2010 in Review
January 18, 2011 01:09 PM | General
At the conclusion of the 2010 season, the West Virginia University volleyball team is looking back and liking what it sees.
Despite falling one match short of the BIG EAST Tournament, in which the conference’s top eight teams are invited to, the Mountaineers accomplished goals that pointed the program in the right direction.
Just hours before the start of the fall season, the squad was introduced to its new head coach, Jill Kramer. A native of San Antonio, Texas, and a former assistant at Alabama and Virginia, Kramer had high expectations from her new team from the start.
First on the list, even before the beginning of regular season, Kramer turned to the upperclassmen for help in taking the program to new heights – starting with community involvement.
“Considering the timing of when I came in, I think that we did pretty well and got a good foundation set for the future. I think a big part of that was the upperclassman took hold of what we wanted to do,” Kramer admitted. “There were a lot of changes that we made early on in the season, including the annual Gold/Blue match and getting out and helping the community by holding several youth clinics. Those are some things that we want to continue in the future.”
With a foundation set, the Mountaineers began the season on a high note with their best start in almost 20 year as they posted a 4-0 record at the WVU Classic. Senior captain Lauren Evans was named the tournament’s most valuable player and highest point scorer after the team defeated Howard, Youngstown State and Akron in 3-0 matches and Buffalo in a 3-1 match, marking the Mountaineers’ best start since the 1991 season (4-0). Other best starts include going 5-0 in 1975 and 1977 and 6-0 in 1987.
“I think we got off to a really good start opening up at home,” Kramer said. “I really liked starting at home, because there is not a lot going on that weekend so there is a good crowd. We created an advantage at home that weekend and had a good start.”
Next up, the Mountaineers faced a difficult schedule with five straight weekends on the road, including trips to Virginia, North Carolina and California.
“Going on the road five weekends in a row was really tough,” Kramer recalled. “But, I think it is something that the team handled it really well and to the best of its ability.”
West Virginia proved they could handle the grueling schedule when on Sept. 14, in between trips to Wake Forest and Cal State Fullerton; it hosted in-state competitor Marshall at the WVU Coliseum.
A match the Mountaineers have failed to win since 2001, WVU captured the win in dominating fashion with a 3-0 victory.
Once back to the Coliseum and in front of a welcoming home crowd, the Mountaineers posted huge wins over BIG EAST foes USF and Pitt.
After defeating the Bulls in a 3-1 match for the first time since 2005, WVU used that momentum the next weekend to defeat Pitt in a 3-0 match, marking the first time in more than 40 years and only the second time in program history that the Mountaineers had defeated the Panthers.
“One of the best matches this season for us was the USF match,” Kramer remembered. “They were a really solid team and we played them here and played a great, intense match.
“The next week we played Pitt at home. That match and Marshall were probably our two best crowds. They really got behind us and that helped us take care of the two teams. The Pitt win was on the second in 40 years so that was huge step for our program and one that we want to continue.”
For the remainder of the season the Mountaineers continued to improve their game, and despite falling just short of the conference tournament – a statement was made and noticed through the BIG EAST.
Throughout most of the season, West Virginia was ranked No. 1 in the BIG EAST and on the national list for digs per set, as it proved to be one of the best defensive teams in the conference.
“Maybe we didn’t come out with the wins that we wanted to against some teams, but it was important that we competed so hard with them,” Kramer said. “The feedback that I received from coaches this year was that there was a different energy and that our team was working hard. We had a good defense and it was tough to put balls away against us. When people come to the gym knowing that they have to play their best against us, it is a big deal.”
Leading the Mountaineers was Evans. An all-BIG EAST second team selection from 2009, the Canyon Lake, Calif., native returned to finish the season with a team high 270 kills and 90 blocks. She was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll three times (Aug. 30, Sept. 20 and Oct. 18) during season, while also earning MVP and highest point scorer honors at the WVU Classic and all-tournament team at the Black and Gold Challenge at Wake Forest.
“She (Evans) did a fantastic job as a leader and could really rally the team around her at all times,” Kramer said. “I thought that was great. We did some new things with her offensively this year that I think were really good for her game. She and Kari Post (setter) connected really well at the end of the season.”
Also making strides this season was senior co-captain Bonnie West, the Mountaineers’ libero. Each season West finished with her name on the list for most digs in a single season, and on September 17, she broke the school record for most career digs after posting 19 against Cal State Fullerton.
For her career, West owns 1,919 career digs – a record that will be hard to touch.
“For Bonnie to do what she did year-in and year-out while she was here on the court was a big accomplishment,” Kramer admitted. “It is definitely going to be tough to find someone to fill her shoes in a leadership role and on the court.”
With several dominating wins, some new traditions and a group of young players now in line to take the lead, the West Virginia University volleyball team is on its way to the top.
The foundation has been set, and one can look for Kramer and the Mountaineers to make even bigger strides in 2011.
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