CC Preseason Poll

CC Preseason Guide

LANCASTER, Pa. – It will be a year of looking to prove the doubters wrong for the Ursinus College womens' volleyball team after it was ranked 10^th in the Centennial Conference preseason poll.

The Bears received 17 points – five more than last-place Bryn Mawr – in the ranking.

Johns Hopkins nabbed the top spot in the ranking and collected seven of the 11 first-place votes. Swarthmore was just behind, earning three first-place votes.

First-year head coach Cecily Scavicchio looks to improve on the Bears' 8-14 record in 2016. The Bears dropped their final seven matches after a 3-2 win over Randolph on October 1, but with a handful of new faces to go along with more experienced veterans, the tide looks to be turning.

Allison Raff returns for her senior season and will likely lead the Bears in kills as she did in 2016, when she registered 276. Raff, who recorded 10 double-doubles, ranked third in the conference in kills per set (3.58), fourth in points per set (4.0), eighth in kills (276), ninth in digs per set (3.99), 12^th in points (307.0), and 15^th in digs (307). She was one of only two players in the CC to produce at least 275 kills and 300 digs.

Sophomore Kelly Piotrowicz, who led the team with 403 assists in her debut season, will join Raff in leading the squad. Piotrowicz was 11^th in the conference in assists and registered 5.23 digs per set – good enough for 8^th in the league.

Along with leading the team in assists, Piotrowicz was second in kills (148) and third in digs (205).

Sophomore Miranda Foster and junior Grace LaDelfa return to shore up the defense. Foster topped the team in blocks (26) as a freshman last season, while LaDelfa added 10 of her own. LaDelfa will likely see a larger role at middle blocker following the departure of Sam Murphy.

Taylor McCartney brings plenty of leadership to the court, joining Raff as the lone seniors on a young Bears squad. McCartney was in the rotation for all 22 matches last season, contributing 75 kills (third on team) and 123 digs (fourth).

Sydney Gonzalez will be back for her second season at libero, where she started every match in 2016. The junior was second on the team in digs (286) and was second in the conference in aces per set (0.51) and 11^th in aces with a team-high 39.

Scavicchio is also excited to work with an incoming class that includes seven freshmen, comprising nearly half the squad.

Ursinus opens the season on Friday, Sept. 1 at home vs. Albright. The Bears' first conference match comes Sept. 19 versus Swarthmore. 

2017 CC Volleyball Preseason Poll