Wake Forest Athletics
1998 Volleyball Outlook
6/21/1999 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
August 24, 1998
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - As head coach Mary Buczek and her 15 players prepare for the 1998 volleyball season, there are plenty of reasons to like what lies ahead. Although the first two seasons in the revived Wake Forest volleyball program have been bumpy at times, Buczek is quietly building a solid foundation for years to come.
For the past two years the Demon Deacons have matured both physically and mentally, and Buczek now feels like the program is a position to compete within the Atlantic Coast Conference.
"We just welcomed in our third recruiting class," says the Deacs' head coach. "With each class comes more depth and with that comes a new challenge. We go deeper at every position and that helps us get better. The players push each other during practice and scrimmages and we now have a healthy competition among the players on the team."
Buczek hopes that this increased depth, combined with the experience of the past two seasons, will translate into success on the court this fall.
"We are now at a level where we can compete and expect to defeat the other teams in our conference," says Buczek. "We have been right on their heels over in the past and I think this can be the season when we get our wins. That was our goal when we started the program back in 1996."
A position by position look at the 1998 Demon Deacons:
SETTERS
Buczek has two players to turn to at the setter position - junior Amber Grahn, a returning starter from the 1997 season, and talented sophomore Julie Cowley, the starter in 1996 who redshirted last fall due to a back injury. The two players will battle for the starting job, but Buczek expects both to see significant playing time this season.
"With the return of Julie this fall we now have two quality setters," says Buczek. "Both players have experience at the position and each will see time on the court this fall."
Cowley directed the Wake Forest attack as a freshman in 1996, setting school records in assists (1,154) and digs (402). She played in the first six matches of 1997 before being forced to miss the remainder of the season with a stress fracture in her back.
Grahn, who worked at the outside hitter position in 1996, will concentrate exclusively on her role as a setter which she was forced into last fall. She performed admirably in Cowley's absence, registering a team high 991 assists and earning the team's Most Valuable Player award.
"Amber proved herself with a strong showing during spring practice," Buczek says. "She was one of our most improved players during the course of the workouts and I look for her to have a solid season this fall. With Julie now back and healthy, I expect the setter position to be a tandem of the two players."
OUTSIDE HITTERS
Buczek's club returns a number of key veterans at the outside hitter position which should provide the foundation for the Demon Deacons' offense in 1998.
Heading this list is junior Katie Horne who set school records with 451 kills and 3.82 kills per game last year. Fellow junior Sharon Harmsworth, who led the squad with 279 digs and was second behind Horne with 357 kills last fall, gives Buczek a solid one-two punch on the left side.
"Katie made huge strides in the spring with her shot selection as well as her ball control and passing," says Buczek. "She also improved her strength and is now a more complete player. Katie was our go-to player when we needed a side out last season, and I expect this year to be no different.
"Sharon was injured during the spring practice and could not participate, so she will have to work hard to get ready for this fall. Physically she has the tools to be very successful, but she has to work hard in the preseason to be ready to play this fall."
That challenge could come from freshman Trina Maso de Moya, a multi-sport athlete in high school who excelled in volleyball, soccer and track. Maso de Moya brings a great deal of athleticism to the court and will contend for immediate playing time.
"Trina is a great athlete who is extremely quick and can pass the ball," says Buczek. "She must now make the transition from high school to the collegiate level."
On the right side, Buczek will look to senior Christy Kelley and junior Jessica Sammis to fill the role.
Kelley is a veteran who has played on both the right and left sides as well as at the middle blocker position and provides Buczek with lineup flexibility. Kelley posted a solid campaign in 1997 with 154 kills and 278 digs.
A steady player who is in her third year with the program, Sammis saw action in 22 of 32 matches last fall.
"Jessica is our most consistent player," says Buczek. "She may not be our hardest hitter but she always seems to find the open court. Christy is a very hard worker who has probably made the biggest individual strides over the last three years and will certainly be a valuable performer for us this season."
MIDDLE BLOCKERS
Buczek will look to a quartet of players to provide the force in the middle this season. Although this group may be young, she is very excited about the possibilities they will provide.
Sophomores Corie Miles and Jessica Hood both saw extensive playing time as freshmen last year and together they combined to rewrite the Wake Forest record book for blocks. Hood cashed in for school records with 101 block assists and 117 total blocks while Miles was right behind with 91 blocks and earned a place on the Atlantic Coast Conference All-Freshman Team. Buczek will call upon this talented duo to once again provide steady play in the middle this season.
"Jessica played in Poland this summer with the Athletes in Action team, which provided her with a good experience and a chance to face top competition," says Buczek. "She worked very hard in the spring to improve her offensive skills and I expect her to display that this fall in our matches. Corie sat out during the spring practice sessions, but I look for her to step in this season and pick up where she left off last fall."
Sophomore Morgan Edwards is an excellent all-around athlete who could contribute at the middle blocker position this fall. Buczek also expects talented freshman Margaret Davidson to compete for playing time here as well.
"We like our middle attack and it is very wide open heading into the season," says Buczek. "We are very young at the position, but I think they are a very talented group that already has a great deal of experience."
DEFENSIVE SPECIALISTS
Buczek will have four players to turn to for defensive help in the back row this season, giving her a number of different options in the lineup. Sophomore Sara Kryder played in 12 matches last season and will likely see more action this fall.
"Sara will certainly see the court," says Buczek. "I think she finally understood her role at the end of last season and she worked very hard during the spring. She is a quick player who will be a primary passer and defensive player for us."
A duo of newcomers to the Wake Forest volleyball program sophomore Heather Wilkie and freshman Amber Reig - as well as a veteran in senior Kelley McCaffrey will all compete for playing time as well. All three players bring quickness to the backcourt which Buczek hopes will be an asset this fall.
THE SCHEDULE
While the Demon Deacons are an improved squad this fall, they will also take on their most challenging schedule in the three-year Buczek era. In addition to the always challenging competition from the ACC, the Deacs will face opponents from the Big 10, Pac 10, Big 12, Big East and Conference USA. Highlighting the non-conference schedule is the Nike Challenge in Minneapolis, Minn., which features Minnesota, Missouri and Oregon.
"We are certainly facing a new challenge this season," says Buczek. "This is the toughest schedule we have ever had and it has more midweek matches than we have had in the past. But increasing the level of competition is one of the goals of our program.
"My goal is to expose our players to top competition across the country in order to prepare our team for the challenges that lie ahead in the ACC. We have struggled on the road in the past, but I hope that we can prove some things with our trip to Minnesota.."
Buczek and her players feel that they have improved in each of the previous two seasons and they hope to prove that this fall.
"Within the conference, our team goal is to work our way up the standings so that we earn a spot directly in the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament," says Buczek. "That is something that we are very capable of achieving. "We are a young team that is led by sophomores and juniors, and a .500 season overall can be accomplished if our team stays healthy and focused throughout the year. You have to remember that our program is still in the building process."
A building process that will certainly reap dividends for Buczek and the Demon Deacons in the future.
