Volleyball: Marblehead determined to keep building

The Marblehead volleyball team is on the rise. Still a very young program entering its third season, it?s taken the Magicians just two years to turn themselves into one of the biggest threats in the Northeastern Conference.
? Last year:The Magicians went 4-16 in their first season, but turned that around to go 16-4 in 2014. They didn?t win their conference, but they came close, grabbing the top spot in the NEC South division.
? Coach: Killeen Miller, entering her third year.
?Key players gone: Hannah Cohen, who graduated, will be the biggest loss for the Magicians. “She was definitely our defensive specialist,” said Miller. “She?s a tough loss, because a lot of our defensive players (this year) haven?t played against the level of competition that we have before.”
?Key players this year: Senior Eve Rice and junior Abby Settelmeyer are two of the strongest attackers who Miller expects to step up. Julia Marsden, a senior, will shore up the defense and bring some experience to a young group, and returning captain Samantha Payne “is always on our court ? she is a really dynamic player,” said Miller.
?Strengths: The Magicians will rely on their offensive ability to help them get off to a fast start.But perhaps their greatest strength lies in the players? commitment. “They?re 100 percent in this for the right reasons, and they come in every day wanting to get better,” said Miller. “That?s all I can ask.”
?Question marks: On the flip side, the defensive game is where Marblehead is going to focus on improving. “We have to be a sound defensive team and build around that,” said Miller. “If you can pass, your options are all open.” The Magicians also lack experience in the spotlight: “In the state tournament, we completely collapsed,” said Miller, whose team lost to North Reading, 3-2, in the first round last year.
?Opening game: Sept. 8 at Salem.
?Big game on the schedule: Miller and company are looking forward to renewing their rivalry with Danvers, and are also eager to take on Peabody, a squad that?s been undefeated for a few years. On Sept. 12, they?ll travel to Lincoln-Sudbury, a tough non-league opponent. “We want to expose our kids to the highest competition out there, so they can really see what we could move toward and something to reach for,” Miller said.
?Coach?s outlook: “I expect us to work hard every day and it to be an upward slope. I really expect to have a starting point, like we do today, and it?s a great starting point, but I think every day we?ll get stronger and we?ll get better. I think with our culture shift this year, I really think we?ll see us battling more and more as we go into the year, especially with our mental toughness.”Katie Morrison can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter at @KatieMo61.