If the volleyball team wants to outdo last year's 23-8 record and return to the NCAA Tournament after a one-year absence, it will have to do so without several of the names that have lit up the stat sheet the past two seasons.
This year, the roster has only two seniors, one of whom is likely to miss much of the season due to injury. Six freshmen make for a bottom-heavy roster that will be thrown into the fire of a challenging NESCAC schedule, starting with a match against last year's runner-up Williams next Friday.
"We expect our freshmen to have an impact on our program every year," coach Cora Thompson said in an e-mail to the Daily. "With six freshmen making up almost half of our roster, it is pretty clear that they will be expected to contribute both in practices and matches."
The rookies have some spots to fill, as several of the team's leaders in the past several seasons are absent from the 2007 roster.
Departed senior Kelli Harrison was a two-time All-American Honorable Mention and last year's leader in total kills (428) and kills per game (4.32), tied for first service aces (32), and second in digs (359).
Senior Cecilia Allende was fourth on the team in kills last year and third in kill percentage, but will not be playing her senior year.
Defensive specialist Stephanie Viola, one of just two seniors on the roster this year, will likely spend most of the season out with a nagging knee injury suffered last spring, leaving captain Katie Wysham as the team's only on-court senior. Wysham, a middle-hitter listed at 6-foot-1, was an All-Region Honorable Mention last season, after putting up 321 kills, 30 services aces and 46 solo blocks last season.
Much of the burden of leadership and numbers will fall on the five-member junior class. Thompson is confident that her third-years can get the job done.
"They were a huge part of our success their freshman year, when we participated in the NESCAC finals and ultimately the NCAAs," Thompson said. "The experience they have gained in the past two seasons has really built them into competitive and experienced players."
Junior Kaitlin O'Reilly has been the team's primary setter for the past two years. She has earned two NESCAC Player of the Week nods and was named New England Freshman of the Year in 2005, but her crowning achievement was an All-American Honorable Mention award last year.
Junior outside hitter Stacy Filocco improved dramatically in her sophomore season, when she filled in for an injured Harrison and averaged 2.8 kills per game. Junior Maya Ripecky has been a presence on the defensive end, contributing an average of 3.55 digs per game in 2006.
Kate Denniston, who joins Wysham in the 6-foot club, performed solidly at net in limited playing time last season. Defensive specialist Natalie Goldstein, an Honorable Mention All-Region in 2005, will be the team's primary libero in Viola's absence.
"Each of our five juniors brings something different to the table," Viola said. "O'Reilly is our spectacular setter and is doing a great job leading the team. Kate Denniston brings height in the middle and is a big force at net.
"Natalie and Maya are a greatdefensive duo. Maya is very scrappy and brings a lot of intensity and noise to the court," Viola continued. "Stacy is such a powerhouse; she hits the s-- out of the ball. She's very intense and is always picking
everyone up."
In 2005, when the junior class was just getting introduced to Tufts volleyball, the program saw its best season in school history. The Jumbos reached the NESCAC title game and the NCAA Sweet Sixteen, and finished with an overall record of 29-7. With six first-years on the roster, the Jumbos are hoping for a little d?©j? vu.
"It looks the same as two years ago," Wysham said. "They all have height and they all are very experienced."
Thompson, who posted her 100th career win last season, has made significant efforts to try to avoid the inconsistencies that held back last year's talented squad. She adapted the team's summer workout plan to engage in more volleyball-specific conditioning, as well as an increase in sprint workouts. To prevent injuries, she advised players to take better care of their bodies.
While they have their eyes on the NESCAC and New England titles, the Jumbos head West to start off the season. This weekend they will travel to Claremont, Calif. for the Pacific Coast Classic. There they will face two teams ranked in the top 20 nationally in the CSTV/AVCA Preseason Coaches Poll, No. 24 Linfield tomorrow and No. 9 LaVerne on Saturday.
"Our number one expectation is seeing our new team in action," Viola added. "Six new frosh make our team so deep. It will be interesting seeing how everyone meshes together on the court. In California, I think it's really going to show that we have the talent and motivation to succeed against nationally ranked teams."
