SFA Volleyball Set to Open Season
8/22/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Aug. 22, 2006
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - The Stephen F. Austin Ladyjack volleyball team is coming off a record season in 2005. SFA posted a 28-3 overall mark for a .903 winning percentage that ranks as the best in school history. The Ladyjacks also won the program's fifth Southland Conference championship with a 19-0 league mark -- the first undefeated SLC season by a league team since 2000. SFA cleaned up in postseason honors, winning four of the six SLC superlative awards and placing five players on the all-conference teams.
In addition to dominating the conference race, SFA collected some big non-conference wins. The list of Ladyjack victims includes Wichita State, a team that was nationally ranked at the time of the meeting and finished the season in the American Volleyball Coaches Association Top 25. SFA also knocked off Big 12 team Iowa State.
The 2005 campaign was indeed one to remember. But, since she hopes for a similar performance in the 2006 season, which begins this weekend with the New Mexico Tournament, SFA head coach Debbie Humphreys wants her team to forget about it -- at least for the next few months.
"It will be very important for us to keep our focus on the right things," the 18-year veteran coach said. "Rather than focusing on winning a third consecutive SLC title or getting to the NCAA Tournament, we must focus on the basics."
Humphreys knows what she's talking about. Her 406 career wins as a coach in the Southland Conference are the most by far of any coach in SLC history. Among that same group, her .674 career winning percentage ranks second overall and is the best winning percentage of any Southland skipper to have coached more than 300 games in the conference.
Humphreys prefers for her teams to concentrate on doing the little things right with the understanding that, if this is accomplished, the big things will fall into place on their own.
"We need to play hard, play smart and execute the game plan," she said. "If we do these things consistently, the outcome will take care of itself. Our job is to play at the level we are capable of, every time we step out on the court."
With just two regular-season losses, a 21-match winning streak and 16 three-game sweeps to their credit in 2005, consistency was no problem for last year's Ladyjacks. SFA returns the bulk of that squad, including all five of last year's All-SLC selections, and has added a trio of talented prep recruits for the 2006 season.
"As they are every season, the expectations are very high for the 2006 squad," Humphreys said. "High expectations are something we are used to around here, so we don't really view it as pressure. We graduated two starters, but our younger players are ready to step up and fill those shoes."
Following is a position-by-position look at the 2006 Ladyjacks.
Defensive Specialists
The Ladyjack back row will likely be the most experienced spot on the floor this season. Seniors Stephanie Figgers and Cristin Hopkin will handle the bulk of the duties at the rear of the SFA defense.
A three-time All-SLC honoree, Figgers is coming off a career year in 2005. In her third season as the Ladyjack libero, she broke the school record for single-season digs with 621. That total was one better than the record she set the previous season and moved her into first place on the school's career list with 1,745 total digs. Her efforts earned her SLC Libero of the Year honors for the second straight year, as well as a spot on the All-SLC first team. Figgers was named the conference's defensive player of the week eight of the 11 times she was nominated for the award.
"I expect her leadership and consistent play to be a driving force for this team, as we strive for another championship," Humphreys said.
As evidence of her leadership capabilities, Figgers has been named one of two co-captains for the 2006 season.
Hopkin gives the Ladyjacks another experienced player behind the attack line. The senior played in only eight games last season, but recorded 10 digs.
"Hop has the perfect attitude heading into her senior season," Humphreys said. "She understands her role, and she has finally relaxed and is playing with so much confidence."
Middle Blockers
Returning all-conference selection Traci Rohde leads a solid group of middle blockers heading into the 2006 season. Rohde, a junior, played in all 111 games last season and posted a team-best 132 blocks. Rohde was also third on the team in kills with 344, and her .293 attack percentage led the squad. For her efforts, Rohde was named to the third-team all-conference list.
"She is doing everything we need from a middle blocker, and she has become a go-to player," Humphreys said of Rohde. "Traci will be a great mentor for our younger middles."
The quartet of players lined up behind Rohde is nicely staggered with a pair of sophomores and two freshmen. Sophomores Ashley Edwards and Ashley Bailey will vie for playing time with freshman recruits Kelsie Heppler and Briana Taylor.
Humphreys said she expects Edwards to surprise some teams with her talent level this season and calls Bailey "an amazing athlete.
"She is working to improve her consistency, because that is the next step she must take to become a dominant middle blocker."
Outside Hitters
Outside hitter may be the deepest and most talented position on the floor for the Ladyjacks this season. Three returning players saw significant time in 2005, and two were good enough to earn all-conference recognition. Returning SLC Player of the Year Laura Cramer, returning SLC Freshman of the Year Lauren Railey, and Jami Hill each made significant contributions last season.
Cramer, a senior and 2006 co-captain, was recognized as the best player in the Southland Conference a year ago. She recorded double-figure kills in all but two matches and posted 20 double-digit digs performances. She put up 20 double-doubles over the course of the season. Cramer's 449 kills led the team, as did her 524.5 total points. She averaged 4.12 kills per game and posted a .251 attack percentage. In addition to her player of the year award, Cramer was named First-Team All-SLC.
"Cramer drives this team with her take-charge attitude in pressure situations," Humphreys said. "She is the kind of player who will do whatever it takes to get the desired outcome, because she hates to lose."
Opposite Cramer in the starting rotation, Railey returns after cobbling together a very impressive rookie campaign. Railey played in all but one game last season and was second only to Cramer in kills. Her 354 digs tied with Cramer for second on the team. Railey was named to the All-SLC third team, and Humphreys expects continued improvement in 2006.
"We are looking for some big things from Ray this fall," Humphreys said.
Hill will join Cramer and Railey as an experienced part of the outside hitter rotation after having played in 111 games as a sophomore. She put down just 22 kills but led the team in service aces with 47 and posted the third-best digs total with 287.
"Jami is very competitive and has tremendous pursuit," Humphreys said. "She showed greater consistency in the spring, and we have no doubt that will carry over to the fall."
Sophomore Shelly Swendig and freshman Lauren Michael will provide quality depth. Swendig appeared in 35 games last season and averaged 1.23 kills per game.
Setters
The Ladyjacks return more than enough quality depth and experience at setter with both junior J.J. Jones and senior Lauren Adams. Jones is coming off an impressive 2005 campaign that earned her SLC Setter of the Year honors, a year after being named SLC Freshman of the Year. She was also a First-Team All-SLC selection.
Jones led the league with 1,378 assists, the seventh-best total in school history. She averaged 12.64 assists per game, a figure that ranks third in the SFA record books. Her two-year total of 2,489 assists ranks fourth on the school's all-time list. Jones gave her best performance of the year in the Ladyjacks' 3-1 win at McNeese State. She was named College Volleyball Update's National Player of the Week after posting a 10-kill, 13-dig, 55-assist effort in the win.
"J.J. made huge strides this past spring, and she has really matured as a player," Humphreys said. "She has always been a fierce competitor and a great leader and teammate, but now she is so much more."
The coach also lauded Adams for her dependability and affable nature.
"L.A. is a teammate everyone can count on," she said. "She fills a role that must be filled and does it with an extremely witty personality."
2006 Schedule
Humphreys has put together a tough slate of opponents for her squad in 2006. The foes include 2005 NCAA Tournament qualifiers Arkansas, Utah State and Sacramento State. In addition, the Southland Conference is shifting to divisional play for the 2006 season after adding Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Central Arkansas to the league.
"Our schedule will be challenging this season, and we will be in divisional play for our conference matches, which is something new," Humphreys said. "It is also our year to have an abundance of road games. These are challenges that the players will be prepared for."
The Ladyjacks are scheduled to play 19 of their 30 matches on the road. The home fans will have the chance to see SFA compete against both Baylor and Houston when the two teams come to Nacogdoches as part of the five-team field for the SFA Tournament. The tournament is scheduled for Sept. 8-9.
The Ladyjacks open the season Friday at the New Mexico Tournament in Albuquerque, N.M. SFA will kick off the tournament by playing California-Riverside at 4:30 p.m. The Ladyjacks are also scheduled to meet Utah State and New Mexico in the tournament.
-- SFA --
