NEWARK, Del. - Coming off the program’s first NCAA Tournament appearance last season, the University of Delaware volleyball team will kick off its much-anticipated 2008 campaign with a trip to California to take part in the Cal State Fullerton Tournament this weekend.

The squad will face a tough challenge to open the season when the Blue Hens take on the host Titans as well as Pepperdine and UNC Greensboro. Cal State Fullerton and Pepperdine both made the NCAA Tournament last season, while the Waves are currently ranked 28th in the AVCA preseason poll.

Despite the early test, Delaware enters the season with high expectations coming off its historic run last season. After capturing the program’s first Colonial Athletic Association championship, the Hens defeated Princeton in the first round of the 2007 NCAA Tournament before falling in a closely-contested match to host and 19th ranked St. John’s in the round of 32.

The squad eventually finished with a 31-5 record and saw six of its members earn conference accolades. Although Delaware graduated Colleen Walsh and Megan Welch, who garnered Player and Setter of the Year honors, respectively, the team has a strong corps of players returning for another season.

Kelly Gibson (at right), an All-Conference selection during each of her first three seasons, enters her final year at Delaware as one of the most accomplished players in the CAA. A member of the prestigious 1,000-kill, 1,000-dig club, she will serve as one of the captains on the 2008 team.

Gibson will be joined by a strong junior class as Michelle LaLonde and Steph Barry return for another year of action. LaLonde, who will also serve as a co-captain, has been a dominant force as a middle hitter for the Hens since arriving in Newark. After posting 100 blocks in each of her first two seasons, she became the first Blue Hen in over 15 years to reach the mark twice as an underclassman.

Barry, who begins her second season as the team’s starting libero, hopes to repeat her performance from last year that resulted in one of the most decorated campaigns in Delaware history. As a sophomore, she garnered the conference’s Defensive Specialist of the Year award and later became the Hens’ first All-American after earning Honorable Mention nods from the AVCA.

Although the squad has just three upperclassmen, every member of Delaware’s sophomore class gained valuable on-the-court experience last year. Katie Dennehy earned All-Rookie honors as an outside hitter for the team, while Paige Erickson smashed the freshman record for blocks with 144.

Greta Gibboney also returns as one of the team’s top defensive players, while Jess Chason is expected to see time as Delaware’s setter after serving as Welch’s understudy last season.

The veteran members of the team will be complemented by an impressive youth movement as the Blue Hens welcome seven freshmen to the fray. Two of the new faces, Meghan Bonk and Helen Fitzpatrick, were named the 2007 Gatorade Player of the Year in their respective states. Bonk was chosen as the top performer in Delaware, while Fitzpatrick earned the honor in Pennsylvania.

With the two Gatorade honorees, Delaware is one of only three colleges in the country to have a freshman class that includes multiple Player of the Year selections. Perennial national powers Hawaii and Florida are the only other schools that can boast such a claim.

Along with Bonk and Fitzpatrick, the Hens sport a well-rounded group of newcomers. The team adds more size to its front-line with the addition of two middle hitters in the form of 6-1 Janeen McCormick and 6-5 Elena DelleDonne. The team also bolsters its attack on the outside with the addition of Kim Stewart, a former Michigan Miss Volleyball finalist.

Fellow freshman Cindy Murphy will add versatility to the right-side of the offense as the lone southpaw on the team, while Sarah Kahrs adds flexibility to both sides of the ball as an accomplished outside hitter as well as a defensive specialist.

Combining the veteran leadership with the incoming talent, Delaware not only has high expectations for itself but also from the outside community. In the preseason CAA coaches' poll, the Hens were picked to repeat as conference champions after earning seven first-place votes.

Following the Cal State Fullerton Tournament, the Hens will open up their home slate by hosting Michigan State, New Hampshire, and Syracuse on September 5-6 during the Delaware Invitational.