CHICAGO – Coming off the best season of the Nicasio Paquiz Jr. era, Roosevelt women's volleyball returns almost all of its production for its foray into NCAA Division II.

This year's Lakers were picked to finish 11^th in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, but there is a plethora of experience throughout the lineup. Roosevelt will get its first chance to test out its experience at the Division II level on Friday when the Lakers head to Canton, Ohio to face Thomas More and Malone in the Hall of Fame City Challenge. The Lakers will then face Lake Erie and Walsh on Saturday to close out the two-day event.



Roosevelt's experience starts on the outside with senior Viktoria Marysheva, who has led Roosevelt in kills each of the past three seasons. The Russian was a second-team all-conference pick last season and set a career high with 274 kills last year. Roosevelt's other second-team all-conference pick is also back in Emily DeBlecourt, who will play opposite Marysheva. The fifth-year from Lockport, Ill. averaged two kills per set last season and added 184 digs to go along with 30 total blocks in 2023.

The Lakers will also benefit from a fully healthy Logan Cofield, who is using her fifth year option after averaging nearly two kills per set in 2022. One key new attack option for the Lakers will be Aleksandra Barac, who transferred from former rival Governors State. The Serbian national was explosive for the Jaguars last season, averaging 4.2 kills and 2.6 digs per set to be named a first-team all-conference player. Roosevelt also added NJCAA All-American Natalia Smiech from Harper College to bolster the attack.

Isa Grana and Zoe Hutchinson are back to run the Lakers offense from the setter position after both tallied at least 370 assists last season. Grana was more of the offensive threat with 45 kills, but Hutchinson served up 21 aces in addition to her five assists per set last year.

The middle of the Lakers formation is solidified with senior Krista Norton and sophomore Yuliia Shchepkina both returning. Shchepkina led the team with 53 blocks in 2023, including 11 solo stuffs, while Norton was close behind with 49 blocks, including nine solo stops. The duo will be complemented by transfer Nekane Parera, who was a dual-threat at Missouri Valley College in her previous stop. Parera had 244 kills and 71 blocks in 50 matches before arriving in Chicago, and should add some depth at middle blocker.

The Lakers added another NJCAA All-American on defense with libero Cydney Martinez from College of DuPage. She will battle incumbent Catarina Calabrese for playing time as the Lakers' defensive specialist with both providing experienced options on the court.