2009 Bethune-Cookman Volleyball Outlook

Head Coach Vanessa Cogswell looks forward to an exciting and successful season in 2009 for Bethune-Cookman.Along with the returning players, the LadyCats have made several talent additions in new players and another to the staff. B-CU has made the long-awaited addition of an assistant coach for the program, as former B-CU standout Shironda Hollis joins the staff. Hollis (then Trotter) played alongside Cogswell and received many accolades. Until her joining the staff, she was the Head Volleyball Coach at Father Lopez Catholic High School locally.

In addition to Hollis, the LadyCats also add four new players. With regard to the newcomers, all are highly regarded and skilled athletes that have the potential to make an impact right away for the Lady Wildcats. Janeen Davis, a 5'10" Outside Hitter from San Antonio, Texas could make a big splash. Named in 2006 as "Ms. Natural" by Volleyball Magazine, Davis is an All-District First Team, and All-State Honorable Mention player who is recognized as having a powerful swing, great persistence, and work ethic. Davis is expected to make contributions on both offense and defense early in her career.

Another new Outside Hitter for B-CU, Krysta Gardner, of Ashburn, Virginia, plays a big game for her small stature. Though she only stands 5'7", Gardner is recognized for playing like a true six-footer, helped along by her great fundamentals and a 30-inch vertical. Gardner also is a strong defensive player who can play the Libero spot as well.

Also an outside hitter, Jacqueline Woodyear joined the team this preseason. Woodyear, a 5'8" Outside Hitter from The O'Neal School in Troy, N.C., was the last addition to the team. Coach had one remaining spot to fill, but held out to find another player to add options at the OH spot. "[Woodyear's] defensive skills really caught my eye; she has a great ability to put herself in a great position to play the ball," said Cogswell. "Then when I saw her ability to put the ball down, I knew she was the player I was looking for."

The final new piece of the puzzle is 5'5" freshman Libero, Ebony Mitchell. Mitchell is joining the team as a walk-on, but there is an existing precedent for walk-on players to succeed in the B-CU program. Ebony's mother is a B-CU alumnus.  "I always say it takes a special player to be a walk-on," noted Cogswell, "because it means that they love the game so much that they will do whatever it takes to be a part of it.  She has been improving tremendously throughout Preseason so I'm excited to be a part of her journey to reaching her full potential."

In the 2008 season, the Lady Wildcats of Bethune-Cookman University Volleyball  had an up and down season, struggling to earn wins early in the season against non-conference competition, while finishing strong in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) tournament, advancing to the semifinals, and pressing eventual-champion Florida A&M to a five-set match, with a narrow loss of 13-15. B-CU is looking to capitalize on that momentum in the 2009 season and get started on a season with more positive results.

"Our 2008 appearance in the MEAC semifinals was a high moment in Bethune-Cookman Volleyball history," said Head Coach Vanessa Cogswell. "FAMU may have won that game, but we certainly did not lose it. The way we finished out the season will be the exact momentum we need to take this program to another level; where winning is an expectation, not a hope."

Bethune-Cookman returns the majority of last season's squad, with nine letterwinners returning for 2009. The three lost starters cannot be overlooked; Talisha Black was a solid all-around contributor, Reina Carson was strong on offense (3^rd in kills and points), and Dani Goodrum made an impact all over the floor (2^nd in kills, digs and points, and 4^th in sets and service aces). However, B-CU does have a strong returning nucleus, including second-team All-MEAC Middle Blocker Chelle Ticeson, senior Libero Shakhea Moore-Hagins, and starting Setter Julie Gibson.

Coach Cogswell has watched over the program and these returning players as they have developed. Cogswell sees things starting to fall into place. "Since I took over the program in 2004, I have been `collecting', so to speak, pieces of the puzzle to put together a championship team," noted Cogswell. "The journey has been rough, as we have faced a lot of adversity. In 2004, we dealt with not having an opening season due to four back-to-back hurricanes and not having our playing facility for ¾ of the season, but we still had a winning season with a 7-3 record in the MEAC."

"In 2005," Cogswell continues, "we lost our only Setter and had to convert our Libero into the empty slot, but still made it to the MEAC semifinals for the first time in school history.  And in 2008, with renovations necessary to the Moore Gymnasium floor, we were forced to use various facilities in the Daytona Beach area, such as YMCAs and High Schools to practice and compete for over half our season.  These obstacles have made this team strong and I am extremely excited to have the opportunity to see the dividends of our labor."

The top returning player for the Lady Wildcats is senior Middle Blocker Chelle Ticeson. Ticeson led the team last season in kills (267, 2.64/g), hitting percentage (.378), blocks (69, .68/g), and points (311, 3.08/g). She was named to the All-MEAC Second Team at Middle Blocker, the first B-CU player to earn that recognition since 2001. She was also named to the MEAC All-Tournament Team at the MEAC Volleyball Championships and is the first Lady Wildcat to earn such a distinction. Nationally, Ticeson finished out the season ranked 21^st in NCAA Division I in hitting percentage. Ticeson will provide a strong presence at the net on offense and defense, making an impact on the success of the 2009 team.

"My philosophy has been to strive for significance," noted Cogswell, "and I tell the players to be the player that they would want to have; and they have bought into that. With hard work, discipline, teamwork, and the taste of success from our tournament appearance, the 2009 squad is ready and hungry for that championship ring."

The Setter position looks to be strong this season, as both Setters from last year return for 2009. Junior Julie Gibson very much played the role of the "quarterback" on the court in 2008, and the same is expected of her in the upcoming season. Gibson collected a team-best 566 assists in her sophomore campaign (pushing her career total to 1145 in just two seasons), while playing in 87 sets. Gibson also tallied 105 (1.21/g) kills, 120 digs, and 22 blocks on the year.

"She has worked incredibly hard to become quicker to the ball this past season and has a great ability to set the pace for our offense," said Cogswell of Gibson. "Julie is not afraid to take over the game and is more than willing to make the play, whether it be with a beautiful set, killing the ball, or being smart and finding the open spot on the opponent's floor."

When Gibson is not in the game, there is very little drop off, as senior Setter Daryl Rodriguez returns for 2009. As a Junior College transfer in 2008, Rodriguez played in 59 sets, collecting 252 assists of her own, while also logging 94 digs (1.59/g).

"Daryl saw limited court time in the beginning of the [2008] season," said Cogswell, "but soon became a driving force, starting us off strong with a 2-0 record at the beginning of conference play. Soon thereafter, I changed our offense so that she would be setting from the back row, which played a major role in our success at the MEAC tournament. Daryl is one of the most dynamic and intense players that I have coached thus far, and she gives 110% whether in practice or game, and never ceases to amaze me with her unbelievable digs."

The Middle Blockers this year are highly experienced and ready to step up to the challenge, according to Head Coach Cogswell.  The tandem of Chelle Ticeson and Kaiyana Johnson should be amongst the best in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. Ticeson, a 6'1" senior from Seattle, Washington, is expected to be among the best in the conference in the upcoming season and will be a formidable obstacle at the net for opposing hitters. Ticeson led the team with 69 blocks and 267 kills last year. 

"Chelle has experienced firsthand, as a starter all four years, the transformation this program has undergone," noted Cogswell. "She is a player that has been at the very core of this changing program, as she has the ability to make all the players around her better."

Johnson played a significant role last season as well, notching 127 kills and 37 blocks at the Middle Blocker position. Cogswell is expecting big things from her, with exceptional quickness and efficient footwork, as a leader on the court for this year's team. Johnson also has proven strong on the serve, collecting a team-high 29 service aces last season.

Defense can make all the difference between a win and a loss, and this year the Wildcats return with experience on that front. Last season, there was some uncertainty with the loss of a long term starter, but Shakhea Moore-Hagins stepped into that role smoothly and played excellent defense as B-CU's primary Libero. Last season, Moore-Hagins took a team-high 330 digs, while contributing 30 kills and 28 service aces, and was considered to be the most consistent player on the team. Splitting time with Moore-Hagins again will be junior Shanicka Reddick, who had 155 digs last season.

With these two Wildcats splitting  time as defensive specialists, Coach Cogswell can feel like she will have solid defense on the floor at all times. "Shakhea has great ball control and an amazing ability to anticipate well. The team depends on her strong energy on the floor, and I expect her to be resilient and lead by example," Cogswell said of Moore-Hagins.  Reddick started as a Walk-on, but has truly earned her spot on the squad, as she worked hard and showed great discipline to become a strong defensive player for B-CU. "Shanicka is the type of player that will always ask what she can do to become better and will go the extra mile to do it," Cogswell noted of Reddick.

The Outside Hitter position will be a bit of a mystery and a matter of concern heading into the 2009 season, losing two of the top recent players in Reina Carson and Dani Goodrum. Returning for the Wildcats at the position will be Jessica Wilson and Sydney Smith, who both are now sophomores. Wilson played in 73 sets in 2008, collecting 66 kills on a .156 hitting percentage. Cogswell expects Wilson to take what she learned in her freshman season and apply it this year as a major contributing factor to B-CU's offense. Smith played limited time, only 27 sets, in which she had 12 kills and 8 blocks. Smith is expected to have a more prominent role in 2009 as she splits time for the Outside Hitter spot. In addition to Wilson and Smith, two of the newcomers are also entering at the position.

Last season, a strong group of Wildcats took the program to new heights in the conference, but had some early stumbles along the way. In this upcoming season, the majority of that group remains intact, with the support of some excellent newcomers, and returning players who split time last year. There were only a few missing pieces, and with 2009's senior-led group of Lady Wildcats, all the pieces may be ready to fall for B-CU. The Wildcats face a tough road ahead of them, but have traveled a rough path to get here and are ready to overcome the next obstacle.