NORFOLK, Va. — The Norfolk State volleyball team opens the 2007 season on Friday in the North Carolina Central Triad Challenge, which features Campbell, Elon, Loyola, North Carolina State, South Carolina State and host North Carolina Central. The Spartans open with Elon at 11 a.m. on Friday and then face N.C. Central at 3 p.m. On Saturday, NSU takes on Loyola at 9 a.m. and Campbell at 3 p.m.
The volleyball team lost four starters from last season, but will take on a markedly different look this season with the return of six players from least year’s team, the addition of three newcomers and a new coaching staff. First-year head coach Jennifer Fry will take on the challenge of revitalizing the program and achieving success in both conference and non-conference competition.
“I feel that getting quality recruits in and training them to be great players, creating a competitive environment that breeds winning, graduating my players within five years, and reaching out to the community is what will make this program successful,” Fry said. “It is my job and my passion to take NSU Volleyball to the next level and beyond.”
Fry will rely heavily on her returning players to set the standard for her newcomers. “The returnees have a huge role in my plan for the season,” Fry said. “They have a hunger to work hard and to win and that attitude is something that I want my newcomers to see, accept, and work to have.”
Leading the returnees is junior outside hitter Yolanda Roberts (Virginia Beach, Va.). In 2006, Roberts led the team and was fifth in the MEAC with 45 aces. She also leads the returning players in kills (2.34 per game) and points (2.97 per game). Her high-energy style of play and her athletic ability will contribute to continued success on the court.
Fry considers junior outside hitter Chantel Cherry (Portsmouth, Va.) one of her top returnees. Despite only playing in 36 of the team’s 94 games last season, Cherry played exceptionally well in spring games, giving Fry the impression that she is ready for a larger role on the team. Cherry averaged 1.44 kills and 1.97 digs per game in 2006.
Sophomore Solange Honore (San Fernando, Trinidad) took over the setting duties last season and had a team-high 761 assists (8.2 per game), which was good for 10th in the MEAC. She showed her on-the-court versatility by also recording 43 aces and 34 blocks during her freshman campaign.
As the team’s libero, junior Abaina Farrell (St. Thomas, U.S.V.I.) led the team and was 10th in the MEAC with 3.1 digs per game. Fry has worked one-on-one with Farrell in the off-season to help her improve her defensive techniques so that she can be one of the best liberos in the conference.
Junior Shardonay Blueford (Chesapeake, Va.) and senior Vanessa Faircloth (Lumberton, N.C.) both contributed to team on a limited basis last season, but should see expanded playing time this season after performing well in the spring. Faircloth made a solid debut with the Spartans hitting .151 for the season (second among the returnees) and over .200 in 10 matches in 2006.
Despite only signing two players in the off-season, one of whom will be redshirted, Fry is confident that the team will be successful this season.
Freshman middle hitter Heather Quinn (Conyers, Ga.) will come in and compete for a starting role. Quinn, a three-year volleyball letterwinner and multi-sport athlete at Rockdale County High School, has been praised by Fry for her athleticism and her hard-working attitude and is expected to make an immediate impact on the team.
Fry will get additional help from NSU women’s basketball players Mo’Nique Redhead (Toronto, Ontario) and Tiffany Gadsden (Columbia, S.C.) to add to the team’s success. Redhead, a senior who came to NSU in 2006 from Eastern Arizona CC, has great athletic ability and is a good jumper who should be very successful as an outside hitter.
Gadsden made good strides in her first season with the basketball team, leading the team and finishing second in the MEAC in blocks and setting the school record for blocked shots in a game (11). The sophomore will add depth at the middle hitter position, giving Fry some flexibility with the lineup.
In an attempt to challenge her players and take the program to new heights, Fry has scheduled several non-conference matches with schools like Rutgers, Virginia, UNC-Wilmington, and Elon. “In my opinion, we need to play against the teams whose level we are trying to achieve,” said Fry. “You cannot expect quality development of your program by continually playing teams that are on your level. I want my players to see where we can go with time, effort, and discipline.”
Overall, Fry knows that her team will make significant strides in the right direction this year. “This season, I expect that we will work hard and surprise people, especially in the MEAC, where we are considered the underdogs,” Fry said. “These players have been working hard and want to succeed.”
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