George Washington University Athletics
GW Volleyball Season Outlook
8/25/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Quick Facts & Prospectus | 2016 Schedule | Get To Know: GW Volleyball's Five Freshmen
The George Washington volleyball team will open its 2016 season this weekend with a trio of matches at the Cavalier Classic in Charlottesville, Virginia.
The Colonials enter the 2016 season following three straight trips to the semifinals of the Atlantic 10 Championship, with an appearance in the championship match in 2014. GW has eclipsed the 20-win plateau in each of the past two seasons and three times under sixth-year had coach Amanda Ault.
Picked to finish third in the Atlantic 10 Preseason Poll, the Colonials welcome back nine letterwinners this season, including two-time AVCA All-East Region selection Chidima Osuchukwu. The Colonials have also added five freshman to the roster for 2016, each of which was introduced in a #GetToKnow video series on RaiseHigh TV.
Here is a positional breakdown of the roster headed into the opening weekend of competition.
SETTERS
Senior Emily Clemens will be the starting setter when the Colonials take the floor for their season-opening doubleheader on Friday.
The Lindenhurst, New York, native was limited by injury to just five sets as a junior but is still a reliable veteran with appearances in 53 matches in her career. She enters the season with 817 assists and has also topped the 100-dig threshold in two seasons.
Freshman Jaimeson Lee is another option in the setter position for the Colonials. She is a decorated scholastic player from Austin, Texas, that helped Brentwood Christian Academy to the 2015 TAPPS Class 3A Championship and three consecutive appearances in the championship match.
MIDDLES/RIGHT SIDE
Chidima Osuchukwu, a two-time AVCA All-East Region player and a 2014 AVCA All-America Honorable Mention selection, will continue to be the center piece of the Colonials' attack as she enters her senior season.
An efficient hitter and dominant blocker, Osuchukwu is closing in on one of the most decorated careers in program history. As a junior, she led the conference and ranked ninth nationally in both total blocks (168) and blocks per set (1.51) while leading the Colonials with 416 kills. She also set an Atlantic 10 record by being named the Player of the Week six times.
Kelsey Clark returns for her sophomore season following a standout freshman campaign that saw her be named the Atlantic 10 Co-Rookie of the Year, the first GW player to earn the distinction since 2006. Clark finished second to Osuchukwu with 288 total kills last season and registered 44.0 total blocks (three solo, 41 assists). Her athleticism will be on display during her sophomore season as she is expected to log playing time at a number of positions on the court.
Junior Kristel Moor is set for her second full season at George Washington after transferring from Auburn prior to her sophomore year. Her first season with the Colonials saw her appear in 63 sets and total 102 kills and 35.0 total blocks. She will team with sophomore Alexis Lete and juniorEmily Newell to provide depth in the front court as the Colonials aim to rank among the top-blocking teams in the A-10 for the third straight season.
HITTERS
Loren Williams returns for her senior season after posting her second consecutive 100+ kill season last year. She has appeared in 184 sets to date and will serve as a veteran presence in a young crop of hitters that includes two freshmen.
Junior Aaliya Davidson finished fourth on the team with 238 kills, in addition to 42.0 total blocks (two solo, 40 assists), last season. She was a key part of GW's Atlantic 10 success, leading the Colonials with a team-best 150 kills in conference matches. She also totaled double-digit kills on 12 occasions and will be a key part of the attack this coming season.
Skylar Iott enters her freshman season following a standout career at St. Mary Catholic Central High School, where she was a Michigan Miss Volleyball finalist as a senior and a two-time All-State selection. She will partner with classmate Jordan Young, a three-time Pennsylvania District Champion at Bethlehem Catholic (Pa.), to provide depth in GW's attacking lineup.
DEFENSIVE SPECIALIST
Senior Maddie Brown, who averaged 1.29 digs per set across 20 matches in her debut season at GW, anchors a trio of defensive specialists for the Colonials in 2016.
She is joined in the backcourt by the freshman duo of Madison Clay and Reilley Wehrstein.
Clay helped Crystal Springs Uplands School (Calif.) to a pair of league championships and was a First Team All-League selection as a junior. Wehrstein was sidelined by injury in her senior season at Keith Country Day (Ill.), but was an All-Conference libero that helped her team to three straight state championships.
