September 11, 2014
After a long summer of hard work, Hamilton volleyball entered its season ready to surpass all expectations.
This year sees the return of two steadfast players in Anna Brown ’15 and Jessica Weston ’17.
In 2013, Weston led Hamilton in kills with 135, and blocks with 51. Moving into 2014, Weston expressed, “Personally I would like to improve my blocking and defense this year as well as work with the new setters so that our attacks are on point.”
Brown has consistently performed for Hamilton in her career, ranking in the NESCAC top three in digs per set for the past two years. In 2013, Brown ranked second for total digs with 156 and 4.59 per set. Brown, Emily Rosen ’15, Erin Casey ’15 and Emma Lonadier ’15 lead the Continentals as captains this season.
Weston commented, “Their leadership began over the summer when they made sure we were in the gym getting strong and preparing for the season. I think the team overall is much more physically strong than last year. So far they have been great leaders on and off the court.”
Coach Erin Glaser reflected on the seniors as well and noted, “The senior class is an incredibly focused and dedicated group. Their leadership has been outstanding so far. They know exactly what the team needs to hear and how to push them to get better. They have been very good at keeping everyone motivated through a very demanding preseason and I can feel the positive energy impacting everyone.”
The season began on a high note on Sept. 2 at Morrisville State with a 3-1 win, well-deserved after a summer of intense conditioning.
With six new first-years, the team has immediately felt the benefits of a larger roster, both in practice and in-game situations.
“We have a very big first-year class. They have added a lot of energy and much needed depth to many different positions,” commented Coach Glaser. “It’s been great to have a practice with multiple players for each position so we can try out new things, challenge each other, and even have a few minutes to rest between plays. This past weekend our first-year class proved to be invaluable as we were able to switch up our lineups multiple times to show our opponents something different and keep them guessing.”
Last weekend, Sept. 6, the Continentals traveled to the UR invitational tournament in Rochester, N.Y. Hamilton split their games in this tournament, with losses against Penn State-Behrend and St. John Fisher, and wins against SUNY Oswego and Rochester.
Moving forward, Glaser expressed “Our team goals are: precision, trust, team first and NESCAC Playoffs. This is an incredibly hard working group with a lot of potential. So much of our success so far this season is because the girls are really focused on perfecting their skills and pushing each other in practice.”
This weekend, Sept. 13, the Continentals will travel to Oswego to compete in another tournament. The NESCAC opener will be on Sept. 19 at 8 p.m. in the Scott Field House, when Hamilton takes on Bates.
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