Edmonds Community College Athletics

Tritons Volleyball

Edmonds Sweeps Weekly North Region Awards:

D’Amelio Named Offensive & Dahl Named Defensive Players of the Week

October 29, 2009

Angela D'Amelio Alyssa Dahl

Vancouver, WA -- Sophomore middle blocker Angela D’Amelio was selected Northern Region Offensive Player of the Week and Freshman Libero Alyssa Dahl was selected Northern Region Defensive Player of the Week by the NWAACC for the week ending October 28.

In matches against Shoreline and Skagit Valley, D’Amelio had 17 kills and had a 31% kill efficiency. She added 2.5 blocks, 7 digs, and 1 Ace on 92% serving accuracy. “Angela has really begun to understand what makes her successful and her numbers recently have shown that,” said Coach Tony Miranda. “While not the flashiest of middles, Angela has discovered her strengths and has used them to her advantage. Injuries have pushed her into a leadership role on this team and she has responded well. Her progress was evident by great play at the Spokane Crossover, and she continues to show improvement as she ended the week with a great performance against Skagit Valley, leading is in kills and hitting efficiency.”

In those same two matches, Dahl had a great performance as well, totaling 36 Digs, and 6 Aces, with a 95% serving accuracy. She also passed at an average of 2.5 (out of 3) for the week on 46 attempts. "Alyssa continues to improve as our Libero," said Coach Miranda. "She has significantly increased her digs per set, consistently passes over 2.3 every match and has now added a very tough serve to her arsenal. She has been leading the team in number of serves as well as serve percentage, this week she also led the Tritons on service Aces. Her improvement at the Libero position will be a key to our continued success."

2009 Season Outlook

After finishing the 2008 season as North Division Champions (11-1) and taking 3rd place in the NWAACC with a 38-12 record, the 2009 Triton Women’s Volleyball team has its work cut out for them if they want to duplicate or improve on that success. With a motivated and experienced group of returning sophomores, a great crop of incoming freshmen, and some timely transfers, the 2009 Tritons are up to the task. They fully intend to repeat as North Champions and return to the top of the NWAACC Conference.

The team opens the season with a tough test the opening week of play – at the Chemeketa Invitational, which features the top 5 finishers in the 2008 NWAACC tournament. Other pre-season tests include matches against perennial NWAAC powers Mt. Hood, Clark, Lower Columbia, and Highline – before heading to the Inland Communications Tournament at Spokane Falls (featuring 7 NWAACC Tournament teams and NJCAA power North Idaho College). They open defense of their North Division crown on September 23rd with a home match versus Shoreline.

A close-up look at the program shows that the Tritons will be a contender for the NWAAC crown in 2009:

Intangibles

The Tritons boasted 9 sophomores on their 2008 team that contended for a title and history shows that successful teams in the NWAACC feature a core of returning players. This season, they have 4 returners, but also feature two quality transfers that add to the depth of the sophomore class. That added with 7 quality incoming freshmen – and the 2009 Tritons expect to be in the mix again at the top of the NWAACC in 2009. Head Coach Tony Miranda enters his third season at the helm of the Edmonds volleyball program and again has a roster full of his recruits and high expectations. Coach Miranda has 11 years of collegiate experience (9 in the NWAACC and 2 at Seattle Pacific University) and is very active in the volleyball community as the Northwest Juniors Volleyball Club coach/director.

The culture of winning and high expectations set forth by the 2008 team has carried over to this season and the great leaders in the sophomore class are carrying on the tradition to the freshman class. “We have an exceptionally hard working and dedicated group of student-athletes assembled here and the staff and I are excited about the possibilities that this season presents”, says Miranda; “every single day, we see something at practice that gives us reason to be excited for a great season. This is a great group that will continue our tradition of winning.”

Setters

Two setters enter the season competing for the starting setter position. They include sophomore Captain Emily Price (Juanita HS, Northwest Jrs) who sat the 2008 season due to injury, and incoming freshman Cami Alexander (Lakeside HS, VIP Juniors in Spokane. Price brings to the table some great experience and leadership qualities; Alexander brings exceptional athleticism and great potential and can attack like the best outside hitters on the roster – she also fills in nicely at the opposite position. With either player leading the offense, setting will be a strength for the Tritons this season.

Defensive Specialists

Probably the biggest strength of the 2008 team was defense (2nd in the NWAACC in opponent hitting percentage) with North Division MVP Anya Silva leading the way. Her NWAACC-leading 5.63 digs per set will be sorely missed – and the task of “replacing” her falls to the entire Triton roster. Leading the way this season, will be sophomore transfer Lauren Wilder (University of Dallas & Seattle’s Holy Names Academy) and two freshmen with great work habits. They include Alyssa Dahl (Gresham HS, Alpine VBC) and Meagan Foote, a second team all-league and second team All-State player from WIAA “A” State Champion, Kings High School. Both incoming freshmen have some great instincts and will make an immediate impact defensively. All three will contribute greatly to the cornerstone of all Edmonds teams – great team defense!

Outside Hitters

With few returning outside hitters from the 2008 team, the task of dominating from the outside will greatly fall to the freshman class. Our returning outside hitters includeco-captain Angela D’Amelio (Juanita HS, NW Juniors), a starting opposite on the 2007 team, and Ali Christensen (Flathead HS/Flathead Jrs) a middle blocker on the 2008 team. The new crop of outside hitters on the Triton roster include previously mentioned Lauren Wilder – a Seattle native who transferred in from the University of Dallas (NCAA Division III); Rebecca Stafford (Borah HS, Club Idaho), a multi-sport athlete and first team all conference player from Boise, Idaho; co-captain Michelle Woodward (Olympia HS, Capital VBC) an all-Narrows League selection for the Bears, who finished 6th at the 2008 4A State Tournament; Kellee Bates (Mt. Spokane HS/VIP Juniors) another Spokane product from the VIP Juniors Volleyball Club; and Alyssa Bruchet (Ontario Christian HS, Club West) a California product and first team all-league player who is also a Middle Blocker.

Middle Blockers

Among the strengths of the 2009 Triton Squad will be the Middle Blocker core, as they return 6’ 1” starter Jaima McEwen (Walla Walla Valley Academy/WW Juniors) and welcome Brianna Cox (Bothell HS, Island Thunder VBC) a 6’ 0 sophomore transfer from the College of Southern Idaho. These two will lead a great group of middles that include versatile outside hitters Angela D’Amelio, Kellee Bates, and Alyssa Bruchet. This is an extremely versatile group of student-athletes that will help the Tritons contend for a title.

Comings & Goings:

2009-10 Letter-of-Intent Signees: We welcome these new additions to the Triton Volleyball Program:

Kellee Bates, 5'10" OH, Mt. Spokane HS, Spokane WA
Camilla Alexander, 5'9" Setter, Lakeside HS, Spokane WA
Michelle Woodward, 5'9" Opposite, Olympia HS, Olympia WA
Rebecca Stafford, 5'11" OH, Borah HS , Boise ID
Alyssa Dahl, 5'4" DS, Gresham HS, Gresham, OR
Alyssa Bruchet, 5'10" MB, Ontario Christian HS, Ontario CA
Lauren Wilder, 5'9" OH, Holy Names Academy, Seattle WA

Alumni:

The Triton Volleyball players below are continuing their athletic and academic careers at 4-yr institutions. We wish them the best of luck!

2009 Class

Mindy Rencher, OH, Oregon Institute of Technology
Kim Mulka, MB, Concordia University
Bridget Marasigan, DS, Northwest Christian University

2008 Class

Silver Keck, DS, Washington State University

2007 Class

Laura Mandegue, MB, SUNY Plattsburgh (State University of New York)

2008 Season Recap

The 2008 Edmonds CC Tritons volleyball team had an amazing season, finishing third overall in the NWAACC with a 38-12 record. Along the way, they won the North Division title with an 11-1 record. They were a highly decorated team, with sophomore Anya Silva being named North Division co-MVP, and first team all-NWAACC. Sophomore Mindy Rencher was also honored, as a first-team North Division selection, all-NWAACC and NWAACC All-academic. Sophomore Kim Mulka was a second team North Selection and all-academic as well. Finally, an unprecedented 5 Triton Sophomores participated in the NWAACC Sophomore All-star Showcase: Anya Silva, Mindy Rencher, Kim Mulka, Nicole Tuson, and Glenda Schuster. Congratulations to the Tritons for a wonderfully successful season.

At the post season team banquet, the Tritons honored several student-athletes:

Anya Silva was named Team MVP
Glenda Schuster was named Most Inspirational
Eileen Chatfield was named Most Improved
Mindy Rencher was given the Coaches Award

2008 Season Outlook

The 2008 version of the Edmonds CC Tritons volleyball team should be a significant improvement from the 2007 team – which had a successful season, finishing third in the North Division and qualifying for the NWAACC Championship Tournament – in addition, the 2007 team saw two sophomores named to the NWAACC All-Academic team (Janet Schumann, 3.78 & Silver Keck, 3.30) and Anya Silva named a North Region First team All-Star.

With experience at every position, 9 returning players, and a great group of incoming freshmen, the Tritons should be a contender for Division and League Championships in 2008.

A tough pre-season schedule will give the team some opportunities to test themselves early before the start of North Division competition. They open the season Labor Day Weekend in Albany, Oregon with a match against Linn-Benton and at the challenging Linn-Benton invitational – with 6 of the 8 teams in the tournament having participated in the 2007 NWAACC Championship Tournament. They then return to their pre-season home for a tournament September 5-6 at Juanita High School, featuring NWAACC Tournament participants Whatcom, Skagit Bellevue, Clackamas, Chemeketa, Pierce and Tacoma. A test against an NCAA DII team Northwest Nazarene University and Clark College follows on September 13th at Concordia of Portland.

Their home opener consists of two non-league matches on Wednesday, September 17th against West Division powerhouses Tacoma (3:00 PM) and Highline (6:00 PM). Their final pre-season test will be a Crossover tournament at Southwest Oregon CC. Their final pre-season match is September 22 at home versus the Edmonds Alumni. They open North Division play Wednesday, September 24th at Everett.

A closer look at the program shows that the Tritons will be a force to be reckoned with in 2008:

Intangibles

History shows that one of the strengths of many successful teams in the NWAACC is a great core of returning athletes. With 9 returners (7 started or were significant contributors) and a great group of 7 incoming freshmen, the 2008 Tritons expect to compete with the best in the NWAACC. Tony Miranda enters his second year as head coach and has a roster full of his recruits and high expectations. Tony has 8 years of collegiate experience (6 in the NWAACC and 2 at Seattle Pacific University) and is very active in the volleyball community as the Northwest Juniors Volleyball Club coach/director.

Miranda is optimistic for a good season and grateful for a dedicated group of student-athletes, “I can’t tell you how exciting it is to see these sophomores work hard on the court and in the classroom. They are taking the lead of the coaching staff and creating a culture of winning and high expectations in our program, which is being passed onto our incoming freshmen. This is creating what we hope will be a tradition of winning in the Triton Volleyball Program. We don’t expect to win just for this season; we expect to be great for years to come. Continuing to add great student-athletes to our program, and passing down the culture of winning will ensure this success.”

Setters

Three setters enter the season competing for the opportunity to lead the Triton offense in 2008 – all sophomores with previous playing experience. They are Glenda Schuster, who led the team in assists in 2007 and was second in digs, and is a member of the 2006 Daily Olympian’s all-area team (Timberline HS, Ohana VBC); Lauren Steenson, second in assists in 2007 (Battle Ground HS, Clark County Jrs), and Emily Price , whose season was shortened by injury (Juanita HS, Northwest Jrs). All three saw significant playing time in 2007 and battled hard during the spring. This will be the biggest battle for playing time all season.

Defensive Specialists

Probably the biggest strength of the 2007 team was team defense, as the Tritons held opponents to a .120 hitting percentage (6th in the NWAACC). The 2008 team’s defense is anchored by returning starting libero Anya Silva (Kentwood HS, KJVBC) who was a first team North Division all-star in 2007 and averaged 5.52 digs per game (third in the NWAACC) and was second on the team in aces; she was a highly decorated high school player (2006 All-State, Star Times All-area Team, and twice first team All SPSL).

Another cornerstone is Bridget Marasigan (Jackson HS, Northshore Jrs), first on the team in aces per game and fourth in digs with 1.55 digs per game. Adding to the strength of the team is incoming freshman Caitlin Sylvester (Bishop Blanchet, Northwest Jrs.) who was the starting libero for the Bishop Blanchet team that took 3rd in the 2007 and 1st in the 2006 3A state tournament.

Outside Hitters

One of the areas that needed improvement from the 2007 season was outside hitting, as the Tritons were near the bottom in attacking percentage last season. This will be a strength of the 2008 team as the returning players worked hard on improving their attacking and ball control and several key players were added to the mix – creating a very deep 7-person contingent of outside hitters.

Leading the group of outsides are returning starters Mindy Rencher (Idaho Falls HS, IFJ) a high school first team all-league player who led all Triton outside hitters in attacking percentage last year and Angela D’Amelio (Juanita HS, NW Juniors), who assumed the starting opposite position mid-season and was a steady contributor.

Also returning is Nicole Tuson (Black Hills HS/S. Sound Ohana) a very well-rounded player with size and athleticism who trained as a middle in the off-season and can play various positions – making her the most versatile athlete on the roster.

New additions to the team include Erin Thorlakson (CWU/Mountlake Terrace HS, NW Juniors) a transfer from Central Washington University, who trained with the Wildcats in 2007 and comes to Edmonds with two years of CC eligibility, Jessica Levine (Black Hills HS, S. Sound Ohana) a powerful attacker and member of the 8-person Daily Olympian’s All-area team, Eileen Chatfield (University HS, VIP Juniors) an experienced attacker who played all three front row positions in High School and Club but will train primarily as an Outside Hitter, and Kelsey Fleetwood (Mountlake Terrace HS) a local product who started three years for her high school program and was a late addition to the roster.

Middle Blockers

Another area of depth for the Tritons in 2008 will be Middle Blockers, as they return 6’ 3” starter Kim Mulka (Skyline HS, NW Juniors) who led the Tritons in blocks in 2007 and previously mentioned Nicole Tuson. Two new additions to the Triton program bring size and athleticism to Edmonds. They include Jaima McEwen (Walla Walla Valley Academy/WW Juniors) a 6’1” athlete who also trained as an outside hitter on her club and high school teams because of her great passing and serving skills; and Allison Christensen (Flathead HS/Flathead Jrs), the Montana State HS Javelin Champion, who is a great athlete with a lot of potential who will quickly develop into a regular contributor.