The reconstruction of
Guilford's volleyball program enters its second season in 2000 with eight letter winners
returning from last year's 3-21 team. Head coach Chuck McCracken starts
his ninth campaign with seven newcomers, including four freshmen who will challenge for
playing time right away. Should the rookies develop as expected and push the veterans, the
Quakers can regain respectability and return to the ranks of the Old Dominion Athletic
Conference (ODAC) elite. The winner of the 2000 ODAC Tournament receives an automatic bid
to the NCAA Division III playoffs for the second straight season.
Guilford lost three key players from last season's club, including outside hitter Susie Browder '00 and setter Emily Pavetto '00. The pair graduated after leading the team in hitting and passing, respectively. The Quakers' top blocker from a year ago, 5-10 middle hitter Mary Catherine Hale, will miss her senior season while studying in Japan this fall. The trio helped Guilford to three 1999 wins against league rivals and a first-round ODAC Tournament matchup with eventual league champion Washington and Lee. The Quakers have reached the conference tourney in eight of the last nine seasons and won the ODAC title in 1991 and 1993.
Guilford's returning players benefited from the program's first organized off-season routine last spring. The spring ball contributed to a renewed passion for the game and provided experience for the younger players. Veterans also developed some much-needed on-court chemistry plus improved technical skills. Some players learned about leadership and gained respect through hard work and selflessness. By adding a hungry class of newcomers to the mix, McCracken expects a competitive environment where players are pushed to their highest performance level.
McCracken believes the 2000 squad's athleticism and depth will produce a successful campaign. He installed a quicker offense last spring, which calls for greater speed and fitness, especially at setter. The Quakers hope rookies Tracey Slaughter of Durham, NC, and Northwest Guilford H.S. product Christina Middleton step in right away and enable sophomore Jennifer Pue-Gilchrist to play outside. Junior Sarah Reese also has setting experience.
Pue-Gilchrist enjoyed a solid freshman season and returns as the Quakers' top hitter, passer and defender. Junior Sarah Miller (pictured) stepped forward in 1999 and received the team's Most Improved Player Award. A healthy Ashley Harrison means a great deal to Guilford's attack. The versatile performer missed a portion of her rookie season with a foot injury. Junior Katy Pomeroy-Carter missed all of her sophomore year with a severe ankle sprain, but made good progress in the spring. Junior Stephanie Rhoades and rookie Sharna Tolfree of Chapel Hill, NC could contend for court time at either hitter position.
Cassidy Hey of Monroe, NC, and Amanda Robertson of Eden, NC, improve the Quakers' skill and depth at middle hitter, especially with Hale's absence. Both rookies bring extensive scholastic and club experience to the team. They will contend with Marigny Johnston, Guilford's lone senior, for action at middle hitter.
Guilford opens its season in an eight-team tournament hosted by Earlham College, a fellow Quaker institution in Indiana and McCracken's alma mater. The Quakers will also compete in tournaments hosted by Greensboro College, Savannah College of Art & Design and Averett, in addition to hosting their own tournament October 6-7. Featured opponents on Guilford's schedule include three-time defending ODAC champion Washington and Lee and fellow 1999 NCAA Tournament participants Averett and Savannah College of Art & Design.