Young But Experienced Women's Volleyball Preps for Title Defense

If you take a quick scan down the Regis (Mass.) women's volleyball roster you'll catch that the team is missing something. Seniors.

"We're young in age, but not experience," says head coach Scott Wright of his team, which features six juniors, seven sophomores and seven freshmen. With only one player graduating from the 2015 New England Collegiate Conference championship team, a strong core returns to defend the title.

After dropping the first two sets in the 2015 NECC title game to Lesley, the Pride battled back to take home the hardware in five sets. The composure the team showed in that high-intensity match showed the team's strong mental maturity, which Wright believes will carry his team through a tough non-conference schedule.

"We want to build respect beyond just the NECC," says Wright. The Pride, who were unanimously picked to top the NECC in the Preseason Coaches Poll unveiled last week, have set team goals to earn a regional ranking and win an NCAA tournament game, and hope non-conference meetings against Babson (Sept. 9), MIT (Sept. 10) and Tufts (Sept. 10), among others, will prepare them for success.

In particular, the team has MIT circled on its calendar. The Engineers ended the Pride's season last year in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, when they downed Regis 3-0. "Size was the biggest difference," says junior captain Nicole Connolly (San Mateo, Calif.). "Coach (Wright) pushes us harder than them. We want it more."

But just because an NCAA Tournament rematch and other tough non-conference games lay on the horizon, the team is certainly not overlooking their NECC foes as they enter their final year before jumping to the Great Northeast Athletic Conference. With back-to-back conference titles under their belt, other teams will be looking to knock Regis off its perch. "There's extra pressure on us always," says junior captain Haley Schulte (Fullerton, Calif.), adding that the team that wins the year before always has a target on its back.

The team will roll out an impressive lineup when it kicks off its season on Sept. 9 at the MIT Invitational, with depth at every position.

Defending NECC Rookie of the Year, middle Rachel Bartels, will look to have a strong sophomore season for the Pride. "Her reflexes are strong and she's got a great net presence," says Wright, adding that her all-around ability will make her a regular in the Pride lineup. Bartels led the conference with 62 blocks in 2015.

Connolly will make the shift from middle to outside this season and is a presence both on and off the floor. "She slows the game down defensively," says Wright, "and she can pick spots offensively and earn points." Off the floor, Wright commended her leadership role, incorporating the newcomers and building the "family of the team."

Regis freshman Katryna Veasey (Quincy, Mass.) will join Connolly at the outside position, bringing power to the Pride offense. Wright boasts that her top-of-the-line athleticism and court IQ make her an easy player to coach and will be a force on offense.

Veasey's classmate, right side Stephanie Carter (Jupiter, Fla.) is a player whose versatility, Wright believes, will make it tough to take her off the court. On top of having a great presence at the net defensively, Wright sees Carter as being "just as threatening from the back as the front."

The most hotly contested position for Regis will be at setter, where the Pride have three talented players all competing for one spot. Wright notes that all of the three have qualities that make them stand out and that all of them really push to make the others better. Wright notes the improved decision making of Schulte, the 2015 NECC Tournament Most Valuable Player. Her ability to spot and pick apart opponent's weaknesses make her a strong addition to the Regis team.

Defensively, Coach Wright notes a strong improvement from last year for Shay Faber (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), with a noticeably improved vertical. The 5'9 Faber has already shown increased blocking ability that will prove an asset on the defensive side of the ball.

The third setter on the Pride roster is junior Crystina Lathrop (Houston, Texas). Lathrop has been known to keep opposing defenses guessing by getting the entire Pride offense involved. Wright notes that Lathrop demands respect and has a strong command of the offense. The three setters will likely all see significant time on the court.

On defense, a pair of underclassmen will carry the libero and defensive specialist roles. Wright sees big things from freshman Dylan Godfrey (Wellington, Fla.) and sophomore Caroline Fuentes (Downey, Calif.), as he says that both do a stellar job holding down the defense. Both are very competitive and will push each other to be better, something that has become a theme among the team this year.

Freshman outside hitter Kayla Nystedt (Onamia, Minn.) has only been practicing with the Pride for a little over a week, but already sees how much of an impact she and her fellow classmates can make. "In high school, competition varies by age," she says. "Here, the freshmen are coming in at the same level as the juniors."

With a talented and deep freshman class, competition has been high already this preseason, and will continue to rise as the regular season gets underway. "Each of the 20 players on the roster brings in something different," says sophomore middle MacKenzie Emco (Sutton, Mass.). With every player owning a unique skill set, the team practices against everything that opponents can possibly throw their way.

Coach Wright has the best problem a coach can have. "It's tough to handle all the talent on the roster," he says. "It's gonna be a good year."

Regis opens its season on Friday, Sept. 9 against Babson. They open their home schedule on Sept. 15 against University of New England. Match time is set for 6:00 p.m.

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