This fall marks a pair of special milestone anniversaries for Siena Volleyball, as the program celebrates the 25-year anniversary of its first MAAC Championship team of 1995, and the 15-year anniversary of the 2005 title-winning squad. Today, we reflect upon the season of the Saints' first of four straight NCAA Tournament First Round appearances in the mid-2000's.
The 2005 Siena Saints were a team made up of talent, wielding multiple Hall of Fame members in Christie Gustafson, Nadiege Honore, and April London. However, the Saints hadn't mustered a winning season since their last MAAC Championship in 1996, and were coming off a 9-17 season in 2004. But as MAAC play started, things started to click and the Saints took home their first of four straight MAAC Tournament Championships. London, a freshman, would take home MAAC Rookie of the Year and Co-Setter of the Year, also earning All-Tournament Team and eight weekly Rookie of the Week honors along the way. Honore, a sophomore, would earn First Team All-MAAC honors to headline the long list of other award winners on the season.
The Green and Gold won their first of four consecutive MAAC Tournament titles with consecutive close 3-2 wins over Iona and Fairfield. Unlike many previous NCAA Tournament berths, the Saints did not have to participate in a play-in match, earning a matchup with the number three overall seed, Washington. Despite the long nine-year layoff inbetween NCAA appearances, the Saints were poised to begin another chapter in their history.
As many of the previous seasons had started, the Saints were coming with mediocre results, but against a tough schedule. September 28 brought a matchup with the Syracuse Orange on the road, resulting in a tough-fought 3-2 victory behind 19 kills from Gustafson. Dating back to 1979, the Orange had defeated the Saints in their previous 15 meetings, making it the first victory for the Green and Gold over Syracuse.
However, matchups with St. John's, Fordham, and Florida Atlantic early in the season fell short in loss, and upon their October 4 matchup with crosstown rival UAlbany that ended in a loss 3-0, the Saints sat 10-8 overall heading into MAAC play. The expectation was no surprise to many, as the Saints were picked to finish ninth in the Preseason MAAC Coaches Poll that season. What was surprising, would be what happened next.
Siena began MAAC play with a win over Marist before dropping three straight matches to Seton Hall in a non-conference battle, Fairfield, and Iona. The Iona loss would come on October 16, and it would be the last they would see for a while.
The Saints caught fire, winning nine straight matches to burn through the rest of the regular season and MAAC Tournament with a 21-11 overall record, and a 7-2 mark in the MAAC earning them the #2 seed for the tournament. To earn their trip to the tournament, the Saints topped both Iona and Fairfield 3-2. Ironically, it would be both of those teams that gave the Saints their only two losses during the regular season.
To go along with London's list of honors and Honore's First Team accolades, Gustafson would claim MAAC Tournament MVP and collect Second Team All-MAAC and MAAC All-Academic Team honors. Senior Liz Hubbard would earn a spot on the All-Tournament Team and All-Academic Team, with Elizabeth Akin and Jessica Hackett joining her on the All-Academic Team.
It would be unfamiliar territory for the Saints in regard to their NCAA Tournament opponent, the Washington Huskies. Ranked third in the country at the time, the Saints had not previously faced Washington in any sport across the Siena athletic department. The only previous matchup between the Saints and a team from the state of Washington came in 1954-55 when the men's basketball team competed against Gonzaga.
Siena would see their season come to an end that day on November 25, as the Huskies topped the Green and Gold 3-0. It wouldn't be without a battle, as the Saints fell 30-21, 30-17, and 30-18 in those sets. The future remained bright, as Siena would lose only Hubbard and Christa Glenn to graduation, and seven freshman of 14 total players made up the roster that season. With Gustafson being the only upperclassman to become a senior the following year, the Saints set themselves up for a great four-year run that has helped the Saints to nine total MAAC Championships, which ranks second among all schools in the MAAC.
