ROCHESTER, N.Y. – The Roberts Wesleyan University women's volleyball team opened its season at the PSAC East Kickoff Tournament hosted by West Chester University on Sept. 1 and 2.

Roberts opened up with matches against West Chester, Wilmington and Millersville and had its match against Mercyhurst canceled.

The Redhawks return 10 players from the 2022 team that finished with a 4-19 record, but have a new coach, Andy Braun, and four new players this season.

"We work really hard," Braun, whose last name is pronounced "Brown" said. "The kids love the game and I have never had a group of kids that has been so coachable. They want to get better. They have not had a lot of success in terms of wins and losses recently and they are willing to do anything that they can to change that."

Here are five things to know about the Redhawks:

COACH BRAUN BRINGS NEW APPROACH­­­

Braun served as the head coach at Avon High School in nearby Livingston County for 12 seasons before coming to Roberts.

He enjoyed considerable success at Avon, guiding the Braves to four Livingston Conference Athletic Association (LCAA) championships and two appearances in the Section V championship match.

He was named the Section V Class C2 Coach of the Year in 2007 and has coached with the Livingston Area Volleyball Association (LAVA) since 2016.

Braun said the Redhawks have been adjusting to the system changes that have been implemented during the preseason.

"I see improvement and we are just scratching the surface," he said.

AMAYA REPRESENTS ROBERTS ON, OFF COURT

As the lone senior on the roster, Laura Amaya provides experience and leadership for her teammates.

A team captain, she also represents student-athletes off the court as one of two student-athletes from the East Coast Conference and 28 representatives across all of NCAA Division II who serves on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

As stated on ncaa.org: "The mission of the NCAA Division II SAAC is to enhance the voice of the student-athlete to ensure the total student-athlete experience by promoting opportunity for all student-athletes; protecting student-athlete welfare; and fostering a positive student-athlete image."

REDHAWKS HAVE EXPERIENCE

In addition to Amaya, Roberts welcomes back nine players – four juniors and five sophomores – this season.

The juniors include Celina Malosa, Sarina Pasquantonio, Teegan Weber and Sydney Yanak.

The returning sophomores are Morgan Burnett, Olivia Price, Caleigh Schroeder, Holly Thompson and Morgan Verbridge.

NEWCOMERS EAGER TO CONTRIBUTE

Roberts also welcomes four new players to the team this fall.

The group includes Jaycee Karelus, a junior transfer from D'Youville, and her younger sister Camryn Karelus. Jaycee and Camryn were both standouts at nearby Churchville-Chili High School.

The freshman class also includes Julia Dufkova, a defensive specialist from Luxembourg, and Jaida Flores, a defensive specialist from San Diego, California.

CONFERENCE PLAY OPENS SEPT. 23

The Redhawks will play in the Hall of Fame City Challenge hosted by Walsh University and Malone University in North Canton, Ohio on Sept. 8 and 9 before participating in a tri-match hosted by Dominican University on Sept. 17.

The 12-match ECC schedule begins on Homecoming Weekend with a Sept. 23 match against Saint Thomas Aquinas College. The final home match of the regular season is set for Oct. 27 against D'Youville.