NEW ORLEANS – The weekend brings about the dawn of the 2022 volleyball season for the New Orleans Privateers. Six returners are set to play a crucial role in the upcoming year which begins in the nation's capital.
Sheilah Purcell,
Trinity Jackson,
Irene Kitson,
Rita Zecchin,
Maite Solabarrieta and
Molly Kehoe all return to the squad for this season.
Purcell has become one of the highest ranking liberos in program history in short order. A Second Team All-Conference member in 2021 and a First Team Preseason member in 2022, Purcell finished with 4.8 digs per set. That total was the third highest in a single season in program history.
Jackson was the squad leader in kills last season with 207. She has also made an impact defensively with 249 digs. Her 3.1 digs per set ranked ninth in the Southland last season. Jackson also recorded eight double-doubles in 2021.
Zecchin played her first season for the Privateers after transferring from Daytona State College. The Italy native played 79 sets and started 12 matches in '21. She recorded 86 kills and 184 digs while posting three double-doubles in her debut season on the Lakefront.
Solabarrieta took over the duties at setter last season and finished in the top five in assists per set in the Southland. Solabarrieta racked up the assists in bunches especially during the Louisiana Tech Invitational where she went over 50 assists twice that weekend against Louisiana Tech and Southern.
Kehoe played 30 sets with two starts in her first season with the Privateers. Defensively she recorded a season-best eight digs in a match against Southeastern. In the exhibition against Xavier (La.), Kehoe had six kills with no errors and a .462 attack percentage.
Kitson played in 10 sets in her first season. The sophomore from New York made her Privateer debut in the opening weekend against Tennessee State and recorded a block in each of her first three matches (vs. Tennessee State, HBU, McNeese).
Stay tuned for the second half of our 2022 preview on Wednesday when we look at the newcomers to the roster for this season.
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