THE UNIVERSITY OF SCRANTON - Second set, Royals up 18-11. Senior, Deanna Whelpley had just rattled off a 6-point service run that completely reversed the energy in the Long Center. William Smith College calls an emergency timeout in response to the Royals relentless offense.

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The Royals were coming off the first set of the season, where a strong and tall opposing attack from William Smith College put them down 3-14 early. Despite showing poise and power through the middle, their comeback was cut short, losing 16-25.  

Now, things were different. After battling back and forth to 10-10, Junior, Cammi Quirk found first-year, Lauren Angelucci for two crucial kills. Whelpley provided aces and challenging serves that the Royals capitalized on.

For the first time since walking into the building, head coach Jamie Spangler uncrossed his arms. Walking out of the timeout up 18-11, Whelpley and Quirk nodded at each other. This moment was immediately followed by a William Smith run that would allow them to come back and win the set, with the Royals falling 23-25.  

“We’ve got a lot to clean up,” Spangler said.

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Team member Whelpley said the team is adapting to new changes this season.  

“I think he’s just frustrated. We have a new team. We lost seven seniors last year, and I’m coming back from an injury. We had high expectations,” Whelpley said.  

Despite the loss, fans leaving the game had a positive impression of how the season would continue. This is largely because the team’s veteran strength around the floor. Whelpley returns as a senior with four years of starting experience, along with libero Senior, Maddie Forry, who enters the season top seven in program history with 1,442 digs.  

Additionally, Scranton returns Senior DS Camryn Hoffman, who led the team in digs last year. Quirk was the Landmark Conference Rookie of the Year in 2023 and Second Team All-Landmark last season. Senior opposite hitter Erin Gretzky also returns with three years of playing time in the program.  

This core of experienced players is complemented by an infusion of new talent, which is beginning to show its capabilities.  

In the second game of the year, against Mary Washington, first-year, Adria Vargas led the way with 11 kills. Quirk consistently connected on sets to Senior, Gwen Koester, who has already proved she belongs as a starter after being held down in the depth chart by a strong upper-class. Sophomore, Danielle Kramer and Koester consistently held down the frontcourt with strong blocks.  

“I think we have multiple upperclassmen stepping up this year. I think we’re still working on confidence,” Whelpley said.  

Whelpley also highlighted the efforts of first-year, Ava Seidenstein.  

“She came in huge for us, especially that third set.” Whelpley said. (referring to her 6 kills off the bench in the one set Scranton took from William Smith).

Scranton was able to easily hold off Mary Washington, 3 sets to 0. This led to the final game against local rival Misericordia, coming off a strong 25-9 season.  

Whelpley, came out of the gate swinging and they were able to hold Misericordia at a distance for the entirety of the first set. Misericordia stormed and took the second set in similar fashion. By the third set, when the energy of the game had hit its high point, the Scranton front row dominated, with a kill percentage of .370 and a new level of intensity.  

Whelpley settled back into the new year after suffering a season-ending injury last year. The Congers, NY native contributed a career-high 24 kills, attacking cleanly over blocks and placing shots with speed and accuracy. Quirk shared the wealth, setting 51 assists to Vargas, Seidenstein, Koester, and Kramer.  

The Royals were up 2 sets to 1, up 23-20 in the fourth set, and a statement victory would be sealed with two more points, however, Misericordia would come back and win the set, 28-26, and eventually win the game deciding final set over a stunned Royals team.  

For a team with plenty of new faces and minimal experience together, their potential is already evident. Across the court there is balance: strong and experienced leadership to rely on, and young talent to feed into, there are plenty of reasons to be excited about this year’s team. One thing the team can rely on down the stretch is their grit and resilience.  

For full box scores and news, head to the University of Scranton Athletics Page:

https://athletics.scranton.edu/sports/womens-volleyball

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