TicketsAug. 23, 2010
By Shawn Sell
GoBEARCATS.com
Expectations may never have been higher than they are right now as the University of Cincinnati volleyball team prepares for its 2010 season. Coming off of back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances, a BIG EAST regular season crown in 2008 and a trip to the league's championship game last year, the Bearcats are poised for another shot at postseason play. Add in a unanimous selection as preseason favorites to win the BIG EAST title and Reed Sunahara's troops should have plenty to be excited about this year.
With all but one starter returning from last season's 25-11 team, including preseason conference player of the year Stephanie Niemer and fellow all-conference choices Annie Fesl and Missy Harpenau, Sunahara had a curious reaction when he found out his team was the BIG EAST unanimous favorite.
"I chuckled," he recalls. "I am not sure if we are there yet, but I guess the other coaches do. Like I told the team, it's not how you start, its how you finish. You can be picked first, but if you don't live up to that billing then it doesn't matter. It's a big honor, but at the end of the day, it's what we do in November and leading up to that is going to matter. We just have to take it one match at a time and go from there."
The leaders in UC's battle to regain BIG EAST supremacy figure to be senior co-captains Niemer, an outside hitter, and Fesl, the Bearcats' four-year starting setter. Both players have enjoyed outstanding careers, starting since their first days on campus as freshmen. Niemer leads a talented and deep cast at outside hitter, but it will be the contributions of Fesl, whom Sunahara labels the "catalyst" that will shape UC's 2010 fate.
"Niemer and Fesl have started for three years now so they know the ropes and I think for the underclassmen, it's a good lead for them to follow," Sunahara says. "They have worked hard this summer and have done a nice job for us throughout their careers. We just need one more (good) year out of them."
Joining Niemer on the outside will be Harpenau, now a junior and a second team All-BIG EAST choice last year. A rock solid defensive player, Harpenau's offense has also improved during her career. Expect freshman Juliana Behrens, like Sunahara a native of Hawai'i, to also battle for time on the outside.
In the middle the Bearcats should be set with the sophomore duo of Jordanne Scott and Becca Refenes. Scott was the team leader in blocks and third in kills as a true freshman and enjoyed a breakout performance during the team's visit to Brazil over the summer. Refenes played in every match last year and should continue to improve with more live action. Also contributing in the middle will be senior Lindsay Upton and sophomore Emily Hayden.
While most of his starting line-up appears to be set, Sunahara is still working to figure out who will man the right-side hitter and libero positions. Three players figure to battle for the right-side job, including true freshman Lauren Grant and sophomores Hayden and Megan Turner. Hayden and Turner both saw lots of action as freshmen, but will be pushed by Grant, a two-time All-Minnesota selection and the tallest Bearcat at 6-4.
The libero slot may be the biggest hole to fill as the Bearcats must replace the graduated Jaime Frey and senior Julie Guenther who was lost for the year to injury. Two players will challenge for the role in sophomore Karen Onuki and freshman Emily MacIntyre. Onuki saw limited action last year, while Macintyre was a two-time all-state selection in Indiana as a prep.
As usual, Sunahara has put together a challenging non-conference schedule to prepare his team for a run at BIG EAST glory. Among the out-of-conference opponents are 2009 NCAA Tournament participants College of Charleston, Illinois, Kentucky, Northern Colorado and UC Santa Barbara. That quality of competition all packed into the first few weeks of the season should prepare the Bearcats well for a BIG EAST slate that kicks off at home against Seton Hall on September 24th.
With a talented returning cast and a target on their backs as preseason BIG EAST favorites, Sunahara has managed to keep things in perspective as he embarks on his 11th year as UC's head coach.
"I really don't buy heavily into those things (preseason polls) because I know what we have to do," he says. "We need to compete every single match and every time we step on the floor, we need to play the best we can. You play to win, you don't play to lose. Our goal is to win every match."