Aug. 26, 2009

The Bears may be young in the back row with only one upperclassman, but there definitely isn't a lack of experience or talent. Last season, then-freshmen Allison King and Jordan Rice and then-sophomore Caitlyn Trice combined to start every game at libero. King had the bulk of the starts with 25, while Trice started five times and Rice once at the position. Trice and Rice each started as the defensive specialist as well.

King, after having jumped straight in the fire as a freshman, enters this season as the leader on the defense. She piled up a team-high 445 digs in 2008, and ranked eighth in the conference with 3.94 digs per set. That total also ranked her first among freshman in the Big 12.

"Allison played libero last year for almost the whole season, and that experience is certainly going to help her coming into this year," head coach Jim Barnes said. "The number one thing we ask from her is consistency in passing, so that we can run our offense. She has improved her defense all spring and is continuing to get better."

Behind King, Trice and Rice will be pushing each other in practice to shore up the Bears' defense. In 2008, each of them took advantage of their playing time. Trice recorded double-digit digs in five of her last seven games, while Rice chalked up 14 digs in her first career start at libero against Texas Tech.

"Trice is really a good leader for the position she plays," Barnes said. "I think she does a good job of keeping the team focused and works hard. Jordan really can make some impact on this season. She digs balls that you just don't think people can dig, just has a nose for the ball. I think she can really make a difference with her defense."