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 With nine newcomers
on the roster, the 2007 University of North
Alabama volleyball team will be looking for
several fresh faces to carry on the tradition of
success the program has enjoyed over the past
decade. Lion head coach Stephanie Radecki said
this year’s recruiting class is the most
talented she has seen in her previous three
seasons at UNA.
Of the nine new
players, at least five will see playing time at
more than one position on the court. The mixture
of athleticism and versatility has Radecki and
the coaching staff excited about the
possibilities of the upcoming season.
“Obviously, we are
very excited about the opportunity we have this
year to experience a new look,” said Radecki,
who is 95-15 in her three seasons at UNA. “As a
team, we will be very versatile. The coaches and
players are anxious to see how we develop as a
team.”
UNA is coming off
another banner season, reaching the NCAA
Division II national championship match before
falling just short against Tampa. The Lions went
35-6 on the year, earning the Gulf South
Conference and South Central Region
championships before winning two matches at the
NCAA Elite Eight Tournament.
Radecki added that
the newcomers are fully aware of the
expectations of the program, and that they are
all capable of living up to their full
potential. “The expectations of our program are
always passed along to each new team every
year,” she said. “Our new players understand
that and have accepted it.”
The Lions lost four
players to graduation and return just three from
that team. Senior Danielle Palasak and juniors
Jessica Hansen and Kelly Pratt will try to help
lead the team to another deep post-season run in
2007.
Palasak, who was a
first team All-GSC selection a year ago, was
also named to this season’s pre-season
all-conference list along with Hansen.
“Danielle brings back a lot of experience on the
outside,” said Radecki. “Every year she has
improved and we are looking for her to have a
great senior season. Jessica will also be a
definite leader, specifically in the areas of
defense and passing. She is one of the best
defensive players I have ever coached. Kelly is
very athletic and will be counted on to step up
on the court and provide more of a leadership
role.”
One of the most
important areas that needed to be addressed this
season was setter. After the loss of two-time
All-American setter Laura Bellinger, Radecki has
added a pair of qualified candidates ready to
take the reigns.
Senior Carly Lacey
will be joined by sophomore Alison Jacobs, both
transfers with experience at the college level.
Lacey, from Boulder, Colo., played three seasons
at Fort Lewis College while Elkhorn, Neb.,
native Jacobs played one season at Auburn
University.
“Our two new
setters entering the program this fall should
provide automatic leadership because of their
previous experience, Radecki said. “Carley is a
mature and solid athlete. She has three years of
college experience under her belt at Fort Lewis.
Alison is a very versatile player who is strong
on both the offensive and defensive sides of the
net.”
Newcomers in the
middle feature one transfer and two true
freshmen. Junior Whitney Sanders represents
another incoming player with previous college
experience. After having a stellar freshman
season at Division I South Alabama, the
Haleyville, Ala., native came to UNA to be
closer to home.
“Whitney will have
an immediate impact at middle because of her
experience at the Division I level, plus the
fact that she trained with the team in the
spring,” said Radecki. “She is powerful and
quick and will fit right in to our system.
Freshmen Nicole
Montey and Sarah Roberts are two versatile
middles who have the ability to play other
positions on the floor. Montey comes to the
program from Fort Collins, Colo., while Roberts
hails from Maryville, Tenn.
“Nicole is a
smaller middle but makes up for her height with
her jumping ability and her court personality,”
Radecki said. “Sarah can play middle or right
side. Her athleticism gives her a bright future
at UNA.”
The freshmen duo of
Katie Haseltine and Beyaca Martin will give the
Lions more options at outside. Haseltine comes
to the Lions from Saint Louis, Mo., while Martin
is a native of New Orleans. “Both are strong
athletes that will contribute immediately and
add depth to our team,” said Radecki. “Beyaca is
very explosive and has the ability to play
different offensive roles for us while Katie is
a smart, ball control player who also excels on
defense and passing.”
Defensively, two
newcomers will see playing time on the back row
this season. Freshmen Jessica Rich (Saint Louis,
Mo.) and Shae Watkins (Altoona) are expected to
join Hansen as the team’s defensive
specialists.
“Both are solid
players with strong work ethic,” Radecki said.
“They are determined and can keep plays alive
when we need them to.”
Head coaches in the
GSC have once again selected the Lions as the
pre-season favorites to win the league title.
For the second straight year, UNA edged West
Florida by a single point to win the East
Division. The Lions also received the most
overall votes (six) to win the overall GSC
title.
Radecki said this
year could be one of the strongest seasons ever
for the conference, which represented two of the
four school’s in last year’s South Central
Region semi-finals. “Every year the GSC gets
stronger,” she said. “We are excited to be
picked to finish first because that means we
will see teams play their best in every match.”
Aside from the
annual slate of conference games, UNA has added
a non-conference schedule featuring traditional
powerhouses. A total of 11 matches against non-GSC
teams feature opponents that advanced to NCAA
post-season play a year ago. One of those
showdowns will be a rematch of last season’s
national championship match when the Lions visit
Tampa on Oct. 19.
“Again, we have a
very competitive schedule that features strong
programs,” said Radecki. “It has been our
philosophy to play as many good teams as
possible to prepare us for the post-season.”
The Lions will host
a pair of tournaments this year beginning with
the UNA Classic Aug. 24-25. After consecutive
weekend tournaments at the Town Place Suites
Classic in Findlay, Ohio and the Argonaut
Regional Crossover in Pensacola, Fla., the Lions
will return to Flowers Hall on Sept. 14-15 to
host the UNA Regional Crossover.
UNA will also
travel to play in the Montevallo Coca-Cola
Classic, facing Lynn and Clark Atlanta on Oct.
12. The date with defending national champion
Tampa will be the opening match of the Tampa
Classic on Oct. 19-20. The Lions will also face
Florida Southern and Rollins College at the
event.
A trip to
Birmingham will close the regular season for UNA
with a match against former Division I squad
Birmingham-Southern on Nov. 3.
The season-opener
for the Lions at the UNA Classic is set for noon
on Friday, Aug. 24, against Tusculum College.
UNA will play later that evening with a 7 p.m.
showdown against 2006 regional participant
Northern Kentucky. The following day, the Lions
will face North Dakota at noon and fellow Elite
Eight participant Ashland at 7 p.m. UNA
eliminated the Eagles last season to advance to
the Final Four.
The other home
tournament for UNA will feature a pair of
matches against Sunshine State schools Barry and
Nova Southeastern and one match-up against GSC
West Division favorite Harding
The 2007 Gulf South
Conference tournament will be held Nov. 9-10 on
the campus of the winner of the West
Division.
The regional tourneys are set for
Nov. 15-17. |
