When recruited by volleyball coach Ray Gooden, NIU freshman Kelly DeRoo had no thoughts of being the Huskies’ starting setter as a rookie.

Little did DeRoo know that she would be thrown right into the mix when the would-be-starting setter Kerri Royer chose to leave the team in February. Now the 5-foot-9 setter from Brandon, Manitoba, Canada finds herself as an important piece of the Huskies’ quest to regain the MAC Championship they owned two seasons ago.

“When Ray recruited me, he never said anything about me starting this year,” DeRoo said. “Once I got here I realized that I was pretty much the only setter on the team and that I would get to start.”

One of four new freshman on the squad, DeRoo has been named as the Huskies’ probable starter by Gooden.

“If the season started today, Kelly would be our starter,” Gooden said.

Realizing the responsibilities of being a starting setter at the college level was tough on DeRoo at first. She felt nervous, hoping to be the setter that Gooden was looking for.

“I wasn’t sure if I was ready to set right away, but I’m pretty confident now,” said DeRoo, who has discovered some of her responsibilities as a starting setter during the first weeks of practice. “I’m learning that as the setter, I need to talk more and be more forceful. Being a freshman, it’s hard because all the girls are older and I have to tell them what to do.”

Along with DeRoo, there are three other freshmen and two transfers, which make up half of the NIU team.

Joining DeRoo as freshmen are Kate McCullagh, a 6-foot middle blocker from Woodstock; Gina Guide, a 4-foot-10 defensive specialist from Orland Park; and April Hankton, a 5-foot-11 outside hitter from Columbia Heights, Minnesota.

Gooden has also mentioned McCullagh and Guide as possible starters to the new-look Huskies. With the absence of three would-be-starters, who left the team for various reasons, Gooden expects the freshmen to see a good amount of playing time.

“It will help the girls tremendously, especially in the long run,” said Gooden, about the freshman getting playing time. “In a couple of years they could have 40-60 matches under their belts which is great.”

Another new face joining the Huskies is South Florida transfer Corinne Walsh, who is originally from Illinois. Walsh opted for the South Florida program over NIU when she left Evergreen Park High School.

Now a sophomore, the 6-foot Walsh is looking forward to playing at NIU, about an hour and 15 minutes away from her home.

“It’s a lot easier being this close to home, especially during breaks,” Walsh said. “I know I’ll enjoy seeing my family more often.”

Walsh finished her one season at South Florida by making the Conference USA All-Freshman team. Walsh was not a starter until the second half of the season.

Megan Markowski will make her first regular season appearance for NIU this season. Markowski joined the Huskies in the spring and played in four tournaments with the team during the off-season.