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Women's Volleyball

2009 Season Preview

New coach Chris Heftka is no stranger to the Spartan women's volleyball program. The 2007 D'Youville grad was a four-year starter with the Spartan men's program and has done assistant coaching stints with both programs under longtime coach John Hutton.

"Chris understands the game extremely well and his experience having played every position will be a huge benefit to his coaching career," said Hutton. "I have seen that same work ethic and passion he had as a player carry over into the next phase of his volleyball life."

Last year the Spartans finished 24-11, won the North Eastern Athletic Conference, and made the program's first-ever trip to the NCAA Tournament. The 2009 squad begins play in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) and has only five returning players, three starters, from that championship team of 2008.

Senior outside hitter Falicia Golden (Painted Post, NY/Corning-Painted Post West) was a three-time all-conference selection in the North Eastern Athletic Conference and was highlighted by the AMCC as a player to watch this season. Last season Golden averaged 2.94 kills, 2.64 digs, and 0.61 service aces per set. In 2008 Golden became the fourth player in school history to reach 1,000-career dig milestone and reached the top of the career service ace list.

Siblea McFarland (Salamanca, NY/Salamanca) was a First-Team all-conference selection last season and set school single-season records for assists (1,208) and assists per set (9.98). The senior setter is just 139 helpers shy of breaking the women's volleyball career mark set by Jayne Root (1998-2001).

Sophomore libero Brittany Yocius (Aliquippa, PA/Hopewell) comes off a rookie season that led to a Second-Team all-conference selection after averaging a 4.36 digs per set. Junior Johnna Matusik (Arcade, NY/Pioneer) is a serving specialist that will have an expanded role this season, as will Beth Jackson (Groton, NY/Groton) who moves to outside hitter.

First-year players that will make an immediate impact are Emily McDonald (North Syracuse, NY/Liverpool) and Luciana Payne (Buffalo, NY/Mount Saint Mary Academy).

"I am excited about this season," said Heftka. "We have experience and talent at three key positions, and the first-year players will get better with each time they play. We were picked to finish seventh in the AMCC pre-season poll and we have every reason to believe we should finish higher than that prediction."

D'Youville opens the season by hosting the Spartans Invitation September 4-5. The Spartans have won the event the last two years.