Behrend Volleyball 2008 Season Preview
The
2008 Behrend Lions volleyball team returns five starters from last year’s
squad and looks to blend that experience with a talented freshman class for
a title run this season. After three straight seasons of competing in the
AMCC Championship match, the 2007 Behrend team bowed out in the conference
semifinals. The blue and white earned a share of the AMCC regular
season title with an 8-1 record during conference play and finished at 18-12
overall.
Head coach Phil Pisano returns for his fifth season in charge of the Behrend
Lions program. Pisano said, “Last year we accomplished some important
things with a very inexperienced squad. Our upperclassmen gained valuable
experience and we are excited to see that pay off for them this fall.”
Joining Pisano on the sideline this year is fifth-year assistant coach Gerry
Vensel. Former Behrend Lion Paige Payer joins the coaching staff for the
first time, while Karla Murray returns to assist with coaching duties for
the second season.
Brittany Hennessy (Hopewell/Hopewell) will be the lone senior on the 2008
team and will push to bookend her Behrend career by leading the squad to the
AMCC title. The team won the conference championship in 2005 with Hennessy
as a freshman and advanced to its first NCAA Tournament. She has been an
all-conference team member as a libero in each of her three seasons for the
blue and white, and enters the season with 1,662 career digs, just five digs
from breaking the all-time school record.
Three junior starters return in 2008 with their sights set on a playoff
run. Brooke Gallentine (Mt. Pleasant/Southmoreland) has racked up 2,083
assists in two seasons as a setter for the Behrend Lions. Outside hitter
Carissa Johnston (Cambridge Springs/Cambridge Springs) pounded out 295 kills
a season ago while being named honorable mention all-conference. First-team
all-conference middle hitter Sheila Ogden (Grove City/Grove City) was the
team’s 2007 MVP after leading the squad with 315 kills and a .270 hitting
percentage.
Pisano said, “Brittany, Brooke, Carissa, and Sheila are now very experienced
players after having been starters and playing key roles the past few
seasons. Their ability to play at a consistently high level will be a big
factor in how far this team will go. I am excited to see how this group
will lead our younger players, and eager to watch them accomplish great
things on the court.”
Starting middle hitter Jenna Kelly suffered an injury in the spring
tournament and will miss the 2008 season, leaving two sophomores on this
year’s squad. Danielle Woods (Pittsburgh/Baldwin) and Aubry Regan (Edinboro/General
McLane) return for their second season with the blue and white. Woods was
the team’s rookie of the year a season ago, leading the team in service aces
while ranking second in digs and fourth in kills. Regan appeared in 32
games as a freshman and will work to produce a big season as a middle or
right side hitter in 2008.
Eight
freshmen join the Behrend Lions in 2008 and will look to make an immediate
impact on the program. Four W.P.I.A.L. players begin their college careers,
including Kaitlyn Bianco (Aliquippa/Center), Liz Emerick
(Hopewell/Hopewell), Alex Johnson (Imperial/West Allegheny), and Stef Kelley
(Moon Township/Moon). The three District 10 players who join the blue and
white are Lauren Dalton (Cochranton/Cochranton), Danielle Kindle
(Erie/McDowell), and Ariel Mehlenbacher (Titusville/Titusville). The eighth
freshman, Hilary Wadsworth (Randolph/Randolph Central) was on the New York
All-State team a season ago. Pisano said, “This is an outstanding group
that has the opportunity to contribute quickly for our team, with the talent
and potential to make a huge mark on this program in the years to come.”
A challenging schedule awaits the team in 2008 as the Behrend Lions will
play at least 13 of their 20 non-conference matches against teams that won
20 or more games in 2007. The season begins with a trip to Kentucky for the
Thomas More Invitational August 30 and 31. The following weekend the blue
and white compete in the Behrend Invitational September 5 and 6 at home in
the Junker Center, where the squad is 33-5 over the past three seasons.
Conference play begins September 27 at home against La Roche, during a
tri-match with Thiel. The Behrend Lions will also have two home matches
televised on Image Sports, first against Fredonia on September 30 and then
on October 29 versus AMCC opponent Pitt-Bradford.
The NCAA passed new rules for collegiate volleyball in the offseason, as the
first four games, which are now called “sets” are played to 25 instead of 30
points. Teams are now limited to 12 substitutions per set, down from the
old limit of 15. With these changes, matches are expected to be closer
contests, with each point in the rally scoring set taking on greater
importance. Pisano said, “Teams that can let go of one mistake instead of
dwelling on it will do well, as giving up a run of points in the shorter
sets will be very difficult to overcome. I like that this team has really
worked on serving aggressively and looks to be one that can play solid floor
defense, which should give us an opportunity to score points in bunches.”
Pisano said, “Our immediate plans are to get healthy after some preseason
injuries and work to grow as a team each day. I believe the potential of
this team is quite high, and I know we are all determined to reach our long
term goals of battling for the league title and returning to the
postseason. The players know what it is going to take to reach our goals
this fall and are anxious to begin this journey, and I am confident they are
prepared to handle the challenges that await.”