Lakers seek a hot start in 2009
SAULT STE. MARIE - Momentum is the key to success in volleyball, and in 2009 Lake Superior State is looking to build off a good start.
"It doesn't take long to look at our schedule and realize that 80 to 85 percent of the teams we play had winning records last year," said LSSU 15-year head coach Mark Engle, whose team was 6-18 overall and 2-14 in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in 2008. "The GLIAC is pretty tough, as it always is. And we start off with Minnesota-Duluth, which is a national power. We've been in this position before, but this group is anxious to win."
The Lakers will be tested early as they open their season Friday against seventh-ranked Minnesota-Duluth during the first round of the Northern Michigan University Invitational. LSSU also plays Wisconsin-Parkside on Friday, and St. Cloud State and Winona State on Saturday in Marquette.
Engle believes that every team in the GLIAC North Division has the potential to qualify for the NCAA tournament. In order to succeed against that caliber of competition, he said the Lakers must eliminate costly "little" mistakes made at key times during matches. He expects to see improvement in serving, blocking and team attack percentage.
"They absolutely realize that little things become big things and transition into points for the opposing team," Engle said. "We have to make these little plays that got away from us last year, and we have to be scrappy enough to not let their big hitters score points."
In 2008, LSSU was ranked 12th in the GLIAC in attack percentage, opponents' attack percentage, kills and blocks. Engle's lofty goal is to nearly double last year's team attack rate of .107, and he believes it's possible.
"The older players have something to prove and will get some help from the freshmen," Engle said. "Can this team develop into a team that commits fewer unforced errors than in the past and keep us in the match? During the last month of last season we played pretty well. We extended matches against everyone except Grand Valley. We want to pick up where we left off. Winning one or two matches early would do wonders for this team."
LSSU's top returning attackers are senior middle blocker Sara Hess, senior outside hitter Jessica Ewer, sophomore outside hitter Abby Shereda and sophomore middle hitter Jeanna Radzinski. Junior middle hitter Samantha Gibbs is also a potential starter. Sophomore libero Brittany Newberry led the GLIAC in average digs per game last season. Sophomores Janelle Balkwill and Brandiss Ward are left-handers who will share setting duties.
Engle described the Lakers as a well-balanced team that won't give opponents the opportunity to focus on a single player.
"As a group we can do the right things, and we will use that to our strength," he said. "We have more fire-power here and a couple freshmen who have raised some eyebrows...The sophomores are experienced. We have a pretty good mix of kids who can help us defensively."
