Season Preview: 2022 Volleyball

WASHINGTON, Pa. -- A new era of Washington & Jefferson College volleyball will be ushered in when the Presidents open the 2022 season on Sept. 2-3 at the BSN River City Classic at Marietta College. First-year head coach Lindsey Llewellyn will be tasked with rebuilding the program after a three-win season a year ago. 

2021 Season Review: The Presidents look to bounce back after a disappointing 3-22 season in 2021. W&J put together a 7-6 overall record and advanced to the PAC Tournament Semifinals during the shortened spring season of 2021. However, the Presidents were unable to build upon that strong season and won just three matches last fall. 

W&J rode a 12-kill and 19-dig performance by Claire Sauerland (Hollidaysburg, Pa./Hollidaysburg) to pick up a 3-1 road win at Saint Vincent. 

The Presidents saw close sets the entire game but found a way to win thanks to their offensive production which had their top four hitters combined for 41 of the team's 53 kills during the match. Their defensive prowess and ability to keep points alive thanks to 111 digs, allowed for the 3-1 victory.

Amidst the hard fought season, second year Lizzie Carmichael (Wyoming, Ohio / Wyoming) continued her collegiate career producing on both sides of each possession this past fall for the Presidents. Carmichael compiled enough kills (220) and blocks (63.0) to lead the team this year and earn new career/season highs.

Following their first win of the season, W&J added another conference victory, this time in five sets over Franciscan. Carmichael led the way offensively with 15 kills while Sophia Sacriponte (Butler, Pa. / Butler Area) paced the defensive efforts with 33 digs for the Presidents.

The highlight of the season came at home on Oct. 21 when the Presidents stunned eventual PAC runner-up Bethany in five sets. After dropping the first two sets by 35-33 and 25-21 scores, W&J responded by winning the next three sets, which included overcoming a sizable deficit in the fourth set. 

Additionally, Carmichael earned all-conference selection for the second time while junior outside hitter Ashley Bertling (Berkley, Mich./Berkley) represented W&J on the PAC Sportsmanship Team. Senior setter Alexis Tomassini earned selection to the 2021 Division III Academic All-District® IV Women's Volleyball First Team, as chosen by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

Following the concusion of the season, Llewellyn was announced as the new leader of its women's volleyball program. Llewellyn started her duties as head coach on February 1, 2022. 

"Throughout the spring, my biggest goal was to get to know our student-athletes, both on and off the court," Llewellyn said. "Our spring season allowed me to see what my returners were bringing to our program, while also giving them time to get an idea of my coaching style and what to expect before we head into our competition season."

Recently, the Presidents announced the hiring of Reilly Parker to assist Coach Llewellyn this fall. Llewellyn and Parker both played together as part of championship teams at Bethany.

"Reilly will be bringing a wealth of defensive expertise to our program this fall, and I could not be happier to have her joining us," said Llewellyn. "Having won the conference twice during her playing career, she knows what level our defense needs to compete at in order to be successful."

2022 PAC Players To Watch                       
Jaden Blough              So.        RS        Meyersdale, Pa. I Meyersdale
Lizzie Carmichael        Jr.         MH        Wyoming, Ohio I Wyoming
Adrianna Sacramento So.        S            Pittsburgh, Pa. I Woodland Hills
Sophia Sacriponte       Sr.        DS          Butler, Pa. I Butler


2022 PAC Preseason Poll (Voted upon by league's 11 head coaches)
1. Bethany College (6)                102    17-11 (13-5 PAC)
2. Westminster College (3)          95    28-5 (18-0 PAC)
3. Grove City College (1)             86    19-12 (11-7 PAC)
4. Thiel College (1)                      81    11-19 (11-7 PAC)
5. Allegheny College                    78    14-10 (2-6 NCAC)
6. Chatham University                 76    19-8 (13-5 PAC)
7. Geneva College                       60    13-17 (10-8 PAC)
8. Saint Vincent College              47    9-17 (6-12 PAC)
9. Waynesburg University            40    9-19 (3-15 PAC)
10. Washington & Jefferson      29    3-22 (3-15 PAC)
11. Franciscan University             21    3-17 (2-16 PAC)

 
Team Captains: Morgan Kiefer, Lizzie Carmichael, and Claire Sauerland

"Lizzie, Claire, and Morgan know that they are expected to set the standard for our team as our captains," Llewellyn said. "I am excited to see what they will accomplish in this role as well. 

Returners: W&J returns nine players, which includes four seniors, who were on the roster last fall. 

"Looking at this fall, I definitely have high expectations for our senior class," said Llewellyn. "I think they are a very driven group of young women, and each of them brings something different to our program. They have made it known to me and to our team that they are working towards a successful senior season, and I am excited for their final fall as part of W&J Volleyball in the coming months."

Setter – W&J will have a new starter at the position following the graduation of two-year starter Alexis Tomassini.

The Presidents have sophomore Adrianna Sacramento (Pittsburgh, Pa./ Woodland Hills) returning to compete for the starting role as she brings some experience to the unit. She played 28 sets over the course of 10 games last season. 

Senior Ava Smith (Mechanicsburg, Pa. / Cumberland Valley) and freshman Piper McFarland (West Mifflin, Pa. / Cornerstone Preparatory Academy) also give Coach Llewellyn a couple options behind for the starting role in 2022.

"Our 2022 roster includes returning setter Adrianna Sacramento, as well as Ava Smith who joined us this spring and Piper McFarland who is a newcomer for our team," said Llewellyn. "Replacing Tomassini is certainly not an easy task, but I am confident in the talent that we have on our roster this fall," stated Llewellyn. "One of our major preseason focuses will be establishing our offense with a new setter, and I am hopeful that each of these three will help us to succeed."
 
Libero/Defensive Specialists – There are a slew of returners that will bolster the defensive position for W&J in 2022. Sophia Sacriponte (Butler, Pa. / Butler Area) performed well in the libero role last fall, as she amassed 421 digs during her junior campaign. Sacriponte earned PAC Defensive Player of the Week honors on Sept. 27. 

Fellow senior Morgan Kiefer (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Bethel Park) also returns at the position and will serve as one of the three team captains. 

Lanie French (Beaver, Pa./ Beaver Area) and Ava Smith (Mechanicsburg, Pa. / Cumberland Valley) will also compete for playing time as well defensively. French had 144 digs last season as a freshman. 

Defensively, W&J added a group of newcomers as well who could vie for playing time. Caylin Angel (Wheeling, W.Va./Wheeling Park), Zoe Ciboroski (Pasadena, Md./Kent Island) and Cassie Smith. 

Outside Hitter and Right Side – Claire Sauerland (Hollidaysburg, Pa./Hollidaysburg Area) returns for her senior season. Sauerland ranked in the top five on the roster for kills (99), digs (154) and blocks (19.0) last fall. She posted at least 12 kills in four matches and set a career-high with 15 kills against Grove City.

Ashley Bertling (Berkley, Mich. / Berkley) appeared in 19 matches throughout the season. She was also recognized at the end of last season on the 2022 PAC Sportsmanship Team.

Second-year players Jaden Blough (Meyersdale, Pa./Meyersdale) and Kaitlyn Delauter (Marysville, Ohio/ North Union) will figure into the mix as well at right side and outside hitter positions, respectively. Blough finished with double-digit kills on nine occasions in her debut season. The lefty registered a season-high 15 kills against Bethany and Saint Vincent. DeLauter proved to be a reliable two-way player, as she finished with 103 kills, 84 digs and 12 blocks. 

Several first-year players are the mix on the outside. Faith Fetsko (South Park, Pa./South Park), Bridgett Everett (Hollidaysburg, Pa./Hollidaysburg), Cassie Smith (Grove City, Pa./Grove City) and Beyonce Pierce (Parkersburg, W.Va./Parkersburg) are among the newcomers who could make an impact at the hitting positions. 

Middle Hitter – W&J returns former First Team All-PAC performer Lizzie Carmichael in the middle. Carmichael will serve as a team captain after having another standout season as a sophomore as she earned honorable mention honors. Carmichael continued her offensive impact this past season as she posted at least 10 kills in 11 games last season. She also found crucial ways to impact the defensive side of the net contributing a team-high 63 blocks. 

"I foresee Lizzie continuing to be a force in our blocking scheme throughout our 2022 season, as well as a strong offensive threat," said Llewellyn. "She is our only true middle blocker returning, and I expect our incoming middles Abby and Shelby to both challenge her and learn from her."

Shelby Barrie (Washington, Pa. / Washington) and Abby Tester (Munhall, Pa. / Steel Valley) enter the fold in the middle and will compete for playing time alongside of Carmichael. 
 
Newcomers: The Presidents welcome nine freshmen to the fold in 2021.

"Bringing in my first recruiting class at W&J was a great experience, and our 2022 class will be a huge addition to our returning talent," said Llewellyn. " We are certainly a young team this fall with 9 newcomers and 10 returners, but I do anticipate our newcomers making an immediate impact."

No.        Name                   CL.         POS.      HT.         Hometown/High School
1             Caylin Angel        Fr.          DS/LIB   5-6         Wheeling, W.Va. / Wheeling Park            
2             Zoe Ciboroski     Fr.          DS/LIB   5-4         Pasadena, Md. / Kent Island         
5             Beyonce Pierce  Fr.          DS/OH   5-4         Parkersburg, W.Va. / Parkersburg        
8             Bridgett Everett   Fr.          OH         5-8         Hollidaysburg, Pa. / Hollidaysburg Area        
11           Abby Tester          Fr.          MH/RS  5-8         Munhall, Pa. / Steel Valley            
12           Cassie Smith       Fr.          OH/RS   5-8         Grove City, Pa. / Grove City Area          
13           Faith Fetsko        Fr.          OH/RS   5-10       South Park, Pa. / South Park       
15           Shelby Barrie       Fr.          MH         5-11       Washington, Pa. / Washington          
22           Piper McFarland  Fr.          S/DS       5-6         West Mifflin, Pa. / Cornerstone Preparatory Academy       

Coaching Staff:
Following Llewellyn's first semester with the program, the squad earned The United State Marine Corps (USMC) and the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic Award for the 2021-2022 academic year.

Llewellyn comes to W&J after her time as a graduate assistant at West Liberty where she aided the Hilltoppers in compiling a 28-17 (18-8 Mountain East Conference) record across the two seasons she coached at WLU. Llewellyn will look to bring the program back into the top half of the PAC standings. 

Reilly Parker joins Llewellyn's coaching staff as the assistant volleyball coach for the 2022 season. Parker was a fellow teammate of Llewellyn's at Bethany, winning PAC titles in both 2016 and 2018. 

Looking At The Schedule: W&J opens the season with a non-conference match against Franciscan on Sept. 2. PAC play begins on Oct. 1 with a road match with Chatham. The first league home match takes place on Wednesday, Oct. 5 against PAC newcomer, Allegheny College.

Final Word From Llewellyn: "I am excited to begin my first season with W&J Volleyball, and I am grateful to be working with a group of student-athletes that shows so much drive and potential. In the spring our team decided that "day by day" would be our motto for this fall, and I think this is very fitting for us. We recognize that success cannot happen overnight, and that in order for us to compete as a team we must be willing to work hard each day. I am confident in this group's ability to achieve their goals this fall, and I look forward to getting into the gym with them!"