Photo by: Seth Seebaugh
2020 Season Outlook
September 22, 2020 01:53 PM | Volleyball
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – With plenty to prove in a season unlike any other, the West Virginia University volleyball team is ready to compete at a high level in 2020.
Coach Reed Sunahara's sixth season in Morgantown is certainly different, as a worldwide COVID-19 pandemic has turned things upside down, causing schools to either modify or postpone play until the country can get a better handle on the virus.
The Big 12 Conference is playing a condensed volleyball schedule this fall. Each program will play eight doubleheaders, with competition against the same opponent in consecutive days at the same site. The team that finishes with the highest winning percentage will be crowed the Big 12 Champion. The NCAA also moved the 2020 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Tournament to the spring and condensed the bracket to 48 teams. The normal bracket size for the championship is 64 teams.
Regardless of what happens, with four seniors on the roster, Sunahara's players are certain to give it their all on the volleyball court this fall. With the first competition in sight, Sunahara sat down to share his thoughts on the Mountaineers' upcoming season.
With the spring season ending abruptly, how did the team keep up with their skills from home?
The players were at home doing various things. They were trying to be creative, peppering against the wall, making contraptions to hit the ball into, etc. The most important thing was them being familiar with the ball, so it was great to see their creativity play a part in that.
How has COVID-19 changed the way you prepared for the season?
We get to play, so the preparation is the same. We tried to ease them back into the mindset of working out and competing, but every week has been an improvement since they came back to campus. Hopefully, we are ready to compete come Thursday.
A total of eight letterwinners, including five starters, return to the court this season. Who are your key returners?
(Senior middle blocker) Briana (Lynch) was voted to the All-Big 12 Preseason Team, so we are expecting a lot from her. She had a good year last year, making the All-Big 12 Second Team was a huge accomplishment. (Junior setter) Lacey (Zerwas) also is coming back. She is a lot stronger this year, and we are expecting her to lead the charge. (Redshirt senior middle blocker) Audrey (Adams) is going to give us good minutes as well, and we also have (junior outside hitter Kristin) Lux and (senior defensive specialist Alexa) Lex (Hasting) coming back. We have a lot of veterans. They all have playing experience in the Big 12, so we expect big things out of them.
Senior middle blocker Briana Lynch is the first Mountaineer since 2017 to be named to the All-Big 12 Preseason Team. What are you looking to see from her this season?
Her numbers can get better. From her freshman year until now, you can tell a huge difference. She is working a lot harder, and it has paid off. I have heard some good things from when she was at home working out with her club in the spring. Those guys were pleasantly surprised, and it is showing with what she is doing right now. She is playing with a lot more confidence, and her numbers are better. I'm excited to see her go out there and perform.
Are there any newcomers that could make an impact?
I think (junior outside hitter) Natali (Petrova) and (sophomore middle blocker) Emmy (Ogogor) are two good pieces to the puzzle. We're looking for production. That's what we were lacking last year. We needed a little bit more production from everyone. This year, Emmy is bringing her athleticism and that is going to help. Natali is bringing her experience and her volleyball IQ. I'm excited to watch them compete. As far as the freshmen, I think (outside hitter/defensive specialist) Skye (Stokes) has a good handle on things. She is a baller, and I think she is going to make a big impact on the program.
Every senior class is meaningful, but what has it been like watching this group grow from their freshmen year until now?
It's been fun watching them grow, not only as volleyball players, but as people. They have a good handle on what is going on with COVID-19, and it is unfortunate, but we can't change that. We are just hoping that they leave here on a good note and have a great experience.
One of the big changes this fall is the schedule. How has jumping into Big 12 play changed things and has that upped the intensity in these early season practices?
Our kids are working their butts off with a good attitude and a good mindset. The good thing is that we can compete this fall. That's what we are preaching; how fortunate we are that we can compete. We're just taking it one day at a time. We're making sure that we are doing everything right, and our focus, right now, is Texas Tech. We'll see what happens this weekend, and we'll adjust from there.
WVU will play a trio of Big 12 matches on ESPNU this fall. Eleven other contests will be carried live on Big 12 Now on ESPN+, the conference's digital platform. How important is it to have this kind of national exposure?
It's great for the program. It's great for the University. We must do everything in our power to be the best that we can be. We have a good group of girls. They are business-like right now, and they understand the landscape. They understand how important it is to represent the volleyball program and this great University. It is exciting.
For more information on the Mountaineers, visit WVUsports.com and follow WVUVolleyball on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Coach Reed Sunahara's sixth season in Morgantown is certainly different, as a worldwide COVID-19 pandemic has turned things upside down, causing schools to either modify or postpone play until the country can get a better handle on the virus.
The Big 12 Conference is playing a condensed volleyball schedule this fall. Each program will play eight doubleheaders, with competition against the same opponent in consecutive days at the same site. The team that finishes with the highest winning percentage will be crowed the Big 12 Champion. The NCAA also moved the 2020 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Tournament to the spring and condensed the bracket to 48 teams. The normal bracket size for the championship is 64 teams.
Regardless of what happens, with four seniors on the roster, Sunahara's players are certain to give it their all on the volleyball court this fall. With the first competition in sight, Sunahara sat down to share his thoughts on the Mountaineers' upcoming season.
With the spring season ending abruptly, how did the team keep up with their skills from home?
The players were at home doing various things. They were trying to be creative, peppering against the wall, making contraptions to hit the ball into, etc. The most important thing was them being familiar with the ball, so it was great to see their creativity play a part in that.
How has COVID-19 changed the way you prepared for the season?
We get to play, so the preparation is the same. We tried to ease them back into the mindset of working out and competing, but every week has been an improvement since they came back to campus. Hopefully, we are ready to compete come Thursday.
A total of eight letterwinners, including five starters, return to the court this season. Who are your key returners?
(Senior middle blocker) Briana (Lynch) was voted to the All-Big 12 Preseason Team, so we are expecting a lot from her. She had a good year last year, making the All-Big 12 Second Team was a huge accomplishment. (Junior setter) Lacey (Zerwas) also is coming back. She is a lot stronger this year, and we are expecting her to lead the charge. (Redshirt senior middle blocker) Audrey (Adams) is going to give us good minutes as well, and we also have (junior outside hitter Kristin) Lux and (senior defensive specialist Alexa) Lex (Hasting) coming back. We have a lot of veterans. They all have playing experience in the Big 12, so we expect big things out of them.
Senior middle blocker Briana Lynch is the first Mountaineer since 2017 to be named to the All-Big 12 Preseason Team. What are you looking to see from her this season?
Her numbers can get better. From her freshman year until now, you can tell a huge difference. She is working a lot harder, and it has paid off. I have heard some good things from when she was at home working out with her club in the spring. Those guys were pleasantly surprised, and it is showing with what she is doing right now. She is playing with a lot more confidence, and her numbers are better. I'm excited to see her go out there and perform.
Are there any newcomers that could make an impact?
I think (junior outside hitter) Natali (Petrova) and (sophomore middle blocker) Emmy (Ogogor) are two good pieces to the puzzle. We're looking for production. That's what we were lacking last year. We needed a little bit more production from everyone. This year, Emmy is bringing her athleticism and that is going to help. Natali is bringing her experience and her volleyball IQ. I'm excited to watch them compete. As far as the freshmen, I think (outside hitter/defensive specialist) Skye (Stokes) has a good handle on things. She is a baller, and I think she is going to make a big impact on the program.
Every senior class is meaningful, but what has it been like watching this group grow from their freshmen year until now?
It's been fun watching them grow, not only as volleyball players, but as people. They have a good handle on what is going on with COVID-19, and it is unfortunate, but we can't change that. We are just hoping that they leave here on a good note and have a great experience.
One of the big changes this fall is the schedule. How has jumping into Big 12 play changed things and has that upped the intensity in these early season practices?
Our kids are working their butts off with a good attitude and a good mindset. The good thing is that we can compete this fall. That's what we are preaching; how fortunate we are that we can compete. We're just taking it one day at a time. We're making sure that we are doing everything right, and our focus, right now, is Texas Tech. We'll see what happens this weekend, and we'll adjust from there.
WVU will play a trio of Big 12 matches on ESPNU this fall. Eleven other contests will be carried live on Big 12 Now on ESPN+, the conference's digital platform. How important is it to have this kind of national exposure?
It's great for the program. It's great for the University. We must do everything in our power to be the best that we can be. We have a good group of girls. They are business-like right now, and they understand the landscape. They understand how important it is to represent the volleyball program and this great University. It is exciting.
For more information on the Mountaineers, visit WVUsports.com and follow WVUVolleyball on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
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