The women’s volleyball team, or Firedogs as they like to be called, are hoping to build on a 2011 campaign that saw them finish 20-7 and grind their way to the No. 5 seed in the NESCAC tournament.
The highlight of the regular season was undoubtedly their come-from-behind victory over Williams, in which Amherst prevailed, 3-2, after trailing by a 2-0 score.

In the quarterfinal round of the conference championship, the Amherst women fell to Trinity, 3-1, despite a strong effort from stalwart Cristy Meier ’12.

In all, ten Firedogs were named to the Fall 2011 All-Academic team, with Kristin Keeno ’13 also being selected to the All-District Academic First Team. Notably, the squad posted a perfect 8-0 record in home matches.

Head Coach Sue Everden will certainly be hard-pressed to replace the recently graduated tandem of Meier and KC Kanoff ’12, but she will be counting on Keeno, the 2011 conference leader in digs per set, to set the pace.

Joining Keeno in leadership roles will be senior co-captains Abigail Hunter and Emily Waterhouse as well as setter Callie Neilson. If the Firedogs are to contend for a NESCAC title, they will also need contributions from their crop of four first-years, including Lizzie Ahern and Nicole Carter.

The team opens NESCAC play with a trip to Bowdoin on Sept. 14, followed closely by matches against Tufts and their 2011 nemesis, Trinity.

The weekend of Oct. 12-13 is a particularly critical one as the team squares off against conference rivals Middlebury and Williams. By all accounts, Amherst is poised to post another 20-win season, and they should be as ready as ever to make a run at another league title.