Lady Hornets’ Volleyballers ready to set & spike
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (bamastatesports.com) – It’s that time of the year when the whistles blow and the sound of hitting volleyballs echo throughout the gym, as the Lady Hornets volleyball team reported to ASU’s campus today for the start of preseason practice. The first practice will begin on Thursday at 9:30 a.m. in Lockhart Gymnasium.
Head coach Penny Lucas White will be steering a brand new team, with only seven players returning for the 2016 season, after adding 11 new faces to the roster. The ladies lost six key players from last season’s team, four in which had been in Coach Lucas White’s starting line-up since her arrival four years ago.
“I really think that I am concentrating and hoping on what I have gained from the past five seasons here,” said Lucas White. “I have gained a lot of knowledge on how to win the SWAC and how to compete in the southeast region. So what I have gained is a plethora of knowledge that I am going to use to our advantage. I’m also gaining 11 players, some of which are going to be a very pleasant surprise.”
“I feel that they will be impactful immediately in the program, so I am excited for the upcoming season to begin so with that alone I am ready for our new journey. Our theme is “Our New Journey” and that will be our focus. That’s what exciting to me.”
Although there will be many new faces, there will be players that will impact the program immediately says coach Lucas White.
“I am inheriting a winner in Justus Tuiolosega from Blinn College. She’s an incoming setter, who has won two national championships back-to-back at the junior college level. That’s huge. When you have an opportunity to have a kid come in here and quarterback (that’s my term for someone who that will set the tone for our offense).
Also, when you have a kid like Niyesha Brown who is an Outside/Right side hitter, she is a force just coming in being able to impact our program immediately.
We are also inheriting another big impact player in Krysta Medearis (Outside hitter/Middle blocker). She’s very unassuming and a silent killer, but she’s a canon. She jumps out of the gym and she’s going to be able to do a lot of things.”
With the loss of some heavy hitters such as outside hitters Rachel Smith and Chelsey Scott along with middle hitters Amber Bennett and Myla Marshall, the team will definitely have to fill those voids.
“I have no doubt that we are not going to take a big dip in our performance level,” said Lucas White. Yes it’s going to take us some time to jell, but when I tell you that I am excited about this group of females that we are bringing together and what they are going to be able to put out and what we will put out on the floor it will be very exciting.”
Smith finished her career as one of ASU’s kill leaders with 1,069. She was a two-time SWAC All-Tournament Team selection (2014, 2013), Most Valuable Player, 2013 SWAC Second Team selection (Outside Hitter), 2014 Preseason SWAC Second Team selection (Outside Hitter), 2014 SWAC All-First Team selection (Outside Hitter), 2015 Preseason All-SWAC First Team selection (Outside hitter), Scott finished the 2016 season with 52 kills and a .312 hitting percentage against SWAC competition. She tallied 185 kills on the season. Her career numbers totaled 841 kills. She was a 2015 Second Team-outside hitter, Two-time SWAC Second Team selection (2015-Outside Hitter, 2012-Outside Hitter), 2015 Preseason All-SWAC Second Team selection (Outside hitter).
Bennett was a 2013 SWAC Offensive Player of the Year, 2013 SWAC First Team selection (Middle Hitter/Blocker), 2014 SWAC Preseason Player of the Year, 2014 SWAC Preseason First Team selection) she also finished as a top kill leader with 1,020, while Marshall was a 2015 First Team-middle hitter, Three-time All-SWAC First Team selection (2013-2015, Middle Hitter), One-time All-SWAC Second Team selection (2012, Middle Hitter), Three-time SWAC All-Tournament Team selection (2013-2015), 2014 SWAC Co-Player of the Year, 2014 SWAC Tournament MVP, Two-time Preseason All-SWAC First Team selection (2014-2015).
Marshall was the top-ranked blocker as she led the conference in that category with 129 blocks and 1.14 blocks per set in 2015. As a dual threat, Marshall also was one of the most efficient hitters with a .279 hitting percentage on 215 kills. She finished as a top-ranked kill leader with 1,000.
The Lady Hornets will be returning three key players, senior defensive specialist Jamie Coleman who was third on the team in digs averaging 2.38 digs a game. Kori Kutsch, who was sixth in the conference averaging 5.09 assists-per-set, in what had largely been a two-setter Alabama State offensive system that averages 10.04 assists-per-set.
Kutsch, a sophomore, led the team last season in assists with 577 and also tallied 186 total digs and 21 aces last season for the Lady Hornets.
Briana Dorsey, a middle blocker junior, is the other teammate that poses a determining presence on the squad. The 2014 Freshman of the Year only had 123 season kills and averaged 1.16 kills a set in 2015. She was third on the team with a total of 78 season blocks.
“With the returning leadership role that we will find in Briana Dorsey,” said Lucas White. “She’s going to be able to take the position that she rightfully deserves. However, last season she had seniors playing in front of her and she had to be moved around sometimes so she could never play her rightful position. I think she is really a dynamic middle and it’s going to be really exciting to see her take on her rightful place in the place where she excels the most.”
Overall, Coach Lucas White is excited about the new additions to her team, as well as the returning players. She has reloaded and ready for preseason practice.
“I am real pleased with the team that I am reloading with and I’m excited to keep moving forward. We will be fine. It’s just going to take time.”
