Lady Bruins inexperienced but athletic
PERU — After losing six players from last year’s squad due to graduation, St. Bede coach Dawn Williams hopes the height (four players are near the 6-foot range) and athleticism on this year’s team will make up for their lack of experience.
“We’re a very young crew experience wise, but we have a lot of talent and a lot of potential,” Williams said. “It’s the same line for all of them, learning the varsity speed after we graduated a strong nucleus of six seniors last year.”
Three seniors will rejoin the ranks of the Lady Bruins this fall, led by Molly Scott, who is returning from a big role on last year’s team.
Joining Scott is senior Jillian Stariha, who will be making the move to setter from right side hitter/blocker.
“She didn’t set a varsity game last year because we had three senior setters,” Williams said. “She’s working really hard, but has a lot of experience to gain of just getting the court time and timing with the girls.”
The third senior back in the fold this fall is front row player Anna O’Sadnick, who saw some playing time behind Sam Galas and Cassie Klotz last year.
Returning starter, 6-0 sophomore Kayla MacDavitt will look to continue to improve as an underclassman.
“Kayla’s a powerful middle hitter that’s really starting to gain her coordination,” Williams said. “She’s still getting her coordination, still getting her timing, but it’s really starting to come.
In practice she’s looked great with blocking and hitting really powerful.”
Joining MacDavitt will be 6-0 junior Kelsey Moravec who is making the move up to varsity for the first time. Williams said that Moravec looked well during the team’s summer league play in Princeton and Bradley.
“She’s going to be a big help to us in the middle,” Williams said.
Another junior, 5-11 Hailee Brayton, who was called up to varsity late in the season last year, will also add to the Bedans’ impressive height.
“She has a lot of potential for a lot of power,” Williams said.
Two newcomers that should look to make an impact on this year’s squad are junior Britt Burgess and sophomore Beth Stavrakas.
Burgess didn’t play for the Lady Bruins last year as a sophomore, but rejoins the team for her junior campaign as libero.
“She’s stepping in and trying to learn the libero position because we graduated Abby Toraason, who was a top-level libero in our region last year,” Williams said.
“She’s a good, consistent athlete but having to learn a whole a new role after not playing since her freshman year.”
Stavrakas enters as a transfer student from Maryland. Williams said last year Stavrakas started on varsity at her high school in Maryland for the third-place state team.
“She’s a brought a huge dimension to our team,” Williams said. “She’s got very good fundamentals, a very solid player.”
Rounding out rest of the Lady Bruins roster is 5-4 Jolissa Antolik, who Williams called a “spitfire” defensive specialist, and sophomores Taylor Miller, Ashton Shaw and Carolann Barnes.
Williams said once the Lady Bruins get up to game speed with their young squad, they should be a force to be reckoned with.
“Once our passing comes together, we’ve got a powerful lineup all the way around. There’s times when I look out at our lineup, and we’ve got five girls on the floor who can hit from any position.”
“I think by the end of the season we’re going to be a very good team.”
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