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2008 Season Preview...
KING'S VOLLEYBALL TEAM LOOKING FOR BREAKOUT SEASON
WILKES-BARRE -- A year ago, a King's College women's volleyball team comprised primarily of freshmen and sophomores, posted a fine 21-14 season.
After a narrow loss to top-seeded, eventual Freedom Conference champion DeSales in the league tournament semi-finals, the Lady Monarchs gained the confidence to know they can challenge the best teams in the conference.
A season later, those players are one year more experienced and now stand poised to embark on challenging for the Freedom Conference title and earn the automatic berth into the NCAA tournament that comes with it.
Under the leadership of veteran head coach Bernie Kachinko, who enters his 20th year at the helm, King's returns 13 players, including all of its starters from last season. Despite the returning talent, the Lady Monarchs still only have one senior on its entire roster.
Leading the way for King's are its returning front-line punch of junior middle hitter Kat Clerici (Seaford, NY/Seaford) and junior outside hitter Kaitlyn Malshefski (Nanticoke/Nanticoke Area).
Clerici enjoyed a banner 2007 campaign, earning first-team All-Freedom honors while Malshefski battled through injuries to gain a second-team berth. Both players were second-team all-conference selections as freshmen in 2006.
The 5-11 Clerici was a powerful force at the net with a team-high 370 kills and a 40.0 hitting percentage. She also tallied 115 total blocks, tying for the third highest season total in King's history. In her two years with the Lady Monarchs, Clerici now has 213 blocks and is ahead of the pace of the school record 372 total blocks set by Michelle Simcoe from 1992-95. Clerici's 108 blocks as a rookie stands as King's freshman record. She also contributed with 29 aces and 52 digs.
The 5-11 Malshefski may be the top all-around player on the team but was limited a year ago when she was injured in the pre-season and fought a variety of injuries throughout the 2007 campaign. Malshefski would finally return to near form the final few weeks of the season and helped lead King's push to the playoffs and near upset of DeSales in the Freedom Tournament semi-finals. Despite the injuries, she finished with 275 kills and 138 digs. With Malshefski at 100-percent in 2008, she and Clerici will form a potent one-two punch at the net.
Also back in the mix is junior libero Danielle Belfanti (Reading/Holy Name) who also comes off a brilliant 2007 season. Belfanti she set a new King's single-season school record of 685 digs, crushing the previous mark of 585 digs set by former King's all-American Jessica McVey in 2002. Belfanti, who was ranked among the NCAA leaders in digs, was a noteworthy snub when she was somehow left off the 2007 all-conference teams.
Up front, junior Katie Doss (Sugar Run/Wyalusing) returns to the program after one year in King's system following her transfer from Marywood University. Doss proved quite capable in the front line despite her 5-7 frame thanks to her great athletic ability. She tallied 182 kills with a 199 digs despite missing a series of matches with an injury.
Samantha Page (Wilkes-Barre/Bishop Hoban), a 5-8 junior, also returns as an outside hitter. Page came came on strong at the end of the 2007 season and hopes to parlay that success into an even better 2008 year. She finished her sophomore year with 109 kills, 24 service aces and 22 blocks
Also back are senior Nadya Alboschy (Salisbury Mills, NY/Washingtonville) and junior Shannon Ellis (Lansdowne/Upper Darby), who each play in the back row. Ellis registered 267 digs while Alboschy, the team's lone senior, added 67 digs.
Several sophomores will also play key roles in the Lady Monarchs' fortunes. Sophomore setter Samantha Garrigues (Rancho Cucamonga, CA/Etiwanda) was the top 2007 recruit and lived up to her early billing before injuries forced her to miss a full third of the season. Garrigues played in 69 of the team's 109 games and in 24 of King's 34 matches, posting 379 assists with a team-high 64 service aces. The 5-9 Garrigues was also effective when King's deployed a 6-2 attack as she added 92 kills with 67 digs.Another sophomore who should weight heavily in the team's success is 5-9 hitter Emily Kline (Andreas/Lehighton Area), who contributed with 96 kills and 34 blocks. With a year of experience under her belt, she is expected to make an even greater contribution in 2008.
as of 8/25/08
Fellow sophomore Kelly Greenway (Mechanicsburg/Trinity) is also back at setter and showed great improvement as the 2007 season progressed. She gained valuable experience during Garrigues' injury and comes into her second season of collegiate volleyball with much more confidence after distributing a team-high 562 assists as a freshman.
Looking to work their way into larger roles are a pair of sophomore hitters as 5-7 Colleen McEntee (Valley Stream, NY/George W. Hewlett) and 5-10 Samantha Gakeler (Jobstown, NJ/Northern Burlington) are back with the Lady Monarchs.
Three freshmen join the program also looking to earn roles on the team. At 5-7, Katie Kinsman (Towanda/Towanda) comes from an outstanding scholastic program where she gained valuable Pennsylvania state tournament experience. She will challenge for time as a defensive player.
Colleen Grosenick (Allentown/Dieruff) is a 5-8 defender/hitter while 5-6 Tanya Rabenold will most likely compete for time as a hitter.
The Lady Monarchs will open their season August 29-30 with the annual two-day King's College Volleyball Invitational Tournament in Scandlon Gymnasium.
King's College
133 North River Street Wilkes-Barre, PA 18711
1 (888) KINGS PA
Questions or comments to: Bob Ziadie, King's College Sports Information Director
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