BALTIMORE – Former Duke volleyball player Tealle Hunkus and National Volleyball League partner Heather Lowe claimed the inaugural NVL Championship with a 21-17, 24-22 victory over the No. 1-seeded duo of Annett Davis and Lisa Rutledge.
Hunkus and Lowe took down the previously undefeated duo of Davis and Rutledge in the NVL final on the Pimlico Infield during the 136th Preakness Stakes last Saturday. The championship marked the start of the inaugural season of the National Volleyball League, which draws players – including Hunkus and Lowe – from the formerly renowned AVP Tour.
Hunkus and Lowe dropped their opening match to the second-seeded duo of Jenny Kropp and Whitney Pavlik, but then rattled off three straight wins to climb from the consolation bracket back into the semifinal where they squared off against Kropp and Pavlik once again. The second time around, Hunkus and Lowe needed just 48 minutes to take down the second-seeded team 21-17, 21-19 and advance to the finals.
To view the recap from the NVL's website, click the link below:
http://www.thenvl.com/news/headlines/hunkus-and-lowe-upset-number-one-seed-davis-and-rutledge-in-preakness-womens-final
A photo montage is available, courtesy of the NVL, at the following link:
http://thenvl.com/videos/baltimore-winners
A four-year letterwinner, All-East Region and AVCA All-America Honorable Mention selection during her career at Duke, Hunkus has played professional beach volleyball since 2007 and has also competed with the USAV U-26 Beach National Team.
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