Ladyjack 2009 Preview: Middle Blockers
8/19/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Aug. 19, 2009
Returners: Ashley Baiey, MC Bottles, Arielle Daron
Newcomers: Amber Doolittle
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - Consensus throughout sports says that to build a team you should do so from the inside out, and if that holds up then the Ladyjacks should be just fine in 2009. The strength of the team should come at the net with middle blockers Ashley Bailey and MC Bottles each returning after all-conference campaigns a year ago. Only SFA and UTA landed multiple players in the top 10 in the league in blocks in 2008, with Bailey topping the league leaders in blocks per set, rejecting 1.00 a set.
A redshirt senior, Bailey is the most experienced player on the entire Ladyjack roster and has made dramatic strides in each of the last two seasons. This year she is poised to take over a larger role, including a more pronounced leadership capacity.
"She has really become a leader on this squad, which early on was not even something that we had put on her list of things we needed from her," Humphreys said. "She has amazing athleticism, and is one of those players that if she can go out and play relaxed volleyball, great things can happen because she can do things athletically that you cannot coach."
Bottles was a pleasant surprise for SFA last year, and after becoming the first Ladyjack to ever be named to the All-SLC First Team as a freshman she will likely be the go-to offensive threat for SFA this year. As a freshman Bottles finished third in the entire SLC with a .356 hitting percentage, the fourth-best mark ever at SFA.
"Even though she is only a sophomore the team has a tremendous amount of respect for her. She has a tremendous work ethic and is someone that is trying to improve every day," Humphreys said. "She knows that she has room to improve and goes about it the right way, in addition to being smart in understanding the game and understanding her role. We will look to her to carry a big offensive load for us and be a true leader on the court on those three rotations at the middle blocker position."
Arielle Daron and freshman Amber Doolittle round out the middle blocking corps, each providing essential depth that will come in as the year progresses. Daron is a very streaky player who has played both outside hitter and in the middle in her first two seasons and could see time at both positions this year if the need arises. As for Doolittle, Humphreys likens her to former SLC Player of the Year Brittany Burton as a player with a ton of upside but with relatively little volleyball experience.
Doolittle could prove to be an eventual steal after not playing club volleyball until after her senior year of high school. Instead, she split time between volleyball and basketball for Arlington Seguin's state-ranked squad.
Previous Entries:
-SFA-
