Photo courtesy Quinnipiac Athletics
By Dylan Fearon
Despite recent struggles, Quinnipiac volleyball head coach Kris Czaplinski finally has four recruiting classes under his belt. After multiple years in a rebuilding stage, the Bobcats are looking to break through the top of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference and win its first MAAC Tournament game in program history.
The Bobcats are coming off a 2-31 season that ended on a 20-game losing streak. Quinnipiac participated in the MAAC Tournament that was held in Kissimmee, Florida and was broadcast live on ESPN3. Canisius and Iona bounced Quinnipiac out of the double-elimination tournament in November.
Quinnipiac returns the core group that finished the season second in the MAAC in blocks and fourth in service aces. Outside Hitter Katie Urycki is entering her junior year after a solid sophomore season, leading the team in kills (262) and service aces (35). The Chesterton, Indiana product was also sixth in the conference in service aces a year ago.
The Bobcats are looking for their first conference tournament victory in over a decade. In order to achieve that goal, Middle Hitter Allison Leigh will need to step up just like she did a year ago. Leigh, a junior from Palmer, Alaska, was third in the conference in blocks. The Bobcats also bring back key players Jamie Paolucci, Sierra Dawson, Elizabeth Kloos and Jamie Termotto. Junior Emma Ogden returns after missing the entire season due to injury, but was a key piece for the Bobcat’s in her freshman campaign.
Czaplinski has added three incoming freshman to the 2015 roster; Jennifer Coffey, Claire Knust and Kat Miller. Coffey is a six-foot-one Outside Hitter from Merrimack, New Hampshire who was named the New Hampshire Girls Volleyball Gatorade Player of the Year. Knust, a six-footer who can play both outside and middle hitter, hails from Omaha, Nebraska, while Miller is a five-foot-eleven setter from Collegeville, Pennsylvania.
“All three incoming freshmen not only bring great talent to Quinnipiac but are most importantly great people who come from great families,” Czaplinski said in a statement. “All three will add expertise and volleyball IQ to the team for the 2015 season. These girls have a team-first mentality and as much as they want to win they know that the team must be strong off the court to succeed on the court. I couldn’t be more excited in bringing these young student-athletes in together at Quinnipiac.”
The Bobcats start their season off at the Hampton Inn-vitational in Smithfield, Rhode Island. Quinnipiac will take on Bryant, Iona and Holy Cross the weekend of Aug. 28th. The Bobcats first home game is Sept. 23rd against St. Francis Brooklyn.
