Never at a loss for energy or enthusiasm, Jill Wilson spent the early portion of the summer offseason in a place that she absolutely loves.
She was at hot and humid Cassell Coliseum and not sipping margaritas on a beach somewhere. Instead of wave-watching and ray-catching, she worked on the court, teaching a collection of kindergartners through sixth graders her passion – how to play the sport of volleyball.
These days, her passion centers on her own squad, as the Tech head volleyball coach, her staff and her team officially started practice for the 2018 season on Aug. 7. Entering her second season, she brings plenty of fire to her position, and after a difficult transitional year, her team is starting to follow suit.
Hence, the volleyball program’s theme and hashtag – #FuelTheFire.
The Hokies feel they have the spark. Now, they just need for the veteran leaders and young talent to fuel it.
“We’ve had a very busy 16 months, and I’m really excited with all the changes that we have been able to make and the confidence that is building within our program,” Wilson said in a recent radio interview with ESPN Blacksburg. “A lot of excitement this summer. We had one of our players that was able to represent the USA, and there are just a lot of little pieces that are coming together. It’s going to take us a little bit of time, but our staff is excited about the direction we’re going.”
Tech is coming off a 10-21 season, but the Hokies beat rival UVA twice, and as a result, Hokie Nation deemed the season a rousing success. Expectations are a little higher for this campaign, as the volleyball squad returns four starters and its libero from the 2017 squad. Tech saw starters Cara Cunningham and Stacey Christy depart, but the returning veterans and incoming talent figure to be able to replace their production.
RIGHT-SIDE HITTER
Jaila Tolbert headlines the group of returning players. Tolbert earned second-team All-ACC honors a season ago, and she spent a part of this summer in Detroit with a U.S. Collegiate National Team, gaining experience, and more importantly, confidence after playing well against the nation’s best. The right-side hitter will lead a young group, with 11 of the team’s 16 student-athletes being underclassmen.
Tolbert – one of just two seniors on the squad, along with redshirt senior setter Rhegan Mitchell – finished 2017 with a team-best hitting percentage of .331 and a team-best 318 kills. Her hitting percentage ranked seventh in the ACC, but first among non-middle blockers.
“She hit over .500 in the final match in Detroit [with the U.S. team], and I think she came back realizing and gaining that confidence that she belongs with the best of the best,” Wilson said. “She can do some special things here. Just the confidence level that she has come back with and the leadership that she has shown this summer, I think she is going to have a really special year.”
SETTERS
Mitchell returns after racking up more than 1,000 assists last season. The 2017 captain, as voted on by the team, was the first Tech setter since 2013 to compile more than 1,000 assists in a season and looks to build upon that this upcoming fall.
She’ll mostly be dishing the ball to outside hitters Kaity Smith and Ester Talamazzi, who each earned ACC Freshman of the Week honors last autumn. Tayln Jackson and Sarah Jane Lynch will be the other setters for the Hokies.
OUTSIDE HITTERS
Smith, a sophomore, had 309 kills and Talamazzi, also a sophomore, recorded 290 last season, with both cracking the top 10 for most kills by freshman in program history. Smith earned three awards following her freshman year – Virginia Sports Information Directors Freshman of the Year, All-ACC Freshman Team and Prep Volleyball All-Freshman Honorable Mention.
Other outside hitters on the squad will be returner Melody Caloyannides and newcomers Jennifer Williams and Tessa Wyner.
LIBERO/DEFENSIVE SPECIALISTS
Libero Carol Raffety returns after scooping up more than 400 digs for the second straight season. The junior led the team in digs and service aces (32) and will be key to the defense once again this year. Defensive specialists returning include junior Abby McKinzie and sophomore Kylie Thomas.
MIDDLE BLOCKERS
Cunningham and Christy played the middle blocker spot, and their departures left a void. Sophomores Marisa Cerchio and Kai Young saw action last year as freshmen, and the Hokies welcome two newcomers at the spot in Angel Robinson and Peyton Yelich.
NEWCOMERS
Six freshmen joined the squad for this fall, coming from Georgia, Indiana, Nevada, Oklahoma, Virginia and West Virginia. Of the six, one enrolled back in January – Jackson. The Nevada native practiced with the team and competed in its spring tournaments throughout the spring semester.
2018 SEASON OUTLOOK
The Hokies enter this season with one of the youngest rosters in the ACC. In addition to the six freshmen, Tech returns five sophomores. The youthful Hokies start the season with 12 nonconference matches, including one against preseason No. 18 Baylor, according to VolleyMob, which will be a test. Tech then opens ACC play against Pittsburgh – a team that went 18-2 in conference play a season ago.
The ACC sent six teams to the NCAA Tournament in 2017, including the Panthers, Florida State, Louisville, Miami, NC State and Notre Dame. Of the Hokies’ 26 opponents, 14 registered winning seasons, nine collected 20 or more wins and eight finished the year inside the top 50 RPI last fall.
But the Hokies head into the season undaunted. In fact, they head into the 2018 campaign ready to “fuel the fire.”
“We’re not there yet. We know we have a lot of work to do, but we’re fueling it every single day,” Wilson said. “I can tell you that my players have been here the last part of the summer, and just the whole feel and the atmosphere of the culture is pretty incredible in a year’s time. That’s really what our theme represents. Our fans … will see that. There is going to be a big change in the confidence and the culture that is happening. It’s really, really exciting to be a part of.”
–VT Athletics
