RIVERDALE, N.Y. – Nine players--six incoming freshmen and a trio of transfers--will join the Manhattan College volleyball team for the 2009 season, Head Coach Jolie Ward announced today. Julie Bies (Massapequa, N.Y.), Jamie Collareta (Islip Terrace, N.Y.), Maddie Heck (Corte Madera, Calif.), Kelsey Huntoon (Monroe, Mich.), Alexa Lampasona (Remsenburg, N.Y.) and Casey Tidwell (Redlands, Calif.) make up the Lady Jaspers' Class of 2013, while Laura Bellotti (Dix Hills, N.Y.), Aurore Kullak (Beloeil, Belgium) and Jayne Timo (Holbrook, N.Y.) each come to Manhattan as transfer students. Bellotti and Kullak join the program as juniors, and Timo will be a sophomore in 2009.
A 5-foot-2 libero, Bies helped lead Massapequa High School to three Nassau County Championships and the 2007 New York State Class AA Championship. Massapequa also won the Long Island Championship in 2007. An all-county player, Bies was named to the all-tournament team at the 2008 Nassau County Championships. She represented Long Island in the 2008 Empire State Games.
Collareta attended East Islip High School on Long Island. The 5-foot-8 setter was a three-time team MVP and all-conference selection. She played her club volleyball at the Island Volleyball Academy, one of the top club programs on Long Island.
Heck is a 5-foot-11 middle blocker who comes to Manhattan from Redwood High School in the San Francisco Bay Area. She was named Redwood's Most Versatile Player in 2008 after earning first team all-league and Offensive Player of the Year honors as a junior.
Huntoon, a 5-foot-10 middle blocker, also played basketball and soccer at St. Mary Catholic Central High School. She played three different positions on the volleyball team and was named team MVP in 2008 after leading St. Mary to the state semifinals for the second consecutive season. Huntoon was also an All-Huron League, all-region and honorable mention all-state selection.
A 5-foot-11 outside hitter, Lampasona led Westhampton Beach High School to the Long Island championship and an appearance in the New York state semifinals in 2007. A two-time team captain, she was named to the all-league and all-conference squads during both her junior and senior seasons at Westhampton Beach.
Tidwell joins the Lady Jaspers from Redlands East Valley High School in Redlands, Calif. A 6-foot-2 middle blocker, she was a member of two CIF championship squads, and Redlands East Valley also made it to the finals of the California state tournament.
“The incoming freshmen may come from different areas of the country, but they have one thing in common: work ethic,” Ward said. “Each of these young ladies understands the system and the expectations of the program. That's why I recruited them, and that's why I believe that they are the base for Manhattan's future success.”
Bellotti, a 5-foot-10 setter, played at Wagner College last season. She started all 24 matches and led the Seahawks with 6.67 assists per set. Bellotti also averaged 1.74 digs per set in 2008. She played at Lafayette College in 2007 and averaged 5.22 digs per set as primarily a defensive specialist. While at Lafayette, Bellotti had 37 digs in a four-set win over Loyola and 28 digs in a victory over Saint Peter's. Although she previously transferred from Lafayette to Wagner, Bellotti is allowed to play in 2009 because Wagner discontinued its volleyball program after the 2008 season.
A 5-foot-10 right side hitter, Kullak spent the last two seasons at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Last season, she finished second on the team with 2.64 digs per set and third with 2.10 kills per set. As a freshman in 2007, Kullak helped the Lady Mocs reach the Southern Conference semifinals after placing fourth on the team with 2.73 digs per set. She started all 66 of Chattanooga's matches during her time at the school. Kullak is eligible to play for Manhattan immediately as a result of the NCAA's first-time transfer exemption.
Timo joins the Lady Jaspers after playing at Suffolk Community College during the 2008 campaign. The 5-foot-9 outside hitter averaged 1.71 kills and 2.72 digs in 79 sets played last season. She also ranked second on the team with a .401 hitting percentage and added 0.90 service aces per set in 2008. Timo has three years of eligibility remaining.
“With so many new players added to the roster, the recruiting goal was to add some experienced players, as well,” Ward said. “All three of these players have been leaders on other programs and are looking to contribute immediately for Manhattan.”
The Lady Jaspers also return four letterwinners from last season's squad that finished 11-17 overall. Manhattan opens the 2009 season on Sept. 1, when Army visits Draddy Gymnasium at 7 p.m.
