Offseason Update with Humphreys and Olson
5/18/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
NACOGDOCHES, Texas -- The Stephen F. Austin women's volleyball team concluded their spring training schedule a few weeks ago and head coach Debbie Humphreys and senior captain OJ Olson are optimistic about the progress made heading into the summer months.
The Ladyjacks competed in several tournaments over the spring, facing Southland Conference and Power Five schools alike. After losing a strong trio of seniors in Paige Holland, Jill Ivy and Janet Hill, Humphreys' team set out to build a new identity during the first few months of the offseason. Her team worked hard with one goal in mind for the fall: defend their Southland Conference title.
Led by returning All-Southland Conference selections, Jacque Allen, Justice Walker and Olson, along with up-and-coming defensive specialist Lexus Cain and hard-hitting outside hitters Abby McIntyre and Tori Bates, SFA will be considered one of the favorites of the Southland once again in 2015.
Humphreys, the 2014 SLC Coach of the Year, and Olson, a two-time all-conference pick, weighed in on the offseason so far:
Debbie Humphreys
Five-time Southland Conference Coach of the Year
On the overall thoughts at the conclusion of the spring season:
"I thought that it was a very productive spring. The goal each spring is to take the new group that you have and get them ready for the fall without the addition of the new girls that will join the team in August. It was a really good spring for us in terms of developing and understanding new roles and solidifying on-court relationships. We had some people that were able to play a six-rotation role to gain that experience even though they may not do so in the fall. There were a lot of consistent things going on in the gym. Some people really stepped up and showed that if they play the same way in the fall, they'll be ready to take on a starting role and carry a big piece of the offensive pie for us. It's time now to just focus on keeping in shape, recharge the batteries a little bit and get the head in the right place before August."
On the biggest surprise or biggest strides made during the spring:
"I don't know if there were any surprises. There were a couple things that our coaching staff hoped would happen that did happen. Our middles (Jacque Allen and Justice Walker) continued to do a very nice job for us, which was something that we expected. Tori Bates and Abby McIntyre really stepped up on the pins and showed a lot of consistency in their games. Then I thought Shannon Connell at the setting position did a really nice job for us. She's taking over the reigns in that position and it was great to see her running the show and becoming a calm presence on the court. I think her confidence got a nice boost and she improved every single week over the course of the spring. Those are all really good signs heading into the fall."
On the new senior leadership heading into the fall:
"It's funny how you can just change a few pieces and the dynamic of the whole team changes tremendously. We had a very strong leadership core a year ago and I feel like we have a very strong group this year as well in that regard -- it's just different. They're leadership style is a little bit different but we have a group of upperclassmen who all have the same goal. They all want to go out winners. They want to put this thing back-to-back and win another title. They know that we are talented enough to do that and that they're leadership will determine whether or not we reach those goals. It's a big responsibility on them but I look forward to watching them rise to that challenge."
 
OJ Olson
Senior libero
Two-time All-Southland Conference selection
On the chemistry of the team during the spring season:
"It was definitely a lot different this spring. We lost some key pieces but we gained new people as well. The big focus for the spring was the team concept. The past few months we really just zoned in on that. We really can't do what we did last year without the entire team buying in. The team concept was a big idea last year and we're really trying to incorporate that with the new players. We came closer together each day during the spring and we'll continue to build as a unit moving into next season."
On the message given to the newcomers by the senior leaders:
"We just let them know that the offseason is the time to get better with our new teammates and develop the new team dynamic. For the younger players, the offseason is the time to show the coaches what you can do and how much you've improved. If you're consistently not performing well it's going to be hard for the coaches to rely on you when the fall season comes around."
On the team goals for the 2015 season:
"The number one goal for our team for the 2015 season is winning another Southland Conference Championship. Beyond that we also really want to make it to the NCAA Tournament. This team has the potential to be really great. It's going to be hard because we did lose some really talented players, but we're definitely capable of accomplishing the same goals. We'll just have to put the work in day-in and day-out."
On the motivation and drive to repeat as conference champions:
"There is definitely extra motivation to win a conference championship after getting it done last year. The upperclassmen are already trying to stress to the newcomers that last year's accomplishments are the bare minimum of what we want to try and do moving forward. We want to keep improving and making the program better. We're all really excited to try and do that in the fall."
-SFA-
