BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- The Bridgewater State University Bears have been picked to finish second in the 2011 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) Volleyball standings in a vote of the league's coaches. The MASCAC Volleyball Preseason Poll was released today by conference Director of Media Relations, Jim Seavey.
Bridgewater State finished behind preseason favorite Westfield State University in the poll. Westfield, the defending MASCAC champion, garnered 48 points and received six of seven first place votes. Bridgewater captured the other first place vote and a total of 41 points. Worcester State University with 32 points and MCLA with 26 points round out the top four.
Head Coach Liz Morris begins her second season at the helm of the BSU volleyball program. Morris directed the 2010 Bears to a record of 15-11 and a spot in the MASCAC Tournament championship game. The second seeded Bears knocked off third seeded Worcester in the tournament semifinals, 3-0, before falling to Westfield in the title match, 3-1.
Coach Morris welcomes back an outstanding sophomore class led by team captains Melanie Appleman (Hyannis, Mass.) and Tayler Beck (Marion, Mass.). Appleman, an All-MASCAC Second Team selection in 2010, started all 26 matches from the setter position and tallied 648 assists and 96 digs to go along with 31 kills and 14 aces. Beck also made 26 starts and notched 189 kills, 31 aces and 73 digs a season ago.
Also returning to the mix is defensive specialist Chelsea Correia (East Falmouth, Mass.), off setter Emily Boyer (Stockbridge, Mass.) and middle blocker Michelle Atkins (Chelsea, Mass.). Correia has fantastic ability to read the court from the back row, while Boyer compliments Appleman well as the off setter. Atkins has developed as a middle with dominant blocking ability.
Some key newcomers to the BSU volleyball program include freshmen Lisa Vega (Milford, Mass.) and Shannon Holt (Weymouth, Mass.), and sophomore transfer Danielle Dean (Gilford, N.H.).
Vega was a three-year varsity player and setter for Milford High School. She was named to the Metro West Daily News All-Scholastic Team and the Worcester Telegram and Gazette Super Team as a senior when she compiled 673 assists, (tops in the state at the Division II level), 132 digs and 26 aces.
Holt was a Bay State League All-Star at Weymouth High School. A four-year starter on the varsity team, she started her senior season as an outside hitter, but, because her defense was so dominant, was moved to libero for the second half of the season.
Dean comes to Bridgewater State via Southern Connecticut State University. During her high school career, Dean helped the Gilford varsity volleyball team capture the New Hampshire Intercollegiate Athletic Association (NHIAA) Division II championship in 2007 and advance to the finals again in 2009.