Aug. 18, 2010

In their quest to repeat as Northeast-10 Tournament Champions, UMass Lowell volleyball added four talented freshmen for the 2010 season, announced head coach Karen McNulty. Merrimack Valley Conference, MVC, standout setters Carolyn Eddy (Dracut, Mass.) and Olivia Jean Parkins (Dracut, Mass.) will join outside-hitter Brooke Peterson (Del Mar, Calif.) and middle-hitter Jamie Muntz (West Hartford, Conn.) in a River Hawk uniform this season.

"I'm thrilled to add four quality players to the UMass Lowell program," said McNulty. "Including the Boston Globe Division I Player of the Year, Carolyn Eddy, we were able to bring standouts Jamie Muntz, Olivia Parkins and Brooke Peterson into the fold."

"We will look to receive contributions from each player and hope to maximize their athletic talents. A setter like Eddy could play a number of roles for our program this season, such as a primary passer, defensive player and attacker."

In 2009, the River Hawks capped off a 19-9 regular season by storming through the conference tournament, shocking Adelphi in the Costello Gymnasium in five sets to win their first NE-10 Championship. Following the successful campaign, McNulty was named the NE-10 Coach of the Year and Sarah Coscia (Pittsfield, Mass.) and Elsa LeGrand were named to the All-Conference First- and Third-Teams, respectively.

The incoming class will look to replace the production of five graduating seniors from last season's squad: Allie Eide, LeGrand, Stephanie Marshall, Nichole Rondeau and Kasey Smith.

"We graduated a number of seniors," said McNulty. "We lost an experienced setter, our primary passer, a middle-blocker and two defensive specialists. However, we lose only one offensive weapon in the class and return four starters. If we can pass the ball, offensively we should be solid."

Eddy (5'5") arrives at UMass Lowell after four stellar seasons with Central Catholic High School, CCHS. A four-time MVC All-Conference Selection, Eddy shined as a senior captain to earn MVC, Boston Globe, Lawrence Eagle Tribune and Lowell Sun Division I Player of the Year honors. During her tenure, CCHS won three consecutive MVC Championships from 2007-09, including a pair of undefeated regular seasons, while reaching the Division I State Finals in 2009.

Muntz (5'11") joins the River Hawks after a standout career at Conard High School. A three-time All-Central Connecticut Conference selection, Muntz helped lead Conard to the conference championship in 2008. A star in the classroom as well, she was a member of both the National Honor Society and the French National Honor Society.

Parkins (5'7") was a standout at Dracut Senior High School and served as captain for the past two seasons. A versatile setter who can also move to outside-hitter, she was named an MVC All-Star as a junior and All-Conference as a senior while earning Team MVP honors in each season. A standout off the court as well, Parkins received multiple Outstanding Achievement Awards for her work in the classroom.

Peterson (5'8") joins UMass Lowell after starring at Torrey Pines High School for the past four seasons. A key offensive weapon, she helped guide Torrey Pines to the Co-North County Conference Championship in 2010. In addition, Peterson was also named MVP of her club team, Coast Volleyball Club, in 2008 and 2009.

The 2010 volleyball season is just weeks away as the River Hawks take the court on Saturday, September 4, for a non-conference match with Merrimack at 1 p.m.