Volleyball Selected to Tie for Second in MASCAC Preseason Poll

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – The Bridgewater State University Bears have been picked to finish tied for second in the 2013 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) volleyball standings in a vote of the league’s coaches.  The MASCAC Volleyball Preseason Poll was announced by MASCAC Director of Media Relations, Emily Diekelmann.

Netting five first place votes, Framingham State finished with 47 points to lead this year’s poll. Bridgewater, which received two first place votes, garnered 39 points to share second place along with Westfield State. Worcester State is next in fourth place with 26 points, while MCLA and Salem State each collected 19 points to share fifth place in the rankings. Massachusetts Maritime rounds out this year’s poll in seventh place with seven points.

Head Coach Liz  Morris begins her fourth season at the helm of the BSU volleyball team.  Morris has directed her teams to an overall record of 35-51 (.407) over her first three seasons including a 12-6 (.667) MASCAC regular season mark.

Coach Morris will look to returning All-MASCAC selections, seniors Melanie Appleman (Hyannis, Mass.) and Kristen Robillard (Swansea, Mass.), to lead her squad into the 2013 campaign.

Appleman set career highs with 705 assists, 274 digs and 32 aces in 30 matches in 2012 while adding 80 kills as the Bears’ primary setter. She ranked second in the MASCAC in assists and fourth in assists per set (6.59).

In 86 matches over her first three seasons at Bridgewater State, Appleman has amassed 1,855 assists, 558 digs, 195 kills and 74 aces.  She is fifth all-time in program history in assists.

Robillard notched 396 digs and 32 aces in 30 matches playing the libero position during the 2012 campaign.  The Swansea, Massachusetts product ranked fourth in the conference with 3.57 digs per set.

In 60 matches over two seasons with the Bears, Robillard has recorded 932 digs and 54 aces.  She is sixth all-time in BSU volleyball history in digs.  Including her one season at MCLA, Robillard has produced 1,146 digs and 103 aces as well as 563 assists in 86 career matches.

The Bridgewater State volleyball team will open the 2013 campaign on Saturday, August 31stat the Gordon Invitational.  The Bears will take on Husson University at 9:00 AM and Newbury College at 3:30 PM.  The MASCAC opener is slated for Tuesday evening, September 17th (7:00 OPM) at Westfield State.

Last season, the Bears posted an overall record of 12-18 including a 5-1 mark in league play. Seeded second at the conference tournament, the Bears earned a 3-2 come-from-behind win over #3 Westfield State in the semifinals, before dropping a 3-0 decision to top-seeded Framingham State in the championship match.