GREENSBORO – Numerous newcomers are on the 2024 North Carolina A&T volleyball team.
Seven, to be exact.
But that number can be deceiving because there are plenty of familiar faces in the Aggies home gym – Moore Gymnasium. To others outside of Moore, however, the departures of Naiya Sawtelle, the program's No. 2 leader in all-time kills, and Kaili Doctor, last season's Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) rookie of the year, may lead to some skepticism.
Add to those absences starting setter Chiara Napoli, a double-double threat who led the Aggies in assists the past two seasons, and it might become too easy to judge North Carolina A&T volleyball as a program in a rebuilding phase. The CAA recently released its 2024 preseason predictions and preseason all-conference team, with the Aggies slated to finish 11th out of 12 teams.
A&T finished 8-18 overall and 6-12 in league play, missing the CAA tournament for the second consecutive season thanks to a 10th-place finish. While A&T's record was exactly what the standings indicated, it might be worth taking a deep dive into how competitive the Aggies are in a super-challenging conference.
Four times last season in conference play, the Aggies were swept in three sets. They lost a two-match weekend series at UNC Wilmington by three sets each time, and they lost twice in three sets at conference champion Delaware.
Six times last season, the Aggies took a conference foe to six games, including a five-set loss to regular-season champion Towson in Greensboro. A&T also lost two five-setters to Stony Brook before taking Hofstra, Campbell, and Elon to five sets. Campbell and Stony Brook qualified for the six-team CAA tournament last season.
Hal Clifton, the program's longest-tenured head coach, enters his 14th season in Aggieland. He understands why his team fell short in some of those close contests. But he has also witnessed his program's growth as it leapfrogged into a conference with an impressive RPI ranking. That growth is fluid; therefore, avoid landing A&T too far into the rebuilding scenario.
"We will need to finish when opportunities present themselves," said Clifton. "Continue to serve aggressively and play solid defense. Our offensive numbers also have to improve. Not just individually but overall. We were pretty high error in serving last year, too.
But that's a fine line. Good teams eat up average serving, so we have spent a lot of time on this portion of the game this past spring. We need to side-out quickly and have a lot more mini runs behind the serving line."
A&T will rely heavily on the leadership of seniors Maya Johnson and Hannah Howell to help the team make those adjustments that can turn a five-set loss into a five-set win. The ladies will serve as A&T's 2024 co-captains.
Johnson emerged as a middle blocker but showed the potential to play on the right side. Johnson stood out as one of the best defensive players in the conference, recording five or more blocks eight times. Howell's numbers declined last season as one of A&T's outside hitters, but she comes into her senior season with 517 kills, and she averages 1.87 kills per set over her career. Howell also has 495 career digs and, by season's end, could find herself in the top-10 all-time in career digs in program history.
Add senior middle blocker Madison Sanabria to the mix of talented and experienced players returning to A&T. Sanabria's fiery demeanor on the court can often turn the momentum in A&T's favor in seconds. She went from posting 18 total blocks as a sophomore to 83 total blocks as a junior. She posted a career-best nine blocks in A&T's 3-2 win over Elon last season.
Meanwhile, Johnson brings calmness to the court with intent, focus, and drive for team success. Howell brings a bigger voice to the mix, along with a competitive demeanor and a level-headedness that keeps the team together when things get chaotic on the floor.
"Maya, Hannah, and Madison have received a lot of playing time over the years, so their experience will be key to helping us bring the new players on board and helping the team gel," Clifton said. "This is their third go-round in the CAA, and they've learned a lot about what needs to be accomplished to be successful at this level of play."
Clifton added that senior defensive specialist Ceci Carter will also play a significant role in helping some of the new players adjust to college life and collegiate volleyball action. Carter is the only remaining player from A&T's Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) championship during the spring of 2021, when the 2020 fall season was delayed because of COVID. Carter's leadership extends beyond the floor. She has a 3.95 grade point average and is heavily involved in the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).
There is also experience returning defensively in the back row for A&T. Sophomore Valeria Estrada had a solid freshman season as a defensive specialist as she looks to battle for the libero position left vacant by Morgan Allen.
Senior Laurel Rogers returns after another stellar season as a reserve defensive specialist and a key server for the Aggies, scoring on nine aces a year ago. A&T also gets two improved players back into the mix in sophomore right side Mikala Sampson and junior middle blocker Jada Hampton.
"We moved Mikala around quite a bit last season, but she played a lot on both pins this spring and did a good job," said Clifton. "She is still getting accustomed to the transition but is starting to have some confidence and taking bigger swings. Jada had a great spring. She is sneaky good. She has opened up her shots and has put better pace behind the ball. Both have made good strides and will be able to compete for time on the court."
While a solid senior class returns along with other talented players, there are factors that perhaps led the prognosticators (CAA head coaches) to pick the Aggies to finish 11th. Sawtelle and Doctor were 1,2 kills per set last season and 1,2 points per set. Freshman Samaya Wesson, who led the Aggies in blocks per set, is also no longer with the program.
In addition to leading the Aggies in assists the past two seasons, Napoli also posted 17 double-doubles in two seasons in an Aggies uniform. Meanwhile, Allen led the Aggies in digs during the 2023 season. Those are a lot of holes to fill. As a result, the Aggies recruited effectively. Clifton compared this season's class to the 2017 class that produced two-time MEAC player of the year Edie Brewer and first-team All-MEAC performers Courteney Pitt and Fatimah Shabazz.
"We have a number of players capable of handling our offense attacks this year," said Clifton. "I think we can be extremely balanced, which will put a lot of pressure on the opposition. Last year, we were very outside-dominant, and CAA schools knew that. But this year, I think we can really spread the ball around."
Freshmen Tyne Ross and Lili Radnai will try to give the Aggies some offensive punch from the outside. Lili's sister Luca Radnai will help in the middle, and Lily Bannister will compete with Sampson for playing time at the right side position. Then, there is the question of the individual running the Aggies' offense.
Sophomore Leonor Polezzi is the lead candidate to serve as the Aggies' setter in 2024. She has experience on the international level. Freshman Charlie Meadoweal will compete with Polezzi and could also provide the Aggies with a valuable defensive presence. Both players bring tremendous athleticism to the position.
"Both setters will be instrumental in getting our team offense going," said Clifton. "I like the fact we can go to a 5-1 with either setter, or we can go to a 6-2 with our depth chart. It will give us a lot of flexibility throughout the season."
Clifton is also impressed with freshman defensive specialist Anahi Alvarado. Clifton said she is ready to contribute significantly to the team immediately and will certainly compete with Estrada and Rogers to wear the different-colored jersey as the Aggies libero.
The Aggies open the season at home against rival North Carolina Central University at 6 p.m., Friday, Aug. 30 at Corbett Sports Center. Conference play begins at Hampton University on Sept. 20.
"I like the flow and the energy of this team," said Clifton. "We are a big mix of new and old but a single focus. We've had a couple of really good team meetings, and the gym vibe has been good."
