This year’s Saint Mary’s College volleyball season will provide a stepping stone for the future. Hampered by a season-ending injury to All-MIAA senior outside hitter Colleen McCarthy, the young Belles captured a 6-14 record with a roster of mostly underclassmen.
“The team chemistry on the 2023 team was very good. I believe that will continue next season,” head coach Coach Denise Van De Walle said, in her ninth year with the Belles. “The takeaway from this season is we were young and needed more experience.”
With McCarthy out for the season, setter Karla Rigan was the team’s only senior. Playing a role throughout her career with the Belles, Rigan set and hit right side. She shined on her senior night, setting career single-game highs with 11 points and 10 kills.
“She was easy to coach and has a smile that lights up the room,” Van De Walle said of Rigan. “She was quiet but worked hard.”
With a roster that listed twice as many underclassmen as upperclassmen, the Belles experienced a learning curve in many areas. They finished 1-7 in MIAA conference play but 5-7 in non-conference action.
“We had new players step in and play some key roles this season, but we were still inexperienced,” Van De Walle said. “Our overall ball control was solid, our hitting was good [and] our serving was good. The area that we need to get better in is blocking. It's a tough skill to master, and we aren't particularly tall, so timing is critical with that skill.”
Among the emerging bright spots for the Belles was freshman middle Caroline Carens, who burst onto the scene to lead the team in points. Carens also finished second on the team in kills per set.
“She made a big impact on the team. Her steadiness, her jumping ability, how hard she hit the ball and her lateral footspeed made her a dynamic middle,” Van De Walle said. “In my opinion, she was the best freshman in the MIAA.”
Carens was joined by junior Cali Allen and sophomore Delaney Martin, both outside hitters, in recording over 100 kills. Allen has now reached 100 kills in two consecutive seasons and was named academic all-district this season. Fellow junior middle Shay Theile also earned academic all-district honors.
Saint Mary’s will be able to build around Carens and the rest of its young core heading into next year. The Belles are set to lose only Rigan to graduation, meaning 12 of their 13 players from this season are slated to return. Van De Walle and her staff hope that this newfound experience will bring positive results in 2024.
“Having everyone back will be a huge asset for 2024. Plus, recruiting is going well, so 2024 looks to be a very good year for the Belles," Van De Walle said. "We'll be another year older and more experienced.”
