Members of the Carroll College volleyball team are packing their bags and hitting the road as their season gets under way at the 2008 Frontier-DAC Crossover Tournament hosted by Dickinson State (N.D.) today.

The Saints face Valley City State University (N.D.) at 10 a.m. to start off the two-day affair that pits teams from the bordering midwest conferences, Frontier and Dakota Athletic Conference, against each other.

With four games on their schedule, the Saints will have a good chance to iron out their new team over the weekend.

While Carroll returns some key starters from last year's team, like all-conference honorable mention Christina Smetana, a sophomore, and last year's all-freshman team members Haylee Otteson and Sammy Priddy, they lost a few to graduation and transfers.

"We have eight new and seven returners," said head coach Mo Boyle. "It really is a whole new bunch."

Boyle is confident it will also be a better one.

"There's just a lot more quality volleyball," she said. "And, they're scrappy, there's not many balls that hit the ground without them busting their butt for them."

Smetana and Otteson will see a lot of action as middle blockers and will be key to the team's offense.

Meanwhile, the Saints have experience outside with the only senior on the team, Nicole Rowan. She started last year as the right-side hitter and ranked second on the team in digs with 191. So far, Boyle said, she's been the sparkplug for the rest of the team this season.

Priddy will be the other go-to gal on the outside, and Boyle said she is about as consistent as they come.

"She worked very hard in the offseason and came back in great shape," she said. "They all have, it really was a great offseason."

Mary Mahoney returns at the libero spot while Shannon Flynn and Bethany Mansch, who both had some playing time last year, will be seeing more time on the floor.

Former redshirts Maureen Frauenholtz and Kristin Telin are expected to see action, while the team gained some great depth with three transfers.

Kayla Hughes, a 6-foot-2 outside hitter from NCAA Division I Fairfield University in Connecticut headlines a group that also includes Ashlee Lupfer out of Spokane Falls Community College in Washington and Katie St. John, a setter out of Central Wyoming.

St. John, a junior, will have an immediate impact on the team as a starter. Behind the Billings Skyview product is freshman Caitlin Tocci, who quarterbacked Billings West to a state

championship.

Sarah James, also out of Billings West, Marquee Otteson -- Haylee's little sister -- and Tocci make up the incoming freshman class.

With the new combination of players, the Saints hope to improve on a disappointing 2007 season when they went 9-17, just one year after winning the Frontier Conference title.

"This group that we got in are kind of workhorses," she said. "Their competitive attitude and their work ethic have really brought a lot to our team as well."

Assistant Sports Editor

Jeff Windmueller: 447-4065 or jeff.windmueller@helenair.com