Wake Forest Athletics
2009 Wake Forest Volleyball Preview
8/26/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Aug. 26, 2009
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - The Wake Forest volleyball team is about to open its 2009 season this upcoming weekend and with a veteran team returning, the Deacons have their sights set high.
Wake returns 11 letterwinners and six starters from a team last year that won 19 matches and tied the school-record with 10 ACC victories.
Recently, head coach Heather Kahl Holmes sat down with www.WakeForestSports.com to talk about the season ahead.
Q: Obviously, one of the biggest questions for the team this season will be who is going to step-up and fill the shoes of graduate Natalie Mullikin? One, who do you think will assume the leadership role on the court and two, who will play in the middle this season?
A: We are looking at several players to step into leadership role this season. Three of them were named captains by their teammates: Abby Miller, Kelsey Jones and Lauren McIntyre. We have several other veteran starters returning to the line up who should play significant roles as well. They all will be responsible for setting the tone of practices; and be consistent with the intensity, commitment and hard work needed for us to be successful on and off the court.
We have three options in the middle position this season, one of which is Lauren McIntyre, a returning starter. She is a versatile player who we have the option of moving to the right side or outside as well. In addition to her presence at the net, she brings emotion and energy to the court. Carlin Salmon is our sophomore middle, who is an amazing athlete. We are looking for her to fit into the M1 role. She has a variety of shots, both power and finesse, and can use either at any time to keep the defense guessing. She will surprise quite a few people this season.
Andrea Beck is our freshman middle who comes to us with a solid training background from her time spent with the Junior National Team the past few years, along with playing for a very successful and knowledgeable coach in high school, Robyn Wessleman. She is explosive off the ground, and very quick laterally which will allow her to fit into our system right away.
Q: You have an All-ACC performer in sophomore Kadija Fornah and a talented junior in Kristen White back to lead the group of outsides this season. What do you expect from those two this year and how do the rest of the outsides shape up?
A: We are excited to see what Kadija accomplishes this season. With a year under her belt, and ACC recognition, she is now experienced and more confident heading into the season. She is a fierce competitor and expects a lot of herself. We look to Kadija as a terminator on the outside and she will play a key role in our offense again this season.
Kristen White is our junior outside who comes into this year with the most experience at the position. She worked extremely hard this spring and summer with her arm swing and explosiveness. If she can utilize what she has learned along with her experience and hard work, she will have an amazing junior season.
Sophomore Cambrey Oehler saw some valuable playing time last season mainly in the back court. This year we are looking to her for ball control and a consistent presence at the net. She has a "never quit attitude", and has worked hard to recover from some injuries this past spring and summer. She is ready to play this season, and I believe she will be competing for a starting spot on the outside.
Kate Rodriguez is a senior outside for us, who unfortunately has been hampered by some injuries throughout her four years. She has a wonderful attitude about working hard, and wanting to play. I am positive she will do whatever she needs to get back on the court. She is someone we rely on for ball control in the back court, and I am looking forward to seeing her finish her senior campaign on a great note.
Madison Vain, is a sophomore hitter who saw limited playing time last season. She played behind a veteran rightside, Ashley Homitz, all last year. Madison is a tough competitor, and really has a passion for the game. We need her to be a presence in the front court. It is always nice to have a lefty as an option on the outside or right side.
Q: Junior setter Kelsey Jones stepped right in as a freshman and has had two years now to run the offense. What do you expect from her this season?
A: I have high expectations for Kelsey this season, but probably not as much as she expects from herself. She is highly motivated and a team driven player. She has progressed nicely through two years as our starting setter, and it is great watching her experience and talent take over during practices. She has a great touch on the ball, and keeps our hitters in rhythm allowing us to be efficient on offense.
We are also fortunate to have Maggie Hoey, a returning sophomore setter who gained valuable experience this spring, while running the team in the last two tournaments. She is one of the hardest working players I've coached, and she continues to push everyone to be better. She sets the standard for hard work and positive attitude. I am looking forward to seeing what she does this fall.
Megan Carnell is a 6'2" freshman. She is the tallest setter to ever come through our program. With her height and athleticism, we are looking for her to be a threat both offensively and defensively at the net. She improves daily with her hands and footwork. She also brings versatility as a hitter, and we might look into utilizing her experience as a hitter as well. She is like a sponge right now, and I know she has the ability to be one of the best setters in the ACC by the end of her career.
Q: You have an experienced back row returning in 2009 lead by senior Abby Miller and junior libero Megan Thornberry. How will having that whole group back help this season?
A: These two were the catalyst for what sparked last season's individual performances and more importantly our team's performance defensively. Because of their consistency, we were able to be successful against our opponents. Abby Miller, our returning DS from the past two seasons, will be bringing a "killer instinct" to the back-court and has the ability to shut down attackers on opposing teams. Her quickness and agility on the court keep plays alive allowing us more opportunities to utilize our weapons offensively.
Megan Thornberry is our starting libero and has two full years under her belt. She has natural instincts in serve receive and an incredible touch on the ball. She reads extremely well defensively, which allow her to keep us in system offensively. She has earned a great deal of responsibility in our back court, she is in charge of serve receive patterns, defensive systems in addition to communicating to our hitters and blockers. We expect a lot of Megan and I am confident she will set the tone of our back court this season.
We also have three other defensive players who will be competing for playing time. Sally Fischer, a senior DS, has gained experience throughout her career here at Wake. She has a deadly serve which poses problems for the opposing teams.
Mary Katherine Taylor is a sophomore DS, who has worked hard on and off the court. She has improved on her technique and court awareness, allowing her an opportunity to be successful in the back court.
Heather Kraft is our freshman DS from Florida. She has come into this preseason with a great attitude and I have been pleased with her overall skill level. She comes from a solid training foundation by her club coach, Jeff Reavis, who understands the mental, physical and talent level you need to compete at the Division 1 level. I am looking forward to working with her and watching her develop into a strong defensive player.
Q: Once again, you're hosting two home tournaments this season. How much of an advantage is that and touch on the other two tournaments, the Western Michigan Invitational and the Georgia Southern Invitational.
A: We are relying on our "home court" advantage again this season. We play in a great facility, we have incredible fans, and are comfortable on our home court, which is also where we practice. We have an extremely tough schedule this season, taking on several NCAA tournament teams and strong non-conference teams in order to prepare us for the grueling and competitive ACC schedule. Playing on the road is going to be a big emphasis this season, we want to be as successful as we are in our home gym. It is a huge goal of our team to win on the road. We played 75% of our spring season on the road traveling, playing in different venues.
We have two incredibly tough tournaments on the road this preseason, starting off with Western Michigan who made it to the Sweet Sixteen, and who we beat in five-set thriller at home last season. They are currently ranked in the top-25. We also take on Dayton, an NCAA tournament team, who we were able to face this past spring up in Chicago. We are looking forward to playing them again. Illinois State is another team with a very successful history, located in a state filled with talented players. This is on the most competitive all around tournaments we have been a part of.
Our second preseason tournament is at Georgia Southern. Chad Callahan has done a great job recruiting and implementing his philosophy into this program. They will be filled with highly competitive and talented players. The other challenges will come when we take on Auburn and Coastal Carolina. Coastal Carolina finished second in their conference last season, losing in the conference finals to Liberty. And Auburn has a great recruiting class filled with talented freshman ready to turn the page. We are looking forward to competing in this tournament.
Q: Can you talk a little bit about the ACC and how it has been one of the top conferences in the country, yet nobody really talks about it?
A: The ACC finished 6th overall in the country out of 30-plus conferences last season. We had three teams in the NCAA tournament last year and we are looking to add a few more to that list in 2009. I have been in the ACC since 1991 as a player and coach; and with talented recruiting classes and competitive preseason schedules over the past several years, we are becoming one of the strongest conferences in the country.
As a team, we try to take things day by day, never looking ahead. Each match is important and each day of preparation is vital for our success. We play an enduring 20-match ACC schedule and this year, we miss out on a home weekend with Clemson and Georgia Tech. We understand the challenge we face this season playing 11 matches on the road and nine at home, but we have high expectations this season and with a veteran team we will be committed and focused to giving everything we have.
