When you take a step into the Student Activities Center Gymnasium, the atmosphere is a bit different than in any other volleyball season at Morrisville State College. Fifth year head coach Fred Wallace contributes that to an increased competitiveness among those wearing the Mustang jersey, not to mention the addition of talent and depth to this year’s team.
“This year every practice will be like going to battle,” Wallace said. “Every single position has depth, and no one will have an easy route to the floor on game day.
Wallace added seven fresh faces to the Mustang roster in 2016 to boast 16 strong on the court this fall, noting that this should be “by far the most versatile team Morrisville State has had.” He noted all seven newcomers have a shot to make a huge impact on the team’s overall ability and is excited to see what lies ahead for the Mustangs on the season.
Among those on the roster this year are nine returning players, including seniors Jessica Chandler (Morrisvile) and Courtney LaVere (Owego), who will retain their leadership role as captains this season. “Chandler is a player who will have a major impact in our success on the court,” Wallace said. “I believe she will have a breakthrough season for us.”
LaVere was an offensive threat for opponents just a year ago behind her solid season, and has already proved to have the hard swing throughout preseason. Last year the outside hitter collected 169 kills and assisted another 19 while racking up 216 defensive digs.
The Mustangs also return leading outside hitter and All-Conference selection Emilee Niejadlik (Hamburg), who compiled 183 kills and 37 stops at the net.
Chandler, LaVere and Niejadlik will all work off the feeds of Helena Hanes (St. Mary’s, Pa.) and Kim Dunkleman (Williamsville) who return to their setter positions following stellar freshmen campaigns and combined for 653 or the team’s total 729 assists on the year.
“Last season we finished one match outside of the conference play-offs,” Wallace stated. “Going into the new season I think a component that has been missing could potentially become our greatest strength, and that’s depth.”
“Our expectations continue to grow as we add talent to our program, and are always high in every area,” he continued. “Last year’s team did an amazing job getting our culture to an amazing place: our GPA got better, our competitiveness improved, and our understanding of the importance of making smart decisions got better.”
“Most importantly, though, our understanding of what it means to be a true team sky rocketed,” Wallace said. “We need to keep believing in the path we are on, and if we do that, we will still be playing in November.”
Morrisville State opens the season on the road at Castleton on Thursday, before hosting a seven team tournament on Saturday and Sunday and a slew of additional non-conference match-ups in preparation for a tight North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) slate which begins Sept. 17 at Cobleskill.
The Mustangs were selected to finish seventh overall in the preseason NEAC poll, as voted on by conference coaches. Gallaudet University was picked to finish first, followed by SUNY Polytechnic, both of which Morrisville State faces in the opening conference weekend.
For additional schedule and roster information, visit the college’s athletic web site at www.morrisvillestateathletics.com.