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Bowling Green State University Athletics
2002 Volleyball Season Outlook
August 21, 2002 | Volleyball
Aug. 21, 2002
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - Chemistry.
That is what Bowling Green State University head volleyball coach Denise Van De Walle says will be the key to success for her 2002 Falcon squad.
Van De Walle has been the BGSU coach for nearly two decades now. During that time, Van De Walle and the Falcons have seen many challenges thrown at them, and numerous obstacles placed in their way.
Van De Walle, with 359 victories the winningest coach in Mid-American Conference volleyball history, and her squads usually have been able to overcome those challenges and obstacles. With the dawn of a new season, of course, there are bound to be several more roadblocks for the Brown and Orange.
This year, some of those roadblocks include the loss of a stellar senior class and a divisional change.
In 2001, a veteran squad compiled a 21-8 overall record and a 12-6 MAC mark en route to a second consecutive East Division title. In one of the most exciting matches in league tournament history, the Falcons fell to Ball State in the semifinal round.
Now, after losing six seniors from that team to graduation, Van De Walle and new assistant coach Jeff Belmonte will look to seven returnees and five newcomers to blend together quickly and fill the gaps left behind.
The road will not be easy, obviously. In the MAC, the path is never smooth and straight. And BGSU, after tying for the East Division title in 2000 and winning the divisional crown outright last fall, has been moved to the West Division. The Falcons reside in the division that counts six of the eight 2001 MAC Tournament participants among its members.
But, Van De Walle's newcomers are not as green and inexperienced as one might expect. Four of the five additions to the team already have at least one year of collegiate experience. The Falcon mentor is counting on her 12-player squad to jell quickly, and hopes that good team chemistry can help this team become her fourth consecutive squad to win 20 matches.
THEY'RE GONE‚
The 2001 senior class was packed with talent, and helped the Falcons to a total of 63 wins over the past three years. One of the players who will be missed the most is Caty Rommeck, a two-time All-MAC First-Team selection who became the Falcons' first all-region pick in a decade. Rommeck, an electric player who in just three years in the Brown and Orange completed her BG career ranked on six school career lists, was invited to compete with the USA Women's National Training Team.
Natalie Becker also will be sorely missed at the setting position after co-captaining last year's Falcon squad. Becker finished her BGSU career ranked fourth all-time in assists with 2,766.
Left-side hitters Shyann Robinson and Amber Vorst combined for 86 career starts for Van De Walle, while defensive specialists Karen Amstutz and Kate Yeo knew their roles and filled them well. It is no coincidence that these six players were on the squads that won 21 matches in each of the last three seasons.
"No matter how you look at it, losing six seniors is a lot," said Van De Walle. "Their experience and leadership will be hard to replace.
"Caty and Natalie have been mainstays in the lineup for the past two years, and they brought great intensity to the floor. Amber and Shyann made our left side extremely competitive. Kate and Karen added the necessary ball control we required in the backcourt. Their intangibles will be missed a great deal.
"The key now is to see who will step up and fill the holes the graduated seniors left behind. It will be an exciting time to watch these players push themselves, and each other, to make sure we stay on top."
‚BUT THEY'RE BACK
Those returnees include a senior class numbering one, a six-member junior class loaded with experience, a four-player sophomore class that includes two transfers with national-championship matches under their belts, and a single freshman.
The lone senior member is fifth-year middle hitter Kristin Gamby, an All-MAC Honorable Mention selection in 2001. After redshirting her first season for the Falcons, Gamby came into her own midway through 2000 and became a key player in the lineup in 2001. She finished last season ranked sixth in the league in kills per game.
The junior class includes left-side hitters Susie Norris, Samantha Rennau and Nadia Bedricky, setter Sara Sikorski, right-side attacker Laura Twyman and defensive specialist/libero Shannon Roeper. Norris, who set the school record for digs in her freshman campaign, returns for her third season on the left side. Bedricky will compete for time both in the front row and at the new libero position after being used predominantly at the defensive specialist spot her first two seasons.
Sikorski looks to inherit the reins of the squad after serving as Becker's backup her first two seasons. She is currently 10th on the BGSU assist list. Twyman begins her fourth season on the right for the Orange and Brown after redshirting her first year on campus. She finished the 2001 campaign ranked 10th in the league in blocks, with 1.01.
Rennau and Roeper are new to the Falcon squad, but are no strangers to the collegiate game. Rennau transferred to BG from Illinois Central College where she earned junior-college All-American honors in each of her two years. Roeper spent two seasons on the squad at the University of Findlay at the defensive specialist position, and will make a move to become Bowling Green's first-ever libero.
The sophomore class is compiled of returnees Bridget Protas and Melissa Mohr and newcomers Taylor Twite and Amber Mareski. Redshirt Protas will look to fill the void at the middle position while Mohr will compete for time with Twyman on the right side.
Twite and Mareski were teammates at St. Clair County CC in Port Huron, Mich., a year ago. Twite is a veteran middle hitter who earned All-America First-Team honors in 2001. Both players helped S4C to a 64-7 record and a third-place national finish, and each landed a spot on the National All-Tournament Team. Mareski, a setter, will challenge Sikorski for that starting spot.
Rounding out the 2002 squad is the lone freshman, Emily Manser. Manser, an all-state second-team pick from Westerville, Ohio, helped her squad to a conference co-championship.
The following is a positional analysis of the 2002 Falcons.
AT SETTER
With the departure of Becker, Sikorski inherits the reins of the Falcon squad. Becker served as Heather Greig's understudy for two seasons before earning the starring role for her final two campaigns. After spending her first two seasons as the backup, Sikorski, a native of Sterling Heights, Mich., looks to follow in Becker's footsteps and run the show in 2002.
"It's overwhelming to take the reins," said Van De Walle. "And, it's a brand new thing to be in charge of your teammates. But by the end of (spring practice), Sara had done an outstanding job of showing leadership and hard work.
"There is no one that works harder than Sara Sikorski. She is the hardest worker on the court and in the weight room."
Sikorski played in 12 matches a year ago, averaging 6.80 assists per game.
Transfer Mareski is looking to push Sikorski for time. The junior college standout guided a team that was ranked number one in the nation for much of the 2001 season. The 5-11 Mareski is the tallest setter ever to play at BGSU.
Van De Walle says that Mareski's size, along with the point at which she takes the ball, are some of her best attributes. "At her height, she connects with the middles well," said Mareski's new coach. "I like the fact that she and Taylor Twite have already played together. Because these two have had a year of college under their belts already, we look for big things out of them immediately."
IN THE MIDDLE
Last year, opponents eyed the Falcons' middle position as the hotbed of activity, noting Gamby and Rommeck as the major offensive weapons, but still had great difficulty containing the duo. This year, Gamby, a 2001 All-MAC selection, returns to the front line. The lone senior, Gamby already has the benefit of four years of training under Van De Walle, and looks to go out on top.
"I feel good about having a fifth-year senior to lead this group," said Van De Walle. "Gamby is stable and steady. She doesn't have too many highs and lows, and I think she is ready for us to follow her to the top."
Gamby played in all 29 matches a year ago, starting two. She averaged 3.84 kills per game in 2001, good for second on the squad. Among her season highlights was season-high 29 kills in a road win over Indiana.
Joining Gamby in the middle will be a pair of sophomores in Protas and Twite. Protas, who played in 11 matches in her initial campaign after sitting out a year as a redshirt, averaged 1.15 blocks per game in her limited action and earned the team's Most-Improved-Player award. Twite started as a freshman for SCCCC and, as mentioned, was a juco All-American.
"Bridget has some big shoes to fill," said Van De Walle. "Everyone will be looking to see who BG puts in the middle to replace Caty Rommeck. Protas excelled in the spring season and has all the tools it takes to step in and play. She's fast, hits a hard ball and is great off one foot behind the setter.
"Taylor hits a fast, hard ball. She has great wrist snap and hits from a high point. As I said, with a year of college ball under their belts already, I expect big things out of both St. Clair transfers."
ON THE LEFT SIDE
Van De Walle's squad boasts a great deal of experience and stability on the left side, as juniors Norris and Bedricky are back after combining for 47 starts in 2001. A pair of newcomers, junior transfer Rennau and freshman Manser, will look to see time as well.
Norris, a two-year starter for the Brown and Orange, is on track to break the school's career record for digs. She enters the 2002 season with a total of 749, including 287 last fall after a school-record total of 462 in 2000.
A year ago, Norris made 25 starts and totalled 234 kills. She reached double digits in kills on 11 occasions.
"Susie knows the ropes," said Van De Walle. "She has started on the left for two years now and has been a primary passer for us. She's been our go-to left side player and brings stability to our team, and I know she'll step up in her junior year."
Bedricky, predominantly a defensive specialist her first two seasons for the Falcons, is looking to make a move into the front lines. She made 22 starts during her sophomore campaign, averaging 1.80 digs per game. Offensively, she had a career-high hitting percentage of .750 in a win over Oakland. Van De Walle may use Bedricky at the libero position as well as on the left side this fall.
"Nadia's ball control is phenomenal, and she needs to be on the floor," said Van De Walle. "We may look at her at libero, but she also did a tremendous job showing us she can hold her own on the left side during the spring. So, she can possibly play two roles for us this season."
Rennau transfers to BGSU with two years of college competition under her belt. She earned All-America honors in both seasons at Illinois Central College.
"Sam is a very gifted athlete," said her new coach. "She jumps well and is very strong. Sam's size, speed and ball control make her the ideal left-side player. I think she will come in and bring us experience and a great work ethic, which is just what we need."
Manser, as mentioned the lone freshman on the squad, will be looked at as a utility player but could battle for a spot on the left side. Van De Walle says that Manser, her district's player of the year last season, will soon become a crowd favorite at Anderson Arena.
"Manser is personality plus," said Van De Walle. "She's also quick, hits a hard ball and has good ball control. Emily can fill in for us on the left side, in the back row or she could even set. She's very versatile."
ON THE RIGHT SIDE
Twyman returns for her fourth season with the Falcons and will be challenged early on by Mohr.
Twyman played in 28 matches a year ago, making seven starts. The native of Sugar Land, Texas, finished second on the team and ranked among the MAC leaders in blocks per game, and excelled in the classroom as well.
Twyman was named to the Verizon Academic All-District Third Team last year. She heads a group of seven returnees who all sport a cumulative grade point average of 3.00 or higher.
"Laura will come into this season with higher expectations of herself than she has in previous years," said Van De Walle. "She has become more competitive over the last year and will be successful on the right side with her size and blocking ability."
Mohr comes into her second year for the Orange and Brown having played in 14 matches last fall. The lone freshman on a veteran squad in 2001, she tallied 13 digs and five kills on the year, but gained some valuable experience.
"I think Mel can be a tremendous athlete for us," said Van De Walle. "She is a very gifted and well-rounded player. I look for Mel to come into the 2002 season with much more confidence and vie for a starting position."
DEFENSIVE SPECIALIST
After graduating two of last season's three defensive specialists, Van De Walle turns to yet another transfer to fill the void left behind. Roeper, who spent two seasons at Findlay, is also a potential libero player for the Falcons.
"Shannon will bring more experience to the team, which we obviously need after graduating six seniors," said Van De Walle. "I look for her to provide us with some stable and consistent back-court play."
THE LIBERO
Last season, fans were introduced to a new scoring format and a new serving style. Rally scoring and the new 'let' serve rule were new additions to the women's game from both Junior Olympic and men's volleyball. This year is not immune to changes either.
In the 2002 season, teams will utilize the libero (pronounced LEE-bah-ro), in an attempt to increase the number of rallies during a match and make the game more interesting to view. The libero is a back-row player only and can sub in for any player an unlimited number of times. This rule is designed to make the flow of the game quicker and more exciting for fans to watch.
The libero will be easily identified, as she will wear a different colored jersey than her teammates. However, the libero cannot serve or attack the ball.
According to Van De Walle, the libero should be extremely aggressive and have great ball control.
"This player has to be a back-court wizard. She's the one you want handling the ball, passing and digging. They will be the team's best passers and defenders. I think that this is going to be exciting for the crowd."
GOING WEST
With apologies to both Jim West (television) and the Escape Club (music), the true 'Wild Wild West' can be found in the MAC this season. The decision by the conference office to move the Falcons from the East to the West Division puts yet another talented squad in the latter division, and means that six of last year's eight MAC Tournament teams will reside in the West.
The MAC office moved BGSU to the West Division for all sports after admitting the University of Central Florida as a football-only member and placing UCF in the East Division.
Despite the challenging list of new divisional foes, Van De Walle is optimistic about the move. "It's no shock that the teams in the West have historically been very good," she said. "They are very solid programs year after year.
"There's no doubt that it's going to be a challenge. But if you want to be the best, you have to play the best and that's the way we have to approach this year.
"We're basically coming in with a brand new team, seven returnees and five newcomers. We welcome the challenge, and we'll give it our best shot and see where we fall. My thoughts are that people may underestimate us after noting that we lost six seniors from last season's squad. We know what to expect, all we have to do now is perform."
THE SCHEDULE
The Falcons open the 2002 season with a home match, then will hit the road for nearly a month.
After hosting Oakland on Sept. 3, BG will compete in major tournaments on three consecutive weekends before opening league play. The Falcons will compete in tourneys hosted by Pittsburgh, Colorado and Wisconsin, facing a number of top opponents. Midweek road matches to Michigan and IPFW will provide the Brown and Orange with additional challenges in between the weekend tourneys.
Bowling Green opens up conference play at Ohio and Akron before returning home to Anderson Arena to meet arch-rival Toledo on Oct. 2. The Rockets posted their first-ever win in BG last year, after 21-straight road losses to the Falcons. The UT match begins a season-long five-match homestand.
BGSU will play an 18-match league slate, with home-and-away series vs. five of the other six West Division teams as well as Ohio from the East Division. The Falcons will play just one game against divisional foe Eastern Michigan and against the remaining six teams in the East. BG will host the Eagles, along with Marshall and Buffalo, and travel to Akron, Kent State, and Miami.
The MAC Tournament, as always, begins with quarterfinal matches on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving (Nov. 26), then continues with semifinal and championship-match action that weekend.
"The schedule is demanding," said Van De Walle. "We are on the road for nearly all of September, so we will be challenged from the very beginning, no doubt about it.
"Then, the month of October brings the Falcons back into Anderson Arena. All of our home matches will be critical, especially now that we have moved to the West Division.
"With such a tough schedule, we will find out early on where we're strong and what we need to work on."
IN CLOSING‚
Van De Walle has guided Falcon teams to a great deal of success over her first 19 seasons. One does not become the league's all-time wins leader by accident. And, with a team that traditionally excels in the classroom, Van De Walle is confident that her players will have aced their crash course in chemistry by the end of preseason practices.
"Basically, it all comes down to chemistry. We have to blend the old with the new. Our success is dependent upon how fast we can create good chemistry.
"If things go as they usually do here at BG, we should be all right."
