2003 Cincinnati Volleyball Preview

Julie DuPont

Cincinnati volleyball has built a tradition of success in recent years, reaching an unprecedented fourth consecutive NCAA tournament last season. The Bearcats should have the firepower to make it five straight this year, despite the loss of two of the most decorated players ever to wear a Cincinnati uniform.

The Bearcats have big shoes to fill with the graduation of Trish Ladusaw and Bonita Wise, who led the Bearcats to a record of 98-34 in their four years.

The keys to continued success are chemistry and depth, according to head coach Reed Sunahara, now in his fourth season at the helm.

“This is the deepest team we’ve had since I got here,” says Sunahara. “We have many players that can play all over the place and we are expecting alot out of them.”

The Bearcats return four starters among a group of seven letterwinners from last year’s 23-9 squad. Throw in a talented class of newcomers and Sunahara feels his team will be ready to continue putting Cincinnati volleyball on the map.

“We just have to continue working hard and I think we can reach our goals of winning Conference USA and competing in the NCAA Tournament,” he says.

The 2003 schedule will be another daunting one as UC is slated to face seven NCAA tournament qualifiers. The 2003 campaign kicks off with three matches at the George Mason Tournament and also features a trip to nationally-ranked Penn State. All of this coming before the always rigorous C-USA season opens.

“It will be a true test early to see what the future holds for this young/veteran squad,” says Sunahara. “The first tournament of the year is crucial, its huge,” he added. “We are going to play some good teams which are about the same caliber as we are. It will be a good test and should set the tone for the season.”

Outside Hitters
Outside hitter is the Bearcats’ deepest position and is loaded with talent on both sides of the court. The offense starts with junior Julie DuPont, the program’s career leader in kills per game. DuPont led the Bearcats in kills in all but five matches last season and is an explosive, impact player.

The race to replace the departed Trish Ladusaw figures to be a hotly contested one, with any of four players vying for the spot. Sophomores Maddie Barron and Maria Pongonis, a transfer from Ohio State, are the most experienced of the players, but newcomers Jessica Sendelbach and Leah Wissing also should figure in the equation.

Barron fought through injuries to play in all but one match last season, finishing fourth on the team in digs (2.13), while pacing the squad with 23 aces.

Pongonis was injured much of her one year at Ohio State, but has a tremendous upside after playing with DuPont on the team coached by Sunahara that traveled to Europe this spring.

Sendelbach is a very versatile player and could contribute at many positions, including on the left-side this season. Wissing was a two-time all-state performer in Nebraska as a prep, leading her squad to three straight state tournaments.

On the right side, junior Leslie Newell probably has the best shot at earning the starting nod. In an injury-shortened sophomore season, Newell finished with 2.09 kills per game, while ranking 10th in C-USA with a .294 hitting percentage. Newell can expect to be challenged for playing time by Wissing, who is capable of contributing on either side.

Setters
For the first time in recent memory, the Bearcats will have a pair of quality setters heading into the 2003 season.

Senior Laura Lauder is the most accomplished setter in program history and will be given first chance at the starting spot. Freshman Noel Olson will push Lauder for the job and provide quality depth.

Lauder has been playing at 75 percent for the past two seasons because of injury, but should be fully recovered and ready for a huge year. Last season, Lauder became UC's career leader in assists with 4,406 on her way to averaging a career-best 13.15 assists per game. She was also a third team All-Conference USA selection, marking the third straight year she has received a conference accolade.

Olson gives the Bearcats depth at the position for the first time in years and is a proven winner on the high school level, having led her squad to a state championship as a senior.

With Lauder still recovering during spring play, senior Ashley Grooms and sophomore Maddie Barron picked up the slack at the setter position. Both players can fill in should the top two players go down.

Middle Blockers
Junior Rachel Torblaa is back in the middle after a breakout defensive season in 2002 in which she led Conference USA in blocks and helped the Bearcats pace the conference in blocks as a team. Torblaa carded 1.46 blocks per game last year and showed flashes of offensive brilliance, finishing the season with a .273 hitting percentage and 2.27 kills per game. In addition to her ability at the net, Torblaa will be counted on to increase her offensive output, with two of last season's three top offensive players lost to graduation.

The other spot in the middle will feature a battle between a pair of freshmen that have big shoes to fill in replacing four-time all-conference performer Bonita Wise. Both Myanna Hellsten and Brittany Winters were stellar high school players and appear to be even heading into the preseason.

Hellsten has a two-inch height advantage over Winters at 6-feet-3 and brings good athleticism and offensive skills to the slot. As a prep player, Hellsten helped her squad to a 91-23 record in her four years. Winters set her high school's single season records for most kills, aces and blocks as a senior and also has good size.

Libero/Defensive Specialist
With the libero rule now in its second season, the Bearcats would seem to be at an advantage as last year's starter at the position, sophomore Lindsey Garrison, returns. Garrison, a converted outside hitter, started all but one match in 2002, ranking fifth on the squad in digs (2.04). She probably has the inside track at the starting slot, but she can expect to be challenged by a barrage of players.

The two most likely choices to give Garrison a run are senior Ashley Grooms and freshman Megan Miller. Grooms was injured much of last year, but has averaged nearly two digs a game in her career. At just five feet one inch tall, Miller is the shortest player on the team, but made her mark as a standout defender, setting her high school's career digs record.

Two other players, sophomore Maddie Barron and freshman Jessica Sendelbach, will also take a shot at the position, but the duo will spend most of their time at outside hitter.

The libero is a defensive specialist who can sub in and out of a game without counting against a team’s substitution limit, however the player can only play the back line and cannot attack, set or serve.