ANNIVLLE, Pa. – On Saturday night, Nov. 15, Lebanon Valley accomplished something that every team in the nation sets out to achieve: completing a championship season.  After sweeping Neumann in semifinal action earlier in the day, the top-seeded Flying Dutchmen defeated Marymount (Va.) 3-1 to capture the 2014 ECAC Division III Southeast women's volleyball championship.  LVC defeated the Saints by set scores of 25-23, 25-19, 22-25, and 25-19 in front of the team's hometown faithful at Sorrentino Gymnasium.  For her efforts, senior captain Kacey Musselman was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.

"We just got stronger as the day went on," said LVC head coach Wayne Perry post-match.  "We fed off our energy and early success and played some of our best volleyball of the year."

It was Marymount (Va.) that jumped out to an early lead in the first set at 4-1.  The Dutchmen earned their first lead of the match at 9-8 when junior Emily Sides hammered home a kill off Greta Weidemoyer's lone assist of the contest.  From there, the Saints pulled even just twice more at 13-13 at 14-14 before LVC used an 8-2 run capped by a Kayla Confer kill off a Musselman feed to create some breathing room.  The visitors cut the deficit to 22-21 but unforced errors cost them down the stretch.

The Saints again jumped out to an early advantage in set number two.  And just like the previous game, the Dutchmen used a timely run to jump out in front.  Another Confer kill off an assist from Musselman put the home team up 7-5 and a Musselman spike off an offering from Rachel Moltz put LVC ahead 10-6.  Marymount (Va.) drew as close as 15-13 but the Dutchmen were just too much down the stretch. 
They finished the game on a 10-6 run that included four Weidemoyer kills, two Mussleman kills, and a Taylor Troutman point.

Lebanon Valley were the frontrunners until late in the third set when Marymount (Va.) dug themselves out of a four-point hole and claimed their first lead of the game at 19-18.  Junior Alli Quirk, Sides, Weidemoyer helped keep the Dutchmen in it late thanks to a kill apiece but the team's bid for a championship sweep fell just short.    

By the midway point of the fourth set, it was evident that this was Lebanon Valley's night.  A Confer kill and a Musselman service ace put LVC up 17-10.  Even a 5-0 Marymount (Va.) run wasn't enough to swing the momentum as the Dutchmen countered with a 5-0 span of their own during Allie Garrett's service run late in the game.  Sides found Weidemoyer for a kill that put the home team up 24-19.  Weidemoyer put an exclamation point on the ECAC title victory with an emphatic spike off a perfectly placed set from the tourney's MOP.

To be able to come out and end the season with a win and a championship, you couldn't ask for anything else," said Musselman following her final collegiate match.

When presented with an opportunity to brag about her stellar ECAC tournament effort, Musselman had none of it.  Instead, she praised her teammates.

"That was awesome, too, but it was my team that got me there," she said.  "It was just the cherry on top of everything."

Musselman racked up a match-high 45 assists, 12 digs, five kills, two aces, and a solo block in the championship match to go along with her 34 assists, eight digs, four kills, service ace, and assisted block in a win over the Knights earlier on Saturday.

Confer had a big game offensively against Marymount (Va.), racking up a match-best 14 kills while Weidemoyer was right there with 11 of her own to go along with her three aces and three assisted blocks.  Sides did a little bit of everything, finishing with nine kills, seven digs, and two assists.  Quirk added eight kills, a solo block, and three assisted stops while Garrett led the way defensively with a match-high 26 digs.  Sophomores Rachel Moltz and Allison Cable were stout as well, digging out 14 and 12 Saint attempts, respectively.  Moltz also added three service aces.  Troutman pitched in with seven kills and four digs.

The championship victory finished off the Dutchmen's memorable 2014 campaign on a tremendous high note.  Lebanon Valley finished the season 28-7 overall.  With trophy in hand and banner to be raised at a future date, the goal that every team in the country discusses attaining on day one of preseason practice has been fulfilled by the Blue and White.

The 2014 Lebanon Valley College Flying Dutchmen: champions.