Kat Minnerly opens her senior campaign Friday in Boca Raton, Fla.
Photo by: Tim Cowie
Volleyball Looks to get back to Winning Ways
8/26/2015 4:00:00 PM | Volleyball
2015 Season Preview
STATESBORO, Ga. – It has been nine full months since the Georgia Southern volleyball team played its last match of the 2014 season, and the Eagles have spent many of the days and hours since then preparing for the 2015 season with a chip on their shoulder.
Hampered by injuries and with only eight student-athletes in uniform for a number of matches last season, the Eagles are happy to put the 2014 campaign behind them and show the championship form they demonstrated in 2013, when they won the Southern Conference and advanced to the NCAA Tournament.
The season opens Friday with two matches in the Florida Atlantic Invitational, and the rotation for the contests against Binghamton and Stetson will look a lot different than the one fans saw in the final match of 2014.
A trio of redshirt juniors who sat out last season with injuries are back as libero Alex Beecher, middle Crysten Curry and right side Katie Bange return to the lineup, eager and excited to be back in action.
"The leadership is definitely there with those three, and I think they have a further appreciation of what a privilege it is to be on that floor," said Georgia Southern coach Dustin Wood. "I think they have matured to another level, which is exactly what this group needs."
The rest of the group is relatively young in terms of eligibility but long in the tooth in terms of collegiate volleyball experience. Senior setter Kat Minnerly and senior defensive specialist Bernetta Moore have three seasons of playing experience under their belt, while junior defensive specialist Avery Stephens, sophomore right side Megan Chevalier and sophomore outside hitter Cathrine Murray played in all 30 matches last season.
Junior middle Leah Joseph and sophomore outside hitter Ashley Jones each played in 25-plus matches, giving the Eagles veteran options at every position in the rotation. Seven freshmen joined the program, and the roster of 17 student-athletes is one of the largest in program history.
"It's nice because we'll have some luxury with subs and situational subs so it gives us more options than we had last year," said Wood.
The competition in preseason practice over the last three weeks has been intense, and the Eagles are anxious to carry that fire into the first weekend.
"We have something to prove, and you can see that chip on our shoulder every day," said Wood.
Minnerly will quarterback the offense as the starting setter for her third straight season and enters the campaign ranked sixth on the school's career assist chart, 977 shy of third.
"We had a good spring with her, and she's really stepping up," said Wood. "She got back to the basics, she's directing the offense very well and the decision making has been very good."
Beecher, already seventh on the Georgia Southern career digs list after just two seasons, returns as the libero and leads a deep group of defensive specialists.
"She reads the game so well and with her leadership out there, the younger kids really enjoy playing with her," said Wood.
Stephens averaged 3.17 digs per set last season, and Moore collected 2.22 a frame. Both are expected to be in the rotation.
"We're really deep," said Wood. "We have Beecher back and Avery and Bernetta back off of good seasons so they have the experience they need, and we have two freshman who can also play. They are all making each other better every day."
There is also depth on the right side with a pair of six-footers in Bange (6-4) and Chevalier (6-0). Bange sat out the bulk of last season while Chevalier collected 226 kills and 54 blocks in her redshirt freshman campaign. Wood and the coaching staff are still tinkering with the best ways to use their height, length and athleticism.
"We're playing with some things as to how we can get them both utilized on the floor, but right now, they are battling against each other and both doing well," said Wood. "It's a good problem to have."
Curry, ranked in the top-10 in career blocks at Georgia Southern, returns to man the middle, and the Eagles welcome back her defensive presence as well as another offensive option.
"She is probably one of the quickest middles I've ever coached - men or women – and she's come back faster quicker and stronger," said Wood. "Her blocking is excellent, and she reads so well."
Two veteran Eagles – Joseph and Murray - are working their way back from offseason injuries. Joseph will be brought along slowly with a likely return set for the conference slate, while Murray should be back for the Georgia Cup Sept. 3-4.
Two freshmen – middle Lauren Reichard and outside hitter Stephanie Spencer - have emerged and will be in Friday's rotation. Jones, who led the team with 18 service aces, will be in the mix as well.
"They are ready, and they have earned it," Wood said of the newcomers. "They are playing at a high level so we're excited about them both this year and in the years to come."
The Eagles open the campaign with seven matches away from home before serving as hosts for the Georgia Southern Volleyball Tournament in Hanner Fieldhouse Sept. 11-12. The Sun Belt conference slate starts in Hanner Sept. 18, when the Eagles take on defending league champion Little Rock. The Sun Belt was ranked in the top-10 in league RPI last season, and the Eagles found out they must bring their best each and every match.
"Everybody in the league is good, and we learned that if you don't come to play every night, you're going home with a loss," said Wood.
Georgia Southern and Hanner Fieldhouse will serve as hosts for the Sun Belt Conference Tournament Sept. 20-22, as the top-8 teams travel to Statesboro to compete for the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The Eagles narrowly missed making the field last season and hope to remedy that this time around.
"It's not every year you get to host a championship and get a chance to win it on your home floor in front of your fans," said Wood. "We have a lot of work ahead of us, but we know we're capable of doing it."
With a seasoned group of returners blended with a talented class of newcomers, Eagle volleyball will look to return to their winning ways in 2015.
"I think this group is starting to get the idea of the process going into it and focusing on playing well rather than winning or losing," said Wood. "If we focus on playing well, then the wins will come."
Georgia Southern Athletics provides up-to-date information on all its sports through its official website, GSEagles.com, through social media channels facebook.com/GSAthletics, twitter.com/GSAthletics, iOS app Georgia Southern Eagles and Android app Eagles GATA. Fans can purchase tickets to Georgia Southern Athletics events by calling 1-800-GSU-WINS or by visiting GSEagles.com.
Hampered by injuries and with only eight student-athletes in uniform for a number of matches last season, the Eagles are happy to put the 2014 campaign behind them and show the championship form they demonstrated in 2013, when they won the Southern Conference and advanced to the NCAA Tournament.
The season opens Friday with two matches in the Florida Atlantic Invitational, and the rotation for the contests against Binghamton and Stetson will look a lot different than the one fans saw in the final match of 2014.
A trio of redshirt juniors who sat out last season with injuries are back as libero Alex Beecher, middle Crysten Curry and right side Katie Bange return to the lineup, eager and excited to be back in action.
"The leadership is definitely there with those three, and I think they have a further appreciation of what a privilege it is to be on that floor," said Georgia Southern coach Dustin Wood. "I think they have matured to another level, which is exactly what this group needs."
The rest of the group is relatively young in terms of eligibility but long in the tooth in terms of collegiate volleyball experience. Senior setter Kat Minnerly and senior defensive specialist Bernetta Moore have three seasons of playing experience under their belt, while junior defensive specialist Avery Stephens, sophomore right side Megan Chevalier and sophomore outside hitter Cathrine Murray played in all 30 matches last season.
Junior middle Leah Joseph and sophomore outside hitter Ashley Jones each played in 25-plus matches, giving the Eagles veteran options at every position in the rotation. Seven freshmen joined the program, and the roster of 17 student-athletes is one of the largest in program history.
"It's nice because we'll have some luxury with subs and situational subs so it gives us more options than we had last year," said Wood.
The competition in preseason practice over the last three weeks has been intense, and the Eagles are anxious to carry that fire into the first weekend.
"We have something to prove, and you can see that chip on our shoulder every day," said Wood.
Minnerly will quarterback the offense as the starting setter for her third straight season and enters the campaign ranked sixth on the school's career assist chart, 977 shy of third.
"We had a good spring with her, and she's really stepping up," said Wood. "She got back to the basics, she's directing the offense very well and the decision making has been very good."
Beecher, already seventh on the Georgia Southern career digs list after just two seasons, returns as the libero and leads a deep group of defensive specialists.
"She reads the game so well and with her leadership out there, the younger kids really enjoy playing with her," said Wood.
Stephens averaged 3.17 digs per set last season, and Moore collected 2.22 a frame. Both are expected to be in the rotation.
"We're really deep," said Wood. "We have Beecher back and Avery and Bernetta back off of good seasons so they have the experience they need, and we have two freshman who can also play. They are all making each other better every day."
There is also depth on the right side with a pair of six-footers in Bange (6-4) and Chevalier (6-0). Bange sat out the bulk of last season while Chevalier collected 226 kills and 54 blocks in her redshirt freshman campaign. Wood and the coaching staff are still tinkering with the best ways to use their height, length and athleticism.
"We're playing with some things as to how we can get them both utilized on the floor, but right now, they are battling against each other and both doing well," said Wood. "It's a good problem to have."
Curry, ranked in the top-10 in career blocks at Georgia Southern, returns to man the middle, and the Eagles welcome back her defensive presence as well as another offensive option.
"She is probably one of the quickest middles I've ever coached - men or women – and she's come back faster quicker and stronger," said Wood. "Her blocking is excellent, and she reads so well."
Two veteran Eagles – Joseph and Murray - are working their way back from offseason injuries. Joseph will be brought along slowly with a likely return set for the conference slate, while Murray should be back for the Georgia Cup Sept. 3-4.
Two freshmen – middle Lauren Reichard and outside hitter Stephanie Spencer - have emerged and will be in Friday's rotation. Jones, who led the team with 18 service aces, will be in the mix as well.
"They are ready, and they have earned it," Wood said of the newcomers. "They are playing at a high level so we're excited about them both this year and in the years to come."
The Eagles open the campaign with seven matches away from home before serving as hosts for the Georgia Southern Volleyball Tournament in Hanner Fieldhouse Sept. 11-12. The Sun Belt conference slate starts in Hanner Sept. 18, when the Eagles take on defending league champion Little Rock. The Sun Belt was ranked in the top-10 in league RPI last season, and the Eagles found out they must bring their best each and every match.
"Everybody in the league is good, and we learned that if you don't come to play every night, you're going home with a loss," said Wood.
Georgia Southern and Hanner Fieldhouse will serve as hosts for the Sun Belt Conference Tournament Sept. 20-22, as the top-8 teams travel to Statesboro to compete for the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The Eagles narrowly missed making the field last season and hope to remedy that this time around.
"It's not every year you get to host a championship and get a chance to win it on your home floor in front of your fans," said Wood. "We have a lot of work ahead of us, but we know we're capable of doing it."
With a seasoned group of returners blended with a talented class of newcomers, Eagle volleyball will look to return to their winning ways in 2015.
"I think this group is starting to get the idea of the process going into it and focusing on playing well rather than winning or losing," said Wood. "If we focus on playing well, then the wins will come."
Georgia Southern Athletics provides up-to-date information on all its sports through its official website, GSEagles.com, through social media channels facebook.com/GSAthletics, twitter.com/GSAthletics, iOS app Georgia Southern Eagles and Android app Eagles GATA. Fans can purchase tickets to Georgia Southern Athletics events by calling 1-800-GSU-WINS or by visiting GSEagles.com.
Players Mentioned
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