Augusta University's volleyball program won its fifth Peach Belt Conference Tournament title in six years last season, and its aspirations to play into December are higher than ever.
 
Sharon Quarles, who is in her 16th year as head coach, led the Jaguars to a 29-5 record in 2023, which culminated with a PBC regular season and tournament championship.
 
The Jaguars, who were picked first in the Preseason Coaches Poll, are coming off a second straight Sweet 16 appearance led by All-American Jazmyn Wheeler and honorable mentions Dariana Luna and Janvier Buggs.
 
While Buggs is the only All-American to return, Quarles feels that the team has reloaded using the transfer portal.
 
The team brought in five transfers (three from Division I and two from D-II) and one freshman. The biggest of these transfers come in the likes of 6-foot-2 right side senior Marin Freeland (Murray State), 5-10 sophomore middle hitter Layne Witherspoon (Eastern Illinois), 6-foot outside hitter Jacklyn Simms (West Virginia State) and 5-3 graduate student Giulia Rodrigues (UNC Asheville), who is a defensive specialist and libero.
 
"Our aspirations are to repeat and exceed," Quarles said. "That has been our mantra for the past seven seasons. We are hoping by adding these six new players, it will add to our charge of moving the needle forward. We are seeking a deep run into postseason play again this season.  It is going to come down to playing with grit this season."
 
Quarles said the team has used every available opportunity to work on this chemistry between the team.
 
"We are getting them to trust, communicate and believe because the individual skill set is there," she said. "If they can figure out the finesse part of the game and work the 30-by-30 dimension, it will open up more opportunities for them to bury the ball."
 
Quarles said practice has been going well, and they have been honing the finer points of the game in their practices. The squad held their Blue-Grey Scrimmage on Aug. 30 to give the fans a look at the team before opening the season at the Florida Southern Tournament in Lakeland, Florida, where they defeated Palm Beach Atlantic University, No 14 Lewis University, and Florida Southern College.
 
The Jaguars will participate in the Pacer Invitational in Aiken, South Carolina, facing North Greenville University, Francis Marion University and Carson-Newman University on Sept. 13-14.
Quarles said she is teaching the team that while the big hitting shots are great, the seemingly minor details are the ones that will matter the most in the end. The team has been working on playing different positions.
 
"They're trained to do every position because you never know when things will happen in a match, and they might be asked to do something they don't usually do. We train our players so we aren't melting down mid-game."
 
The team's experience comes from seniors like Buggs and Sophia Kruczko, who were both  named to the PBC Preseason All-Conference Team after having played in all 120 sets last season.
 
Buggs, a graduate student, had 973 assists, 154 points and had 49 service aces last season. She is looking to continue her leadership role and build off last year's success with this year's athletic squad.
 
"As a setter, I have to be able to quarterback these hitters that can pound the ball into the ground, because if they're not getting the right tempo or height, they won't be as successful," she said. "I think our biggest strength is athleticism. All of the girls have really good technique and know how to get competitive."
 
Kruczko, a 6-3 senior middle blocker, was a second-team All-Conference selection in 2023 and was named to the PBC All-Tournament Team. She ranked eighth in the conference in hitting percentage and ninth in kills per set.
 
"I think the biggest strength of this team is the wisdom and IQ. The positivity is also very good," she said.

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