I’m sorry girls. I didn’t think you could do it.

No, not win the conference championship: I’m talking about make the playoffs.

You lost your three best players from a team that finished with a .500 record and looked completely flustered during the postseason. You lost your first round matchup by the scores of 30-17, 30-16, 30-13, and were out hit .422 to .062.

Sure, you earned your first-ever playoff berth in 2004. But you lost 21 out of 22 games against the top teams in the America East, while sliding into fourth place. Big deal. You were just a mediocre team in a weak conference.

So what does your coach do in response? He recruits a girl from a Division III program and adds three walk-ons to an already inexperienced squad. You were picked to finish sixth in a seven-team league because Hartford counted in the poll. And wait, did I mention you waved goodbye to your three best players?

And with that being said, somehow you began conference play with a 6-0 record, including upsets over the defending champs and runners up. But I still wasn’t convinced. They both got revenge at their gyms and you definitely needed home court during the playoffs.

There was no way you could go on the road and win the two most important games of the year. Albany and Maine were too good. You were too inexperienced.

Well, now you’ll get a lot of experience: at the NCAA Tournament.

Stony Brook stunned Albany, and you took advantage, winning both playoff matches easily. In the process, you proved everyone who thought they knew anything about America East volleyball wrong, including six coaches and an editor.

Looking back, you weren’t supposed to win the conference championship. Just like you weren’t supposed to upset the two top teams. Just like you weren’t supposed to make the playoffs.

But I realize now, you never had trouble defying the odds. You guys weren’t underdogs. Just unnoticed.