WORCESTER, Mass. – Assumption Volleyball Head Coach Elyse Rowland-Bauman is excited to announce that rising seniors Kelly Dorandi (Plaistow, N.H. / Methuen) & Kellie Smith (Richland, Mich. / Gull Lake) have been named captains for the 2018 season.
"We have high expectations going into the upcoming season and we are confident that these two will help us excel both on and off the court," said Rowland-Bauman. "We have made some tremendous progress this spring with our team culture and a big part of that has been the leadership from Kelly and Kellie."
Dorandi and Smith were selected as captains by both their teammates and coaches. Last season, both appeared in all 23 matches for Assumption. Dorandi served as a defensive specialist, playing in 79 sets and averaging 1.49 digs per set to go along with 20 assists and one service ace. Smith, meanwhile, played in all 87 sets as an outside hitter. She averaged 2.38 kills and 2.89 digs per set, as well as recording 24 total blocks and 11 service aces.
"What I love about our conference is that all of the teams are so competitive and there really isn't a match that anyone can walk into thinking it will be easy," said Rowland. "With the improvements we have made, I am really excited to see what we can do as we head into conference play this fall. We will need strong leaders that are level-headed to keep us on track, but gritty and passionate to spark the flame we need to succeed. Kelly and Kellie are the right fit for the challenge and I look forward to seeing their impact on our team."
Assumption opens its season Sept. 1 when the team travels to square off against on NYIT. The team begins conference play on Sept. 11 when the Hounds host New Haven at 7 pm.