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August 26, 2005 > Sports > Volleyball picked to win Conference USA

Volleyball picked to win Conference USA

Seeks second consecutive NCAA tournament berth with revamped lineup

By Matt McCabe | Thresher Editorial Staff

With a new conference and some new faces, the volleyball team hopes to build on the most successful season in program history by winning a Conference USA championship. The Owls were picked to finish first in the conference by C-USA coaches.

“The most important thing that carries over from last year is the standard that we set,” head coach Genny Volpe said. “We’re trying to continue where we left off — getting better with every practice and showing that in order to win a conference, it’s going to start right now.”

The Owls have four returnees who played major roles last year: senior right side hitter Olaya Pazo, senior setter Kristina Hoban, junior middle blocker Tessa Kuykendall and sophomore libero Yvette Kirk. However, Rice must replace standouts Rebeca Pazo, Lindsey Carter (Will Rice ‘05) and Rebecca Kainz (Will Rice ‘05) as well as reliable backup Catherine DuPont. With these gaps left by last year’s team, Volpe said she thinks the freshman class will develop well and become a factor in the team’s success this season.

“I knew before the season started that [the freshmen] would have a strong impact either as starters … or [as] very strong reserves pushing for a [starting] spot,” Volpe said. “I’ve been really pleased with how they have come in and stepped up to the challenge.”

Freshman outside hitter Karyn Morgan will have the unenviable task of taking the place of Rice’s all-time kills leader Rebeca Pazo in the starting lineup.

“Karyn has come in really dominating with her power and her ability to terminate plays,” Volpe said. “I can see her contributing a ton at the net and helping us fill a void that was left by Lindsey Carter and Rebeca Pazo.”

Jessica Holderness, a freshman middle blocker, has also established herself as a key contributor.

“I recruited [Holderness] as an outside hitter but due to some lack of depth on our team, she is going to be seeing some time at middle blocker,” Volpe said. “She has really made a strong impact on this team with her quickness, her athleticism and her work ethic.”

Middle blocker Mendi Hardy, a sophomore transfer from Blinn Junior College, came to Rice in January and participated in spring practices last semester. Freshman outside hitter Jessica May and freshman middle blocker Ekaette Ibok, who is taking a medical redshirt this season, have also joined the Owls this year.

While some freshmen will be counted on immediately, Volpe said less experienced returnees will probably have to contribute as well. Sophomore outside hitter Kristina Denneman, who played in 19 of 30 matches last year, is in line for a starting position this season.

“[Kristina is] coming in doing what she’s done best, which is serve tough, pass well and play great defense,” Volpe said. “For her to step up to a starting outside hitting position is something that she has been ready for. She worked hard all spring. She is jumping higher than she ever has before [and is] stronger than she’s ever been.”

Sophomore setter Rachel Lopez will back up senior Kristina Hoban at setter.

“We’re looking for [Lopez] to keep challenging Hoban in practice,” Volpe said. “She’s a competitor and she’s ready to do whatever she can for the team.”

Olaya Pazo has one season of eligibility left after transferring from UT-Arlington two years ago, while her twin sister Rebeca, who exhausted her eligibility last year, serves as a volunteer student coach for the team.

“It’s not going to be as fun playing without her because my sister was always there to support me,” Olaya Pazo said. “Any time I would make a mistake I would look at her, and she would give me confidence.”

However, Olaya Pazo said she is looking forward to her new leadership role in her sister’s absence.

“There’s going to be more responsibility for me, and that’s good — that’s more fun,” Pazo said.

In order to improve their chances of making a second straight NCAA tournament appearance, the Owls will play a significantly more difficult non-conference schedule this season. Four of their non-conference opponents received votes in the coaches’ preseason top-25 poll, including 14th-ranked Louisville, which won the C-USA championship last year and now plays in the Big East.

“The tougher competition, I’m hoping, is going to prepare us not only for conference, but also get us in [a mindset] of what we want to do later,” Volpe said. “If we want to make the postseason, we’ve got to beat teams like Sacramento State, so that if we don’t win Conference USA we’ve proven ourselves for an at-large bid.”

Volpe said playing in C-USA has increased optimism about conference championship hopes.

“The difference between the WAC and C-USA is that everyone in C-USA thinks that they have a chance to win the conference championship, whereas in the WAC it was ‘Who’s going to finish behind Hawaii?’” Volpe said.

Marshall was picked second in the preseason C-USA coaches’ poll and has three consecutive 20-plus win seasons, all its starters returning and the preseason C-USA player of the year, Kelly-Anne Billingy. Volpe said she thinks home-court advantage will be critical for the Owls, especially since Rice will host the 2005 C-USA Tournament. Rice has a 16-match home winning streak, the last 15 of which have been three-game sweeps.

“Oddly, Autry Court is a tough place to play, [and] no one can really put their finger on it — every team that comes in here has a difficult time,” Volpe said. “I think it’s a great atmosphere for volleyball. We could generate a lot of noise in here and create a very hyped-up atmosphere.”

The Owls open up their season at Louisiana-Lafayette Friday, a team they swept in three games last year at home. Rice’s home opener is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Sept. 2 against McNeese State at Autry Court.

Kuykendall said she is optimistic after preseason practices.

“We just need to come ready to play our best game, and if we can do that I think that we can beat a lot of teams,” Kuykendall said. “I think we work hard to better the ball every time.”

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