Surprise!
December 22, 2004 09:04 PM | General
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| Cusanelli |
Entering the 2004 season, sophomore Gina Cusanelli felt like she was still one year away from being an impact player on the WVU volleyball team.
One would be hard pressed, however, to believe that playing time would ever be at a premium for the Collinsville, Ill., native. After all, the athletic setter led all freshmen last season in games played with 73 and recorded a total of 231 assists on the year.
Cusanelli’s less than optimistic outlook on the year had nothing to do with her ability; the problem was solely with her position on the court. The four-time team MVP at Triad High was playing behind senior Brandice Studnicka who currently ranks fourth all-time on West Virginia’s assist list.
“I didn’t think I would be seeing a lot of time because originally I was a setter and we already had a senior setter this year,” Cusanelli admits. “I automatically thought she would be playing.”
While Cusanelli’s prediction on Studnicka’s abundant playing time has held true, the pessimism she directed toward her own opportunities could not have been any more incorrect.
Prior to the start of the regular season, the Mountaineers needed depth at the outside hitter position so the coaching staff gave Cusanelli an opportunity to contribute to the team in another area.
“We needed a backup right hitter right away so we put her there because we knew she had the ability to hit,” assistant coach Jason Oliver says. “She has done a great job so we have kept her there.”
To say that she has adapted with ease would be an understatement. Through 63 games this season, Cusanelli has tallied 89 kills compared to just 13 in all of 2003. Her hitting percentage of .260 is third-best on the team for those who have appeared in at least 60 games. The right hitter also has 35 assists, 10 serving aces, 96 digs and 54 blocks on the year.
The fact that Cusanelli has successfully made the transition hasn’t been a surprise to anyone. After all, the versatile sophomore has the size and talent to play any position on the court. If there is any shock value associated with Cusanelli’s success, it’s been the speed at which she has been able to make the transition.
“I’m confident in my abilities,” Cusanelli states adamantly. “But I didn’t think that I would be hitting this well so quickly because I haven’t hit for almost two years now.”
Cusanelli’s impressive numbers haven’t come easy. The former member of the AZ USA Junior National team worked almost every day over the summer on her hitting mechanics in preparation for the 2004 season.
“I stayed in Morgantown all summer to take classes and I worked out every other day with the trainers,” the engineering major explains. “I lifted and ran every day so I definitely put my time in over the off-season.”
According to Cusanelli, staying at school over the summer helped her better prepare for the rigors of the preseason as well as the mental wear and tear associated with the long regular season.
“Working out here over the summer was beneficial for a lot of reasons,” she says. “I came into practice in shape so I didn’t have to worry about pushing through the soreness. I’m a lot more confident this year too because I have a year under my belt and I know what to expect.”
Cusanelli’s unexpected contributions have been a tremendous asset to the WVU volleyball team. The Mountaineers currently boast a record of 13-7 and have already won twice the number of games this season (13) than they did in all of 2003 (6).
“Coming into the season all I wanted to do was contribute whatever I could to the team,” Cusanelli says. “I want to do anything I can to help the team win.
“I’m an unexpected addition to the team,” she explains. “Our lineup has moved around a few times this year but hopefully this is the unit we will stay with. I feel like I add a little bit of confidence and stability to the team.”
Cusanelli’s contributions to this year’s squad have proven to be the secret ingredient in West Virginia’s recipe for success. As the Mountaineers enter the thick of their BIG EAST schedule, Cusanelli will be expected to contribute solid numbers on a nightly basis.
Most sophomores would look at these expectations as added pressure. Cusanelli, on the other hand, isn’t a typical sophomore. If the first year and a half of her Mountaineer career has proven anything, it’s the fact that she refuses to merely settle for standard expectations.
The two-year starter has posted championship numbers from almost every position on the court and is showing signs of improvement in every outing. Cusanelli has demonstrated that expectations were made to be exceeded, a motto that the entire WVU volleyball team has taken to heart this season in its quest for BIG EAST supremacy.
Jarrod Sudduth is a student assistant in the WVU sports communications office.
