The Virginia State University Women's Volleyball team under the direction of sixth -year Head Coach Amanda Walker looks to get over the hump in the 2022 season. The team will begin their quest to the CIAA Championship on August 26-27 in Elkins, West Virginia before returning to the 804 to open their home portion of the schedule September 2-3 in the VSU Volleyball Classic. The Trojans will look to make amends for how their 2021 season ended. VSU finished 15-10 overall and 13-3 in Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) conference play. The squad went 9-2 in October leading up to the CIAA VB Championship tournament. Unfortunately, the squad could not parlay the strong finish into a playoff run as they lost 2-3 to Claflin in the Quarterfinals of the CIAA Volleyball tournament. While the Trojans have indeed lost key contributors from a season ago, Coach Walker extremely optimistic about the returners and the newcomers.
"This upcoming 2022 season is going to be a pivotal season for us as we are really showcasing the direction this program is going," said Coach Walker. "Every year we are striving to recruit student-athletes who are not only going to make impacts on the court, but fit into the team culture, ideology and goals we have."
New Faces
Coach Walker certainly had her work cut out for her in terms of recruiting this season after losing a pair of explosive Middles in first team All-CIAA selection Bethany Henry (Led team in Blocks) and Kiara Hill (76 Kills in 2021).
"We signed three freshmen middles after losing Bethany Henry. Among those are Kelsea Saulny, De'Mya Robinson, and Leyla Conley. All three of these ladies are very athletic and very versatile. They each bring their own strengths and are capable of playing more than one position so I am excited to use them in the best way possible this season."
As for as Outside Hitters go, the Trojans will try to fill the void of First Team All-CIAA selection, Jodorrian Taylor (Fourth on the team in Points Scored) and Ambria McBride (Second on the team in Kills).
"We certainly had some big shoes to fill replacing starters Jodorrian Taylor and Ambria McBride. We are bringing in an incoming freshman, Amaya Cooper, who is a stellar athlete and very versatile. Joining Amaya, we have a transfer from College of St. Rose in New York, Jennah Kareem. Jennah was an Outside Hitter for her previous school and we are excited to have her bring some experience in that position."
Key Returners
While it can be stressful replacing primary play makers, the Trojans are returning a host of elite passers and defensive players. Kennedy Hoge (Led team in Aces) and Najlaa Williams (Led the team in Digs) will look to take the next step in their development this season after holding the back row of the VSU defense down as just freshman a season ago. Setters Makenzy Johnson and Emma Quarles are set to have the biggest leap this upcoming season according to Coach Walker as the two combined for 745 assists a season ago. The top returner coming back to solidify her position as the most dangerous Outside Hitter in the CIAA is Helena Eubanks (Led team in Points Scored, Kills and Hitting Percentage). Eubanks was named to the Second team All-CIAA squad as well as the All-CIAA Rookie team as a freshman.
"This season we are going to be led by our pair of senior setters, Emma Quarles and Makenzy Johnson. They will also have five new family members to get comfortable with and learn very quickly. Without a doubt, they will have a huge role this year and we will be looking to them for a lot of leadership."
Quest to First Ever CIAA Championship
The last time the VSU Volleyball team went to the CIAA Championship was in 2018 under Coach Walker. The squad has earned more than 10 conference wins each season in the last eight seasons and look to continue that streak and cap the year with the first-ever CIAA Championship this season.
"This season you can expect to see a group of women who are hungry to win the first CIAA Volleyball Championship in school history. We put in a lot of hard work this past spring physically and mentally. Every day in the gym was a day we got better."
Virginia State will kick off the season on the road in Elkins, West Virginia participating the Davis & Elkins Season Opening Invitational. The squad will open their 2022 campaign on Friday, August 26 with a date with Seton Hill (Pa.) at 3:00 p.m. and Davis & Elkins at 7:00 p.m. Day two of the Davis & Elkins Season Opening Invitational will start with a 3:00 p.m. matchup against Lock Haven before taking on Glenville State at 5:00 p.m.
