Aug. 26, 2008

ROMEOVILLE, Ill. - In 2007 the Lewis University women's volleyball team won the Great Lakes Valley Conference Championship, advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 and finished with a No. 11 national ranking.

The squad didn't settle for merely winning, they often dominated, setting a school record with 22 shutouts and a .889 winning percentage.

The challenge for the current team is to let last year be last year, and move on to 2008. Luckily, this isn't a new task for some. Six current Flyers were on the 2006 squad that used a late postseason push to win the championship. They then helped Lewis to the impressive accomplishments of the 2007 season and now will help give the 2008 squad their own identity.

Make no mistake though; according to head coach Lorelee Smith, their previous championship experiences will help the 2008 squad.

"The last two years have given this team a ton of confidence," Smith said. "In volleyball, confidence can give you an extra edge. They believe in themselves and know what it takes to win."

Smith has been impressed with the desire of her squad in the preseason.

"So far they are hustling and working just as hard as last year." Smith said. "The energy, hustle and desire to keep the ball off the floor is all there."

It will be the task of Smith and her coaching staff to keep that level of energy all season. Luckily for the Flyers, assistants Natalie Wildes and David Heller both return for a second season.

"Having both of them back is huge. Natalie has a great mind for the game and we can always bounce ideas off each other," Smith said. "David is an unbelievably hard worker; Lewis volleyball wouldn't be where it is without him."

According to Smith, Heller was instrumental last year in pushing the players to reach their stated goals. He will look to do the same this year.

"Last year we reached and surpassed every single goal we set," Smith said. "David forced them to set goals and determine how to reach them. This included what they needed from each other and coaches. If you can give yourself that specific outline, there is no reason to fail."

Instrumental in reaching said lofty goals was former setter Andrea Morrone. She graduated second all-time in career assists (4,578) and was a true leader on and off the court.

But Morrone isn't the only loss the Flyers have on their plate. The squad has been hit with injuries even before the preseason began. Most notably, sophomore All-GLVC libero Ashlee Lindish will miss the year with a knee injury.

"Losing Ashlee for the season is a huge hit. She is a spark plug and her attitude to never let the ball hit the floor is infectious," Smith said. "We will need someone to adopt that approach and ability."

Senior Lauren Hatter will possibly step in for Lindish. Hatter is more than capable to step up to the challenge. She earned All-GLVC honors at libero on Lewis' 2006 championship team. She also is one of Lewis' best servers, ranking tenth all-time in career aces (94).

"She looks great and is very excited at the possibility of being the libero," Smith said. "She's also really stepping up as a leader. She has a positive attitude and came back ready to compete."

Hatter is one of three seniors. Justina Begemann, a transfer last year, and Jackie Eichorst round out the senior class. Both will be looked to for leadership.

"Justina hits a heavy ball and puts up a strong block," Smith said. "She is an intense, high energy player with a work ethic and inner drive to always improve. That is a quality the underclassmen can look up to."

"I'm really glad Jackie is back for a third season. She is a vocal leader and willing to help the team out on the court or on the sidelines," Smith said. "Last year she was like another assistant coach."

The Flyers are lucky to have a roster with three seniors, but they are also fortunate to have four juniors who only know Lewis volleyball as GLVC Champions. Look no further than dynamic outside hitter Stephanie Sagat. Through two seasons Sagat has totaled 853 kills. If she matches this number over her final two years, she will become Lewis' all-time career kills leader.

"Stephanie looks great. She's stepped up to be a leader and has a huge desire to push the team forward," Smith said. "She's worked hard over the summer and is a winner. She is very fun to watch play volleyball."

Starting middle hitter Kim Richards had a breakthrough year in 2007, earning All-GLVC Second Team honors.

"In my opinion Kim is the quickest middle in the conference," Smith said. "She came from an amazing high school program that taught her to go for the kill and never let the ball drop; that's what makes her a winner also."

Between Sagat and Richards, the Flyers have a one-two punch matched by few teams.

"Based on last season on match point, when the ball is in the air, you want it going to Stephanie or Kim," Smith put simply.

Jessica Guest and Sara deBuhr both have two championship rings . Unfortunately, Guest suffered a knee injury and has yet to practice in the preseason.

"Since she is unable to play right now, she can help the team most through a positive attitude and provide support," Smith said. "She has done that and it's what I expect from her till she is cleared to play."

deBuhr saw more time in the second half of last year, including starting 13 matches. She led the team with 100 blocks while adding 292 kills.

"Sara has come back in shape and looks good," Smith said. "She has a great arm swing, puts up a big block and can play middle or right side. She's very versatile and has a great attitude."

New to the Flyers is junior transfer Lakeita Jones.

"Lakeita has an amazing vertical jump and a strong presence on the court," Smith said. "She is fun to watch and is willing to work at the technical side of volleyball to advance her game."

Another Flyer with impressive physical skills is sophomore Lauren Seliga. She jumped into the starting lineup as a freshman and recorded 402 digs, 290 kills and 40 blocks. She set season bests in kills (13) and aces (3) in Lewis' thrilling comeback victory over Southern Illinois Edwardsville in the GLVC Tournament.

"Lauren has an ability to read the court and the other team better than anyone else," Smith said. "Combining that with her ball control, it makes it hard to not have her on the court."

Sophomore Danielle Mount has been impressive in the preseason.

"Danielle worked unbelievably hard during the summer. She came back by far in the best shape," Smith said. "She got stronger, faster and is jumping higher. She is continuing to impress."

Sophomore Kelly McConkey is another Flyer bit by the injury bug. She is likely to redshirt this season but showed promise last season.

" Kelly came in to two high pressured match situations last year and got kills and played a confident outside." Smith said. "For a freshman to do that I'm excited to see what she can do in the future."

In addition to Lindish, sophomore Rachel Ruedi rounds out the sophomore class. She and freshman Katie Crawford are competing to fill the setter position.

"Rachel has a good chance at starting at setter," Smith said. "She can put up a good block and has the right personality to lead the team. I've been pleased with her desire to work and get better.

"Katie has a great touch on the ball and nice soft hands," Smith said. "She has a solid training background that has prepared her for the mental side of the game."

Colleen Mitros, Hannah Koeneman, Faith Watson and Kayla Murphy round out Smith's second recruiting class at Lewis.

"Colleen is a tremendously gifted physical athlete. She is very quick and has a great vertical," Smith said. "The way she is playing in the preseason, she has a good chance at stepping into a key role this year."

Koeneman is a middle hitter looking for playing time at either the middle or right side spot.

"Hannah hits a heavy ball and is a big block. That is something as a team we need to improve on," Smith said.

Faith Watson is a left handed right side attacker.

"She is quick, athletic and very coachable," Smith said. "As the season goes on we are going to see great strides from her."

Kayla Murphy is another Flyer with a knee injury and is likely to redshirt for 2008.

"Kayla is a tremendous athlete. She is strong, quick and can jump. She also works very hard," Smith said. "Once medically released I'm excited to see how good she can be."

The 2008 schedule looks to be considerably tougher than in years past. The Flyers jump right into the national spotlight, opening the season at the Cal State San Bernardino Tournament. Lewis' second match of the year is against defending national champion and preseason No. 1 Concordia-St. Paul. The next day the Flyers play preseason No. 4 Cal State San Bernardino and No. 22 UC San Diego.

"If your goal is to go far in the postseason, it makes sense to play the caliber of teams you hope to see in the NCAA Tournament," Smith said. "I think being invited to quality tournaments is a testament to the national statement the program has made."

It is clear Lewis has started to earn national respect. After fighting to break into the national rankings last year, the Flyers earned a GLVC best No. 15 ranking in the 2008 AVCA Division II Preseason Coaches Poll. In the conference poll though, Lewis was picked to finish second in the GLVC East Division.

"Based on the past two years I was surprised we didn't earn the top spot in the GLVC preseason poll. But we did lose key parts from last year," Smith admitted. "It just gives us a little more drive and fight to get back where we want to be, and that's not a bad thing."

Adding more fuel to the fire of a back-to-back championship program? That can only be bad for Lewis opponents.