Volleyball Names 2010 Team Captains
8/19/2010 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Aug. 19, 2010
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Senior Calli Johnson and junior Stephanie Riley were selected to serve as the 2010 volleyball team captains, which was announced by head coach Judy Green on Thursday. Both have had previous experience in this role as Johnson was one of two team captains in 2008 and Riley in 2009.
"Calli and Stephanie are very capable of being difference makers," Green said. "We felt like they would be the right two people for the job this season because of their positive leadership qualities. We are very excited to have Calli and Stephanie at the forefront of our team."
Johnson, a fifth-year senior middle blocker, led the Crimson Tide in blocks the past two seasons. In 2009, she upped her career-best in total blocks with eight against Sacramento State on Sept. 12. She also set a new career-high in kills with 12 twice, first versus Alabama A&M on Sept. 1 and again on Sept. 30 against Mississippi State. Johnson earned a spot on the SEC Academic Honor Roll in 2008 and 2009 in addition to earning a place on the SEC Freshmen Honor Roll in 2007.
Riley, who enters her third season at Alabama, has been a steady fixture at setter for the Tide since she arrived on campus. She recorded a season-high 26 assists for Alabama against McNeese State on Sept. 5 and brought her career-high in service aces to three against Mississippi State on Sept. 30. Riley was a 2009 SEC Academic Honor Roll recipient and a 2008 SEC Freshmen Honor Roll member.
The coaches took a non-traditional approach in selecting captains this season asking for those interested in the position to apply and go through an interview process. Green explained that the main goal of the team captains this season, which she pulled from Tony Dungy's "The Mentor Leader", was to, "Provide a unity of purpose and to have the desire to make other people better."
Alabama opens its season next week when it heads to Iowa City, Iowa, for the Hawkeye Challenge Aug. 27-29. The Tide will take on host institution Iowa in its first of three matches at the tournament on Friday at 7 p.m. CT.
