North Carolina State University Athletics
Volleyball Team Anxiously Awaiting Start of 2002 Season
8/26/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Aug. 26, 2002
The start of the season is rapidly approaching and the NC State volleyball team is hard at work preparing for what it hopes to be a successful year. The 2002 version of Wolfpack volleyball will be a young one. There is only one senior and two juniors, leaving the bulk of the team's roster made up of sophomores and freshmen.
Returning are co-captains Rebecca Anderson and Lindi Sheppard, who will be counted upon for their leadership both on and off the court. Junior Crystal Shannon, who will provide depth at the setter position, and defensive specialist Caroline Frede are also back. Sophomore middle blocker Sarah Ensminger has shown a great deal of hard work and improvement during the offseason, while outside hitter Melanie Rowe, who is still rehabilitating an injury to her back, should be able to participate at the start of the season. The Wolfpack will also have added depth in the middle with the return of sophomore Maya Mapp.
Meanwhile, head coach Mary Byrne welcomes a huge recruiting class that features five freshmen (Kelly Althaus, Amy Cochran, Adeola Kosoko, Kayla Ragan, Casey Wyatt) and a transfer (Heather Wilson) from the Naval Academy. Byrne is hopeful that this class of talented players will offer much-needed depth all over the court, as well as a strong nucleus for the future of Wolfpack volleyball.
Currently, a big key for NC State is to gain experience, especially for its newcomers making the transition to the collegiate level. Another important factor for Byrne and assistants John Skatrud and Anna Tool is for the players to develop a better feel for one another. That team unity, Byrne hopes, will blossom into an effective bond that will help carry the squad to continued success this season and the years to come. Also, there are two vital fundamental aspects to the game, strong serving and effective ball control, that Byrne feels could make the season go more smoothly. But, as Byrne points out, these are areas where both a physical and mental understanding will yield the best outcome.
"Effective ball control and serving have always been the backbone of successful teams I have coached," said Byrne. "This team is no different. We will stress those two areas every practice, as well as in every match."
At this point, a starting lineup has yet to be finalized due in part to the overall youth of the team. The coaching staff has been experimenting with several players at different positions, monitoring each player's strengths and weaknesses, and adjusting any position changes accordingly in hopes to cover every existing option and nail down the most dominant and consistent lineup available. Below is a breakdown of the Wolfpack by position.
Setter:
A familiar strength for NC State this year will be that of the setter position. Sophomore Lindi Sheppard will get the nod as the starter, while Crystal Shannon will be looked to provide added depth. The starter a year ago, Sheppard played in all 27 matches as a freshman, recording a team-best 717 assists, while also tallying 40 service aces and 140 digs; numbers that earned her All-ACC Freshmen Team honors. Shannon also has been an important player for the Wolfpack, totaling 1,349 assists, which is the seventh best mark in school history.
"Both setters are doing a great job in practice this year," said Byrne. "They have developed a better understanding of our system and are definitely a positive for us heading into this season. Lindi is a strong vocal leader and has become a better offensive player. She has a great work ethic and I think she feels more comfortable this year with being our offensive leader than she did a year ago. Crystal, too, has also shown improvement in her game and will be counted on to offer added depth to the position."
Right Side:
Seeing action at the right side will be newcomer Amy Cochran. Cochran was a Florida 2A Player of the Year as a senior. Newcomers Kelly Althaus, and Heather Wilson will be looked to add depth behind Cochran. Also playing at right side periodically will be senior Rebecca Anderson, who will see most of her action at outside hitter.
"Amy is a great jump-server and just has a combination of intensity and power," Byrne said. "I think Kelly will be a strong player for us and is surely a pleasure to coach. We're hoping to utilize her some defensively as well. Heather has also shown a lot of strength, especially in her blocking. She knows how to put up a big block and brings a great attitude every day to practice. We're hopeful that all of them will be able to add depth behind Rebecca on the right side and maybe in a few other areas as the season moves along."
Middle Blocker:
The middle blocker position will be filled by sophomore Sarah Ensminger, who was second in total blocks last year with 61. She has taken her game to the next level in the offseason and should be a key for the Wolfpack defensively. Ensminger will be backed by freshman Casey Wyatt, who has also worked hard in the spring and summer at the middle position. Joining Wyatt in relief will be sophomore Maya Mapp.
"Sarah is a different player heading into this season," said Byrne. "She has worked extremely hard over the summer and is the most improved player on the team. She has made great gains and is playing at a higher level than before. The key will be to keep her healthy. We've got several players in Casey Wyatt, who has also worked hard and gotten a lot done to get that position, and Maya will be in position to contribute throughout the season as well."
Outside Hitter:
A key return for the Wolfpack will be that of Anderson at outside hitter. It is here that the coaching staff feels Anderson, one of the more aggressive players on the team, can contribute the most. Sophomore Melanie Rowe should be able to offer quality time at outside hitter as well, provided she is healthy. Rowe, who suffered a back injury due to a slipped disc, has been working her way back in gradually. Freshmen Adeola Kosoko and Kayla Raganwill also be seeing time on the outside and have been working hard to get used to the Wolfpack program.
""We will look to Rebecca at the outside hitter position again this year and even some at right side," Byrne said. "She has been an extremely hard worker in fall camp and is meeting our expectations at the position. We think Melanie will be a go for the start of the season and Adeola will provide depth at the position. Melanie did a good job for us last year and has been slowed down due to her injury, but is working on getting her rhythm and timing back. Adeola is very explosive and brings athleticism that will enable her to provide immediate strength to the outside.Kayla is a hard worker and we will look to her as well to provide depth at the position."
Libero:
This season, there is the addition of the libero position. The libero, as stated in rule 11-2-5 of the NCAA volleyball rulebook, is a player who is restricted to perform only as a back-row player and is not allowed to complete an attack hit from anywhere if, at that moment of contact, the ball is entirely above the top of the net. Likewise, the libero may not serve, block, or attempt to block. The player that serves as the libero must wear an entirely different jersey than her teammates and may replace any back-row player only after the end of a rally or at the start of the game after the second referee has checked the starting lineup. The libero, however, can only be replaced by that player whom she relieves.
For NC State, there are three players who will be likely to see action at the libero position this season. Junior Caroline Frede, along with Althaus and Ragan should all see some time as the libero in 2002. Frede, who in the past has been the defensive specialist along the back line for the Wolfpack, will more than likely be Byrne's choice at libero for the start of the season, with Althaus and Ragan filling in from other positions periodically as the year matures.
The Florida Atlantic Tournament:
The Wolfpack will open up the 2002 season with a trip to Boca Raton, Fla. as a participant in the Florida Atlantic Tournament August 30 and 31. NC State will compete in four matches, opening up against highly regarded Minnesota, moving on to matches versus host Florida Atlantic and Wright State, and then finishing with Youngstown State.
"We open up with a really tough team in Minnesota," said Byrne. "That match is definitely going to be a challenge for us early on as a team. But, at the same time, we don't have anything to lose. Minnesota will have some matches under its belt prior to our meeting, so it will be tough, but we're just going to have to go at it. Wright State is also fairly good and should offer a good amount of competition. I don't know much about Florida Atlantic or Youngstown State right now, but I will surely know more in the coming days. I do know that our team is excited about the start of the season and from a coach's point-of-view, it will be nice to see how our team competes and how the players come together in the early part of the season."
