Millersville, Pa. – The 2015 volleyball season tips off Friday with high hopes as Millersville takes on Felician College in the Marauder Clash at 2 p.m.. Entering his sixth season, head coach
Brian Smith and the Marauders hope to win their way back into the postseason after missing the playoffs last year.
The Marauders finished the 2014 season 14-17 overall with a 7-15 record in conference play. Leading Millersville as the libero this year is senior
Brooklyn Smith. Smith made All-PSAC East Second Team honors the past two years and is currently second in program history for digs in a career with 1,732 after finishing with 562 in 2014. Fellow seniors
Emily Kaledas,
Kayla Wallace, and
Rhianna Kalescky will help lead the team alongside Smith. Wallace is currently 10
th on the all-time block assists lists with 142, including 60 last season. The 5-11 Kaledas will be a force at the net as she finished 2014 with 36 kills and just 14 errors. Kalescky, much like Kaledas, will spend a lot of time at the net as the 6-1 senior sent home 22 kills in 18 matches last year.
Sophomore and outside hitter
Erin Harman will be one of the Marauders' key contributors as the two-sport athlete (track and field) played 103 of 106 sets last year. Harman led the Marauders in multiple categories including points (293.5), points per set (2.85), kills (259), and kills per set (2.51). Youth will play a big role in Millersville's success as 12 of the 17 players on the roster are either freshmen or sophomore. One underclassman to keep an eye on is freshman
Grace Dawson. Dawson is a graduate of Pope John Paul II High School, the same school as former Marauder great
Katie Lesinski. Dawson was a starting setter for her squad which won back-to-back PAC 10 champs and was named All-PAC 10 First Team, all-district first team and Mercury All-Area First Team. Another freshman looking to make an impact is
Katie Witwer. Witwer was an outside hitter for Ephrata High where she set the school record for kills with 328. "Katie is a strong all around player who can attack from most positions on the court," said Smith.
Millersville is 38-28 all time in the Marauder Clash and notched its third championship last year. The Marauders has faced and defeated Felician College both times they have met, the last meeting being in 2010. In the Friday night matchup, Millersville takes on Virginia Union with whom they are 3-0 all time.
Saturday's games include USciences (10:30 a.m.), a team the Marauders have never faced, and finishes with their second ever contest against Ohio Valley at 3 p.m. (1-0).
All contests will take place in Pucillo Gymnasium.
