ST FRANCIS

2012 Season Outlook
University of St. Francis Head Coach
Cara Currier will have at her disposal in
2012 one of the most experienced teams
of her 11-year tenure at the helm of the
USF volleyball program.
Of the nine players who saw action
in at least 80 sets for last year’s 25-16
squad, eight return this fall. Six of those
eight returnees played in at least 100
sets.
Richards Returns at Setter
At the setter position, senior Ashley
Richards is back after starting all or part
of the last three seasons. After being
thrust into the role as a freshman in
2009 because of an injury to veteran
starter Kelsey Polte, Richards shared the
starting spot the following year before
taking over as the everyday setter in
2011.
In 145 sets over 41 matches last fall,
Richards recorded 1,396 assists (9.63
per set) with a .390 percentage while
collecting 40 or more assists on 15 occasions.
She also shared the team lead with
41 service aces.
In her three years at USF, Richards
has totaled 3,801 assists to go along with
100 aces.
Backing up Richards will be junior
Hannah Hunnicutt, who saw limited
action a year ago after redshirting
in 2010, as well as freshmen Megan
Mowery and Brittany Showalter.
On the Outside
USF’s most decorated player during
the past three years, senior Jazzmyne
Robbins is set to conclude her stellar
career this season. A three-time
All-Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic
Conference First Team outside hitter,
Robbins has clubbed 1,525 kills since her
arrival at St. Francis in 2009.
In 2011, Robbins led the Saints in
kills (537) for the third time in as many
years. She turned in 30 double-digit kill
performances in 41 matches, including
five matches where she hit 20 or more.
Her .299 attack percentage also stood as
the best mark on the team.
Robbins hit 433 kills as a sophomore
after being cited as the CCAC Freshman
of the Year in 2009, a season in which
she led the league with 555 kills.
St. Francis will also look to senior
Ashley Thompson to provide a complement
to Robbins on the outside.
Competing in 31 of the Saints’ 41 contests
a year ago, she hit a career-best 130
kills.
Junior college transfer Laura Wills
and freshman Hayley Wacker should
also figure in the mix at the outside hitter
position, while Mowery looks to contribute
on the right side.
In the Middle
St. Francis returns its top two blocking
leaders from a year ago in junior Kate
McIlvanie and sophomore Caleigh Hill.
Last season, McIlvanie led the club
with 22 block solos, 62 block assists
and 84 total blocks, while Hill was next
in each of those categories (17, 50, 67).
Both players also contributed as hitters
as Hill (.263) and McIlvanie (.261)
posted the Saints’ second- and third-best
attack percentages.
Joining McIlvanie and Hill is sophomore
Paige Reinert, who turned in a
solid debut season in 2011 with 48 total
blocks and a .255 attack percentage.
Kate McIlvanie was the Saints’ leading blocker in 2011.
Three-time All-CCAC 1st Team OH Jazzmyne Robbins
Deep Defensive Unit
Senior Dana Wettergren leads a deep
unit of defensive specialists. Playing in
147 of a possible 148 sets last season,
she topped the Saints in digs (720), digs
per set (4.90) and reception percentage
(.956) in addition to sharing the club
lead in service aces (41).
Wettergren posted double-digit
digs in 39 of 41 matches, including 29
straight to end the 2011 campaign. She
notched 20 or more digs on 18 occasions
with a season-high 27 against CCAC rival
Robert Morris University. She enters her
senior year with 1,392 career digs.
Senior Laura Shain and junior
Breanne Shaw also look to make major
contributions in the backcourt along
with incoming junior transfer Mallory
Frankovich.
Last fall, Shain (421) and Shaw
(462) combined for approximately one
third of the Saints’ total receptions while
collecting nearly 500 digs between them
(Shaw 288, Shain 200). In 2010 Shaw led
the Saints with 592 digs.
Senior Breanna Rivera, who had
106 digs a year ago, bolsters the Saints’
defensive corps.
4 2012 USF Fighting Saints Volleyball