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View 2006-07 Season Highlights
Knights Conclude Season at FDU-Florham
Madison, NJ - 10/31/07: [Results] Arcadia Volleyball saw their season come to a close last night as the Red Devils of FDU-Florham advanced to the championship game with a 3-0 win over the Knights in Freedom Conference semifinal round action in Madison, NJ. The loss ends the Knight's sucessfull season at 12-14 overall.
In her final game as Knight, senior setter Maci Mascall dished out 23 assits, to move her above the 500 assists/season mark with 519 and places her as the second all-time career assist leader with 1145, behind junior Rachel Glass. On her career, Mascall finished with 91 kills, 1145 assists and 172 service aces(2nd all time career leader) in 310 games played for the Knights. Senior Ali Petro also concludes a four year career for the team.
Arcadia kept pressure on the Red Devils in their second meeting this season with game scores of 25-30, 26-30, 21-30 but the Red Devils capitalized on 25 Arcadia hitting errors and doubled up on blocks 8-4 to hold off the Knights in three.
Junior Sam Schad and first year Natasha Wetten posted double-doubles for Arcadia with only 6 hitting errors between them on 22 combined kills. Schad posted 10 kills and 17 digs, while Wetten contributed team highs in both, with 12 kills and 22 digs. First year Christina DiMichelle notched 10 digs in the losing effort for the Knights.
Last night's semifinal round match marked the first time since the 2003-04 season the the team advanced to post season play, where they lost 3-0 to Alvernia in the PAC semifinal round.
Maci Mascall, Knight of the Week
Senior setter Maci Mascall (Grant Union/Dayville, OR) earns this week Knight of the Week honors after wrapping up a successful career at home last week in a 2-0 week for Volleyball. The senior played an integral role in the Knights 3-2 victory over Freedom opponent Wilkes in the Kuch Center, a game that helped the Knights to clinch a playoff berth in their first year in the conference. Arcadia rounded out the regular season at Manhattanville on Saturday, winning 3-0 to clinch the #3 seed.
.jpg "Maci Mascall(1)")
On the week, Mascall dished out a team high 42 assists in 4 games along with 12 kills and 16 digs. On the season, she is 3 assists shy of the 500-mark of assists/season, 3rd all time at Arcadia. She has averaged 10.5 assists per game while collecting 43 service aces, 112 digs and 11 block assists.
She will look to reach the 500-assists in a season mark in tonight's Freedom semi-final round game at FDU-Florham.
Freedom Semifinals Information
Arcadia (#3) @ Farleigh-Dickinson-Florham (#2)
Location: Madison, NJ
Date: Wednesday, October, 31
Match time: 7 PM
Admission: Adults - $5, Seniors - $4, Students - $2, Children Under 6 - Free
Driving Directions
FDU-Florham Athletics Website
Volleyball Clinches #3 Seed in Freedom Conference Tournament with 3-0 win over Valiants
10/27/07 [Results] : In the final match of the regular season, Arcadia would need only three games to clinch the #3 seed for post-season play by defeating the Valiants of Manhattanville College, 30-15, 30-26, 30-19.
The Knights were led by Samantha Schad, who had 15 kills and hit a stifling .500, and Kim Lomas, who had 10 kills. Rachel Glass also played an integral role, registering 38 assists.
The Knights will travel to #2 seed FDU-Florham for Wednesday's semi-final match.
Volleyball Stamps 3-2 Win on Wilkes; Clinch Playoff Berth
Glenside, PA - 10/24/07: [Results] The Knights welcomed the Colonels of Wilkes University to the Kuch Center this evening, going on to win a battle in five games 20-30, 30-15, 30-17, 23-30, 15-8 to clinch their first Freedom Conference playoff berth in school's history. The Knights overcame an early one game deficit by winning the next two before Wilkes forced a decisive game five that Arcadia owned for a big Freedom conference win for the Knights.
Junior Sam Schad's double-double (13 kills/13 digs) paced the Knights in the win. First year Kim Lomas added 13 kills and 5 total blocks to hold things down at the net. Emily Scott added ten kills while four Knights found double figures in digs with first year Natasha Wetten's game high 21, Christina DiMichelle with 16 and Jennifer Ihle with 15. Maci Mascall dished out 41 assists and earned 9 kills with 7 digs.
The Knights round out regular season play at (0-4) Mahattanville on Saturday. Last night's win placed the Knights at third in the Freedom standings ahead of (3-3) King's and (2-4) Wilkes. DeSales owns a 6-0 and will be the top team when playoffs begin on Wednesday, Oct. 31 with FDU (5-1) in second, the Knights in third (3-2) and King's (3-3) in fourth.
Knights Rebound with 3-0 Win at Penn State Berks
10/22/07: Natasha Wetten, Sam Schad and Kim Lomas put up impressive numbers but an entire team effort fueld the Knights 3-0 domination over the Lions of Penn State Berks in non-conference volleyball action Monday night. The three starters combined for 32 kills with only 4 errors as the Knights picked up their 10th win on the season, improving to 10-13 overall.
The Knights combined for a team hitting percentage of .320 and capitalized on 24 Lion hitting erros to fuel their 3-0 win 30-23, 30-9, 30-15. Wetten hit for .640 on 15 kills and added 9 digs. Schad hit for .440 on 9 kills, adding 10 digs while Lomas contributed 9 kills (.330) , 3 digs and a team high 5 blocks.
Maci Mascall added 27 assists as she nears the 500 mark for assists in a single season. She currently stands in third place all time at Arcadia in assists/season with 481 (this season). Rachel Glass occupies second with 686 assists in the 2006 campaign. Glass has 1633 career assists, good for second place all-time at Arcadia.
Arcadia will host Freedom opponent Wilkes University Wednesday evening at 7 pm.
Knight Battle Misericordia and William Patterson
Glenside, PA - 10/21/07: [Misericordia William Patterson] Arcadia Volleyball battled with Misericordia University and William Patterson University in the team's home tri-match, ending the day 0-2 to drop back to 9-13 on the season.
In match one, the Knights fell to Misericordia in three games, 33-31, 30-22, 30-26. In match two, Misericordia compiled a 3-1 win over William Patterson, 30-19, 23-30, 30-25, 31-29 and in the final match of the day, the Knights dropped straight games to William Patterson 30-27, 30-21, 32-30.
The Knights opened the day with a thrilling back and forth first game against the Cougars. Arcadia held the lead but allowed Misericordia back into the contest forcing a win-by-two situation where the Cougars capitalized and won the game 33-31 before going on to take the next two games 30-22 and 30-26.
Sam Schad posted 19 kills and 20 digs on the day, making only 2 attack errors. Natasha Wetten hit for 22 killls and played 20 digs with a team high 3 service aces. Kim Lomas also notched 22 kills while earning a team high 4 solo blocks. Christina DiMichelle played a team high 44 digs on the afternoon while Rachel Glass and Maci Mascall dished out 38 and 34 assists respectively.
The Knights showed plenty of fight on the day but costly errors at the net and service errors proved to be the difference.
Arcadia is in action tomorrow night at home when they host non-conference Penn State Berks. Freedom opponent Wilkes visits Glenside on Wednesday.
Griffins Top Knights 3-0
Gwynedd-Valley, PA - 10/18/07: [Results] Gwynedd-Mercy College won a 3-0 non-conference matchup against the Knights of Arcadia, 30-19, 30-27, 30-20 dropping the Knights' record to 9-11 overall on the year.
Kim Lomas posted 8 kills on 22 attempts and three blocks to help Arcadia in their efforts. Sam Schad sent 9 kills the Griffins way with a team high 11 digs and one block while Rachel Glass dished out 16 assists combined with 6 digs. Christina DiMichelle also chipped in with 10 digs.
The Griffins felt some pressure from the Knights in game two but capitalized on 19 Knight hitting errors that seemed to be the difference in the match. Arcadia only caused 2 blocking errors to the Griffin's 11 but the three Griffin players posted hitting percentages over .300 to aid in their efforts.
Red Devils Defeat Knights 3-1
Glenside, PA - 10/10/07: [Results] The Red Devils of FDU-Florham used a balanced rotation and powerful attack to take a 3-1 win against the Knights of Arcadia in Freedom Conference action Wednesday evening in Glenside. FDU hitters combined for 65 kills alongside Laruen Brazier's 10 solo blocks to keep the Knights from earning their third conference win.
Arcadia built momentum through game one, a 30-24 loss for the Knights, however, that momentum carried over into game two, as they battled to a 32-30 win. The Knights began game 3 with a one-point advantage as a result of a red card for the Red Devils yet FDU (19-3 / 4-0 Freedom) used height and four players in double-figures in Kills to power past Arcadia in games 3 (30-19) and 4 (30-22).
Knight of the Week Natasha Wetten provided a double-double performance (15 Kills, 16 Digs) and 3 service aces to lead AU. The Knights had four players with ten or more digs, Jenn Ihle (10), Wetten and Christina DiMichelle (14) and Sam Schad's team high 15. Rachel Glass had 4 of Arcadia's 7 solo blocks and Maci Mascall dished out 26 assists.
FDU (4-0) and DeSales (4-0) remaing in a deadlock for first place in the Freedom league while the Knights and King's are tied for third with identical 2-2 conference records. If the Knights can earn wins against Wilkes and Mahanttanville, their earlier season win at King's will prove helpful in their playoff hopes.
Wetten Earns Knight of the Week Honors
Natasha Wetten (Central Dauphin East/Harrisburg, PA) has brought a fierce presence on attack to the Knights lineup, and as a first year is already represented among the conference leaders. As a starter in 58 of 59 games for Arcadia she has racked up a team high 194 kills and 236 digs. The outside hitter is ranked 4th in Kills/game in the Freedom Conference (3.28) and 5th in Digs/game (4.13).
Wetten '11
Philadelphia Bible Hold onto 3-0 Win Over Arcadia
Langhorne, PA - 10/06/07: [Results] Arcadia Volleyball dropped a 3-0 contest to non-conference Philadelphia Biblical University Saturday afternoon as the Crimson Eagles won 30-19, 30--24, 30-25.
The Knights' (9-9 / 2-1) top performers Natasha Wetten, Kim Lomas and Maci Mascall helped to keep their team within respectable proximity on the scoreboard but the PBU duo of Becky Williams and Caitlin Hess combined for 28 kills to keep the Knights at bay.
Wetten led the Knights with 8 kills on 19 attacks (.368) and 12 digs while Lomas hit 8 kills on 16 attacks (.312) and had the Knights's lone solo block of the afternoon. Mascall's 28 assists and 2 service aces kept the offense on task while junior Sam Schad added 9 a team high 9 kills whith first year Christina DiMichelle contributing 11 digs.
The Knights are sporting a 2-1 record in Freedom play, good enough for third place. Second place FDU-Florham (0-7 / 3-0) visits Glenside on October 10th where the two team square off in a Freedom Conference battle.
Knights Drop 3-0 Decision to Cabrini
Radnor, Pa. – 9/28 Courtesy of Cabrini Sports Information: [Results] Cavelier junior Lindsay Martin tallied a double-double with 14 kills and a team-best 23 digs as the Cabrini College volleyball team defeated Arcadia University 3-0 (30-18, 30-19, 30-26) this evening. The Cavaliers improve to 10-6 while the Knights fall to 9-8.
The Cavaliers built a quick lead in the first game, pulling ahead by six points (9-3) off a Martin kill. The Knights would get no closer than five points and Cabrini took a double-figure lead (20-10) with a block assist from Martin and junior Kaitlyn Fetterman. Back-to-back kills from Martin gave Cabrini the 30-18 victory.
In the second game, the score stayed close in the beginning as neither team was able to take more than a three point advantage. Following a tie score at 13, the Knights went in front by one (16-15) with a service ace from Maci Mascall but Cabrini tallied four of the next five points to regain the edge and claim the 11-point victory.
In the third game, the Cavaliers trailed for much of the contest, falling behind 22-20 off a kill from Arcadia’s Emily Scott. After a tie score at 25, Cabrini used four Knight mistakes and a Martin kill to end the contest.
Kim Lomas led the Arcadia attack with 8 kills and also added one block. Rachel Glass dished out 13 assists while Natasha Wetten contributed 7 kills and a team high 10 digs.
The Knights have a week off before they travel to non-conference Philadelphia Biblical University on Saturday, October 6th.
Volleyball Victorious Over King's 3-1
Wilkes-Barre, PA - 9/26/07: [Results] The Knights posted game scores of 30-24, 30-26, 21-30, 30-26 to defeat King's College in Wilkes-Barre in this evening's Freedom Conference match up. The win gives Arcadia an overall record of 9-7 and 2-1 in Freedom play. Kings falls to 13-6 and 1-2 in the league.
Despite an injury to a King's starter, the Monarchs hung around in each game, forcing a forth game by winning game three 21-30. Arcadia rebounded and paced through game four like they did the first two to win in four and earn a big conference win that puts them in sole posession of third place in the Freedom standings.
Maci Mascall racked up 43 sets, hit 4 service aces and posted a .333 hitting percentage behind some other solid performances at the net from Kim Lomas who combined one block with a team high 17 kills to hit .355 and from Sam Schad who put up 9 kills and 4 digs. Natasha Wetten has a block with 17 digs and Christina DiMichelle contributed a team high 19 digs.
The Knights have two non conferences matches before they return to the Freedom schedule with a home match against FDU-Florham on October 10.
Knights Finish Week 2-2; Improve to 8-7 Overall on the Year
Glenside, PA - 9/24/07: [VFCC] [Lehman] [William Patterson] Arcadia Volleyball earned a home victory over Valley Forge Christian College and split two weekend matches at William Patterson University to improve to 8-7 overall in the 2007 campaign.
On Thursday, the Knights cruised past VFCC 3-0 (30-18, 30-17, 30-27). First year Natasha Wetten paced the Knights with 10 kills and 16 digs while Chirstina DiMichelle notched 13 digs for AU.
The weekend saw Arcadia easily defeat Lehman College 3-0 (30-14, 30-21, 30-9). Junior Sam Schad led Arcadia with a stellar hitting percentage of .714 which included 11 kills and 5 digs while Wetten added 9 kills and 9 digs.
William Patterson University posted a 3-0 win over Arcadia (27-30, 27-30, 24-30). Wetten posted 12 kills and 18 digs, Jenn Ihle 20 digs and DiMichelle with a team high 22 digs.
Arcadia travels to Freedom Conference opponent King's College this Wednesday for a 7 PM match-up.
Bulldogs Down Knights in Freedom Conference Match
Glenside, PA - 9/18/07: [Results] DeSales University used momentum from their 30-24 game one victory to fuel a three game sweep of Arcadia University in tonight's Freedom Conference matchup, as the Bulldogs improve to 2-0 in conference play and 8-4 overall. Arcadia slips to 6-6 overall and 1-1 in the conference standings.
DeSales capitalized on 18 Arcadia attack errors and 13 blocking errors, controlling the pace of the match and winning game two 30-17 and game three 30-20.
First year Natasha Wetten led the Knights in the losing effort with 9 kills and 5 digs. Maci Mascall, who hit for .500, hit 4 of 6 kills, dug 6 balls and set up 14 attacks for for the Knights.
Arcadia will host non-conference opponent Valley Forge Christian College on Thursday at 7 PM.
Two Wins, One Loss for Knights at Penn State Berks Tournament
9/15/07: Arcadia Volleyball will begin week three of competition with a 6-5 overall record following a 2-1 showing at Penn State Berks this weekend, in a tournament with the host school, Delaware Valley and Washington College (MD).
The Knights sandwiched two wins with a 3-0 loss to Washington College. Arcadia began Saturday winning their match against the host, PSU Berks, outright, 30-19, 30-10, 30-25 before dropping their lone match of the weekend to Washington College 23-30, 21-30, 17-30. The Knights ended the day with their second straight victory over Delaware Valley College in three days, this time, DelVal going the distance, pushing the Knights to the decisive game five where Arcadia came out the victors, 27-30, 30-18, 30-28, 28-30, 15-7.
Arcadia will host their first Freedom Conference match on Tuesday evening at 7 PM when DeSales University visits Glenside. The Knights are currently 1-0 in Freedom Conference play.
Volleyball Claims First Freedom Conference Win for Arcadia in 3-0 Showing at Delaware Valley
Doylestown, PA –9/12/07: [Results] Arcadia University’s first-ever Freedom Conference match was a successful one as the Knights notched a 3-0 victory over host Delaware Valley College. Games scores were 30-18, 30-28, 30-26. The win marks the school's first team win as new members of the Middle Atlantic States Collegiate Athletic Corporation-Freedom Conference.
Arcadia, which joined the Middle Atlantic States Collegiate Athletic Corporation in August and was slotted into the Freedom side this year, improved to 4-4 overall and 1-0 in the conference. The Aggies dropped their second straight match to fall to 4-2 overall and 0-1 in the Freedom.
The Knights took advantage of 10 attack errors by Delaware Valley in the first game to jump out to a 1-0 lead. The Aggies rebounded and took a 27-19 lead in the second game, but Arcadia stormed back and captured 11 of the last 12 points to take the game. The third game went back and forth before Arcadia prevailed to clinch the match.
Sam Schad and Natasha Wetten paced the Knights with 11 and 10 kills respectively with Wetten adding 20 digs. Maci Mascall dished out 32 assists in the win.
Individual Performances Highlight Weekends Losses
Allentown, PA - 9/11-07: Despite dropping two non-conference matches over the weekend, Arcadia Volleyball has showed signs of improvement since last season.
While Maci Mascall (Grant Union/Dayville, OR), Sam Schad (Exeter/Exeter, PA) and Rachel Glass (Conshohocken, PA/Plymouth-Whitemarsh) continue to provide leadership on the floor, first years Natasha Wetten (Central Dauphin East/Harrisburg, PA), Kimberly Lomas (Sterling High/Somerdale, NJ) and Christina DiMichelle (Academy of Notre Dame/Media, PA) are settling in nicely, giving the Knights multiple options on the floor.
The Knights dropped a 3-1 battle to Ursinus College in the first matchup of the weekend. Not more than four points separate the Knights in each of the four matches against Ursinus. Arcadia got off to a good start, capturing game one 30-25 before dropping three straight, 26-30, 30-32, 28-30. Cedar Crest came out strong in the afternoon match, winning games one, 20-30, and two, 26-30. While the Knights stole game three, 30-20, the Falcons rolled to the 3-1 win with a 19-30 win in game four.
Wetten put up a double-double performace with 42 kills (.171 hitting percentage led all Knights), 42 digs and two solo blocks. Mascall dished out 52 assists and tallied 3 block assits. Schad contirubted 19 kills while Glass passed out 35 assists. DiMichelle earned 48 digs with Lomas ending the weekend with 16 kills, 9 digs and 6 blocks.
The Knights travel to Delaware Valley on Wednesday for a 7 PM match.
Knights Win 3-0 in Home Opener
Glenside, PA - 9/5/07: [Results] Arcadia University Volleyball swept Immaculata University in straight games in tonight's home opener, 3-0, to improve to 3-2 on the year. The Knights rolled through games one (30-7) and two (30-18) before the Mighty Macs mounted a comeback midway through game 3 where they pulled to within two points before Arcadia sealed the victory 31-29.
Natasha Wetten (Central Dauphin East/Harrisburg, PA) earned 8 digs to go along with 7 kills for Arcadia. Kimberly Lomas (Sterling High/Somerdale, NJ) notched 9 kills, 3 solo blocks and 1 block assist, while Maci Mascall (Grant Union/Dayville, OR) contributed 27 assists, 5 digs and 6 service aces.
The Knights will play in a tri-match at Cedar Crest this weekend with the host school and Ursinus College.
Knights Open Season 2-0
Haverford, PA - 9/1/07: Arcadia University Women's Volleyball earned their first two wins of the season this afternoon at the Haverford College Invitational. The Knights rolled past Rutgers-Camden 3-0 (30-15, 30-13, 30-7) before outlasting St. Anselm in 4 games, 3-1 (31-29, 23-30, 32-30, 30-27).
Arcadia will now face Villa Julie tomorrow morning at 9 am. For more information regarding tournament play please click here.
Arcadia University Women's Volleyball 2007 Season Preview
Glenside, PA - 8/29/07: For some collegiate sport programs, having a larger roster means more quality practice time. With 7 incoming first years – the 2nd largest incoming class in the program’s history - and 7 upperclasswomen, there is a sense of competitiveness radiating from the practice sessions of the Arcadia University Women’s Volleyball team.
“Our incoming athletes are challenging our returnees for playing time,” reveals assistant coach Carrie Hydro. “What’s even better about this is our returnees recognize it, welcome it and seem to be raising their games as well. It probably our best preseason in years.”
With entering a new athletic conference, the slate is clean and a playoff berth is an attainable goal. While the 2007 version of Arcadia Volleyball is short on height (their tallest players stand at just 5’10, about the average in women’s volleyball), the Knights will need to capitalize on what they do well, correct or adjust as necessary and not just learn from their own mistakes, but learn from these new and unfamiliar opponents in the Freedom Conference.
But what head coach Tony Carpenter's squad lacks in height, they make up for in defensive ability. In fact, the defensive specialist position goes five deep and runs the gamut from experienced veteran to determined underclasswoman.
Senior, libero/defensive specialist, Maci Mascall (Grant Union/Dayville, OR) was recognized as 2006 All PAC honorable mention for her team leading 4.38 digs per game. In 2006, junior, setter/defensive setter, Rachel Glass (Conshohocken, PA/Plymouth-Whitemarsh) moved into second place in the AU records books in Assists per Season with 626. Allison Petro (Briar Cliff/Briar Cliff Manor, NY) returns for her senior season also at the defensive specialist position, while first year Christina DiMichelle (Academy of Notre Dame/Media, PA) is expected to see plenty of time on the floor as a defensive setter this season.
Junior outside hitter Sam Schad (Exeter/Exeter, PA) was named to last season’s the PAC Push the Rock Sportsmanship Team. Schad ended her sophomore season second on the squad averaging 2.45 kills/game, 3.11 digs/game, along with 25 blocks combined.
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QUICK FACTS
2006 Overall Record:11-13
2006 PAC Record: 5-6
2007 Freedom Conference Preseason Poll Rank: 5th out of 7 teams
2006 Freedom Conference Champion: Lycoming College
Head Coach: Tony Carpenter
Assistant Coach: Carrie Hydro
Home Games: Kuch Center, Alumni Gymnasium
Affiliations: MASCAC- Freedom, NCAA Division III
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Despite missing out on a playoff berth, the team closed out the 2006 campaign on a high-note with a thrilling 5 game come-from-behind victory over Wesley College in Alumni Gymnasium. It was the Knight's second consecutive win as they ended their season 11-13 overall and 5-6 as exiting members of the Pennsylvania Athletic Conference.
In that game the top three returnees for Arcadia stood out, to say the least. Schad led the Knights with a double-double, powering 15 kills and 20 defensive digs, Mascall notched a team high 23 digs and Glass put up an incredible 40 assists.
Following the leadership of offensive threat Schad will be first years Natasha Wetten (Central Dauphin East/Harrisburg, PA) at outside hitter, Kimberly Rossi (Stephen Decatur/Berlin, MD) at outside hitter and Kimberly Lomas (Sterling High/Somerdale, NJ) at middle. Junior Emily Scott (Wilmington Friends/Wilmington, DE) adds versatility to the Knight’s attack at both outside and middle hitter positions.
Returning sophomore Brianna Riccio (Clearview Regional/Mantua, NJ), sophomore Jenn Ihle (Notre Dame/Bethlehem, PA), and first years April Thomas (South Brunswick/South Brunswick, NJ) and Jacqueline Sentz (New Oxford/New Oxford, PA) are all expected to play contributing roles this season for the Knights.
The team opens the season this weekend at the Haverford College Tournament where they are scheduled to face St. Anslem and Villa Julie. The Knights will play a 9 game home schedule this season which will feature many familiar and former PAC opponents in addition to their conference schedule where FDU-Florham has been named the preseason favorite to win the Freedom Conference Championship. With the top four teams invited to the conference playoffs, the Knights will need to pick up wins over Wilkes, Delaware Valley and Manhattanville in order to extend their season into post-season play.
Knights Selected for 5th Place Finish in Volleyball Preseason Poll
Annville, PA – 8/23/07 Courtesy of the MASCAC: FDU-Florham has been named as the favorite to be the Freedom Conference champion in a preseason poll of conference coaches. FDU-Florham received five first place votes and a total of 42 points. Arcadia University sits fifth in the poll upon their first year of Freedom Conference play.
The FDU-Florham Devils placed third in the conference standings last season with a 21-13 record. Losing to Lycoming in last year’s semifinals, the 2007 season looks to be bright as they make their run at the championship title. Returning seniors Holly Farricy (outside hitter, 176 kills), Christa SanFlippo (outside hitter, 187 kills) and sophomore Meghan Droge (return specialist, 220 kills) are the leaders who will look to guide the Devils.
King’s placed second in the poll with 36 total points and two first place votes. Finishing in fourth place (18-12), the Lady Monarchs welcome many new players in hopes of challenging for the conference title. Leading the Lady Monarch’s in the 2007 season will be Second Team All Conference players Katherine Clerici (sophomore, middle hitter, 310 kills) and Kaitlyn Malshefski (sophomore, outside hitter 345 kills). With the addition of new faces, and the experience of the returning players, look for the Lady Monarchs to leave their mark on the conference.
DeSales was third in the poll with 29 total points. Finishing fifth last year at 10-21 the Bulldogs. Expectations are high for DeSales to make a strong push to the championship in 2007. Keys to the Bulldogs’ success will be versatile 2006 Freedom Conference Rookie of the Year Jen Mellon (sophomore, outside hitter, 422 kills), junior Kerri Andrews (return specialist, 172 kills) and senior Allie Boyer (senior, outside hitter, 144 kills). DeSales will also welcome back 2005 Rookie of the Year Joann Rivera who missed most of last season with an injury.
Wilkes received 27 points in the poll placing them fourth. Looking to improve on last years six place finish with the record of 6-24, the Colonels are optimistic about the season. Led by a talented incoming freshman class and the experience of upper classmen, Wilkes will be making a push for post season play.
Arcadia was selected fifth with 26 total points. The Knights ended the 2006 season at 11-13.
While the team will lose two seniors from their starting six, they will return a core group of sophomores and juniors with two to three years of experiences playing together as they enter a new conference.
Junior Sam Schad (outside hitter, PAC Sportsmanship Team) and senior Maci Mascall (libero, All PAC Honorable Mention) return to lead the team in 2007.
Sam Schad '09 Maci Mascall '08
Delaware Valley (11-17) came in sixth in this year’s poll with 22 points. Hoping to improve on last year’s record, the Aggies will look to returning players to turn the program around. Senior Andrea Held (middle hitter, 227 kills) will be the key to their success.
Manhattanville received 14 points for seventh place. The Valiants re-launched intercollegiate volleyball team will begin play under head coach Elizabeth Chign-Bush. This marks the first season of Valiant volleyball since 2002, when the team competed in the Skyline Conference.
Freedom Conference Pre-season Volleyball Poll
1. FDU-Florham 42 pts. (5)
2. King’s 36 pts. (2)
3. DeSales 29 pts.
4. Wilkes 27 pts.
5. Arcadia 26 pts.
6. Delaware Valley 22 pts.
7. Manhattanville 14 pts.
