Wake Forest Athletics
Season Preview
8/12/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Aug. 12, 2002
Four starters return from a Wake Forest volleyball team that finished 20-11 last year. A strong core of four experienced juniors, plus senior setter Ashlee Phillips, coupled with an athletic and promising group of freshmen and sophomores makes the 2002 Demon Deacon roster one that could surprise opponents on the court this year.
"Our juniors have a great opportunity to step up and take ownership and responsibility of the team," said Valorie Baker, who is returning for her third year as head coach. "Those juniors, plus several sophomores that have experience, make this an exciting year. I'm looking forward to seeing what they can do."
With All-ACC and all-region team selections Trina Maso de Moya and Margaret Davidson gone from last year's team to graduation, Phillips will be called upon to lead a team rich in talent but poor in expectations. Picked seventh in the preseason ACC coaches' poll and seventh in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) preseason region poll, Wake Forest is relishing its underdog role.
 | "We are going to take a day-by-day approach to this season and make our team and individual goals match that philosophy. There is a tremendous amount of talent on this team. That in addition to a hard working and a very dedicated environment, makes for an intriguing season." Wake Forest head coach Valorie Baker |
"Our ranking might be a little low because we lost two all-region players," Baker said. "Ashlee Phillips, our senior four-year starting setter, will prove to be an asset on the court. Having her experience, leadership and direction on the court is invaluable. We are going to take a day-by-day approach to this season and make our team and individual goals match that philosophy. There is a tremendous amount of talent on this team. That in addition to a hard working and a very dedicated environment, makes for an intriguing season. The positive side of a low ranking is the opportunity to surprise a lot of people. There are several players who we are looking to emerge as leaders on and off the court, making all the difference for this team."
Phillips returns as setter, six-foot junior Jessica Hauff and 6-2 sophomore Kim Stern return as the middle blockers and 5-11 junior Ashley Fisher returns at right side hitter. The big question mark during preseason will be seeing who will step up to fill Maso de Moya's shoes as the left side hitter.
"Our left side position will be considered a hot commodity for our outside players," Baker said. "I expect an unbelievable competition to arise for that position.
The Demon Deacons will have their work cut out for themselves with the unforgiving schedule that waits ahead. Opening up with the Deacon Invitational, Wake Forest hosts Auburn, Ohio and Virginia Tech from three big volleyball conferences. From there the Deacs travel to Provo, Utah to tangle with perennial powerhouses BYU, Southern California and Oral Roberts. The next stop for Wake Forest will be Lexington, Ky., where proven winners Kentucky, Western Michigan and Dayton will all take their shots at the Demon Deacons. Returning home to treat the fans to another tournament in Reynolds Gym, Wake Forest will host UAB, Winthrop and San Diego State in the Black & Gold Challenge.
"Last year's schedule was tough," Baker said, "but this year's schedule will be even tougher. Both BYU and USC are traditionally top 10 programs and USC has been ranked as high as number one. That poses quite a challenge for our team, but that's the direction in which we want our program to go, so we need to play those kinds of teams.
"All of the teams that are coming here for our first tournament are from very strong conferences, like the SEC and the Big East. At Kentucky's tournament we'll play Kentucky, another SEC team, Western Michigan from the MAC and Dayton, the defending Atlantic-10 Champions."
Starting in the last week of September the tumultuous conference schedule begins, featuring the home-and-home format with the nine Atlantic Coast Conference schools. The ACC is one of the strongest conferences in the nation from top to bottom and it could be wide open again this year. Wake Forest, which tied for fourth last year with a 10-6 league mark, will be vying for an improved finish.
"The ACC was ranked among the top three volleyball conferences in the nation last year and a lot of that is due to the overall strength of our league. There is not just one or two teams that always win and there are not any teams that always lose. There is an 'any given night' type feel in our conference with a lot of five-game matches. Everyone has to come ready to play in their conference matches."
Setter
Senior setter Ashlee Phillips anchors the team and serves as the play caller for the team on the court, relaying instructions from the coaches. She will be pushed by talented freshman Erin Borhart though, who has a bright future at Wake Forest.
"Ashlee Phillips has played all four years and brings a lot of experience to the court," Baker said. "She is very vocal and demanding of the players, directing them on offense. She shows great leadership skills by being able to communicate with the players and coaching staff. She is a very strong setter that can easily withstand a five game match without showing fatigue.
"Our freshman setter, Erin Borhart, is coming off of leading her high school team to the state finals in Illinois - which continues to produce quality volleyball players every year. We really expect Erin to come in and push Ashlee for the starting position. She has been highly trained throughout her career and has already developed a court sense that most setters will learn during their college years. I am very excited to watch the healthy competition between two very talented and very different setters."
Left Side
The big question mark in the starting lineup is the left side hitter. Talented juniors Sara Beth DeLisle and Katy de Roeck will battle it out with sophomore Tarah Shelton and redshirt freshman Valerie Rydberg for playing time.
"On the left side Sara Beth DeLisle, who played quite a bit her last two years, has continued to make great strides," Baker said. "She brings an incredible amount of athletic ability to the left side combined with an outstanding vertical that will only make it more interesting for that position. Katy de Roeck stepped up to the challenge last year when she successfully filled the position during a stretch of the season. Valerie Rydberg, coming back from her injury and having a great spring will also be vying for the same starting spot. She has continued to prove her unwavering desire to play and to compete day in and day out. We expect great things from that kind of commitment.
"Tarah Shelton had a very exciting spring season and had the opportunity to play a lot on the left side. I'm really excited about the progress she has made and now I'm looking forward to seeing if the hard work over the summer pays off this season. If I had to pick one spot where my hands are up in the air, it would be the left side. Going into the season I really don't know who will be starting there. We have the talent to fill the slot, but it will be up to the individual to prove who is worthy of that starting position."
Middle
 junior Jessica Hauff returns in the middle to anchor the team  | |
"Jessica Hauff is back and has really done some nice things in the middle," Baker said. "She is consistent in her play and effort level and plays a vocal role on the team. In addition to those traits, her experience this past year will only add to her success. Pushing her will be Kim Stern, who showed great improvements this past spring. Kim is an outstanding middle who posse a huge threat at the net. Jessica Hauff will be more in the two position, which means that her emphasis will be more on blocking and Kim Stern will be more of a one, where her main responsibility will be putting balls away.
"Morgan Havig is another middle blocker. She made tremendous strides in the fall, but due to some injuries in the spring she saw limited practice and playing time. She has an incredible work ethic, which she brings to the gym everyday, so I am expecting her to really push the other middles. A freshman middle that is coming in for us is Christy Williams. She is as experienced and as solid as the returning middles. She is one that could come in and immediately compete for a starting spot. I think the whole level of play is going to rise at our practices, making it a highly competitive and energized environment to play in."
Right Side
The athletic southpaw Ashley Fisher returns for her junior campaign on the right side. Her high flying and hard hitting skills will be complimented nicely by the experience of senior Amanda Tiller and the talent of freshman Courtney Quay.
"Ashley Fisher had a great spring," Baker said. "She has an advantage being left handed and hitting on the right side, so we're able to run several different play sets for her and she puts up a nice size block. She continues to work hard in the back row as well. We also have senior Amanda Tiller, who is a very physical player with an incredibly strong block. She has struggled with knee injuries throughout her career, but consistently pushes herself to the limit. She is a steady player with a mature nature about her. I'm excited about these two and the experience that they return to the right side.
"Our freshman, Courtney Quay from Michigan who is 6-3, brings some nice size to the right side position. We are expecting Courtney to make great strides this year."
 talented junior Ashley Fisher returns on the right side | |
One of the new rules changes for 2002 that the NCAA Women's Volleyball Rules Committee made is a designated back-row player called a libero (pronounced LEE-bah-ro) who cannot serve, block, attack or set inside the attack line. Intended to be used as a ball-control specialist, the libero is allowed to replace any player in the back row without counting as a substitution. There is no limit to the number of libero replacements a team is allowed. Also, the color of the libero's uniform must contrast from the color of her teammates' uniforms.
"The libero position brings quite a change to the game as we know it because we can now exchange players out of the back row without it counting against our substitution limits," Baker explained. "You can sub a libero in and out of the back court without stopping the momentum of the game, which allows us to become more creative with our substitution strategies in the front row.
"Sophomore Tawni Schulte will be alternating her role between defensive specialist and libero this season. She gained experience this past year and continued to make the necessary improvements needed in the backcourt. Freshmen A.J. Nicholas and Klarysa Henry will contend for some backcourt playing time this season as well. Both players come from very successful high school and club programs, which only adds to the depth of their potential. All three of these players pose a threat to any of our opponents offensive attacks."
Demon Deacon opponents might be surprised this year when they take to the court against Wake Forest. An arsenal of talented and experienced players awaits them and the Old Gold & Black can't wait to prove those who doubted them wrong.
"We have some new faces coming in and taking on different roles on the team," Baker said. "It is definitely within our team's capacity to take the next step for our program. They will have challenges this year, but as long as they continue to set high standards for themselves and each other and always strive to do their best, I see those challenges as great opportunities for success."
