Tiger volleyball gears up for 2023 season

Marshalltown Community College Volleyball will return five players for the upcoming 2023 season, all who started at different points throughout last year. The experience will be welcome as the Tigers move to Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC) NJCAA Division II part of the conference, one of the strongest in the nation.

Key Players to watch:

• Isneydy Mercedes DeLaRosa, will be called on to hold up the outside antenna.  She finished first on the team in kills in 2022 and third in digs pers set. Being undersized, she has been working in the off season on better shot selection to make herself a more verse attacker.
• Brittany Sichra will return this season in the Libero position. As a defensive specialist in 2022, Sichra finished second on the team in digs and spent most of the season in NJCAA DI top 20 in digs per set. With the graduation of Allinson Almonte Torres and Abby Redmond, Sichra will be called upon to do a majority of the server reception.
• Katherine Acosta will return and play a large role in our offensive attack.  Her work this summer has made her arm stronger, and she has also spent the offseason hitting from all positions, making her a more diverse swinger. The Tigers will look to move Acosta from a three-rotation attacker to playing all six rotations and contributing to the other side of the ball on defense.
• Yanelis Pena Turbi is our returning setter, starting most of last season in that position. Turbi will be asked to be more of an offensive threat as well as continuing to speed up the offense. Her experience from last year should help her distribute the ball more efficiently.

Newcomers to watch:

• Yafriel Pichardo will also be joining the Tigers from the Dominican Republic. Pichardo will help stabilize the defense, with her quickness to the ball and her ability to read the game. A six-rotation hitter, she will be a threat in the front row with her quick attacking abilities on the outside pins.
• Say Paw from Marshalltown will add a quickness that will help the Tigers score points with their defensive tenacity! She will be key in putting more balls back in play, forcing opponents to take more swings. Her ability to chase balls down, will hopefully bring down our opponents hitting percentage because they are having to swing at more balls. Her energy will help inspire her teammates.

When asked what the team's goals were for the upcoming season, Head Coach Chris Brees commented, "We want to speed up the offense and be scrappier on defense. We are a bit undersized compared to most of our opponents so we will have to stay more consistent with our defense. The ICCAC is one of the strongest conferences in DII so we will need to be prepared to respond nightly to do well in the league. The offseason has given the team a chance to work on their communication skills and also finding a stronger passion and commitment to the game."

Teams to watch in the ICCAC:

• Iowa Central
• Kirkwood (new coach)
• DMACC (new coach)
• Hawkeye