BEVERLY, Mass. – The Endicott women's volleyball team is set for a tough schedule in 2015 and will also look for a strong cast of returning players to guide the team early and often. The Gulls open their season at home against Simmons on Wednesday, September 2 before heading to the Brandeis Invitational that Friday and Saturday, September 4 and 5, before returning home for three non-conference matches againsy Emerson, Bates and Bowdoin. Nine of the last 10 matches in the month of September are on the road before the Gulls come back to the Nest to host nine of 13 October matches.

RETURNING CAST: Endicott will look to a strong group of returners to lead a large pool of underclassmen in 2015. Tri-captains Alleigh VandeMerkt (Riverside, Ill.), Lexi Watts (San Diego, Calif.), and Erika Trudon (Coventry, Conn.) will lead the Gulls as the team also returns starters Hayley Knapp (Valencia, Calif.), Tori McIntyre (San Diego, Calif.), and Kelli Sugrue (Tewksbury, Mass.), as well as letter-winners Jayla Brennen (Litchfield, N.H.), Dana Ferraro (Brookfield, Conn.), Cydney Pierce (Santa Barbara, Calif.), and Lauren Sheehan (Bainbridge, Wash.). 

ON THE ROAD AGAIN: The women will take to the road for 12 of their 17 matches in September, which is highlighted by three invitational's; Brandeis, MIT and Stevens Tech. 

MARK YOUR CALENDAR: The Gulls have a favorable home schedule in October starting with a pivotal match against bitter rival Roger Williams on Saturday, October 3 as part of Homecoming. The Endicott Invitational is the following weekend, Friday, October 9 to Saturday, October 10, and Senior Day wraps up the month/regular season with a tri-match against Eastern Nazarene and St. Joseph (Conn.) on October 31.

PRESEASON PLAUDITS: Endicott was picked to finish fourth in the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Preseason Poll.

YEAR IN REVIEW:  The Gulls finished the 2014 with an 18-17 record overall and a 5-3 record in CCC play and ended their post season run with a loss in the CCC Semifinals. 

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