UNC ASHEVILLE VOLLEYBALL NOTES FSU Invitational Aug , 2007 Tully Gym Tallahassee, Fla.

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1 2006 Final Big South Standings UNC ASHEVILLE VOLLEYBALL NOTES FSU Invitational Aug , 2007 Tully Gym Tallahassee, Fla. Conference Overall Team W L Pct. W L Pct. Winthrop UNC Asheville Liberty Birmingham-Southern High Point Coastal Carolina Radford Charleston Southern st Round Matches-- Nov. 14 #1 Winthrop def. #8 Charleston Southern, 3-0 #4 Birmingham-Southern def. #5 High Point at, 3-0 #6 Coastal Carolina def. #3 Liberty, 3-1 #2 UNC Asheville def. #7 Radford at, 3-0 Semifinals-- Nov. 17 #1 Winthrop def. #4 Birmingham-Southern, 3-2 #2 UNC Asheville def. #6 Coastal Carolina, 3-2 Final-- Nov. 18 #1 Winthrop def. #2 UNC Asheville, 3-0 Notes UNC Asheville: The Bulldogs enter the 2007 season young but expirenced. Nine returners played in the 2006 Big South Championship game last season. The Bulldogs have played for the Big South title three of the last four years including the last two seasons but have fallen to Winthrop who has won the last five Big South crowns. Growing Pains: Last season, UNC Asheville started four freshmen and limped out to a 2-13 start to the season. The young Bulldogs turned the corner in Big South play finishing with a 10-4 mark. The Dogs finished the year winning 13 of their last 18 matches. Magic Number-11: Freshmen Kelsey Benorden will likely step right into the starting line-up for UNC Asheville. The Knoxville, Tenn., native chose as her number 11 which was the number Elif Unlu has worn the past four years. Unlu was a two-time Big South Conference first team selection. Unlu led the Big South in kills per game at 4.47 last season and was UNC Asheville s first division I All-American as a junior. What to Watch: The biggest question heading into the 2007 season for the Bulldogs is who is going to be the setter? Kaitlyn McDaniel ran the team as a true freshmen last season but she has had competition in the preseason from talented freshmen Rachel Guinane. Coach Torbett feels the competition has made McDaniel and the team better. Look for McDaniel to keep her starting role, but don t be surprised to see the taller Guinane get a lot of action early in the year. Youth is Served: Like 2006, Asheville has just one senior and one junior on its 2007 roster. Senior Ashley Wrightenberry and junior Heather burns will serve as team captains but the 10 freshmen and sophomores will have to be the court. No. Name Pos. Cl. Ht. Hometown 1 Lauren Ficker MB So Hendersonville, N.C. 2 Ashley Wrightenberry MB Sr. 6-0 Asheville, N.C. 3 Heather Burns OH Jr. 6-0 Rutherfordton, N.C. 4 Jenna Dover RS Fr. 6-1 Knoxville, Tenn. 6 Rachel Guinane S Fr. 5-8 Grapevine, Texas 7 Brooke Holiday OH So. 5-6 Hendersonville, N.C. 8 Alysha Greer OH So. 6-1 Jonesville, Va. 9 Kaitlyn McDaniel S So. 5-5 Huntsville, Ala. 10 Raquel Miotto L So Aruja, Brazil 11 Kelsey Benorden OH Fr Knoxville, Tenn. 13 Bridget Holiday DS So. 5-0 Hendersonville, N.C. 15 Shannen Bagge RS So. 5-9 Bay of Plenty, New Zealand Head Coach: Julie Torbett (Penn State/1990, 14th Year) Associate Head Coach: Frederico Santos (UNC Asheville/2007, 8th Year) Pronunciation Guide Raquel Miotto...Ra-KEL ME-oat-toe Shannen Bagge...Beige Kelsey Benorden...Ben-OR-den Rachel Guinane...GWIN-ain Diggin In: UNC Asheville s Raquel Miotto was 22nd in the nation last season averaging 5.72 digs per game. Miotto led all Big South players with dig matches and led the league in digs per conference only matches at 6.79 dpg. Miotto had 721 digs which was the third most in a single-season in UNC Asheville history. The school, conference, and national record for digs in a season is 763 by Leslie Whitfield in Gina Golkiewicz had 739 digs in Miotto and Ficker Garner Preseason Honors: Sophomores Raquel Miotto and Lauren Ficker were each named to the Big South Preseason All-Conference team. The rest of the All-Conference preseason team is as follows: Shannon Sitzmann, Winthrop (Player of the Year) Jamie Kaufman, High Point Jill Nyhof, Coastal Carolina Raquel Miotto, UNC Asheville Lauren Ficker, UNC Asheville Kallie Corbin, Liberty Lindsey Poole, Radford Bulldogs picked third: UNC Asheville has been picked third in the Big South preseason poll behind five time champ Winthrop and Liberty. The Bulldogs were picked ahead of Coastal Carolina, High Point, Radford, and Charleston Southern. Up Next: Next weekend the Bulldogs will host Western Carolina, Kennesaw State, and USC Upstate in the UNC Asheville Classic at the Justice Center. All three matches will be broadcast live online at Big SouthSports.com. Media Note: Please refer to UNC Asheville as UNC Asheville or Asheville and please remember there is no hyphen in our name.

2 Bulldogs Look to Clear Final Hurdle The UNC Asheville volleyball program will look to build on the success it had in the second half of the 2006 season and keep it going for the entire 2007 campaign. In 2006, the Bulldogs bounced back from a frustrating 2-12 start and rallied to finish with a overall record. Asheville finished in second place in the Big South Conference with a 10-4 league mark and advanced to the league title game for the third time in the last four years. Ashley has more than met our expectations when we signed here four years ago, declared Torbett. She is a versatile player who can play any position on the front row. Last year was an adjustment year for her with such a young team, but she was a big reason why we improved in the second half of the season. We re looking for a big senior season from Ashley both on and off the floor. She is a great leader and our younger players look up to her because she has such a tremendous work ethic. Junior blocker Heather Burns has been a role player for the Bulldogs the past two seasons but will see her role expand this year. She enjoyed an excellent spring and will serve as a co-captain in Outlook Julie Torbett s club has a chance to improve in 2007 but will have to do it without first team all-conference performer, Elif Unlu. Unlu was an All-Region selection twice and was an Honorable Mention All-American during her career. We re not going to be able to replace Elif, stated Torbett. She did so many things for our program. We re going to miss her a great deal. However, we have the rest of the team back from last year, commented Torbett. They all got Ashley Wrightenberry is the only senior on this year s team valuable experience and were able to advance to the Big South Conference championship match. Torbett is looking forward to the 2007 season as the Bulldogs return nine letterwinners and five starters from last year s squad. However, the Bulldogs are still a young team. We have one senior and one junior on this year s club, admitted Torbett. We are still a very young team with most of our squad being made up of freshmen and sophomores. I am excited about the possibilities of what this group can accomplish, added Torbett. We have a lot of versatility and have players who know not be content until they win a Big South Conference championship. MIDDLE BLOCKERS The Bulldogs will be led this season by senior middle blocker Ashley Wrightenberry. She led Asheville in blocking last year and enjoyed a good season. Wrightenberry has been a player who has improved each season with the Bulldog program and is poised to have a big senior campaign. Heather is one of the most improved players I ve ever coached, pointed out Torbett. We will use her either in the middle or on the right-side. She hits the ball hard and is a strong blocker. Heather has a great attitude and we re going to be counting on her to be a key player this season. Sophomore middle blocker Lauren Ficker and sophomore Shannen Bagge both earned Big South Freshman of the Week honors in Ficker, a preseason All- Conference selection was one of Asheville s most consistent players with a.215 hitting percentage. Bagge was the most versatile player on the team seeing action in four different positions throughout the season. I look for Lauren to be one of the best players in the Big South this year, stated Torbett. She is small but quick and has worked very hard to improve her blocking. I think she will see a spot in the middle again this season. Shannen could find herself in any position with the exception of middle blocker, added Torbett. She was ill part of the year, so we are excited to see what she can do when she is healthy. BACK ROW UNC Asheville traditionally uses back row specialists to consistently be one of the best defensive teams in the conference. Sophomores Raquel Miotto, Bridget and Brooke Holliday, as well as newcomer Dana Rice will for playing time in the backcourt. Miotto enjoyed a sensational rookie season in She proved to be one of the top liberos in the Big South as she earned first team All-Conference, All-Freshman honors, and this year is the a preseason All-Conference selection. Miotto also made the Big South All-Tournament team. The Brazilian native posted 5.72 digs per game, third best in school history for a single season. She was the only UNC Asheville player to play in all 126 games. Asheville Volleyball 5

3 Outlook Brooke Holliday consistently contributed in the middle back, playing 99 games, while twin sister Bridget earned a position midseason and appeared in 77 games. Raquel is an excellent passer, allowing us to stay in a system, explained Torbett. She played libero which enabled us to have her as a primary passer most of the time. Raquel knows the game so well and was voted the best defensive player in the conference for a reason. Brooke and Bridget were both solid defensive players for us, added Torbett. I like Bridget s intensity and desire to improve, while Brooke is consistent and can score off her serve. Dana will certainly have great players to learn from, and we are happy to have her as a part of our program, Torbett also said. OUTSIDE HITTERS Sophomore hitter Alysha Greer could find herself as the Bulldogs top attacker. She was second on the team with 2.73 kills per game and 298 kills on the season. Greer will get competition from Bagge and newcomers Kelsey Benorden and Jenna Dover. Alysha has the most potential to improve, declared Torbett. She has the highest vertical on the team at 6-1, making her a huge threat at the net. Alysha worked hard to improve her blocking and defense this past spring. Alysha Greer 6 Asheville Volleyball Kelsey is a really good defensive player that has nice extension and good hops, added Torbett. Jenna s strength is her blocking and ability to make adjustments. She is a quick learner and tough competitor. It will be interesting to see who earns the outside and right side positions, admitted Torbett. SETTERS The biggest question mark will be the setting position. Sophomore Kaitlyn McDaniel did a good job as the Bulldogs starting setter in She was third in the Big South Conference in assists with an per game average and her 1,409 assists was the sixth most in school history for a single season. McDaniel was signed to replace Amanda Wiles, who starred for the Bulldogs from and was an all-conference performer three times. Raquel Miotto Rachel Guinane signed with the Bulldogs and could find herself in the critical role of leading the offense. The most difficult decision Fred (UNC Asheville Associate Head Coach, Fred Santos) and I will be faced with is how we will run our offense and more importantly who will run our offense, stated Torbett. Kaitlyn did a great job last season and is a hard worker on and off the court. That experience will be extremely beneficial and is something Rachel obviously doesn t possess. However, Rachel has been training at a very high level with elite athletes, so I know she will be ready, as well. BIG SOUTH UNC Asheville has been one of the top teams in the Big South Conference in volleyball over the last 20 years. Most recently, the Bulldog program has earned one BSC regular-season championship and three trips to the league title match in the past five years. Asheville has finished no lower than third during that time. The only missing for the Bulldog program is a trip to the NCAA Tournament. Winthrop has ruled the league with five straight championships and has not lost a league match since the 2003 season. Winthrop is still the favorite to win the title again this

4 year, commented Torbett. They did lose their head coach and graduated some key players but Winthrop still has plenty of talent and is champion until someone beats them. However, I do look for a little more balanced race this year, added Torbett. Coastal Carolina improved during the season last year and will be very talented. I believe Liberty is the team to watch out for. They have most of their players back from last year and signed a talented class. I believe we have the chance to be among the top teams in the conference, but we are going to need to play well and stay healthy to accomplish that, Torbett also said. Radford was much improved last year and that will continue this season. High Point has been knocking on the door the past few years, while Charleston Southern will have a completely new team and could be dangerous. Big South Preseason Poll Points 1. Winthrop Liberty UNC Asheville Coastal Carolina High Point Radford Charleston Southern 20 Big South Preseason All-Conference Lauren Ficker, UNC Asheville Shannon Sitzman, Winthrop Jamie Kaufman, High Point Kallie Corbin, Liberty Jill Nyof, Coastal Carolina Lindsey Poole, Radford Raquel Miotto, UNC Asheville (Back row) Outlook Preseason Player of the Year Shannon Sitzman, Winthrop Kaitlyn McDaniel Head Coach Julie Torbett Asheville Volleyball 7

5 Alphabetical Numerical Roster Roster No. Name 15 Shannen Bagge 11 Kelsey Benorden 3 Heather Burns 4 Jenna Dover 1 Lauren Ficker 6 Rachel Guinane 8 Alysha Greer 13 Bridget Holliday 7 Brooke Holliday 9 Kaitlyn McDaniel 10 Raquel Miotto 2 Ashley Wrightenberry No. Name Pos. Ht. Cl. Hometown/Previous School 1 Lauren Ficker MB 5-11 So. Hendersonville, N.C./ West Henderson HS 2 Ashley Wrightenberry MB 6-1 Sr. Asheville, N.C./Roberson HS 3 Heather Burns MB 6-0 Jr. Rutherfordton, N.C./East Rutherford HS 4 Jenna Dover RS 6-1 Fr. Knoxville, Tenn./ West HS 6 Rachel Guinane S 5-8 Fr. Grapevine, Texas/ Grapevine HS 7 Brooke Holliday DS 5-6 So. Hendersonville, N.C./ West Henderson HS 8 Alysha Greer OH 6-1 So. Jonesboro, Va./Lee HS 9 Kaitlyn McDaniel S 5-5 So. Huntsville, Ala./Grissom HS 10 Raquel Miotto L 5-10 So. Aruja, Brazil/ Colegio Objetivo 11 Kelsey Benorden OH 5-10 Fr. Knoxville, Tenn./ Farragut HS 13 Bridget Holliday DS 5-0 So. Hendersonville, N.C./ West Henderson HS 15 Shannen Bagge RS 5-9 So. Bay of Plenty, New Zealand/ Otumoetai HS Bulldogs by Class Seniors...1 Juniors...1 Sophomores...7 Freshman...3 Bulldogs by State North Carolina...5 Tennessee...2 Texas...1 Alabama...1 Virginia...1 Brazil...1 New Zealand...1 Coaches Julie Torbett, Head Coach (Penn State, 1990) Frederico Santos, Associate Head Coach (UNC Asheville, 2007) Pronunciation Guide Raquel Miotto... Ra-KEL ME-oat-toe Shannen Bagge...Beige Kelsey Benorden...Ben-OR-den Rachel Guinane... GWIN-ain Back Row (Standing) L to R: Heather Burns, Rachel Guinane, Coach Julie Torbett, Alysha Greer, Jenna Dover, Coach Frederico Santos, Shannen Baggem and Ashley Wrightenberry. Middle Row (Seated) L to R: Brooke Holliday, Kaitlyn McDaniel, Bridgett Holliday, and Lauren Ficker. Front Row (Seated) L to R: Kelsey Benorden and Raquel Miotto. 8 Asheville Volleyball

6 Ashley WRIGHTENBERRY 6-1 Middle Blocker Senior Asheville, North Carolina T.C. Roberson High School Overview: Co-Captain and only senior on this year s team...enters the season fourth on the all-time block assists list 36 shy of second place and 85 away from alltime record...sixth on career total blocks list. 2 Ashley Wrightenberry 2006: Recorded two double-doubles including 20 kills and a career-high 20 digs against Duquesne on Sept. 26, and 19 kills/16 digs vs. Rutgers on Aug set her careerhigh with 22 kills against Charlotte on Sept hit a season-high.471 (9-1-17) against Charleston Southern on Oct moved into the top ten on UNC Asheville s career block assist and total blocks lists...had eight block assists twice and a season high nine total blocks against High Point on Oct double-figure kill matches including five in a row from Oct. 28 through Nov third on team with 2.38 kills per game while leading team with 100 total blocks. 2005: Led the Big South Conference in blocking at 1.22 blocks per game...recorded nine double figure kill outings including a double-double with 11 kills and a season-high with 10 digs against Charleston Southern on Sept only had one error and a.417 attack percentage in that match...hit over.400 four times,.750 (6-0-8) at Gardner-Webb on Sept. 27,.462 (7-1-13) at Radford on Oct. 15, and.727 (8-0-11) against Liberty in Big South Tournament match...led the Bulldogs in blocking with 16 solo blocks and 116 block assists which was the third highest single season total at Asheville total blocks was the ninth highest single-season total in Asheville history...career-high 10 block assists and 12 total blocks in Sept. 30, victory over Charleston Southern...career high 16 kills came at Charleston Southern on Oct : Recorded the first double-double of her career with a seasonhigh 13 kills and 10 digs against Western Carolina on Sept had double figure kill matches with 12 kills in season opener against Appalachian State on Sept. 1, and 10 kills against Elon on Sept recorded season-high seven blocks against UMES on Oct. 1...in 92 games she averaged 1.28 kills and 0.63 blocks per game...big South Presidental Scholar Before UNC Asheville: One of the best players to ever play at T.C. Roberson HS where she earned team MVP honors as a sophomore, junior and senior...all-conference for three straight seasons...made the Asheville Citizen-Times All-WNC team junior and senior years... also made the Hendersonville Times-News All-Area team junior and senior years...led Roberson in kills, digs and blocks as a sophomore, junior and senior...also lettered in track and field and soccer. Career-Highs Kills: 22, vs. Charlotte, 9/16/06 Attacks: 59, vs. Duquesne, 8/26/06 Digs: 20, vs. Duquesne, 8/26/06 Aces: 3, at High Point, 10/8/05 Assists: 3, (4x) at East Tennessee St. 11/1/05 Block Solo: 2, (7x) Charleston Sou., 10/15/06 Block Assists: 10, Charleston Sou., 9/30/05 Total Blocks: 12, Charleston Sou., 9/30/05 CAREER STATISTICS YEAR GP KILL KPG E TA PCT DIG DPG ACE AST APG BS BA TB BPG Totals Asheville Volleyball 9

7 Heather Burns Heather BURNS 6-0 Middle Blocker Junior Rutherfordton, North Carolina East Rutherford High School Overview: Co-Captain and only junior on this year s squad... showed more offensive ability as a sophomore to go along with her strong blocking ability... coaches are hoping for a break out season as a junior : Played in 24 of 33 matches while hitting.129 for the year...had a career-high 13 kills on a career best 30 swings with just four errors (.300) against Duquesne on Aug earlier in the day, posted four kills on 19 swings at James Madison...career-high five digs in the Duquesne match...posted a season-high five block assists to go along with six kills on 25 swings at Birmingham-Southern in regular season finale...hit.600 (3-0-5) at Mercer on Sept. 8, and.571 (4-0-7) against Montreat on Oct averaged 0.98 kills in 47 games and 0.34 blocks per game. 2005: Had an impressive collegiate debut recording eight block assists in a four-game victory against UNC Wilmington on Sept added four more block assists in second match of the day against North Carolina A&T...also had a season-high three digs against A&T...recorded a season-high five kills with three errors on 20 attacks at High Point on Oct. 8...also had 20 attacks with three kills at Radford on Oct four kills and three block assists at Winthrop on Oct. 7...for the season, played 28 games in 11 matches posting 13 kills in 69 attacks with 19 blocks. Before UNC Asheville: Three-year starter at East Rutherford HS where she was the team MVP as a sophomore, junior and senior... earned all-conference honors junior and senior year...was runner-up as Player of the Year senior season...named to All-Piedmont team junior and senior year...very good athlete who lettered in softball... played for Biltmore Juniors...member of National Honor Society. Career-Highs Kills: 13, vs. Duquesne, 8/26/06 Attacks: 30, vs. Duquesne, 8/26/06 Digs: 5, vs. Duquesne, 8/26/06 Aces: 0 Assists: 1, (4x) vs. Nicholls State, 9/9/06 Block Solo: 0 Block Assists: 8, vs. UNC Wilmington, 9/3/05 Total Blocks: 8, vs. UNC Wilmington, 9/3/05 CAREER STATISTICS YEAR GP KILL KPG E TA PCT DIG DPG ACE AST APG BS BA TB BPG Totals Asheville Volleyball

8 Lauren FICKER 5-11 Middle Blocker Sophomore Hendersonville, North Carolina West Henderson High School 2007 Preseason All-Conference Overview: One of three players from West Henderson High School and Biltmore Volleyball Club...played in all 33 matches as a freshman...one of three players last season to hit over had a solid spring season...coaches hope to see attack percentage and blocks continue to climb. 1 Lauren Ficker 2006: Second on the team and fifth in the Big South hitting had a season-high 17 digs in three matches, vs. Rutgers on Aug. 25, vs. Duquesne on Aug. 26, and vs. Gardner-Webb on Nov posted first career double-double adding a season-high 16 digs in Duquesne match...11 double-figure kill matches including 14 kills, three errors, on 22 attacks (.500) vs. Montreat, Oct had five matches where she hit over season-high seven blocks vs. UNC Greensboro on Sept. 2...played in 125 of 126 game as a freshman averaging 2.20 kills and 0.66 blocks per game...second on the team with 82 blocks...big South Freshman of the Week on Nov. 13. Before UNC Asheville: Member of the West Henderson program that had a record during her four years, winning two state titles and finishing runner-up a third year under head coach Jan Stanley all-conference, Times News All-Area, and 1st-team All-Western North Carolina performer...played her club ball for Biltmore Volleyball Club which was the 2004 USAV regional runnerup and 2005 AAU National High Performance Champion...was 2006 MAAC Major Sports Female of the Year finalist...was also a threeyear letterwinner in soccer and swimming. Career-Highs Kills: 17 (3x), Gardner-Webb, 11/7/06 Attacks: 50, vs. Duquesne, 8/26/06 Digs: 16, vs. Duquesne, 8/26/06 Aces: 3 (3x), at High Point, 10/3/06 Assists: 3, Radford, 11/14/06 Block Solo: 2. (2x) Montreat, 10/24/06 Block Assists: 7, vs. UNC Greensboro, 9/2/06 Total Blocks: 7, vs. UNC Greensboro, 9/2/06 CAREER STATISTICS YEAR GP KILL KPG E TA PCT DIG DPG ACE AST APG BS BA TB BPG Asheville Volleyball 11

9 Brooke Holiday Brooke HOLLIDAY 5-6 Defensive Specialist Sophomore Hendersonville, North Carolina West Henderson High School Overview: One of three players from West Henderson High School and Biltmore Volleyball Club...gained valuable experience in the back row as a freshman and will be looked to for ball control and a strong serve this season : Recorded a season-high 17 digs at High Point, Oct. 3, and against Radford in the first round of the Big South Conference Tournament, Nov had 11 double-figure dig matches including four of the last five matches...recorded 13 aces on the season including three in one match at High Point...her three kills all came from the back row. Before UNC Asheville: Member of the West Henderson team that had a record during her four years winning two State AA titles and finishing runner up a third year...all-conference selection and Honorable Mention All-Western team in North Carolina Scholar...also swam and played soccer in high school. Career-Highs Kills: 1, (3x) at Birmingham-Southern, 11/11/06 Attacks: 2, (8x) at Birmingham-Sou., 11/11/06 Digs: 17, (2x) Radford, 11/14/06 Aces: 3, at High Point, 10/3/06 Assists: 3, Gardner-Webb, 11/7/06 Block Solo: 0 Block Assists: 0 Total Blocks: 0 CAREER STATISTICS YEAR GP KILL KPG E TA PCT DIG DPG ACE AST APG BS BA TB BPG Asheville Volleyball

10 Alysha GREER 6-1 Outside Hitter Sophomore Jonesboro, Virginia Lee High School 8 Alysha Greer Overview: Top returning hitter for the Bulldogs after a solid freshman campaign...coaches expect her to be more consistant and continue to improve. 2006: Second on the team with 2.73 kills per game and 298 kills on the season...15 double-figure kill matches including a season-high 20 kills on 50 swings against UNC Greensboro on Sept. 2...had 18 kills on season-high 52 swings in regular season finale at Birmingham-Southern, Nov had 15 kills in each of the first two matches of the Big South Tournament against Radford and Coastal Carolina...recorded a season-high six digs against High Point, Oct. 22, and four blocks against Charleston Southern, Nov. 3, and Coastal Carolina, Nov saw action in 109 games while hitting.175 as a freshman. Before UNC Asheville: Kingsport Times All-Southwest Virginia Player of the Year, District, and Regional Player of the Year as a senior at Lee High School...recorded second most kills in Virginia averaging 21.5 kills per match...1,086 career kills set a Lee High school record...a member of the Virginia All-Star team and was Career-Highs Kills: 20, vs. UNC Greensboro, 9/2/06 Attacks: 52, at Birmingham-Southern, 11/11/06 Digs: 6, High Point, 10/22/06 Aces: 0 Assists: 2, Liberty, 9/29/06 Block Solo: 1 (3x), vs. Winthrop, 11/18/06 Block Assists: 4 (2x), vs. Coastal, 11/17/06 Total Blocks: 4 (2x), vs. Coastal, 11/17/06 CAREER STATISTICS YEAR GP KILL KPG E TA PCT DIG DPG ACE AST APG BS BA TB BPG Asheville Volleyball 13

11 Kaitlyn McDaniel Kaitlyn McDANIEL 5-5 Setter Sophomore Huntsville, Alabama Grissom High School Overview: Stepped into the starting setter role as a freshman and was third in the Big South in assists per game...was the primary setter in the spring...coaches expect her to take more of a leadership role as a sophomore. 2006: Played in 125 of 126 games and was third in the Big South averaging assists per game...her 1,409 assists was the sixth most by an Asheville setter in a single-season...had 10 double-doubles and one triple-double...recorded 14 kills, 13 digs, and 50 assists against Gardner-Webb on Nov. 7...had a season-high 62 assists and 16 digs at Charleston Southern, Nov. 3...recorded 10 kills vs. Radford, Oct.1...and had a season-high six blocks against High Point, Oct four service aces twice, first vs. Nicholls State, Sept. 9 and again against Liberty, Sept member of the Big South All-Academic Team. Before UNC Asheville: Named Alabama 6A Player of the Year as well as being tabbed all-city, all-area, and all-state in both 2004 and 2005 for Grissom High School...led Grissom HS to the Alabama State Championship in 2003 and was state runner up in both 2004 and also played for NASA Juniors club that won 2003 and 2005 region titles while being ranked 11th in the nation in 2004 and 23rd in the country in broke Grissom s all-time assist record held by former Bulldog Amanda Wiles. 9 Career-Highs Kills: 14, Gardner-Webb, 11/7/06 Attacks: 30, at Birmingham-Southern, 11/11/06 Digs: 16, at High Point, 10/3/06 Aces: 4 (2x), Liberty, 9/29/06 Assists: 62, at Charleston Southern, 11/3/06 Block Solo: 0 Block Assists: 6, High Point, 10/22/06 Total Blocks: 6, High Point, 10/22/06 CAREER STATISTICS YEAR GP KILL KPG E TA PCT DIG DPG ACE AST APG BS BA TB BPG Asheville Volleyball

12 Raquel MIOTTO 5-10 Libero Sophomore Aruja, Brazil Colegio Objetivo 2006 All-Rookie Team st Team All-Big South 2007 Preseason All-Conference 10 Raquel Miotto Overview: Proved to be one of the top liberos in the Big South earning 1st Team All-Conference, All- Freshman Team, and All-Tournament Team honors...posted 5.72 digs per game which was second in the conference and had the third most digs of any Asheville players in a single season. 2006: Only player to play in all126 games...recorded double figure digs in 32 of 33 matches with plus dig matches and four matches with 30 or more digs...had a season-high 43 digs at Birmingham-Southern on Nov digs against Radford, Oct.1, and 31 digs against East Tennessee State, Sept. 2, and at Charleston Southern, Nov. 3...led the team in services aces with 50 which tied for 10th all-time in a single-season...had five aces in a match four times...her 721 digs were the third highest for one season in school history...had 61 digs in three matches in the Big South Tournament to garner All-Tournament team honors... became the first UNC Asheville freshman to earn 1st-Team All- Conference honors. Before UNC Asheville: Played for Corinthians club team in Sao Paulo, Brazil...was two time city and state champion 2001 and in 2003, was considered one of the top 20 best players in her age group (17 and under)...was also runner up in the Jogos Abertos in Career-Highs Kills: 1 (4x), High Point, 10/22/06 Attacks: 5, at Coastal Carolina, 11/14/06 Digs: 43, at Birmingham-Southern, 11/11/06 Aces: 5 (4x), Radford, 11/14/06 Assists: 4 (4x), at Birmingham-Sou., 11/11/06 Block Solo: 0 Block Assists: 0 Total Blocks: 0 CAREER STATISTICS YEAR GP KILL KPG E TA PCT DIG DPG ACE AST APG BS BA TB BPG Asheville Volleyball 15

13 Bridget Holiday Bridget HOLLIDAY 5-0 Libero Sophomore Hendersonville, North Carolina West Henderson High School Overview: One of three players from West Henderson High School and Biltmore Volleyball Club...has good insticts and ball control...will see action in the back row along with twin sister Brooke : Played in 77 games posting three double-figure dig matches...had a season-high 14 digs at Radford, Oct. 28, and had 12 digs in both regular season matches against Coastal Carolina...recorded a season-high three service aces against Montreat on Oct both kills came from the back row against Charlotte, Sept. 16, and at Birmingham-Southern on Nov. 11. Before UNC Asheville: Member of the West Henderson team that had a record during her four years winning two State AA titles and finishing runner up a third year...north Carolina Scholar...Asheville Citizen Times All Area team in 2005 and Biltmore Juniors Best Defense award in Career-Highs Kills: 1 (2x), at Birmingham-Southern, 11/11/06 Attacks: 2, Coastal Carolina, 10/13/06 Digs: 14, at Radford, 10/28/06 Aces: 3, Montreat, 10/24/06 Assists: 1 (7x), vs. Coastal Carolina, 11/17/06 Block Solo: 0 Block Assists: 0 Total Blocks: 0 CAREER STATISTICS YEAR GP KILL KPG E TA PCT DIG DPG ACE AST APG BS BA TB BPG Asheville Volleyball

14 Shannen BAGGE 5-9 Right Side Sophomore Bay of Plenty, New Zealand Otumoetai High School 15 Shannen Bagge Overview: First New Zealand born athlete to play at UNC Asheville and one of two international players on this year s roster...versatile player can hit, set, and be a primary passer...battled injury as a freshman but has improved over the spring. 2006: Had two double-figure kill matches in first four matches including first double-double with season-high 12 kills and 10 digs against East Tennessee State on Sept. 2...posted season-high 15 digs vs. UAB on Sept. 8, and against Gardner-Webb on Nov. 7...earned Big South Freshman of the Week honors for week of Sept. 5...had 15 assists as setter against Montreat, Oct added five blocks against UNC Greensboro on Sept. 2. Before UNC Asheville: Captain of the New Zealand Under 19 National Team...won the Jenny Kirk Trans-Tasman Trophy as MVP of the Trans-Tasman Tournament, where she was named best setter...participated in four Australian Youth Olympics...also plays beach volleyball and was the High School Beach Champion... Ranked number three in New Zealand s women s beach rankings... competed in the FIVB World Tournament and was named Most Improved and Rookie of the of the Year on the beach. Career-Highs Kills: 12, East Tennessee State, 9/2/06 Attacks: 30 (2x), Gardner-Webb, 11/7/06 Digs: 15 (2x), Gardner-Webb, 11/7/06 Aces: 2 (2x), vs. Nicholls State, 9/9/06 Assists: 15, Montreat. 10/24/06 Block Solo: 0 Block Assists: 5, East Tennessee State, 9/2/06 Total Blocks: 5, East Tennessee State, 9/2/06 CAREER STATISTICS YEAR GP KILL KPG E TA PCT DIG DPG ACE AST APG BS BA TB BPG Asheville Volleyball 17

15 Newcomers Jenna DOVER Right Side Freshman Knoxville, Tennessee West High School Overview: Raw athlete that will make improvements quickly...coaches expect her to be a major contributor down the road...may red-shirt this season. Before UNC Asheville: All-District and All Tournament selection for AAA at West High School in Knoxville, Tenn...played her club ball for Smoky Mountain Volleyball Club along with teammate Kelsey Benorden. Rachel GUINANE Setter Freshman Grapevine, Texas Grapevine High School Overview: Highly trained athlete that has worked out with National Team players and All- Americans...coaches expect her to compete for starting job and bring more competition to practices. Before UNC Asheville: Captain for her Grapevine High School team...earned the G Award which goes to the athlete that has all the characteristics of a model player and was an All-District selection...played for Mondo Volleyball Club. Kelsey Outside Hitter Freshman Knoxville, Tennessee Farragut High School BENORDEN Overview: Could come in and impact program right away...very good at ball control and has a good vertical with a high reach to be effective at the net. Before UNC Asheville: Prep Extra 1st team selection from , AAA All-District player of the year, and the Tennessee Athletic Coaches Association AAA volleyball player of the year...played club for Smoky Mountain Juniors along with Jenna Dover. 18 Asheville Volleyball

16 Julie Torbett 14th Season: Education: B.S. Exercise & Sports Science, Penn State, 1990 Coaching Experience: 1994-Present, UNC Asheville Family: Married to Dave Torbett. They have three sons, Nathanael (13), Colby (9), and Tristan (7). Coaching History: Overall Conference Year W L W L Totals Head Coach Julie Torbett, the 2002 Big South Conference Coach of the Year and UNC Asheville s alltime winningest volleyball coach, begins her 15th year of service to the Bulldog program. She has been the head for 14 years after serving as an assistant in the 1993 season. Torbett came to UNC Asheville after an excellent career at national volleyball powerhouse Penn State where she earned a degree in Exercise and Sports Science in She was a middle back defensive specialist for the Nittany Lions and played for legendary coach Russ Rose. Torbett, formerly Julie Firth, helped lead Penn State to four consecutive Atlantic 10 championships and NCAA appearances. She played in every match her junior and senior year and helped the school compile a record during her career. Torbett played some of the top players in the world during her career, including Olympian Elaine Youngs at UCLA and Gabrielle Reece at Florida State. She credits her college coach with making her tough and never being content. The two-time National Coach of the Year, Rose, is very proud of the job Torbett has done at UNC Asheville. I am proud to have had a small part in the development of Julie Torbett into the successful volleyball coach she has turned into at UNC Asheville, stated Rose, who led Penn State to the national championship in Her commitment to being the best she could be in both academics and athletics were evident when she was a high school athlete and it continued through her college years. The university community and its student-athletes are especially fortunate to have Julie directing their programs, and I would continue to expect great things from her in the future. Last year was one of the finest coaching jobs ever turned in by the Torbett. She directed a very young UNC Asheville team to a second place finish in the Big South Conference and a trip to the league title match. The Bulldogs bounced back from a 2-12 start to finish with an overall record of Asheville advanced to the Big South championship game for the third time in the last four years. Student-athletes have consistently developed under Torbett s guidance. UNC Asheville has had 30 players earn allconference honors during her tenure. In addition, four former players have become collegiate coaches, including three head coaches. They include Cally Geiger who will begin her second year as head coach of the The Citadel. She had served as an assistant at the College of Charleston for three years before taking the Citadel post. Lorelee Smith, who holds the school record for assists, is in her first year as head coach at Lewis University in Illinois. She was previously an assistant coach at Division II power Central Missouri for five seasons. Leslie Whitfield Gehris set a NCAA Division I record for digs in 2002 and is now entering her second year as head coach at nearby Montreat College. Most recently, Talia Ogle was named as an assistant coach at Texas Pan American after serving as a student assistant at UNC Asheville last fall, while earning her degree. Coach Torbett s approach and coaching style for the game of volleyball helped me as a player develop tremendously. I can honestly say I improved more in college than I did at any other level in my career. She has a great talent for building a team around strong defense and was able to teach me both strategy and court intelligence. I hope in my first year I can emulate the energy and effort she gave during my time at Asheville. Lorelee Smith (Class of 1998) Head Coach of Lewis University Asheville Volleyball 19 Julie Torbett

17 Julie Torbett Highlights of the Torbett Era 1994: Elissa Steffen earns first team all-conference honors 1995: Ranked 10th in the South Region Opened season with school-record eight straight wins and championship of Charlotte Invitational Kim Osborne and Lorelee Smith are named first team all-conference 1996: Finished third in Big South Lorelee Smith earns first team all-conference honors 1997: Lorelee Smith is named Big South Scholar-Athlete of the Year Lorelee Smith earns first team all-conference honors 1998: Won College of Charleston Invitational without dropping a game Cally Geiger earns first team all-conference honors 1999: Captured the Mercer Invitational Coach Torbett earns 100th career win and becomes the school s all-time winningest coach in volleyball. Chandra Hicks earns first team all-conference honors 2000: Kelly Budnik named Big South Rookie of the Year 2001: 7-21 Advanced to semifinals of Big South Conference Tournament 2002: 26-8 Big South Conference Regular-Season champions The Torbett Family: L to R:, Tristan (7), and Nathanael (13), Husband Dave, Colby (9) and Julie. Most improved team in the country Coach Torbett named Big South Coach of the Year Leslie Whitfield set NCAA Division I record for digs in a season with 763 Leslie Whitfield named All-Region Kelly Budnik and Friday Sigurdardottir earn first team all-conference honors Honored as top College team in Western North Carolina 2003: Advanced to Big South Conference championship match Won the Elon Invitational 2004: Coach Torbett earns her 200th win Amanda Wiles named first team all-conference 2005: 25-7 Won three in-season tournaments Elif Unlu earns Honorable Mention All-America honors and is named to All-Region team plus being named first team all-conference Advanced to Big South Conference championship match Rose Butler and Elif Unlu named to ESPN The Magazine All-Academic team 2006: Elif Unlu and Raquel Miotto earn first team allconference honors Finish in second place in the Big South Conference Advanced to Big South Conference championship match for second straight season. Elif Unlu named second team All-State and is the Western North Carolina Collegiate Female Athlete of the Year Discipline, hard work, and pride of performance are just some examples of what I learned training under the direction of Coach Torbett. I learned the harder I trained whether it was through conditioning, lifting or skill instruction the more I could contribute to the team. I became one piece of the whole puzzle. Coach Torbett provided me an opportunity to play at the Division 1 level, attain a degree, and most importantly build lasting friendships with my teammates. Through sweat, tears, cheers, and an abundance of defensive drills we became a team. I love defense has a whole new meaning to me now. I am thankful for her guidance in helping me become a better player, a better teammate, and instilling a stronger sense of self. Cally Geiger (Class of 1999), Head Coach of The Citadel 20 Asheville Volleyball

18 Eighth Season: Coaching Experience: 2000-Present, UNC Asheville 2000-Present, Biltmore VB Club Asheville, N.C , Vikingur Club, Reykjavik, Iceland Family: Married to former UNC Asheville volleyball player Nathalie Steffen. Frederico Santos Associate Head Coach Frederico Santos begins his eighth year as an assistant coach and third as an associate head coach with the UNC Asheville volleyball program. Santos, a native of Brazil, brings more than 20 years of international playing and coaching experience to the UNCA program. He assists in all phases of the Bulldog program including recruiting, on-court coaching, travel and pre-game setup. In addition, Santos assists with the UNCA Sports Information Office and oversees maintenance at the Justice Center. Santos has coached the Biltmore Juniors for more than five years. He led the club to national finishes in each of the past five years, including championships at the Asheville Hi Neighbor tournament in 2003 and Asheville head coach Julie Torbett is delighted to have Santos on the staff. Frederico is a vital part of the UNC Asheville program, stated Torbett. He has been a big reason for the success of the volleyball team. Frederico does a great job recruiting and also is a great tactician. We re lucky to have him as a part of our program. Santos has been playing volleyball all his life beginning with club teams in Rio de Janeiro. He moved to Reno, Nevada in 1990 and starred for the University of Nevada-Reno club team from where he was a setter. His club team was ranked fifth nationally by USA Today. In 1998, Santos played for the Reno Volleyball Club team as both a setter and outside hitter. He helped lead the club to a USAV Nationals in Tucson, Arizona. His coaching experience includes stops in Brazil, Iceland, Poland, Switzerland and Reno. Santos coached the Stjarnan Club team in Reykjavik, Iceland. He led the club to a 7-3 record in 2000 and a first place finish in the fall tournament. Santos has also worked with the men s and women s Brazilian national teams which are among the best in the world. Santos, an avid Chicaco Cubs fan, is married to former Bulldog volleyball player, Nathalie Steffen. They have a son, Gabriel who will turn one in November. He earned his degree in the spring of 2007 from UNC Asheville. Frederico Santos Asheville Volleyball 21

19 2006 UNC Asheville Combined Overall Stats 2006 Statistics RECORD: OVERALL HOME AWAY NEUTRAL ALL MATCHES... (15-18) ( 8-5 ) ( 5-6 ) ( 2-7 ) CONFERENCE... (10-4 ) ( 6-1 ) ( 4-3 ) ( 0-0 ) NON-CONFERENCE... ( 5-14) ( 2-4 ) ( 1-3 ) ( 2-7 ) ATTACK SET SERVE DIG BLOCKING ## STATS SUMMARY G K K/G E TA Pct A A/G SA SE SA/G RE DIG D/G BS BA Total B/G BE BHE Points UNLU, Elif GREER, Alysha WRIGHTENBERRY,Ashley FICKER, Lauren PALMA, Emily McDANIEL, Kaitlyn BAGGE, Shannen BURNS, Heather SCHAFFERT, Mallory MIOTTO, Raquel HOLIDAY, Brooke HOLIDAY, Bridget TEAM 35 UNC ASHEVILLE Opponents TEAM STATISTICS UNCA OPP DATE OPPONENT W/L SCORE SCORE-BY-GAME ATTEND ATTACK... # Aug 25 vs Canisius L ,23-30,30-26,24-30, Kills # Aug 25 vs Rutgers L ,25-30,30-26, Errors # Aug 26 at James Madison L ,17-30, Total Attacks # Aug 26 vs Duquesne L ,20-30,27-30,30-28, Attack Pct Aug 29 at Elon W ,26-30,33-31,28-30, Kills/Game Sep 01 CLEVELAND STATE L ,24-30, SET... Sep 02 UNC GREENSBORO L ,30-25,25-30,28-30, Assists Sep 02 EAST TENNESSEE ST. L ,21-30,26-30, Assists/Game Sep 08 at Mercer L ,33-35, SERVE... Sep 08 vs UAB L ,14-30, Aces Sep 09 vs Nicholls State L ,26-30,26-30, Errors Sep 15 vs Louisiana-Monroe W ,30-23, Aces/Game Sep 16 vs Charlotte L ,26-30,23-30,30-28, SERVE RECEPTIONS... Sep 16 at Samford L ,22-30, Errors * Sep 23 BIRMINGHAM-SOUTHERN W ,30-21, Errors/Game * Sep 29 LIBERTY W ,30-28, DEFENSE... * Oct 01 RADFORD W ,30-24,30-26, Digs * Oct 03 at High Point W ,30-28,30-21, Digs/Game * Oct 06 at WU L ,15-30, BLOCKING... * Oct 13 COASTAL CAROLINA W ,29-31,30-21, Block Solo * Oct 15 CHARLESTON SOUTHERN W ,30-15, Block Assist * Oct 20 WU L ,24-30,34-32, Total Blocks * Oct 22 HIGH POINT W ,30-18,30-22, Blocks Per Game Oct 24 MONTREAT W ,30-22, Block Errors * Oct 27 at Liberty L ,28-30,24-30, BALL HANDLING ERRORS * Oct 28 at Radford W ,30-26,30-23, ATTENDANCE... * Nov 03 at Charleston Southern W ,31-33,30-21, Total * Nov 04 at Coastal Carolina L ,30-24,23-30, Dates/Avg Per Date 13/306 11/198 Nov 07 GARDNER-WEBB L ,26-30,28-30, Neutral site #/Avg 9/89 * Nov 11 at Birmingham-Southern W ,27-30,15-30,30-28, Current win streak 0 - Nov 14 RADFORD W ,30-28, Home win streak & vs #6 Coastal Carolina W ,30-28,18-30,28-30, & vs #1 Winthrop L ,23-30, Asheville Volleyball