Volleyball Poised to Climb the Ladder in 2009, Opens Season Wednesday
After narrowly missing the Northeast-10 tournament in each of the past two seasons, the Southern New Hampshire University volleyball team would like to take the next step and qualify, something it hasn't done since 2003.
With nine players, including several key contributors, back from last season's 9-14 squad, it appears that the Penmen have the pieces to climb the NE-10 ladder in 2009. However, the league's coaches didn't see it that way, picking SNHU to finish 13th in the 16-team league.
The Penmen will be captained this season by graduate student
Meagan Schadlick (Salem, N.H.) and seniors
Allison Murphy (Montague, Mass.) and Kim
Rowe (Exeter, N.H.). Schadlick was
slowed by injuries last season, but did see action in three games
down the stretch in 2008, including a five-dig performance in the
season finale against Bridgeport. Murphy totaled 84 kills,
129 digs and 18 blocks last season, while Rowe finished as SNHU's
leading setter, handing out 292 assists. Rowe enters her
senior season ranked sixth in career assists, while Murphy is
10th in program history with 71 service aces.
Southern New Hampshire has two other seniors on the roster in Megan Abad (Merrimack, N.H.) and Ashley Dingle (Malone, N.Y.). Abad, primarily a defensive specialist, played in 18 games last season and had 50 digs, including 12 in a win over Pace. She also had 21 in a five-set setback to Southern Connecticut. Dingle became a regular last season and the defensive specialist ranked second on the squad with 206 digs, including a season-high 28 against University of the Sciences.
Three juniors and a sophomore round
out the Penmen returners. Junior Stephanie
Dluginski
(Floral Park, N.Y.) has established herself as one of the top
middle hitters in the Northeast-10 over her first two
seasons. An NE-10 All-Conference pick as a freshman, she
recorded a team-high 232 kills last season and ranked
10th in the league in kills per game. Dluginski
also finished second on the squad with 75 blocks (23 solo).
Kristin Wilson (Milton, N.H.) played in all 23 matches last season and recorded 116 digs while also handing out 103 assists in a limited setting role. Erica Richards (Tolland, Conn.) has seen a limited role over her first two seasons, but did register 18 blocks in 10 matches last season to go along with 17 kills.
Sophomore Danielle
Coffey (Westborough, Mass.) garnered Northeast-10
All-Rookie honors last season after recording 102 blocks, including
46 solo stuffs, as a freshman. That number placed her second
in the league in blocks per game, behind only NE-10 Player of the
Year Rhe-Ann Niles of New Haven. Coffey also finished the
year with 104 kills, good for fourth on 
the Penmen.
The Penmen also welcome five newcomers to the squad this season, four freshman and one sophomore. Sophomore Nicole Matte (North Attleboro, Mass.) is in her first season with the volleyball program after playing lacrosse as a freshman. She was an All-League selection as well as the league Player of the Year as a senior at North Attleboro HS.
The freshman class that 10th-year head coach John Vaughn brought in to SNHU this year may be the most talented in program history. Setter Lauren Lorenz (Frankfort, Ill.) was considered one of the top setters in the state of Illinois as a senior as she helped Lincoln-Way East HS to a regional final berth as a senior. Shayla Belanger (Hudson, N.H.) comes to SNHU after playing at Academy of Notre Dame in Tyngsboro, Mass. As a senior she was named the Lowell Sun Player of the Year as well as an All-State selection and she holds the school record for assists with 1,444.
Caitlin Wilson (Milton, N.H.), the younger sister of Kristin, holds twelve school records at Nute HS, including most kills and most aces in a career as she registered 734 digs, 760 kills and 338 aces. She was a four-time New Hampshire All-State selection. Erica Solomon (Islip Terrace, N.Y.) was a two-time team captain and team MVP at East Islip HS and played club volleyball for Island Volleyball Academy.
Southern New Hampshire kicks off the 2009 season on Wednesday, September 2, when it hosts 2009 NCAA Division III tournament participant Keene State. The Penmen then compete in a tri-match at Saint Anselm September 6, playing Post as well as the host Hawks. SNHU opens Northeast-10 play September 23 when it hosts the Hawks at the Fieldhouse in a 7:30 tilt.