2023 UB Volleyball Preview

[dj_paige]

The UB Volleyball team comes off its most successful season ever in 2022, winning the most MAC games ever, advancing to the MAC Semi-Finals for the first time ever, and earning a post-season invitation for the first time ever. And the Bulls seem ready to build on this success in 2023, returning players who accounted for nearly 85% of the team's total points.

Returning this year to the Bulls lineup is the MAC leader in hitting percentage, the MAC leader in solo blocks, the MAC leader in aces, and for the first time ever, Buffalo has a setter who was named First-Team All-MAC.

Let's take a look at the team that fifth year head coach Scott Smith will put on the court, position by position.

Outside Hitter

Senior Katrin Trebichavská led the team in scoring in 2022, and also led the MAC with 64 aces (21 aces more than anyone else in the MAC). No UB player has hit 60 aces in a season since the 1980s, when the rules were quite different. Trebichavská hits the ball extremely hard, and the velocity on her attacks is the highest in recent memory, and seeing one of those attacks or serves land is worth the price of admission. But therein lies the problem — hitting that hard is a high risk, high reward activity, and there are plenty of times when Trebichavská struggles with her accuracy. As spectacular as her 64 aces was, she had over 100 service errors. If her accuracy improves, Trebichavská could be one of the best outside hitters in the MAC.

Sophomore Lauren Otten appeared in only 6 matches as a freshman, so it was hard to judge her capabilities. But in spring volleyball, she played well, with some well-placed and powerful attacks, and she should see much more playing time this season.

Newcomer Maurine Calande is listed as a graduate student, she stands 5–11 and played for club teams in her native Belgium. Scott Smith said she also played libero in Belgium. And sadly, I can't tell you much else about her (yet).

Last, but not least, is incoming freshman Manoela Forlín, who comes from Brazil and this summer played internationally for the Brazil Under-19 team at the U-19 Women's World Championship. Just to give some context, Brazil is one of the giants in international volleyball, winning two gold medals and one silver medal in the last four Olympics, and so making the Brazil U-19 team is a testament to her talent. Although she normally plays the opposite position (which is the position she played for Brazil), she will most likely play at outside hitter for Buffalo. In the spring, Forlín played outside hitter for UB, played all six rotations, and seemed like she had all the skills you want to see from a six rotation player.

Middle Blocker

Buffalo has one of the best MAC duos at the middle blocker position. Fifth year player Courtney Okwara led the MAC in hitting percentage at 0.420, the highest in UB history. She averaged 3.27 kills per set, and 0.89 blocks per set. Truly an all-around player at the middle blocker position.

Another fifth year player, and another all-around player, Abby Leigh, was the team's second leading scorer last year, and she returns as the MAC leader in solo blocks. Leigh wasn't far behind Okwara in hitting percentage at 0.367, 3.25 kills per set and led the team in blocks at 1.1 per set, good for fifth in the MAC. Leigh had 7 aces in one match, one short of the school record.

With those attacking numbers from Okawara and Leigh, UB fans need a new chant: “Set the middles!”

Redshirt freshman Tehya Shaw will make her first appearance for the Bulls after sitting out last year because of a surgery. Shaw played well in spring matches.

Right Side

Senior Emma Gielas was the team's third leading scorer last year, and has been a consistent performer on offense all three years at Buffalo. Gielas has been a starter all three years as well. Gielas has shown a full variety of shots from her right-side position, cross-court, down the line and tipping.

Senior Stacia Gollogly has played all three front row positions for UB. She has shown improvement every year at UB, and had a career high of 15 kills in one match.

Possible front line for the Bulls: Lauren Otten (1), Courtney Okwara (12) and Stacia Gollogly (10)

Defensive Specialist/Libero

Junior Maria Futey switched from outside hitter to libero during the 2022 season, and in her games at libero she averaged 4.37 digs per set, the most by any Buffalo libero in nearly a decade. In fact no UB libero has even averaged 4 digs per set since 2013.

Senior Julianna Lopez averaged 1.82 digs per set, and senior Hayley Montoya averaged 2.14 digs per set, both good numbers for defensive specialists. Both are transfers, playing their second year at UB. Montoya has been one of the more vocal players on the team, if you can find the video where Montoya was mic-ed up for a match, its worth watching.

Freshman Chloe Brown joins the Bulls from Shaker Heights, Ohio, where she played libero and outside hitter. She earned many all-star awards in the Cleveland area.

Setter

Junior Mandy Leigh finished 3^rd in the MAC in assists per set, earning her a First-Team All-MAC award, the first UB setter ever to be so honored. She is the all-time UB leader in assists per set. Her 2,318 career assists puts her in 9^th place all-time, and if she continues at that pace, she will be UB's all-time leader in assists after four years. Watch for one her special moves, a behind-the-head no-look tip onto the opponent's floor. Mandy is Abby's younger sister.

Freshman Liv Gravatt joins the team from Maryville, TN. She played one year for Vista Murieta HS in California, where she won a state championship. At Maryville, she twice won the Volleyball Player of the Year award from the Maryville Daily Times. As a junior, Gravatt had 81 aces, and as a senior she had 99 aces — how is that possible, when Trebichavská only had 64? And, get this: before Gravatt even steps on the court for UB, she is UB's all-time leader in one statistic: most Instagram followers, she has over 90,000.

L to R: Abby Leigh, Katrin Trebichavská and Mandy Leigh

Other Stuff

Assistant coach Delaney Gallagher is in her third year with Buffalo, and starts her 2^nd year as recruiting co-ordinator. Aaron Gordon begins his first year as assistant coach. Gordon was previously an assistant coach at Virginia Commonwealth.

Cali Assaley, a starter for the Bulls last year, is now Director of Volleyball Operations. As far as I know, this is the first year where UB Volleyball has had a DOVO.

Abby Leigh has also played all three front-line positions while at UB.

Buffalo will take the court on Saturday, August 18 in an exhibition match at Colgate. The Bulls lost an exhibition match to Colgate 4–1 at Alumni Arena last fall. Colgate is always one of the top mid-majors in the east, and finished last season with an RPI of 66. The non-Conference schedule has been upgraded and includes five P5 conference teams. The strength of schedule for UB this year is in the 150s, while a year ago it was in the low 200s. Smith is hoping that this tougher non-conference schedule will help the Bulls compete even better in the MAC.

Forlín will wear #14, the first time a player has worn that number since Monika Šimkova last played for UB.

Cooking video from Gravatt: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CqreJnbMqTT/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 16, 2023 by dj_paige

[dj_paige]

Occasional live updates from Colgate today (8/19/2023) on the Bull Run discord in the Volleyball 2023 thread. Invitation: https://discord.gg/9askxAFx (its free, but you do have to create an account and user name and password)