2018 Quick Facts (PDF)

EAST STROUDSBURG – Fresh off several wins against some of the top teams in Division II in 2017, East Stroudsburg University's volleyball program will look to take another step forward this fall.

The 2018 campaign gets underway on Thursday at Koehler Fieldhouse, when the Warriors host Bloomfield at 11 a.m. and Mercy at 3 p.m. in a season-opening tri-match. ESU made significant strides last season under first-year head coach Kevin Rodgers, earning its most victories (17) since 2006 and going 5-1 against PSAC Southeast division opponents.

The Warriors topped three teams (Gannon, New Haven, West Chester) which advanced to the NCAA DII national tournament, and they also knocked off traditional PSAC frontrunner Clarion in three sets. Gannon ultimately made it to the DII Final Four, while New Haven advanced to the Elite Eight as East Region champions.

"Those wins set the standard for where we want to be going forward," Rodgers said. "And we also had three PSAC losses in five sets which could've easily gone the other way. There are always a lot of tough teams in our conference, but last year proved that we are capable of competing with and beating those teams."

There will be plenty of new faces on the roster this season, with seven returning Warriors joined by 10 incoming freshmen. ESU will need to replace seven departed seniors from 2017, including regular starters Desiree Claxton (OH), Erica Cunningham (S), Courtney Miller (MB) and Rosa Veliky (L).

Outside/Right Side Hitters

Junior Sarah Smith leads the ESU returners on the outside. She became the first Warrior in five years to earn All-PSAC accolades last fall, as she was selected to the third team after contributing a team-high 299 kills. Smith was also ranked second in digs (372) and fourth in aces (19) and blocks (55). She has been chosen as PSAC Southeast Athlete of the Week five times in her first two years with the program.

"Sarah's been looking good so far," Rodgers said. "She's still jumping high and getting great angles on her hits. With her accomplishments last year, she's kind of become a default leader on the team, and I'm interested to see how she handles that role."

Junior Sam Dunphy has also been a key contributor on the right side in each of her first two seasons at ESU. Dunphy, who will serve as one of the team's two captains in 2018, ranked third in kills (197) and blocks (67), and played a key role in containing top threats from the opposing side.

"Sam was huge for us last year," Rodgers said. "She shut down all-conference outside hitters from Gannon, Clarion and West Chester. She reads the ball so well and seems to know where those hitters are going every time. She put in a lot of offseason work improving the consistency of her attack, and I think she's hungry to take the team a step further."

Several other Warriors will have the chance to compete for playing time on the outside, with junior Daisy Dinkins joined by newcomers Andrea Coyle, Caylinn Davis, Clare Davison, Jasmine Mooney and Anna Salasky.

"It's going to be a competition throughout the season," Rodgers remarked. "The good thing is that everyone is hungry. Everyone has been the star on their team in high school or club ball. It's a different game in college, and as they gain experience that will help them understand what adjustments they need to make to compete at this level."

Middle Blockers

The Warriors were strong up the middle throughout 2017, ranking second in the PSAC in blocks per game. Leading the way was junior Jasmine Williams, who was third in the conference individually at 1.09 blocks per set. Her 111 blocks overall were the second-most in ESU single season history.

Redshirt sophomore Trea-sure Ketter is also back after appearing in 12 matches for the Warriors in her debut season, while newcomers include Kailyn Pyle and Stephanie Roughan.

"Our blocking was a strength last year," Rodgers said. "And it won us a lot of games. Our focus lately has been on improving our attack percentages. The goal is to hit over .300 like a lot of the top middles in the conference. That's the standard we're striving for here."

Setter

Tina Predojevic is the lone senior on this year's roster, and she joins Dunphy to make up the program's two captains in 2018. Predojevic has totaled 83 aces and over 1,000 assists in her first three years at ESU. She totaled 214 assists in her junior season, supplying 32 assists to go along with a season-high 18 digs while serving as the team's primary setter in the Warriors' upset win at Gannon.

"Tina's been in a volleyball gym all summer long," Rodgers remarked. "She's a true leader on the court. I have a lot of confidence in her to lead the team, and I think she'll do really well for us."

Backing up Predojevic will be Kayla Lugo, a freshman from Hesperia, California who earned first team All-League and All-Area accolades during her senior season at Sultana High School.

Libero

The Warriors have three potential liberos on the roster in redshirt sophomore Abby Moore, freshman Emily Meredith and freshman Hailey Jones. Moore returns to the fold after missing last season due to injury; she ranked fourth on the team in digs (245) and third in aces (19) during her freshman year in 2016.

"Libero is another position where I expect a competition for playing time throughout the season," Rodgers said. "The person who is the best passer and isn't afraid to get hit by those hard driven balls is going to be starting."

Outlook

There will be a new look to the PSAC Southeast division in 2018, as Millersville moves over from the Central in place of departed Cheyney. Bloomsburg, which is beginning its first season as a program, replaces Millersville in the Central.

The top team in each of the conference's four divisions automatically advances to the PSAC tournament, while the four teams with the highest remaining conference records receive at-large selections. ESU, which was projected to finish second in the Southeast in the coaches' preseason poll released on Tuesday, is looking to advance to the postseason for the first time since 2008.

"We want to make the playoffs, there's no doubt about it," Rodgers concluded. "Our returners gained a lot of invaluable experience last year, and we have some really good freshmen who want to go out there and just play as hard as they can. With the wins against top teams from last season, and as we continue to develop more consistency, there's no reason why we can't take the next step."


2018 PSAC Volleyball Preseason Poll – Southeast Division
Rank    School (First Place Votes)      2017 Record
1          West Chester (11)                   24-9 (12-6)
2          ESU (4)                                   17-13 (7-11)
3          Millersville (1)                          18-10 (9-9)
4          Kutztown                                 10-21 (4-14)
 
Central Division
Rank    School (First Place Votes)      2017 Record
1          Shippensburg (9)                     21-12 (13-5)
2          Pitt-Johnstown (7)                   27-9 (13-5)
3          Lock Haven                             11-19 (4-14)
4          Bloomsburg                             ---
 
Northwest Division
Rank    School (First Place Votes)      2017 Record
1          Gannon (15)                            32-7 (15-3)
2          Edinboro (1)                            22-10 (10-8)
3          Mercyhurst                              11-18 (6-12)
4          Slippery Rock                          11-19 (3-15)
 
Southwest Division
Rank    School (First Place Votes)      2017 Record
1          Seton Hill (8)                           22-8 (14-4)
2          Clarion (6)                               20-12 (11-7)
3          IUP (2)                                    25-10 (15-3)
4          California                                14-15 (8-10)