St. Rose continues its rise
Volleyball team is set to make second straight NCAA appearance

By BRYAN CHU, Staff writer

ALBANY -- A simple handshake and few words in passing remain fresh on the mind of Saint Rose women's volleyball coach Brian Goodale.
After losing to Bentley in the Northeast-10 championship game this past weekend, Goodale remembers Bentley coach Sandy Hoffman approaching him and saying her team was in the same position last season that the Golden Knights are in this year.

Both teams won regular-season championships, swept all the regular season accolades and were riding high until the conference championship game. Bentley then fell in the NCAA Northeast Regional championship game.

Goodale, whose team was knocked out in the NCAA Northeast semifinals last season, hopes his team will spin a different story line when fifth-seed Saint Rose takes on fourth-seed New York Institute of Technology at noon Thursday in West Haven, Conn., in the opening round of the NCAA Division II Tournament.

The game will be a challenge: NYIT beat the Golden Knights twice this season.

"It's enormous for us to get this far," said Goodale, who earned his second NE-10 Coach of the Year award in three seasons. "We didn't play well against NYIT in either match, but we know we match up well with them. We're a different team now."

Saint Rose women's volleyball has been a different program since Goodale took the helm. Eight seasons ago, Saint Rose was 2-22. Fast forward to this year and the Golden Knights (25-5, 14-0) boast four consecutive 20-win seasons and back-to-back NCAA appearances.

"This run is amazing," Goodale said. "Of the nine primary players, we have four freshmen (and) one sophomore, so we're young and we hope we'll keep this run for awhile."

Added senior setter Shannon Campbell: "The people coming in and the way we've been playing have changed since I've been a freshman. People are a lot more goal-oriented and they want to win so much more."

Much of the success can be attributed to the stellar seasons of two individuals: Campbell and junior outside hitter Stephanie Brink, who garnered the school's first NE-10 individual accolades -- Brink was named NE-10 Player of the Year, Campbell NE-10 Setter of the Year.

Brink led the conference in kills with 431, an average 4.35 per game.

"Just to be recognized that we're here to stay at the top is big. We want to tell teams to watch out," the 6-foot-3 Brink said.

Campbell had a league-leading 1,297 assists, lifting her career total to more than 4,000.

"We started our streak when she first arrived," Goodale said. "Her ability to lead a team and be consistent as a setter allows our hitters to step up a level in their game."

Though Goodale does not want to get ahead of himself, he knows Saint Rose has a chance to avenge its NCAA regional semifinal loss to top-seed Dowling if it gets past NYIT.

"That's a team we know we can match up well," Goodale said. "This year we're focused. The bright lights (of getting into the NCAA Tournament) won't distract us this year."

Chu can be reached at 454-5451 or by e-mail at bchu@timesunion.com.