Towson Captures CAA Title With Sweep of James Madison
CHAMP CENTRAL | PHOTO GALLERY
HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. (Nov. 24, 2019) – Top-seeded Towson swept James Madison, 3-0, in the 2019 Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Volleyball Championship match to claim the 2019 CAA title at the David S. Mack Physical Education Center in Hempstead, N.Y.
The Tigers captured their first CAA title since 2004 and improved their record to 28-2 on the season. The winners of 22 straight, Towson is the first team since George Mason in 1996 to go undefeated in CAA play regular season and win the CAA Championship in the same season. The Tigers finished a record 16-0 against CAA competition during the regular season.
Towson is the CAA’s automatic qualifier for the 2019 NCAA Volleyball Tournament. The Tigers will find out their opponent during the NCAA selection show on Sunday, Dec. 2 at 8:30 p.m. ET. The selection show will be aired live on ESPNU.
The tournament’s most outstanding player, senior Marrisa Wonders, put in a solid double-double performance with 35 assists and 13 digs. She also tallied two kills on two attempts in the match. The Tiger offense was powered by the tandem of Olivia Finckel and Emily Jarome. Finckel closed the match with 14 kills on a .357 hitting percentage, while Jarome tallied 12 kills on a .300 hitting percentage.
Towson jumped out to an early lead in the first set, but James Madison was able to pull back, never letting the Tigers’ lead get beyond six points the entire set. The Dukes were eventually able to tie things up at 21, but kills by Jarome and Lydia Wiers allowed the Tigers to pull away and win the set, 25-23.
Towson set the tone early in the second set, opening on a 4-1 run. A 6-2 run midway through the set pushed the Tiger lead to 15-10, and Towson closed the set with six straight points to win the set 25-17.
It was more of the same from the Tigers in the third set. The teams traded points and midway through the set were tied at 12-12. From that point, Towson found its groove and and went on an 8-2 run to take 20-14 lead. The Tigers never looked back and won the set and match, 25-18.
James Madison’s Briley Brind’Amour and M’Kaela White each tallied 11 kills in the match. Brind’Amour added 10 digs to account for a double-double. Freshman Sophia Davis had a match-high eight blocks.
2019 CAA Volleyball All-Tournament Team
Marrisa Wonders, Towson*
Emily Jarome, Towson
Olivia Finckel, Towson
Briley Brind’Amour, James Madison
M’Kaela White, James Madison
Maria Bellinger, Delaware
Leah Daniel, Elon