The young but talented Bowdoin Women's Volleyball Team is gearing up for this weekend's four-game Endicott Invitational Tournament.
This season's roster features several familiar faces, including co-captains Amanda Leahy '08 and four-year starter Margo Linton '08. Gillian Page '10, Jenna Diggs '10, Kelsey Howe '10, and Skye Lawrence '10 comprise the team's returning sophomores, who welcome Kathleen Walsh '10. Conspicuously absent is the junior class, but the influx of six first years compensates for this absence.
These first years do in fact come with impressive volleyball backgrounds. Cindy Mays '11 led her Kit Carson High School team to victory in the Colorado 1A Championship in 2006. In addition to Mays, Anna Noucas '11, Grace Lazarus '11, and Kelly Kopchik '11 were all captains of their respective high school teams. Mika Matsuuchi '11, a three-year varsity player, and Stephanie Drumright '11, a strong middle attacker, round out the incoming first years of the team.
Head Coach Karen Corey said, "The freshmen all have a great love of the game. I have already seen much improvement in their skills. We will be a young team, but very competitive."
This is not to say that the first years will be the only players to watch on this squad. Last year was a banner season for the team, as the Polar Bears finished with a 20-11 record, the third best in the program's history. By the season's close they ranked 13th in New England and qualified for the NESCAC tournament. With influential returning players like Page, who last year led the team in kills per game; Diggs, a left-handed setter who led the team in total digs and was second in aces per game; and Lawrence, the 2006 Most Improved Player who played in 96 of 112 games, the 2007 season looks promising.
While the team will certainly miss graduating leaders such as Julie Calareso '07 and Erin Prifogle '07, Leahy and Linton are determined to guide the team to a successful season.
"With the addition of six first years, our team is only more versatile," Diggs said. "This versatility will allow us to explore different and innovative offensive and defensive strategies."
The team will have a full schedule in which to put these strategies into practice. On Saturday, the Polar Bears will play New Jersey City and Springfield State. On Sunday, they will face Salve Regina.
The following weekend, they will be up against Wesleyan, the 2007 Conference Champion. Games against last year's top competitors of Amherst, Middlebury, and Williams are on the schedule for early October. Bowdoin will play host the Second Annual Midcoast Classic on October 5.
Corey said she is "excited by the spirit and enthusiasm of the team."
Diggs echoed her sentiment. "Our team is physically stronger and more mentally prepared to win games than we were last year," she said. "We are all hungry and ready to win. The sky is the limit."