Fifer, Young Named Preseason All-League
(Center Valley, Pa. – Aug. 21, 2013) The Colgate women’s volleyball team, which won the 2012 Patriot League Championship, was selected to finish third behind Army and top pick American in the league’s preseason poll.
Kaylee Fifer and Lindsay Young were voted onto the Patriot League Preseason All-League Team after a great season a year ago. Head coach Ryan Baker will be back from his eighth season at the helm and is the reigning Patriot League Coach of the Year. The all-league selections were made by the coaches and they could not select their own players.
American, which captured 10 Patriot League Championships from 2001-11, topped the preseason volleyball poll with 119 points and eight first-place votes. The voting was conducted by the League’s head coaches and sports information directors who could not cast a ballot for their own schools or student-athletes.
With 112 points and five first-place votes, Army edged the Raiders (111 points, five first-place votes) for second in the preseason prediction. Lehigh secured fourth with 78 points, just ahead of fifth-place Navy with 76.
Patriot League newcomer Loyola Maryland settled into the sixth position with 52 points, with Bucknell (50), Holy Cross (28) and Lafayette (22) rounding out the field of nine.
Colgate (17-14, 12-2) is in a strong position to once again sit atop the League when all is said and done. The Raiders boast four returning All-Leaguers from last season with two – seniors Fifer and Young – being named Preseason All-League selections. The offense runs through Fifer (7.32 aps), who also hit .241 and averaged 2.41 digs and nearly one kill per set, while Young (.192, 2.86 kps, 1.53 dps) and junior Diane Seely (.224, 2.39 kps) provide the firepower.
Most Colgate points begin with a stop by senior libero Caitlin Cremin, who averaged just under four digs per set a year ago. Baker has put together a non-League schedule that includes five NCAA Tournament qualifiers from a year ago.
The season begins Friday, Aug. 30 with six teams opening and four at home. American battles Howard in Fairfax, Va., at 5 p.m. in the D.C. Volleyball Challenge, while five teams are set for 7 p.m. battles. Loyola Maryland ventures to Boone, N.C., and opens at Appalachian State. Colgate starts preparing for its League crown defense by hosting Central Connecticut in the Colgate Classic, Lehigh welcomes New Hampshire in the opener of the Lehigh Classic, Holy Cross welcomes Sacred Heart in the Crusader Classic and Navy will battle UNC Wilmington in its own Kristen Dickmann Invitational.
Army’s season opens Saturday, Aug. 31 with a 10 a.m. match against Seton Hall at West Point in the Black Knight Invitational. Bucknell heads to Philadelphia where it takes on Sacramento State to start a tournament hosted by La Salle. Lafayette will take part in that same tournament and is scheduled to battle Sacramento State at 2 p.m.
The top four teams in the regular season standings will qualify for the 2013 Patriot League Tournament, set for Saturday-Sunday, Nov. 23-24, with the No. 1 seed hosting the semifinals and championship. The winner earns an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament.
2013 Preseason Poll
1. American – 119 points (8 first-place votes)
2. Army – 112 (5)
3. Colgate – 111 (5)
4. Lehigh – 78
5. Navy – 76
6. Loyola – 52
7. Bucknell – 50
8. Holy Cross – 28
9. Lafayette – 22
Preseason All-League Team
Margaux Jarka, Army, Sr., OH
Mary Vaccaro, Army, Jr., S
Kaylee Fifer, Colgate, Sr., S
Lindsay Young, Colgate, Sr., OH
Rachel Charles, Lehigh, Sr., L
Amanda Clark, Lehigh, Sr., MB
Erin Fortner, Navy, Sr., OH
Preseason Player of the Year – Margaux Jarka, Army, Sr., OH