with
10 digs. Carrington finished with 37 assists.
The Bobcats earn the CAC's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament and
will find out Monday where, when and who their first-round opponent
will be.