HELENA, Mont. -- Carroll College volleyball opens up its regular season with a home match against Evergreen State College on Wednesday in the PE Center.
The Fighting Saints traveled to Bozeman, Montana, on Tuesday for an exhibition against Montana State.
Carroll is eager to ascend back to the national tournament and may have the roster to do it this season. The Saints went 19-15 during an up-and-down season last year. With the largest freshmen class the program has fielded in four years, coupled with veteran experience, Carroll's expectations are high in 2019.
The Saints return second team all-conference selection
Ayla Carpenter for her senior season. A season ago, Carpenter, as a defensive specialist, was sixth in the Frontier Conference in digs per set.
Sophomores
Lexi Mikkelsen and Ali Williams were honored as part of the Frontier's all-freshmen team a season ago and are expected to be major contributors this season. Additionally, Mikkelsen was honored as the Frontier Conference's Freshman of the Year.
Outside hitter
Taelyr Krantz returns to the court after an injury kept her out during 2018. The Helena High product was named to the all-freshman team in 2017 after she tallied 221 kills.
Redshirt sophomore setter Ali Williams figures to plugin right away and run the Saints' offense. Williams saw time last season as the Saints' starting setter, earning the Frontier Conference's Setter of the Week award once.
Senior middle hitter
Jenna Starke gives the Saints tactical ability upfront. Her junior season she posted her career-best numbers and will be called upon to give the Saints a veteran presence at the net.
The Saints have depth with their defensive specialists.
Laurel Kassa is expected to take another leap forward during her junior campaign. As a sophomore, she appeared in all 34 matches for the Saints and had 25 service aces as well as averaging 1.45 digs per set.
Junior
Madi Quick appeared in every match last season and averaged 2.59 digs per set. Her serving percentage of .963 was the team's best.
Another defensive specialist,
Sierra Wilson, figures to once again be a part of the Saints' game plan.
In addition to a talented seven-freshmen
recruiting class that is expected to produce early on, the Saints also picked up fifth-year senior
Hannah Dean, who joined the volleyball team as a graduate student after becoming an All-American on the hardwood during her past four years of playing basketball.
Coaches in the preseason selected the Saints to finish No. 4 in the conference. The Saints were selected to finish behind Providence, Rocky Mountain College and Montana Tech. The Saints received 21 points in the poll.
After the Saints host Evergreen on Wednesday, they prepare for the Big Sky Challenge, where they play three games in two days in Butte. It's the first of four tournaments the Saints play in this season, without considering the postseason Frontier Conference tournament and the possibility of the NAIA National Tournament.
NOTES: Carroll's season opener against Evergreen State College pits freshman
Sophia Spoja against the team her mother coaches. Angela Spoja has coached the Geoducks since 2013. The game will be streamed on Carroll College's YouTube page and live stats will be available via DakStats.
