With only three seniors, two returning starters and no juniors, the Virginia women's volleyball team needs its stellar incoming freshman class to contribute mightily if it is to continue its climb to national prominence.
The current Cavalier recruits were ranked as the sixth best class in the nation by Volleyball Magazine, making it Virginia's highest-ranked recruiting class ever. The group includes setter Abby Whittenburg, middle blocker Shannon Boyle and outside hitters Whitney Ashcraft, Katie Synan and Paige Davis.
"The first-year class is amazing and hit the ball incredibly hard during the preseason," senior outside hitter Katie Jones said. "It's an athletic group of girls, but they still have a lot to learn. I think the talent that we have is going to depend on how quickly we can integrate the new players into our system."
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The ACC coaches selected Virginia to finish fifth in the conference, one spot lower than they placed last year. Defending champion North Carolina was picked first, followed by Georgia Tech, Wake Forest and Clemson, respectively.
Virginia again will be led by sixth-year coach Melissa Aldrich Shelton, who coached the team to a 19-12 record (9-7 ACC) last year, good enough to earn the Cavaliers their second consecutive bid to the NCAA Tournament. The Cavs, however, were swept by Arizona in the first round in Austin, Tex.
"This year our team has the potential - if we play the way we can - to win the ACC Tournament," Shelton said. "It all depends on if our squad can play up to their highest level."
Virginia's senior class of Jones, middle blocker Deanna Zwarich and defensive specialist/setter Cathy Arnette will be vital to the season.
"The team is looking to all three seniors for leadership on the court," Shelton said. "If we have the type of season that we could have, Deanna will be a candidate for the ACC MVP award."
Zwarich, a Kansas native, could be the key to a successful year for the Cavaliers. The 6-foot-1 middle blocker earned Virginia's Most Outstanding Offensive Player award after setting career highs in five categories last season. She also became only the fourth Cavalier in program history to be named to the ACC All-Tournament team.
Jones, Virginia's Most Outstanding Defensive Player in 1999, led the team in digs with 362 and was second among all ACC players with an average of 3.29 digs per game. Jones' 956 career digs leaves her just shy of the 1,000-dig plateau, which would make her only the seventh player in Cavalier history to reach that status.
The Cavaliers' 2000 season opens today and tomorrow with the Jefferson Cup at University Hall, as William and Mary, Georgetown and Kentucky arrive in Charlottesville.
Virginia faces a challenging schedule without the services of graduated stars Mary Frances Scott and Jessica Parsons. Scott rewrote the Cav record book with over 6,000 assists from her spot at setter, while Parsons was a stalwart at middle blocker. Shelton said she knows her squad faces several hurdles in the quest for an ACC title.
"We are a very young team with only two returning starters on the team," Shelton said. "Our team has the potential. We just need to play up to our ability."
Zwarich echoed her coach's comments.
"The freshmen have to realize how good the ACC is and realize that they need game time experience before they will understand the college game," Zwarich said. "The transition from high school to college volleyball could take a long time or it might happen quickly"
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