TicketsOct. 26, 2010
By Shawn Sell
GoBEARCATS.com
For very different reasons, junior Missy Harpenau and senior Lindsay Upton have undergone position switches that have been instrumental in the success enjoyed by the 2010 Bearcats. For one, the move was natural, but for the other, it was like starting over again.
Prior to this season, Harpenau's role was clearly defined; she would be paired at outside hitter with All-American in the making Stephanie Niemer to form a potent combination. Upton's role was a little hazier. With sophomores Becca Refenes and Jordanne Scott returning at middle blocker, Upton would serve as the top back-up, while also fighting for playing time as a right-side hitter. But quickly, those plans changed.
In early September, just a couple of weeks into the season, Harpenau was sidelined with a shoulder injury that would prevent her from taking swings offensively. After sitting out all three of the Bearcats' matches at the College of Charleston Tournament, Harpenau was inserted back in the line-up as a defensive specialist, spelling first freshman Juliana Behrens and then sophomore Megan Turner on the back row. For Harpenau, being able to showcase the defensive skills which helped earn her All-BIG EAST second team honors last year, the move couldn't have been better.
"It's been rough (not playing front row), but there is nothing I can do about it right now," she says. "I am getting my shoulder stronger and working on it for next season. Being in the back row is an attitude and I like it a lot. I played libero my freshman year of high school so I am used to being back there."
With Behrens, just getting her first taste of collegiate volleyball and Turner, more of a right-side hitter taking Harpenau's spot, UC head coach Reed Sunahara knew getting some contributions from Harpenau was better then none.
"Missy is too valuable for our team (to shut down), whether she is playing front row or back row," he says. "She is good about stuff like that and wants to contribute as much as she can. She will do whatever we want, but unfortunately she can't hit right now. Before she even came to UC, defensively she was really good. If we don't put her in the back row, we aren't doing our team any favors."
About the same time as Harpenau's injury, Sunahara opted to replace sophomore Karen Onuki at defensive specialist with the more experienced Upton. The move was a curious one since Upton, a self-described "utility player" for the Bearcats has never competitively played just defense, but the challenge wasn't one that fazed her at all.
"I love defense and as a middle you don't get to play it a lot," she says. "My whole career, I didn't get to play a lot of defense, but I love it. It is a lot of fun and challenging and I love playing new positions where I get to try new things. I am getting more comfortable back there and learning the position more every day."
"Last year, she was our serving specialist and this year she graduated to playing defense," Sunahara adds. "She just somehow finds a way (onto the court) and that is a good thing for us."
The line-up tweaking has worked as the Bearcats are 13-1 since Harpenau returned to the line-up and Upton joined it. From a statistical standpoint, the Bearcat defense ranks seventh in the BIG EAST in digs per set, fifth in blocks and sixth in opponents' hitting percentage entering the week.
A FAMILIAR FACE
When Sunahara heads towards center court for a pre-game handshake prior to the Bearcats' key BIG EAST contest against Villanova on Sunday, he will be greeted by a familiar face in former UC assistant coach Josh Steinbach. Steinbach, who served on Sunahara's staff from 2003-05, is now in his fourth season as Villanova's head coach and will be making his third trip back to Cincinnati as a visiting coach.
"This will be my third time as a visiting coach so hopefully the RallyCats will take it easy on me this time," he jokes. "I am looking forward to getting some Graeter's Ice Cream and seeing some old friends. Those things I look forward to and it's always a great match because Cincinnati is a great team. It's not like I get to spend a week hanging out with friends or anything, its business. We need to get in and do our job. I enjoyed the Cincinnati-area when I was there and I enjoy going back."
Steinbach, who has led his teams to winning seasons in two of his first three years at Villanova, has the Wildcats square in the BIG EAST Championship fight as one of three teams (Cincinnati and Louisville are the others) with just one conference loss. With `Nova slated to play Louisville on Friday prior to the match-up with UC, this weekend will go a long way in shaping the conference's championship picture. And Sunahara for one is appreciative of the work he has seen his former aide do at Villanova.
"Josh does a nice job with his program and he deserves to be their head coach," he says. "He is a good recruiter and a good tactician. He is a bright guy and he knows the game. During the match it's going to be a battle, but after the match, I respect him and we are friends."