After persevering through a trying 2011 season - marred by injuries, inexperience, two hurricanes, and a nor'easter - the William and Mary volleyball team enters 2012 with high expectations of contending for a record ninth Colonial Athletic Association title. Head coach Melissa Aldrich Shelton '91 and her staff bring back all but one starter from last year's squad and add a recruiting class of six that was ranked as one of the top five in the region by PrepVolleyball.com. With experience and depth at every position for the first time in several years, the Tribe squad looks to impress this fall.
Setters
The Tribe plans for the year will start at the setting position, where two veteran floor generals will help guide an unprecedented number of attackers. With both setters already having extensive experience in the College's system and 12 players around them in the hitting positions, Coach Shelton has hopes to run a 6-2 scheme to best utilize the talent on the squad.
Sophomore Carolina Rivas returns after a solid rookie campaign which saw her start all but two games for the Tribe. She averaged over 8.8 assists per set in 2011, and became just the third player in school history to dish out 50+ assists in a three-set game in the sweep of Robert Morris. Also at the setter position will be senior Molly Krull. She's averaged just over three assists per set over the last two seasons in limited appearances, but has also found ways to contribute in the service game and on defense. The team will count on her leadership during increased playing time this fall, and her contribution, along with that of Rivas, should propel the Tribe to the top of the league table in both assists and wins.
"Our team has a lot of confidence in the abilities of Molly and Carolina," says Shelton. "Their setting locations and tempo have become very consistent of the past year and their ability to read the opposing defense has improved as well. We will look to both of them for court leadership this fall."
Outside
Of all the position groups for W&M this season, the outside hitters may prove to be the most dynamic. Coach Shelton and her staff have a unique blend of experience and freshness, talent and vision in this group of nine athletes. All five returning players have seen significant experience, while the four newcomers helped garner the Tribe one of the top-ranked recruiting classes.
Helping lead the way in 2012 will be sophomores Manon Murray and Liz Brown, who both showed flashes of brilliance despite battling injuries last fall. Murray missed a large chunk of the season but still finished the year leading the team with 2.87 points per set and ranking second in both kills (2.59/set) and digs (3.32/set). She had six double-doubles on the year, including two at the Kent State Invitational during a weekend that earned her CAA Rookie of the Week honors. Capable of playing all six positions on the court, Murray will be counted on to quickly get back up to speed and help provide one of the top targets for the setters.
Brown suffered a season-ending injury during the third week of the year, after averaging 2.64 kills per set through the Tribe's first eight matches. Brown had four matches of 12 or more kills in the seven that she saw significant playing time and also showed her efficiency by hitting .419 when she had a season-high 15 kills against Kennesaw State. While not as proven in the backcourt as Murray, Brown provides a purposeful leadership and savvy on the court. Also figuring to challenge for a spot in the starting line-up is redshirt-sophomore Paulette Grand Pre. After quickly impressing in 2010 in three matches before injury, Grand Pre's first full season in 2011 saw her shouldering much of the load after the injuries to Murray and Brown. She has both a powerful arm as well as the speed and vision to cover the floor on defense. Her knowledge of the Tribe's system, physical talents, and court awareness make Grand Pre a strong candidate for a six-rotation spot this fall.
The College's other two veterans on the pins will vie for time on the right side. Junior Julia Swalchick will continue with the role she started in last fall, which saw her average 1.86 kills per set and a position-best 0.3 blocks per set. With a full year of training on the right under her belt, Swalchick looks to improve both numbers dramatically in 2012. Classmate Alexandra Ciaccio will provide her provide offense on the right side as well. Extremely well-regarded by her teammates who voted her a team captain for this fall, Ciaccio has a massive swing that will look to elevate the Tribe's attack.
After being short-handed for much of last year with injuries, the Tribe staff made it a point to recruit outsides during the off-season and hit a proverbial home run with four tough freshmen. All four can play around the court, including on the right side. Dessi Koleva was named league MVP and first-team All-State each of the past two years for South HS in California, and averaged 4.2 kills per set during her senior campaign. Mallory Brickerd was the District Player of the Year at Broad Run HS in 2011, and went on to earn second-team all-state honors in Virginia's top classification.
Also coming in are two first-team all-state selections from the AA classification in Virginia. Michelle Heath earned first-team all-state honors each of the past two years, and was also a two-time Region- and District Player of the Year for Rustburg HS. She led Rustburg to the region title as a senior, where she was also a standout basketball player with more than 1,000 points and two all-district selections. Jenna Strange helped send Loudoun County to three-straight AA state titles from 2008-2010, and finished her career with first-team all-state honors. The Region Player of the Year each of the past two seasons, Strange was picked by PrepVolleyball.com as one of their prep All-Americans in 2010 (one of just 40 juniors from around the nation so honored).
"With five athletes competing for the leftside spots and four on the right, we finally have depth at both of these critical positions. We expect the competition to be intense all season as they battle it out for court time. The ability of our leftsides to pass and hit at a consistently high level will be the key to our success."
Middle
The Tribe brings back the services of both starting middle-blockers from last year, allowing the College to present one of the most experiences front-lines in the conference. Senior Shaylin O'Connell will be looking to complete her first full season after battling injuries and illness the past two years, and has the ability to play her way onto an all-league team. She already ranks among the College's all-time blockers despite limited appearances, and will be counted on to anchor the defense at the net for W&M.
Starting alongside O'Connell will be redshirt-sophomore Monika Stanciauskas, who was a revelation last fall in her first season. One of the best attacking middles in the league, Stanciauskas averaged over two kills per set and hit .295 for the year, which was third-best in the CAA. Her numbers improved to 2.4 and .323 in conference play, and she has the top returning attack percentage among all players. On defense, she was also impressive, averaging 0.7 blocks (0.83 in the CAA). The coaches and her teammates will be counting on Stanciauskas to maintain those numbers, if not improve, and she will be a key part of any run the Tribe makes this year.
Joining the middle corps this year will be freshman Carolyn Albright. Standing 6-2, Albright led Cardinal Gibbons HS to three-straight North Carolina state championships and was named by PrepVolleyball.com to their Senior Aces list. She has the size and physical tools to contribute to the Tribe's middle, and will be counted on to help provide relief throughout the season.
"All three of our middles will be ready to compete on day one. The return of Shaylin and Moni brings us so much experience and drive. The addition of Carolyn provides relief for the two oldest players on our roster. Staying healthy will be key for this small but might group, as we plan to fully utilize their potential in our offense."
Libero
W&M will once again have the services of two veteran defenders, alongside a versatile freshman. Junior Celine Alasomuka had one of the top defensive seasons in school history in 2011 with 430 digs, fifth-most ever in a single season. An all-rookie selection in 2010, Alasomuka enters her junior year poised to challenge for all-league honors once again and to make a run at Kathleen Hawley's school record of 5.31 digs per set.
Challenging Alasomuka for the libero position will be the tandem of redshirt-sophomore Devin Andrews-Lyssy and freshman Olivia Jebb. Andrews-Lyssy served ably as the reserve libero last season, averaging 2.4 digs per set and starting three times. She had nine matches of 10+ digs, including two outings with more than 20 digs. Andrews-Lyssy's court awareness and calm, assured play gives coach Shelton a valuable second option that most teams don't possess. Newcomer Jebb experienced tremendous success at Cornwall HS in New York, leading her team to the state semifinals all four years. A two-time first-team all-state selection who is also one of just six people in the entire 1,470-person W&M freshman class to be named a Murray Scholar (full academic scholarship), Jebb will have her chances at court time increase as the season progresses and she becomes more comfortable with the Tribe's scheme.
"We have exciting options at the libero spot this fall. Celine returns as one of the conference's top defenders, while Devin is our top returning passer. Olivia is an incredible athlete who will catch on quickly. Having depth at this position will be a tremendous benefit for us this year."
