The volleyball team in 2004 won 20 matches or more for the third straight season under head coach Candice Parent. Colby has a 67-29 record in the last three years.

Junior outside hitter Cait Cleaver earned All-New England and NESCAC second team honors. She has 1,165 career kills and should easily break the school record of 1,302 sometime next season. Cleaver had 395 kills and 462 defensive digs in 2004.

Junior Kaitlin Adams also earned second team honors from the NESCAC with 294 kills. Junior Megan Devlin (347 kills, 475 digs) and Mariah Daly (220 kills) also had solid seasons for Colby (21-10). Julie Hike led the team in blocks and was fifth in kills.

Adams earned NESCAC Fall All-Academic honors.

With four senior starters graduating, one would expect 2004 to be a rebuilding year for Colby's volleyball program.

"I believe next year will be a very exciting year for us," said head coach Candice Parent. "We have had depth with this team and have players that are ready to step in and make immediate contributions. Actual game experience will be an area that may hurt us early on, but I know this team will improve dramatically throughout the season and continue to play with heart, which is what I love about this team."

Colby's team will miss the leadership and experience of its four seniors, but junior co-captains Cait Cleaver '06 (Kennett Square, Pa.) and Kaitlin Adams '06 (Athol, Mass.) will take over as new leaders.

High priority for fall 2004 recruiting will be to find a setter that can come in and run the show after the graduation of Kimberly Prescott '04, who holds 11 of Colby's 12 individual school records for assists and service aces.

Colby will look to improve on the defensive end with key players such as Jennifer Radcliffe '07 (Eugene, Ore.), the libero for this year's squad, and outside hitters Megan Devlin '06 (Branford, Conn.) and Cleaver. "Defense will be key for us both at the net and on the floor," said Parent.

"I expect us to block and dig better next year because players like Julie Hike and Mariah Daly have excellent blocking instincts and our primary diggers have one more year of experience under their belts."

There are high expectations for 2004 after back-to-back 23-win seasons, and the Mules will look for their first-ever bid to the NCAA tournament.

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