Last year, the Chesapeake College volleyball team limped to a 1-12 record, the total losses matching the output of the 2020 season.

It is unlikely that first-year Skipjacks’ coach Jon Buell will allow last year’s down season to repeat itself.

Buell has the team energized and focused – and ready to reverse that ugly record.

Cautious optimism is the mood among the coaching staff and the players.

“The last year the team was mostly made up of players that started off with a lot more basic skills,” Buell said. “We have a lot more players with experience. This team really has the talent, experience and athleticism that we were lacking the last couple of years. It has put us in a better place.”

The roster contains more freshmen than sophomores.

Six to be exact. That’s a good thing considering the skill level the young players bring to Wye Mills.

The rookies include setter Zoe Fretterd, middle hitter Karis Diggs, libero Colleen Weaver, outside hitter Alyssa Berneski, right-side hitter Brooklynn Blades and middle hitter Maya Hawkins Bailey.

“These girls have played volleyball in high school or club,” said Chesapeake assistant coach Kirsten Blake, who also works as the school’s athletic trainer and assistant athletic director. “They really have the knowledge and experience to play the game.  They are very determined, dedicated and competitive.”

With all of Chesapeake’s sophomores, Blake and Buell needed some sophomores to step up to guide the rookies. That’s what two sophomores are doing: 5-foot-8 right-side hitter Kierstyn Tilley and Emily Gunther and 5-foot-7 middle hitter Bianca Potts. Both are returning starters.

“The level from high school to college is a big step,” Blake said. “They have done a good job of sharing that knowledge with their teammates. They have been a big help to the freshmen. The girls really respect them, looking up to them on and off the court.”

Blake expects Tilley and Gunther to rank among the team’s statistical leaders.

Tilley, who played high school volleyball at Easton High had six digs and three kills in the season opener against Carroll Community College.

“She has great height and is a very good blocker,” Blake said of Tilley. “And is a very good blocker She is a real asset to this team.”

Potts, a Kent County graduate, had a team-high seven digs versus Carroll and led the Skipjacks with five blocks against Potomac State.

“She is very versatile and great at leading the court,” Blake said.

Another sophomore, outside hitter Emily Gunther, provides nice depth.

Of all the freshmen, Fretterd could be the biggest contributor. She earned Bayside Conference co-Player of the Year honors.

Fretterd looked like Chesapeake’s best player at times in the first two games.

She finished the two contests with a combined 13 digs and 22 assists.

“She is a phenomenal setter and the quarterback of our team,”  Blake said.

The Skipjacks got off to a slow start losing in three sets to visiting Carroll and host Potomac State. But there is a different feeling around the team this year than past seasons.

“Their performances have so far been so far above what I expected,” Buell said. “They showed such effort, competitiveness and heart.”