Its mediocre 7-9 record may not show it, but the University of Maryland-Baltimore County volleyball team appears close to becoming a major power in the America East Conference.
One needs simply to look at the conference?s weekly awards. A UMBC player has won practically every rookie of the week honor the last two years. Last year, sophomore outside hitter Sarah Ball was the unanimous selection as America East rookie of the year after averaging 4.45 points, 3.81 kills and 2.69 digs per game.
Outside hitter Ashley Oscars and setter Kira Giles are continuing the trend this year. They have combined to win the first five rookie of the week awards. Oscars is averaging a team-high 4.26 kills per game, while Giles contributes 10.4 assists a game.
Those three players, along with 2005 America East All-Rookie Team selection Ashley Hargrove and veterans like junior Jennifer Wylie (5.40 digs per game) and Amanda Willey (0.95 blocks per game), are giving second-year coach Ian Blanchard hope that the future is bright for Retriever volleyball.
“I?m happy about where we?re heading,” said Blanchard, a former assistant at Towson University. “We?re trying to get more physical players in here along with ones like we have with good skills.”
The 6-foot-1 Ball said she has seen the team come a long way since she arrived from Winnipeg, Canada last year. She added that the hardest part for UMBC the last two years has been learning to work together with so many new players on the roster. Nine of the Retrievers? 18 players are either freshmen or sophomores.
“We?re definitely very young,” Ball said. “The seniors have done a great job providing leadership as we learn to play as a team since we have players from some many backgrounds and playing styles. As we all grow up together, I think we could be very good.”
Oscars, a 5-9 native of Bakersfield, Calif., said she is honored to have the chance to make such a large impact as a first-year player and wants to help UMBC improve on last year?s 11-18 record.
“I just see us getting better and better over the next couple of years,” said Oscars, who won her fourth consecutive America East Rookie of the Week award Monday.
UMBC VOLLEYBALL NOTES
» The Retrievers are currently 1-1 in America East play following their 30-20, 28-30, 28-30, 30-23, 15-13 loss at Albany Sunday. UMBC won its conference opener in three games Friday at Hartford.
» Local players on UMBC?s roster are Wylie (Dulaney), setter Stacey Carroll (Mount Hebron), middle blocker Amanda Willey (Bel Air), setter/defensive specialist Mallorie Clary (Catonsville) and outside hitter Sarah Filmore (Gaithersburg).
» Wylie also played for Blanchard while he was head coach at Dulaney, helping lead the Lions to the Class 4A state title in 2000.
