MONMOUTH, Ill. — Fighting Scots sports historians may look back at the 2004 Monmouth College volleyball roster and be in awe of the assembled talent.

One of the finest hitters in the history of the program, Molly Pendergrass, is in her senior season, as is one of the most prolific setters to play for the Scots, Heather Randall. Classmate Maria Shepard could wind up as the school’s all-time best in ace serves. Two-sport participant Karissa Murray is halfway through a solid Monmouth College athletic career, and sophomore Kari Jefferson may have just scratched the surface with her fine rookie season last fall.

And then there’s the freshmen. Who knows if there’s a future M Club Hall of Famer among them? There certainly could be. Four of the seven newcomers to make coach Kari Shimmin’s 12-member varsity team are 5-foot-10 or taller, including 6-foot Kendra James, who led Fulton High School to the Elite Eight as a senior with team-high numbers in kills and blocks.

James brought along a few friends, as FHS teammates Colleen Wilkin and Jessica Phillips have also cracked the MC varsity lineup in their first season. Phillips led the team in aces, while Wilkin was the setter for a Steamers team that finished 33-2-1. Both James and Wilkin were named to the All-State team.

“We’re very excited about the new group,” said Shimmin, who enters her seventh season as coach of her alma mater with a record of 127-79. “I can’t go on enough about how intelligent they all are.”

While Shimmin projects James as a possible starter at middle hitter, Wilkin will likely have to serve a one-year apprenticeship under Randall, who set the MC single-season record for assists last fall with 1,331. Randall, too, knows what it’s like to be behind a top setter, as last season was her first chance to emerge from the shadow of the Fighting Scots’ career assist leader, Megan Harris.

“Heather is definitely a leader on the floor and knows the game very well,” said Shimmin of Randall, a second team All-Midwest Conference selection last year.

Last season, what went up from Randall was often slammed down by Pendergrass. The All-MWC first-teamer led the Scots with 497 kills and also had 62 blocks. She nearly kept up with the Joneses – Jaime and Melissa – who are the only players in Scots’ history to top the 500-kill plateau in a season. Pendergrass enters the 2004 campaign with 1,008 career kills and figures to pass Melissa Jones to move to second all-time behind Jaime Jones in that category at MC.

Shimmin said Pendergrass will have the right side spot and will be backed up by 6-foot-1 Ashley Yeast of West Prairie.

Murray and Jefferson also had solid hitting seasons a year ago, with Murray smacking 339 kills and Jefferson 266 to go with a team-high 73 blocks. The unheralded Murray also finished with 587 digs and 51 aces.

Ace serves are Shepard’s specialty. The senior enters her final season with 160 career floor-finders and needs 45 to become Monmouth’s all-time leader in that department. As a defensive specialist, she also recorded 328 digs last fall. This year, said Shimmin, players in the libero position will be allowed to serve in the rotation, a rule change that will maximize Shepard’s strengths.

“She’s been perfecting her short serve in addition to the aggressive serve she’s known for,” said Shimmin.

One gets the feeling, though, that any volleyball records established this season had better be written in pencil.

Besides the Fulton contingent, which makes up 25 percent of Shimmin’s varsity roster, the veteran coach is also high the rest of the freshman class, which includes Yeast, 5-foot-11 Jessica Travis of Washington, Ill., 5-foot-10 Jessi Ott of East Peoria and defensive specialist Cassie Tangney of Niantic-Harristown.

The Division III volleyball recruiting wars don’t receive a lot of press, but it’s safe to say that Monmouth had a banner year in that department.

“I have Hank to thank for a lot of that,” said Shimmin, referring to her assistant coach and husband, Hank Shimmin. Carrie Yerkey, who will work with the junior varsity, is also on the coaching staff.

“We’re really excited about them as a group,” said Shimmin of her freshmen, smiling as she considered what they might be able to accomplish collectively in their four-year careers. “Two of them are from the Peoria area – Jessica Travis and Jessi Ott – and they’re very strong and intelligent girls. Jessi played for one of our former players, (M Club Hall of Famer) Mary Ann Day.”

Travis will battle Phillips and Murray for an outside hitter spot, while Ott is definitely in the mix in the middle along with James and Jefferson. Shimmin plans to find some time for the talented Wilkin by getting her into the back row regularly.

With so much talent currently in her program that one of last year’s major contributors, sophomore Yvonne Sample, had to settle for a junior varsity role, just how high are Monmouth’s expectations?

A year ago, the Scots had to settle for a 19-15 finish after being upset by Beloit in five nip-and-tuck sets in the Midwest Conference quarterfinals. Although league coaches have Monmouth ranked fifth, it’s obvious that Shimmin & Co. have their sites set much higher.

The conference tourney was ultimately won by Lake Forest, and the Foresters, who have won four of the past five MWC titles, should again be a force in the league, along with perennial power St. Norbert (30-9, 9-0 last fall). SNC finished first in the preseason poll, receiving four first-place votes, and LFC, which actually earned one more first-place vote, was a close second. Both schools, however, lost three all-conference players. Illinois College, led by their All-MWC trio of Sara Long, Heather Jonasson and Lindsay Powell, could make a strong move to the top of the league after a 25-12 campaign in 2004. The Lady Blues received the other first-place vote.

After opening on the road Sept. 2 at Cornell College, the Fighting Scots will host the Monmouth College Invitational on Sept. 4.

“We couldn’t ask for a nicer facility,” said Shimmin, whose Scots will be playing their first match in Glennie Gym since 2002 following an extensive renovation. “We are thankful to Monmouth and Warren high schools for allowing us to use their facilities last year, but there’s nothing like being at home.

“The girls are so anxious to start playing,” she added. “Our scrimmages are so intense in practice. We can’t wait to put on the uniforms and play.”

Monmouth’s first league matches will be at the MWC Crossover Tournament Sept. 25-26 at Beloit.