Riverdale, N.Y. (August 7, 2006)-Manhattan Volleyball earned the fifth spot out of ten teams in the annual Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Preseason Coaches Poll. The prediction places the Lady Jaspers exactly where they finished the 2005 campaign.
Manhattan accumulated 62 points in the poll, only two behind third-place vote-getter Canisius College with Iona College sandwiched in between the two with 63 points. The 2005 MAAC Champion Siena College Saints finished atop the list with 96 points followed by Fairfield University's 94 points. Before storming through the MAAC Tournament on its way to the NCAA Regionals, Siena battled the Lady Jaspers on the last weekend of the regular season for the fourth and final berth into the MAAC Tournament. The Saints edged Manhattan in five games to begin their historic run.
With the Saints returning their top players from a year ago, the Lady Jaspers will take on a new look in 2006. After the graduation of 2005 MAAC Offensive Player of the Year
Maggie Pfeifer and All-MAAC Second Team selection
Megan O'Dorisio, the Lady Jasper will have to look in a new direction for offense. Senior co-captains
Whitney Judkins and
Meghan Plunkett hope to emerge in the middle and on the outside, respectively. Middle
Jackie Kapovich and outside hitter
Sherryta Stokes, who both transferred to Manhattan from St. John's University before the spring season, should also help fill the void left behind by Pfeifer and O'Dorisio.
Head coach Ray Green also has junior
Ashley Watson, who averaged 1.98 kills per game and 2.98 digs per game last year on the outside, on his roster. Sophomore
Alyssa Getzel, who saw significant playing time during 2005 in a back-up role, will be the team's setter.
Manhattan opens the 2006 season when the Lady Jaspers host the third annual Jasper Invitational on August 25 and 26. The Lady Jaspers are scheduled to face Stony Brook University at 4:00 p.m. on the tournament's first day with matches against the University of Rhode Island and Long Island University on the following day.
