Appalachian Invitational
Friday: NSU vs. Sam Houston State, 4 p.m.
Saturday: NSU vs. Loyola (Md.), 10 a.m.; NSU vs. Appalachian State, 7 p.m.
Live Stats (All Matches) | Live Video (Appalachian State match only)

NORFOLK, Va. - After a bounce-back 2012 campaign, the Norfolk State volleyball team is looking to take the next step in 2013 after leaving some unfinished business out on the court at the end of last year. The Spartans won more games both overall and in conference play than ever before in the Division I era, and then topped it off by winning their first match in the MEAC tournament in 13 years.

NSU, though, nearly upset UMES at home at the end of the regular season and was one serve away from defeating FAMU in the MEAC tournament. The former would have put NSU in a tie for first with UMES in the MEAC Northern Division, with the Spartans holding the tiebreaker in that scenario. The latter, against FAMU, would have put NSU into the MEAC championship match for the first time ever.

With those heartbreaks fresh in the minds of the players heading into the offseason, the team began to gear up for the next step in 2013: winning the North outright and getting to and earning the victory in that MEAC championship match.

"The reason we chose 'Unfinished Business' as our motto this year is because, even though we finished higher than we ever had last year, we could have done better," said Duvall. "We let some chances slip away, and the coaches and returning players have a huge chip on their shoulders about that."

With several key seniors gone from last year, including all-time kills and blocks leader Charlotte Armstead, all-time assists leader Nicole Kessner and outside hitter Beatriz Ferreira, NSU will turn to a new batch of leaders this year.

NSU's only two seniors are both second-year players with the program: middle blocker/outside hitter Goda Jankauskaite and middle blocker/right side hitter Coralie Jarema. They will be counted on for increased production on the offensive side of the ball now that Armstead and Ferreira have departed. Jankauskaite averaged 1.68 kills per set and a team-leading 0.74 blocks, while Jarema contributed 1.42 kills and 0.64 blocks.

Also expected to take the next step is sophomore outside hitter Jessica Johnson. She finished second on the team last year behind Armstead with 2.11 kills and also added a team-best 0.34 service aces. With Armstead gone, Johnson becomes one of NSU's primary offensive weapons along with Jarema, Jankauskaite, sophomore right side hitter Angie Darcus and a handful of new players.

"We do have several players who can rise to the challenge of trying to replace a player like Armstead," Duvall said. "Jessica can easily slide into the top outside hitting role, and you can tell players like her, Coralie and Angie, just to name a few, clearly worked hard over the summer and came back that much better."

Darcus, a walk-on as a freshman who is now on scholarship, is perhaps NSU's most improved player from a year ago. She has already shown an increased level of production in the preseason and will be counted on to become more of a go-to player on offense.

Duvall also went out and signed four players standing 5-foot-10 or better to add plenty of size to this year's squad. One of the players he mentioned who could play a big role right away is Dominique Parker, the biggest of all the newcomers at 6-1. She was a member of three straight state championship teams at Sherwood High School in Sandy Spring, Md.

In time, Parker is expected to take over the role Johnson held on the team in 2012 and then begin to follow the same career path as Armstead, who blossomed as a sophomore after gaining valuable match experience during her freshman year.

Also joining the team as a scholarship player is Victoria Tulensru out of Great Bridge High School in Chesapeake, Va. Tulensru played right side in high school, earning first-team All-Eastern Region honors as a senior when she tallied 193 kills, 250 digs and 83 service aces. She has displayed a big arm at the opposite hitter spot but is also capable of playing defense in the backcourt and setting.

"We do have several freshmen who could find themselves in the regular rotation right off the bat and even start for us," Duvall stated. "All of them have come in and proven they belong here. Their work ethic, attitude, competitiveness, it's exactly what we expected out of them."

Also at the net, middle blockers Jasmin Flowers and Kylee Thiim will vie for playing time in an all-of-a-sudden crowded front court. Flowers, a junior, added 1.38 kills and 0.64 blocks per set. Thiim, a redshirt junior, saw time in 25 matches and contributed 17 kills and 11 blocks in 40 sets played.

The main setting duties, though, still belong to sophomore Darcy Moore. She broke NSU's single-season assists record previously held by Kessner and finished with 7.19 assists per set after splitting time with Kessner toward the end of the year. Backing up Moore is Darcus and freshman Alex Irizarry. A late addition to the roster, Irizarry will help the Spartans with their backcourt defense while also giving the coaching staff the option of running a 6-2 lineup with Moore.

Moore is one of several players who is helping the program become a more veteran-type team.

"All 10 of our returnees are contributing in every single way imaginable," said Duvall. "Their work ethic on the court is fantastic, and they've all come in very prepared. Their attitudes toward our team goals are more intense than they've ever been. I've also been very impressed by how organized they are in, knowing what is expected out of them, and are demanding that out of themselves."

Also adding depth to the outside hitter position is sophomore Janay Frazier. She saw limited action last year but came back playing at a much-higher level. The coaches are expecting her to contribute more regularly this year, as they are with freshman walk-on Sydney Dailey. Hailing from Our Lady of Good Counsel High School in Silver Spring, Md., Dailey has a lively arm and the ability to crack the rotation coming off the bench.

Duvall also added two more walk-ons in middle blockers Monique Gatling from Churchland High in Norfolk and DeErin Armstrong from Indian River High in Chesapeake. The 5-foot-10 Armstrong has plenty of athletic ability but needs to gain more experience, while Gatling, at 6-0, adds more size to the frontcourt defense the team is looking for this year.

Also in the backcourt, anchors Noelle Eagles and Adriana Ramos bring their defensive prowess to this year's emerging squad. Eagles, a redshirt junior libero, led NSU with 4.04 digs per set last year. Ramos, a junior, added 1.85 digs as the team's defensive specialist. Eagles is also a player Duvall mentioned as someone who is stepping into the shoes of Kessner and Armstead.

"In terms of new leaders after losing great ones like Charlotte and Nicole, Noelle and Kylee have been fantastic," said Duvall. "They are dying to see this program go to the next level, and they're very demanding of both the freshmen and the returnees, both in the classroom and on the court."

With new leadership and players ready to take the next step in their development, the program is aiming higher than it ever has before.