Announcements

CSC Volleyball Brings Back Talent, Energy In 2022

by

Loading

Chadron State College volleyball will serve up its first look at the 2022 season on Friday, in Billings, Montana, and the Eagles are ready to hit the court.
 
The team is led by four seniors.
 
Breshawna Kelly of Casper, Wyoming, and Devyn Volz of Parker, Colorado, have both seen their share of time at the setter position since transferring in from Wyoming junior colleges. They should be looked to for leadership on the court in 2022.
 
Micaiah Vrbka of Brainard, Nebraska, began a promising 2021 season, which was cut short due to injury. She returns to the middle hitter position, where she led the team with 0.86 blocks per set last year through 14 matches.
 
The other senior is Abby Schaefer, a defensive specialist from Greeley, Colorado, who has recorded 19 matches played with the Eagles.
 
Junior Rylee Greiman will captain the team. The all-around athlete from Windsor, Colorado, has lined up in the back row at times for the Eagles, and she has also gone on the attack during her four years. Last season, in a five-set home win over Westminster, she recorded 12 kills and 29 digs.
 
Returning sophomore Aiyana Fujiyama, of Wahiawa, Hawaii, also provided spark on both sides of the net in 2021, her first year at CSC. She led the team with a .255 hitting percentage and also had a team-high 74 total blocks.
 
The Eagles open with a four-game slate at Billings, where they will take on the host Yellowjackets, as well as fellow Great Northwest Athletic Conference member Saint Martin’s, and Northern Sun opponents Mary and Minnesota State-Moorhead.
 
Then, for the second time under Head Volleyball Coach Jennifer Stadler, CSC will host its own tournament in the Chicoine Center, where Montana State-Billings will make a return trip. The other participants in the Eagles’ event are Sioux Falls and Minot State of the Northern Sun. Those matches begin at 5 p.m. on Friday, September 2, and run through the day on Saturday.
 
CSC hosts cross-state rival Wayne State, of the Northern Sun, at 1 p.m. on Labor Day.
 
Then Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play begins on Sept. 9 at the Chicoine Center. CSC was tied for 14th, along with Westminster, at the end of 2021 league play. They were picked by the league’s head coaches to repeat in that spot in 2022.
 
MSU Denver was voted to repeat their 2021 undefeated RMAC Championship run. The Roadrunners advanced to the regional final last season.
 
Coach Stadler is excited to get back on the court with the 13 returners and the eight new faces on this year’s roster.
 
“We think we made some improvements this past spring,” said Stadler, “so we’re looking forward to seeing our group continue to grow. So far, we have seen some good chemistry on and off the court with this group. They have a lot of energy and show a lot of joy when they play. All of our returners worked hard in the off season and set some high goals for themselves and this program.”