Aug. 28, 2008

Garden City, N.Y.- Head coach Danielle MacKnight has high expectations for the team as she starts her second year at the helm of the program. "We should place top three in our conference and be one of the top eight teams in the Northeast Region which should qualify us for NCAA's again." MacKnight stated. "Although we lost three key players from last year to graduation, we are returning a solid core of players, all of whom believe we can duplicate last year's success." Last year the Panthers won a program best 27 games and were 7-2 in the conference with a second place overall finish.

The women's volleyball team is looking to open strong at the Limestone tournament in Gaffney (S.C.). The debut match of the Panther's final season in the ECC will be against Elizabeth City State on August 29 and their tournament play will conclude on the 30th when they face Southern Wesleyan.

There is no doubt that the Panthers received a hard blow with the loss of Brittany Addeo, Kathleen Creegan and Lauren Flanagan. Both Addeo and Flanagan were recipients of post season ECC honors. Flanagan holds two Adelphi school records with 1,103 career kills and 343 career blocks. Addeo is the all-time assist leader with 4,075, a spot she earned after last year's season when she posted a staggering 1,357 assists.

Junior libero Amy Williams and senior right side Kathleen Carney are returning this year for the Panthers. Williams had a season best 567 digs last fall and coach MacKnight has hailed her to be one of the best passers in the conference, if not the region. Carney led the team with 998 total attacks. "Kat will carry a heavier load for us offensively this year. We're looking for her to produce just as much as last season." MacKnight said. In addition to Carney and Williams, junior Audrey Goss will be back to bolster the Adelphi squad. "Audrey is one of the hardest workers on our team. She serves as a calming influence on her teammates with her consistent play and level-headedness." Last year Goss contributed 275 kills and 59 blocks and will be a large part of the Panther offense.

Senior Samantha Johnston will look to close her collegiate career on a high note with the opportunity to appear in her third straight NCAA regional as a two-sport athlete. She went last fall with the women's volleyball team and again last spring as a member of the softball team. "Sam is the best athlete on our team and the fact that she has changed positions so frequently is proof of that," MacKnight said. Johnston, who has been key to the team's success in the past with 845 total attacks last season, will be a major factor as the Panthers are in the hunt for a conference title. According to coach MacKnight, "Sam's competitiveness is infectious. We'll need her to be a leader."

Junior Amy Williams led the team in digs last fall.

Junior middle blocker Kelsey Hackett was strong for the Panthers last year with 78 total blocks and sophomore Heather Mau was crucial on both offense and defense with 59 service aces and 270 digs. "Additionally," MacKnight said, "We expect to get defensive contributions from senior Jessica Walsh and junior Anna Gabbard." Walsh and Gabbard combined for 39 digs and a mere 5 total errors. Junior Jenn McKenna is a returning staple in the Panther's defense. "Jenn McKenna is the sparkplug for the team" says MacKnight. "She brings an incredibly high level of intensity every time she steps in the gym. She is a fearless defender that will help solidify our back row."

In addition to the strong returning class, the team picked up three freshmen recruits and a sophomore transfer. "The freshmen, Erika Loomer, a setter from Massachusetts, Ashley Harkins, a middle blocker from Connecticut, and Patawe Simms, a middle blocker from here on the island are all tremendous athletes with great potential" claims MacKnight. Hilary Pavels is a transfer from Lock Haven and MacKnight praises her as an extremely versatile player who should contribute immediately on either the outside or the right side.

After the Panther's opener in South Carolina, they will travel to Millersville PA for the Millersville Tournament on September 5. They will face Fairmont State, Wilmington, West Chester and Shippensburg in non-conference play. On September 9, Adelphi will travel to Flushing, New York to open their conference play against Queens College. On September 11, the Panthers will christen Adelphi University's new Athletic and Recreation Center with a conference bout against NYIT. It will be the team's first home match and the debut competition in the Panther's new state of the art facility. "The new Athletic and Recreation Center is magnificent." States coach MacKnight. "The girls are extremely excited for our first home match against NYIT. They realize what an honor it is to be the first team to utilize the new facility, and the fact that this is truly the beginning of a new era in Adelphi University Athletics."

This season will mark the beginning of the new facility and the end of Adelphi's participation in the East Coast Conference. As of fall 2009, there will be a department wide transition to the Northeast 10 conference. In regards to this, Coach MacKnight has said, "Since this is our last year in the ECC we want to go out as the best team on Long Island by beating C.W. Post and Dowling. Our schedule will be extremely challenging this year. We will be playing seven teams that were participants in last year's NCAA tournament and two teams that finished in the National top 25. We'll also be playing several NE 10 schools to ease our transition for next year and become familiar with our new conference opponents." MacKnight said, "Beyond that, we just have to take care of our side of the net and everything else will take care of itself."

The Panthers will close out conference play with home matches on November 4 and November 6 against C.W. Post and Bridgeport respectively.