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Season Preview: 2009 Golden Hurricane Volleyball
8/21/2009 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Aug. 21, 2009
"One thing that we're excited about is that we have a lot of new faces. Many coaches probably wouldn't look at it from that perspective, but we're excited about the kids we have coming in," Allen said. "It's going to present some interesting challenges, because we expect, of those six players, several are going to have to contribute very quickly. We have a talented group of kids coming in, and we have a very experienced group coming back. Five of the six players coming back were starters last year. We feel like we have a solid core there that I think can provide a great foundation for those younger kids."
That core and foundation helped the Hurricane win 20 matches for the fourth straight season, the longest streak of 20-win seasons in program history. The Hurricane has also finished among the top five in the C-USA standings in each of the four seasons as a league member.
Among the upperclassmen who will aide in the development of the newcomers are seniors Jennifer Eichler and Julia Kenealy, and juniors Hannah Stout and Shaylin Werner. However, the six freshmen are a talented bunch and the competition all season for playing time should force each player to compete at a higher level, knowing that another teammate is waiting in the wings for a chance to get on the floor and contribute to the team's success.
Outside Hitter
Tulsa returns two outside hitters in the senior Eichler and sophomore Kelsey Hancock, both starters from a year ago. Eichler started all season as the right side hitter, while Hancock came along in the second half to start 16 matches. TU also brings in three very talented freshmen in Dianna Craine, Marina Georgieva and Tyler Henderson, whom are all expected to make an impact and provide a valuable contribution to the rotation.
Eichler came to Tulsa in 2008 as a junior college transfer and at times carried the Golden Hurricane offense. The team will rely heavily on her experience and ability to carry the offensive load this season. Last year, she totaled 403 kills (3.15 kills per set) and a .276 attack percentage in 1014 attempts. She also added 93 total blocks - nine solo and 84 assists - and totaled 460 points, playing in all 33 matches and starting 27 matches. Her kills and points total led the team by far, and for her efforts she was named the C-USA Newcomer of the Year and a C-USA second-team performer.
"Jen Eichler has the ability to carry this team offensively this season," said Allen. "She has the ability to record 10-plus kills every match, and we will rely on her ability to put the ball away. We look for her to become a better blocker and shut down the opponent's best left-side hitters."
Hancock returns to the lineup after spending much of the second half of the season as a starter, 16 matches total, while playing in 30 overall. She totaled 196 kills (2.06 k/set), added seven service aces, 83 digs and 37 total blocks. She also scored 224 points in her time on the court.
"Kelsey had a solid freshman year," Allen said. "She is getting better offensively and can develop more consistency in her shots. She hits a very heavy ball, and is working to develop more shots along with her ability to disguise her shots better."
Craine comes to Tulsa from Eastside Collegiate and Vocational Institute in Ontario, Canada, where she was the captain of her high school team as a senior and named an Ontario Volleyball Association Provincial All-Star three out of her four prep years. She has experience competing among older players, as she played at least one age group above her own for the last four years. Craine also won several awards during her time in high school, not the least of which was the Most Outstanding Team Member award for her senior girls volleyball team.
"Dianna hits a very heavy ball, just like Kelsey, but she needs to develop more shots and consistency," said Allen. "We look for her to become a solid left side in the coming years."
Georgieva brings with her a repertoire that includes a quick release and good hands, as well as solid shot placement. She played club volleyball for Septemvri for eight years in Bulgaria, and led her team to the National Championship in 2005. She was also named Most Valuable Player of the 2005 and 2007 Bulgarian national tournaments.
"Marina is an extremely surgical attacker who has good placement of her shots," Allen said. "She is probably a better right-side than a left side hitter. She is a dynamic kid with a quick arm swing. She also possesses great hands which could enable her to serve as a backup setter."
Henderson is a rare athletic talent who brings a lot of potential with her to Tulsa, and will vie for playing time on the outside this season. She has been measured with a jumping ability to reach 10-feet, two-inches. She, along with teammate Tulsa Jessica Adams, helped lead Heritage Hall School to four straight Oklahoma Class 4A state championships. As a senior, Henderson was named the Class 4A State Championship MVP and was a Little City All-State selection.
"Tyler Henderson has the potential to be the best left side (hitter) ever at Tulsa," said Allen. "She is a very dynamic kid who jumps effortlessly. She will need to work on the mental side of her play as she develops in the coming years. We are looking forward to great things from her."
Middle Blocker
The Golden Hurricane returns all three middle blockers from 2008, including senior Julia Kenealy and juniors Hannah Stout and Shaylin Werner. The experience on the front line will provide great defense and solid blocking at the net.
Kenealy is the only Hurricane player that started all 33 matches last season, and she led the team last year in blocks with 130 total, including 11 solo and 119 assists for an average of 1.02 blocks per set. She also tallied 202 kills (1.59 k/set), and added seven service aces and 92 digs while totaling 279.5 points (2.20 per set) for the team.
"Julia is a very solid kid. I'm talking academically, athletically and socially," Allen said. "She is a perfectionist. She pays a lot of attention to detail. She is a captain and a cornerstone of this team. We again look for her to be at the top of the list in both blocking and hitting percentage as the season progresses."
Stout has been the most consistent player for the Golden Hurricane for two years. She enters her junior season as one of the top middle blockers in the conference. Last season, she recorded 272 kills (2.31 k/set), hit .288 (272 kills and 91 errors in 629 attempts), and tallied 93 total blocks (nine solo, 84 assists). She totaled 323 points (2.74 per set) for the Hurricane.
"Hannah is in her third year and brings a wealth of experience to this team," said Allen. "She is a mature player who repeatedly hits for a high percentage. Probably the best one word to describe Hannah is consistency. She allows our team to stay in matches because of her consistency."
Werner recorded 23 kills, hit .370 and had 13 block assists last season in a reserve role for Tulsa, playing in 22 sets and starting four matches.
"Shaylin is in her third year, and has played mostly a reserve role for us, but she is a very versatile player," Allen said. "We look for her to contribute both on the right side as well as the middle."
Setter
No amount of teaching or watching other players can substitute for the experience gained by learning from real game experience. Perhaps nobody on this team knows that as well as sophomore setter Rachel Vukson.
Vukson returns after nearly a full season as the starting setter, carrying 28 starts under her belt along with a wealth of experience and improvement throughout the three months of the season and the offseason. TU also brings in freshman Jordan Clampitt, who is expected to challenge right away for the starting position.
Vukson was named to the C-USA All-Freshman Team last year. She recorded 1,091 assists (10.4 per set) and led the team with 32 service aces, while adding 198 digs and 48 blocks (six solo, 42 assists) and 41 kills.
"Rachel started as a freshman for us, and her knowledge of the game has improved light years from when she got here," said Allen. "She is better than when she arrived and she will continue to get better as she progresses through her career."
Clampitt has the potential to start right away, and will challenge Vukson for the chance to do so. She led Canyon Creek Christian Academy to two straight Texas Class 4A state championships and was an all-state selection all four years of high school. She also won District Setter of the Year honors as a senior.
"Jordan will come in and challenge right away at the setter position," Allen said. "With her in the lineup, we will run either a 5-1 or a 6-2. She played for a very competitive club program. She is just a gym rat who works very hard and very much enjoys competing."
Defensive Specialist/Libero
The Golden Hurricane welcomes two freshmen to fill the back row defensive positions to replace the two seniors that graduated after the 2008 campaign. More than at any other position, TU will need these two rookies to grow up quick. Jessica Adams and Shelbi Pitcher are two of the quickest players and best ball handlers that have come to Tulsa in several years.
Adams was an Oklahoma Class 4A all-state performer at Heritage Hall School, the team captain, and she made the state championship all-tournament team as a senior. She was also named an All-American at the Junior Olympics. She averaged 5.2 dig and 2.83 kills per set, while also passing for a 2.43 average during her prep career.
"Jessica is the best ball-control kid I have recruited out of high school," said Allen. "She has good platform skills and can serve-receive a large portion of the floor."
Pitcher will play on the back row for Tulsa, and even though she stands just 5-feet, five-inches tall, started at outside hitter in high school. She was also a very good defensive player, as she set the school record in digs and was named her team's best defensive player as a sophomore and junior at Lewis Palmer High School. She earned first-team Colorado all-state honors twice, as well as academic all-state accolades and team most valuable player honors as a senior.
"Shelbi is one of the quickest kids that we have recruited at Tulsa," Allen said. "She is a 5-5 kid who possesses great jumping ability. She is very aggressive and we expect her to chase down many balls to allow us to transition."
Schedule
Tulsa's 2009 schedule features 14 home matches and five matches overall against three 2008 NCAA Tournament participants.
The Golden Hurricane opens the season with four tournaments, which begins at the Boise State Tournament on Aug. 28-29. TU then returns to Tulsa for a tournament at Oral Roberts and its home tournament, the Radisson Tulsa Airport Invitational, sandwiched around a midweek home match against Arkansas. The Hurricane closes the pre-conference schedule by heading to Arlington, Texas, for the Texas-Arlington Invitational.
Tulsa dives into Conference USA play on the road at 2008 C-USA Champion Tulane and UTEP, before returning home to face Marshall and East Carolina. The team plays a road series at Rice and Houston, and then returns home for almost a month. The Hurricane plays Memphis and UAB and then takes on Oral Roberts in a mid-week rivalry matchup. TU plays host to Houston and Rice, and UTEP and Tulane in consecutive weekends to close out the long home stand.
Allen says the stretch of seven straight home matches is key this season in his young team's development. The same can be said for the rotation in league scheduling that allows the Hurricane to play nine home C-USA matches and seven road C-USA matches this season. October is a key month in the volleyball season, and to play so many big matches at home could be advantageous.
TU travels to UCF and Southern Miss in early November before closing out the regular season with a home-and-home matchup against SMU, first playing in Tulsa and then returning the trip to Dallas two days later.
The 2009 Conference USA Championship will take place in Houston, at Rice, on Nov. 19-22.
