Start Of Spring Practice Brings New Faces, New Challenges
April 12, 2011
Two practices in to the Husky volleyball spring season makes one thing crystal clear: there are plenty of pieces in the puzzle box. What the picture will look like when everyone is pieced together in the fall remains to be seen, but the new look Huskies are anxious to build.
Coming off the program's sixth Elite Eight appearance under head coach Jim McLaughlin, who just completed a full decade at the helm, Washington must replace All-American outside hitters Kindra Carlson and Becky Perry, and All-American Jenna Hagglund, the starting setter for the past four years. And while their absence from practice seems curious at first, it's soon business as usual in the Marv Harshman gym on Saturday morning.
After the weekend opener, the Huskies were in the gym again Monday morning before heading to their classes. Blocking movements were constantly stressed, and the day ended with a series of offense vs. defense drills with players rotating between the two sides in shortened sets. The competition and intensity was trademark Washington, and the losers were forced to work up an extra sweat with some sprints.
It's not every student's ideal start to a new week, but every Husky seemed focused and excited to be back in the gym. Jenna Orlandini spoke for her teammates, many of whom headed straight from the court to the weight room. "It's really nice to be back as a team again," said the sophomore-to-be. "I think we're better right now than we were at spring time last year. We still have a lot to work on though. We're a little bit rusty still. We're playing well as a team but we have to get some little things figured out."
Coach McLaughlin knows that day one rarely gets put in the time capsule. It's something of a necessary evil; as the coach says "day one and day two are never great because we have a ways to go." But the positives are also clear. "The energy level was very good. The attention to detail we want to get in place was very good and they are working extremely hard." McLaughlin, the only coach to win NCAA titles coaching both men and women, knows that "we're going to continue to make progress if we stay on this path."
Orlandini is perhaps the only member of the team that could be penciled into the exact same role as this past fall. In her first season as starting libero, Orlandini was second in the Pac-10 in digs per set, and her pinpoint passes put the Husky offense in gear.
Apart from Orlandini, much is yet to be written. It's a safe bet that Bianca Rowland will be lining up to start the opener, but will the two-time honorable mention All-American have her role shifted or expanded now that All-America middle blocker Amanda Gil has dispensed with her redshirt season and is ready to make her mark for the Dawgs?
While three familiar faces are missing, a trio of new Huskies have spent the past few days getting their feet wet.
Freshman outside hitters Kaleigh Nelson and Summer Ross are joined by Colorado State transfer Evan Sanders, a two-time All-Mountain West Conference setter who two years ago led the Rams to an NCAA second round upset over UW. Sanders will have one year of eligibility remaining and can play immediately in the fall.
Nelson, a high-flyer from Salem, Oregon, will be a freshman, having gained admission for winter quarter and going through winter workouts with the team. Ross, the junior beach superstar from Carlsbad, Calif., enrolled early to take part in the spring drills. They join a deep group of outsides that will include junior Kylin Muñoz and sophomore Gabbi Parker, plus the addition in the fall of top-rated recruit Krista Vansant.
Last season, Jenna Hagglund was oft compared to Husky quarterback Jake Locker. The setter/quarterback parallel might be drawn again now with Sanders and returning sophomore setter Jenni Nogueras competing for playing time in a similar fashion to Locker's potential replacements, Keith Price and Nick Montana.
One of the keys to the spring will therefore be developing the outside hitters and getting a comfort level with each setter. "We're going to work to develop our hitters because we have to get the right timing, rhythm, and movement," McLaughlin says. "We'll put them in certain situations to get familiar with making the right choices in those situations." The setters are in a battle, their coach admits, but both developing. "Jenni's not afraid to set quick, and is doing that more frequently."
While the new Huskies are naturally a little quieter than the rest during the first few days, their attitudes have impressed upon McLaughlin.
"It's fun being in the gym with them already. They're ready to go and learn and have a good mindset. They're thinking good thoughts for what they know right now," he says. "They're adjusting."
Orlandini also has been impressed by the enthusiasm of her new teammates. "They really like the intensity; you can tell they're starting to get into it," she says. "They're starting to get fired up, it's nice. I think they're doing a good job coming in, as all the upperclassmen are really intense about practice and they're accepting it, like `this is what I want,' and it's nice to have people like that on your team."
