Volleyball Looks To Rely On Returning Experience As Ratches Welcomes Back Nine Letterwinners For 10th Campaign
The Massachusetts Maritime volleyball team is looking to keep the momentum of a strong finish to the 2012 season going this fall, as veteran Head Coach Chris Ratches welcomes back nine letterwinners and four starters to an experienced Buccaneer squad in 2013.
With experience comes veteran leadership, and Ratches will look to senior Michaela Garrity (Tiverton, R.I./St. Mary Academy-Bay View) and junior Deb Langley (Abington, Mass./South Shore Voke) to provide just that as the Buccaneers’ co-captains for her 10th overall campaign at her alma mater. Ratches, a 1994 Massachusetts Maritime graduate and the Academy’s Female Athlete of the Year during her senior season, says that this duo “has demonstrated outstanding commitment to the program, and they have earned total respect from their teammates. I am extremely confident that they will continue to provide great leadership and set a positive tone for everyone to emulate.”
Here’s a look at how things are shaping up for the 2013 edition of Buccaneer Volleyball:
HITTERS/BLOCKERS. Sophomore Emily Calnan (Hingham, Mass./Hingham) returns to the middle for Massachusetts Maritime after notching 57 kills and seven blocks as a rookie, while junior Meghan Weir (North Andover, Mass./North Andover) is back on the opposite side after posting 33 kills a year ago. Sophomore Marissa Boudreau (New Bedford, Mass./New Bedford) notched five kills and 70 digs for the Buccaneers on the opposite side as well in 2012, while juniors Alexandra Chrysovergis (Sharon, Mass./Sharon) and Jessie Goodhue (Hyde Park, Mass./Dedham) combined for a pair of kills and three digs in 30 match appearances. Junior Danielle Soar (Templeton, Mass./Narragansett) should impact in the middle for Ratches in her inaugural campaign, while freshmen Meaghan Brain (Hanson, Mass./Whitman-Hanson) and Melissa Harris (Scituate, Mass./Scituate) will also be vying for spots up front during their rookie seasons.
SETTER. Langley returns to the starting setting position she has held for each of the last two seasons, as she posted a team-leading 109 set assists and 37 service aces while adding 103 digs in all 26 contests in 2012, while sophomore Brenda Martinez (Worcester, Mass./Claremont Academy) will also help direct Massachusetts Maritime’s offense.
DEFENSIVE SPECIALIST/LIBERO. Garrity has been Ratches’ top defensive specialist over the past three years, as she registered a team-best 148 digs last fall to go with 33 kills, 11 set assists and 11 service aces. Fellow senior Melanie Holder (Calidonia, Panama/Colegio Javier) added 39 digs while playing in all 26 matches in 2012, while junior Lauren O’Shaughnessy (Yarmouthport, Mass./Dennis-Yarmouth) lends additional experience after posting 50 digs in 24 appearances last season. The freshmen trio of Cassidy Nice (Carver, Mass./Carver), Emilee Spiller (Sandwich, Mass./Greenview) and Stephanie O’Connor (Westwood, Mass./Westwood) look to make an impact on the defensive side for the Buccaneers as well during their inaugural collegiate campaigns this fall.
SCHEDULE. Massachusetts Maritime is set to tackle a 26-match schedule in 2013, as in addition to six contests against MASCAC foes, the Buccaneers will play 20 non-league contests, including two each against rivals Maine Maritime and SUNY-Maritime at the Fourth Annual Maritime Classic on September 14-15 in Castine, Maine.
Ratches will lead her squad into action on Thursday, September 5th when Massachusetts Maritime begins the 2013 campaign by heading to Paxton, Mass. to take on Anna Maria in a non-league clash that begins at 7:00 p.m. EDT.
