The Cabrini College women’s volleyball team won its first-ever conference title last season in 2009 and have high hopes for garnering the same honor for this upcoming 2010 season.
Under fourth-year head coach Eric Schaefer, and assistant head coach, Alissa Smith, the Lady Cavs will go into the 2010 season with more determination than ever.
“We really want to continue the success that we had from last year,” Stephanie Recklau, senior biology major, said. “Our goal is to win the CSAC (Colonial States Athletic Conference) championships again and hopefully make it past the first round of the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) tournament.”
To continue on their past success, the Lady Cavs will have to come out strong from the beginning if they want to make a play for their second consecutive CSAC title.
“It is so important that we all stay in shape over the summer,” Courtney Abel, junior chemistry and secondary education major, said.
“We weren’t given summer workouts this summer, so it’s really up to us to stay in shape so that we can compete to the best of our ability,” Recklau said.
After graduating three very crucial seniors in the spring of 2010 the Lady Cavs know that it is going to be imperative that the incoming freshman class play hard from their first day on the court.
“We lost some great players last year, but we have a very strong freshman class coming into this season,” Abel said.
“This year is going to be hard for me,” Recklau said. “I lived with all three seniors last year and I can’t imagine playing on a team without them. The freshman will definitely have to work hard to fill the skill void that the seniors left behind.”
Joining the Lady Cavs this season are five new players. One setter to replace Lizzie Williams: a middle hitter to replace junior Beth Gillespie who will not be returning to the team due to an ankle injury, and several defensive players to help aid libero, Courtney Abel, in the back line with help that was not very strong in past seasons.
“I am really glad that we are bringing in so many strong players,” Abel said. “Not only will it improve our defense, but as a whole, i think we will be a very solid team.”
In addition to the new players that the team will be gaining, returning for the Lady Cavs are Stephanie Recklau, Courtney Abel, Alexis Doss, Megan Creed and Meg Ryan.
One freshman who quite possibly will be a key player for the Lady Cavs is incoming outside hitter Sophia Sokolovich from Penncrest High School in Media, Pa.
“My decision to go to Cabrini, to be honest, at first, was because of (coach) Schaefer. He was my club coach for the past three years and I really like his style of coaching,” Sokolovich said. “Once I visited the campus and hung out with the team I knew I was going to go there.”
Sokolovich was named the Delaware County Daily Times All-Delco Player of the Year during her senior season in 2009, and she has high hopes that with the same hard work and determination she will be able to make an impact for the Lady Cavs.
“I think that if we all work hard and play together as a team, we will have an amazing season,” Sokolovich said.
