Volleyball 2024 Season Preview
FROSTBURG, Md. - Frostburg State Athletics will be taking a preview for each team competing in the fall season, covering eight total sports. Over the next week, each team will be broken down into their expectations, key players, and overall outlook for their season and program. To start off the final week is Volleyball.
Overall
Frostburg State Volleyball will play its 30th season this fall in 2024. Head Coach Peter Letourneau looks to make a reappearance with the program, having been the head coach of the Bobcats from 2005-10 while the university was still Division III. Letourneau is set to enter his seventh season overall with the program, his first with FSU at the Division II level. In his first year back, Letourneau welcomes Ola Magiera as the assistant coach.
Last Season
FSU finished with a 15-16 overall record last year, going 5-9 in MEC play. The Bobcats made it to their first conference tournament last season since 2021, where they faced the defending conference champions of Wheeling in the first round. Standout outside hitter Beverly Braun was named Second Team All-MEC in 2023, while from the classroom, Hayley Delor, Fiona Gonzalez Medina, and AJ Thompson received College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honors.
The Returners
From last years roster, 14 players look to return to the court, as Frostburg lost a low number of seniors in Delor, Katie Keech, and McKaily Thomson-Moran. Braun returns for her final year in a Bobcat uniform, leading the team in kills last season with 406, as she'll play alongside junior Amanda Knieper, who was second on the team in kills in 2023 with 206, sophomore Maya Johnson, and redshirt freshman Emma Larkins in the outside hitter position. Seniors Madison Reed and AJ Thompson and sophomores Raegan Phillips and Paige Mock will serve as the middle hitters while senior Brenna Siperko looks to play in the opposite hitter spot, and redshirt junior Phoebe Lingold comes back as the lone returning setter. On the defensive side, Gonzalez Medina will continue to play as the libero in her senior season, going for a team-high 512 digs last year, with senior Jenna Gossard, junior Faith Stevenson, and sophomore Alyssa Stanton serving as the defensive specialists.
The Newcomers
Letourneau is happy to welcome in eight new players to the mix, including five freshmen and three transfers. The freshmen bring an offensive talent to the team, with Dani Kunkle, Allison Brown, and Devin Brunk coming in as outside hitters and Ada McFarland coming in as the lone middle hitter, while Emery Kuebler joins as a setter. Juniors Ada Kuday, setter, and Chloe Del Signore, defensive specialist, join the Bobcats with collegiate experience, as sophomore Grace Yocham comes to the team as an opposite hitter.
Kick off to Season
Frostburg opens their season at the Warrior Invitational in Detroit, Michigan, where they'll face the hosts Wayne State for their first game of the year on Friday, September 6 at 1 PM. The team hosts the Bobcat Invitational for their first series of home games on the season, welcoming in Kutztown on Thursday, September 19 at 7 PM for their first home matchup. FSU starts conference play at home on Friday, September 27 at 7 PM against Concord.
For more information and upcoming previews, please visit frostburgsports.com.
Latest Volleyball Stories
- Three Named College Sports Communicators Academic All-District for VolleyballCollege Sports Communicators announced their Volleyball Academic All-District honors on Tuesday afternoon, with seniors AJ Thompson and Fiona Gonzalez Medina, and junior Amanda Knieper receiving the distinction.
- Volleyball Drops Close Sweep to WVSU in MEC Quarterfinals to Conclude SeasonThe Frostburg State Volleyball team ended their season on Thursday evening with a 3-0 loss to West Virginia State in the Quarterfinals of the Mountain East Conference Tournament.
- MEC Volleyball Tournament Quarterfinal Preview: #4N Frostburg State vs #1S West Virginia StateThe Frostburg State Volleyball team makes their way to the MEC Volleyball Tournament as the No. 4 seed in the North, traveling to face the hosts and the No. 1 seed in the South, West Virginia State on Thursday evening.
- Kunkle, Kuebler Represent Volleyball with All-Conference HonorsThe Mountain East Conference announced their All-Conference Volleyball Teams on Wednesday afternoon, with freshmen Dani Kunkle and Emery Kuebler representing Frostburg with honors.
- Mock Selected as MEC Volleyball Defensive Player of the WeekSophomore Paige Mock was named MEC Volleyball Defensive Player of the Week for the first time in her career, as the award was announced on Monday by the league office and is presented by The Health Plan.
- Fighting Falcons Stop Volleyball Comeback Attempt in Regular Season FinaleThe Frostbug State Volleyball team ended their regular season with a 3-1 road loss to Fairmont State on Friday evening.