STANDISH, Maine – The 2017 Saint Joseph's College volleyball season begins tonight with a non-conference match at University of Southern Maine (6:00 PM). The tilt versus the Huskies opens a 31-match regular-season docket for the Monks.

STARTS AT THE TOP:

Head Coach Alexis Michal kicks off her second season at the helm for Saint Joseph's this evening after guiding the Monks to a 12-13 record with a 6-5 mark in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) play. Under Michal's watch, Saint Joseph's played particularly well late in the season with a 9-4 record during the month of October. The late-season surge included important five-set victories over GNAC opponents University of Saint Joseph, Mount Ida College, and Emmanuel College and helped the Royal Blue secure the #6 seed in the GNAC tourney.

WHERE WE LEFT OFF:

With the sixth seed, the Monks traveled to Anna Maria College to face the #3 AMCATS and nearly pulled off an upset. Down 0-2, St. Joe's rallied back to force a fifth set but ultimately fell short with a 15-9 deciding set loss.

DEARLY DEPARTED:

The Monks lost a pair of key contributors to graduation, as two-time All-GNAC honoree Victoria Huntley (Ellsworth, Maine) and four-year starter Shadai Gosselin (Somersworth, N.H.) departed with degrees last May. Huntley closed out her career with 798 kills, 1,004 digs, and 124 service aces over 105 matches (362 sets) while Gosselin tallied 651 kills, 1,332 digs, and 159 aces in 120 matches (425 sets).

KEY RETURNERS:

Two-time First Team All-GNAC and 2016 GNAC Libero of the Year Jennelle Thompson (Farmington, N.H.) leads a group of six returning players who garnered significant playing time last fall. Senior captain Jordynne Copp (Cumberland, Maine), junior setter Sarah Dyer (Seabrook, N.H.), and sophomores Kelsey Bickford (Somersworth, N.H.), Bailey Gryskwicz (Standish, Maine), and Chatham Mills (Gorham, Maine) are also back and all are expected to play major roles this fall.

Thompson has established herself as one of the elite liberos in New England with 1,305 digs during her first two seasons and a career average of 6.27 digs per set (DPS). Her 7.04 DPS rate last fall ranked second in all of NCAA DIII Women's Volleyball.

Copp has been a steady performer for the Monks over the last three seasons and enters her senior season with 391 kills, a .219 hitting percentage (third-highest in team history), and 169 total blocks over 315 career sets.

Dyer enjoyed a solid season in her first year as a starter with 553 assists over 73 sets as a sophomore and figures to continue her growth this fall. Bickford and Mills gained valuable experience as freshmen and combined to produce 213 kills and 88 total blocks last year. Gryskwicz, a defensive specialist who was selected as a team co-captain for this season, should see her role grow after posting 187 digs and 18 aces as a freshman.

 NEWCOMERS TO WATCH:

Five freshmen dot the 2017 SJC volleyball roster and all figure to play a role this fall. Three players have stood out so far this fall: middle blocker Erin Olson (Stoughton, Mass.), defensive specialist Madison Provencher (Rochester, N.H.), and outside hitter Sophia Randall (Epping, N.H.). Olson, a 6'0 middle blocker, could very well be a force on the front line for the Monks and seems to have improved with every practice session. Provencher possesses the soft hands and quickness all coaches seek in a DS, and Randall, an All-State hitter for Epping High School as a senior, adds depth and skill to the Monks' talented front.

GAMES TO SEE:

Sep. 5 vs. Plymouth State University: The 2017 home-opener pits the Monks against a very good Plymouth State squad. Last fall, the Panthers posted a 20-11 overall record and advanced all the way to the Little East Conference Championship.

Sep. 27 vs. Anna Maria College: The Monks look to avenge a five-set GNAC Quarterfinal setback at the hands of the AMCATS last fall.  

Oct. 28 vs. Johnson & Wales University (@ Mount Ida): Saint Joseph's caps the regular season with a match versus 2016 GNAC Champion Johnson & Wales, which entered the NCAA Tournament with a perfect 33-0 record a year ago. The Wildcats suffered their only loss of the year, a 3-0 setback at the hands of UMass.-Boston, in the opening round of the national tourney.

CLOSER LOOK AT THE 2017 SCHEDULE/OPPONENTS:

#GOMONKS 

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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.