Bryant volleyball announces 2012 captains

BRYANT VOLLEYBALL ANNOUNCES 2012 CAPTAINS

SMITHFIELD, R.I. -- Head coach Theresa Garlacy is pleased to announce the naming of rising seniors Emily Kaup (Chandler, Ariz.), Macy Mitravich (Waimanalo, Hawaii) and Jadith Lorenzo (Lawrence, Mass.) as captains of the Bryant University volleyball team for the 2012-13 season.

The trio will lead the Bulldogs into the program's first season of full Division I membership in the fall, as Bryant University nears the end of its four-year reclassification period in the summer of 2012.

Kaup, a 6-foot middle blocker and rightside, appeared in 29 matches in 2011, starting each of them while totaling 162 kills as a junior. The Arizona product posted strong numbers in nearly every category, adding 83 total blocks, 86 digs and 48 assists while surpassing the 200-point mark. Her 83 blocks were good for second on the team and came off four solo and 79 block assists.

"Emily leads by example on the court and in the weight room," said Garlacy. "Her pin-to-pin blocking ability and quick slide attacking style sets the bar and shows all our attackers the quickness required to be successful within the Northeast Conference and Division I. Emily sets the tone for practices and conditioning with her fire and spirit and will push her teammates to be competitive and focused in all that they do."

Mitravich returns to the Bulldogs after posting 282 digs, a team-leading 3.48 per set, in her junior season last fall and looks to be a defensive mainstay for the Black and Gold. A player who sees time both at libero and defensive specialist, Mitravich is sure-handed and level-headed on the court, boasting a .952 reception percentage without a single ball-handling error in 2011.

"Kind and compassionate, Macy always puts the best interests of the team first, and she will be a quiet force in the locker room and on the court for us as a senior captain," said Garlacy. "Macy will be our defensive general and lead communicator to the blockers this year, and her experience will lend a big hand to our incoming freshmen in dealing with the adjustment to being away from home and to the rigorous demands of being a collegiate athlete."

Lorenzo is a two-year starting setter for the Bulldogs entering her senior campaign and hasn't missed a match since the being of her sophomore season. Set to be the team's quarterback again as a captain in 2012, she posted impressive numbers last season, leading the team in assists (907), assists per set (6.92) and service aces (44), where she more than doubled the team's next sharpest server. A smart player with a strong eye for the game, Lorenzo has proven to be effective on both sides of the ball, also collecting 84 kills, 263 digs and 29 blocks a season ago.

"Jadi will be our court general," said Garlacy. "As the setter and play caller, she will dictate the tempo of our offense and the style of play which we develop as a team next year. We will need Jadi to lead on the court and off, and she will have a huge role in getting our incoming freshmen adapted to the speed of play at the collegiate level."

The Bulldogs finished the 2011 season 14-18 overall with an 8-8 mark within the Northeast Conference. The 2012 campaign represents the program's first opportunity to qualify for the conference and NCAA tournaments since making the move to Division I in 2008-09. Check back to www.bryantbulldogs.com for more news, information and a full 2012 Bryant volleyball schedule as it becomes available.