Megan Boken and Alyssa Deno have played a combined 153 matches in a Billiken uniform.

The other four starters, in addition to the libero, boast a combined match experience of 43.

As the de facto leaders of one of the youngest squads in the Atlantic 10, if not the entire country, Boken and Deno have a lot on their shoulders. Thankfully, they take it all in stride.

“It’s humbling to be the leaders of such a good group of girls,” Boken said.

However, their goals for the season are anything but humble. “We, of course, hope to win the conference and get to the NCAA tournament,” Deno said.

“We both know how good it feels to win (the conference championship) and, after last year, how bad it is to lose,” added Boken.

They also have some personal goals that they hope can help the team.

“I’m at a new position this year, so I’d like to work to get better at that,” Deno said.

Boken also added that she “wants to work on helping the younger ones improve.”

In fact some of the seven freshmen came to SLU over the summer and worked with the team to start the improvement early.

This early start “helped a lot because, instead of seven new girls all at once, we got to just do a few at a time,” Deno said.

Strong performances by multiple freshmen in last weekend’s tournament showed that their leadership is beginning to pay off.

“[I am] just trying to be the best leader I can be,” Boken said modestly.

A lot of her leadership comes from those that led the team in past years. The class that graduated last year had some leaders that Boken and Deno hope to emulate this year.

“They (last year’s seniors) gave their all every day; practice, match, anything, no matter what it was, and I think that’s important,” Boken said.

The hope is that the new talent this year hope to pick up this work ethic from Boken and Deno, just as they picked it up from those that came before them.

The season continues this weekend with their first home games as a part of the Marcia E. Hamilton Active Ankle Challenge at Chaifetz.

Although big matches against solid programs from Creighton, Wake Forest and the University of Iowa will undoubtably put the Billiken squad to the test, they hope to have plenty of success, and plenty of support, in this season’s home debut.

“Last year everyone came out and supported us, and we hope it will be the same this year,” Boken said.

“It will be good to be playing back at home,” Deno said, before adding, “We’re ready to dominate.”

It is tenacity like this that will help these two forces of nature on the court take the Billiken volleyball team to new heights.