Head coach Candice Parent and members of the Colby College volleyball team won numerous individual awards after the 2002 season. The big team award ---- winning the New England Small College Athletic Conference tournament --- eluded the Mules.

Winning a league championship and making the NCAA Division III Tournament will be a goal for Colby. The Mules went 23-10 overall and finished second in the regular season league standings, but were upset in the quarterfinal round of the NESCAC tournament.

"We are ahead of where we were at this point last year since the team came in fit and focused," said Parent, the NESCAC Coach of the Year last season and back for her ninth year as head coach of the Mules. "We have great size and a nice mix of youth and experience."

Senior Kimberly Prescott (Los Alamitos/Buena Park, Calif.), who holds seven school records, might be the most important player on the court for the Mules since she is the only experienced setter on the team. Prescott, a NESCAC second-team all-star, is expected to break the career assists record in her final season. She had team-bests of 1,125 assists and 94 service aces last year.

Sophomore outside hitter Cait Cleaver (Unionville/Kennett Square, Pa.) earned NESCAC Rookie of the Year and league second-team honors after leading Colby with 353 kills. Meanwhile, the other outside hitter will be sophomore Megan Devlin (Branford/Branford, Conn.), who missed part of last season with an illness.

The Mules will have depth inside with returning senior middle blockers Johanna Schroeder (Salmon/Salmon, Idaho) and Abbey Stella (Westfield/Westfield, Mass.). Schroeder had 260 kills and 63 blocks, while Stella finished with 249 kills and a team-best 91 blocks. The blocking duo each made the NESCAC Winter All-Academic Team.

Sophomores Kaitlin Adams (Athol/Athol, Mass.) and Elizabeth Wyckoff (Hugh C. Williams/Canton, N.Y.) will back up Schroeder and Stella in the middle. First-year player Julie Hike (Falmouth/Falmouth, Mass.) should see quality time at middle blocker and outside hitter.

Senior right-side hitter Alyssa Henley (St. George's/Spokane, Wash.) had 282 kills and 45 blocks a year ago. Sophomore Jennifer Radcliffe (South Eugene/Eugene, Ore.) will be a key defensive player in the libero position after adding 262 digs and 152 kills in 2002.

About Wadsworth Gymnasium