[Kutztown Fall Roundup] Volleyball: Golden Bears Eye Return to Post-Season in 2005

[Josh Leiboff]

 Golden Bears Eye Return to Post-Season in 2005
      The Kutztown University women's volleyball team will enter the 2005 season with hopes of returning to the post-season after a disappointing end to the 2004 campaign.

      Last year's team started the season on fire, winning its first nine and 14 of its first 15 matches before hitting a rough stretch.  After losing nine of 10 matches mid-season, KU bounced back to win four of five heading into the regular-season finale against East Stroudsburg.  With the third and final Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference berth going to the winner, KU's season came to an abrupt end with a 3-2 loss to the Warriors.  

      The Golden Bears return four starters and 11 letterwinners, and welcome several key newcomers for the 2005 season.

      Leading the charge for the Golden Bears will be junior outside hitter Sarah Brandon.  The 2004 PSAC East Player of the Year, Brandon will hold down the right side.  She blasted a single-season school record 477 kills last year, averaging 4.4 kills/game and notching a .324 hitting percentage.  Brandon, who was a first-team All-PSAC East and AVCA All-Atlantic Region selection, also chipped in with 2.1 digs per game and is the top returner with 95 blocks.  After amassing 1,058 attempts last fall, Brandon should be every bit as involved in the offense this season.

      Playing time in the middle will be up for grabs, with Jenn Stocker lost to graduation.  Juniors Shelby Bunting and Krystalee George, and sophomores Erin Waters  and Tara Galloway will make up the middle hitter rotation.  Bunting notched 107 kills and 78 blocks in 103 games a year ago, with a .255 hitting percentage.  George and Waters saw limited action, playing in 31 and 18 games, respectively.  George tallied 41 kills and 24 blocks, while Waters had 24 kills and a .373 hitting percentage.  Galloway saw limited time as a rookie, but averaged 1.4 kills and had a .467 hitting percentage in seven games.

      Senior Shannon Sullivan and junior Dani Witherite will patrol an experienced left side.  Sullivan averaged 3.2 kills in 80 games last season.  She also averaged 3.9 digs and had 31 blocks.  Witherite averaged 3.2 kills, along with 4.0 digs per game.  She also had 41 blocks.  Sophomore Kimberly Cifuni also returns to the left side.  She averaged 2.5 digs and had 16 kills in 68 games played.

      Two newcomers will push for playing time on the outside.  Brittany Hoke  (Chadds Ford/Unionville HS) will contribute her ball control specialty while Amanda Scott (West Chester/Bishop Shanahan) is a versatile athlete.  

      Sophomore Nicole Biuso returns as the top libero/defensive specialist.  Biuso notched 4.7 digs/game last season.  Her 520 digs were 12 shy of the single-season school record.  Biuso also chipped in with 41 service aces.  Classmates Amanda Balionis and Steph Biester also return.  Balionis had 36 digs in 53 games, while Biester tallied 61 digs and 30 aces in 73 games played.

      The biggest question mark of the season will be at setter, where two-year starter Katie Herman is not returning.  Newcomer Austin Kinney (Landisville/Hempfield HS) is expected to jump right into the starting lineup.  Kinney is a two-time all-state performer, including a first-team nod after leading Hempfield to the 2004 PIAA championship.  Ashlie Molloy (Allentown/Parkland HS), Amanda Schoemaker (Macungie/Emmaus HS) and possibly Scott will fight for time at setter.

      The Golden Bears' 2005 campaign gets underway on September 2nd with the Kutztown Challenge.

--
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Josh Leiboff
Kutztown University Sports Information
Phone: (610) 683-4182
Fax: (610) 683-4676
Email: leiboff at kutztown.edu
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://mailman.kutztown.edu/pipermail/fallsports/attachments/20050901/6004e6bc/attachment.html