EASTON, Pa. – A Lafayette volleyball team that brings a plethora of new faces to College Hill is prepared to compete during the 2018 campaign with a bevy of newfound energy, grit, and athleticism. 

The Leopards will open up the season with six consecutive home matches, starting off with Duquesne on Sunday at noon. 

"Our team chemistry and the integration of the freshmen into our team philosophy has been a big focus this preseason," said Lafayette head coach Terri Dadio Campbell. "The upperclassmen are doing a fantastic job of teaching and mentoring on and off the court and the freshmen are transitioning well to the competitive culture in our gym." 

Campbell is looking upon the junior class to be the leaders and they are off to a strong start in doing so. 

"They have experienced two full seasons and have worked on the cultural piece of our program, along with the dedication and commitment pieces. The expectations are high and the all the returners are doing a solid job of leading by example and providing support to our freshmen," said the 17th-year head coach. 

Below is a position by position preview of the 2018 edition of Lafayette volleyball. 

SETTERS 

The task of building chemistry with a number of new attackers is being thrust upon the setters group and the two positions have worked well so far this preseason. 

Returners junior Julia Howard and sophomore Jenna Bailey will vie for time at the position with each bringing their own style of play. 

"They each bring their own individual strengths to the court and they are working really hard to connect with our hitters," Campbell said. "We are looking to run a faster offense and that connection is a critical piece." 

Howard led the team in assists in 2017, setting up her teammates 541 times which ranked seventh in the Patriot League, while Bailey was second on the team in the category with 221 assists. 

Howard was also strong defensively last season, compiling 154 digs to rank second on the team. 

Also expected to be in the mix is freshman Rose Murphy as she picks up on the Leopards' style of play. 

"Rose came into preseason with good training and has worked each day to become more comfortable with our offense and her confidence delivering the ball to our hitters. We expect her to be a big part of our team this fall," Campbell said. 

OUTSIDE HITTERS 

The Leopards have a strong mix of experienced attackers who will be joined by a talented group of newcomers that can provide a spark to matches in a variety of ways. 

"Running a faster offense is one of our goals this fall. In turn, we are expecting a higher hitting percentage," Campbell said. "We have a few new pin hitters who can score in a variety of ways. It will be exciting to watch them grow this year." 

Lafayette returns two junior outside hitters in Sonia Musso and Katrina Ruggiero each having been a staple in the lineup for their first two seasons on College Hill. 

Musso was second on the team in 2017 with 141 kills and ranked fifth in the Patriot League with 0.29 service aces per set. Ruggiero compiled 119 kills along with 90 digs in her sophomore campaign. 

"Kat provides stability for us all around. Serve receive, defense, and mixing up her shot selection are her strengths and will be relied upon heavily this season, "Campbell said. "Sonia is a leader for us in serve receive and will be called upon to earn points off her serve. She is one of our more experienced hitters and is capable of using the block to her advantage." 

Another important piece to the Leopards' lineup this season will be freshman Grace Tulevech who comes in with experience in high level junior competition. Tulevech spent the summer with the Team USA High Performance International team where she was named an all-tournament performer. 

Joining Tulevech in the freshman class is a native of Easton, Leanna Deegan. Deegan was second in the state of Pennsylvania in hitting percentage her senior season with a mark of .412 and was an all-state performer. 

"Leanna comes in with a lot of power and is one of our best jumpers and athletes on the team." Campbell added. 

Another newcomer, Abby Devlin is working hard to compete as both an outside hitter and defensive specialist. 

MIDDLE BLOCKERS 

The middle blocker position is one that Lafayette will feature a number of young players as it currently has three freshmen and one sophomore rostered at the positon. 

The lone returner in the middle is sophomore Adriana Heimbauer who saw action in 18 matches last season. 

"As our lone returner in the middle, Adriana brings experience and she will be asked to continue to grow her game and mentor the new freshmen middles," Campbell said.

Having impressive showings in preseason has been a trio of freshmen in Kelly Austin, Madi Wahrmund and Lauren Leontas. Austin garnered all-state honors her senior season at Nazareth Area High School in Pennsylvania, while Wahrmund was an all-district performer in high school at Fredericksburg High School in Texas, and Leontas was tabbed as part of the all-area team in Apple Valley, California. 

"They are all really different in their styles of play," Campbell said. "Madi is very athletic and high energy, Kelly has made a great transition from the right side to the middle, and Lauren is able to slow down things down with her block." 

RIGHT SIDE HITTERS 

Along with their roles as outside hitters, Musso, Tulevech and Deegan can see time on the right side in 2018 which shows the attacking group's versatility. 

"Depending on the rotation and the matchups, we have a number of players who can move to the right side and their versatility is a strong point for us," Campbell said. 

Returning to the program after a medical leave is Maggie Shannon, a junior right side. 

"Having gone through adversity with her injuries over the last two years, Maggie is able to provide a unique insight to the value of being on a team and is a positive cultural piece for our program." Campbell added. 

DEFENSIVE SPECIALISTS 

The Leopards will feature two liberos in 2018 with sophomore Audrey Mangum and freshman Hannah Goodacre. 

"With a year under her belt, Audrey has become consistent in serve receive and has become an effective server," Campbell said. "Hannah joins our program after many years on a high level club team. She is a very scrappy and gritty defensive player. Both Audrey and Hannah have grasped our defensive philosophy well and will be an important part of our success."  

Mangum tallied 114 digs in 2017, appearing in 25 matches to provide stability to this year's team. 

Sophomore Ava Embry returns for her second season and will bring experience and depth to the service line and defensive side of the game. 

SCHEDULE 

Lafayette opens the 2018 season at home when they host Duquesne on Sunday at noon for the first-ever meeting between the two programs. The Leopards will make a quick turnaround hosting Saint Peter's on Monday at 7 p.m., also at Kirby Sports Center. 

The first of three tournaments will be the hosted by Lafayette when it welcomes Manhattan, Coppin State, Rider and Rutgers for the Crosstown Tournament on College Hill Aug. 31-Sept. 1. 

The Leopards will then travel to Hanover, New Hampshire for the Dartmouth University Tournament, where they will take on Boston College, Dartmouth and Siena Sept. 7-8. 

The Maroon and White will return home for the Lafayette Invitational, Sept. 14-15, hosting Delaware State, Hartford and Fairleigh Dickinson before opening Patriot League action on Sept. 21 when defending champion American makes the trip to Easton. 

The first of two Lafayette-Lehigh matchups will take place in Bethlehem on Oct. 5, with the rivalry coming to back to Kirby on Nov. 4. 

The Patriot League Tournament is slated for Nov. 17-18 with the location and times yet to be determined. 

For the latest on the Lafayette College volleyball program, follow the Leopards on Twitter @LafColVBall, Facebook at Lafayette Volleyball, and Instagram @LafayetteCollegeVolleyball.