Juniata College
Season Outlook
Juniata Season Outlook
Juniata men’s volleyball capped its 2009 season by capturing
its sixth Molten Division III Invitational title in dominating
fashion, defeating Ramapo College and Stevens Institute of
Technology in a pair of 3-0 matches.
Just two seasons later, there are only two starters and a total of
four players remaining from the team that saw the court in the
championship match against Stevens.
Juniata’s quest for a seventh and final Molten crown will
hinge on the play of a lot of young players who may not have
extensive post-season experience. However the 2011 Eagles have a
versatility that previous Juniata squads may not have enjoyed.
“That versatility is a definite asset for us,” said
first-year Juniata head coach Kevin Moore, a 2002 graduate of the
program. “That allows us to in-game or in-match change our
plan of attack without necessarily substituting someone in or out.
That’s been by design, but also partly out of
need.”
That need may be most evident at the middle hitter spot, where the
Eagles have only three healthy and viable options.
Junior Ben Wolff (Meadville, Pa./Meadville) was fourth on the team
in kills last season, averaging 2.43 per match with a team-high 73
blocks (0.88 per set). His .397 hitting percentage was
14th among NCAA Division I statistical leaders.
Backing up Wolff will be sophomore John Prout (Evanston,
Ill./Evanston Township), who played behind Wolff and graduated
All-America middle Evan Halteman last season. Both Prout and Wolff
– each standing at 6-8 – give the Juniata a significant
height advantage over most of their Division III opponents.
Sophomore middle Goran Skinder (New Holland, Pa./Garden Spot)
– a touch shorter at 6-4 – knows the Juniata system and
can step in if needed.
Juniata’s biggest wealth of experience will be at the outside
hitter position, where the Eagles will be led by senior Chris
Vrooman (Baden, Pa./Ambridge Area). Vrooman was Juniata’s top
left side hitter last season with 2.72 kills per set, and
contributed defensively at the net with 47 blocks (0.58/set). He
was also among Juniata’s most effective servers, recording 14
aces, and contributed on defense with 1.69 digs per set.
Senior outside hitter Dan Follett (Cranberry Township, Pa./Seneca
Valley) played in 60 of Juniata’s 83 sets last season, and
averaged 1.20 kills per set. Follett and Vrooman are the only two
returning starters from Juniata’s 2009 Molten title squad,
and both will be counted on to provide some veteran leadership to a
youthful Eagle squad.
Freshman Ross Madden (Richmond, Va./Deep Run) will compete with
Follett for the second spot among the outside hitters, as will the
ever-versatile junior Mike Kraft (York, Pa./Eastern York).
At the right antenna, the starting job is wide open after the
graduation of All-American Zach Wanner. Freshman Alex
McColgin (Hamburg, N.Y./Hamburg) is the leading candidate at the
opposite spot; at 6-4, he brings a big physical presence at the net
and can contribute on the block.
Juniata’s adaptability becomes most evident at the setter and
libero positions, where the Eagles have a lot of interchangeable
parts.
At the setter position, the Eagles have two returnees who saw
plenty of time on the floor. Kraft started the 2010 campaign as the
Eagles’ top setter, and averaged 7.25 assists per set over 83
sets played. Junior John Almquist (York, Pa./Central York) played
in 72 sets and averaged 5.61 assists per set.
The pair offer a contrast in styles on the floor: the
emotionally-charged Kraft versus the cool and cerebral
Almquist.
“Either way, both Kraft and Almquist give us phenomenal
defense with a very aggressive serve,” said Moore.
Sophomore Rob Strauss (Penn Hills, Pa./Penn Hills) can back up
Kraft and Almquist at the setter position, and he may see his
playing time boost as the season unfolds.
Kraft will start the season atop the Juniata depth chart at the
libero spot, where he has the somewhat unenviable task of taking
over the spot held by graduated All-America libero Anthony Damiano.
Damiano averaged 3.25 digs per set, and ranked fifth among NCAA
statistical leaders in Division I (with whom the three EIVA
Division III schools were included); replacing him will be no easy
task for the Eagles.
But putting Kraft at libero offers an intriguing element when Moore
puts together his lineup, and when Juniata sets its attack on the
court.
“(Kraft’s) ball control and defensive range allow us to
keep more balls in play and extend rallies,” said Moore.
“But his background as a setter allows him to expand his role
as a libero. Mike puts us right in system – he can get a
fast, in-tempo ball to either pin hitter because he knows the
timing of the hitters and our hitters have that connection with
him,” said Moore.
