The Clarkson University Volleyball team was selected the preseason favorite in a vote by the league's head coaches. The Golden Knights have won three straight Liberty League titles since 2012.
Coming off a 37-4 season and a third consecutive trip to the NCAA Division III quarterfinals, the
Clarkson volleyball team has been selected as the Liberty League preseason favorite in a vote of the league’s seven head coaches.
The Golden Knights sit atop the poll with six first-place votes and 36 points (coaches are not allowed to vote for their own teams). Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) was selected to finish second with 28 points and a first-place vote while St. Lawrence University and Union College tied for third with 23 apiece. Vassar College took fifth with 20 points followed by Skidmore College (11) and Bard College (6).
Clarkson ran through league play with an unblemished 12-0 record for the second consecutive year and were the NCAA New York regional champion for a third straight season. The core group of the 2014 Golden Knights squad returns to Potsdam and is led by Liberty League Player of the Year senior outside hitter Victoria Kirkemo as well as All-Liberty League first-team selections senior setter/libero Kirstie Shurie and senior outside hitter Aishvina Arasu. Kirkemo was tops in the league in aces per set (.83), kills per set (3.22) and digs per set (2.73) while leading the nation in total aces (113). Shurie led the league in assists per set with 10.94 and Arasu was ranked among league leaders in hitting percentage (.236) and kills per set (3.43).
The Golden Knights will have some holes to fill with the graduation of middle hitter Adrienne Walker and the departure of 2014 Liberty League Rookie of the Year libero Evanne Jimenez but an incoming class of six will help bolster Clarkson’s lineup as well as the return of sophomore hitter Rachael Aird.
RIT had its best Liberty League season in program history last year, finishing with a 7-5 mark in league play and a 22-17 overall record. The Tigers advanced to their first-ever Liberty League championship match before falling to Clarkson. Six starters return to the RIT lineup with junior outside hitter Sarah Szybist leading the charge. Last season, she was ranked second nationally in points per set (5.76) and third in kills per set (5.10) while leading the team in terminations (709). Other key returnees for the Tigers are junior outside hitter/setter Emma Dowdy, senior setter/outside hitter Laiz Novaes and senior middle blocker Kayla Wheeler. The only major loss for the Tigers is libero Bethany Davis, who played in all 39 matches of the 2014 season and 139 of 140 sets. She led RIT with 537 digs and finished her career the most career digs in program history (2,171).
St. Lawrence (24-11, 9-3 LL) also put together a successful 2014 campaign with a second place finish in the Liberty League regular season standings and an appearance in the league semifinals. With the graduation of only one senior, the Saints will have a veteran presence on the court including All-Liberty League first-team selections senior outside hitter Lexi Brown and senior middle hitter Cristina Deschaine. Brown was among league leaders in kill per set (3.06) and Deschaine led the league in blocks (133) as well as blocks per set (1.03). As a team, the Saints had the most blocks in the league (250) and were ranked second in hitting percentage (.215), assists per set (10.51) and kills per set (11.49). Sophomore outside hitter Masha Koslesnikova and junior middle hitter/right side Becky Briggs also return for St. Lawrence.
Union welcomes back six of its seven starters after a 2014 where the Dutchwomen posted a 24-12 overall record and 7-6 conference record as they open this season with new head coach Andrew Brown at the helm. Brown will look to the leadership of seniors Rachel Wyman, Kelley White and Lauren Woods in his first season. Wyman led the team in kills with 355 and kills per set (2.80) ranking her second among league leaders. White was also among the top-ten in kills and kills per set while Woods was ranked seventh in hitting percentage (.260). Junior Katherine Moeller also returns after leading the league in digs (749) and digs per set (5.90) last season.
Vassar lost three players to graduation, including All-Liberty League second-team selections Taylor Mosley and Clara Cardillo. Mosley led the team in kills per set (2.97) and service aces (49) and Cardillo led Vassar in hitting percentage at .176. Junior Chloe Hallum returns for Vassar as the libero after finishing the season ranked third in the conference in digs per set (4.49) as she currently sits in second on Vassar’s all-time digs list with a career 1,524 digs. The Brewers also welcome back setter Sophia Tiajoloff who led the team in assists (556) and assists per set (6.95).
Skidmore returns to the court with four starters from last season and as a team the Thoroughbreds led the Liberty League in digs per set (16.70). This year, Skidmore will be a young squad with eight incoming freshman and five sophomores. Outside hitter/defensive specialist junior Marcela Familiar-Bolaños will lead the Thoroughbred defense after ranking second in the league in digs and digs per set (5.78). Sophomore setter Kalle Fox (8.25 assists/set) and junior outside hitter Brittany Osborn (.131 hitting percentage) return to spearhead the offense.
Bard welcomes back five starters to kick off the 2015 season. Key returnees for the Raptors are senior outside hitter/right side Tytravia Riley and sophomore outside hitter Philippine Alba. Riley, a three-sport athlete for Bard, played in all 35 games and every set (118) while leading the team with 198 kills and averaging 1.68 kills per set last season. Alba was ranked among conference leaders in aces per set (0.42) and digs per set (2.69).
2015 Liberty League Volleyball Preseason Poll
Place. Team, Points
1. Clarkson, 36 (6)
2. RIT, 28 (1)
3. St. Lawrence, 23
3. Union, 23
5. Vassar, 20
6. Skidmore, 11
7. Bard, 6
(First-place votes are in parentheses)