After answering a number of challenges the past two seasons - in which they have won 55 of 73 matches - the Mary Washington College Eagles eagerly await new challenges in their quest to reach the pinnacle of Division III volleyball.
Coming off a 26-11 season in which MWC advanced to the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Tournament, the 1990 Eagles soared to new heights. Sparked by a 16-match winning streak, Mary Washington finished with a 29-7 mark and a first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance.
Just one senior - albeit a talented leader in All-Region hitter Deanna Peschka - graduated from the 1990 squad, and head coach Dee Conway looks for her veteran team to continue the upward spiral in '91. A pair of All-Region hitters spearhead a balanced Eagle attack. Senior Cyndee Tector (Paul Smiths, NY) was named All-Region in 1990 after leading MWC in kill average (3.1) and finishing second in digs (78). She was named the MVP of the MWC Invitational. Tamalyn Reed (Jr./ Roanoke, VA) gained All-Region honors as a freshman and also posted fine numbers in '91, pacing the Eagles with 90 digs while ranking second with a 2.6 kill average and also with 54 aces. Veterans Maria Norford (So./ Keswick, VA) and Kelly Duncan (Jr./ Abingdon, VA) were solid hitters; Norford - who looks to take Peschka's position in the middle as the team's "offensive hub" -led the Eagles with 42 block assists and also made 41 solo blocks, while Duncan paced MWC with 61 aces and tied for the lead with 48 solo blocks.
A key to MWC's success will be the play of Chris McKenna (Sr./Northport, NY), who sat out last season after being a valuable starter in 1988 and '89. Conway believes that McKenna will be her best defensive player.
The catalysts of the MWC offense will be sophomore setters Jennifer Wilson (Edwardsville, VA) and Joanne Ondrush (Smithtown, NY). The duo shared duties last season and performed well, especially Wilson in the team's stretch run. Both are fine athletes whose mental approach to the game will improve with experience. Wilson averaged 7.9 assists per game, and added 62 total digs, while Ondrush averaged 5.3 assists/game with 29 digs. According to Conway, MWC's recent success willcause opponents to "gear up" for the Eagles. Therefore, players must become even more motivated.
"Last year, our players were committed in the offseason, and I could see the difference in our first practice," said Conway. "We became a very disciplined unit, which helped us in close matches." While the Eagles significantly improved their offensive schemes in 1990, Conway sees a need for more consistency and diversity. To reach a higher level of play, her players must make the serve an even stronger offensive weapon. Upgrading the offense is a high priority, because to advance in national play, a team must be use diverse sets and plays to keep opponents off-balance.