|
Volleyball |
|
 Velott Named NJAC Player of the WeekVelott Named NJAC Player of the Week for Second Time Velott Earns Third NJAC Player of the Week Honor Velott, Warner, Hausman & Astarita Named NJAC All-Conference Velott & Warner Sweep NJAC Weekly Honors The Stockton volleyball team enters the 2009 season on a quest for its third New Jersey Athletic Conference championship in four years. The Ospreys also will trying to successfully defend the NJAC title that they won last season. Although Stockton has nine returnees, none of them are seniors on a young squad that features seven sophomores and four freshmen. In addition, head coach Allison Walker must move forward without three NJAC all-conference performers who graduated after leading Stockton to two league crowns in three years. Although they are youthful the Ospreys possess talent, and they will be seeking to mature quickly in order to add to the program’s recent success. 2008 NJAC Rookie of the Year Christine Velott should be the offensive leader of the Stockton team at the net. A sophomore, Velott was an NJAC Second Team selection and two-time NJAC Rookie of the Week last season. She smacked 2.80 kills and used her jump serve to register 0.32 aces per game for the Ospreys a year ago. Sophomores Anna Streicher and Tabitha Nejman are two more key returnees in the frontcourt who stepped right into the lineup and played important roles last season. Both sophs are strong defensive players with masterful blocking skills. In 2008, Streicher showed flashes of offensive ability that should continue to develop while Nejman also is capable of earning points at the net.  Sophomore Paige Roudebush adds to Stockton’s adds depth as a right-side hitter coming off a freshman campaign in which she saw action in 11 matches and battled through injuries. Stockton has four newcomers at the hitting positions, all of whom could contribute in their first season at Stockton. Freshman Stephanie Warner is a rookie to watch who is expected to step onto the court and immediately become an impact player at middle hitter for the Ospreys. Freshman Becca Sims possesses strong blocking skills that should enhance Stockton’s defense at the net. Freshman outside hitter Kelleigh Best is a solid all-around player and junior Julia Fagan is an excellent athlete who has joined the Stockton team this year after previously playing at Southern Vermont. Junior libero Christine Astarita is the foundation of Stockton’s back row. Astarita led the Ospreys and finished third in the NJAC with 3.89 digs per game last year, but she also is very capable of producing points with a strong serve that yielded 45 aces in 2008. Astarita and fellow junior Allison Kleeman are the veterans of the team. Kleeman’s role as a defensive specialist resulted in 2.19 digs per game as well as 22 aces last season. Sophomore Nicole Ober gives Stockton another option as a defensive specialist. Ober played in 16 matches during her rookie year. Three Ospreys will be vying for playing time at the setter position in 2009. Sophomores Laura Hausman and Jackie Aldrich each have a year of experience during which they saw limited court time in 18 and 14 matches respectively as backups. In just their second season at the college level, Hausman and Aldrich are veterans in comparison to freshman Kate Berninger, a newcomer who is expected to see action directing the Stockton offense as a rookie. The trio of setters may even be used in pairs depending on the type of attack that head coach Allison Walker wants to utilize.
|
|
Send questions or comments to Sports Information Director at chris.rollman@stockton.edu or Director of Athletics & Recreation at lonnie.folks@stockton.edu |
|
 |
© Copyright 2008 The Richard Stockton College of NJ, PO Box 195, Pomona, NJ 08240 609-652-1776 |