2011 Volleyball Season Preview

2011 Volleyball Season Preview

Cougars Gear Up For Season Opener, Aug. 26

Houston – Head volleyball coach Molly Alvey is eagerly waiting Friday evening when she can begin her second season at the helm of the Cougar volleyball program. Houston returns First Team All-Conference selections Lucy Charuk and Chandace Tryon and welcomes seven newcomers to the program. With a wealth of talent and experience in her second season, Alvey recently sat down to take a look back on the last year and look forward to what she sees as a successful upcoming season.

What have you learned about your team and program in the last year?

“At the beginning of this season, I took time to reflect on where we were when I got here. We are light-years ahead of that point. It feels good to know that you are doing the right things while being surrounded by the right people.”

“The biggest lesson or insight I’ve gained for myself is that when you’re training mentality and teaching a culture of change, it is an everyday thing. We, as a staff, cannot take a break and think that our players and the program will grow and mature in this area on their own. If we take a break at any moment, then it’s very easy for the program to fall back. I don’t think that’s a bad thing. I just think it’s something we have learned through this process. Culture change is ongoing. Hopefully, we continue to get better by working on the fine details in this area of our development.”

The team made a huge turnaround in 2010 finishing with a 19-13 record and a third-place finish in Conference USA. How do you build off that in 2011?

“One of the main components to improving is scheduling. As we were going through last season and we were winning and competing well, I thought we must play tough competition in 2011. This season we’re playing four top-25 teams and three top-60 teams, so that helps us prepare. In a way there is a little more at stake because we know we can win those matches. We will only get better by playing better competition. I am very excited for us and the competition ahead.”

“Secondly, we need to approach conference differently. It’s very clear from last season that we need to go in with the mindset that we must win the conference title in order to get into the NCAA Tournament. There is no taking a break mentally. We continue to get stronger physically. We have to go in preparing for two solid matches every single weekend.”

What do you hope to have learned about your team following the non-conference portion of the schedule?

“There are a few things that we have to learn during the non-conference portion of our schedule. We have to learn that regardless of who we play, preparation for every match should be exactly the same. We have been training all preseason how to mentally prepare for practice. If we have kept this focus, then we will be prepared for every one of our opponents come competition time.

“I would also like us to learn how to eliminate point runs which will be a really quick check in non-conference play. If you allow the competition we are playing a point run it’s over. We will be facing good competition that is not going to give you five points in a row, catching up is difficult with rally scoring.”

“With those two points being made, I would like us to learn how to play good, strong volleyball point for point. It’s preparing from the start the same way every single match and finishing all the way to the end. Any slight break against any of our non-conference opponents is a loss. If we learn that lesson early and take it into conference play we will go a long way.”

How important is it to open the season at home, especially with a tournament like the Flo Hyman Collegiate Cup?

“It’s great to be at home the first weekend of the season. You come out of training camp being able to take those two and a half weeks and put that in front of your fans. It’s an unbelievably competitive tournament that we are hosting. Among all four of us, anyone can win or lose in any given match. Last year our fans were amazing; we really had a lot of repeat fans that have joined the bandwagon and they saw the amazing things we’re doing and how fun volleyball is to watch. To be able to give our product to the fans on the first weekend is exciting.”

“One important thing to me about the opening weekend is that we were able to name our tournament the Flo Hyman Collegiate Cup. Flo Hyman was not only a great athlete but she was one of the best volleyball players in the entire world. While she was playing, people in the volleyball world would still know her name and recognize how she changed the game. To be able to have this tournament at home, in Flo’s name, is really special to me. Hopefully we can get share our history with our fans and celebrate in the tradition of our athletic history at UH.”

Talk about how you see the conference portion of the season playing out.

“Conference USA should be really strong again. The league is interesting in that there seems to be a lot of variation from year to year. Tulsa has had a coaching change, but they have a very good coach coming in that has won and has been successful so they’ll continue to be strong. SMU is returning almost everybody, and Rice will always be competition for us since they are our neighbors. Conference USA is unique in that there is a large group of teams that have ongoing competitiveness. On any given day any of those teams can win a match. That’s why you always have to be on in conference play.”

Fans will notice an exhibition match against the Israeli national team. How did that come about and what made you want to compete against them?

“My trips abroad this summer have really opened up this opportunity. All of a sudden we are in the mix of universities that are doing pretty well. As the face of the program, I am trying to get our name out in the volleyball community. SinceI’ve been involved with USA volleyball, the Israeli National Team thought enough of us to bring the team to Houston for a match while they are in Texas. They are also playing Texas A&M and Texas, so we’re with major universities as a part of that is amazing event.”

“The most exciting part of it all is the connection between the Israel National Team and the University of Houston. The head coach of the Israeli National Team, Arie Selinger, was the head coach for the US National Team back in the late 70s and 80s. He coached our Houston Olympians (Flo Hyman, Rita Crockett, and Rose Magers) on the USA National Team, and they trained here at UH in Garrison Gym. At that time, USA was one of the best teams in the world and won a silver medal in the 1984 Olympics. To have that connection and tradition and to be able to bring it back to our fans is amazing.”

The main pieces to your team return this year -- Lucy Charuk, Chandace Tryon and Stephanie Nwachukwu. What do you expect to see out of them this season?

“Lucy has a lot of weight on her shoulders this year. She’s been a premier player in the conference and a great player for us, so I expect her to take charge of this team and to command what we need to accomplish. There is really no reason that she shouldn’t be an All-Conference player again, which I know is one of her goals. She has the ability to be an All-American if she chooses that for herself. Lucy’s role on this team is invaluable. We tend to rely on seniors a lot but the best thing about Lucy is that she’s ready for that. She has shown that throughout the summer by keeping in contact with her teammates even though she’s been playing with the Canadian National Team. She has a true sense of responsibility for her team and even though we demand a lot of her, she’s comfortable with that role. We expect her to be our leader.”

“Chandace led the conference in hitting percentage last season and she’s a First Team All-Conference player. For her it’s time to take the next step. Now instead of helping us beat conference teams, how does she help us beat top 25 teams? That’s her role stepping in this season. She’s going to be a junior and has had significant playing time for two years so if she can take what she’s done already and step it up another level or two, she will be a huge piece to making this team. If she gets that much better, the team gets exponentially better. She is one of the ones that works the hardest on the team, so I know that is something that is within her capabilities.”

“Last year, Stephanie finally got a sense of having a role on the team. She’s a pretty raw player but she has some intangibles that are invaluable. She has a natural knack for blocking which you cannot teach. She has a whip of an arm, and she has bought into what we are doing here at Houston. She’s had a couple of skills that have just locked into her repertoire because she has been very focused this past spring and the summer. However good Stephanie is in any given match can really change the dynamic of the team. The positive with Stephanie is that she realizes that, and she’s ready for the challenge.”

Ingrida Zauere is also a senior this season and has the most experience at the outside hitter position. What do you want to see from her this season?

“Ingrida is one of the more skilled volleyball players on the team. She has played for a long time and has a skill and knowledge of the game that is important to the program. To have that sort of knowledge on a team of raw players is a huge piece to our core. She can do things on the team that a coach can’t necessarily teach. It is skill development over time, which is a great example for the team. We will rely on her as a senior.”

How do you see Ashley Applequist stepping up at outside hitter this season?

“Ashley is a multi-dimensional player, she plays both outside and right side. She’s always working hard whether I’m watching or not. She’s an outstanding student-athlete, and she is a phenomenal teammate. Her thought processes and her focus are always on the team and never about herself. It’s amazing. With the effort and time she has put in the gym, she should be fighting and pushing for time.”

One question you have regarding the team at this point is the setter position. Who have you brought in to fill that void and how do you see that playing out in the preseason?

“Caitlin Ogletree joins the program as a true freshman. She’s played at a very high level of in high school and club and she brings the mentality that I’m trying to breed here at Houston. She’s a fighter and a competitor and a true teammate. She will be one of the setters fighting for a starting position.”

“Chelsey Harding is transferring in from San Jacinto Junior College and will have three years left of eligibility. She also has competed at a high level in club. Caitlin and Chelsea are both extremely relentless competitors. They both hate losing, but they have really upbeat personalities.”

“They will be fighting for the starting position along with Esther Longoria. Esther is a little bit more of a multi-dimensional player, so I need her fighting for a setter position and defensive position. She is very good at both. She has a phenomenal platform and is a tremendous athlete. She makes the gym immediately better by having her in either role.”

“The setter position is pretty competitive. We haven’t had three setters in the gym before. They all know that every day is going to be a competition. I feel pretty strong about that position. Everything I view as a coach is pretty much through the setter’s eyes since that’s the position I played. For me, to have fresh young people that want to learn and that I can train outside of practice is really exciting to me.”

You also have to replace a four-year starter in Amanda Carson at libero this season. Do you see a veteran stepping up this season or do you think a freshman will jump in to that starting position?

“We return three veterans in Alex Edwards, Krysta DeAngelis and Meredith Ware. They’ve been training under my system for a year now, so they understand my demands from that position and how important of a role it is. We added a new twist this year by bringing Natalie Keck in to the mix. Natalie has played for one of the best club teams and one of the top-five high school programs in the country. She understands work ethic, is one of the most mentally tough athletes I know and is another great teammate. When you put the four of them in the mix for that role then there will be some tough competition.”

Seven newcomers are joining the team this fall. What roles do you see them taking this season?

“There is no reason that Katie Norris shouldn’t be standing out this season. She played two years in the SEC, where half of the conference is in the top 25. The experience that she brings is untouchable. There is no reason that she is not a face that we will be seeing. She brings a fierce personality to the game. She understands my coaching style and demands so she’s definitely one that will be noticed.”

“Courtney Smith is a raw Houston talent who will most likely red shirt this year. She is a good athlete but needs some time to develop and strengthen a little bit. In the long run she will help us out in the middle.”

“Kadi Kullerkann is definitely another player to look out for. At 6-4 there is not a lot you can’t do on the volleyball court. Just being that size allows you to do so many things physically at the net, regardless of any other skill. On top of that she brings a competitive mindset to our gym. She’ll bring a different style than what our fans are used, to seeing but she is a tall, powerful volleyball player with a huge presence at the net. I expect her to compete to be in the mix for playing time.”