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News Release

Force 3 UMBC Athlete of the Week: Amanda Willey

10/11/2006

Amanda Willey was named Force 3 UMBC Athlete of the Week.

Force 3 UMBC Athlete of the Week: Amanda Willey

Name: Amanda Willey

Sport/Position: Volleyball/Middle Blocker

Hometown/High School/Previous School: Bel Air, Md./Bel Air/VCU

Last Week: 9 kills, 16 block assists, 2.67 blocks per game (bpg), 17 points.

Retrievers Last Week: 2-0—Defeated St. Francis (Pa.) 3-1 (30-24, 24-30, 30-23, 30-15) on 10/3; Defeated Maine 3-1 (30-15, 27-30, 30-26, 30-23) on 10/6.

Season Record: 9-9.

UMBC Volleyball broke even on the season after handing St. Francis (Pa.) a loss on the road, and then returning to UMBC and defeating the Maine Black Bears in the team’s first home conference match. 

The Retrievers continue to impress, with this week marking the third straight that a player from the volleyball team has earned the Force 3 UMBC Athlete of the Week honors.  Junior Amanda Willey is the recipient this week after breaking into the all-time top 10 for assisted blocks with 103.

Willey, a native of Bel Air, Md., transferred to UMBC after a one-year stint at Virginia Commonwealth University, where she recorded just 18 blocks.  Last season, her first with the Retrievers, Willey posted 58 total blocks and ranked second in the America East Conference in bpg with 1.00.  She currently ranks fourth in the America East in bpg with 1.17 and fifth in total blocks with 55.

Willey was not happy with the city campus of VCU and said she knew she wanted to transfer during the spring of her freshman year.  “I was looking for a school that had a traditional style campus,” she said.  “I also wanted to come closer to home.  When I heard Ian [Blanchard] got the job at UMBC, it all seemed to fall into place.”

This year, Willey has already recorded 55 total blocks with 11 matches left to play, and with a current average of 1.17 bpg and 53 assisted blocks, she has just 10 more blocks before she breaks into the top 10 single-season list for assisted blocks.

The 5-10 middle blocker recorded 14 assisted blocks in the match against Maine this past Friday, nearly equaling Maine’s total assisted blocks of 18.  Her block total doubled her previous season-high of seven against Portland State on Sept. 9.  The block total of 14 is also the highest single-match total by a Retriever since UMBC joined the Northeast Conference in 1998.

UMBC head coach Ian Blanchard attributes Willey’s outstanding performance against Maine to a total team effort.  “It had to do with our serving,” he said. “We knew going into the game we had the opportunity to get Maine on a system and by limiting the offensive options, our blocks were well-established.”

Who better to take advantage of those blocking opportunities, than Willey, the “smallest mid-blocker in the conference,” according to Blanchard.  “What she lacks in size, she makes up for with extreme, explosive quickness from one side of the court to the next.” 

Willey echoed Blanchard’s sentiments exactly and said, “I think the main reason I was able to get so many blocks is my teammates were serving so well which made Maine's offense easier to predict.  So I knew where they were going to set the ball and I got in front of the hitter as often as I could.  I just kept thinking ‘Get to the hitter and get your hands over the net,’ and it worked.”

Blanchard has known Willey since she was a sophomore in high school, when he coached her on the club level. He said he knew then that she was a very good blocker with sound fundamental skills.

“She has exceptional eye work and sees the game very well,” Blanchard said. “She is determined to make her blocks.”

Willey showed off her offensive skills on Tuesday night in the 3-1 loss to the Georgetown Hoyas, posting a .600 hitting percentage and a total of 10 kills and 3 assisted blocks.  The Retrievers return home on Friday to face New Hampshire at 4:30 p.m.