| Laura Neugebauer-Groff |
Coming off a 2006 season that saw it post a 19-13 record (11-5 Southland Conference West), the UTSA volleyball program will have a new identity this fall. Five seniors ? Meagan Daniel, Brittany Hildebrand, Erin McMillan, Connie Picard and DeeDee Strickland ? have graduated and just three letterwinners return. Coupled with nine newcomers, this year’s group will be looking to lay a foundation for future success.
Juniors Audrey Hiser, Rebecca Hrapmann and Victoria Prior return and they will look to lead an inexperienced squad in this, the 25th season in school history.
“Although we will begin the season young and inexperienced, I am expecting a lot,” head coach Laura Neugebauer-Groff said. “I’m expecting the four returnees to help the newcomers feel welcome and become successful players. I really think this group can go out and compete every match.”
The leadership void was filled in the spring by two of the Roadrunners’ juniors.
“My expectation is that Vic and Becca will lead this club,” Neugebauer-Groff said. “I’ve always said you can’t make a leader, it’s something that comes natural. Both of them really took on that role in the spring and they need to continue, so the newcomers will have someone to look up to this fall.”
The nine newcomers, which include five freshmen and four transfers, are expected to contribute immediately. They bring athleticism, versatility and enthusiasm to a program that has averaged 18 wins per season since 2003.
“The newcomers are going to bring a lot of energy and intensity into the program,” Neugebauer-Groff said. “We have some versatile players and it will be fun to see where they fit in. That versatility should give us the ability to show our opponents different looks this season.”
With an inexperienced group, it’s no secret the Roadrunners will be underdogs for the first time in many years. It is a role that Neugebauer-Groff is looking forward to.
“I’m really going to enjoy coaching this group this year,” she said. “My job is to make them the best volleyball players they can be. When you have such a large group of young players, it allows you to be a teacher and that is something I’m truly looking forward to. It’s always fun to be the underdog, but as I said earlier, I expect this team to be successful.”
Outside Hitters
A pair of newcomers ? junior Gena Rhodes and freshman Kendra Rowland ? will get the first crack at playing time on the outside.
Rhodes, a 2005 NJCAA All-American as a freshman, helped lead San Jacinto Junior College to back-to-back national tournament appearances in her two seasons, including an eighth-place showing a year ago.
“Gena brings vast knowledge of the game and championship experience from the junior college level to our program,” Neugebauer-Groff said. “She is a very talented player who will earn the respect of her teammates immediately.”
Rowland, meanwhile, was a two-time team MVP and first-team All-Bay Valley Athletic League choice at Deer Valley High School in Antioch, Calif. She helped lead the Wolverines to the BVAL Championship and set the school’s records for hitting percentage and digs per game as a senior.
“Kendra experienced a lot of success at the high school and club levels in California,” Neugebauer-Groff said. “She has incredible ball-handling skills and a heavy arm.”
Three other first-year players ? senior Cristina Almeida, and freshmen Briana Mason and Valorie Rogers ? also could see action on the outside this year.
Almeida was a two-year starter at Laredo Community College, while Mason (Skyline HS) and Rogers (Sam Houston HS) were prep all-district performers in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.
| Victoria Prior |
Middle Hitters
Prior, a preseason first-team All-SLC selection, returns for her third year and fourth in the program overall. The Galveston native started 28 matches a year ago and set single-season and single-match career highs in nearly every category.
“Victoria is one of the best middles in the conference and she’s proved that the last two years,” Neugebauer-Groff said. “She needs to maintain the respect she earned last season and we have a lot of confidence that she can continue to take her game to the next level.”
Almeida, Mason and Rogers are valuable swing players who also will compete for playing time in the middle.
Setters
Hrapmann returns for her third season in 2007. She replaces three-time All-SLC performer DeeDee Strickland, who left campus with the second-most assists in school history (5,407). The New Orleans native has 47 matches of experience and owns 486 career assists.
| Rebecca Hrapmann |
“Becca did a great job of running the offense in the spring and I expect a lot from her this fall,” Neugebauer-Groff said. “She gained a lot of experience running the 6-2 opposite of DeeDee last season and that should help her as she takes over the offense this year.”
True freshman Jordan White, a two-time all-state performer at El Dorado High School in Albuquerque, N.M., brings impressive credentials to the program and her playing time will be determined by how quickly she adjusts to the college game.
“I think we have two very talented players in Becca and Jordan,” Neugebauer-Groff said. “Becca has earned the right to run the offense with a terrific spring, but Jordan is a confident player who will compete from the day she sets foot on campus.”
Neugebauer-Groff expects to start the year running a 5-1 offense but said she won’t hesitate to return to a 6-2 if necessary.
| Audrey Hiser |
Defensive Specialists
First and foremost, UTSA must replace McMillan, who set the school’s single-game (42), single-season (734) and career digs (2,279) marks last season.
Hiser, a veteran of 60 career matches (three starts), is expected to help fill that void and lead a talented group of players along the back row.
“You can never have too many defensive specialists on your team and this is one area where we have incredible depth going into the season,” Neugebauer-Groff said. “I am very excited about this group of players. They are very athletic and I’m looking for great things from them this year.”
Junior Dani Nickle ? who transferred from Texas Tech in 2005 ? missed last year due to a knee injury. Neugebauer-Groff said she has worked hard this offseason and, barring any setbacks, should compete for a spot in the lineup.
A pair of newcomers ? junior Sarah Moore and freshman Dana Mecke ? has experienced success at their previous schools and also will be in the mix for playing time.
Schedule
Four preseason tournaments, a full slate of 16 SLC matches and the return of the conference tournament to San Antonio highlight this year’s schedule.
“Our preseason schedule is set up so we can see some of the other teams in our region and play some tough competition outside the region,” Neugebauer-Groff said. “Hopefully, that will help get us ready for a tough conference schedule.”