Aug. 27, 2009

When you lose three of your top four offensive players, the top setter in school history and the school's all-time leader in digs, most programs would be settling in for a rebuilding year. Instead, expectations are higher than ever in Loudonville where Garvey Pierre and the Saints are co-favorites to capture their fifth consecutive league title.

That's mainly because Siena returns the two-time MAAC Offensive Player of the Year Burgandy McCurty along with one of the top outside hitters in the league, red-shirt sophomore Aubrey Bobo. The duo complements a seasoned back row that features one of the most versatile players in program history, senior Kau'i Robello.

Forget rebuilding, Pierre and the Saints simply reload, and this season the reloading has been done in a big way. Pierre welcomes nine freshmen to Loudonville to join seven returnees who have each been with the program at least two years. The class features three Texans, a Hawaiian and five newcomers whose hometowns are scattered across the Northeast.

Pierre begins his seventh season as head coach at Siena, now overseeing a far different program from than the one he inherited in 2003. The Saints have won 20 or more matches in each of the last four years and made four of the program's five NCAA Tournament appearances over that time. He won his 100th match as Siena coach in the 2008 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championship triumph over Fairfield.

The road to a fifth straight MAAC title won't be an easy one, especially at first. With so many new faces, it will likely take time for the team to gel. The most important loss from last year may have been the graduation of setter April London. The 2008 First Team Academic All-District selection and MAAC Setter of the Year destroyed all of the school's assist records. Still, if the recent past is any indication, Pierre will have the Saints in peak form when the stakes are the highest.

McCurty may very well graduate as not only the top volleyball player in school history, but the best ever in the MAAC. She enters her senior season just 94 kills shy of the school's all-time record, and it won't take her long to get there if she sticks to her school record 3.94 kill/set pace. McCurty is a genius in the middle and possesses athleticism and leaping ability that more than make up for her average 5-9 frame.

The past two years she has ranked among the nation's leaders in kills and attack efficiency. As a junior she added a new dimension to her game when she was asked to remain in the rotation in the back row. She ended the season second on the team with 287 digs (2.4/set) and paced the team's net defense with 97 blocks (.82/set), while finishing fifth nationally with 4.71 kills/set.

"Burgandy is obviously the key to our success," Pierre said. "She is one of the country's best middle blockers and gives us a legitimate chance against every team on our schedule. I have high hopes for Burgandy's senior season."

Aubrey Bobo returns after red-shirting last year following shoulder surgery. If she can get back to 100% health, she will give the Saints great balance and perhaps the two top finishers in the MAAC. As a freshman, Bobo was a Second Team All-MAAC pick and two-time MAAC Offensive Player of the Week. She averaged 3.73 kills per set and posted a .280 attack percentage. Bobo also is efficient in the back row as evidenced by her 2.84 digs per set as a rookie.

Robello, a co-captain alongside McCurty this season, returns for her senior year and again will see playing time at several different positions. She has improved her attack each season, evolving into a real threat on the outside. Pierre may also elect to use her on the opposite side depending on Bobo's progression. One thing is certain; Robello will be in the rotation and anchor the Saints' defense when she rotates back. She has great vision and instincts, and has even spent time as the libero and setter over the past three years. The Saints will not skip a beat at any position she is asked to occupy.

Junior Blair Atkins returns on the right side. Atkins saw time in 22 matches as a sophomore registering a .213 attack percentage. The experienced left hander adds a different dimension to the seasoned attack and will compete for an opening day starting spot.

Classmate Brittany Lintelman completes the returnees up front. Lintelman started to find her groove late in her sophomore campaign and enjoyed a strong spring. After appearing in 20 matches last year she could see even more playing time as she continues her development.

Of the nine freshmen, six will contribute at the net. The most imposing newcomers are middle blockers Jayme Scymanski and Amanda Sawlsville who stand 6-4 and 6-3 respectively. Both players will apprentice McCurty, which should speed up their development.

Texans Jasmine Brown and Sarah Sivertson are highly touted newcomers who could contribute right away. Brown makes her way to Loudonville from Houston and her athleticism rivals McCurty's. Both players stand just 5-9, and while Brown makes up for the height she lacks with tremendous leaping ability, Sivertson brings a relentless work ethic to the court each day.

Like Brown, Brennan Johnson is an explosive athlete who can finish with authority despite standing just 5-9. The Providence native was one of the top players in Rhode Island and has a promising future at Siena. Colleen Ahearn, a 6-2 spiker from Cresskill, N.J. can contribute in the middle or the right side. Her size will allow Pierre to match up with some of the bigger schools on this year's slate.

Back Row

Kathi Kobayashi graduated in May as the school's all-time leader in digs. The diminutive libero solidified Siena's defense throughout her four year career and will be difficult to replace. Although Robello is a logical option, two talented returnees are flanked by a pair of newcomers to help make up for the defensive loss.

In her twin sister's absence, Brianne Bobo stepped into a bigger role and was a key member of last year's championship roster. After playing primarily in the back row as a freshman, Bobo appeared in all 33 matches last year splitting time between defensive specialist and outside hitter. She recorded 2.31 digs and posted a .188 attack percentage. Her diversity will be a great asset again this fall.

Classmate Aimee Gosse also appeared in all 33 matches and saw a good amount of time spelling Kobayashi as libero. Gosse averaged 2.3 digs/set and is regarded as a steady player with a great attitude.

Hawaiian Lesli Akeo may very well have the opportunity to win the libero job from day one and follow in Kobayashi's footsteps. Akeo pioneered back-to-back state championships on the Island, and if the success Kobayashi and Robello have enjoyed is any indication, her future is a bright one.

Classmate Arielle Smith is a local product who adds depth to the back row. She enjoyed great success in high school and is a welcome addition to the program.

As difficult as it will be to make up for Kobayashi's steady defense, the Saints will have a more testing challenge replacing the program's best all-time setter.

Setter

London was far and away the best setter ever to come through the program. Her arrival in Loudonville signaled the start of a new era, and she anchored a class that captured the MAAC Championship in all four of her years at Siena. As impressive as her over 5,356 assists were, the intangibles she brought to the program may be more difficult to overcome. She was a suma cum laude graduate and First Team Academic All District selection in addition to serving as the team's decision maker and floor general.

The pressure to fill her shoes rests in the soft hands of 6-1 freshman phenom Elizabeth Ives. The prized recruit in Pierre's monstrous class, Ives' resume indicates she is more than capable of stepping in and controlling the offense.

Ives graduated as her school's all-time career leader in assists, and was regarded as one of the top setters in the talent-rich Houston Region of Texas. She played her club volleyball with some of the top players in the country, so she should have little trouble adjusting to the Division I game. Still, there figures to be a learning curve with Ives and Siena's returning attackers. How quickly everyone comes together will largely determine the team's early-season success.

In addition to Ives, Sivertson and Robello can also efficiently dictate the action and control the ball if called upon at setter.

Schedule

The Saints play their first 14 matches of the season in the Empire State, though they have just three home matches over that stretch.

The season begins in Syracuse on the final weekend of August where Siena takes on Sacramento State and New Hampshire in addition to the host Orange in the two-day Invitational. Following a mid-week match at Big East foe St. Johns, the Saints return to New York City to partake in the Long Island University Invitational in Brooklyn. There Siena will take on Georgia, LIU and Colgate.

The MAAC season begins with the Saints' home opener against Loyola on September 19. After league matches at Iona and home against Marist, non-conference play resumes at Binghamton. The Saints then travel to Western New York to face Niagara and Canisius before making their first trip across state lines for a rematch of the past four MAAC Championships at Fairfield October 10.

Siena then returns home for a three-match homestand highlighted by a mid-week tussle against cross-town rival and regional power UAlbany.

Siena's final 10 matches of the season are against conference competition and include a Halloween showdown with Fairfield on UHY Court at Alumni Recreation Center.

If Siena is to capture a fifth straight league title and return to the NCAA Tournament they will have to do so at a fifth different location - Canisius' Koessler Center November 21-21.