Photo by: All Pro Photography/Dale Sparks
2019 Season Outlook
August 28, 2019 04:11 PM | Volleyball
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Guided by fifth-year coach Reed Sunahara, the 2019 West Virginia University volleyball team is set to accomplish bigger and better things with 16 letterwinners, including five starters and the libero, returning to the court this season.
What You Need to Know
Lacey Zerwas – Zerwas, a sophomore setter from Phoenix, Arizona, earned a spot in the starting lineup midway through the year, playing in 96-of-112 sets last season. She led the team in assists, with 881, averaging 9.18 per set to rank sixth in the Big 12 Conference. Zerwas recorded double-digit assists in 27 matches, including nine 40-plus assist performances. She also finished second on the team in service aces (15) and third in digs (173). Zerwas will look to take control of the Mountaineer offense this season and is of three team captains.
Alexa Hasting – With two years of experience under her belt, Hasting will run the floor defense this season. The Plain City, Ohio, native slid into the libero position midway through the year last season, averaging 3.21 digs per set as a sophomore. Hasting led WVU with 359 digs, reaching double-digits in 19 matches and posting a trio of 20-plus dig performances. She also was presented the team's Defensive MVP Award at the end-of-the-year banquet.
Kristina Jordan – Jordan, a sophomore middle blocker/outside hitter for the Mountaineers, looks to build off her freshman campaign, as she ranked inside the top five of three freshman season categories. She is second in block assists (93), tied for second in total blocks (101) and ranks fifth in blocks per set with 0.94. She also finished fifth on the team in kills (164), averaging 1.53 per set, and hit above .300 10 times. Additionally, she led the squad with 24 service aces, averaging 0.22 per set to rank 10th in the Big 12.
Key Matches
Sept. 12-14 at the Outrigger Hotels and Resorts Volleyball Challenge
West Virginia will head to the University of Hawai'i for the Outrigger Hotels and Resorts Volleyball Challenge on Sept. 12-14 in Honolulu. WVU opens play against Hawai'i, a 2018 NCAA-qualifying team, on Sept. 12, followed by a match against UCLA on Sept. 13. The squad concludes play on Sept. 14, as it takes on Utah Valley, a 2018 NIVC-qualifying team, before heading back to Morgantown for its final tournament of the season. Of note, WVU will face all three teams in Hawai'i for the first time in program history. Sunahara, a native of Hilo, Hawai'i, was a two-time All-American and three-time NCAA Champion at UCLA.
Sept. 25 at Texas Tech
The Mountaineers open Big 12 play at Texas Tech on Wednesday, Sept. 25, at 7 p.m. ET. The match will broadcast live on ESPNU, as the Mountaineers and the Red Raiders will meet for the 17th time overall and the 15th time in league play since WVU joined the Big 12 in 2012. The all-time series is knotted at eight, with the two teams splitting the series in 2018. West Virginia won its most recent meeting, defeating Texas Tech in four sets on Oct. 24, 2018, in Morgantown. Of note, WVU is 3-4 against TTU in Lubbock.
Oct. 5 vs. Iowa State
WVU will host former players and coaches in Morgantown on Oct. 4-5 for volleyball Alumni Weekend. All alumni will be honored during the team's match against Iowa State on Saturday, Oct. 5, at a time to be determined. The Mountaineers will look to defeat the Cyclones for the first time at home in program history. Of note, Iowa State claimed the 2018 NIVC title.
Nov. 30 vs. Kansas
West Virginia will close its regular-season slate at the WVU Coliseum on Nov. 30, as the Mountaineers play host to the Kansas Jayhawks in a 1 p.m. Senior Day matchup. WVU will honor Cuckovich, Evans and Slinde prior to first serve. Kansas holds a special place in this trio's heart because they were a part of the 2017 squad who upset the No. 14-ranked Jayhawks in a five-set thriller for its first-ever win over a top-25 opponent. The Mountaineers will look to make history once again, as they strive to defeat Kansas on its home court for the first time.
Quotable – Head Coach Reed Sunahara
On the best way to describe this year's group
I think we have grown a lot over the past year. Everyone has at least one year of experience except for (freshman) Natalie (Winter). They are playing with a lot more confidence just because they are familiar with the system. I think the additions of (assistant coach Adriano de Souza) AD, (assistant coach) Stephanie (Niemer) and (associate director of strength and conditioning Kaitlin) Sweeney have helped us get better overall, and the girls have been very receptive of the new staff. Overall, we are getting better at our craft. They have done a nice job of working hard. We had a good spring, and I'm excited to put this team on the floor.
On his expectations for the upcoming season
I just want us to get better every game and every practice. Our motto is to get one percent better every day. My expectations are a lot higher because if I'm not expecting a lot from them then we don't get anywhere. I expect them to be better from this weekend to the next and all the way into conference play. The ultimate goal for this program is to make the NCAA Tournament because we have never done that before. We went to the postseason two years ago, but I think that's what we should strive for every year. I'm expecting bigger and better things from us.
On the team's nonconference slate
Every match is a match for them to get better. Every practice is a practice for them to get better. What we are trying to do is prepare them for matches in practice and then they can gain experience in the match and build off that. We're going to take each tournament as it comes. We must take it one match at a time. I just want us to get better every match and build momentum into the next. Anything can happen. We're going to put the best team on the court, and then, we'll go from there.
On his key returners this season
I think (sophomore outside hitter Kristin) Lux has gotten better, and (sophomore middle blocker/outside hitter Kristina Jordan) KJ is playing well. I think (sophomore setter) Lacey (Zerwas) has gotten better. I think everyone has gotten better in certain aspects, even (junior defensive specialist Alexa Hasting) Lex got better. We are expecting bigger and better things from everyone this season.
On his trio of captains leading the squad
(Senior setter/right-side hitter Erin) Slinde and (senior defensive specialist Gabrielle) Gabi (Cuckovich) were captains last year, so it's just about carrying that over and having continuity and then adding (sophomore setter) Lacey (Zerwas) to that mix is good because she's part of the younger crew. I think she is very mature. She has a good outlook on things, and she works hard. She deserves to be captain, and she can help lead this group for the next three years.
On junior defensive specialist Alexa Hasting leading the floor defense
Her quality of touches are better. She's a lot more confident, and she has gained a lot of experience being in that role last season. She played behind (graduate Gianna Gotterba) G her first year, and then last year, she was that person. She didn't start off in the starting lineup, but she earned that spot midway through the year and ran with it. She's a lot better this year, and she's the anchor of our defense. We expect big things from her.
On filling the role of right-side hitter Natania Levak
We have a couple players who can do it. We have (senior setter/right-side hitter Erin) Slinde, (junior middle blocker/right-side hitter Katie) DeMeo and (sophomore outside hitter) Macy (McElhaney). It will be a rotation by committee, and then we will see who is playing the best. All three bring different aspects to the game, so whoever can score, will earn that spot.
What You Need to Know
- The 2019 campaign marks the program's 45th season, as the squad looks to make its first-ever trip to the NCAA Tournament.
- WVU will play five matches against opponents who qualified for the 2018 NCAA Tournament, and a pair of contests against teams who received bids to the 2018 National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC).
- WVU also will play a pair of Big 12 matches on ESPNU this fall. West Virginia's match at Texas Tech on Wednesday, Sept. 25, will air at 7 p.m. ET, as well as the Mountaineers' Nov. 3 contest at Texas, which is set to begin at 1 p.m. ET.
- This year's slate features 11 home matches, as well as three-day non-conference tournaments in San Diego (Sept. 5-7) and Honolulu (Sept. 12-14).
- The squad is led by co-captains Gabrielle Cuckovich, Erin Slinde and Lacey Zerwas.
- The 2018 team was one of Sunahara's youngest squads; featuring no seniors, the Mountaineers posted an 11-win season.
- WVU played four teams ranked inside the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Top-25 Poll, facing nationally-ranked Texas and Baylor twice in league action in addition to nonconference matches against No. 1 Stanford and No. 9 BYU.
- The 2018 season was highlighted with a win against in-state foe Marshall on Nov. 7 to capture the Golden Ball Trophy for the third time in the last four years.
- Four Mountaineers finished the season in the top 10 of five Big 12 categories: Zerwas ranked sixth with 9.18 assists per set, Katelyn Evans ranked ninth with 3.17 kills per set, Kristina Jordan ranked 10th with 0.22 aces per set and Katie DeMeo ranked fifth with 1.27 blocks per set and 10th with a .289 hitting percentage.
Lacey Zerwas – Zerwas, a sophomore setter from Phoenix, Arizona, earned a spot in the starting lineup midway through the year, playing in 96-of-112 sets last season. She led the team in assists, with 881, averaging 9.18 per set to rank sixth in the Big 12 Conference. Zerwas recorded double-digit assists in 27 matches, including nine 40-plus assist performances. She also finished second on the team in service aces (15) and third in digs (173). Zerwas will look to take control of the Mountaineer offense this season and is of three team captains.
Alexa Hasting – With two years of experience under her belt, Hasting will run the floor defense this season. The Plain City, Ohio, native slid into the libero position midway through the year last season, averaging 3.21 digs per set as a sophomore. Hasting led WVU with 359 digs, reaching double-digits in 19 matches and posting a trio of 20-plus dig performances. She also was presented the team's Defensive MVP Award at the end-of-the-year banquet.
Kristina Jordan – Jordan, a sophomore middle blocker/outside hitter for the Mountaineers, looks to build off her freshman campaign, as she ranked inside the top five of three freshman season categories. She is second in block assists (93), tied for second in total blocks (101) and ranks fifth in blocks per set with 0.94. She also finished fifth on the team in kills (164), averaging 1.53 per set, and hit above .300 10 times. Additionally, she led the squad with 24 service aces, averaging 0.22 per set to rank 10th in the Big 12.
Key Matches
Sept. 12-14 at the Outrigger Hotels and Resorts Volleyball Challenge
West Virginia will head to the University of Hawai'i for the Outrigger Hotels and Resorts Volleyball Challenge on Sept. 12-14 in Honolulu. WVU opens play against Hawai'i, a 2018 NCAA-qualifying team, on Sept. 12, followed by a match against UCLA on Sept. 13. The squad concludes play on Sept. 14, as it takes on Utah Valley, a 2018 NIVC-qualifying team, before heading back to Morgantown for its final tournament of the season. Of note, WVU will face all three teams in Hawai'i for the first time in program history. Sunahara, a native of Hilo, Hawai'i, was a two-time All-American and three-time NCAA Champion at UCLA.
Sept. 25 at Texas Tech
The Mountaineers open Big 12 play at Texas Tech on Wednesday, Sept. 25, at 7 p.m. ET. The match will broadcast live on ESPNU, as the Mountaineers and the Red Raiders will meet for the 17th time overall and the 15th time in league play since WVU joined the Big 12 in 2012. The all-time series is knotted at eight, with the two teams splitting the series in 2018. West Virginia won its most recent meeting, defeating Texas Tech in four sets on Oct. 24, 2018, in Morgantown. Of note, WVU is 3-4 against TTU in Lubbock.
Oct. 5 vs. Iowa State
WVU will host former players and coaches in Morgantown on Oct. 4-5 for volleyball Alumni Weekend. All alumni will be honored during the team's match against Iowa State on Saturday, Oct. 5, at a time to be determined. The Mountaineers will look to defeat the Cyclones for the first time at home in program history. Of note, Iowa State claimed the 2018 NIVC title.
Nov. 30 vs. Kansas
West Virginia will close its regular-season slate at the WVU Coliseum on Nov. 30, as the Mountaineers play host to the Kansas Jayhawks in a 1 p.m. Senior Day matchup. WVU will honor Cuckovich, Evans and Slinde prior to first serve. Kansas holds a special place in this trio's heart because they were a part of the 2017 squad who upset the No. 14-ranked Jayhawks in a five-set thriller for its first-ever win over a top-25 opponent. The Mountaineers will look to make history once again, as they strive to defeat Kansas on its home court for the first time.
Quotable – Head Coach Reed Sunahara
On the best way to describe this year's group
I think we have grown a lot over the past year. Everyone has at least one year of experience except for (freshman) Natalie (Winter). They are playing with a lot more confidence just because they are familiar with the system. I think the additions of (assistant coach Adriano de Souza) AD, (assistant coach) Stephanie (Niemer) and (associate director of strength and conditioning Kaitlin) Sweeney have helped us get better overall, and the girls have been very receptive of the new staff. Overall, we are getting better at our craft. They have done a nice job of working hard. We had a good spring, and I'm excited to put this team on the floor.
On his expectations for the upcoming season
I just want us to get better every game and every practice. Our motto is to get one percent better every day. My expectations are a lot higher because if I'm not expecting a lot from them then we don't get anywhere. I expect them to be better from this weekend to the next and all the way into conference play. The ultimate goal for this program is to make the NCAA Tournament because we have never done that before. We went to the postseason two years ago, but I think that's what we should strive for every year. I'm expecting bigger and better things from us.
On the team's nonconference slate
Every match is a match for them to get better. Every practice is a practice for them to get better. What we are trying to do is prepare them for matches in practice and then they can gain experience in the match and build off that. We're going to take each tournament as it comes. We must take it one match at a time. I just want us to get better every match and build momentum into the next. Anything can happen. We're going to put the best team on the court, and then, we'll go from there.
On his key returners this season
I think (sophomore outside hitter Kristin) Lux has gotten better, and (sophomore middle blocker/outside hitter Kristina Jordan) KJ is playing well. I think (sophomore setter) Lacey (Zerwas) has gotten better. I think everyone has gotten better in certain aspects, even (junior defensive specialist Alexa Hasting) Lex got better. We are expecting bigger and better things from everyone this season.
On his trio of captains leading the squad
(Senior setter/right-side hitter Erin) Slinde and (senior defensive specialist Gabrielle) Gabi (Cuckovich) were captains last year, so it's just about carrying that over and having continuity and then adding (sophomore setter) Lacey (Zerwas) to that mix is good because she's part of the younger crew. I think she is very mature. She has a good outlook on things, and she works hard. She deserves to be captain, and she can help lead this group for the next three years.
On junior defensive specialist Alexa Hasting leading the floor defense
Her quality of touches are better. She's a lot more confident, and she has gained a lot of experience being in that role last season. She played behind (graduate Gianna Gotterba) G her first year, and then last year, she was that person. She didn't start off in the starting lineup, but she earned that spot midway through the year and ran with it. She's a lot better this year, and she's the anchor of our defense. We expect big things from her.
On filling the role of right-side hitter Natania Levak
We have a couple players who can do it. We have (senior setter/right-side hitter Erin) Slinde, (junior middle blocker/right-side hitter Katie) DeMeo and (sophomore outside hitter) Macy (McElhaney). It will be a rotation by committee, and then we will see who is playing the best. All three bring different aspects to the game, so whoever can score, will earn that spot.
Players Mentioned
DS
/ Volleyball
MB/RS
/ Volleyball
OH
/ Volleyball
DS
/ Volleyball
MB/OH
/ Volleyball
RS
/ Volleyball
S/RS
/ Volleyball
S
/ VolleyballVB: BYU Cinematic Recap
Saturday, October 04
2025 Volleyball Coal Rush Uniform Reveal
Thursday, October 02
Jen Greeny | Sept. 23 | ESPN+ Halftime Interview
Tuesday, September 30
VB: Dolphin Volleyball Classic Cinematic Recap
Sunday, September 21
