Armed with one of the NESCAC’s most experienced squads, the women’s volleyball team is set to begin its quest for its first-ever conference championship this weekend.

“We definitely have high expectations for our team this year,” said outside hitter Lisa Drennan ’09. “I expect nothing short of winning the NESCAC…and going to the NCAA [tournament].”

Wesleyan enjoyed one of its best seasons ever in 2006, finishing with a 19-9 record for its highest win total since 2002 when the team went 21-11. The Cardinals finished 7-3 in NESCAC play and advanced to the NESCAC tournament semifinals, where they fell to eventual champion Amherst, three games to two.

Wesleyan returns ten of 12 letter-winners from the 2006 season, including Drennan, the reigning NESCAC Player of the Year. The team features four other juniors and three seniors as well as three sophomores, including two letter-winners. Wesleyan’s ten returnees have a combined 20 years of experience, second-most in the NESCAC behind Trinity, which makes for 24. The Cardinals also have the NESCAC’s longest-tenured coach in Gale Lackey, who is entering her 23rd season at the helm and has guided the team since its second year of existence.

“Having an experienced roster is definitely an important factor for winning [the NESCAC] this year,” Drennan said. “It definitely helps to have experience playing next to the same people, because you really feel comfortable and confident having the same players around you from previous years.”

However, the Cardinals will have to deal with the loss of Tory Molnar ’07, a four-year starting starter and Wesleyan’s all-time digs leader with 1,887. Molnar is the only senior the Cardinals lost to graduation, but her absence will certainly be felt.

“Tory is a major loss, [both] defensively and also as someone who started the offense with outstanding passes,” Lackey said. “Tory was also one of our best servers.”

Lackey said that the tremendous leadership of Becca Rodger ’08 as a primary passer would go a long way to fill that void.

While Wesleyan fields one of the NESCAC’s most experienced teams, one of its biggest strengths is its freshman class.

“It is an asset having so many returning players, but the new players have already made a contribution,” Lackey said. “We are a much deeper team this year with more offensive options. Last year we had only one hitter on the bench during matches. This year we have backup in every position with four hitters ready to step in at any time.”

The Cardinals will open the 2007 campaign on Saturday with a pair of matches at Wellesley. Wesleyan begins the day with a morning match against the host team. The Cardinals are 1-7 all-time against Wellesley and have not beaten the Blue since 1989, although they haven’t met since 1997.

Following that is an afternoon match against Little Three rival Williams. Wesleyan has not defeated the Ephs since 2001; including postseason play, Williams has won the last ten matches between the two teams. However, the Cardinals eagerly await the difficult opening matches.

“The challenging first outing is exactly what we want,” Lackey said. “A great test to open the season will only make us stronger.”