BEVERLY, Mass.- At first look, the women volleyball's record of 12-20 may lead some to think that the team struggled in the 2012 season. When one takes a deeper look into the schedule however, it becomes evident that this team not only faced, but also played with some of the best teams in the country. Half of the teams that Endicott played were ranked within their respective regions while a quarter of their schedule was ranked in the national top 25 at one point during the season. With a roster that had four freshmen starting by the end of the season, the women's volleyball team is extremely optimistic about where this team is heading.
Senior libero Ashley Norley (Sudbury, Mass.) rewrote the record books as she set a new program record for digs in a season while climbing into second place on the all-time career digs list. Norley recorded 648 digs on the season to give her the single season record by 15 as she averaged 5.54 per set. Her second place all-time ranking for digs in a career comes as she has amassed 2,287 throughout her four year career. That total is just 29 behind the career leader, Brittany Nolan ('05). Fellow seniors Falyn Torelli (Pelham, N.Y.) and Gillian Kucharski (Avon, Conn.) also played pivotal roles throughout the season for the Gulls. Falyn's jump-float serve became a dangerous weapon as she tallied 45 aces on the season. The aces, combined with her 206 digs, made her become an indispensible back row player. Kucharski really grew into the role of captain this season and pushed every player to be better in every aspect. Her can do/will do attitude was crucial in keeping the team together as was her solid defense. Kucharski saved her best performance of the season for one of the most important moments as she recorded 10 digs in a five set victory over her younger sister's team, Western New England.
Norley was rewarded for her season accomplishments as she was named the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Libero of the Year and First Team All-CCC. Joining her on the first team while also taking home a major conference award was freshman Mackenzie Guerre (Carlsbad, Calif.) who was named All-CCC Rookie of the Year as well as All-CCC First Team. Guerre kicked off her career in impressive fashion as the middle finished second on the team in total kills with 280 and first for the Gulls with a .277 hitting percentage. Guerre also led the Gulls with 72 total blocks. Following the 2012 season, she was also named to the New England Women's Volleyball Association (NEWVA) All-Rookie Team. Callie Dolan (Westford, Mass.) and Alleigh VandeMerkt (Riverside, Ill.) also took home All-CCC awards as Dolan was named to the All-CCC Second team and VandeMerkt received All-CCC Honorable Mention. Dolan led the team in total kills with 318, an average of 2.77 per set. VandeMerkt impressed with her ability to run an offense as the freshman picked up 912 assists for an average of 7.60 per set.
The Gulls were able to notch two marquee wins as they were able to upset Tufts and Western New England away from home. The Tufts victory came at the UMass Boston tournament which was being hosted at Tufts in a match that saw three of the four sets be decided by two points. Guerre came up huge for the Blue and Green in that matchup as she recorded 16 kills on 34 attempts while hitting .382 in the four set upset over Tufts. In the five set victory over Western New England, the #1 team in the CCC at that point in time, Dolan stepped up to lead Endicott as the junior outside went off for 18 kills on 45 attempts. The win vaulted Endicott into second place in the CCC standings and allowed the Gulls to host an opening round match of the CCC tournament. In the two victories, Norley tallied 50 digs, which was good enough for an average of 5.56 per set.
With a solid core of returners coming back for the 2013 season and the experience the current roster has gained from playing such a grueling schedule, there is only optimism surrounding this team. Every player knows that to be the best, you have to beat the best. 2012 was the first step towards making that goal a reality.
