Changes Abundant for 2008 Liberty Netters
8/12/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
New athletic seasons almost always feature numerous changes, and the 2008 campaign is no exception for the Liberty volleyball team. LibertyFlames.com will highlight six changes involving the Lady Flames for this coming season.
1) New, Increased Level of Expectations
For the first time since 2002, head coach Shane Pinder's Lady Flames enter the season as the defending Big South champion. The last time Liberty was in a position to repeat as conference titlist, the Lady Flames reached the 2002 Big South championship match before falling to Winthrop. It ended up taking six years for Liberty to claim its next conference crown.
Six starters return to the fold for the 2008 edition of the Lady Flames, including three All-Big South performers. As a result, expectations entering the season are loftier than they have been in quite some time.
In order to help his team prepare to make a run at another Big South title, Pinder has designed a challenging non-conference slate, which features a pair of 2007 NCAA Tournament teams (Kansas State and Northern Iowa), traditional volleyball powers (Notre Dame and UC Irvine) and two ACC foes (Maryland and N.C. State). He hopes the challenging opening month will have his team sharpened and ready to defend its conference title, starting Sept. 26 at Charleston Southern.
2) New Assistant Coach
Lady Flames fans will notice a new face on the Liberty volleyball team bench this season, but it may be one they recognize from the past. 2003 Liberty graduate Crystal Carey, a middle blocker on two Big South championship teams for the Lady Flames, has returned to serve as graduate assistant coach. She will replace her former teammate, Becky Rudnick, who graduated with her master's degree in May.
Carey, a Virginia native, is returning to the Commonwealth after spending the last four seasons as an assistant volleyball coach at Colorado Christian. She becomes the fourth former Lady Flame player to serve as an assistant under Pinder, joining Rudnick, current assistant Jennifer (Belk) Vaden and former assistant Erin McKeown.
3) New Libero
Lara Bartolomeo held down the libero position for the Lady Flames in both 2006 and 2007, before graduating with 1,567 career digs, the fourth most in program history. Her departure has set the stage for a wide-open competition to find her replacement in the back row.
Pinder brought in a trio of freshman defensive specialists this season—Jordan Barlow, Kelly Haseman and Rebecca Warren. All three have been getting a long look during the preseason. Other candidates for playing time in the different-colored uniform include outside hitters Karyl Bacon, Jessica Nelson and Nicki Scripko.
Whoever does inherit the libero position will take on significant responsibility. The 2007 Lady Flames ranked No. 8 nationally, with 19.81 digs per game, and Pinder would like to keep his squad near the top of the national defensive rankings this season.
4) New Right-Side Hitter
Big South Freshman of the Year Nicki Scripko and senior Mary Alice Pike gave Pinder a pair of options at the right-side hitter spot during the 2007 campaign. Scripko has moved across the court to her natural position of outside hitter and Pike has graduated, meaning the Lady Flames will have a new look on the right side in 2008.
Whereas Scripko was right-handed, all three right-side hitters on the current roster are southpaws. Two of the three—Brittany Pacella and Carmen Streeper—are redshirt juniors who have put past injuries behind them and entered preseason in very good shape. Joining the veteran duo at the position is freshman Claire Jacobsma, a native of Midland, Texas.
5) New Terminology
In keeping with international play, a match will now consist of "sets" instead of "games." A team will still be required to take three out of five sets in order to win a match. This is merely a NCAA alteration in terminology.
6) New Set Format
Rally scoring will still be utilized in 2008, but only 25 points will be required to win sets one through four, as opposed to 30. The fifth set, if necessary, will still be played to 15, and teams must still win a set by two points.
Why was this change instituted? Quoting the official NCAA announcement of this season's rule changes, "There seems to be a reduction in the intensity of many contests in the middle of a set that is played to 30 points. The intention of this rule change is to increase fan and player focus and fan excitement."
How will the Lady Flames adapt to all of these changes? We will soon find out, as the team is just 17 days away from its season opener, an Aug. 29 match versus N.C. State at the VCU Third Degree Sportswear Invitational.
With Liberty's home opener not scheduled until Sept. 30, the best opportunity to see the team in person during the season's early weeks will be at the Blue-White Scrimmage. The annual intrasquad scrimmage is scheduled for Aug. 26 at 7 p.m., at the Vines Center.
Be sure to keep an eye on LibertyFlames.com for more information and updates on the Lady Flames as the 2008 season approaches. Tomorrow will mark the debut of a new weekly series, which will give Liberty fans a closer, more personal look at this year's players.
1) New, Increased Level of Expectations
For the first time since 2002, head coach Shane Pinder's Lady Flames enter the season as the defending Big South champion. The last time Liberty was in a position to repeat as conference titlist, the Lady Flames reached the 2002 Big South championship match before falling to Winthrop. It ended up taking six years for Liberty to claim its next conference crown.
Six starters return to the fold for the 2008 edition of the Lady Flames, including three All-Big South performers. As a result, expectations entering the season are loftier than they have been in quite some time.
In order to help his team prepare to make a run at another Big South title, Pinder has designed a challenging non-conference slate, which features a pair of 2007 NCAA Tournament teams (Kansas State and Northern Iowa), traditional volleyball powers (Notre Dame and UC Irvine) and two ACC foes (Maryland and N.C. State). He hopes the challenging opening month will have his team sharpened and ready to defend its conference title, starting Sept. 26 at Charleston Southern.
2) New Assistant Coach
Lady Flames fans will notice a new face on the Liberty volleyball team bench this season, but it may be one they recognize from the past. 2003 Liberty graduate Crystal Carey, a middle blocker on two Big South championship teams for the Lady Flames, has returned to serve as graduate assistant coach. She will replace her former teammate, Becky Rudnick, who graduated with her master's degree in May.
Carey, a Virginia native, is returning to the Commonwealth after spending the last four seasons as an assistant volleyball coach at Colorado Christian. She becomes the fourth former Lady Flame player to serve as an assistant under Pinder, joining Rudnick, current assistant Jennifer (Belk) Vaden and former assistant Erin McKeown.
3) New Libero
Lara Bartolomeo held down the libero position for the Lady Flames in both 2006 and 2007, before graduating with 1,567 career digs, the fourth most in program history. Her departure has set the stage for a wide-open competition to find her replacement in the back row.
Pinder brought in a trio of freshman defensive specialists this season—Jordan Barlow, Kelly Haseman and Rebecca Warren. All three have been getting a long look during the preseason. Other candidates for playing time in the different-colored uniform include outside hitters Karyl Bacon, Jessica Nelson and Nicki Scripko.
Whoever does inherit the libero position will take on significant responsibility. The 2007 Lady Flames ranked No. 8 nationally, with 19.81 digs per game, and Pinder would like to keep his squad near the top of the national defensive rankings this season.
4) New Right-Side Hitter
Big South Freshman of the Year Nicki Scripko and senior Mary Alice Pike gave Pinder a pair of options at the right-side hitter spot during the 2007 campaign. Scripko has moved across the court to her natural position of outside hitter and Pike has graduated, meaning the Lady Flames will have a new look on the right side in 2008.
Whereas Scripko was right-handed, all three right-side hitters on the current roster are southpaws. Two of the three—Brittany Pacella and Carmen Streeper—are redshirt juniors who have put past injuries behind them and entered preseason in very good shape. Joining the veteran duo at the position is freshman Claire Jacobsma, a native of Midland, Texas.
5) New Terminology
In keeping with international play, a match will now consist of "sets" instead of "games." A team will still be required to take three out of five sets in order to win a match. This is merely a NCAA alteration in terminology.
6) New Set Format
Rally scoring will still be utilized in 2008, but only 25 points will be required to win sets one through four, as opposed to 30. The fifth set, if necessary, will still be played to 15, and teams must still win a set by two points.
Why was this change instituted? Quoting the official NCAA announcement of this season's rule changes, "There seems to be a reduction in the intensity of many contests in the middle of a set that is played to 30 points. The intention of this rule change is to increase fan and player focus and fan excitement."
How will the Lady Flames adapt to all of these changes? We will soon find out, as the team is just 17 days away from its season opener, an Aug. 29 match versus N.C. State at the VCU Third Degree Sportswear Invitational.
With Liberty's home opener not scheduled until Sept. 30, the best opportunity to see the team in person during the season's early weeks will be at the Blue-White Scrimmage. The annual intrasquad scrimmage is scheduled for Aug. 26 at 7 p.m., at the Vines Center.
Be sure to keep an eye on LibertyFlames.com for more information and updates on the Lady Flames as the 2008 season approaches. Tomorrow will mark the debut of a new weekly series, which will give Liberty fans a closer, more personal look at this year's players.
Tuesday, November 18
Saturday, October 11
Saturday, September 27
Wednesday, September 24