2 0 11 R O S T E R No. Name 1 *Olivia Parkins 4 *Trina Carroll 5 Sierra Brown 8 *Ashley Kostka 9 *Carolyn Eddy 12 *Brooke Peterson 13 *Jamie Muntz 16 *Kristina Wiltjer 20 *Lea Freeman 21 Keandra Cruz 22 Anisa Smith 27 Kiana Raposo 31 Ella Merrill 44 Hannah Rey
Yr. So. Sr. Fr. So. So. So. So. Jr. Sr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr.
Pos. S/OH MH RS DS S/OH OH MH S MH L/DS MH OH OH OH
Ht. 5-7 5-9 5-11 5-4 5-5 5-8 5-11 5-7 6-0 5-0 5-11 5-7 5-7 5-10
Hometown/High School Dracut, MA/Dracut Senior Hampton, NH/Winnacunnet San Diego, CA/Point Loma Quincy, MA/North Quincy Dracut, MA/Central Catholic Del Mar, CA/Torrey Pines West Hartford, CN/Conard Temecula, CA/Chaparral Methuen, MA/Methuen Lowell, MA/Lowell Moraga, CA/Campolindo Acushnet, MA/New Bedford Bermuda Dunes, CA/Palm Desert Escondido, CA/Escondido
Head Coach: Karen McNulty (Boston College, 1985), 18th year Assistant Coaches: John Cody, Tara Conners
*Veterans (8)
UMass Lowell Quick Facts Location:........................................................................................................ Lowell, MA Enrollment:.............................................................................................................8,107 Founded:...................1975 (Merger of Lowell State and Lowell Technological Institute) President........................................................................................... Dr. Jack M. Wilson Chancellor:.......................................................................................... Martin T. Meehan Colors:..................................................................................Red, White and Royal Blue Nickname:...................................................................................................River Hawks Facility:...........................................................................................Costello Gymnasium Affiliation:.............................................................................................. NCAA Division II Conference:................................................................................................ Northeast-10 Director of Athletics:..............................................................................Dana K. Skinner Head Athletic Trainer:.................................................................................. Artie Poitras Head Coach:.........................................................................Karen McNulty (18th year) Overall Record........................................................................ 344-268 (.562), 17 years Record at UMass Lowell......................................................... 315-239 (.569), 15 years E-Mail:.....................................................................................karen_mcnulty@uml.edu Assistant Coaches: . .............................................................. John Cody, Tara Conners Volleyball Office Phone: ........................................................................ (978) 934-2319 Dir. of Athletic Media Relations:...................Chris O'Donnell • chris_odonnell@uml.edu Assistant Director:.............................................Sean Hladick • sean_hladick@uml.edu Athletic Media Relations Phone................................................... (978) 934-2306, 2351 Athletic Media Relations Fax:................................................................. (978) 934-2313
www.goriverhawks.com
2 0 11 O U T L O O K With several new faces on the roster, head volleyball coach Karen McNulty will rely on a River Hawk squad well-versed in the arts of passing, blocking and serving as she molds her young lineup into a force in the Northeast-10. Last year’s team finished with a 15-12 record, tied for seventh in the NE-10 and fell in the opening round of the conference playoffs to Pace University. Then-seniors Sarah Coscia and Jillian Hadder were each honored as All-Conference athletes for the third time in their careers. Fast forward to present day and the new-look River Hawks have been picked to finish seventh again this year in what figures to be a top-heavy conference. UMass Lowell received 146 overall votes, just five shy of sixth-place Stonehill. “Our goal, as always, is to do well in the conference, qualify for the NCAA’s and to become a better team,” McNulty stated. Offense through Execution The shift away from the aerial attack of the last few seasons comes out of necessity. The River Hawks waved goodbye to three seniors: Coscia, Hadder and Vicky Wong. As they left the court, so did 805 of UMass Lowell’s 1174 kills (68.6%). “We lost a lot of firepower,” said McNulty. “I don’t know if we can make up 800 kills, but we can be stronger defensively. We’ll get more points off of blocking, digging and service. In particular, passing and serving are going to be huge and I think we’re already better in those areas than a year ago.” Among those returning to UMass Lowell’s offense is senior Lea Freeman (Methuen, Mass.). She ranked third on the River Hawks last season in kills with 184, averaging 1.80 per game. Freeman also tallied 138 digs and 65 blocks, making her a versatile weapon on the court. Expected to play a more prominent role in the offense is fellow senior Trina Carroll (Hampton, N.H.). The middle-hitter totaled 52 kills and 35 blocks last year, both career-highs. “With two seniors, naturally there is senior leadership,” McNulty said. “Playing alongside Coscia and Hadder for most of their careers, they haven’t had to be the best players on the court, but they’ve been starters and they’re working into that role where they have a greater impact.” UMass Lowell will thrive on its depth, utilizing a versatile cast of athletes to fill in the remaining holes on offense. A great deal of preseason was spent identifying what skills her players bring to the table and how best to use them. “Everyone can have a role on this team, everyone can contribute--not just on the court, but off of it,” said McNulty. “Of course everyone wants to start and play all of the time, but if the players can accept that team mentality, we’ll be better for it.” The depth comes from six new players joining the squad for 2011, comprised of four freshmen and two sophomores. Mixing those players with the veterans will allow the River Hawks lineup flexibility, specifically at the outside hitter position. “I think what’s nice about this group is that we have four outside hitters,” said McNulty. “All of them bring something different to the table.” Junior Kristina Wiltjer and Senior Lea Freeman
Those four consist of sophomores Brooke Peterson (Del Mar, Calif.) and Kiana Raposo (Acushnet, Mass.) and freshmen Ella Merrill (Bermuda Dunes, Calif.) and Hannah Rey (San Diego, Calif.). Of those four, Peterson is the only player with collegiate experience; she recorded 46 kills and 15 service aces last season. McNulty describes Merrill and Rey as exceptional athletes with strong arms, while Raposo uses ball control to manipulate the defense. Dig, Set... The passing game looks to be the River Hawks’ greatest strength as they return junior setter Kristina Wiltjer (Temecula, Calif.) and NE-10 All-Rookie libero Carolyn Eddy (Dracut, Mass.). Wiltjer took over the full-time setting duties in 2010, dishing out 875 assists at 8.50 per game, eighth best in the NE-10. She also ranked first on the team in service aces (38), second in digs (253) and fifth in kills (77). Wiltjer recorded 12 double-doubles (assists-digs). Assuming the role of libero in her first collegiate match, Eddy set what remains a career-high of 32 digs against Merrimack on Sept. 4, 2010. Following her debut she continued to shine, collecting 437 digs en route to an All-Rookie selection. Eddy reached double-digit digs in all but five of UMass Lowell’s matches. The River Hawks’ backcourt did lose a valuable member in Wong’s departure, but the team will look for contributions from sophomores Olivia Parkins (Dracut, Mass.) and Keandra Cruz (Lowell, Mass.). Parkins is primarily a setter and can spell Wiltjer, while Cruz will help shore up the defensive hole left by Wong. Serving and Blocking
Sophomore Brooke Peterson
Two areas in which the River Hawks appear poised for even greater success in 2011 are service and blocking. Despite losing just over half of their service aces from the NE-10’s seventh best serving team in 2010, UMass Lowell looks capable of eclipsing last year’s total of 196. Wiltjer returns after tying for the team-lead with 38 aces and Freeman landed 21 as a junior, despite recording zero as a sophomore. The two players most likely to set new career marks are Eddy and Peterson. Eddy logged major minutes as a rookie and tallied 14 aces despite being thrust into high pressure situations. Her counter-part, Peterson, flourished in limited playing time for a total of 15 aces, most among UMass Lowell freshmen. Likely to assume a larger role on the team, Peterson will receive more chances to showcase her talents in the service game. UMass Lowell’s increased size in the frontcourt should bolster its blocking abilty, which already ranked fourth in the NE-10 a year ago. Returning 87% of the team’s total blocks (149 of 170.5), the addition of Sierra Brown (San Diego, Calif.) and Anisa Smith (Moraga, Calif.), two 5-11 freshmen, should make the River Hawks feared at the net. The primary returning players in UMass Lowell’s blocking scheme are Freeman, Wiltjer and Carroll. The trio combined for 137 total blocks and have a full season of chemistry under their belts. Milestone Lost in developing her next crop of talented players is McNulty’s quiet march towards her 350th victory as a head coach. Entering her 20th season, McNulty has a career record of 344-268 (.562). The long-tenured River Hawk coach has averaged 18 wins a season during her career and seems poised to reach the milestone early in the campaign. “If I get to 350 and we have a losing season, it doesn’t mean anything,” admitted McNulty. “But if we’re doing well it becomes a pretty special moment.”
THE COACHING STAFF Head Coach Karen McNulty Karen McNulty enters her 18th year as head coach of the UMass Lowell volleyball program, guiding the River Hawks to a 344-268 overall record (.562) through the past 17 seasons. The 2009 and 2002 Northeast-10 Conference Coach of the Year, McNulty inherited the volleyball program in 1994 following a two-year head coaching stint at Northeastern. After posting a 29-39 record in her first two seasons with the River Hawks, she has guided UML to a 271-188 clip (.590), including eight 20-win seasons and the program’s first six NCAA Tournament appearances (2000, 2002-05, 2009). A culmination of all her work, the River Hawks captured the program’s first ever NE-10 Tournament Championship in 2009. In addition to posting a 22-10 record, McNulty was crowned as the conference’s Coach of the Year while taking the program to its sixth NCAA Tournament. McNulty also led the River Hawks to second place in the NE-10 regular season in four of the last nine years. The 2003 season was especially sweet for McNulty and the River Hawks, who had graduated 70 percent of its offense and defense with the 2002 squad (25-11), but posted a 20-10 record and earned their third NCAA Tournament berth in four years. At Northeastern, McNulty posted a 29-29 twoyear clip which included a 16-10 showing in 1992. That year, the Huskies advanced to the North Atlantic Conference (now America East) Tournament. A four-year player at Boston College (Class of ‘85), McNulty served as team captain as a senior and was the recipient of the BC Varsity Club Outstanding Senior Award. Upon graduation, McNulty served as head coach of the girls’ team at her alma mater, Billerica High School, where she led the Indians to the Division I North Sectional finals and Merrimack Valley Conference title twice. In 1991, she was voted the Merrimack Valley Conference Coach of the Year. McNulty continues to give back to her sport. She served the 2005 season as the national chair for the NCAA Division II Volleyball Committee, the governing body that makes administrative decisions for the NCAA Tournament. She was also the committee chair for the NCAA Northeast Region for four years, and had previously served on the AVCA national rankings committee. McNulty has been a United States Volleyball Association (USVBA) player since 1986. A native of Billerica, MA, McNulty resides in Lowell, MA.
Assistant John Cody John Cody returns for his 14th season with the UMass Lowell volleyball program, his 36th year in coaching. Cody spent 25 years as the director of the Merrimack Valley Junior Olympic Volleyball Program, an instructional league which competes against other club teams in New England. He also served as the head coach at Stoneham H.S. in 1987-88 and at Holy Cross from 1989-96. A chemistry teacher for 36 years at Arlington H.S., Cody has been the head boys’ tennis coach all 36 years, leading the Spy Ponders to 23 Greater Boston League championships. Cody resides in Chelmsford, MA, with his wife, Elizabeth. They have raised eight children, three of whom played volleyball at Division I universities.
Assistant Tara Conners A 1995 graduate of UMass Lowell, Tara Conners enters her fourth year on the UML staff. Conners served as the head coach at Endicott College for five years and has coached within the Massachusetts Junior Olympic program as well as several area camps and clinics. While at Endicott, Conners led the Gulls to their best record in school history (21-4). At UMass Lowell, Conners was a two-year captain and played a number of positions. Previously, she was a two-time conference all-star at Billerica H.S. Conners is an officer on the Billerica Police force, where she currently resides.
2 0 11 PLAYER PROFILES
Sierra Brown San Diego, Calif.
Trina Carroll Hampton, N.H.
.Keandra Cruz Lowell, Mass.
Carolyn Eddy Dracut, Mass.
Lea Freeman Methuen, Mass.
Ashley Kostka Quincy, Mass.
Ella Merrill Bermuda Dunes, Calif.
Jamie Muntz West Hartford, Conn
Olivia Parkins Dracut, Mass
Brooke Peterson Del Mar, Calif
Kiana Raposa Acushnet, Mass.
Hannah Rey San Diego, Calif.
Anisa Smith Moraga, Calif.
Kristina Wiltjer Temecula, Calif.
2 0 11 UPPERCLASSMEN PROFILES
4
TRINA CARROLL Senior • Middle Hitter • Nursing Hampton, NH • Winnacunnet H.S. • Great Bay Volleyball AS A JUNIOR: Appeared in 27 matches, starting 17 • Totaled career-highs of 52 kills, 39 digs and 35 total blocks in 94 games played • Recorded a season-high six kills at Saint Rose (10/2)• Tallied a season-best six digs and three blocks in a 3-1 win at Franklin Pierce (10/13) • Had five kills and four blocks in UML’s 3-1 win at LeMoyne (10/3) • Tied a seasonhigh with four blocks versus St. Michael’s (10/26). PERSONAL: One of two daughters of Dick and Lois Carroll of Hampton, NH • Lists the Boston Red Sox as her favorite professional team • Names Misty May and Michael McDonnell as her favorite sports figures • Majoring in nursing.
20
LEA FREEMAN Senior • Middle Hitter • Liberal Arts Methuen, MA • Methuen H.S. • Merrimack Valley Juniors AS A JUNIOR: Appeared in 27 matches (102 games) with 22 starts • Totaled 184 kills, 138 digs and 65 total blocks • Ranked second on UML in blocks and third in kills • Highlights included a career-high 15 kills and 15 digs in a win at Merrimack (9/28) • Had a double-double against Merrimack (9/4) with 10 kills and 10 digs • Tallied a careerbest six blocks at NYIT (9/21) • Totaled 10 kills and five blocks in a win over St. Michael’s (10/26). PERSONAL: One of three children of Laura Freeman and Rob Patterson of Methuen, MA • Lists the Boston Celtics as her favorite professional team and Ray Allen as her favorite athlete.
22
ASHLEY KOSTKA Junior • Defensive Specialist Quincy, MA • North Quincy H.S. • Mass Patriots AS A SOPHOMORE:Appeared in 10 matches (28 games) with one start • Had 13 digs and three service aces • Amassed a season-high five digs in a win against Queens (9/17). PERSONAL: Ashley Ann Kostka is one of four children of Pamela and Phil Kostka of Quincy, Mass. • Plans to become a homicide detective for the Massachusetts State Police • Chose UML because of its proximity to home and great education • Names the Boston Red Sox as her favorite team and Kevin Youkilis as her favorite player • Listens to Tim McGraw, Carrie Underwood and Lady Antebellum.
16
KRISTINA WILTJER Junior • Setter • Political Science Temecula, CA • Chaparral H.S. • 951 Elite Volleyball AS A SOPHOMORE: Appeared in 27 matches (103 games played) with 23 starts • Registered team-bests of 875 assists and 38 service aces while also scoring 253 digs and 77 kills • Totaled 12 double-doubles (assists/digs) • Highlights include 51 assists and five service aces in a win at LeMoyne (10/3) • Amassed 47 assists and 12 digs in the season opener against Merrimack (9/4) • Had 47 assists and 12 digs in a loss to Southern Connecticut (10/16) • Totaled 36 assists and a season-high 19 digs against CW Post (9/18). PERSONAL: One of three daughters of Jim Wiltjer of Temecula, CA • Helped fight the California wild fires • Lists the San Francisco 49ers and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim as her favorite sports teams • Names Misty May as her favorite athlete • Would like to work with animals after college • Political Science on major.
2010 STATISTICS • RESULTS Player GP Sarah Coscia 103 Jill Hadder 91 Lea Freeman 102 Vicky Wong 101 Kristina Wiltjer 103 Trina Carroll 94 Brooke Peterson 89 Jamie Muntz 12 Olivia Parkins 10 Carolyn Eddy 103 Ashley Kostka 28 UML TOTAL
K-E-TA 371-116-856 254-119-766 184-136-620 180-103-556 77-28-241 52-36-194 46-33-171 4-7-23 1-0-3 5-7-31 0-1-2
Att% .298 .176 .077 .138 .203 .082 .076 -.130 .333 -.065 -.500
A-APG 11-0.11 25-0.27 22-0.22 32-0.32 857-8.50 27-0.29 9-0.10 1-0.08 22-2.20 38-0.37 1-0.04
SA-SE-PG 31-32-0.30 35-37-0.38 21-31-0.21 38-28-0.38 38-32-0.37 1-1-0.01 15-26-0.17 0-0-0.00 0-1-0.00 14-27-0.14 3-3-0.11
D-DPG BS-BA-PG 99-0.96 28-63-0.88 188-2.07 1-23-.26 138-1.35 21-44-0.64 243-2.41 1-19-0.20 253-2.46 0-37-0.36 39-0.41 3-32-0.37 134-1.51 3-9-0.13 1-0.08 0-0-0.00 8-0.80 0-0-0.00 437-4.24 0-0-0.00 13-0.46 0-0-0.00
103 1174-587-3464 .169 1063-10.32 196-218-1.90 1553-15.08 57-227-1.66
2010 Results (15-12, 9-6 Northeast-10) Date 9/4 9/10 9/10 9/11 9/11 9/17 9/18 9/18 9/22 9/21 9/25 9/28 10/2 10/3 10/6 10/13 10/15 10/16 10/20 10/23 10/26 10/29 10/30 11/2 11/5 11/6 11/9
Opponent MER Lock Haven Wilmington (DE) East Stroudsburg Dominican (NY) QUE C.W. Post Dowling BEN NYIT Dowling MER Saint Rose Le Moyne STO Franklin Pierce New Haven Southern Connecticut Saint Anselm SNH STM ADE PAC Post (CT) Assumption AIC PAC
W/L W L L W W W L L W W L W L W L W L L W W W L W W W L L
Score 3-2 1-3 2-3 3-1 3-0 3-1 2-3 0-3 3-0 3-2 0-3 3-1 1-3 3-1 1-3 3-1 0-3 2-3 3-0 3-2 3-1 0-3 3-0 3-0 3-0 1-3 0-3
Score By Game 24-26,21-25,30-28,25-14,15-10 18-25,14-25,25-17,25-27 21-25, 25-21, 25-13, 18-25, 14-16 16-25, 25-22, 25-21, 27-25 21-12, 25-18, 25-17 25-22, 25-19, 23-25, 25-20 12-25, 10-25, 26-24, 25-15, 8-15 20-25, 9-25, 16-25 25-15, 27-25, 25-15 22-25, 25-23, 25-11, 16-25, 15-7 17-25, 11-25, 19-25 25-23, 14-25, 25-22, 27-25 23-25, 25-11, 22-25, 21-25 25-22, 22-25, 25-23, 25-20 25-15, 22-25, 22-25, 16-25 25-19, 25-21, 16-25, 25-20 18-25, 19-25, 18-25 23-25, 23-25, 25-23, 25-22, 3-15 25-18, 25-18, 25-19 20-25, 24-26, 25-17, 25-16, 15-10 20-25, 25-15, 25-13, 25-12 18-25, 13-25, 25-27 25-19, 25-22, 25-18 25-12, 25-18, 25-18 25-22, 25-13, 25-22 17-25, 25-23, 22-25, 19-25 22-25, 16-25, 29-31
*Northeast-10 match; #Northeast-10 Tournament; $NCAA Tournament; !UMass Lowell Tournament; @Bridgeport Tournament; %Bentley Tournament; &Queens College Tournament; Home matches in CAPS
THE RECORD BOOKS Individual Records Games Played • Career • Season Kills • Career • Season
480 134
Katie Toomey, 1995-98 Liz Noble, 1996
1,897 573
Katie Toomey, 1995-98 Julie Handy, 2005 Katie Toomey
Blocks • Career • Season
414 145
Digs • Career • Season
1,773 562
Allie Eide, 2006-09 Erin Miller, 2002
Assists • Career • Season
4,812 1,569
Andrea Turner, 2000-03 Andrea Turner, 2002
Lauren Dufresne, 2001-04 Jamie Guyer, 2002
Service Aces • Career • Season
248 109
Michelle Roy, 1988-91 Sue Martin, 1990
Hitting Percentage • Career • Season
.337 .442
Katie Toomey, 1995-98 Cheryl Lauziere, 1984
Team Single Season Records Matches 45 1983 Wins 35 1990 Losses 22 2007 Fewest Wins 4 1978, 1979 Fewest Losses 6 1990 Kills 1,972 1996 Hitting Percentage .329 1984 (892-324--1,726) Assists 1,752 2002 Digs 2,809 2002 Blocks 316.5 2002
Lauren Dufresne
Erin Miller
Andrea Turner