Boston College Athletics
Campbell's Squad Ready For 2015
August 27, 2015 | Volleyball
Volleyball will look to entire team for success this season
CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. - The 2015 Volleyball season is upon us once again and head coach Chris Campbell, now in his sixth season at the helm of the program, returns 10 letter winners from a 2014 squad that went 11-18 overall, and 6-12 in ACC play, the most conference wins since 2007 when the Eagles went 8-14. In addition, he welcomes Camille Oemcke, McKenna Goss, Devon Michaelis and Michelle Klinikowski, all of whom will see their first collegiate experience in Maroon and Gold this fall.
For Campbell, one of the many goals for his team in the upcoming season is to continue building the program and seeing improvement from last season.
"One of the goals at the top of the list is to be better than you were the year before. [It's our goal to] always be moving up the ladder."
In the 2014 season, Boston College continued to improve upon the foundation that Campbell has been building since beginning his current role back in 2010. The six conference wins were the most under Campbell's reign, and he brings back a core group of the team who he believes can continue to build the program going forward. With the philosophy of "moving up the ladder," Campbell looks to the team as a whole to achieve their goals.
"I wouldn't put the weight on any one person's shoulders in the sense that in the nature of volleyball, and certainly with this group in particular, our strength is when we operate as a unit. Different players have different strengths. It's a really a question on any given night finding the right combination that gives us what we need against that particular opponent."
OUTSIDE/RIGHT SIDE HITTER
In recent years, the outside hitter position has been one of the biggest strengths for Boston College volleyball. Led by senior Katty Workman, No. 9 tallied 408 kills during the 2014 season and was in the top-ten of several Boston College record categories for her junior season. Among those accolades were her 14 double-doubles that she accumulated during the 2014 campaign, which tied her for fifth-most in a single season. She also finished the season ranked fifth among all ACC players in kills per set with a phenomenal 3.64 mark. The Thousand Oaks, Calif. native will not only have her presence felt on the court, but also in the locker room, where she will help acclimate two incoming players to the position in McKenna Goss and Michelle Klinikowski. Workman will also serve as one of three captains for the Maroon and Gold this season.
Also returning as an outside hitter will be sophomore Sol Calvete, who had a great first season with the Eagles in 2014. She played in 27 matches and recorded 228 kills (2.15/set), the third-highest mark on the team while also leading with 15 solo blocks. In only her second season, Calvete will also serve as one of the team captains, a testament to her leadership abilities both on and off the court.
Julia Topor, who got off to a strong start in 2014 when she was named to the Boston College Invitational All-Tournament team, recorded 299 kills and 168 digs and will enter her junior season as another leader for the Eagles this season.
MIDDLE
Four veterans return to the middle positions for the 2015 season after each made a name for themselves in 2014. Anchoring the middle in 2015 will be senior Kam McLain, juniors Anna Skold and Barbara Gonzalez and sophomore Brittany Pavich.
McLain tallied 95 kills and 41 blocks in her junior season while Skold saw action in every match last season, recording 147 kills and a team-high 81 total blocks, respectively.
Prior to an injury she suffered in the beginning of the season, Gonzalez had four kills and three total blocks in her first two matches and will look to rebound this season.
Also making her way back from injury this season is sophomore Brittany Pavich, who collected 111 kills and 42 total blocks in only 14 matches last season. The Hinsdale, Ill. Native was named to the LIU Brooklyn Tournament all-tournament team and will have a major presence in the Eagles lineup this season.
SETTER
Returning for her second and final season this fall, Mallori Moffat will lead Boston College from the setter position and will look to build upon a season where she recorded 144 assists, five service aces and 42 digs.
Last season, the former Eastern Kentucky transfer fit well with senior Kellie Barnum, a three year captain who completed her career as an Eagle ranked second all-time in assists (3,510) and fifth in career aces per set (8.58). Moffat will round out the trio of captains for the 2015 season.
Joining Moffatt will be Camille Oemcke, a 5'11" freshman from San Diego, Calif. While at Torrey Pines HS, Oemcke helped her team win back-to-back San Diego CIF Open Division titles in 2013 and 2014.
LIBERO/DEFENSIVE SPECIALIST
The Boston College defense will look to have a strong season as both Madisen Lydon and Franny Hock look to fill the hole left by the graduation of Lauren Fields, who recorded 149 digs and 21 services aces in 29 matches last season. Sidelined by injury for the majority of last season, Lydon will look to replicate her freshman season when she recorded a team-best 422 digs, the eighth-highest single season total in Boston College history.
Freshman Devon Michaelis, a New England native, will also join the team this season as the third libero on the Eagles roster.
SCHEDULE
Boston College volleyball team will face six teams that played in last year's NCAA Tournament in 2015 and host the annual Boston College Invitational August 28-29.
The team's 32-game schedule includes 20 matches against Atlantic Coast Conference foes, plus four non-conference tournaments: the Boston College Invitational, Fairfield Invitational hosted by Fairfield University, the Holly Young Invitational hosted by New Hampshire and the annual New England Challenge.
In total, there are 12 matches scheduled against non-conference opponents.
Conference play is set to begin at the end of September and runs through the end of the season in late November.
The Eagles will play six teams twice and eight teams once for 20 league games. BC will play home and away against Georgia Tech, Louisville, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Syracuse and Virginia Tech while also welcoming Clemson, North Carolina, NC State and Virginia to Power Gym this fall.
STAY CONNECTED
Make sure to visit the Boston College Volleyball Page for the latest news involving the 2015 Eagles team, including previews, recaps and stories throughout the season.
Also, be sure to follow the team on Twitter and Instagram
