Post by snickers on Aug 15, 2007 5:19:31 GMT -5
Newcomers have U aiming high
Five incoming freshmen, ranked the fourth best recruiting class in the nation, have coach Mike Hebert talking in superlatives about his team's prospects.
By Roman Augustoviz, Star Tribune
Last update: August 14, 2007 – 11:01 PM
Mike Hebert, starting his 12th season as volleyball coach for the Gophers and his 32nd overall, has lofty ambitions.
"At this stage of my career, I'm not just interested in winning, I'm interested in winning championships," Hebert, 63, said Tuesday at the team's media day.
Hebert said his 2007 team, based on what he has seen in six days of practice, has the potential to do just that.
The Gophers were 26-8 a year ago, placed second in the Big Ten and reached an NCAA region final before losing to eventual national champion Nebraska after winning the first two games.
Gone are first-team All-Big Ten players Kelly Bowman, Meredith Nelson and Malama Peniata, but the incoming freshman class of five is ranked the fourth best in the nation by prepvolleyball.com. Another addition is senior Kelly Roysland, the women's basketball team captain last season. Roysland, named the state's top volleyball player in 2002 as a senior at Fosston High School, has one season of volleyball eligibility left as a graduate student.
Hebert expects Roysland and many others to contribute. He calls this team his deepest ever at Minnesota: "I'm actually going to be able to look down the bench and find someone who is a real good player who can go in and spell somebody."
He expects several freshmen either to start or to become starters as the season progresses. "Lauren [Gibbemeyer] is already a polished player and could well be the best middle blocker ever to play at Minnesota," Hebert said. "And Brook Dieter is an outside hitter who is absolutely one of the best athletes we have ever had."
Gibbemeyer and Dieter played at Cretin-Derham Hall and Bloomington Kennedy, respectively.
Jessy Jones, a 6-3 middle blocker, is the only other senior besides Roysland. "For us to get anywhere near our goals, [Jones] has to have an All-America type year," Hebert said, "and so far in practice she has been playing like that."
Five incoming freshmen, ranked the fourth best recruiting class in the nation, have coach Mike Hebert talking in superlatives about his team's prospects.
By Roman Augustoviz, Star Tribune
Last update: August 14, 2007 – 11:01 PM
Mike Hebert, starting his 12th season as volleyball coach for the Gophers and his 32nd overall, has lofty ambitions.
"At this stage of my career, I'm not just interested in winning, I'm interested in winning championships," Hebert, 63, said Tuesday at the team's media day.
Hebert said his 2007 team, based on what he has seen in six days of practice, has the potential to do just that.
The Gophers were 26-8 a year ago, placed second in the Big Ten and reached an NCAA region final before losing to eventual national champion Nebraska after winning the first two games.
Gone are first-team All-Big Ten players Kelly Bowman, Meredith Nelson and Malama Peniata, but the incoming freshman class of five is ranked the fourth best in the nation by prepvolleyball.com. Another addition is senior Kelly Roysland, the women's basketball team captain last season. Roysland, named the state's top volleyball player in 2002 as a senior at Fosston High School, has one season of volleyball eligibility left as a graduate student.
Hebert expects Roysland and many others to contribute. He calls this team his deepest ever at Minnesota: "I'm actually going to be able to look down the bench and find someone who is a real good player who can go in and spell somebody."
He expects several freshmen either to start or to become starters as the season progresses. "Lauren [Gibbemeyer] is already a polished player and could well be the best middle blocker ever to play at Minnesota," Hebert said. "And Brook Dieter is an outside hitter who is absolutely one of the best athletes we have ever had."
Gibbemeyer and Dieter played at Cretin-Derham Hall and Bloomington Kennedy, respectively.
Jessy Jones, a 6-3 middle blocker, is the only other senior besides Roysland. "For us to get anywhere near our goals, [Jones] has to have an All-America type year," Hebert said, "and so far in practice she has been playing like that."
