While the women’s soccer team was having another record setting season, the women’s volleyball team appears to always be lost in the shuffle. All the volleyball team did this season was once again dominate, destroy, and make the opposition look completely foolish. For the second consecutive year in 2010, the girls went an amazing 30-5 while also boasting an undefeated record in the Little East Conference at 7-0. The Lady Beacons started their season out in the southwest, deep in the heart of San Antonio, Texas where the team had to play four different teams in a span of forty-eight hours. The team went 12-2 in those matches to start the season out 4-0. Four days later in the home opener, the girls beat Emerson 3-1. Next up was the Brandeis Invitational where the girls suffered their first loss at the hands of Trinity College down in Connecticut 3-1. The team would bounce back later that day and beat Brandeis 3-1 to wrap up the Invitational 10-5.
The lady Beacons went on an absolute tear over a two week span from the end of September through almost mid-October. With six matches over that span, the Lady Beacons never lost a game. Yes that is correct, not a single game. In said span, the team was 18-0. It was at this point the team really was in sync. The only bump in the road of the Lady Beacons’ regular season came at the end of October in the Judges Classic in Waltham, MA. After a convincing win over Brandeis, the girls were given a rude Halloween spook by getting swept to Clarkson and Tufts University in the same day, losing by a combined score of 6-2. Earlier in the season, the girls beat then #25 ranked Tufts in a clean sweep 3-0.
After the Judges Classic, it was time for the LEC tournament, where the Lady Beacons were once again the number one seed. After smoking Western Connecticut 3-0, the Lady Beacons faced Keene St. in the finals. After a very sloppy beginning and mediocre middle, the Lady Beacons finished strong capturing their second straight LEC title and advancing to the NCAA tournament.
In their opening round match against Maine Maritime, the Lady Beacons continued to impress, winning 3-0 to advance to the round of 32 for only the second time in school history. That match took place the very next day against Middlebury. Different day, but same result as the girls lost a game, but not the match to win 3-1. Their next opponent was Springfield College in a match that was for the New England Regional Championship. Already accomplishing a first in school history by winning two matches, the girls played a very tough team on the road in Springfield. The girls were victorious for the final time in 2010 by beating Springfield College 3-2. Having won the NE Regional Championship and advancing to their first ever Elite 8, the team was beaten the following weekend by Calvin College 3-1 in at Washington College in St. Louis, MO.
On top of an incredible season, there is no reason to believe this was the team’s peak. With only one senior, the Lady Beacons return 12 of their 13 players, plus any additional recruits that AVCA (American Volleyball Coaches Association) and LEC coach of the year Terry Condon brings in. Among the key returners for next year is junior Shannon Thompson, sophomore Corrine Porter, and juniors Molly Rattigan and Cassy Hanneman.
Thompson won a plethora of awards and honors including LEC offensive player of the year and AVCA First Team All American. Mind you this was coming off of a rookie of the year campaign and an AVCA All American Honorable Mention Team. This girl is legit, and can no doubt bring the Lady Beacons to the next level. As special of a player as Thompson is, she also had plenty of help. One example is the 2010 rookie of the year Corrine Porter.
Porter won LEC rookie of the week honors 6 times and showed she was more than capable of handling her own on the floor and can only get better. That is scary news for the rest of the LEC. Porter was also a first team LEC All-Star with fellow teammates in Thompson, Rattigan, and co-captain Hanneman. Hanneman has been nothing but great since she got here. She along with about to be junior Frana Burtness-Adams brought excellent leadership to an already special group of girls.
Not to put any pressure on the girls or anything, but with a young and stacked team, the rest of Division III needs to watch out. It is being said right now that, yes, if everyone stays healthy and everyone performs as usual, a national title is a definite possibility.
