There are not many advantages to playing a season in the Big East without any seniors, as Georgetown did last fall, but now last year’s bumps and bruises are starting to pay off for the Hoyas.

For starters, sophomore setter Paola Annoni gained the experience need to be voted one of two team captains this year. Annoni was second on the team in setting last season with 197 in 26 matches played.

“She’s one of those hard-working, gritty people who’s always making the right decisions on and off the court, and I think that’s something that was recognized by her teammates,” Head Coach Arlisa Williams said of Annoni.

Annoni said it was an honor and that she would continue her hard work and would be willing to help her teammates, who selected her to be their leader.

The other captain on the team is senior setter Caitlin Boland, who had to work through a knee injury last season. Boland has registered over 600 assists in each of her first three years on the Hilltop and has led the team the past two years. Williams said the Hoyas will be a better team as Boland is now healthy and ready to help Georgetown improve on last year’s 5-27 finish.

“I’m not sure [Boland] has made significant improvements as far as talent because she’s already pretty talented, but seeing her healthy is a big difference from where we were last year and this year,” Williams said.

Boland said it was nice not having to worry about her knee.

“It’s nice to feel that I can move and that I can fully help my team,” Boland said. “It was frustrating at times [last year] to not be in as good of shape as I would have liked to have been.”

Another advantage of having no seniors on last year’s roster is not losing any players to graduation. The Hoyas will be without the services of last year’s two leaders in kills, juniors Dana Dumas and Kortney Robinson. Both women were also first and second on the team in errors for a team that committed over 100 errors more than opponents last season. According to Williams, Dumas elected not to play this year, while Robinson is still on the team but home in Pleasant Grove, Utah, dealing with a family issue.

Williams said that if all goes according to plan, this year’s offense will be a diverse one.

“We want to be hard to defend,” Williams said of having multiple threats.

One option to take over the role as top attacker is junior outside hitter Jessica Hardy. Hardy, who registered 253 kills and an attack percentage of .152 last year, likely would have led the team in kills had she not started the season as libero. Since Hardy is one of the most talented players both defensively and offensively, Williams can use her in a variety of roles.

Another option the Hoyas offense will have is senior middle blocker Katherine Niesen. As one of two seniors, Niesen and her 6-foot-2 frame will be needed on both sides of the net. On offense last year, she had the highest attacking percentage (.169) of players with over 200 attempts. On defense, Niesen led the team with 108 blocks.

“[Katherine] is someone who can lead by example,” Annoni said. “Even as a captain, I look to her for leadership.”

Though her statistics from last season are not as impressive as her teammates’, junior right side hitter Courtney Cohen could join them atop the team-leader boards this year.

“I think that we’re going to see a breakout season from Courtney Cohen,” Williams said. “She had a great spring for us and she worked very hard over the summer.”

This weekend, the Hoyas will open play at the D.C. Challenge for the third year in a row, with matches against local rivals George Mason, American and George Washington.

Williams will be eager to see how much her team has improved with a year of experience under its belt and the addition of three highly-touted freshmen, a transfer and two new assistant coaches.

“I’m expecting some tough competition,” Williams said. “I think that if we play well and they play well, it’s going to be a very competitive weekend for us. What I’m looking for is where we stack up.”

While Williams’ players agreed that it will be a good chance to see where the team stands, they also spoke of another goal for the weekend.

Said Annoni: “I’m looking to get some wins.”

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