Volleyball Season Preview
8/12/2009 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Aug. 12, 2009
The ongoing theme of the 2009 Alabama volleyball team can be summed up in three simple words: Strength in numbers. Like a puzzle, each piece represents an important part of the whole. Put those pieces together, and you have something special.
"This team's commitment to having oneness as a group and its evolving commitment for the team to be as successful as it can be is definitely stronger than in the past," said head coach Judy Green, who enters her 14th season at the Capstone. "This particular group of student-athletes is more competitive in team situations than in individual situations. That's a great benefit because we all know having solid team chemistry is a characteristic of any championship team. Each one of these girls has had a lot of success on their own, but we want to have that success together."
Much of the 2009 squad's makeup was discovered throughout the spring season as Coach Green and her assistants, Josh Lauer and Pavlina Steffkova, put together a new practice plan designed to fix inconsistencies of the past. Throughout the various tournaments, Green was able to see that plan come to fruition. A few of the key areas the staff really harped on included blocking and a quicker offense altogether.
"We want to play faster and be more efficient at blocking," Green said. "We also want our passing core to become better passers in placing the ball where it needs to go. We are not going to be the type of team that can go up and down with its focus, energy and enthusiasm. We've got to bring all of those elements every time we compete."
Another area Green placed a lot of importance on in terms of improvement from last season to this season is defending Alabama's home court.
"The CAVE is our building," said Green. "We don't ever want anyone to come in here and beat us 3-0 again."
The Crimson Tide returns eight letterwinners from last season including American Volleyball Coaches Association Honorable Mention All-American and Southeastern Conference First-Team selection Brooks Webster. Webster's 4.04 kills per set were not only a team best, but were also an SEC season best. Much is expected of Webster and her fellow seniors, Elizabeth Salstrand and Jennifer Weber, in terms of being positive leaders on and off the court, but Green is not looking past the other classes to be impact performers.
"I think the development of last year's freshmen (Ashley Frazier, Leigh Moyer, Stephanie Riley) will significantly impact our team success," added Green. "One player that has already impacted this team is junior college transfer Kayla Schmidt. I really feel she has helped the culture of this team and made it that much better. Also, I have seen Alyssa Meuth and Mary Catherine Aune really take another step forward in terms of their maturity in their skin. The light bulb went on for them this spring."
Rounding out the group of returners is Calli Johnson, who led the Tide in blocks, served as a team captain and was recently elected to the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee Executive Board.
Alabama welcomes one additional transfer and a pair of freshmen to its 2009 roster. Making her way back to her home state is Montgomery native Sarah Machen. Machen spent two seasons at the University of Oklahoma, one of which was a redshirt year. She appeared in three matches for the Sooners collecting one kill and a pair of blocks.
Included in the Tide's freshman class is a pair of PrepVolleyball.com High School All-Americans in Kelsey Anderson and Kayla Fitterer. Anderson, an outside hitter/defensive specialist from Louisville, Ky., was the 2008 Kentucky Player of the Year and 2008 Miss Kentucky Volleyball. She was a member of the All-State and All-Region teams helping Mercy Academy to a 40-1 record and state championship honors. Fitterer, an outside hitter from Edwardsville, Ill., set the Edwardsville High School career kills record and helped it to win the conference, regional and sectional championships in 2008. She ranks in the top 20 in the state of Illinois for career kills and was a two-time All-State First Team selection. In addition, Fitterer was named the Alton Telegraph Large School Volleyball Player of the Year in 2007 and 2008.
Green has been anticipating the arrival of this season's incoming class and will rely on the upperclassmen to assist in their transition.
"The most important thing we have to do when new people arrive on campus is to make sure they are comfortable in their new environment," Green explains. "How well the upperclassmen do with assisting in this transition will definitely impact the newcomers. Kelsey (Anderson) and Kayla (Fitterer) are very talented, competitive players that we are looking forward to having. However, our hope is to not have to rely on them, but to look to them as contributors in practice and, if necessary, in match situations."
Alabama will definitely need strong contributions from everyone right from the start as the Tide begins its season at the SLU Active Ankle Challenge in Saint Louis, Mo. on Aug. 28. Alabama will take on host institution Saint Louis before facing off with two-time defending National Champion Penn State on the second day of play. The Tide will wrap up its opening weekend with Miami (Ohio).
Alabama will take on Alabama A&M on Sept. 1 before it hosts its lone home tournament of the season. The Bama Bash, which will be played Sept. 4 - 5, will feature SMU, Jacksonville State and McNeese State. Days later, Alabama will take a cross-country trip to take part in the Sacramento State Tournament Sept. 11 - 12. Here, the Tide will face a trio of West Coast teams in Fresno State, San Francisco and Sacramento State.
Alabama opens SEC play in Tuscaloosa on Sept. 18 with Georgia. The conference season runs through the month of November with NCAA Tournament play beginning on Dec. 3.
"I really like our schedule, and I feel it will challenge our team," said Green. "Probably the most noticeable difference from last year's schedule to the 2009 schedule is the caliber of teams we are playing in our non-conference tournaments. Ultimately though, our goal is to compete for the SEC Championship and to get back into the NCAA Tournament. This schedule certainly presents the opportunities to accomplish both goals."
When speaking with Green, it's evident just how eager she is to begin the season with each player committing to do whatever it takes to ensure a successful season. With a list of new expectations, Green knows this team is ready to respond to the challenges that lie ahead.
"Our expectations have been spelled out very clearly," Green added. "We expect everyone to be committed, be better communicators and overall good teammates. The book of the past in invaluable, but we are reading from a new book now. No one is here with a personal agenda. Everyone understands we are better as a team. That has helped us to be more consistent in our play, and each time we've asked someone to raise their level of play they have. This season is all about kicking it up a notch. We want to be a surprise."
