BABSON PARK, Fla. (August 23, 2018) – The Webber International University women's volleyball team and second-year coach Lindsey Martin are ready for their next chapter as a program. The Warriors will head into the new 2018 season, which begins on Friday, August 24, as the two-time defending Sun Conference Tournament Champions.

Coming off of a 25-6 overall and 14-2 conference mark during Martin's first season leading Webber in 2017, the Warriors had their work cut out for them over the summer to return in the fall ready to make a third straight run at the NAIA National Tournament.

"I was very pleased with the determination and focus our players showed over the summer," said Martin. "They really worked to try and better themselves and prepare themselves to be the best players they could be going into the new season."

Returning to lead the Warriors on the court in 2018 will be seniors Virginia Salanoa-Sagapolu and Brittany Taksas, both of whom were named First-Team All-Sun Conference and Honorable Mention All-Southwest Region.

"I'm excited about all of our returners," said Martin. "We wanted them to be prepared the day we stepped onto the court in mid-August, and I'm happy to report, they have not disappointed. Virginia Salanoa-Sagapolu, Emily Bowen, Gilmary Ramos, Brittany Taksas, Hannah Tannone and many other of our returners have prepared all summer and are ready to make this season their masterpiece."

In addition to its core group of returners, Webber's 2018 recruiting class hopes to be an impactful collection of freshmen and transfers that will make 2018 yet another exciting season for the Warrior faithful to look forward to.

One of those transfers is Valerie Vargas, a setter from the College of the Sequoias in Visalia, California.

Martin commented, "Valerie Vargas will make an immediate impact within our program. She is intelligent within the game as well as a steady leader- keeping the team focused and on task. Her previous experience as a setter at College of the Sequoias should help to free her from the common newcomer nerves many new players experience, allowing her to focus on her hitters and finding a way to make them, and us, successful."

New outside hitters Nayrelis 'Sury' Pantoja Santos (College of Central Florida) and Kalameli Matautia (Columbia Basin College) both bring expertise from their previous schools and are not only ready to take on the competition within The Sun Conference, but also to help create a competitive gym culture Martin says her Warriors were missing sometimes during last year's practices.

After the loss of graduated All-American Michelle Calderon, the libero position is something that Coach Martin takes pride in and feels that she filled with her recruiting class.

"Looking to fill our coveted libero position will be transfers Teryn Mills and Mekenzie Breuklander, who have exploded into the gym, stepping up in every aspect to 'better the ball' in every play, as well as dig their hard hitting teammates," said Martin. "Their vocal leadership in the back row is necessary to keep our gym competitive and on track for our season goals."

Last but not least, newcomer Julia Ferraro, a transfer from San Diego City College, is also a great addition who has come to Webber to compete both in indoor volleyball and on the beach this season.

Another new face Warrior fans will see on the sidelines this season is new Graduate Assistant Coach Nicayla 'Nicci' Joyce, who joins the Webber coaching staff after playing for NCAA Division-II National runner-up Florida Southern College in indoor volleyball.

One other coaching change fans may notice is the departure of former standout player, assistant indoor coach and head beach coach Julianne Dougherty-Calcote, who decided to lessen her daily commute and take over her own high school program in the Orlando area. Martin, her staff and the Webber athletes wish Coach Dougherty-Calcote the best in her future endeavors, and her "smiling face" will most certainly be missed.

Returning as Webber volleyball's strength & conditioning coach for the third season in a row is Mark Dessart, and Coach Martin could not be more pleased.

"The amount of time, expertise and focus that Mark Dessart commits to our program is unrivaled by any program I've ever seen." continued Martin. "His coaching is vital to our team's explosiveness and quickness, but he also helps assess weaknesses within each athlete's biomechanics and creating motor learning programs to decrease the instances of injury on the team. He also assesses extraneous factors such as the amount of sleep they are getting, their stress levels, hydration, nutrition, and how sore they are from their workouts and practice. He strives to make us better every day."

Despite the Warriors beginning their journey with the hopes of capturing a third straight Sun Conference Tournament title and third straight national tournament appearance, Coach Martin understands how to manage expectations.

Martin said, "There is a famous quote, 'Expectation is the root of all unhappiness'. That is something I believe is more true than most people realize. Whenever I find myself expecting things from my team, my program, any aspect of my life it creates frustration, and anxiety- both things I don't have time for if I am trying to make the team the best we can be. I try not to expect anything, but more importantly, develop a competitive and loving culture where each athlete feels compelled to play their hardest, giving everything they have each time they step on the volleyball court; not for me, but for each other. If I can successfully create that kind of culture, our team will thrive on their own- no expectations needed."

The Warriors are headed to Montgomery, Alabama for the Faulkner Invitational for two matches on Friday, August 24, and two more on Saturday, August 25. Webber will play Tennessee Wesleyan College and Faulkner University on day one, and then will finish up with Brewton-Parker College and Brenau University on day two.

"Every match is an opportunity for us to learn, for us to get better," concluded Martin. "I excitedly look forward to all phases of the season and our continued development as individuals, both players and staff, as well as our evolution as a team. The season can get long if you look at it as a whole, but our team looks to break it down into focused segments- preseason practice, scrimmages, and preseason tournaments are within our 'learning' phase. Although we will continue to learn throughout the season, this is our key leaning phase where we spend time on the court, in the classroom with our team binders, watching video, and traveling to learn not only technique and play-sets, but also learn about ourselves- team personalities and our roles within the team. As we travel to our first tournament of the season that will include our first matches, I'm thrilled about how far we've come as a team in such a short amount of time. I believe we are definitely headed on the right direction, and I'm very excited to get the season started."

Webber's first home match will come on Saturday, September 8, as the Warriors open up their conference slate against Johnson & Wales University.