Liberty’s spring was full of optimism about their potential on the volleyball court, but that has taken a hit since the season started.

The Hurricanes suffered a major blow in the preseason when team MVP, Owen McFadden, suffered a broken fibula in a scrimmage against Central Dauphin, likely knocking him out for the season.

It’s a major hit to the squad, as head coach Mike Zile felt his team was on the verge of breaking out this season.

“It’s a major loss since Owen does so much for us on and off the court,” said Zile. “Owen has been a good sport about it where he has been at every practice since then helping the players and has been a major help on the bench during matches. We know his playing days are not over since he will be playing in college, but the loss of Owen has forced this team to have to grow up a lot faster.”

Returning players for the Hurricanes that will now be looked upon to step up are Naseem Younes (Senior, DS/S), Elden Campbell (Junior, MH), Matt Gonzalez (Junior, Libero), Khalife Wadlington (Junior, MH), Cristian Matos (Sophomore, S) and Adam Mittl Sophomore, OH).

Newcomers for the squad are Cesar Acosta (Senior, DS), Chastin Bullard (Junior, Opposite), Timothy Carnes (Junior, OH/OPP), Kavon Johnson (Junior, MH/OPP), Joel Morgan (Junior, OH/OPP), Carmine Picone (Junior, DS), Nathan Yelinko (Junior, DS), Connor McLaughlin (Sophomore, OH), Ethan Roan (Sophomore, OH) and Spencer Sabo (Sophomore, MH).

With the team looking to reshape their image without Owens, Zile hopes they can maintain their confidence level and grow throughout the season.

“There’s a lot of upside with this group as we have a lot of talented juniors and sophomores that make up the core of the team,” said Zile. “We have a couple key tournaments coming up: Bobcat Invitational on 4/2 and Koller Classic on 4/9 that will get us some experience against top teams in the state and it will only make us better for league play.

“We had high hopes when we had Owen. We still have him but not in the same capacity. The key will be with staying optimistic about the big picture and just focusing on improving everyday. The results will follow suit if we can do that.”