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HYDE PARK, N.Y.—Winning its first title since 1998, Sarah Lawrence College women's volleyball captured the 2012 Hudson Valley Women's Athletic Conference (HVWAC) Volleyball Championship on Sunday. The Gryphons defeated College of New Rochelle, 3-1, to advance to the final match, and the Green and White beat out host Culinary Institute of America, 3-0, to become tournament champions.

In addition, sophomore Kitty O'Sullivan (Los Angeles, Calif., Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy) was named Tournament MVP, while Sarah Lawrence Head Coach Krishna Dass was honored as HVWAC Coach of the Year.

The championship is Sarah Lawrence's (19-13) first women's volleyball title in 14 years and comes with a victory over 2011 winner Culinary (10-6). The Gryphons' semifinal opponent, College of New Rochelle (10-14) was tournament champion in 2009 and  '10.

Sunday began with No. 2 seed Sarah Lawrence facing No. 3 College of New Rochelle in the semifinals. In the opening set, CNR went on a 6-1 run to turn a 15-15 deadlock into a 21-16 lead for the Blue Angels. CNR won the opening set, 25-20.

Sarah Lawrence broke open an insurmountable 10-point edge in the second set, leading 17-7 before clinching a 25-15 win to tie the match at one set each. The Gryphons pulled away late in the third set for a 19-13 edge before sealing a 25-18 set. In the fourth, Sarah Lawrence opened up a big lead at 16-9 and held on for a 25-17 victory to clinch a spot in the championship match.

The semifinal saw four players notch double-double performances. O'Sullivan picked up 11 digs to go with 17 kills, a team high for the season. Rookie Zoë Spanbroek (Boca Raton, Fla., Saint Andrew's) tallied 16 digs and 10 kills, while classmate Jomana Abdallah (Anaheim, Calif., Fairmont Prep Academy) added 10 kills.

For the Blue Angels, Meghan King (New City, N.Y., Clarkstown North) tallied 11 kills and 12 digs, while Cydney House (Dublin, Calif., California) pitched in 10 kills and 13 digs.

In the championship match, Sarah Lawrence faced No. 4 Culinary, who came into the match after knocking off top-seeded Saint Joseph's College Brooklyn, 3-1, in the other semifinal.

The Steels opened up a 12-7 lead in the opening set and maintained their advantage through 18-13, but an 8-0 run by the Gryphons dissolved the lead and put Sarah Lawrence in position to win a 25-21 set.

The teams played point-for-point with neither able gain momentum before the set was tied at 14-14. A four-point run by Sarah Lawrence was challenged by three unanswered from Culinary but the Gryphons went on to win six of the next seven points and lock up a 25-19 set.

In the third set, a 7-1 early run gave Sarah Lawrence a 10-4 edge. Though the Steels continued to challenge, the Gryphon lead held until the Green and White had a 24-19 advantage and were on the verge of clinching the title. Culinary remained focused in the face of desperation and rattled off five-straight points to tie the set at 24-24. Sarah Lawrence broke the momentum and finally sealed the deal with back-to-back points for a 26-24 win to complete the 3-0 sweep.

In the second match, O'Sullivan's offense remained dominant as she posted 16 kills in the match, a total rivaled only by her own semifinal performance. Spanbroek notched her second double-double of the evening as she recorded 12 kills and 13 digs.

For the Steels, Cheyenne Langis posted a team-high 16 digs (Concord, N.H./Concord), Corinne Williams (Leonardtown, Md., Leonardtown) led her squad with eight kills, and Kristin McGinn (Hackettstown, N.J/Pope John XXIII) had 18 assists.

Senior setter Brooklynn Moore (Oakland, Calif., Santa Catalina) totaled 33 assists in the final match, bringing her total to 68 on the day. Libero Molly Busk (Corbett, Ore., Corbett) had 20 digs in the final and 19 in the semifinal for two of the team's highest three totals on the season.

Sarah Lawrence won previous HVWAC Tournaments in 1997-98 and 1998-99.

Sarah Lawrence's incredible season comes off a 2-19 campaign in 2011. This season's team concludes with a 11-2 mark on its home court and a 5-5 record on the road.

All-conference teams will be announced by the league office laster this week.