By: by KSU Sports Information
The 2010 season was one to remember for the Kennesaw State volleyball squad. The Owls won nine out of 10 Atlantic Sun Conference matches, finished in second in the A-Sun, and had four student-athletes receive All-Conference honors. Head Coach Karen Weatherington was named A-Sun Coach of the Year. The Owls flew into the A-Sun Championships, where a bye moved the Owls into the semifinals for the first time in program history.
While Alyssa Lang provided another highlight by being named to the A-Sun All-Tournament team, the Owls would fall in the A-Sun semifinals. Still, the 2010 season saw the Owls gain the respect of the coaches of the A-Sun, so much so that the Owls were picked to finish second in the A-Sun in the 2011 preseason coaches’ poll.
A-Sun First Team member Sabrita Gulley left after graduating in the spring, but the Owls return a host of players from last year’s squad including Lang and A-Sun All-Freshman Team members Sara Metroka and Camille Pedraza. A trio of new additions, plus the maturation of two redshirts, give the Owls added depth that they have never experienced before.
“We’ve added a newcomer in Justine Young who has experience from the Big 12,” said Coach Weatherington. “We’ve added a pair of skilled freshmen. Our returners have gained a great deal of experience, both from their time on the court last fall and their time practicing and training during the off-season. We’re a much more athletic team and a higher-skilled team than we were last season.
“This team probably has the highest combination of ability and mentality of any team that I’ve worked with in a long time,” Coach Weatherington continued. “I believe that’s going to translate into lots of progress and lots of success.”
OUTSIDE HITTERS
The cream of Kennesaw State’s crop of outside hitters is Lang. The senior is a 2011 A-Sun Preseason All-Conference honoree who averaged over three kills and three digs per set last season. “Many of the great volleyball players have a combination of skills that allow them to succeed. Alyssa brings so many skills to the table and brings a level of desire to be successful. She also has a great ability to lead, which is why she was selected to be a team captain by her teammates,” Coach Weatherington said.
Another one of Kennesaw State’s solid outside hitters is Emily Bean. A freshman last season, Bean has continued to develop in the off-season, taking her skills to another level. “Emily made the most strides of any of our returning players in the off-season,” said Coach Weatherington. “She gained a lot of experience last season. Emily is a classic utility player that is a six-rotation player who can handle any spot on the court.”
Dominique Simmons returns for the Owls as a redshirt freshman. “Dominique is a tremendous athlete who has been making great strides in our system,” Coach Weatherington stated. “She gives us an extra element of athleticism that we haven’t had before. The lessons she learned last year and continues to learn under this group of players will help take her to the next level this season and in seasons to come.”
True freshman Keyaira Stevenson is a player that Coach Weatherington believes will receive significant playing time in 2011. “Keyaira is very composed as a freshman,” said KSU’s head coach. “She is a hard worker that has been making solid contributions as we lead into the season. The coaching staff has been really pleased with her desire to learn and her desire to contribute.”
MIDDLE BLOCKERS
The middle blocker position is anchored by senior Holly Knight. After graduating from Kennesaw State with a degree in Psychology, Knight opted to return to KSU for her final year of eligibility while pursuing a second undergraduate degree in Marketing. “Holly is a focused and steady leader,” said Coach Weatherington. “She can teach the game and she can produce what she teaches in competition. There’s a level of confidence that she has. We’re more than thrilled to have her for one more year.”
If a returning KSU player gave Bean a run for her money for the title of “Most Improved Player” during the off-season, it was junior Baylee Strachan. Strachan was second on the 2010 squad in blocks and looks to improve on her defensive numbers from last season while increasing her offensive output. “Baylee had an incredible off-season in training. Her fitness level has always been high, but she has found an entirely new gear,” said Coach Weatherington. “She’s gained strength on and off the court and has found some way to get just a little bit better every single day since we stopped playing last fall.”
Chadé Martin is the second player from last year’s squad who was a redshirt last season and will now begin her first year of eligibility. “Chadé used her redshirt year to train behind a really good group of middles,” Coach Weatherington said. “She gives us a great element for our future. She’ll be able to learn in the midst of another great group of middles this season and hopefully make some contributions for us on the court in game action this season.”
Perhaps the biggest addition for the Owls this year comes in the form of Justine Young. A transfer from Texas Tech, Young brings a high level of experience and physicality. “Justine is an elite talent,” Coach Weatherington said. “Her physical ability to play the game at a very high level as well as her determination for excellence makes her perhaps the best player on the court every time she is in the lineup.”
Another addition for the Owls is Lynandria Newbill, a true freshman on this year’s squad. “Lynandria has great size and talent and has brought a big element of competition at the middle position,” said Coach Weatherington. “Lynandria is pushing everyone in practice to make them a better player and will have the opportunity to contribute in match action very soon.”
SETTER
After taking control of the starting setter position as a freshman in 2010, Sara Metroka will return to anchor that position in 2011. “Sara has really blossomed in her role as a team leader,” Coach Weatherington said about KSU’s other team captain. “She responds very well to being challenged. She played with high-level players all summer long to improve her abilities. I’m personally very excited with the anticipation of seeing her run the offense this year.
DEFENSIVE SPECIALIST
Senior Rachael Albright will perform the dual role of being the back-up setter to Metroka in addition to being one of KSU’s primary passers along the back row. “Rachael has been working very hard to improve her abilities,” said Coach Weatherington about KSU’s career leader in assists. “She has diversified her game to the point where she will be relied on as a back-up setter, a back-up libero, and a primary substitute in the back row in passing situations.”
LIBERO
Camille Pedraza earned A-Sun All-Freshman Team honors in 2010, clearing 300 digs in her first year with the Owls. “Camille is the quintessential libero,” said Coach Weatherington. “Her skills continue to blossom. She has huge heart and passion for the sport of volleyball and she continues to exceed expectations. As a coaching staff, we have great expectations for her this season and in the seasons to come.”
SCHEDULE
The Owls will double the number of home matches from last season as they host 14 opponents at the KSU Convocation Center. In addition, the Owls will play in a pair of road tournaments at Appalachian State to begin the season and at North Texas Sept. 16-17. KSU will also host a pair of tournaments over the first two weekends of September prior to the start of conference play. “I’m very happy with our schedule this season,” Coach Weatherington said. “We’ll be testing ourselves with some great regional competition. We’re playing an Atlantic Coast Conference team for the first time. We’re playing an Atlantic-10 team for the first time. We’re traveling to Texas for a tournament for the first time. On top of that, we’re playing a pair of non-conference in-state rivals in Georgia and Georgia State that we are trying to measure up against on a yearly basis.”
After playing just a single round of A-Sun matches last season, the conference schedule now dictates 13 matches, including two each against Lipscomb, Belmont, and East Tennessee State. Those three schools were picked to finish first, third, and fifth respectively in the A-Sun Preseason Poll. “The Atlantic Sun just keeps getting better and better every year,” said Coach Weatherington. “We have so many great coaches in our conference who keep bringing high level student-athletes. We’re honored that we have been picked by the league’s coaches to finish second, but we know the road to reach and exceed those expectations will be very tough.”
GOALS
Kennesaw State’s 27-match schedule is designed with the purpose of preparing the Owls for three days in mid-November. While the Owls have yet to win a match at the A-Sun Championships, the Owls are bound and determined to reach the A-Sun Championships for the third year in a row and win however many matches it takes to walk away with the trophy belonging to the champions.
“If there’s one major difference between last year’s team and this year’s team, it’s competitive spirit,” Coach Weatherington said. “We’ve come a long way in two years, but we still have a long way to go to earn that trophy at the end of the season.”
The A-Sun Championships will be Nov. 17-19 on the campus of Lipscomb. The Owls plan to stay for the entire tournament and play until the final whistle sounds.
