Moody Coliseum has been buzzing with action this week as the volleyball team prepares for its season opening tournament this weekend.
The Wildcats are coming off a 2011 season in which they went 21-14 overall and 14-6 in the Lone Star Conference. They qualified for the NCAA Division II tournament but lost a five-set heart breaker to the University of Central Missouri in the South Central Sub-Regional.
This year the ‘Cats sport a young squad led by the lone senior on the team, right-side hitter Kalynne Allen. She will be joined by several key returners including sophomores Sara Oxford, Haley Rhoads and Rachel Riley and juniors Madelyn Robinett, Caley Johnson and Neely Borger.
Head coach Kellen Mock said the youth of the team can be both a positive and a negative thing.
“I think we are a resilient team, maybe even more so than last year,” she said. “We aren’t emotional. Our experience level could be a factor though. We will have a lot of freshman and sophomores on the floor.”
Allen isn’t phased by all the newcomers.
“We are young, but we’re also talented,” she said. “I think this group of girls has maybe more talent than any other ACU team I’ve been on. It’s exciting for me to have some younger girls challenging for spots.”
Allen also said she enjoys being one of the leaders for the team.
“That’s something I desire and strive for,” she said. “I try to lead by example, however it’s a shared responsibility. I can’t do it all on my own.”
One of the new faces this season is middle blocker Corrie Reeder who is listed at 6-foot-1. Mock said she will see significant playing time since Borger, who is expected to be out until mid-September, is still recovering from an off-season injury.
“Corrie is tall and dynamic,” Mock said. “You will be seeing her a lot.”
Rookie outside hitter Jennie Loerch emerged as one of the better hitters during two-a-days according to Mock and said she can play anywhere on the outside.
Freshman defensive specialist/libero Madison Hoover will be splitting time with Robinett on the defensive side of the ball. Both players are described as ‘excellent at ball control’.
The last new face is freshman Sarah Siemens. She and Rhoads will both be starting at the setter position.
“Haley is very reliable and has a great mental game while Sarah is a little more athletic and has a better walk,” Mock said.
The Wildcats have the difficult job of replacing Kelsie Edwards, ACU’s career holder in digs, and All-American outside hitter Jennie Hutt. Both were seniors last year.
“It’s hard to replace girls like that but Jennie, Loerch and Madison Hoover are very similar players to Hutt and Edwards in regards to what they bring us on the court and their mentality,” Mock said. “We have some great tools that can provide a similar outcome.”
The ‘Cats will be moving up to Division I next season so the team is looking to leave the conference on a good note.
“We want a conference championship,” Allen said. “A lot of us have friends on the other sports teams and they all have conference rings. We want to be apart of that.”
ACU is picked to finish third in the conference behind West Texas A&M University and Angelo State University.
The Wildcats play in the St. Edward’s/St. Mary’s Tournament this weekend. Their opponents will include Southwestern Oklahoma State University, Colorado State University-Pueblo, Southeastern Oklahoma State University and host St. Edward’s University.
