The College of Staten Island women's volleyball squad will be seeking to turn an important page in their program's history in 2013.  The squad, which has yielded just 10 wins over the past two seasons, will be looking for a much improved turn this time around under third year head coach Atef Dosse.  Returning nearly its entire lineup from last season, CSI will get an infusion of new talent designed to tip the scales in their favor.  Complete with a rigorous off-season conditioning and improvement charge, CSI feels they are on the fast track to success.

The call for a contender will come with an aesthetical hitch.  The Dolphins will be playing the home portion of their schedule in the campus' Auxiliary Gymnasium while renovations to the Sports & Recreation Center's gymnasium floor and bleacher system take form.  The minor tweak could cause a major ripple with some teams, but Dosse feels his team is developing the chemistry to overcome the bump in the road.

What should help too is the return of a heavy foundation of the team's success from 2012.  The team finished just 6-13 last season and missed the postseason, but the squad did split its last four contests and appeared to be peaking at season's end, and that has the coach excited coming in.

"There is a more anticipation going in this year than when I have been here in the past," Dosse said.  "A lot of that is due to the student's really coming together as a team and preparing hard for the season.  We knew it would take time for that to build, but now it is very nice to see, and it starts with our returning players taking their improvement seriously."

The returning core, led by CUNYAC Libero of the Year JeanMarie Lewandowski has already made for a nice base to the squad.  Middle hitters Selma Kolenovic and Pola Poskrobko both made tremendous strides last season, as did junior Monica Concepcion, who solidified a place in the starting rotation as well.  Seniors Catherine Ebro and Jennifer Samuel will also be on hand adding steady gameplay and the seasoning experience CSI is banking on.

"I think more than anything, our leadership is really beginning to show and shine," Dosse noted.  "We are playing and moving with a lot more confidence on the court and that only happens over time.  The more comfortable we can play, the better we can be.  Naturally, because of our experience level, we are very excited."

Dosse knows that the improved gameplay could lead to better results, but new talent is always welcomed, and for CSI, they will get a healthy infusion this year.  The most notable of the standouts is middle hitter Tiffany Benjamin.  Although with limited organized experience, Benjamin's frame and athleticism should see her factor in early.  The same is true with Loykee Victoria Wong, who should back-up Lewandowski in the libero spot.  Jonaldy Edouard is a Port-au-Prince native who is also expected to join CSI by the start of the season, and could hit the ground running as an outside hitter. Altogether, Dosse is looking forward to see how his team will materialize in the coming weeks.

"We have the players assembled to have a very good team.  I think we will be solid defensively, and from there, our call will be to focus simply on improving.  That is our number one goal," he said.

Dosse hasn't set any specific goals for the team this year, so one shouldn't expect the team to adopt a "Championship or Bust" mentality.  Still, the coach knows that the season could be a memorable one.

"For me personally, this season is going to be a good test," he noted.  "It's time to go out there and show people just how improved we are and can be.  Our goal is to simply show our best effort out there and from there, we will see where we stand."

CSI will kick off their season on Wednesday, September 4, travelling to face Purchase State, at 7pm.  CSI will not play its first home contest until September 19 against John Jay College (7pm).  The Dolphins season will finalize on October 29, when they host York College in its annual Breast Cancer Awareness Night at 7pm.