KW
Kathleen Whitmire
  • media arts and design
  • Class of 2017
  • Alexandria, VA

Kate Whitmire of Alexandria wins CAA Championship with James Madison Volleyball

2016 Nov 28

After closing the regular season with an eight-match win streak to earn the No.1 seed and the program's first back-to-back regular-season championships since 1998 and 1999, Kate Whitmire of Alexandria earned the CAA Championship as part of James Madison volleyball as the Dukes topped No. 6 Delaware for the tournament title.

James Madison earned its first berth into the CAA Championship finals since 2002 when the Dukes swept No. 5 Towson in the semifinals to open the 2016 tournament. With a come-from-behind victory in the second stanza to set the stage for history, James Madison volleyball earned its first Colonial Athletic Association Championship title since 2000 as the Dukes swept No.6 Delaware (25-18, 26-24, 25-20).

James Madison earned its fourth tournament title in program history and the first since the Dukes swept George Mason in Harrisonburg on Nov. 19, 2000 to win the conference championship. The victory was the 10th consecutive triumph by the Dukes and improved their overall record to 21-10.

The Dukes earned a spot in the Chapel Hill region for the First and Second Rounds of the NCAA Tournament. James Madison will open the tournament on Friday, Dec. 2 at 4:30 p.m. squaring off against the Sun Belt Champion Coastal Carolina. The winner will face either No. 7 North Carolina or High Point on Saturday, Dec. 3 at 6 p.m. during second round compeition. All matches will be played inside Carmichael Arena.

The winning team from each of the 16 second rounds advances to the regional round of competition. Regional play is scheduled for Dec. 9 and 10 while the 2016 National Championship semifinals and finals will be held in Columbus, Ohio on Dec. 15 and 17, respectively.