Women's Volleyball | 8/24/2022 12:00:00 PM
MIAMI SHORES, Fla. – Former Buccaneer skipper Leonid Yelin, who led Barry to the 1995 NCAA Division II National Championship, returns to the helm of the volleyball program for the fall of 2022.
After a 13-14 season for the Bucs in 2021, Yelin returns after 25 years of leading NCAA Division I programs Syracuse, Colorado and Louisville.
He has a solid core returning, including All-American Djuly Schmorantz at outside hitter and All-Sunshine State Conference performer Mónica López at libero. In addition, Jennifer Collazo, Mariana Bertran, Courtney Zwikker, Tyanna Butler and Nicola Osiewala are back after combining to make 57 starts last year.
Yelin and the staff have brought in a number of impact players in their first season, including NCAA Division I transfers in hitter Diana Akopova (Syracuse) and setter Marija Borcic (Coastal Carolina). Middle hitter Jeyhlen Thomas (Indian River CC) brings some much needed height to the net, while Biancaliz Cruz (Florida Memorial) bring athleticism on the outside. In addition, 6-1 junior Tierney Ward returns after having last played on 2018's SSC championship team. Freshmen Marina Azevedo and Christy Paul round out the class.
The Bucs were picked seventh in the SSC Preseason Poll. They ended last season tied for eighth.
In addition to the home-and-home slate of the SSC, the Bucs play in three tournaments, giving them 31 matches for the year. The Bucs open at the Hilltopper Classic in Austin, Texas, hosted by St. Edward's University. They face off with the host Hilltoppers, Edward Waters, Harding and Dallas Baptist. They also visit Winter Park, Fla., for the Rollins Invitational where they will face Spring Hill, Belmont Abbey, Charleston (W.Va.) and Mississippi College. In October, they will take part in the South Region Crossover in Hoover, Ala. The matchups for that tournament are seeded the week before competition.
