June 16, 2009

The 2009 Lady Rams volleyball team will have a very familiar look when the team takes the court this fall with a wealth of experienced players returning from last season's squad. After struggling through some growing pains with an influx of newcomers, the seeds planted over the past two seasons are ready to bear fruit as one of the most experienced teams in recent history look for a break out effort in 2009.

"We have most of our top talent and an experienced group returning this season," WSSU head coach Douglas Hunter said. "The pieces are in place for a great effort in 2009."

This season, the Lady Rams will welcome back a talented cast of eight letterwinners from last season's squad, including five starters and team leaders in nearly every statistical category. Leading the way for the Lady Rams will be the tandem of hitters Annika Barnwell and Ashley Harris. The duo combined for 353 of the team's 724 kills, making the pair responsible for 49% of the team's total kills. Barnwell is a senior who led the Lady Rams with 203 kills last season while Harris was a close second with 148 kills.

Though the senior will be looking to carry the Lady Rams to victories, this season, she will also look to cement her place in the school's history. Currently, Barnwell is the team's fourth all-time leader in kills (603) and has a chance to move into move higher in the WSSU record books. She is also currently the team's third all-time leader in service aces (151) and will have a chance to improve upon that effort this season.

Coordinating the action for the Lady Rams this fall will be sophomore setter, Alexandria Brown, who was enjoying a great freshman season before suffering a season-ending knee injury. After some early struggles, Brown became an extremely reliable setter for the Lady Rams with a team-high 210 assists, despite playing in just 56 sets. Also returning at the setter position will be fellow sophomore setter Asia Carr, who stepped into starting duties after Brown's injury and was a solid performer for the Lady Rams. In her first season as a Lady Ram, she finished with 63 total assists in 28 sets. This season, both return with a wealth of experience and familiarity with the WSSU offense and its players and could make the Lady Rams a dangerous offensive squad.

Though the team will be extremely strong on the perimeter, the Lady Rams' strength could be in the middle where the team will welcome back a pair of outstanding middle blockers. The tandem of senior middle blocker Georgette Allen and sophomore middle blocker Jasmine Frazier both return this season and will guarantee a strong presence in the middle for the Lady Rams' squad. Both players stand at an impressive 6'0" tall and are athletic, strong, and extremely quick to the ball both on defense and on offense. Last season, Frazier had a great freshman season with a team-high 57.0 total blocks and edged Allen, who notched 51.0 total blocks, for the team lead in total blocks. The pair also turned out to be strong offensively as well with both players recording 82 kills each last season. With a strong effort, this season, the duo will bring another aspect to the WSSU offense and give the team a scoring presence at nearly every position on the court.

At the Libero position, the Lady Rams will return a talented trio that will give the team some healthy competition for duties and give the team some quality defensive performers. Junior Erica Cole will return after a sophomore season that saw her lead the team in digs (197) last season, but she was also a solid offensive player with 33 kills last season. With Cole giving the Lady Rams an offensive boost, sophomore Ebony Brown is another talented returnee from last season's squad. She earned the team's Hustle award last season and had a great freshman season with 90 digs. Also returning is junior LaKeisha Hawes, another talented athlete who is quick on her feet and a quality passer. Her experience and athletic abilities will make her a valuable piece of the WSSU defense this season.

"With such a talented and experienced group returning this fall," Hunter added. "An improved team chemistry will the key to our success this season."

Though the team is loaded with experience and talent, the squad will also benefit from some incoming talent when freshman outside hitter Lindsey Wilborn joins the squad. She is a talented three-sport athlete from Union Pines High School in Cameron, North Carolina. A tall, athletic performer, Wilborn will be a great addition to the Lady Rams' squad.

The Lady Rams will once again face a challenging schedule that will feature a full schedule of Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference matches, including a pair of matches against the local rival North Carolina A&T Lady Aggies, hosting their rivals on October 11th and heading to Greensboro, N.C. on November 6th. In fact, Lady Rams will run the gauntlet of local competition with matches against UNC-Greensboro (in Winston-Salem, N.C. on Sept. 1) and at High Point on November 3rd.

Though the team will have its challenges to face this fall, the talented, experienced squad will be prepared to face those challenges with Ram Pride.