University of Massachusets Athletics
2000 Volleyball Outlook
August 22, 2000 | Women's Volleyball
Aug. 22, 2000
AMHERST, Mass. - As the University of Massachusetts Minutewomen head into the 2000 volleyball season, questions may arise about what Head Coach Bonnie Kenny is cooking up for this campaign to put the Minutewomen on top of the Atlantic 10 Conference and in search of their first conference title.
The answer is quite simple. Versatility, depth and pure athleticism. This is the recipe for success and triumph in the year 2000 for the UMass Minutewomen.
"We have 13 good, athletic volleyball players on our team this year, and most of them can play more than one position," Kenny says. "So the versatility that that will provide, along with depth, is something we have never had here before. I believe it is going to be a challenge everyday in the gym for people to get comfortable with whatever role they can perform at."
Kenny enters into her eighth year at UMass, compiling a mark of 140-91 while with the Minutewomen. She returns nine letterwinners from last season's squad and adds four promising newcomers this season. The Minutewomen will have to fill the key roles departed by last year's senior class of national digs leader Kari Hogancamp and Woody Hayes National Scholar-Athlete Jill Meyers. Together, the dynamic duo gathered 7.66 kills and 8.56 digs per game a year ago.
Kenny is hoping her Minutewoman squad can continue the traditional greatness that players like Hogancamp and Meyers have demonstrated in their stay at UMass.
"You don't replace people who have played in every match since they were freshman and who have broken several school records," Kenny says. "Both Kari and Jill were great volleyball players, who also performed exceptionally well in the classroom. They've left an imprint on this program, and if every student-athlete could do what they've done here, our program will only keep getting better."
"We are giving up a lot on defense," Kenny says. "And defense is something you have to train people to love. It is much more difficult to teach people offense. So we took a different approach in recruiting this year and focused more on the offensive strategy of the game. We have always been respected as a solid defensive team. Now, we've gotten bigger, which adds more fire power offensively, and our block is bigger and more effective."
Kenny's freshman class includes Lindsay Bailey, Kuulei Kamanao, Crystal Kirk and Kelly Lewis. Though these rookies are young and inexperienced, they all have the capability of succeeding at UMass if the effort and determination is put forth.
"All the freshmen coming in are `freshmen,'" Kenny says. "I know they have the potential to be good, otherwise I wouldn't have brought them here. If they decide they want to train hard, all of them can be major contributors at this level and have an impact on UMass volleyball."
Following is a position-by-position breakdown of the 2000 Minutewomen:
Outside Hitter
The Minutewomen should be strong again in the outside hitting position this season with junior Lymarie Llovet and sophomore Jen Davis heading the list of returnees.
Llovet averaged 1.67 kills and 2.38 digs per game last season, and provided a solid showing at the net as well, swatting 0.83 blocks per game to rank second on the team.
"Lymarie is the best natural-timing blocking athlete I have ever had," Kenny says. "She is getting much more explosive and she hits a lot of different sets."
Davis came on strong for UMass near the end of the 1999 campaign, posting 1.06 kills and 1.47 digs per game in her rookie season. She should be an influential presence on the court this year, complimenting Llovet as the Minutewomen's go-to attackers.
"Jen was one of the best players all-around by the end of last season," Kenny says. "She has no limitations in her game. She is a natural passer and has a lot of shots to mix up her game. There is no reason why she shouldn't be a dominant player for us this year in our conference."
Junior Janeen DeMarte also returns for UMass this season in the outside hitting spot. She will be counted on as one of the squad's primary defenders, as well. She registered 2.23 kills and 2.94 digs last season, with her digs mark ranking third on the team.
"Janeen is one of the smaller outside hitters we have," Kenny says. "And because of that, she has to be able to escape blocks. She doesn't play very high, but she plays very quick. And her arm swing is just as fast, if not faster than anyone on our team.
"A primary role for her this year will be to pass and play defense. She trained very hard this spring playing middle-back defense, and I like her speed. So we will have to be creative in how we use her quickness."
Newcomers Bailey and Lewis will add some depth to this position, as well. Bailey will bring some Canadian Junior National Team experience with her to UMass this season, which should aide her in her first season with the Minutewomen.
"Lindsay has a lot of good international playing experience," Kenny says. "She is an excellent athlete, who has good ball control and great leaping ability."
Lewis, the 1999 California Interscholastic Federation's Division IV Volleyball Player of the Year, is a physical player who has natural blocking ability.
"Kelly is versatile," Kenny says. "She played on a very good club team and has trained very well. She has good vision, timing and blocking, and is a good slide-hitter."
Middle Blocker
The top returnee on the squad this season, junior Rebecca Hasson will lead the list of middle blockers during the 2000 campaign. Hasson, a candidate for this year's Atlantic 10 Player of the Year award, holds the best UMass single-season block assists and total blocks mark after tallying 103 block assists and 129 total blocks last season to pace the squad in those categories.
Along with fellow senior Jenni Drennan, Hasson will be called upon this year to provide quality senior leadership to the underclassmen.
"Rebecca is someone who has trained hard to become a good volleyball player," Kenny says. "I don't know if I know anybody who has the physical tools to play the game at the level Rebecca is. She is a dominant blocker and is very capable of carrying our team on the offensive end."
UMass is a little taller this season in the middle blocking position with four middle blockers at six feet tall or above, including sophomore Clare Baxter (6-0), Kirk (6-2) and junior Celia Wiste (6-0). Hasson also stands at six feet tall.
Baxter and Wiste both saw limited playing time last season, but showed some promising improvement during the spring campaign. As a result, both players should see plenty of action this year.
"Clare is our best slide-attacker, which adds a different dimension in our offense," Kenny says. "I thought this spring she enjoyed training more than she has since high school. And she knows she needs to train hard to be able to do the things she needs to do to get her on the court.
"And nobody works harder than Celia," Kenny says. "So now she needs to play. She needs to develop a sense of arrogance about herself and a confidence within herself, and she will be a contributor for us in the front row. She is a rosebud, and any day now, she is going to blossom for us."
Kirk comes in from Laguna Creek (Calif.) High School, where she was an All-County All-Star Team selection last season.
"Crystal will be the tallest person on our team," Kenny says. "She will have no idea as to how fast this game is played at this level. But if she makes up her mind that she wants to be a great volleyball player, she will certainly have the tools and the potential to break a lot of records."
Setter
The setter position will feature both experience and youth this season with veteran setter Jenni Drennan returning for her final season with the Minutewomen and newcomer Kamanao preparing for her first.
Drennan, who also shares the responsibility as the team's defensive specialist, served as the backup setter last season, but should be UMass' starter this season as a result of her senior experience.
"Jenni is used to the people who are in the gym," Kenny says. "And that is going to really help her. She is a senior now, and she needs to understand that you can't get frustrated as a setter when you are running the team. As the setter, you are the quarterback of the team, so she needs to make sure she is always under control and thinking on her feet and making good decisions."
Kamanao was the backup setter at No. 1-ranked Kamehameha (Hawaii) High School last year.
"Kuulei has good club and high school setting experience," Kenny says. "She just doesn't have the experience of training and playing at this level. She's trained with really good setters, but now she needs to understand that in order for her to become a good setter at the collegiate level, she's going to have to train just as hard if not harder than she ever has before."
Right Side
The UMass coaches are excited about the contributions they could get from their right-siders this season, with junior Lauren Vander Veen and redshirt-freshman Nitia Small both returning from an actionless campaign in 1999.
Vander Veen sat out the 1999 season due to a knee injury, but should be raring to go in 2000 for the Minutewomen.
"In the beginning of the spring, Lauren was a little passive and tentative coming back from her knee injury," Kenny says. "But she has worked hard and overcame these barriers. She got over the fear that her knee would not be able to hold her up, and she's stronger than she has ever been. She's going to be a contributor, but she needs to get the experience back on the court and maintain her focus throughout the season."
Kenny has high expectations of Small, who redshirted last year for training purposes. She is the lone left-handed athlete on the roster, which could provide more attack options for UMass on the offensive end.
"Nitia is a tremendous athlete," Kenny says. "We redshirted her last season because we thought she needed to train and get stronger, and she's done everything we've asked of her. She will add a whole different dimension to our offense this year."
Wrap Up
The Minutewomen have put together yet another challenging non-conference schedule this year with preseason tournaments at Colorado State, Hofstra and New Hampshire, along with individual matches against rivals UConn and Fairfield.
Kenny is hoping the non-conference schedule will help prepare the squad for the Atlantic 10 season.
"I look at our conference as being strong from top to bottom," Kenny says. "It's going to be a toss up, but we want to win our conference and make sure we are playing in our conference tournament. And just as it has been in the past, it is going to be a challenge. Our players are going to have to step up to the plate and make sure that night in and night out, they are ready to play."
The UMass team is poised and ready to head into the 2000 campaign, carrying along with them their bag of ingredients, including athleticism, depth and versatility, which will likely cause a stir among its opponents this season.
They have what it takes to rise to the top of the Atlantic 10 Conference. And with their mixture of talented youth and experienced veterans, these women should be a dominant threat to capture the conference title and rise into the top ranks in the Atlantic 10 and New England region.