Oakdale, NY – Justyna Michon (Katowice, Poland) was named tournament MVP after hitting .431 with a game high 24 kills to help the Golden Lions top the #3 seeded New Haven Chargers in a four game battle for the East Coast Tournament Post Season Title on November 10 (30-23, 25-30, 30-24, 30-23). The victory not only clinches the fourth straight conference title for the Golden Lions, but also pushes the winning streak to the 34.

Dowling sits 36-7 on the season while the New Haven chargers drop to 23-6.

The intensity was high from the beginning as the teams battle back and forth for a definitive lead in game one. The Golden Lions grabbed a 19-15 edge with a kill from Easton Primeau (New Albany, OH) and an ace from Justyna Michon (Katowice, Poland) to force a New Haven timeout. Dowling continued to push for the win, but the Chargers would not give up so quickly. New Haven held the Golden Lions at game point for three plays as Charisse Cotton and Rhe-Ann Niles connected for kills, but it wasn’t enough as Primeau sealed the game with a tally of her own.

Game two started in the same fashion as the teams went point for point. Michon nailed three consecutive kills to give Dowling a 23-21 edge, but a tally from Anicia Wood and a Golden Lions attack error would knot the game at 23. Wood grabbed the Chargers’ final lead of the game with her fourth kill of the night and New Haven went on to tie the match at 1-1 with a 30-27 win.

Niles knotted game three up for the eleventh time (17-17) with a kill, but Dowling hammered three consecutive tallies to pull away from the Chargers’ grasp. The Golden Lions continued to hold a three point cushion, forcing a New Haven timeout with the score at 27-23 in Dowling’s favor. The Chargers claimed one more point on a DC serving error, but kills from Primeau, Marina Markovic (Pljevlja, Montenegro) and Patrycja Klekota (Siedlce, Poland) would hand Dowling the 2-1 match edge.

The Chargers fought to stay alive in game four, capitalizing on Golden Lions’ attacking errors and a Wood’s kill for 11-8 lead. Rachel Zulick (Albuquerque, NM) checked into the game and seemed to be the spark Dowling needed as she handed off two assists and fired off back to back aces to tie the game at 13. The teams would knot the score four more times before Dowling ran away with a 13-6 rally for the match.

Markovic was named to the All-Tournament team after connecting for 15 kills and adding 9 digs. Klekotka rounded out the Golden Lions’ double digit attacks with 11 on the night. Also named to the All-Tournament team, junior libero Jessica Gall (Meadow Vista, CA) scooped up a game high 24 digs while Klekota pitched in with 18. Rookie setter Erin Przybylowicz (Ridley Park, PA) handed off 53 assists to the DC front line while adding 12 digs as JoVonna Rodriguez (Middletown, NY) added 12 digs as well.

The Chargers’ offense was led by Wood who hit .444 with 14 kills and C. Cotton who finished with 11 tallies. Setter Yael Rosner dished off 28 assists and led New Haven with 17 digs on the night. Both Rosner and Wood were named to the All-Tournament Team.

2007 ECC All-Tournament Team
Justyna Michon – Dowling (MVP)
Jessica Gall – Dowling
Marina Markovic - Dowling
Yael Rosner – New Haven
Anicia Wood – New Haven
Sarah Coufal – CW Post
Amy Williams - Adelphi