They may say the best things come in threes, but that’s not good enough for UMBC volleyball. Over the weekend, the number one-seeded Retrievers captured their fourth-straight America East championship. After outright winning the season title, they went on to topple Bryant University in the America East semifinals, and they sealed their victory with a sweep of third-seeded Binghamton University on Saturday.
“Winning four straight championships in college sports is really tough, regardless of sport or league,” said head coach Kasey Crider. “More than anything, this past weekend was the standard for what America East volleyball can and should be, in performance and environment.”
𝐂𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐩-𝟓𝟎!@umbcvolleyball ranks in at #48 in the latest @NCAAVolleyball RPI! pic.twitter.com/sPNsAPiobv
— America East (@AmericaEast) November 21, 2023
Volleyball honors
In only his second year with UMBC, Crider and his team continue to carry on what’s become a tradition of success with the Retrievers. He and his coaching staff received Co-Coaching Staff of the Year accolades, sharing the honor with Bryant University.
Mia Bilusic ’25, biochemistry, and Kamani Conteh ’23, media and communication studies, repeated as All-Conference First Team selections.
“Our 3-0 sweeps over Bryant and Binghamton were not an accident, but an entire season of preparing for this weekend,” says Bilusic of the team’s success.
First-year student Hannah Howard, financial economics, was named Libero of the Year and several returning Retrievers collected honors. Mila Ilieva ‘25, biochemistry, was named the Championship’s Most Outstanding Player for the second consecutive season.
“This team is really like no other. I would say we play hard not only because we love the sport, but also because we want to play for each other,” says Conteh.
On November 26, UMBC will learn where and who they’ll play in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Follow UMBC Athletics on social media for updates and information about a watch party.
Tags: Athletics
