BOSTON, MA—The UMass Boston Women's Volleyball team is slated to open their season at New York University in the NYU Tournament on August 30th at 4:30 p.m. The Beacons' home opener at Clark Gymnasium is scheduled for September 6th against the Hawks of Roger Williams University at 5:00 p.m.
Last Season, the Beacons finished with a 17-10 overall record and a fourth-place finish in the Little East Conference with a 5-3 conference record. Ultimately, the season ended in the second round of the Little East Conference Tournament to the ultimate conference champions.
Middle blocker Taryn Broughal led the Beacons last season in total kills with 170, good for the top fifteen in the LEC. Sophomore setter Amelia Devlin was the team's primary playmaker, with a team-leading 470 assists, good for an LEC fifth-best in total assists. Devlin joined her teammate junior defensive specialist Toni Guerra among the top 10 servers in the LEC, with Guerra leading all Beacons in service aces with 37, and Devlin with 36 total. Senior libero Ally Dean led the team in total digs, as she tallied 400 to finish top five in the LEC.
Also, among the program's top talent, sophomore Lauren Westlund and first-year Paige Coulson were primary offensive contributors, with the duo contributing 300 total kills (Westlund: 143 - Coulson: 147). Junior captain, Dylan Wertzberger returns in 2024 as a pivotal piece in the Beacons' offense, as she was one of the leading contributors for points (162), kills (129), and aces (26).
The Beacons parted ways with four members of the graduating class of 2023. Key offensive contributors Livia Trindade and Taryn Broughal each left holes for the returners to fill in on the offensive end. With the loss of four core players, the Beacons will look to fill the gaps with their key returners and five new first-year additions.
The trio of Wertzberger, Westlund, and Coulson played significant roles in the Beacons' success through the 2023 season. The three started in a combined 54 sets throughout the year, totaling 222 sets played, as the rising core for UMass Boston showed a consistent leadership presence during the 2023 campaign.
Head Coach Stacy Cheney in her second year as head coach will look to build upon the success of last season to improve the squad's finish on the conference, regional, and at the national level. Upon inquiry about her thoughts for the season, Cheney replied with: "We are excited about our strength of schedule this season. It will be a great test for us to go up against regionally ranked teams as well as multiple teams that competed in the NCAA tournament in 2023. Our off-season training provided huge gains in our individual play and team culture as a whole. I'm excited to add our 5 incoming players who come to Beaconville from the West Coast, Midwest, and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Roll Beacs!"
Tune into the Beacons' season opener at New York University on Friday, August 30 at 4:30 pm available on Live Broadcasts - NYU Athletics (gonyuathletics.com).
--ROLL BEACS--
