New Haven, Conn. – With another successful fall athletic slate in the books at Albertus Magnus College, the winter season is set to begin this Friday, November 13. With the leaves starting to fall from trees around campus and the temperatures dropping daily, the men’s and women’s basketball teams anxiously await their coming campaigns. Early in 2016, the men’s volleyball squad gets its season underway as well.
“As another season of exciting winter sports is upon us,” Albertus Magnus College Director of Athletic Jim Abromaitis said. “We look forward to Albertus Magnus student-athletes continuing the tradition of excellence and providing both the college and the local community reason to cheer for the Falcons.”
Men’s Basketball
It was another banner season for the Falcon men’s basketball team in 2014-15, as the team finished the year with a 28-2 overall record and won the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Championship for the fifth time in the last six seasons.
This year, the team will look to an experienced group of returners and talented first-year players with eyes set on a return to the Big Dance. Coming off one of the strongest seasons in program history, Albertus Magnus looks to replace the production of the top-eight players in its rotation.
Senior guard Marc Wilson (Jersey City, N.J.) and sophomores Chaunce Dunbar (Windsor, Conn.) and Jaqhawn Walters (Hartford, Conn.) lead the way amongst the returners. The trio saw the most minutes last season of any student-athletes still on the roster. Walters, a 6-6 forward, scored 123 points last winter thanks to shooting 59 percent from the field, while Dunbar poured in 70 points courtesy of shooting over 34 percent from beyond the arc.
Young veterans and first-year performers look to fill the void left by the departures of All-American Victor Ljuljdjuraj and all-conference players Tavon Sledge, Eian Davis and Lemar Larsen.
For the first time in seven years, the Falcons are not the GNAC preseason favorite. Albertus Magnus was voted second in the annual preseason poll, which is voted on the league’s head coaches. The Falcons earned two of a possible 10 first-place votes to tally 90 points and land eight point behind Johnson & Wales.
“We are looking forward to another season of Albertus Basketball as we work to compete to be the best we can be," men’s basketball Head Coach Mitch Oliver said.
Women’s Basketball
Unlike the men’s team, the AMC women’s basketball team returns plenty of firepower from last season. The Falcons brings back two of their top-three scorers from 2014-15, including reigning GNAC Rookie of the Year Olivia Bolden.
As a freshman, Bolden led the team with over 18 points per game and more than four offensive rebounds a contest. The 5-10 forward recorded eight double-doubles and was named Second Team All-GNAC. Other returning contributors are senior tri-captains Kelsey Pendagast (Shelton, Conn.), Chelsea Sherrod (Bridgeport, Conn.) and Olivia Sutherland (Wallingford, Conn.).
Pendagast, a 5-10 forward/center, averaged over 10 rebounds a game and recorded a team-best nine double-doubles. A force in the post, she pulled down 10 or more rebounds in a game 14 times, highlighted by a season-best 19 in 20-point win at home versus Mount Holyoke. Sherrod also proved to be dominant on the block for Albertus, leading the team with 10.6 rebounds per game and averaging just under one block per contest. Sherrod grabbed 12 or more rebounds 11 times last winter, including a season-high 16 in a conference win on the road versus St. Joseph’s (Conn.).
Sutherland ran the point for the Falcons last season and will do so again in 2015-16. The 5-3 speedster started all 26 games for Albertus Magnus and led the team in assists. She shot over 31 percent from three-point range in conference play and registered four or more assists in a game 10 times.
The Falcons were picked to finish seventh in the league in the GNAC Preseason poll voted on by the league’s head coaches. Albertus Magnus finished with 74 points, just one shy of sixth-place Rivier.
“Coming off an 11-15 season, we are returning a lot of talented and experienced players,” women’s basketball Head Coach JR Fredette said. “We are bringing back four starters and have added two transfers and two freshmen to the team. I’m excited about this season as we look to move to the top of the GNAC.”
Men’s Volleyball
Albertus Magnus men’s volleyball is coming off a 3-15 campaign last year, which featured a pair of conference wins.
Three of the team's top-four offensive threats return this winter as does the squad's top setter with the Falcons looking to move up the GNAC standings. The team looks to continue on the late-season success from 2015 with a versatile and deep core of veteran returners.
In the middle, senior setter Justin Tharau (Burlington, Conn.) led the squad in assists with 239 and digs with 125. The 6-0 righty was also second on the team with 13 service aces. Offensively, the Falcons will look to replace the production of graduated senior Glenn Johnson. Senior outside hitter Ben Spilka (Redding, Conn.) plans to build on his junior campaign in which he was second on the team in kills (47) and points (62.5).
Other returning contributors for the Falcons will be sophomore defensive specialist Matt Stoll (Shelton, Conn.) and junior middle hitter Joshua Turner (Trumbull, Conn.). In 2015, Stoll appeared in every set of the squad’s 18 matches. Defensively, he registered 65 digs during his first season with the team. Also on the defensive side, Turner had a breakout season, recording a team-best 42 blocks. His 19 solo blocks and 23 block assists were both tops on the team. Offensively, the 6-4 hitter also racked up 42 kills.
