Aug. 27, 2014
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RENO, Nev. - Experience and consistency.
The former is an attribute the Nevada volleyball team possesses entering the 2014 season. Of the 12 student-athletes returning for the Wolf Pack from last year's squad, five were starters. The latter is something that head coach Ruth Lawanson, who enters her fourth season in Reno, is looking to see improvement on heading into the campaign.
"The team has put in the work to be prepared and that was something we had been missing," said Lawanson. "They've made a conscious effort to do the things that have been asked of them over the summer in terms of working on ball control and getting reps in. Now we're a year older and we had a good a spring, so I'm excited to see what's going to happen."
Lawanson's club returns most of its offensive production from last season including Tessa Lea'ea and Sam Willoughby, who posted a combined 570 kills in 2013. Lyndsey Anderson and Kara Kasser, the Pack's returning leaders in assists and digs, respectively, will also be back in the Silver and Blue in the fall along with seven other players who appeared in 20 or more matches last season.
Despite losing two standout performers to graduation in Dana Holt and Grace Anxo, Lawanson believes that the upperclassmen will see the fruits of their labor in 2014; the hard work that they put in from the last few seasons and from this past offseason will come to fruition.
"You'll see a team that will fight and compete for every point this season," said Lawanson. "They all put their time in over the summer to get better and they have higher expectations of themselves, which is a great thing."
Three newcomers will be joining the Wolf Pack's veteran squad this season. Two local products, Dayton's Madison Foley and Gabby Szachara of Sparks, will add depth to the front row while Peighton De Von, a Spokane, Wash. native, will bolster the offensive attack in the middle.
The Nevada coaching staff also added a new face in Ren Cefra, who will serve as the Director of Volleyball Operations in 2014. Cefra is a well-travelled coach who brings a wealth of experience at the high school, club and collegiate levels including stops at St. John's and multiple junior national team squads in Hawai'i, his home state.
THE SCHEDULE
After the annual Silver & Blue Scrimmage on Aug. 23, the Wolf Pack will face three NCAA Tournament squads from last season and compete in three tournaments.
Following the Pepperdine Tournament (Aug. 29-30), Nevada will take on Sacramento State in the first home match of the season on Sept. 9. Tournaments hosted by California and Denver then fall on back-to-back weekends in September, before the conference slate begins with a tilt against Air Force at the Virginia Street Gym on Sept. 25.
"During those three tournaments I want to see progression," said Lawanson. "It will give us a good idea of where we're at after facing some top competition. We'll be on the road a lot but at the end of the season when teams start to fade we have a lot of our matches at home which I think works in our favor."
MIDDLE BLOCKERS
The top-two attackers from last season return to the middle for the Wolf Pack in 2014. One is Tessa Lea'ea, who returns for her senior campaign as the focal point of the Nevada offense. A 2012 All-Mountain West selection, the Stockton, Calif. native led the squad in kills (307), hitting percentage (.249) and blocks (114). She finished the 2013 season ranked ninth in blocks, 15th in points and 16th in kills in the conference. The other is Sam Willoughby, who saw most of her time at outside hitter last season where she recorded 263 kills. Sophomore Kathryn Groenweghe will also compete for time at the position after appearing in 14 sets and tallying seven kills last season.
OUTSIDE HITTERS
The outside hitting positions feature three of the Wolf Pack's top-six attackers from last season. Sophomore Madison Morrell, who had 10-plus kills in seven matches and two double-doubles in her first season in Reno, leads the corp alongside seniors Kinsey Minter and Donna Greely. The senior duo will provide experience and depth to the position while junior Sommer King will look to see time on the court after totaling 1.23 digs per set in 47 frames played last season.
SETTERS
After losing last season's top setter in Dana Holt to graduation, the reins will be handed over to sophomore Lyndsey Anderson and junior Taylar Rothfuss to take over at setter for the Pack in 2014.
A key contributor as a freshman, Anderson finished second on the squad in assists (389) and assists per set (6.27) while also picking up two double-doubles last season while Rothfuss earned two starts and played in 19 sets where she posted 79 assists.
"Lyndsey and Taylar have been working really hard in the spring and they both push each other which is great," said Lawanson. "We can go either way with them."
LIBEROS/DEFENSIVE SPECIALISTS
For the Wolf Pack, the personnel in the back row simply gets a year older. Junior Kara Kasser, who has played in every set in her two seasons at Nevada, will be the centerpiece as a libero and in the rotation at defensive specialist. Sophomore Madison Thorpe will see significant playing time after finishing last season ranked second on the team in digs with 144. Adding depth to the position will be sophomore Nicole Burdo, who earned three starts and averaged 1.35 digs per set in 2013.
Season tickets for the 2014 volleyball season are available and are just $50 for adults and $45 for youth/seniors. Youth season tickets include a Pup Club membership, which provides a free t-shirt in addition to season tickets for Football, Volleyball, Baseball and Softball. Become a Wolf Pack ticketholder today by calling (775) 348-PACK or by purchasing online.
To keep up with Nevada volleyball all season long, follow the Twitter handle @PackVB for all scores, news and updates.
-- @NevadaWolfPack --
