The Colby College volleyball team will have a plenty of new faces contributing as the Mules open the 2009 season.

Heather Arvidson '11 will lead the Mules offensively in the middle after finishing third in total kills (199) and service aces (38). She also helped out defensively by leading Colby in blocks (72).

Larissa Levine '10 will play on the right side after finishing third on the team in blocks (51). Caitlin Burchill '12 also returns and will play at outside hitter after battling injury problems a year ago. Burchill was fourth on the team in kills (134) and fourth in defensive digs (231). Senior Megan Conroy also returns after contributing more than 200 digs a year ago.

A trio of first-year players and two new sophomores will contribute right away for 15^th-year head coach Candice Parent. Anne Sewall '12, who is 5-foot-11, will provide some size in the middle. Whitney Greswold '12 and Emily Varni '13 will both play at outside hitter and each are solid defensively. First year Margaret Taylor, who can play in the middle or outside, is athletic and is versatile enough to set as well.

Emily Ten Eyck '13 will be the setter after the Mules lost career assist leader Jenny Lawrence to graduation. Clare Reich '11 finished third on the team in digs (222) and is a defensive specialist along with classmate Hannah Bowman '11.

With the return of starters Meredith Lawler '09 and Jenny Lawrence '09, the outlook for 2008 is promising for the Colby College volleyball team.

The Mules also return a defensive sparkplug in Carlie Minichino '09. Lawler, Lawrence, and Minichino will serve as captains. Lawler led Colby in kills last year with 334 (3.27 per game). Lawrence paced the Mules with team-bests of 801 assists and 81 services aces while also adding 338 defensive digs. Minichino added 159 digs a year ago.

Another key returner is middle hitter Heather Arvidson '11, who was second in kills with 2.65 per game and second in blocks with .68 per game as a first-year. 

Larissa Levine had 192 kills and a team-best 87 blocks, while Megan Conroy finished with 228 digs and 103 kills.