A new era of Madison College volleyball will begin August 22 when Ashley Davis walks the sidelines during her first match as the new head coach of the WolfPack. The longtime assistant replaces Toby Parker after he resigned following his 12th season leading the program, and will be striving to return the 'Pack to the national tournament after seeing a three-year run come to an end in 2016. That task will be a challenge with an extremely young roster.

"With the graduation of six starters, the biggest challenge will be our relative inexperience," commented Davis. "The team is working to develop their identity while upholding the longstanding tradition of the Madison College volleyball program. The newcomers are all competing for key starting roles. Maintaining focus on our team goals will be critical to our success."

The WolfPack, who open the season ranked #5 in the Preseason NJCAA Division III Poll, will welcome a deep and talented group of new faces, which features three middle blockers, three outside hitters, three defensive specialists, and a setter. 

"The newcomers build on the extremely competitive nature of our program and add depth in ever position," boasts Davis, who spent five seasons as an assistant under Parker. "That competitive gym culture will be vital to our growth and ultimately our success this season."

Leadership and experience could also play a key role in how the 2017 season plays out. Madison College returns three sophomores, led by outside hitter Megan Corcoran and opposite Samantha Jacobsen. Corcoran, a former Madison La Follette standout and a two-sport athlete at Madison College, played 31 of 32 matches during her first season and tallied 111 kills with a .220 hitting percentage. Jacobsen, a DeForest, Wisconsin, native, saw action in 21 matches and hit .119 with 13 kills and 13 blocks. The most significant returning piece could be setter Keely Brown, who lost all but 11 matches of her freshman season after sustaining an injury. The former Sun Prairie HS athlete averaged 7.76 assists per set before the injury, and will quarterback an attack that will feature numerous new pieces.  

"Our returners were one match away from a trip to Rochester (NJCAA Division III National Tournament) last year and are hungry for the opportunity to go this year," Davis stated. "They have worked hard during the offseason to prepare and are ready to hit the ground running."

While the offense may need some time to find itself and a rhythm, Davis believes the defense will be a significant strength of the 2017 WolfPack.

"The combination of strong back row players and big blockers in the front row, defense will be a strong suit. The goal will be to make it difficult for opponents to find the floor on our side of the court."

"We're really scrappy and our defense should be really good this year," recognized Brown after an early preseason scrimmage against some of the program's top alumni.

Those opponents will include some of the best teams in the nation as Madison College will once again boast of the toughest schedules in the country. Defending NJCAA Division III national champion Harper College is ranked #1 and is out to defend not just a national title, but the Region IV and North Central Community College Conference crowns, as well. The Hawks defeated the WolfPack in three meetings last year, winning nine of 13 sets played. The two teams will meet up September 19 in Madison and October 17 in Illinois. In addition, the 'Pack will face a pair of NJCAA DII ranked opponents, #11 Des Moines Area Community College and #8 Sauk Valley Community College at the Battle for the Dells tournament in Wisconsin Dells on August 25-26. National DIII runner-up and second-ranked Ridgewater College (MN) will be on the other side of the net September 1 at the College of DuPage Invitational.

"We have one of the toughest schedules in the country, kicking off with the very competitive Battle for the Dells Showcase," noted Davis. "Our schedule prior to conference play is daunting and will help prepare us for the always competitive N4C slate."

Davis is quick to point out that regardless of a change at the top, when you're a program that boasts a pair of national titles, four Region IV crowns, and four conference championships in the last eight years, the bar rests a little higher than at most other schools.

"We have high expectations and big goals for the 2017 campaign. A return to Nationals is the number one goal this year. With hard work and commitment to our goals, this team has the opportunity to do something special come post season."

Madison College opens the season August 22 against NAIA Clarke University (IA) in Dubuque, Iowa. First serve is at 5:00 p.m. Following the four-match trip to Woodside Sports Complex in Wisconsin Dells, the WolfPack will open N4C play August 29 at Joliet Junior College. The home opener at H. Douglas Redsten Gymnasium is August 31 against the College of DuPage. The match will double as Family Night with a first serve of 6:00 p.m. All home matches, a some select away matches, will be streamed live at MadisonCollege.TV, as well as live on the Madison College Athletics Facebook and YouTube accounts.

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