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Volleyball team faces Towson in playoffs

By Eric Russell

Posted on Thursday, November 15th, 2001, 12:00 am

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Since the University of Maine volleyball team clinched a playoff berth two weeks ago, head coach Sue Medley has tried to keep her team’s focus on its next match.

But the time has come to look ahead to the conference tournament, where UMaine will face number-one seed and host Towson University Saturday afternoon at 2:30 p.m.

UMaine is carrying significant momentum into the postseason, having won five straight and eight of the last 10 matches to end the regular season. UMaine capped the season by knocking off second-ranked Northeastern University, 3-1, last Sunday at home. The Huskies are responsible for Towson’s lone conference loss this year and will take on University of New Hampshire in the other America East semifinal on Saturday.

The Black Bears continue to take strides since volleyball returned to UMaine in 1999. The team’s 16 wins is four more than last year’s total and this is still a young team. Nine of 12 players on the roster are underclassmen. Medley has been able to get the most out of her players, who she insists have been working hard all season.

Despite the youth, UMaine’s heart and soul lies in its two seniors, Leah Voss and Adrienne Poplawski. Voss was an All-Conference selection in 2000 and appears destined to repeat the honor. The outside hitter finished the regular season leading the America East in digs (3.31/game) for the second consecutive year, and she is also in the top 10 in the conference in three other statistical categories. She is fifth in kills (4.14/game), seventh in hitting percentage (.276) and ninth in service aces (0.44/game), while reaching double digits in kills in all but one match for the Black Bears this season.

Poplawski has started every match and played in every game since joining the UMaine program as a junior in 2000. The middle blocker leads her team in blocks (0.9/game). Poplawski averages 2.74 kills/game and is sixth in the conference in hitting percentage (.282).

Three-time winner of America East Setter of the Week sophomore setter Cheryl Elliott trails only Towson’s Andrea LaBlanc in the conference in assists per game (11.72). Middle blocker Claire Poliquin, also a sophomore, is perhaps UMaine’s most improved player this season. Poliquin is fifth in the league in hitting percentage (.295) and is second on the Black Bears in both kills (2.87 game) and blocks (0.87).

First-year right-side hitter Carmen Gabriel has proven to be Medley’s most valuable recruit this season. The lefty is second only to Voss on the team in digs (2.63/game) and also averages 0.76 blocks/game and 2.61 kills/game.

Towson is led by a talented mix of youth and experience. Senior setter LaBlanc leads the conference is assists per game (11.90) and also averages 2.77 digs/game, good enough for 10th in the league. Fellow senior Melanie Madden leads the Tigers in kills (3.47/game) and is third in the conference with a hitting percentage of .356. Junior and three-year starter Jordann Tomasek provides added depth at outside hitter with her solid offensive (3.21 kills/game) and defensive (2.83 digs/game) play.