Here’s part 2 of our NCAA preview series, with a look at the full series:
Part 1 – (Sun Belt, Northeast, Southwestern Athletic, Summit)
Part 2 – (Atlantic Sun, America East, Mid-Eastern Athletic, Metro Atlantic Athletic)
Part 3 – (Big South, Big Sky, Horizon, Ohio Valley)
Part 4 – (Missouri Valley, Atlantic 10, Colonial Athletic, Conference USA)
Part 5 – (Ivy League, Southland, Southern, Mountain West)
Part 6 – (Western Athletic, American Athletic, Mid-American, Patriot)
Part 7 – (West Coast, Big East, Big West, Big 12)
Part 8 – (Atlantic Coast, Southeastern, Big Ten, Pac-12)
Lets do’t to’t.
The A-Sun are waning a bit in membership, losing two members from 2013 to the Southern Conference and replacing them with….uh, nobody. Given that their geographic reach is from southern Florida to northern Kentucky (with a capital N in this case), they may not be entirely stable just yet. For 2014, the conference has eight members, and we begin with the defending champs.
The Jacksonville Dolphins surprised pretty much everyone by running away with the conference last year (and by going 30-4 overall). The run ended unceremoniously in the NCAA tournament, as they dropped three straight sets to the Florida Gators, but it was still a memorable one for the tea and their fans. They’re picked second in the preseason conference coaches’ poll. All-conference outside hitter Sammie Strausbaugh is a little lady (I’d still look up at her, but 5-8 is pretty small for OH….same height as DS/serving specialist Mayara Prestes, the only senior on the roster) who packs one heck of a wallop, posting three and a half kills per set last year on a sky-high attack percentage for an outside (nearly .300). Both second-team all-conference picks the Dolphins had last year are now gone to graduation, leaving holes to be filled at the setter and middle blocker positions. They will probably be helmed by juco transfers Jizzian Gesualdo and Ana Gabriella Nieto-Gomez, respectively. Libero Rachel Miller, who made the A-Sun all-freshman selection last year, returns for her sophomore campaign in 2014.
The Dolphins open their 2014 season against Georgia Tech.
We skip down to the third-placed team from last year, as second-placed East Tennessee State have departed. It’s the Lipscomb Bisons (and I’m telling you, that’s not the proper plural for ‘bison’ dangit~!), who are picked first in the coaches’ poll (six first-place votes). It’s easy to see why. They’ve got the most impressive group of returners of anyone in the conference, including reigning A-Sun Player of the Year Jewell Dobson, who will play her senior season in 2014. She’s listed as a middle but is more like an OH statistically, getting four and a half kills on a very impressive .378 attack efficiency with a middling output in blocking (.78 per set). It’s not a positional switch — she was listed at middle last year, too — so I guess it’s just some unique offence that Lipscomb run.
Dobson is joined by fellow returners Lauren Ford (OH) and Bri McCombs (L), who were both first-team all-conference picks as well. That’s half your starting six (+1) who were among the conference’s best last year. No telling how good they’ll be this year. Middle blocker Molly Spitznagle and outside hitter Sophie Kellerman also return having been regular starters last year. The only even somewhat weak point is probably setter; the Bisons’ 2013 setter (another first-team all-conference pick) is gone to graduation. The job probably falls to sophomore Kayla Ostrom, who was mainly used as a serving specialist last year.
Lipscomb have a lot of pieces in the right places, that’s for sure. They’ll open 2014 against the Creighton Bluejays.
Next team to visit is the Stetson Hatters, who staged a dramatic turnaround last year having gone from dead last in 2012 to making the conference tournament as the 4th seeds. They’re picked equal sixth in this year’s coaches’ poll. Their lone returning all-conference selection is outside hitter Tiffany Creamer, who made the all-freshman squad as a unanimous pick. She was the secondary offensive option last year and will need to step up her role this year, but appears well-poised to do so having taken nearly 900 swings as a freshman. Regular libero Michelle Kastner returns as a junior this year and will look to improve upon some middling (but nonetheless team-leading) digging figures from a year ago. Most other statistical standouts are gone — the regular setter, the blocks leader, the attack percentage leader, even the aces leader. So some blanks are there to fill in.
The Hatters begin their season against McNeese State.
Up next are the Florida-Gulf Coast Eagles. They’re picked third in the coaches’ poll, and return second-team all-conference middle blocker Olivia Mesner as a senior this season. Kills leader Jessica Barnes, a prolific if inefficient scorer, is back as a senior this year too. Same for regular setter Gigi Meyer. Libero Whitney Masters, who posted some impressive single-match digging performances last year (including a 38-dig performance in a 4-set match) is also a senior in 2014. So it’s easy to see this as some kind of peak for the Eagles. In a conference with a bit of a history of upsets and surprises, keep your eyes on this team that finished middle-of-the-pack last year and are picked third by the coaches this year.
They start their campaign against Florida A&M.
The next team is the Kennesaw State Owls. They’re picked equal sixth in the coaches’ poll. Their big returner is outside hitter Kelly Marcinek, the reigning (and unanimously chosen) A-Sun Player of the Year. She’ll look to improve upon her three and a half kills per set last year, but perhaps even more so on her lukewarm .215 attack efficiency. Other high-playing time returners include junior opposite Toure Hopkins, junior middle blocker Cierra Royster, and senior Chadé Martin, none of them statistical standouts from 2014. It’s hard to imagine any of them lose their jobs, though. One position where the Owls will have turnover is at setter — likely to junior holdover Michelle Witt. The roster construction in re: the back row is kind of interesting, as the Owls have Katarina Morton listed at libero and Alex Huber listed at DS. Both are rank freshmen; does the big ‘L’ mean it’s Morton who suits up off-colour? We’ll see.
Kennesaw State’s season begins against erstwhile A-Sun members Belmont.
Next we have the Northern Kentucky Norse. They’re picked fourth in the coaches’ poll, on the strength of some all-conference returners. Middle blocker (or ‘middle hitter’ as the website lists her….is there any substantive difference?) Jenna Ruble is back as a senior this year after having been second-team all-conference last year. The Norse also return two all-freshman selections, fellow middle ‘hitter’ Keely Creamer (no relation to Stetson’s Tiffany Creamer) setter Taylor Snyder. Outside hitter Jayden Julian, a junior this year, returns as well to form a solid experienced core for the Norse. This is another team I could see exceeding their coaches’ poll vote — but of course, not everyone can.
The Norse open 2014 against Radford.
The next team is the North Florida Ospreys (another nonstandard plural if you ask me — though the dictionary likes ‘Ospreys’ better than ‘Bisons’). They’re picked fifth in the coaches’ poll. The Ospreys had one all-conference honouree last year, all-freshman middle blocker Morgan Van Alstine. Fellow holdover Cameron McGuire, a senior this year, was actually a better blocker last year, topping a block per set (one of few players I’ve found so far who has). Pin hitting is an area to fill in, as the team’s top two performers there are now gone. Senior Saelina Dunn, a role player last year, will need to step her game up this season. Senior libero Cari Whitmire is one of the more prolific diggers in the conference to have been held over from last year, topping 4 per set last year.
They’re another team that look like they have potential. Their season begins against Duke.
Last team to visit is the South Carolina-Upstate Spartans. They’re picked last in the coaches’ poll, having been last among the teams in last year’s formation of the conference to come back this year. Perhaps unsurprisingly, they had no one on any all-conference selection last year. Returners for the team include junior outside hitter Kayla Eversgerd, the team’s most prolific scorer (and a fine two-way player to boot). Middle blocker Emily Koelling will be a sophomore this year, though to say the Spartans were a poor blocking team last year would be something of an understatement — as a team, they didn’t even average a full block per set. There will be a changing of the guard at setter, with junior holdover Lexi Gober probably getting the job.
Upstate begin their season against Clemson.
SWAG NCAA tournament representatives – Lipscomb. As mentioned, this conference has a bit of a history (especially lately) of surprises, but it’d be a pretty big one if the coaches don’t have it nailed this time around.
This’ll be a quickie, as with the departure of the Providence Friars to the Big East Conference, the A-East will have just seven volleyball-playing members in 2014 (the conference has nine full members, but two — Maine and Vermont — do not sponsor volleyball). That’s only one more than the bare minimum.
The conference champs last year were the New Hampshire Wildcats, who earned the right to be served up to the women of Troy in the NCAA tournament. They return some nice players for 2014, including first-team all-conference outside hitter Tori Forrest (also noted to be a team co-captain). She’ll have to step up and be the #1 offensive option after having been #2 last year, but she should be well able to do so, having not been much of a statistical step down. Forrest will be a junior this season. Second-team all-conference setter Taylor Dunklau returns for her senior season this year. All-freshman middle blocker Demi Muses put up some good numbers for a rookie last year — certainly something upon which to build. The America East doesn’t recognise a singular ‘Coach of the Year,’ but rather, extend the award to the full staff, and New Hampshire’s head coach Jill Hirschinger, associate head coach, Stacy Barnett, and assistant coaches Kathleen Colpoys and Jessie Schnepp took the award home.
This is a good program, and they’ll start off 2014 against Connecticut.
Next up are the UMBC (Maryland-Baltimore County) Retrievers. The foremost returner for UMBC is second-team all-conference outside hitter Hannah Schmidt. They’ll have a big hole on their roster to fill, losing the reigning conference Setter of the Year to graduation. Even her primary understudy last year is also now gone. The job probably goes to Paige Miller, who saw very little playing time last year but as a junior is the only holdover the squad has at the position. They also lose a first-team middle blocker from last year, and will turn to local girl Krystal Mlemchukwu to fill that role. She did a solid job in a supporting role last year, getting a little over 2 kills and just under a full block per set. It’s not hard to see those figures improving in her junior season. The Retrievers also have two freshmen at the middle blocker position as well as one part-time holdover from last year, giving them some options to fill out the ranks.
The Retrievers begin the season against South Dakota State.
The next team is the Stony Brook Seawolves. They lose first-team all-conference outside hitter Kaitlin Costello to graduation, but interestingly her kid sister Emily is now on the team — and she’s also an OH. You wonder how much playing time she’ll get off the bat, as the Seawolves have only junior Melissa Rigo definitely listed at that position as a holdover from last year (there’s also fellow junior Kathy Fletcher, listed at “OH/RMB” which defies explanation as far as I’m concerned). Second-team all-conference middle blocker Stephanie McFadden (exactly a block per set — 126 in 126) returns as a junior this year. Two setters from last year are both back this year — senior Hannah Dolan and junior Nicole Vogel. Not sure if they were a straight 6-2 or what, because Dolan racked up more assists than Vogel, and in more sets, but she certainly wasn’t the one and only setter all season. Sometimes you can’t tell just from a stat sheet. If I had all day, I’d delve into season records, but I’m afraid I don’t. Sorry 😛
Stony Brook start 2014 against DePaul.
Next up we have the Albany Great Danes, who disappointed a little in finishing fourth last year. They were the preseason pick to win the conference, and went 9-5 in conference (after going 0-14 out of conference). They had some standouts last season who return this year, including reigning Freshman of the Year Amanda Dolan and defending Libero of the Year (can’t really defend Freshman of the Year) Viktoriia Stroilo, both of whom were also second-team all-conference. Stroilo easily led the conference in digs with just under 5 per set, a standard mark of excellence among Division I liberos (only 35 attained it last year; Stroilo was 38th in the nation in DPS). For her part, Dolan was just under some statistical milestones, too, a tick under 2 kills and a full block per set. Dolan and second middle Tatum Jungsten will have another year together (and a third in 2015 unless one of them quits, as Jungsten is just a junior this year herself). Opposite hitter Amy Hunter, sophomore, is the highest-scoring pin hitter back from last year.
There’s some talent here. And they’ll start the season against Delaware.
Fifth-placed last year were the Binghamton Bearcats. They didn’t have a whole lot of standouts last year, but do count all-freshman returner Allison Hovie among their number. She and big sis Kristin were both regulars at OH last year, with Allison getting somewhat more playing time and more productivity. Middle blocker Megan Burgess will play as a junior this season, and setter Amanda Dettmann is a senior. Both got a lot of experience last year, as Dettmann played every match last year and Burgess missed just one. Four new incoming freshmen give the Bearcats one of the biggest rosters in this minor volleyball conference.
They’ll start off the season out west against UCLA.
Next team is the Hartford Hawks. They also have an all-freshman returner as their only real standout from 2013, in their case outside hitter Corinne Horanzy. Other important returners include senior setter Jackie Tamburri, who came close to 10 assists per last year, and total kills leader Sareeta Nethersole, a senior this year. One area of concern for the Hawks is blocking, as they were at a deficit of a full block per set to their opponents last year. Erstwhile St. John’s Red Storm (just what the heck is the singular of that, anyway?) Maya Louis certainly has the physical gifts to be a force at that position, standing a hefty 6-foot-4. We’ll see if the senior can put that size to good use this season.
Hartford start off 2014 against Boston College.
Last and, well, least, in the A-East last year were the UMass Lowell River Hawks. They played like a Division II team with a Division I schedule last year — and didn’t win a match. Unsurprisingly, a record like that comes with a coaching change, as it’s the first year out of the blocks for Resa Provenzano. You hope they get off the schneid this year, but of course, no one wants to be the first. The team will look to middle blocker Anisa Smith for leadership, as she’s the only returner to play in every set a season ago. Ella Merrill is another name to note, as the team’s leading scorer a season ago (though I’ll refrain from giving any numbers). Returning setter Kamiren Humphrey also played every match last year.
The River Hawks begin the next chapter of their program’s history against Bryant.
SWAG NCAA tournament representatives – I’ll go with Albany.
This will not be a quickie, as the MEAC is a 13-team league.
So, dispensing with the pleasantries, the Hampton Pirates were the league champs last year, earning a trip to Palo Alto for the NCAA tournament. Yeah, that’s not a trip that’s gonna last the weekend. The Pirates turned a minor upset in the MEAC tournament; they were first seeds in the North Division, but the top seeds in the South Division, whom we’ll meet later, were undefeated and the Pirates not. Opposite hitter Vendula Strakova won the MEAC Player of the Year honours as a junior last year. She’ll want to equal that feat again — especially as it will of course help the bigger goal of the team winning the league championship again. She had eight performances of 25 or more kills last year, and two of more than 30 kills. She was far and away the conference leader in kills and did it on a very good .311 attack efficiency. I’m taken to wonder why she plays in a rather lower-order conference, particularly as she also posts decent-to-strong numbers in serving, defence, and blocking. A bond with a coach in recruiting (and the surety of playing time) is one thing, but I mean come on.
Her fellow OH Krista Kraskura got second-team all-MEAC honours last year, and also returns as a senior in 2014. A new setter is needed, as last year’s is gone to graduation. The job almost certainly falls to Kitija Megne, a transfer from Virginia Tech and a senior this season. Blocks leader Marija Kocevska also returns from last season. You may have noticed that none of these players are exactly named Jane Smith — this is a very broadly international team, with players from five European nations represented.
They’ll begin 2014 against the Missouri Valley’s Bradley Braves.
Next up are the Howard Lady Bison (I detest the ‘Lady’ prefix, but on the upshot….take that, Lipscomb!). They’ve got a really nice core of returners from last year and should be poised for a run at the league title. Pint-sized (5-7) outside hitter Katherine Broussard was MEAC Freshman of the Year last year, bettering three kills per set in her first college season. She was joined on the all-MEAC first team by middle blocker Assata Conway and setter Stephanie Shultis (who is 6-1….I know tall setters are en vogue, but this seems a little caddywhompus to me. Second-team libero Allyson Lods also returns for 2014. Broussard is of course a sophomore in 2014; the other three mentioned are all seniors. It’s possible to raise some questions of whom will be the role players behind them, but that’s an awfully good core to build from.
Howard start the season against George Mason.
Third place in the North Division were the Coppin State Eagles. They’ve got a first-team all-conference returner, senior libero Gabrielle Otero, who led a strong defensive team effort last year. They’ve also got returners from the second team (junior middle blocker Kandace Thomas) and third team (junior outside hitter Cindy Okpegbue….another shorty for the position at 5-8). Secondary OH Ariel Richard also returns for 2014, as a senior. Last year’s setter is gone, leaving the position to be filled. Sophomore Ellena Torres was a classic ‘understudy’ setter last year and probably inherits the role for 2014.
Another team with some solid returners. They’ll open up the year against NJIT.
Next we have the Morgan State Bears. Their all-conference representation was a little slim, with two players making it third-team. Only one returns — senior middle blocker Zuri Smith. The team do have some experience coming back, as sophomore Haley McClure (listed at ‘LS’….the heck is that? ‘Left Side’ ? But they also list players at the more traditional OH), senior Tamara Leslie (libero), and junior Samantha Prescott (listed as ‘UT’ — don’t think I’ve ever seen that before, even with players to whom it may fit) all played every match last season along with Smith. So here’s another team with a solid, experienced base. I feel like I’m saying that a lot. Maybe this year’s standings won’t be so very different from last year’s if it’s mostly the same players for a lot of the teams.
Morgan State’s first opponents of 2014 are the East Tennessee State Buccaneers.
The Norfolk State Spartans are visited next. Their lone all-conference returner is third-teamer Noelle Eagles. The all-conference selection lists Eagles as a setter, while NSU’s page lists her as a libero, and presuming the stat book can be trusted, the latter is correct (she’d be a bit short to play front-row anyway; 5-2 — even shorter than me!). The Spartans’ actual setter, junior Darcy Moore, is the only returner to have played in every set last year. It wouldn’t really come as a surprise if she did again this year, as the only other setter on the roster has that position listed as secondary to DS. Outside hitter Jessica Johnson, the aforementioned DS Alex Irizarry, and Adriana Ramos — curiously listed as DS/OH — joined her in playing every match last year. Did this conference have any seniors in 2013? Another team with the strong majority of their starters returning from last season. Usually I’d count that in a team’s favour, but not if every-daggone-body else has it in their favour, too.
Norfolk State’s 2014 season begins against James Madison.
Up next, the UMES (Maryland-Eastern Shore) Hawks. Seriously, just Hawks? Not Mountain Hawks, not River Hawks, just Hawks? Okay. They had a rough go in 2013, winning only three matches all season, and their lone all-conference representative, a third-teamer, is gone to graduation (finally saying that about someone). Front-line offence was a big concern for the Hawks in 2013, as only now-senior outside hitter Ashley Smith returns having averaged better than even 2 kills per set last season (indeed, the Hawks as a team didn’t even average 10). They will have experience coming back, too — indeed, there’s only one freshman on the roster. High-playing-time returners include middle blocker Haley Robinson, outside hitter Lauren Berry, and DS Allison Woods.
The Hawks start their year against Weber State.
The Delaware State Hornets didn’t have a great year last year, winning just two matches (none in conference). Not surprisingly, they had no all-conference representation. Returning regulars from last season are junior outside hitter Jasmine Jackson, the team’s leading scorer, sophomore middle Jae Jackson (no relation), blocks leader, and setters Natalia Mendieta and Taylor Marshall.
Delaware State start the season against Syracuse.
Over in the other division we find the Florida A&M Rattlers. An historically strong (and also broadly international) program, the Rattlers may be a little down this year. It’s actually kind of hard to say — they haven’t posted a 2014 roster. Their only all-conference returner (I presume) is senior libero Joanie Del Castillo, a native of Peru. Blocks leader Ginna Lopez-Chavez, who even last year never got a page on the school’s athletic website, would be a junior this year so she should also be back. She’s also the top returning scorer, just under three kills per set and a very fine .450 attack efficiency. Setting duties get turned over to Jordyn Wright, taking over for a graduated senior. Again — I presume. It’s hard to know for sure.
The Rattlers’ season surely begins soon, but they haven’t posted a schedule.
Next up are the North Carolina A&T Aggies (no joke, as I typed that at first, I typed ‘AT&T’). Back from last year’s team is third-team all-conference pin hitter Aleena McDaniel, who plays as a junior this season. Her front-row counterpart, Canadian Brooke Stamnes, is also back as a junior in 2014. The Aggies ran a 6-2 last year, but have just one setter on their roster this year, sophomore holdover Liz Martino. Setting, much like hitting itself, was a weak point for the Aggies last year, so they’ll need to step it up big time to do better this year.
A&T’s season starts off against Chicago State.
The next team is the South Carolina State Bulldogs. They middled in a lower-order conference last year and lose an all-conference first-team selection to graduation, so they could be due to fall off from even third place this season. Junior OH Marissa Lawrence is the only returner to average better than 2 kills per set, as a lot of front-line offence remains to be allotted on this team this season. Setter Melanie Williams is about the only other high-playing time-returner, as incumbent leaders in blocks and digs are all gone. The replacements….remain to be seen.
The Bulldogs will begin 2014 against Tennessee-Martin.
Next we have the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats. As with most of the teams the further we get into this rundown, the Wildcats bring back one all-conference honouree, second-team OH Delicia Pierre. She shouldered the burden — all but literally — for B-C last year, taking about one out of every three swings the team did. She’ll be a junior this season. Fellow junior OH’s Rhea Simon and Destiny Hudson are back from supporting roles last year. Sophomore setter Alexas Thomas is back, as is digs leader Normarie Rolon (also a sophomore). Here’s another nice core, and it looks to me like there’s room to move up in this division.
Bethune-Cookman’s first opponents are Florida Atlantic.
The North Carolina Central Eagles are the next team. As winners of just three matches last year, they had no all-conference picks. But they’ve also got a lot of returners, including kills leader Da’sha Brown (senior OH), second-leading blocker Ashley McCarthy (senior and oddly also listed at OH), 6-2 setters Alice Genna and Melissa Rabell Pineiro. That’s a nice bit of starters. I’ve always been of the mind that experience matters and experience together counts double, so with there being some room to move up in this division, the Eagles might take advantage.
They start off the season against the Campbell Camels.
Last up are the Savannah State Tigers, a notoriously poor program. I don’t relish being so blunt, but you can’t candy-coat the truth. It’s really hard to pull out any names to highlight as a result. I wish this team an enjoyable 2014, which begins against Brewton-Parker of the NAIA.
SWAG NCAA tournament representatives – Hampton. They’re the best team (though anyone can have a bad day in the conference tourney).
We close off this preview piece with the MAAC. The conference’s website has 11 logos strewn across its top edge, but only 10 names in the standings page — conference members Monmouth don’t sponsor volleyball. Quinnipiac are green with jealousy.
The league’s NCAA tournament representatives last year were the Fairfield Stags (awkward name for a women’s team, no?), co-champions of the conference regular season. They’re picked second in the coaches’ preseason poll, but only narrowly. They lose the conference’s reigning Setter of the Year, but keep around a first-teamer at OH, senior Marilyn Peizer. I’d look for junior middle blocker Maddie FitzPatrick to have a bigger role this year than last, as she posted a strong blocking rate in 2013 but in limited playing time. Digs leader Carsen Mata, seemingly granted a fifth year of eligibility (how else does one play as a graduate student?) is also back from 2013. Mata also ran the offence as a setter in three matches last year, which does two things — it makes her season-long blocking rate look artificially low, and it calls into question whether she might be asked to do it again this year. The only other setters on the roster are true freshmen, and for a team with realistic postseason hopes, the experience may come in handy.
The Stags’ 2014 begins against Eastern Washington.
The next team is up the team picked by the coaches to win the league — the Marist Red Foxes. They bring back three overall award winners from last year, most notably MAAC Player of the Year Mackenzie Stephens, a now-senior middle blocker. Fellow senior Brooke Zywick is the defending Libero of the Year in conference, and headman Tom Hanna took the top coach honour in 2013. You talk about bringing back a nice core — that’s it. Junior opposite hitter Courtney Shaw returns having been second-team all-conference. About the only place the Red Fox banner wasn’t playing was the All-Freshman team, but if you’ve got experienced players, you go to them. And the Red Foxes have them in spades this year, making them a nice pick to go a long way.
Marist start the season against Holy Cross.
Next up is the team that’s perhaps been the historically strongest out of this conference, the Manhattan Jaspers. They’re picked fifth in the coaches’ poll, though only six points separate third from fifth. The Jaspers bring back an All-Freshman libero, now-sophomore Allie Yamashiro. Last year’s setters Teodora Peric and Jade Gray, whose numbers are hard to suss out as they clearly didn’t share the position evenly, both return as well. They’re both juniors in 2013. I’d tab senior OH Malia McGuinness as another name to know, as she’ll bring the most experience to the table in 2014 having started every match last year and played every set. No other team member did that. McGuinness is a nice two-way player too, the rare OH to get more digs per set than kills (although arguably that means she needs to improve in the front row or just concentrate on the back). While blocks leader Anna Kitlar does also return, blocking was a point of weakness for the team last year. She’ll need a little help if the Jaspers want to exceed that fifth-place vote.
Their first opponents are the La Salle Explorers.
The fourth and final team to make the MAAC mini-tournament last year was the Iona Gaels. They’re picked third by the coaches this year. First-team all-conference outside hitter Catrina Warren leads the way, in her senior season in 2014. Second-team setter Natalie Ziskin, who posted a very nice 10.78 assists per set last year, plays as a junior in 2014. Opposite hitter Taylor Cembalisty is the only player who played every match and every set last year. Definitely a lot to like here; it would be something of a surprise if they don’t end up in the conference tournament again at year’s end.
The year begins against William & Mary.
It was on a tiebreaker that the Gaels edged out the Siena Saints for that last tourney spot last year. The dog-mascotted (St Bernards, I guess) Saints are picked fourth this year, as it seems very little changing of the guard is expected to be in order. The Saints need to replace their kills leader from 2014, but have their blocks leader returning, senior middle Jacqueline Skeen. I’ve mentioned players being undersized before, but never like this — Skeen is a 5-foot-7 middle blocker. And she’s a good one, too; she got 107 total blocks in 100 sets, for an easy-to-figure 1.07 per set rate. At 5-foot-7. I now really want to see this team play sometime this season. She made all-MAAC second team last year — probably fair, as 1.07 BPS is good-not-great, even in an ehh conference — but I just have a sneaking hunch it’ll be a treat to watch her play. Teammate Haley Howell came agonisingly close to that setter’s benchmark of 10 assists per set; in, again, 100 sets played, she got 999 set assists. That was good enough for an All-Freshman MAAC nod, the same which went to regular libero Bobbi Lin Kalama.
I mean it — I want to see this team sometime this year. Their first match of the year is against Lehigh.
Next up are the Canisius Golden Griffins (just me, or is that a way cooler nickname than ‘Golden Eagles’ ?). They’re picked sixth in this year’s coaches’ poll, the same position in which they finished last year. The star of the show here is libero Emily Litwin, a senior in 2014. She was all-MAAC second team as a junior, finishing a narrow second to Marist’s Zywick for the league lead in digs. The Griffs ran a very spread-out offence in 2013, as junior middle blocker Rachel Kline is the holdover with the most swings taken last year — 696 (not really that many for a full season). So you can pick out the names of pretty much anyone at a scoring position to fill out this paragraph — Katlyn Tyler took a chunk of the swings last year, so did Jacklyn Malusa, so did Lauren Siebert. And there’ll probably be some new names to join the cast of characters in 2014 — there’s four freshmen on the roster, three of them in ‘front-row’ positions.
Canisius start the 2014 season off against Ole Miss.
Next team up is the Rider Broncs. They’re picked seventh in the coaches’ poll. The Broncs had some representation on the all-conference honour roll last year, an All-Freshman pick at outside hitter, Ryan Ackermann (I’m with George Clooney — what kind of a name is Ryan for a girl, anyway?). She was the top scoring pin hitter for the Broncs last year, but actually took a back seat in terms of raw output to middle ‘hitter’ (seems apropos this time) Kaitlyn Griffin (wonder if Canisius recruited her). She did a decent job at her ‘day job’ up the middle, too, just falling shy of a full block per set. She too was All-Freshman last year, as the Broncs will have a bit of experience at key positions going for them in 2014. Both setters who ran as robust a 6-2 as I’ve come across are returners for this season, senior Ashlee Amatulli and junior Brandie Hill. In a statistical quirk, the Broncs and their collective opposition last year had the exact same number of set assists — 1175. Somehow the opponents managed 29 more kills. Another youngster (but experienced…ster?) is libero Alaina Piszczek, who is back after posting just a touch better than 4 digs per set as a freshman, playing essentially the whole season.
Rider begin the year against….whoo boy, USC. Enjoy that one as best you can, ladies.
I dog the Quinnipiac Bobcats a little, and I probably shouldn’t. It’s no detriment to the players on the court that the university had to be dragged kicking and screaming to continue funding volleyball. But it just makes me wonder who would ever want to actually play there. The Bobcats are picked eighth in 2014 — same as they finished in 2013. Their brightest star in 2013 was freshman middle blocker Allison Leigh, imported from the faraway land of Alaska. The 6-foot-3 rookie posted a very fine block and a quarter per set — any improvement upon that would have her in among the top blockers in the nation (at least, statistically speaking). She also led the team in scoring, though that’s less of something to be proud about as you never want to say that about someone who didn’t crack 2 kills per set. The Bobcats look to have the middle well covered with four others on the roster listed at that position, albeit mostly part-timers from last season apart from Leigh. I can’t help but notice 6-foot-5 freshman Cheyenne Orsi and think about Siena and Jacqueline Skeen. I think I really want to see Siena play Quinnipiac (has that sentence ever been said before?), although Orsi may of course redshirt. Setter Emma Ogden is really the only other returner of note along with Leigh, as the team digs leader is gone to graduation and, as mentioned briefly, no one really lit the world on fire in hitting.
I keep thinking this is a program that would struggle to recruit, but they’ve got five new freshmen this year. The season opens up against Louisiana-Lafayette.
The Niagara Purple Eagles were ninth last year. They’re picked ninth this year. Like Vonnegut said, “so it goes.” They had no representation of any kind on the all-conference honour roll last year. Kills leader Amanda Sedore (she’s from New York, so no relation — at least no direct relation — to Brook of the Hawaii men’s team) returns from 2013. So does the second-leading scorer Melissa McGwin, listed at MB and OPP. I’ll admit to confusion over the team’s setter situation. Their stat book shows a robust 6-2, and one of those setters, Logan Rae, is on the roster this year. But she’s listed at DS/OH, neither of which is setter. A versatile player, maybe. There are two true freshmen setters on the roster, but boy, talk abut throwin’ ya to the wolves if they’re your 6-2.
Niagara’s season begins against Colgate.
Lastly we have the Saint Peter’s Peacocks (another somewhat awkward name for a women’s team. Although not as bad as ‘Stags.’ And would the women necessarily want to go as the ‘Peahens’ ?). They finished last last year and are picked to do the same this year. There’s a joke to be had about that and the name of the university, but I’ll pass on it (I’m tired and it’s not in the best of taste anyway). It should perhaps go without saying that the Peacocks didn’t have any real standout performers in 2013, but it looks like they’re gonna be lacking in veteran leadership this season, too. Of the four juniors on last year’s roster, only two — OH Dayana Arrufat-Rondon and setter Kristina Baehr — had regular roles. And given that the team’s 2014 roster isn’t posted, I’m not sure she’s even still on the team. Same for Baehr’s 6-2 counterpart Kaitlyn Sitton (who, incidentally, stands 6-2. Heyy, if that’s not a sign~!).
Best of luck to this team in what could be another difficult season. They start off against St John’s.
SWAG NCAA tournament representatives – Not to beleaguer the point, but I hope to hell it’s Siena. I’d have no better opportunity to see them play than in early December.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
