LIU Brooklyn Record Volleyball Streak on the Line This Weekend

This Sunday at 1 p.m. the LIU Brooklyn women’s volleyball team (21-6; 12-0 NEC) closes out its regular season against second-place Robert Morris (13-15; 11-1 NEC) at the Steinberg Wellness Center. A win clinches a fourth-straight Northeast Conference (NEC) regular season title for the Blackbirds, while a Colonial victory would not only snap LIU’s remarkable run and give the two teams identical conference records, Robert Morris might seize 2014 NEC Volleyball Tournament hosting rights from its arch rival.

As surprising as it might be that after 44-straight regular season conference wins—the most dominant stretch in Northeast Conference history—LIU has yet to clinch the NEC title, it’s no surprise that the team with the best chance to end the Blackbird’s winning streak is Robert Morris.

For the past three years the Colonials have been the conference’s second-best team, compiling a respectable 32-10 record, albeit one that is overshadowed by LIU’s two consecutive undefeated NEC seasons, back-to-back Northeast Conference championships, and a spotless conference record so far in 2014.

A number of factors point to an LIU win Sunday.

The Blackbirds have already beaten the Colonials on their home court in Moon Valley, PA. Sunday will also be Senior Day for LIU and emotions will be sky high.

Two of the greatest players in program history—Annika Foit, poised to win NEC Player of the Year for a third season in a row, and Vera Djuric, the first player in conference history to be named Northeast Conference Setter of the Year three-straight years and likely to capture that honor for a fourth consecutive season—will graduate in the spring, as will seniors Artisha Jackson and Mia Radisic.

RMU has one significant edge in its favor; on Saturday the Colonials face St. Francis Brooklyn in Brooklyn Heights. Under new head coach Abra Rummel the Terriers have played better this season than in years past but that improvement has not produced more wins. In compiling on overall record of 2-26, SFC is winless in the conference (0-12) and has lost 22 consecutive matches.

Robert Morris will likely be able to rest its starters against St. Francis Brooklyn while LIU plays a competitive home match Saturday against St. Francis, PA (11-15; 7-5 NEC), the conference’s third best team.

Robert Morris head coach Dale Starr is well aware of what’s at stake this weekend in Brooklyn.

“We feel fortunate to be in a position to play a meaningful match on the last day of the regular season,” said Starr, now in his fifth season coaching the Colonials. “We are looking forward to the match. [The Blackbirds] are well coached and a championship level team who deserve to be in the position they are in.”

Kyle Robinson, LIU’s head coach, in line for a fourth-straight NEC Coach of the Year title, was matter of fact about Sunday’s match.

“We’re always happy to have an opportunity to compete and work towards being our best.”

The last time LIU lost a conference match was 2011 in the finals of the NEC Women’s Volleyball Championship. Sacred Heart came to Brooklyn and beat the Blackbirds on their home court, capturing the NEC title.

2011 was also the last time that two Northeast Conference volleyball teams—LIU and Sacred Heart—finished the regular season tied for first place and the conference’s tiebreaker procedure was invoked to determine the host team for the NEC playoffs.

Even if Robert Morris does find a way to end LIU’s winning streak on Sunday, it’s likely—though not certain—that the Blackbirds will still host their conference tournament. Rather than allow a tiebreaker to determined their fate, the Blackbirds would prefer to take matters into their own hands with a win over the Colonials.

PHOTO CAPTION: LIU Brooklyn’s Tamara Ignjic in action
PHOTO CREDIT: Bob Dea