Dempsey Near 1,000 Digs as Season Begins
9/2/2010 9:35:45 PM
GUNNISON, Colo. – After closing out last season with wins in three of the last five matches, Western State volleyball starts with four matches against Lone Star Conference teams at the BritKare Lady Buff Classic hosted by West Texas A&M.
The Mountaineers will take nine seniors to Canyon, Texas, and five members of the starting six from last season. Four of Western State’s top five hitters return from a year ago, as well as the starting setter and starting libero.
Madison Dempsey finished second among conference juniors and fifth overall in digs last season and could surpass the 1,000 dig mark this weekend. She starts with 967 digs and is 189 digs away from tying for fifth in career records.
Sophomore Rachel Weakland begins the season within reach of entering the top five in career assists by the end of the season after leading conference freshmen in assists a year ago. Weakland also finished fourth on the team last season in service aces and blocks.
Gabriela Barsante, a key reserve from last season, led the team in hitting percentage and finished with 47 blocks along with Weakland. Lindsay Huson narrowly beat out Courtnee Pedone for the season lead in kills, 218 to 217, and Jamie Hamsa finished the year third in points on her solid performances in kills, aces and blocks.
The Mountaineers open the season with East Central tomorrow morning, a .500 (7-7) team in neutral situations last season. It’ll be the first meeting between the two school in history.
The opening day ends with Central Oklahoma, the fifth-place team last season in the 14-team Lone Star Conference. It’ll be only the third meeting in the series and the first since 2003.
A 12:30 p.m. MDT meeting with Eastern New Mexico starts off Saturday. The Mountaineers have won their last two meets with the Lady Zias, and held off a late rally by Eastern New Mexico in a five-set victory in 2006.
The weekend concludes with Southeastern Oklahoma State in the first-ever meeting between the two schools. The Savage Storm were 6-23 last season, but won four of their matches away from home.