Competing against some of the top teams in the nation, receiving two tournament titles,and garnering recognition from across the country, every member of the Flyer volleyball team has done her part to contribute to the team's phenomenal start.

One player in particular, redshirt freshman Chauntay Mickens, has played exceptionally well so far this young season. The 6-2 right side/outside hitter has impressed many in her first true season of collegiate play.

Mickens came to UD from Northwest High School in Germantown, Md. Before graduating in 2005, Mickens picked up many accolades, including being named a 'Player to Watch' by the Washington Post in her 2003 and 2004 seasons.

After redshirting the fall 2005 season, Mickens was able to impress during the team's spring season, where the Flyers played in four tournaments. After traveling to Indiana and Illinois for the matches and starting her first games against collegiate competition, Mickens emerged as a player to keep an eye on in the fall.

'It was difficult redshirting last year because I love to play in games, I love to compete,' Mickens said. 'Now that I look back I realize that that was a great opportunity for me because I gained so much experience and I have five years to be on the team. I wouldn't change the decision to red shirt.'

Now with a 7-4 record already under their belts, Mickens has shown that the extra year has really benefited her. She got the season started right, contributing greatly as the current UD volleyball team competed against former players in the second annual Alumni Match. Against competition which consisted of two former Atlantic-10 Players of the Year and members of the first ever A-10 Championship squad, Mickens lead the current Flyers with 13 kills as the alumni fell in four games.

UD's start to the regular season began at home at the Dayton Flyer Marriot Classic. The Flyers swept all three matches beating Youngstown State, Southern Illinois, and IUPUI 3-0. During the classic, Mickens really impressed, leading her team with 11 kills against IUPUI. She was named the Classic MVP as she also tallied impressive marks by hitting .385 for the night.

After the great effort at home, the Flyers left the Frericks Center for Louisville, KY to play in the Courtyard by Marriot Airport East Classic. Facing off against some of the best teams in the nation, Mickens and the other Flyers did not back down. After falling to No. 12 Louisville, the Flyers regrouped to dominate against the No. 18 Arizona Wildcats. Along with sophomore Nicole Batemen and Senior Faye Barhorst, Mickens was part of the trio that contributed ten or more kills during the Arizona match.

Tournament play continued as the Flyers grabbed a 3-0 sweep of Tennessee Tech. Mickens again impressed, hitting .385 for that night. The team was named the co-champions of the Classic as Louisville, Arizona and UD all finished with one loss.

After arriving home from Louisville, Mickens was recognized for her great play. On September 5, the A-10 named her the first Rookie of the Week of the 2006 season. Highlighting her season high 12 blocks in the loss to Louisville and her effort in the win against Arizona, the award marked her first conference recognition as a Flyer and was marked as one of the reasons for the team's 23 national poll votes.

At the conclusion of the Louisville tournament, UD still had some tough opponents on their schedule, and Mickens was sure not to back down. The Flyers went up against No. 14 Purdue and forced the Boilermakers to five games, before losing 2-3. Mickens contributed to the Flyer offense by adding ten kills to the game.

UD then hosted another tournament, the Marriot Flyer Invitational, where the Flyers would be matched up against another ranked teams. UD swept Wake Forest and Indiana but fell to No. 22 Louisiana State University, 3-1. Mickens added nine kills against LSU and four blocks against the Hoosiers.

With three of the Flyer's four losses coming against ranked teams and the seven wins all in 3-0 sweeps, Mickens has also tallied some impressive numbers for the first ten games of the season. She currently is in third on the team for kills and blocks, 84 and 33 respectively, and fourth in total points with 105.5. While Mickens has been playing very well, she is also thankful for the talent and support of her Flyer teammates, who have also attributed to her success thus far.

'I really respect all of my teammates for the hard work that they put in everyday,' Mickens said. 'Volleyball is 7 days a week, 365 days a year for us. I love my team and we just have great chemistry together.'

Although only playing eleven matches as a Flyer, Mickens and the rest of the UD volleyball team have already achieved much of what athletes hope to accomplish in a season. With such a great start, it is easy to say that there are sure to be many more memorable and impressive UD volleyball moments from the Flyers and Chauntay Mickens.