Shannon KeoughThe Cabrini volleyball team returned to the Nerney Field House on Aug. 18 behind head coach Eric Schaefer to prepare for the 2009 season.
This is the second season, for head coach Schaefer.
In his first season Schaefer and the team appeared in two championship matches.
The Cavs advanced to the Colonial States Athletic Conference title match and the Eastern College Athletic Conference South Region final tilt.
Last year’s seniors who were great contributors to the team, but they still have key returners who will hopefully keep the program moving in the right direction.
Seniors Lizzie Williams and Traci Beltz, junior Stephanie Recklau and sophomore Alexis Doss are among those key returners.
Williams received CSAC Second Team honors in 2008, leading the Cavs with 915 assists and 7.62 helpers per game average.
She also has earned the CSAC Player of the Week two times throughout the 2008 season.
“Being that it’s my last season I am hoping it’s a successful one. We are working very hard during this preseason because even though we had a good run last year we want to make it a better and longer run this year,” Lizzie Williams, senior biology major, said.
Beltz is coming back for her final season after registering third on the team with 199 kills in 2008.
She also recorded 1.79 kills per game and also gathered 130 total digs.
“I’m sad that it’s my senior season, but I want to make it one of my best,” said Beltz.
“We have a great group of girls that put in a lot of quality time to make our team better and better each day,” Traci Beltz, exercise science and health promotion major, said.
Last season, Recklau led the team with 94 blocks averaging .79 per game and receiving CSAC Second Team distinction.
“We all know the importance of pre-season and we have been taking it very seriously because at the end of the season it was the preparation, and in the beginning that will bring us to the championships,” Stephanie Recklau, junior biology major, said.
Doss, named the CSAC Rookie of the Year last season, recorded a team leading 275 kills and 2.41 kills per game.
“Last season, I learned a lot from my upperclassmen. They were great motivators to our team. This year I hope to be one to the incoming freshman that we have on our team,” Alexis Doss, sophomore history major, said.
In 2008, Cabrini finished with an overall record of 22-14 and were 8-2 in the CSAC, earning the postseason tournament’s number three seed.
The Cavaliers have reached the CSAC tournament in each of the last five seasons.
“Everyone is looking forward to a great season, we have high hopes and expectations.” Stephanie Recklau, junior biology major, said.
“We have worked very hard and I personally am confident everything will fall into place and this season will be great,” Recklau, said.
Cabrini’s volleyball team opens their regular season at home on Sept. 1 against Bryn Mawr College at 7 p.m.
The Cavaliers tournament play opens up Sept. 4 and 5 at Moravian College.
The CSAC schedule begins on Sept. 17 against Keystone College at 7 p.m.
