Fall Sports Player Preview: Senior outside hitter Megan Lipski

While the focus on UB's other fall teams rests on their returning experience, it's exactly the opposite for Volleyball. There's veterans to be excited about, sure, and we've already hit on two this summer, but after two straight offseasons with coaching changes, the roster is seriously imbalanced. From here at least, it seems senior outside hitter Megan Lipski is left to shoulder the brunt of that burden.

Sable Staller (expected) and Tahleia Bishop (unexpected, but by now old news) are both gone. Liz Scott could have found alleged year of eligibility, but it was clear before the 2014 season ended that she was headed on, as well. Skyler Day, who put together some promising stretches later last year, is also gone. There are just three outside hitters on the roster - four if you count Meghan Wernette, who posted both inside and outside in high school - and Lipski is the only with collegiate experience.

Megan was plenty productive last year, if at times streaky, joining Niki Bozinoski as the only Bulls to play in all 116 sets on the year. Lipski was serving on the team in kills, but had a relatively low hitting percentage at .170 - a number that reflects both how many of her attacks were successfully dug by the opponents as well as how many were errors and handed points to the other side.

Lipski, though, also buttressed her offense with 26 access from the service line and 319 digs, both good for second on the team to Megan Lin and Bozinoski, respectively. Even allowing for the streakiness Lipski was a key contributor in 2014. By both circumstance and her own production, she'll likely be in an even more prominent role to close out her career.

Now a senior and one of a number of upperclassmen in the likely starting lineup, Lipski may be the most important player on the team as UB looks to return to the MAC Tournament. The departed Bishop, even with a shortened career and an injury-plagued 2014, deserves a spot on a very short list of "most productive UB players ever," and Lipski will go from "capable second option" to the lone outside hitter with any experience.

All three returning middle blockers - Hatchett, Lain, and Shado - have a nose for points that can supplement the offense, but it sure seems that the majority of the scoring load will be placed on the senior from Louisville.

Go Bulls