WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL: SEASON PREVIEW

WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2011
SEASON PREVIEW

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL: SEASON PREVIEW

LANGLEY, British Columbia – Following their most successful season ever, one in which they took home the CIS bronze medal, the Trinity Western women’s volleyball team enters the 2011-12 season looking for more.

The Spartans return 13 players from last year’s roster and, despite losing Kara Jansen Van Doorn and Andrea Ball to graduation and Lauren O’Reilly to the Canadian national team, they are hoping to take another step forward in search of their first national title.  

Trinity Western will open its season this weekend when they travel to play Saskatchewan Oct. 28-29. The Spartans home-opening weekend is set for Nov. 18-19 when they will host Regina.

SEASON PREVIEW

2010 CW Tournament Placing: 2nd
2010-11 CIS Tournament Placing: 3rd
2010-11 Conference Record:15-3
Last CW Title: None
Last CIS Titile: None
Key returnees: Nicole Bazin, Chelsea Hudson, Amy Leschied, Jodi  Neufeld, Alicia Perrin
Key additions: Kelci French, Courtney Davis, Amber Brown (2010-11 redshirt injury)
CIS ranking: No.10
CW ranking: No. 4

Last season the Spartans finished second in Canada West before going on to earn their first ever CIS podium finish by defeating Université de Laval 3-1 to earn a bronze medal. But in order to improve on their historic success the Spartans will need to do so with a considerably different line up from last year’s team.

Gone are All-Canadian outside Kara Jansen Van Doorn, who accounted for almost 32 percent of the Spartans attack and led Canada West in kills at 3.67, Canadian national team setter Lauren O’Reilly and Canada West All-Star libero Andrea Ball, who finished third in CW in digs at 3.91 per set.

The Spartans will look to the experience of returning starters including middles 6-2 second year Alicia Perrin from Creston, B.C. and 6-0 fourth year Nicole Bazin from Winnipeg and 5-11 setter Chelsea Hudson from Winnipeg and 6-0 fourth year outside Amy Leschied to lead the 2011-12 squad. Last year, Canadian FISU member Perrin was second in Canada West in blocks with 1.26 per set and led the Spartans with a Canada West ninth best .250 hitting percentage, while Bazin finished fifth in blocks at 1.00 per set. Husdon, who will return to run the Spartans offence, was eighth in Canada West in set assists with 7.57 last season while Leschied was second on the Spartans with 2.41 kills per set.

As a team last year, the Spartans led Canada West in defence, holding their opponents to a mere .111 hitting percentage (1st in CW) and averaging 2.53 blocks per set (2nd in CW).

Stepping into more prominent roles this year will be liberos 5-2 fourth year Jodi Neufeld from Surrey, B.C. and 5-8 third year Chelsea Fitchette from Walnut Grove, B.C., 5-8 third year outside Amber Brown from Three Hills, Alta. who redshirted due to injury last year, 6-1 second year middle/outside Casie Gano from Sundre, Alta., 5-11 second year leftside Carly Hamilton from Calgary, Alta., 6-0 third year outside Chelsea Wand from Langley, B.C. and 6-2 second year leftside Royale Richardson from Rocky Mountain, Alta.  

New to this year’s squad are 6-0 outside/setter Kelci French from Okotoks, Alta., who transfers from the University of Alberta where she earned 2008-09 CIS Rookie of the Year honours, and 5-7 rookie libero Courtney Davis from Calgary, Alta.

The Spartans come into this season with plenty of promise. Once everyone is healthy, they will be strong down the middle with Perrin, Bazin, Gano and 6-2 third year Lindsay Dykman from Terrace, B.C. On the outside, expect Leschied to lead the way with Wand, Richardson, Hamilton, French and Brown battling for playing time. At setter, Hudson will be the starter but 6-2 second year Lauren Moncks from Standard, Alta. will push her all year, while at libero, Neufeld will garner starting minutes but both Fitchette and, once healthy, Davis won’t be far behind.

The question for the Spartans is how long it will take the new line-up to gel as a unit and the answer to that question will go a long way in determining the heights they may reach by the end of the Canada West and CIS season.

-TW-

Last Updated: 2011-10-27
Author: Mark Janzen
Email: Mark.Janzen@twu.ca