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Senior Rachel Sell (pictured) will join juniors Kaitlin Banko |
There will be a lot of fresh faces taking the volleyball court for The College of Wooster this fall, with 11 of 14 players being underclassmen, including seven first-years, but it wasn't long ago that the Fighting Scots went through a similar roster transformation that led to quite a bit of success for the program, as it averaged 20 wins per season over a five-year span.
"We haven't been this young in a while," admitted head coach Sarah Davis. "But the last time we had a youth movement like this, back in 2008 and 2009, that group of players went on to be four-year starters, earn all-conference honors, and carve out spots in our record books. I think this new group has that potential, to not only improve our team right away, but to make us competitive for the next four years."
While several newcomers have already made a case for significant playing time this season, the Scots have some noteworthy returners that will give much-needed experience to an otherwise new-look squad.
One is Rachel Sell, the team's lone senior, who totaled 314 assists in 2013 as a setter. This year she will make the transition back to defense, where she spent the majority of her time as a freshman and sophomore. She ranked third on the team with 193 digs a season ago.
"We're excited about the things Rachel can do for us in the back row," said Davis. "She is very quick and has a nose for the ball. We see her playing a big role for us this year."
Other defenders to keep an eye on are junior Kaitlin Banko and sophomore Laura Sherer. Banko registered 514 digs last season as the team's libero, including eight matches with 20 or more, along with 17 service aces. Sherer was a regular contributor along the back row as well, with 115 digs in 76 sets as a first-year, and will look to build on that performance moving forward.
Junior Brittany Nicholson returns at the setter position, after she passed out a team-leading 512 assists last year, with well over half (293) coming during the final 11 matches of the season. Newcomer Sydney Virgin will push her for playing time, and both are expected to make an impact, perhaps playing on the court alongside each other.
A key building block on offense is sophomore Lydia Webster, the Scots' top returning front row player, who ranked third on the team last year in kills (208), blocks (54), and service aces (22).
"Lydia is a really offensive-minded player with a quick arm swing," said Davis. "She had the opportunity to learn from some talented seniors last season and now I think she is ready to take the next step."
In addition to Webster, fellow sophomores Anna Emmick and Megan Mey are expected to factor heavily into the attack as well. Emmick appeared in all but two matches (31-of-33) last season totaling 92 kills and 51 blocks, including a breakout 10-kill, three-block match Oct. 10, while Mey also gained experience and appears poised to make more consistent contributions this fall, according to coach Davis.
With a lack of veterans on the roster, Wooster will lean a bit more on its freshman class then in year's past, which includes Virgin, as well as transfer student and Wooster native Savannah Moore, international students Sidney Irias (Honduras) and Mayia Karayianni (Cyprus), and Rebecca Grunder, Ksenia Klue, and Kimberly Wooster.
The Scots will play 14 home matches this season, highlighted by their home opener against Muskingum University (Sept. 3) and the Kilt Classic (Sept. 12-13), a two-day tournament that will feature five teams.