The Pratt Women’s Volleyball team will start their regular season today with a tough matchup. They travel to Arkansas City, KS to face off against Cowley College, the reigning national champions. Pratt’s team has been going though a rebuild under Head Coach, Brittany Urenda. Looking at the season as a whole, Coach said: “The expectations I have for us are just to continue to learn and grow on and off the court. We are still rebuilding this program from the ground up and truly I am very pleased with where we are headed.” 

The team is looking to improve on the progress they made last year. Their roster is well balanced with 11 sophomores and 9 freshmen filling it out. Returners Francesca Battaglia and Natalie Martinez will play key roles in helping some of the Beaver’s new faces integrate into their system. Battaglia was a starting 6 rotation outside for the team all of last year when she totaled 272 kills and 262 digs. Martinez should help solidify the team’s defense as a returning libero who had 513 digs as a freshman. When asked about her team’s construction, Coach said: “I think we have added some incredible pieces to a very strong core. We have some transfer athletes that will play a huge impact within the team and some freshman that are bringing a different level of talent to the Beaver Dome.” 

Coach Urenda emphasized the strength of the conference that her team is competing in. The team was picked to finish higher than they have at any other point in Coach’s tenure at Pratt, which is an exciting step forward. She also spoke to the parity of the conference: “On any given day you can be beat or you can pull an upset. It’s all about who is on that day and who isn’t. That’s the best part of coaching in the KJCCC.” Her message to the team is to stay humble and united. She is excited by the potential the girls have this year, if they are able to mesh well early in the year.  

A couple of the players that will be important to watch this year include Martinez and Battaglia, mentioned earlier, as well as many other new faces to the rotation. Kiara Aristy is a transfer outside hitter. She brings height, power, experience, confidence, and talent to our program. Gemely Brito is a freshman right side hitter. She brings height, power, and an incredibly high IQ for the game. Kayla Houghtaling is a sophomore setter. She brings experience, confidence, and a true understanding for how to run the offense effectively. Kalyn King is a freshman setter. During preseason she has been very coachable and is bringing a level of confidence that is rare to see from a freshman. Sara Castrillon is a sophomore middle. She brings a level of consistency, talent, height, confidence, and experience to our floor. She’s a force at the net, offensively and defensively! 

This should be a great season for Beaver Volleyball! To the fans, Coach Urenda said: “One thing I will say for sure is we are a very fun team to watch. We make hustle plays, we jump high, we hit hard, and we cheer loudly (per usual). This group is special and I’m very thankful I get to be around them daily.” You can be around this special group of ladies too! Make sure to come out and support the girls at all of their home matches! Match Schedule can be found on GoBeaverSports.com!