"Building Blocks to Victory"
The Ravens look to rebuild the program on a talented foundation

The Franklin Pierce University
Ravens are ready for a new start. This year’s squad has a new coach, a new outlook, and new goal for the 2001 season. The Ravens are led by head coach, Jayson King, who returns to the helm of the program this season. King inherited the struggling program in 1998, and helped rebuild the program in 1999. He hopes do the same thing this season, as the 2001 team is made up of a strong nucleus of experienced veterans and a promising newcomer.

The Ravens are blessed with the talents of three outstanding athletes who were named tri-captains of this year’s team. Mandy Johnson (Orange, Mass./Maher Regional), an All-Northeast 10 Honoree, led the Ravens last year as she recorded 3.54 kills per game, an impressive 1.96 blocks per game, and 1.71 digs per game in the 2000 season. She also posted an outstanding .316 kill percentage. A quiet leader who guides by example, Johnson is expected to have another big year for the Ravens.

The individual that King is looking for to control the flow of the play on the court is setter, Catrina Cuevas (Puyallup, Wash./J.J. O’Neill (N.Y.). Cuevas shared the role of starting setter with sophomore Bethany Findley, and is expected to have another banner year. Cuevas finished the 2000 campaign with 2.95 assists per game, 1.84 kills per game, and a team high 2.27 digs per game. A versatile player anywhere on the court, Cuevas is a very shrewd playmaker who controls the flow of the game every time she is on the court.

Rounding out the trio is junior Heidi Jensen (S. Glens Falls, N.Y./S. Glens Falls). Jensen is a steady player, who is credited with being an excellent hitter, solid passer, and has the ability to make the big plays in clutch situations. Jensen posted 1.60 kills per game, 1.08 blocks per game, and tallied a team-high 23 service aces for the Ravens a year ago.

Veterans Jamie Fulwood (Hamilton, Va./Loudoun Valley), Bethany Findley (Clinton, Conn./Morgan School) and Johanna Schubert (Brooklyn, N.Y./St. Ann's School) are also expected to help the Ravens in their quest to knot an invite to the Northeast-10 tournament. Fulwood is another well-rounded middle-hitter who can rack up the points for the Ravens. Fulwood tallied 1.35 kills per game, 2.24 blocks per game, and notched the team’s second-best hitting percentage at .288. Findley, another skilled setter, registered 6.50 assists per game and 52 blocks her freshman season. Shubert, a four year starter will provide valuable leadership and experience to the young team.

Challenging for playing time will be Michelle Heller (Sharon, Mass./Sharon) who will have dual roles as a middle and outside hitter

Although this year’s team is made up of only seven athletes, King explains that it really isn’t a weakness for FPC.

“Volleyball is not a matter of numbers. It’s a matter of having seven quality players that all can do different things for you,” said King. “For us a majority of the game would be played by six or seven players so it doesn’t really matter that we only have seven women.”

The Ravens, though small in number, are a tight-knit crew with worthy goals. Although the Ravens would ultimately like to earn an invitation to the Northeast-10 Tournament, they need to start small and get back to basics.

“My goal for this year is to be competitive, be in every match, and give ourselves the opportunity to win,” said King. “If we play hard and do whatever we can to put our team in a position to win matches, then we can build a solid foundation and eventually work our way up to competing for a spot in the Northeast-10 Tournament.”