Auburn, ME – The Central Maine Community College women's volleyball team begins its 2024 season tonight on the road against NHTI.
The opener features a match-up between the winningest program in the YSCC and the team with the most recent success, as Central Maine has captured the last two YSCC championships while NHTI has won the conference tournament nine times dating back to 2005.
The Mustangs bested rivals SMCC in the 2023 tournament, but this year have an entirely new squad top to bottom with 11 first year players and two new co-head coaches in Kevin Bean and Rachael Collins.
"It's been a learning period," said coach Bean. "We're all starting to mesh now. I'm liking what we have for talent. It's been a sped-up preseason certainly, but I'm looking forward to going against one of our rivals in NHTI."
It has been a feeling out period for the players, adapting to college volleyball life. But as middle blocker Isabella Higgins pointed out, their first-year coaches are going through the same process.
"They're going through the same things that we're going through, getting ready for the season," the first year from Anniston, Alabama said. "So it's definitely a bonding moment for the whole team. And we're getting along really well."
With not much time to prepare before the season kicks into high gear, the Mustangs have been spending time together away from the gym as well.
"We've had some fun off the court," said freshman setter Shalamar Szarka. "Team bonding and in small groups as well. We went to the trampoline park last weekend. Definitely bonding as a group which should help with our on-court connections."
CMCC plays 15 regular season games over September and October with most of their home games coming in the back half of the season. The Mustangs first match in Auburn will be against the same NHTI team they face tonight, on September 24th.
Fans who can't make it out to the gym can watch Central Maine home games all season long being broadcast by Munzing Media on the "CMCC Mustangs" YouTube channel.
