| UTSA returns seven letterwinners from last year's 13-win squad. |
Competitive, cohesiveness and confidence. Those are the three words that seventh-year head coach head coach Laura Neugebauer-Groff says describe this year’s edition of the UTSA Roadrunners.
With a talented group of eight newcomers ? five true freshmen and three transfers ? joining a cast of seven returning letterwinners who saw significant playing time a year ago, nearly every position will be up for grabs when the squad begins preseason practice in mid-August.
With the campaign set to begin on Aug. 29, at the Mizuno Invitational at Rice University, Neugebauer-Groff knows the two-and-a-half weeks leading up to the opening match will be critical in determining who will be on the court for the first serve of the 2008 season.
“This should be one of the most competitive groups I’ve ever had because we’re going to have so much depth at each position,” she said. “I think that will bring out the best in all our players. Competition day in and day out on the court makes everyone better.”
Winners of 13 games last fall, UTSA was struck by the injury bug throughout the 2007 campaign, but that opened up playing time for the Roadrunners’ freshmen.
Neugebauer-Groff expects the experience that those four players ? Briana Mason, Valorie Rogers, Kendra Rowland and Jordan White ? gained a year ago to go a long way in their continued development this fall.
“Even though the number of wins weren’t what we wanted a year ago, I thought we were exciting to watch and competed really well,” she said. “With the experience our freshman from a year ago gained, we have the chance to be more successful.”
How quickly the newcomers adjust to the new level of play and develop confidence with their new teammates will go a long way in determining the Roadrunners’ success this season.
“The most important thing this group needs to achieve right away is a belief in itself,” Neugebauer-Groff said. “When you are confident in yourself, you’re going to be confident in the person next to you. That’s where the cohesiveness comes in. It’s all about getting the job done as a team and believing in one another.”
| (l-r) Kendra Rowland, Gena Rhodes | |
Outside Hitters
Leading the way will be Rowland, who was asked to fill a number of roles in her inaugural season and she responded by earning second-team All-Southland Conference honors. The Antioch, Calif., native enters her second year as a preseason first-team All-SLC pick.
She started every match, ranked fourth in the league in kills per game (3.81) and led the squad in attacks (1,285) and service aces (28) in addition to being second in digs (386).
“Kendra carried a big load for us last year,” Neugebauer-Groff said. “The fun part for her is that she can do it again if we need her to, but she’s going to have a lot of help this season.”
Senior Gena Rhodes is back for her second season. She saw action in the team’s first 22 matches (19 starts) before an ankle injury shelved her for the remainder of the campaign. Rhodes had 139 kills in addition to collecting 24 total blocks a year ago.
“Gena played quite a bit for us before getting hurt last year,” Neugebauer-Groff said. “She came back healthy this spring and has been working very hard in preparation for this fall.”
A pair of highly-decorated high school players in Elise Huskey and Kelsey Jewasko should vie for playing time this fall. Both were all-state honorees as prep seniors and Huskey led her team to the Texas 3A State Tournament.
“Elise and Kelsey are both very talented players who should contribute right away for us,” Neugebauer-Groff said. “The skills they bring to the table are going to make it difficult to keep them off the court if they perform to their abilities.”
Other newcomers who could see playing time on the right side include sophomore Megan Schauffele, a local product who transferred from Hartford, and freshman Kelsey Schwirtlich, who was an all-state performer as a senior at Calallen High School in Corpus Christi.
“This group should be a our biggest strength this season,” Neugebauer-Groff said. “Between the return of Kendra and Gena and the newcomers that are coming in, we should have incredible depth on both the left and right sides.”
| (l-r) Valorie Rogers, Briana Mason | |
Middle Hitters
This is another group that has the potential to shine this year, as Rogers and Mason return and junior Stefanie Robbins enters the mix after a successful two-year stint at Blinn Junior College.
Rogers is back after a freshman campaign that saw her play in every match, starting all but one. She ranked second on the club with 203 kills, 14 block solos, 71 block assists and 85 total blocks.
“Val had a very good first year blocking for us last season, but she needs to continue to grow on offense in order to become an impact player,” Neugebauer-Groff said. “She worked on some things this spring that I think will help her in that area.”
Mason saw action in 31 contests last year and was in the starting lineup 14 times. She collected 125 kills to go along with 35 total blocks from the outside, but she will return to her natural position in the middle this fall.
“Briana has really grown as a player in a little over a year,” Neugebauer-Groff said. “We had planned to redshirt her last fall, but she was forced into action because of injuries. She came out this spring and was outstanding. Her hard work in both the gym and weight room are starting to pay off.”
Robbins, who helped lead Blinn to consecutive fifth-place national finishes, should provide an immediate impact in her inaugural season.
“I am expecting big things from Stefanie,” Neugebauer-Groff said. “She is a hard worker, comes from a winning program and knows what it takes to be successful. That’s why she was our MVP this spring.”
Schwirtlich also could see action in the middle in addition to the outside.
| (l-r) Rebecca Hrapmann, Jordan White | |
Setters
Senior Rebecca Hrapmann, White and freshman Amber Brooks give the squad plenty of depth at the position. However, it remains to be seen who will be on the court when the regular season kicks off.
By the end of last season, White had established herself as the quarterback of the offense. She saw action in 28 matches, including a dozen starts to end the season, and finished her first campaign with 444 assists.
Meanwhile, Hrapmann brings 81 matches of experience to the team, and she has racked up 1,349 assists during her career, including a team-high 863 a year ago.
Brooks comes to the Alamo City as a four-time first-team all-district honoree at Alvin High School.
“Jordan was the leader of this group by the end of last fall, but she missed the entire spring following surgery,” Neugebauer-Groff said. “Rebecca ran the team during that time and will have an opportunity to do so this season based on how she performs in preseason camp. Our plan is to redshirt Amber, but we are not going to make that decision right away. If she can help us, we will give her the chance to play.”
| Audrey Hiser |
Defensive Specialists
Senior Audrey Hiser, who posted the fourth-best digs total in school history (541) last year, returns for her final season and she will be joined along the back row by Jewasko and freshman Stephanie Flores.
“Audrey was one of the best liberos in the conference last year, but she missed most the spring with an injury,” Neugebauer-Groff said. “Stephanie and Kelsey also will see time back there and how each performs during preseason drills will determine who is the libero this fall.”