Albany State volleyball starts season with SIAC title dreams

ALBANY — Verneice Graham knows a thing or two about winning.

During her playing days as a member of the Albany State volleyball team, she saw the Rams win an SIAC title three out of four years. Now as a first-year head coach, she will try and use that knowledge to get the Rams back to that level.

The Rams finished 18-12 overall last season and 13-4 in the SIAC. Graham said they just have to finish the job once they get into conference tournament.

“We’re just trying to get back to the winning tradition,” she said. “We’ve been slacking in conference, and we’re just trying to get back on top.”

Graham spent 10 years as an assistant, and her familiarity with the program, as well as the returning personnel, will make the transition a smooth one.

“I have a pretty good foundation returning,” she said. “I still have my outsides, I lost my big hitters, but the ones I do have coming back are pretty good.”

The Rams have a handful of upperclassmen in seniors Dominique Austin, Ciara Chapman, Keonna Hobbs and junior Jordan Brooklin Jr. that Graham is counting on as they shoot for the top spot in the SIAC.

She noted that Spring Hill, Kentucky State and Lemoyne-Owen are the teams to beat, and to do that they’ll have to make some offensive adjustments.

“Just be more consistent with our hitting and our passing,” she said. “Our blocking is where it needs to be, just focusing more on our passing and our hitting.”

All four of ASU’s conference losses came to those those three teams. Austin said she feels the talent is there, and playing top teams showed them they just have to remained disciplined and carry out the little things in order to win.

“I feel like we needed better chemistry,” she said. “The talent was there, there were just little things we fell off on that we needed in order to win a championship, because a championship is not all about talent.”

The Rams face their first test Aug. 25 in a tri-match at Augusta University that also includes Montevallo.