North Carolina State University Athletics
Pack Volleyball Eager for 2011 Challenge
8/18/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Aug. 18, 2011
RALEIGH, N.C. – NC State second-year volleyball coach Bryan Bunn will be looking to find his best lineup combinations on Saturday night, when his team plays in the Wolfpack Challenge at Reynolds Coliseum.
The intra-squad match is slated to begin at 7 p.m. and admission is free for all spectators.
With 17 of his 19 players in either their first or second year of competition with the Wolfpack, Bunn is still evaluating the lineup possibilities going into next weekend’s season-opening tournament at Appalachian State in Boone, N.C. The Wolfpack is slated to face the Mountaineers, Charlotte and Kennesaw State.
In particular, he has five players battling for the two outside hitter positions. “It’s still wide open at this point,” Bunn said. “We have five players competing hard right now, and I think you’ll see a lot of competition there in Saturday’s match. We’re hoping to see someone stand out.
“We will use a lot of different lineups on both sides of the net, so there should be some heated competition.”
Bunn has 11 newcomers this year, plus eight returning players from his initial Wolfpack team last year, which finished 14-18 overall, the Pack’s most wins since 1999.
A few spots on the team are set, including junior setter Megan Cyr and senior middle blocker Margaret Salata.
“We are trying to find the right combinations right now,” Bunn said. “Obviously, with the outside hitter position being so up in the air, we have a lot of choices and combinations we can use. We are looking for the players who can make their teammates better as well. We are looking to see how well they communicate with each other.”
For the players, Saturday will be this season’s first chance to play in public after more than a week of two-a-day practices in Carmichael Gym. And they are looking forward to it.
“Honestly, this is the first time we will be in a true competitive atmosphere, with the fans there and the majority of our team playing together,” Salata said. “It’s a good chance to get the jitters out and play in front of a crowd.”
For senior Luciana Shafer, one of the players vying for one of the starting outside hitter starting positions, seeing how everyone reacts in a real-game situation will be important.
“I think it will be important for us to be able to mix up different lineups and see who plays well together,” she said. “Practice is one thing, but going out and playing in a game is different.”
Overall, Bunn is pleased with how his team has gelled in its early practice and is excited about the possibilities for the coming season.
“At this point, I’m feeling good,” said the coach. “Practice has been very competitive. We can play on two sides of the net, which wasn’t always the case last year. That means we’re going to be much deeper.”
