| Laura Neugebauer-Groff |
SAN ANTONIO — Expectations are as high as they’ve ever been at UTSA this fall following 19 wins, including 11 in Southland Conference play, a year ago.
Eight letterwinners and a talented and exciting group of newcomers quickly have meshed together during two-a-day drills, giving head coach Laura Neugebauer-Groff a great sense of optimism heading into her eighth season.
Among the returnees are junior outside hitter Kendra Rowland and sophomore defensive specialist/outside hitter Kelsey Jewasko, both of whom were named to the 12-member preseason All-Southland Conference first team. Last year’s league Newcomer of the Year, senior middle hitter Stefanie Robbins, joins the pair, as does sophomore setter Amber Brooks, who picked up honorable mention All-Southland accolades in her inaugural campaign.
“The veterans and newcomers have come together as quickly as any group I’ve ever coached,” Neugebauer-Groff said. “The captains have done a great job of taking charge during two-a-days and we have shown improvement every day. I think we have as much depth as we’ve ever had and I’m excited to get going on Friday.”
Among the newcomers are freshmen outside hitters Andee Josserand and Whitney Walls and freshman defensive specialist Megan Wimbish, all of who come to the Alamo City with a laundry list of high school achievements. All three are expected to contribute immediately.
Arguably the most difficult schedule in school history awaits the Roadrunners, who were tabbed third in the league’s preseason polls, but if the pieces fall into place, 2009 could produce UTSA’s third-ever SLC Championship.
| Kendra Rowland |
Outside hitters
Rowland followed up her freshman campaign with yet another outstanding season last fall. The Antioch, Calif., native started every match for the second year in a row and led the conference with 430 kills and 16 double-doubles. She also led the Roadrunners with 1,248 attacks and ranked second with 313 digs. Not only was Rowland a first-team All-Southland Conference honoree, but she also was named the DePaul Invitational Most Valuable Player after leading UTSA to the tournament title, the program’s first preseason crown in 14 years.
It wasn’t all Rowland on the outside, however, as sophomore Elise Huskey was solid along both rows in her inaugural season. The Columbus native recorded the third-most kills (251), digs (307) and blocks (50) on the squad in addition to ranking second with 759 attacks and 31 service aces.
Josserand not only was an all-state performer at Hereford High School last season, but she helped lead the Lady Whitefaces to a 45-3 record and the UIL 4A State Championship. Walls, meanwhile, was the District 4-5A co-MVP and ranked among the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex leaders in kills as a senior at Martin High School in Arlington.
“Kendra will once again be the focal point of our offense, but we have plenty of players who can help her share the load this year,” Neugebauer-Groff said. “Elise did everything we asked of her last season but the ceiling is awfully high for her. I expect Whitney and Andee to contribute immediately after having very successful high school careers.”
| Stefanie Robbins |
Middle hitters
Robbins leads a deep group that showed marked improvement a year ago. The Three Rivers native, who started 28 matches last fall, was an honorable mention All-Southland choice in addition to being tabbed SLC Newcomer of the Year and she led UTSA with 10 block solos and 72 block assists. She also ranked second on the club with 273 kills and a .284 hitting percentage.
“By the end of last year, Stefanie was a completely different player from when the season started,” Neugebauer-Groff said. “She became a leader on offense and her confidence level soared. That has carried over to two-a-days and she is going to be a big part of our success this fall.”
Junior Briana Mason saw action in 20 matches (eight starts) and finished her second campaign with the ninth-best hitting percentage in school history (.284). The Dallas native recorded 101 kills in 227 attacks and added 37 total blocks.
Freshman Brittney Malloy will add depth this fall. A local product from Warren High School, she was a three-year prep starter who earned all-district accolades in her final two seasons.
| Amber Brooks |
Setters
Brooks made an immediate impact in her first campaign in navy blue and orange. The Alvin native saw action in all 31 matches and was one of two players to participate in all 119 sets. She ranked second in the league with 1,105 assists and her 9.3 helpers per set stood fifth. Brooks posted five matches of 50 or more assists, including a season-high 56 against UT Arlington, and recorded at least 40 in 10 other tilts. Arguably the Roadrunners’ top server, she also racked up the third-most aces, 40, in the Southland.
“Amber stepped in and did a phenomenal job of running our offense last year,” Neugebauer-Groff said. “The thing that excites me the most is that she will continue to mature and improve. The sky’s the limit as far as her potential.”
Neugebauer-Groff always has been a proponent of the 6-2 offense and she thinks she has the depth to run it exclusively this fall.
The combination of senior transfer Vickie Mundell and sophomore Kelsey Schwirtlich are expected to be the second piece in that offensive puzzle.
Mundell was Dallas Baptist’s starting setter the last three years where she averaged nearly 10 assists per set. The Arlington native helped lead the Patriots to a second-place finish at last fall’s National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) Tournament and was named to the All-Tournament team. She also was an NCCAA All-South Central Region selection.
Meanwhile, Schwirtlich played in 26 matches as a true freshman, mainly in the middle, but she has been working at setter during two-a-days. It is a position the Corpus Christi native knows well, dating back to her all-state days at Calallen High School.
“I think a 6-2, when you have the right players and depth, can be successful,” Neugebauer-Groff said. “Kelsey’s development and the addition of Vickie this fall gives us that luxury and we’ll run it as long as we have the right combination of players to do so.”
| Kelsey Jewasko |
Defensive specialists
Jewasko will lead the back row after producing one of the most impressive inaugural campaigns in school history. The San Antonio native played in all 31 contests and was one of just two Roadrunners to see action in all 119 sets. Not only did she earn first-team all-conference honors, but Jewasko also was tabbed the league’s Libero of the Year after leading the circuit 527 digs (No. 5 on UTSA’s single-season chart). She averaged 4.4 digs per set, which ranked second in the SLC, and was in double figures in all but two matches, including the final 16 contests of the year.
“Kelsey exceeded all our expectations last year,” Neugebauer-Groff said. “She provided us with great stability in the back and also saw time up front when we needed help up there. As great as her season was, she knows there’s room for improvement and I’m looking forward to seeing her continued growth this fall.”
Junior Megan Schauffele is back after collecting 40 digs in 18 matches last season. Meanwhile, junior Evelyn Pineda, who was a two-year starter at Laredo Community College from 2006-07, returns after redshirting last year and Wimbish brings an impressive resume from Corpus Christi Carroll High School, where she was a three-time All-District 27-5A selection.
“I am really pleased with the amount of depth we have along the back row this year,” Neugebauer-Groff said. “Overall, this group handles the ball extremely well and that will go a long ways when we set up our offense this season.”
Schedule
The schedule, specifically the non-conference portion, arguably is the most difficult in the program’s 28-year history. The Roadrunners are slated to play seven teams that made an appearance in last year’s NCAA Tournament and four of those squads — Washington (4), Stanford (5), Hawai`i (7) and Purdue (19) — are ranked in the American Volleyball Coaches Association Preseason Top 25 Poll.
The UTSA Classic, slated for Sept. 17-19, will feature a trifecta of 2008 NCAA teams in Middle Tennessee, Rice and Washington. The Southland Tournament also comes to San Antonio for the third time in the last four years and the fifth time in league history from Nov. 20-22.
“This is, without a doubt, the most difficult schedule in my eight years here, but I think this group is ready for the challenge,” Neugebauer-Groff said. “We are going to find out quickly how we match up against some of the best programs in the country and that should prepare us for what should be another tough Southland Conference season.”