GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The Tusculum University women's volleyball team begins its 25-match campaign with a trio of weekend contests (Sept. 1-2), hosted by Erskine College in South Carolina.
Fifth-year head coach Danielle Marante returns 14 student-athletes from her 2022 squad, who finished the season 14-12 (12-6 SAC). Marante brings in another 11 to complement the depth, comprised of five freshmen, five transfers, and one beach volleyball player. Six players on Marante's squad intend to be multi-sport athletes, with three pulling double-duty with the beach volleyball team, two on the track & field roster, and one suiting up for basketball season.
THIS WEEK
The Pioneers begin their 2023 season with a three-team tournament, hosted by Erskine over the first weekend of September (Sept. 1-2). TU will also face Lee and Clark Atlanta at the event.
Tusculum and the Flying Fleet have only met three times, ranging from 2010-16, with the Pioneers winning out. Erskine finished last season with a 9-20 overall mark, including a 4-10 record within their home Belk Arena. The Fleet were picked to finish 12th out of the 14-team Conference Carolinas.
Despite being in-state foes, TU and the Flames have not met since 2002, with Lee holding the 15-1 all-time lead. Lee went 8-24 in 2022, including a combined 2-16 away from its familiar court. The Flames were tabbed ninth out of 12 Gulf South teams in the preseason poll.
The Panthers and Pioneers will face one another for the first time in program history with the Saturday matchup. Clark Atlanta had the best record in 2022 out of the three teams that Tusculum will face over the opening weekend at 13-20. The Panthers had a winning 5-4 mark in neutral contests. The Georgia team was selected to finish fifth in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference East Division ahead of the season.
STREAMING/TICKETS
Links to live stats and video for Tusculum University athletic events can be found through tusculumpioneers.com.
Get ready for the 2023 SAC women's volleyball season and sign up for FloSports today. Be sure to sign-up here (flosports.tv/SAC) to receive special promotional pricing available only to fans of the SAC and its member institutions.
Tusculum University Athletics has a partnership with HomeTown Ticketing as the official digital ticketing provider for Pioneer home athletics events. Working with HomeTown Ticketing gives fans the ability to purchase tickets for TU home athletic events online for a touchless ticketing experience. Fans may purchase tickets online for TU home athletic events at www.TusculumPioneers.com/tickets.
Hometown Ticketing allows fans to print tickets at home or use mobile entry tickets at the gate. Tickets purchased at home are easily shared with friends and family.
Current Pioneer Club members may continue to use their membership cards to be granted admission for ticketed home athletic events.
For information about tickets, please contact Assistant Athletic Director Jenna Restivo at jrestivo@tusculum.edu or (423) 636-7291. For information about becoming a member of the Pioneer Club, please reach out to Robert Zirkle at rzirkle@tusculum.edu or (423) 636-7331.
MEET THE TEAM
Earlier this month, the SAC Preseason All-Conference teams were announced, with a pair of Pioneers earning a nod. Emiah Burrowes remained on the first team, while Martina Foster was elevated to the second team.
A perennial all-conference and region performer, Burrowes is 10 strikes shy of becoming the ninth player in Tusculum history to reach 1,000 kills. The native of Wesley Chapel, North Carolina also ranks third in career kills per set (3.29) and fourth in attempts per set (8.72). Burrowes played in every match in 2022, racking up a team-best 316 kills. She added eight assists, 11 service aces, 234 digs (second-most on the team), and 31 total blocks (13 solo, 18 assists). Burrowes upped her career-high to 26 kills as one of her three 20+ kill outings. She collected double-digit kills in 16 matches and double figures in digs across 11 contests.
Foster was a member of the 2022 SAC All-Freshman Team in her inaugural campaign. The Hickory N.C. native played in all 93 sets across the season, finishing with 170 kills on a .319 hitting percentage. Her average ranks eighth-best in a Pioneer single season. Foster also contributed 15 assists, 17 aces, 63 digs, and a team-high 73 total blocks (nine solo, 64 assists). She recorded at least one block in 25-of-26 matches, including 20 with multiple rejections.
Coming alongside the duo are 12 returners and one beach volleyball player.
Madison Adkins (Olive Hill, Ky.) is the lone returning setter on the TU roster. The junior played in 22 sets across 11 matches, notching 11 kills, 81 assists, two aces, 24 digs, and seven block assists. Adkins' match highs in 2022 include five kills, 19 assists, 13 digs, and three block assists (twice).
Amiranee Au (Knoxville, Tenn.) had her playing time skyrocket as a sophomore, seeing action in 25-of-26 matches for a total of 73 sets. Used primarily as a defensive or serving specialist, she recorded two kills, four assists, eight aces, and 88 digs. Au tallied a season-high 10 digs three times and a pair of aces in a match.
Isabella Bianchin (Matthews, N.C.) saw limited action in her freshman campaign. The middle blocker is credited with three sets played across a pair of matches, notching a block assist in that span.
Going into her second stint as a Pioneer, Isabella Biesterfeld played in 10 matches (20 sets) as a junior. The outside/right side hitter from Cedar Lake, Indiana recorded 26 kills, one assist, five digs, and seven total blocks. Biesterfeld finished with match-highs of nine kills, two digs (twice), and three blocks.
Maddie Creswell (Seymour, Tenn.) made her collegiate debut as a sophomore defensive specialist in 2022. She recorded a reception in her lone appearance for the Pioneers.
Jamianne Foster, the older sister of Martina, saw her first collegiate action as a sophomore right side hitter last season. The Hickory, N.C. native notched a kill, dig, and block assist across two matches played.
Camryn Hughes (Charleston, W.Va.) upped her appearances to 31 sets across 10 matches as a junior. The outside hitter recorded 38 kills, one assist, two service aces, 25 digs, and six block assists. Hughes totaled career bests of seven kills, eight digs, and two block assists in 2022.
Christina Jackson, the daughter of a pair of Tusculum alumni, was credited with playing in six sets across three matches as a freshman. The Yulee, Florida native tallied six kills, two service aces, eight digs, and three block assists as an outside/right side hitter. Jackson produced all of her season-bests in the same match: four kills, both aces, five digs, and two blocks.
Bailey Parker (Gainesville, Fla.) appeared in 19 sets across 10 matches. The middle blocker notched 10 kills, one assist, one dig, and 11 total blocks as a junior. Parker had match highs of two kills (three times) and three block assists.
Taylor Sanders (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) had to sit out her sophomore season due to injury after transferring from Jacksonville. The outside hitter/defensive specialist participated in 16 matches for the Dolphins, totaling one assist, five aces, and eight digs. Sanders notched highs of three aces and two digs in her 30 sets played in the Sunshine State.
Hayley Stull, a middle blocker from Mooresville, N.C., played in 13 sets and six matches. In her first season as a Pioneer, she recorded nine kills, one dig, and eight total blocks. Stull finished with bests of three kills (twice) and three blocks (twice).
As a freshman outside hitter, McKayla Willey saw action in 35 sets across 15 matches. The Abbeville, South Carolina native totaled 48 kills, one assist, one service ace, 14 digs, and 12 block assists. Willey had match highs of seven kills (twice), four digs, and four block assists.
The addition from beach, Jordyn Anderson, is a sophomore from Overland Park, Kansas. The defensive specialist spent the majority of her freshmen season in the sand as part of the No. 2 flight. She went 4-20 overall with the wins coming over Jacksonville, Morehead State, Catawba, and Florida Southern.
New to Tusculum, but not college volleyball, are five transfers: Olivia Crowl, Aly Freeland, Mya Lewis, Whitney Thompson, and Lauren Weaver.
Crowl comes to TU by way of Arkansas Tech, playing two seasons for the Golden Suns. The 2021 conference champion totaled 51 kills, two assists, three digs, and 26 total blocks (four solo, 22 assists) across 20 matches and 42 sets. The California, Kentucky middle blocker had match-highs of 10 kills and five blocks.
Freeland (Jacksonville, Fla.) stayed in-state to attend three years at Embry-Riddle. The outside hitter was twice named to the Sunshine State Conference Commissioner's Honor Roll. Across two seasons of play, Freeland racked up 118 sets across 36 matches with 73 kills, 42 assists, 28 aces, 326 digs, and seven block assists. She notched match-highs of 15 kills, five assists, three aces, 27 digs, and two blocks.
Lewis (North East, Md.) was a setter at Shepherd for one season. She appeared in eight matches (14 sets), recording 13 kills, 17 assists, one ace, five digs, and four block assists. Lewis tallied nine kills, 11 assists, four digs, and three blocks as match-bests.
Thompson (Arroyo Grande, Calif.) spent two seasons in the junior college ranks before becoming a Pioneer. With Cuesta College in 2021, the right side hitter saw action in 79 sets across 23 matches. Thompson totaled 194 kills on a .262 clip, two assists, 43 digs, and 62 total blocks (seven solo, 55 assists). At Roane State in 2022, she notched 178 kills on a .274 hitting percentage, two assists, six service aces, 73 digs, and 36 total blocks (28 solo, eight assists). Overall, Thompson's match highs include 22 kills, one assist, four aces, 14 digs, and seven blocks.
Weaver (Brandywine, Md.) is capping off her collegiate career at Tusculum after four seasons at North Carolina Wesleyan. The middle blocker was a two-time MVP for the Battling Bishops, along with two all-conference selections. Weaver totaled 784 kills on a .242 average, 11 assists, six service aces, 111 digs, and 286 total blocks (106 solo, 180 assists) in her career. She recorded match-bests of 20 kills, five digs, one ace, and nine total blocks.
Five freshmen will vie for playing time in their first season at the collegiate level.
An outside hitter.defensive specialist, Ashley Hall graduated from Yulee (Fla.) High School and was a teammate of fellow Pioneer Jackson. At her hometown school, Hall lettered four seasons in volleyball and three in basketball. She was a two-time team MVP for the Hornets and a back-to-back district champion. Hall totaled 113 aces, 185 kills, and a school-record 838 digs.
Jordyn Roderick sticks around her hometown after graduating from nearby South Greene High School. The dual-sport athlete (volleyball and basketball) will also be suiting up for both Pioneer squads on the court. Roderick was a four-year all-district and three-time all region selection. She was twice named Hitter of the Year and the 2022 Player of the Year. Roderick also collected four all-district tournament honors (two MVP nods), four region all-tournament laurels (2022 MVP), and two all-state accolades. She was the 2021 state MVP and champion as a part of four-straight district, region, and sub-state titles with the Rebels. Roderick finished her time with 1,509 kills, 770 digs, 246 aces, 151 blocks, and 60 assists, as well as graduating with honors and distinction (top-10 in class).
A fellow South Greene Rebel, Macey Snapp lettered four seasons in volleyball and three in track. She was twice named to the all-state and all-region tournament teams. Additionally, Snapp was voted to three all-district and district tournament teams. She finished her Rebel career with 1,785 digs, 217 assists, 71 kills, seven blocks, and 195 aces across 453 sets. Snapp is listed as a libero.defensive specialist on the TU roster.
With a familiar last name to Pioneer Nation, Caley Sosnowski (Oxford, Fla.) will look to outdo older sister Carly's impact at Tusculum. The accomplished weightlifter and track & field star holds numerous The Villages Charter High School and Florida state records. Sosnowski specialized in javelin, 4x800 meter relay, snatch, clean & jerk, bench press, and top lift, racking up additional regional, district, and state championships. On the court, Sosnowski was a four-time team captain, three-time team MVP, and twice the Best Defensive Player.
Perri Wood (Las Vegas, Nev.) graduated from Faith Lutheran High School and is listed as a libero on the roster.
