The junior setter missed the 2014 season after shoulder surgery.
CLICK HERE to read original article - written by Portland Press Herald Staff Writer Mike Lowe
Mariah Hebert admittedly was anxious about the start of the Saint Joseph's College volleyball season.
Hebert, a junior from Biddeford, missed the 2014 season following surgery to her left shoulder. While she felt healthy, she wasn't sure how the shoulder would hold up once the daily practices and games began.
So far, it's been perfect – and not just for her.
The Monks have started the season 6-0, winning Tuesday night's match against Plymouth State, and Hebert is a big reason. A year ago Saint Joseph's went 9-22, missing Hebert's steady play as the setter. With her back, the offense again runs smoothly.
"It's just dramatic," said Coach Yamile Nolan. "She's able to run plays off free balls. She communicates excellently with her hitters. It's just seamless. Truly it's a beautiful thing to watch after struggling with setting last year."
Hebert, the 2012 Maine Sunday Telegram volleyball player of the year, had 723 assists as a freshman and the Monks went 19-12. But her left shoulder kept dislocating.
She hoped to play through it as a sophomore but it was too painful. So she had surgery in July 2014 to strengthen the ball and socket.
"It was definitely hard to watch, especially after playing with them for a year," said Hebert. "It was tough to see them struggle."
She went through six months of physical therapy and resumed playing last summer. When the season began, she was ready to make up for a lost year.
"I missed the team quite a bit," she said. "But it feels good to come back stronger than I was."
"Her touch on the ball is so gentle and she just releases the ball, and it doesn't even spin," said Nolan.
"Beyond that, her placement is unbelievable. She says, 'Let me know where you want the ball – higher, shorter, longer, faster, whatever.' "
The Monks traditionally have a strong volleyball program and Nolan likes to think last year was an aberration.
Besides Hebert, the Monks have outstanding players in senior Felicia Wachowiak, the middle blocker from Milton, New Hampshire, and freshman Jennelle Thompson, the libero from Farmington, New Hampshire.
Wachowiak has been the Great Northeast Athletic Conference offensive and defensive player of the week for two consecutive weeks. Thompson was this week's GNAC rookie of the week.
Wachowiak has 30 blocks this year (19 solo) with 67 kills and 17 digs. She recently became the second player in team history to surpass 1,000 career kills. "Phenomenal," said Nolan. "She's just dominant when it comes to blocking."
Thompson has a team-high 94 digs and leads the Monks with 85 total receptions by serve.
"She's unflappable as a freshman," said Nolan. "If she makes a mistake, she doesn't make it twice. And she runs down balls that I don't think are gettable."
And then there's senior defensive specialist Abbie McPhee, of Epping, New Hampshire, who recently surpassed 1,000 career digs.
"My hope is that they keep playing with the same passion and intensity every game," Nolan said.
"Where that takes us, I don't know. But if we can take this passion onto the court, we can be proud of wherever we finish this season."
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Saint Joseph's College is Maine's only Catholic liberal arts college, providing a supportive, personalized and career-focused education for more than 100 years. From its 474-acre campus on the shores of Sebago Lake, the College offers more than 40 undergraduate programs to a population of approximately 1,000 students. Saint Joseph's College Online provides certificates, undergraduate and advanced degrees for working adults through an online learning program. For more, visit www.sjcme.edu.
