Women's Volleyball
2008 Season Recap
The 2008 Clark University women’s volleyball campaign showed flashes of promises for the years to come. Welcoming seven new players to the mix – six of whom saw significant time on the court this fall – the young squad served up its first Worcester City Tournament title in seven years to start the season. Down 2-0, the Cougars rallied to win three straight sets to defeat Worcester State College, 3-2, in the opener and later swept Division II Assumption College, snapping the Greyhounds’ five-year tournament title run. It marked Clark’s seventh overall championship since the tournament began in 1984.
Rattling off a season-high four match win streak during the fall, including a key 3-2 victory over cross-town rival WPI, Clark earned a trip back to the NEWMAC Tournament after falling short the previous season. Seeded eighth, the Cougars fell to top-seed and eventual conference champion Springfield College (3-0) in the first round.
While Clark concluded the season with an 11-14 (2-7 NEWMAC) record, the team saw marked improvement in the win column. The Cougars produced five more overall victories and claimed an additional conference win than in 2007.
Individual highlights during the season included a Worcester City Tournament Most Valuable Player nod and NEWMAC Player of the Week honor for outside hitter Maritza Fair ’10. It was the first time a Clark volleyball player received the honor since Kate Weiss ’03 in 2000. Libero Emily Visone ‘10 was also selected to the All-Tournament team at the sixth annual Garnet Classic hosted by Swarthmore College.
2008 Season Preview
The Clark University women’s volleyball team appears to have a lot in its favor as it enters the 2008 campaign. For starters, the Cougars return seven letterwinners and welcome a strong recruiting class with players ready to step in and make an immediate contribution. In addition to losing only one starter from last year’s 6-18 (1-8 NEWMAC) team, Clark should also benefit from coach Mickey Cahoon’s second-year at the helm.
“We have a lot of new faces,” says Cahoon, “So, the chemistry is going to have to gel right from the beginning if we want to improve and get stronger. Despite the fact that we’ll be starting a lot of new faces, everyone is going to have to be comfortable in their role on the team. The newcomers are going to have to step up right away and show that they are ready to be on this level.”
Cahoon’s game-plan emphasizes defense. After recording over 100 digs in three matches last year, the Cougars look to develop their defensive mindset even further this fall. “Hopefully we can improve on what we accomplished last year from a defensive standpoint,” he says.
Junior co-captain Emily Visone will anchor a back row that includes first-year Kortney Kelley, and juniors Brittany Meadows and Kylie Kutney. Visone, who set a new mark for digs per game (4.82) last season, will start as the team’s top libero, while Kelley, a member of two state champion teams (2006-2007) at Barnstable High School will make an immediate impact. Meadows will provide the team with solid passing and Kutney – one of the team’s strongest servers – will also be an asset on the back row. Sophomore Lisa Taylor will also be in the mix.
Coach Cahoon will look to newcomer Nichole Lopez to run the Cougars’ offense. “Nichole has been a surprise and a bright spot during preseason,” Cahoon says. “While she was recruited as an outside hitter, she is going to be our starting setter. She’s got a great feel for the game and should help improve our offense this year.”
The addition of junior transfer Maritza Fair, a two-time All-Conference player from Franklin and Marshall College, and first-year Amira Tranchell will provide Clark with a forcible outside-hitting tandem. Sophomore Emily Corbett will also be in contention for playing time. Senior co-captain Karleen Porcena and junior Liz Magier will battle for the starting right-side spot.
While the Cougars will miss Sarah Hunsucker, who joins the coaching staff this season, rookies Kristin McGinty and Parker Edmonds should have no problem with the middle-blocking chores. McGinty owns the record for most kills and blocks per game at Vail Christian (Co.) High School, while Edmonds has both the size and skill to become a force in the middle. Standing at 6-foot-2, Nicole Sullivan rounds out the list of high-impact newcomers.
“We should be improved this season,” says Cahoon. “Not only have the returnees gotten better in the off-season, but I also expect their leadership to provide a spark for some of the younger players.”
In addition to a competitive NEWMAC slate, Cahoon has prepared a daunting non-conference schedule that includes the Worcester City Tournament, which features Division II Assumption College, and a weekend trip to Pennsylvania for the Swarthmore College Invitational.
“Our schedule is not going to be easy, so we have to be prepared on day one,” Cahoon says. “We want to build on some of the success and improvements we made last year and hopefully move the program in a more positive direction. The character of the team and the quality of our players should help with that. ”
About Clark Volleyball
Clark offers a spirited and rigorous Division III volleyball program. The Cougars compete in the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC), which is the strongest volleyball conference in the region.
Head coach Mickey Cahoon will begin his second year at the helm of the Cougar squad. His coaching philosophy consists of practice sessions that include a disciplined work ethic, an enthusiastic approach toward learning and most importantly, committed teamwork. In doing so, the Cougars are prepared for a 25-30 match slate against some of the top Division III schools in New England.
In the spring, players participate in an off-season strength-training program and a five-week nontraditional season. The past four of five nontraditional seasons, Clark has played in the Cathy D’Apice Memorial Tournament to raise funds for breast cancer. In 2005, Clark raised the most money by a single team in the history of the tournament.
Members of the volleyball team share their enthusiasm for the sport, serving as mentors and teaching volleyball fundamentals to young girls. In 2001, the team received the Community Partnership Award from Girls, Inc., a prominent national organization that encourages girls to be “strong, smart and bold.” Other team community involvement includes the “Big Brothers, Big Sisters” program, as well as hosting volleyball clinics in the Dolan Field House for both novice and experienced local middle- and high-school students.
On the court, in the community and in the classroom – this team shines. The Cougars were one of 43 NCAA Division III teams that received the 2005 American Volleyball Coaches Association Team Academic Award, which honors teams who achieve a cumulative GPA of 3.3 or higher. The Cougars were also honored with this award in 2003 and 2002. In 2002, the Cougars ranked fifth out of 32 award recipients with a notable 3.52 team GPA.
Recent Highlights
• Emily Visone ’10 set a new single season mark for digs per game (4.82) last fall.
• Team recorded over 100 digs in three matches last season.
• Sarah Hunsucker ’08 selected as one of the top 35 players in the region to play in the NEWVA Senior Classic; Hunsucker is the sixth Clark player to receive this honor.
• Pamela Taylor ’08 was named to NEWMAC All-Academic team.
• Five players earned Clark Scholar-Athlete recognition: Pamela Taylor ’08, Sarah Hunsucker ’08, Katelyn Head ’08, Emily Visone ’10, Kylie Kutney ’10.
• In 2006, team recorded its highest number of overall wins (12) since 2001.
For more information about Clark University Women's Volleyball, please contact head coach
Mickey Cahoon at (508) 793-7260 or by email at mcahoon@clarku.edu
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