Volleyball: WVU Set for Season Opener
September 02, 2004 11:06 AM | General
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| Hammersmith |
September 2, 2004
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - The West Virginia University women’s volleyball team opens the 2004 season with three matches on Sep. 3-4 at the Flyer Invitational in Dayton, Ohio.
The Mountaineers face Tennessee Tech on Friday, Sep. 3, at 4:30 p.m. and play two matches on Saturday, Sep. 4, beginning with a 10:30 a.m. match with Coastal Carolina and ending with a 7:30 p.m. match against tournament host Dayton.
West Virginia, 6-21 a year ago, returns five of six starters and a total of eleven letter winners to this year’s unit. Head coach Veronica Hammersmith, who recently became the second coach in West Virginia University history to reach 500 career victories, begins her 30th year at the helm.
The Mountaineers will count on leadership from seniors Brandice Studnicka and Alison Zemanski along with juniors Julie Hockenson, Kelly Mullins and Stephanie Zolna.
“We’ve got quite a few returning players -- kids that played a lot last year,” Hammersmith says. “We look on that as our strength.”
Studnicka, a native of Clay Center, Neb., will lead the Mountaineer setters this season after pacing West Virginia in assists (890) and digs (237) last year. Zemanski, a Perrysburg, Ohio, native, looks to continue her success at the middle blocker position after finishing second on the squad in kills in 2003.
As a middle blocker, Hockenson will be counted on to contribute both offensively and defensively. The Garden Valley, Calif., native was third on the squad in kills (254) and also compiled 99 digs in 2003.
“We’re going to be a relentless defensive team,” Hammersmith says. “That’s our goal. We also have a variety of offensive threats that are going to be able to score for us in key situations.”
Mullins, an outside hitter out of Scottsdale, Ariz., looks to rebuild on her success from the right side after registering 189 kills and 191 digs a year ago.
Despite suffering an ankle injury that prematurely ended her sophomore season, Zolna once again proved herself as West Virginia’s most explosive athlete. The outside hitter, reigning from Mission Viejo, Calif., led the Mountaineers in kills (275) and aces (27) while placing second in digs (217).
“This is a hardworking group,” says Hammersmith about her returning players. “They stick together and have a lot of team chemistry. By using our new kids we are only going to reinforce what we already have.”
Outside hitter Aurora Ebert-Santos and setter Gina Cusanelli are expected to be major contributors to West Virginia in 2004 after posting solid freshmen campaigns a year ago.
Ebert-Santos, a native of Frisco, Colo., registered 117 digs a year ago while Cusanelli, a Collinsville, Ill., native, finished second on the squad with 231 assists. Redshirt freshman setter Kailee Goold will also see action for the Mountaineers this season.
West Virginia welcomes five newcomers to the 2004 roster replacing three graduating seniors. Outside hitters Ashley Pappas, Abby Tevis and Cara Wilbur, defensive specialist Megan Carroll, and middle blocker Kimberly Hales highlight Hammersmith’s 2004 recruiting class.
“I’m excited about the freshmen,” Hammersmith says. “Fundamentally there are some good players who have positive assets to bring to the team, and they certainly have the work ethic.”
Despite a disappointing 2003 season, the Mountaineers feel confident that 2004 holds a great deal of promise for the WVU volleyball program.
“We’re coming from a hard place,” Hammersmith says. “But our goal is to climb out of the bottom of the BIG EAST and move up the ladder. We need to beat some more conference teams, and I think if we win some of the matches in our non-conference schedule that will give us some confidence we need so that we are competitive.”
Though West Virginia is coming from a difficult place, the Mountaineers have the potential for a successful season by developing solid team chemistry between their experienced veterans and talented freshmen.
