Post by pedro el leon on Sept 21, 2006 12:55:51 GMT -5
UW Volleyball | Tough tests come fast for UW in Pac-10 play
By Terry Wood
Special to The Seattle Times
As Pac-10 play begins tonight for the Washington volleyball team, could its early schedule be any tougher? Maybe, but only if UW's players were required to wear chainmail uniforms and lead boots.
No. 4 Washington (10-1) is one of five Pac-10 schools ranked among the nation's top eight teams. The Huskies, the defending national champions, play all four of the other top-eight Pac-10 squads in its first four conference matches.
It starts tonight at 7 at Edmundson Pavilion when eighth-ranked California (11-0) visits. Friday brings in Washington's biggest Pac-10 rival, sixth-ranked Stanford (9-1), for what is typically the most anticipated home match of the season, one that drew more than 4,300 fans last season. Next week the Huskies play at No. 3 UCLA (13-0) and No. 7 USC (11-0).
"I've had so many people talk to me about these four big matches in a row," said sixth-year UW coach Jim McLaughin, the three-time Pac-10 Coach of the Year. "The match that I'm thinking about is Cal, then I'll worry about the next team."
Pac-10 teams have claimed the last five NCAA women's volleyball titles, and 13 of the past 25. "Once you get into the Pac-10 schedule," McLaughlin said, "it doesn't matter which team you're playing. You always have to be ready to play your best."
Washington's 2006 lineup — anchored by returning All-Americans Courtney Thompson (senior setter) and Christal Morrison (junior outside hitter) — is a mix of veterans and newcomers working to develop the intuitive cohesion demonstrated by last year's senior-heavy national-title team.
After 11 nonconference matches, including a narrow loss to No. 5 Texas in a season-opening tournament, is this year's squad ready to take on the Pac-10's other elite teams in four straight matches?
Tonight
Cal @ Washington, 7 p.m., Edmundson Pavilion
"We'll see," McLaughlin said. "You never know until you have been there and have done it. I like our improvement recently, so I look forward to the competition. I can't wait to see where we're at, and then we'll continue the process."
That "process" is McLaughlin's methodical game plan for season-long growth and improvement. He excels at deconstructing and refining the game's smallest elements — right down to correct thumb alignment for optimal passing effectiveness — while encouraging players to cultivate an overarching "mindfulness" of perpetual improvement that he hopes will guide their every action.
"I'm feeling better about our ability to serve and pass, which is our foundation," he said. "I'm not completely content, because we're still improving. But I'm feeling better about our ability to keep the ball in play and not make unforced errors. We're measuring that, and the number of errors is dropping while we're still remaining aggressive.
"I would be nervous if we were in November [starting the postseason]. But I'm pleased where we are right now."
The driven, redoubtable Thompson, winner of the 2005 Honda Award as the nation's best college volleyball player, is UW's intellectual/competitive core. Around her McLaughlin is weaving three new outside hitters — involving two transfers, senior Janine Sandell and junior Stevie Mussie, and sophomore Jill Collymore — into his offense to complement the thunderous attacks of Morrison, the most outstanding player of last year's NCAA Final Four.
Junior Alesha Deesing and sophomore Jessica Swarbrick (both 6 feet 1) have emerged as highly effective middle blockers who are also proving solid on offense. Swarbrick is No. 4 in the nation in hitting percentage (.500), and Deesing is No. 7 (.473). Washington, which led the nation in hitting percentage last year, is ranked No. 3 (.351).
Redshirt freshman Tamari Miyashiro has replaced All-American Candace Lee (now playing with the U.S. national team) at libero. Junior Ashley Aratani, a serving and defensive specialist, rotates in and out of UW's back line.
What last year's team had that this year's team is still seeking is the near-telepathic interaction of players who had played together for years. This squad, McLaughlin says, has the potential to develop that same instinctive flow.
"I'm anxious to see us play where it gets hotter in the kitchen, to see if we have the composure we need," he said. "Transferring what we learn day by day in practice to game day is the issue for us. We've got systems in place. Now it starts counting, so I'm curious to see what our composure is like. We've trained well, so we should play well."
Copyright © 2006 The Seattle Times Company
seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/huskies/2003268347_uwvolley21.html
volleyball team doesn't get much press in the seattle times, so I had to post it here.
