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Five years ago, Ave Maria University opened its doors to an interim campus at The Vineyards in North Naples.

Last August, the university moved to its sprawling permanent campus in the planned town of Ave Maria, almost 20 miles east of I-75 on Immokalee Road.

Tonight, the school takes one more step toward increasing its visibility in Southwest Florida when Ave Maria intercollegiate athletics begins. It all starts with the women’s volleyball team, which plays Southeastern University (Lakeland) at 7 in the gymnasium at the Ave Maria Grammar and Preparatory School.

“We’ll be there, in our T-shirts,” head coach Melissa Chaplin said with a laugh, because the team’s full uniforms haven’t yet been delivered.

Playing in a gymnasium smaller than most of the local high schools and wearing T-shirts instead of uniform tops may not sound like the typical collegiate athletic experience, but Chaplin said it’s all part of the challenge — and fun — of starting an athletic program from scratch.

Ave Maria has been approved in the National Association of Intercollegaite Athletics (NAIA) and has applied to join the Florida Sun Conference.

Another part for Chaplin was recruiting an entire squad of volleyball players in just about four months, after Chaplin was hired in late March. The recruiting process is actually still open for the 2008 season, as Chaplin is still in search of a full-time, experienced setter.

“We don’t really have a quarterback, which makes things a little more difficult,” Chaplin said, comparing the all-important volleyball setting position to the play-calling and selection usually done by a quarterback on the football field. “We’re working on training two really young shorter setters ... they have set a little bit before at their high schools, but they don’t have a strong club or all-around experience. Still, they have been willing to learn and are absolutely positive, which goes a long way.”

One of the women being training for the setter position is 2007 Palmetto Ridge grad Luisa Rosales, who mostly played outside hitter in high school.

“(Rosales) actually leads the team quite well, as a hitter or an outside,” Chaplin said, adding that she is open to adding a new setter to the roster in the next few weeks. (Any interested players with year-round club volleyball setting experience, who are interested in an athletic scholarship to attend Ave Maria, should contact Chaplin at Melissa.Chaplin@avemaria.edu).

Besides the inexperience of the setters, Chaplin is looking forward to consistent performances from her seasoned corps of hitters and libero Courtney McDonald. Currently the team has 10 players on the roster, but Chaplin expects to red-shirt Erin Motley, who is injured.

Key players will be middle blockers Adrianna Vianna and Carissa Posch, and outside hitter Sarah Morgan. Posch and Vianna are both taller than 6-foot, with extensive club volleyball experience. Vianna, a native of Sao Paolo, Brazil, played two seasons (2005-06) at St. Petersburg Community College, where she was the 2005 Suncoast Conference Player of the Year and a National Junior College Athletic Association All-America honorable mention.

Besides Rosales, Ave Maria’s other Collier County native is Marlee Delarosa, a 2007 Immokalee grad. Chaplin expects Delarosa to play defensive specialist.

“She is a little ball of energy,” Chaplin said. “We’re gonna have to train her because she doesn’t have a ton of experience, but she’s someone who’s worth training. She doesn’t ever walk into the gym tired.”

Chaplin, who played in 2005 during Florida Gulf Coast University’s second year of competition, is familiar with the growing pains of a new program.

“(FGCU) is a great example of what can be possible,” Chaplin said, noting the Eagles’ rise to Division I Atlantic Sun Conference champions last year.

She’s not expecting her Gyrenes to rise quite that meteorically this season, but their potential is unlimited.

“We really don’t know what’s gonna happen,” Chaplin said. “All these kids really want to be here. Yeah, we’re not a Division I program and that’s why we aren’t scheduling FGCU, but ... as far as all that we’re just taking it one step at a time.”

The first step is tonight.