2010 Volleyball Season Preview

As she enters her third year at the helm of the Trevecca volleyball program, head coach Jayme Crowley is focused on continuing to build a solid foundation for the current and future success of Trojan volleyball. "I am excited about the opportunity to build a foundation for this team and this program," says Crowley.

With six newcomers added to the roster and only one senior and two juniors among the six returnees, youth is definitely the theme of the 2010-2011 Trojan roster. Setter Brooke Cannon is back for her fourth and final season in purple and white, carrying the torch as the lone senior on this year's team. The other returning starters are junior setter Halley Wiggins and junior libero Haley White, although according to Crowley, "We start all over this season, and the three returning starters will have to earn those spots once again." Sophomore Cassidy Watkins was a reserve last season, but Crowley says, "I believe she could have a breakout season as a sophomore, and I am expecting her to." Sophomores Casey Kania and Maddie Burford also return from last year's team which finished 25-13 overall and 11-3 in the TranSouth Conference, good for 2nd place.

"In order to be successful at volleyball, you must love volleyball: breathe it, live it, love it," says Crowley. "Our theme this year is Power-N-Unity; we want to develop a united TEAM front." Crowley subscribes to legendary coach John Wooden's Pyramid of Success for inspiration, focusing specifically on loyalty, hard work, and passion. In addition, Crowley says, "I expect our players to develop as whole persons-academically, athletically, and spiritually."

Joining the six returnees will be six newcomers to the Trojan family for the 2010-2011 season. The Trojans have added sophomore Julie Dimick (5'10" - Goddard, Kan.) and six freshmen: Persephonie Devereaux (6'0" - Tehachapi, Calif.), Brittany Eller (5'10" - Crossville, Tenn.), Savannah Hedges (5'2" - Clarksville, Tenn.), Kristen Johnson (5'9" - Franklin, Tenn.), and Shelby Sorce (5'9" - Chandler, Ariz.).

Eller comes to Trevecca from Stone Memorial High School in Crossville, Tenn., and according to Crowley, Eller "has the potential to be a great leader for the program; strong and athletic." Johnson, from Independence High School in Franklin, Tenn., and Sorce, from Hamilton High School in Chandler, Ariz., are both utility players who can play multiple positions, giving Crowley some lineup flexibility. "They both have excellent ball control skills and court sense," says Crowley, "and they both have an excellent volleyball IQ." 

The schedule features an early-season trip to Milligan College for "Milligan Mountain Madness," with the Trojans playing four matches in two days, against Southern Virginia, Bryan, Shorter, and the host Buffaloes. The Scott Jones Classic takes place at Trevecca the first weekend of September, and the Trojans play in two other invitationals prior to the start of TranSouth Conference play---the Lee University Invitational on September 11 and the TranSouth/Mid-South Volleyball Classic at Cumberland University the weekend of September 17-18.

With several new faces to integrate into the lineup this season, Coach Crowley knows how important that foundation is to success, both now and in the future. "When I think of the word foundation, I think of building from the ground up, and as Coach Wooden points out, ‘ability will take you to the top, but only character will keep you there.'"