Women’s Volleyball on Track for Big Comeback

By: Stephanie Savage
Posted In: Sports

Newport, RI – In its eighth year at Salve, the women’s volleyball team refuses to lose their spirit as they expect to make a big comeback in the second half of the season.

Since 2006, the team has only been getting better, accumulating more wins and even advancing to the Commonwealth Coast Conference Tournament each of the past four years. Much of the team’s recent year’s success has been credited to the head coach, Jennifer Maxwell, who is now in her fifth year coaching the young women. Richard Baumert and Lindsay Mashall, both of whom are new to the team this season, assist her on the court.

With a lot of new young talent, Natalie Rubenoff, senior captain, expects that the team will become even stronger in years to come. With only four upperclassmen, the team received five incoming freshman this year, along with four returning sophomores. Among those four upperclassmen are Rubenoff and fellow captains, Deanna Salter and Brittney Canaff. All three have played since freshman year and will be graduating in May.

In comparing this year’s team to years’ past, Rubenoff said that girls are now closer than ever before. “Everyone gets along with each other on and off the court,” Rubenoff said. “I can honestly say not one bad thing about any of the girls. They are all strong athletes, and more importantly, awesome people.” Aside from this, Rubenoff also said that it’s the people who make going to practices and games worth it. “Not only am I playing a sport I love, but I’m playing it with great teammates,” Rubenoff said.

Most of the athletes have been playing since as far back as elementary school and many have come from strong high school programs, as well as programs and clubs outside of school such as Juniors Volleyball. Rubenoff jokes that her own volleyball career began in the fall of her freshman year of high school as a way to get in shape for the upcoming basketball season, yet turned into something she really loves and has been competitively involved in ever since.

Rubenoff expects that the girls will only get better as the season continues. Having won their first game of the season against Framingham State College, the girls already know they have what it takes to rise to the top. This past weekend was a huge victory as they beat Gordon College 2-0, making it the first time in the history of the team that they have beaten them. With still plenty of games left in the 2009 season, the girls anticipate to triumph over their biggest competitors and with any luck finish in the top half of the conference.