Volleyball Opens Spring Workouts
3/28/2006 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
March 28, 2006
WACO, Texas - The Baylor volleyball team began spring practice Monday, March 21 and have scheduled four tournaments, including two at home, to prepare for the 2006 season.
"The first week of practice this spring has gone well," head coach Jim Barnes said. "It's strange losing five seniors, because the dynamics of the team has changed. We have different people stepping up into leadership roles and everyone is working hard. We're just trying to set up a solid foundation, because we'll have six freshmen coming in. Good leadership will help this team take off as quickly as it can in fall."
Baylor returns four seniors this year in outside hitter Nicole LeBlanc (Tampa, Fla.), middle blockers Desiree Guilliard-Young (Berkeley, Calif.) and Adeline Meira (Sao Paulo, Brazil) and outside hitter/defensive specialist Deja Sweeney (Sacramento, Calif.).
"Nicole, Desiree and Adeline are natural leaders, those three push everyone else in practice," Barnes said. "Adeline will be a sixth-year senior and is hungry to be playing again after her knee injury. She is the most skilled player out of the group from an all-around standpoint. She has the best ball control and her knee is 100%, so she's looking good and she's pain free. Nicole is playing the best she's played since she's been here as she learns more about the outside position. Desiree is healthy and is becoming the force we were hoping she would be last year before she was injured."
The Bears also return two juniors in setter Amanda Modglin (Houston, Texas) and libero Kristen Schramek (San Antonio, Texas).
"For the first time in her career, Amanda will be taking over the setting for the spring, so she is learning a lot," Barnes said. "She's a great athlete and can develop into a true, instinctive setter because she is so athletic."
"Kristen has been great this spring and (redshirt freshman defensive specialist/libero) Amanda Renz has been pushing her as both players have stepped their play up a level," Barnes said. "Schram has the potential to be one of the top liberos in the league consistently."
Renz is a redshirt freshman from The Woodlands, Texas, who transferred from Pennsylvania in January. Sophomore outside hitter Mandy Elliott (Richmond, Texas), redshirt freshman defensive specialist Jenné Blackburn (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.) and redshirt freshman outside hitter Kelsey Smith (Lubbock, Texas) are also in camp.
Smith, who missed the entire 2005 season with a knee injury, figures heavily into the Bears' plans for 2006.
"Kelsey has been amazing after such a devastating injury," Barnes said. "She can do everything but jump and she is pain free, so we are working on improving her all-around skills, so when she can jump in August she will be a more complete player. We are going to rely on her a lot and it looks like she will be 100%."
With nearly half of the Bears' roster for next season still awaiting high school graduation and with Smith not being cleared medically to compete in matches, Barnes will not be paying too much attention to the scoreboard this spring.
"Right now we are working on individual things and solidifying everyone's individual play, we're not worried about wins and losses in the spring," Barnes said. "Our main focus is on serve receive and defense, because those are the areas where we need to be solid and improve from last year and we're also working on a more aggressive serving style. Our blocking probably won't be as good as last year, so we are going to have to serve and play defense better to make up for it."
The Bears welcome in one of its best signing classes in school history in August. Setter Taylor Barnes (Arlington, Texas), middle blocker/opposite hitter Anna Breyfogle (Buda, Texas), middle blocker/right-side hitter Ashlee Cooper (La Place, La.), right-side hitter/middle blocker Lauren Keeton (Groesbeck, Texas) and opposite hitter/middle blocker Katie Sanders (Katy, Texas) join the team in the summer.
Baylor hosts tournaments on April 1 and April 29 at McLane Student Life Center. The Bears travel to TCU in Ft. Worth April 8 and to Houston April 15 for a tournament at the Texas Tornados Club facility.
