2010 Volleyball Season Preview

The 2010 Mercer volleyball campaign marks the conclusion of a four-year odyssey for three seniors, Libby Hansch, Krista Hurley and Erica Vrvilo.  Mercer’s senior trio have collected 37 wins in Orange and Black, but this season the group aims to accomplish a goal that has proved elusive, the Atlantic Sun Championship.

After a landmark 18-win season in 2008, last year’s Mercer team suffered a drop-off which was a direct result of a young, inexperienced roster.  After winning just six of its first 23 matches last season, the team began to reach its potential late in the year, finishing 5-1 in its last six contests.

Rooke expects the 2010 Bears to pick up where they left off last season and has high hopes for the team.  One reason Rooke is confident is because she finds it easy to draw parallels between the 2008 squad and this year’s team. 

“From day one, I’ve noticed a strong resemblance to our 2008 team,” said Rooke.  “Like in 2008, we have strong leadership from the top down and our seniors’ attitudes mirror the class of 2008.”

Overall, Mercer returns nine key players from a season ago and welcomes the arrival of six newcomers.

MIDDLE BLOCKER

For the fourth consecutive season, Rooke returns the formidable combination of Hansch and Hurley at the middle blocker position.  In their three seasons with Mercer, Hansch and Hurley have developed into arguably the league’s best one-two punch at the position.

“Libby and Krista bring two different styles of play to the position, which adds versatility to our offense,” Rooke said.  “It certainly makes us harder to scout and defend against.”

Hansch and Hurley both enter the season ranked among the program’s top-five players in career attack percentage.  In addition to their offensive prowess, the duo is known for disrupting the opponent’s attacking strategy as well.  In each of their seasons with the Bears, the team has ranked among the league’s top-four teams in blocks per set.  

Joining the seniors at the middle blocker spot are returning junior Charlayna Braxton and incoming freshman Zoe Becton.  Rooke insists Braxton has made huge strides since last fall and had a strong finish during the team’s spring season. 

Becton arrives in Macon after a stellar four-year career as a high school player in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  During her time at Del Norte High School, Becton racked up numerous accolades, including being named All-District player of the year and being featured among the American Volleyball Coaches’ Association’s “Top Players to Watch”.

OUTSIDE HITTER

At the outside hitter position the Bears boast the triple-threat attack of juniors Amiee Frutchey, Rachel Urbelis and sophomore Jamie Duffy.

Both Frutchey and Urbelis have shown flashes of brilliance during their careers with the Bears.  Frutchey was named an All-Freshman team selection in 2008 after appearing in 100 sets and racking up 165 kills.

Urbelis became an integral part of the Mercer roster last season, piling up 221 kills in just 87 sets.  On Oct. 26 of last season, Urbelis landed the Atlantic Sun Player of the Week selection after tallying an astounding 30 kills in the Bears’ 3-2 victory at Campbell.

Competing for time at the outside hitter position this season will be freshmen Cassie Roy and Emily Rochefort.

“Cassie and Emily are valuable because they will provide athleticism and a spark of energy off the bench,” said Rooke.

RIGHTSIDE HITTERS

Yet another position in which experience abounds is the rightside hitter position.  Vrvilo and junior Anna Coursey will rotate at the spot for the third consecutive season.  Between the two, Vrvilo and Coursey have combined for over 500 kills in the past two seasons.

“It’ll be interesting to see who will take the reigns at the outside hitter position this season,” said Rooke.  “Both Erica and Anna are hungry and absolutely capable of having an outstanding season.”

Newcomer Lizzie Knapper joins the pair of upperclassmen on the rightside for the Bears in 2010.  Knapper hails from Cleveland, Ohio where she helped lead her high school team to the AAAA Regional and State Championships in her senior season.

LIBERO

For the first time since 2008, Mercer enters the season with a clear-cut starter at the libero position.  After winning the position midway through the 2009 season, Charlotte Harris returns for Rooke as the defensive leader in 2010.

“Charlotte is extremely ambitious and confident in her role as our libero,” Rooke said.  “The team rallies behind her at the position and 2010 should be a breakout season for her.”

In 51 sets last season, Harris posted an impressive 4.61 digs per set average, ranking third among conference players in the category.

SETTER

As the 2010 season approaches, the role of setter remains a competition between freshmen Carly Iannarino and Bridget Sheerin.  Rooke characterizes the pair as young, intelligent players who are quick learners.

“Both of our setters are already showing signs that they can quarterback this offense,” Rooke said.

Sheerin, who stands six-feet tall, attended Marist High School in Chicago, Ill.  At Marist, Sheerin earned All-Conference honors as a senior captain of the Redhawks.

Iannarino garnered All-Conference honors in her sophomore, junior and senior seasons at Southlake Christian Academy in Huntersville, N.C.

SCHEDULE

A trip west for the University of Washington Invitational and the seventh annual Bear Brawl highlight Mercer volleyball’s 2010 schedule.  Aside from four demanding non-conference tournaments, the 2010 Atlantic Sun schedule is a single-round of contests, a departure from the recent home-away format.

“The change in our conference schedule provides the additional opportunities for preseason tournaments and non-conference matchups,” Mercer head coach Noelle Rooke said.  “In preparation for this year’s schedule, I attempted to put together a balanced schedule featuring both elite teams and teams with comparable RPI’s to ours.”

The season’s first contest pits Mercer against Cal Poly at Washington’s Invitational on Aug. 27 in Seattle.  The Bears are also slated to face Pac-10 powerhouse Washington, Eastern Washington and Seattle University at the two-day event.

Last season, Washington rose as high as No. 3 in the AVCA Coaches Poll before falling in the second round of the NCAA tournament to Colorado State.  Eastern Washington finished the season No. 116 in the national RPI rankings after compiling an 18-11 record in 2009.  Seattle looks to rebound after last season’s 7-20 campaign.

Following its trip to Seattle, Mercer returns to the southeast for a battle at Auburn on Sept. 1.  The matchup with the Tigers marks the third-consecutive year Mercer has traveled to Auburn.  The teams have split the last two contests.

On Sept. 3-4, Mercer hosts its annual Bear Brawl non-conference tournament.  This year’s field includes Presbyterian, UT Martin and The Citadel.

Next up after the Bear Brawl is a mid-week test at in-state rival Georgia State on Wednesday, September 8.  In 2008, Rooke guided her team to the program’s first win over Georgia State before falling to the Panthers last year.  In 2010, Georgia State begins a new era under recently-hired head coach Tami Ores.  Ores came from the University of Maryland, where she served as the associate head coach and recruiting coordinator for the Terrapins.

After the match with Georgia State, Mercer’s schedule includes two more non-conference tournaments before beginning conference play.  On Sept. 10-11, the Bears participate in the North Carolina State Tournament with Morehead State, NC State and Georgia Southern. 

Both Georgia Southern and Morehead State posted 21-win seasons in 2009 and seem poised to break into the nations’ top-100 teams this fall.  NC State aims to improve upon last year’s 8-27 mark.

The final non-conference tournament comes at South Carolina State on Sept. 17-18.  Mercer also squares off with North Carolina Central and Hampton at the event.

Sandwiched in between the final non-conference tournaments is a trip to Florida A&M on Sept. 14.  The road match against the Rattlers marks the first of a road-home, two-game set with the defending Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Champions.  FAMU travels to Macon for a clash in the University Center on Oct. 23.

Other non-conference opponents include Savannah State, UNC Asheville and UNC Wilmington.  Mercer faces both Savannah State and UNC Asheville at home and on the road.  Savannah State invades Macon on Sept. 18 while the Bears return the favor on Oct. 26 with a trip to Savannah.  Mercer’s home match against UNC Asheville on Sept. 28 marks the final tune-up before conference play starts at Lipscomb on Oct. 2.  Mercer tangles with the Bulldogs once more on Oct. 19 in Asheville.

On Oct. 31, the Bears are slated to meet UNC Wilmington in their final non-conference test of the season.

“One of my goals is to let my players regain the confidence that they experienced a couple of season ago,” Rooke said.  “It’s simple; everyone knows that winning builds confidence.”

All told, Mercer is prepared to face nine opponents who finished 2009 ranked among the nation’s top 125 teams based on RPI.