With just one senior and a total of four upperclassmen on its roster, the 2002 volleyball team at Mary Washington College knew it would be one of the youngest teams in the Capital Athletic Conference, After a 15-win season in which the Eagles finished tied for second place in the CAC, the young team found out how successful they could be as well.
Led by All-CAC senior outside hitter Sarah Libby, who became MWC's all-time leader in digs and service aces, the Eagles raced to a 5-2 conference record, and won six of their last regular season matches. Libby, one of the top players in the CAC and in MWC school history, ranked among conference leaders with team-leading totals in hitting (.244), kills (396), service aces (103, a new school record), and digs (380). Her spot will be extremely difficult to fill for 2003.
Others who contributed mightily to the Eagles' cause included juniors Lauren Eigel, Kristin Marion, and Beth Harker, who, will lead the Eagles in 2003. Eigel, an outside hitter with tremendous versatility, hit .129 for the Eagles in 2002 with 179 kills, second on the team. She also added 240 digs and 110 blocks, and ranked second behind Libby with 63 service aces.
Marion had a very successful year, with a team-high 123 blocks (61 solo, 62 assists). Her play around the net will be counted on next fall. Harker fought off several injuries to post her best season as an Eagle, with a .149 hitting average with 108 kills and 222 digs. Sophomore Jackie Durr served as the Eagles libero (defensive specialist) in 2002, and posted 363 digs while playing in every match.
Freshman Katie Baird (.146, 33 blocks. in 51 games), Sarah Blehm (532 assists, 152 digs), Amy Rixman (58 kills, 50 blocks), and Nicole Berry (283 assists) will look to continue to progress to keep the Eagles near the top of league standings next season. Lauren Bevard, Rachel Willemin, and Caitlin Roche provided solid depth for the Eagles in 2002, and will look for even more playing time next fall.
The 2002 season began with a tournament championship for the Eagles, as MWC won a pair of matches at the Hood College Tournament over Carlow College and Mount Aloysius College. The Eagles extended the streak to three straight with a win at Washington College to kick off the Washington College Tournament. After a pair of road losses at Catholic University and Shenandoah University, the Eagles rebounded with a CAC win over Goucher College before splitting four matches at the Gettysburg College Tournament.
The Eagles then downed St. Mary's College on the road, before winning a match at the Catholic Tournament, in which Libby was named the Tournament MVP. After a league road loss at York, the Eagles reeled off victories against Randolph-Macon College, Gallaudet University, Villa Julie College, Marymount University, and Salisbury University.
After a loss at Bridgewater, MWC closed the regular season with a 3-1 win at Lynchburg College. The 2002 season was generally regarded as a pleasant surprise for the Eagles, with such a young, inexperienced group. Libby's consistent play kept the Eagles in every match, and she was rewarded with all-tournament honors at Washington College and was named MVP of the Catholic University tournament.