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The University of Utah Athletics
2015 Utah Volleyball Preview
8/24/2015 12:00 AM | Volleyball
Aug. 24, 2015
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SALT LAKE CITY. - Following a second-straight NCAA appearance in 2014, the Utah Volleyball team will again be looking to make yet another run into the postseason in 2015.
Despite losing six seniors from last season's squad that went 20-13 overall, 9-11 in Pac-12 play and 1-1 in the NCAA Tournament, head coach Beth Launiere feels that this year's team is ready for the next challenge.
"I am really excited about the good, young talent that we have going into the season," the 26-year head coach said. "The team is going to look a lot different then it did last season, but we are embracing that. We know that losing as much experience as we did from last year - with the six seniors - that these current players are going to have to step up into some new roles. These players are going to take on new dynamics and new leadership roles, not to mention the fact that we are also introducing a new staff. I still think it is going to be an exciting year and a new base for us to build from again."
The Utes will head into the 2015 campaign with just three seniors to go along with three juniors, four sophomores, three redshirt freshmen and four incoming freshmen, but Launiere knows that the young core of players that she returns has the experience needed to build off of last season's team - a squad that swept Kansas State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament and lost a hard-fought five-set battle against Nebraska on its home court.
While Launiere may not have six seniors to count on this season, she does have the luxury of bringing back veteran setter Kendall Cygan, who she will look on to lead this squad during her senior campaign.
"Kendall has a lot of experience for us," said Launiere. "She has been a three-year player in this program and I think that she is ready to go in terms of being that senior leader. She understands what it takes and she knows that she has the most experience of anyone else on the team."
Launiere will also rely on the senior leadership of Brenna DeYoung, as well as a pair of juniors in Tess Sutton and Alyssa Koenig, who will look to increase their roles heading into the new season.
"Brenna is our other senior that we will rely on, as well," said Launiere. "Seniors just add that invaluable experience to a team, so I will look for both her and Kendall to take that senior leadership role and run with it.
"Tess and Alyssa have been in the program for a while now. They are a pair of juniors that are embracing the idea that they are among the more experienced group. I believe they are both enjoying taking on that responsibility."
Utah also has the luxury of returning three sophomores that played a key role in the Utes' run to the postseason last year. Outside hitters Adora Anae and middle blocker Carly Trueman return to the court and all three players know that their individual roles will change as the team heads into the new year.
"On the court we bring back three players that were freshmen last year and all three of those players played a huge part in what we did at the end of the season," said Launiere. "I don't know if it is as much a leadership role, as it is taking on a role of being that "go-to" player, but I think Adora, Carly and Eliza are accepting that role. I think, as they get better as the season moves on that they will show us that leadership-by-example kind of role.
"I think Adora's experience with the USA Women's Junior National Team this past summer is going to be good for her. She handled a lot of responsibility on a team where she was one of the older ones and I think that was vital for her. On the court, she is going to have a very large role for us."
The 2015 season will get underway Aug. 28-29 when Utah welcomes Idaho State, Cal State Northridge and Lipscomb to the annual Utah Volleyball Classic. The Utes' first road contest of the season will take place on Sept. 1 at Utah State, while the first Pac-12 match will be played against Colorado on Sept. 23 in Salt Lake City.
- SETTERS
Utah enters the season with three setters on the current roster, including four-year veteran Kendall Cygan, redshirt freshman Jessie Jorgensen and incoming freshman Emily Twohig.
With 95 starts in her career, Cygan brings experience to the position, but Jorgensen did manage to compete in nine matches in 2014 before an injury sidelined her for the remainder of the season.
Cygan, who tallied 543 assists (4.98/set) heads into the 2015 campaign ranked No. 7 all-time with 1,864 career assists and should she get at least her 621 assists-per-season average, she would finish ranked No. 6 on the list. Meanwhile, Jorgensen will look to pick-up where she left off from last season, after tallying a total of 87 assists (4.14/set) and recording five service aces, as well.
- OUTSIDE/RIGHT SIDE HITTERS
All-Pac-12 Freshman Team selection Adora Anae returns for sophomore campaign, along with fellow sophomore Eliza Katoa. Emma Kirst will look to make an impact for the Utes this season after sitting out a redshirt season in 2014 and incoming transfers Bailee Kendall and Madison Legerski will also look to provide a spark for the Utes on the outside in 2015.
Anae is coming off a freshman season where she tallied 280 kills in 114 sets played (2.46/set) and recorded a total of 70 blocks (10 solo) for the Utes as well. Anae was a key player for the Utes down the stretch in 2014, recording double-digit kill totals in six of her last eight games, which included a season-high 20 kills in Utah's second-round match against Nebraska in the NCAA Tournament. Her 20 kills in the match not only led all players on the floor that contest, but it ranks tied for second-most in a NCAA Tournament match in school history.
Katoa recorded four double-digit kill efforts in 2014 and looked to be peaking late in the season, but a knee injury against Washington State forced the former Under Armour High School All-American to the sidelines for the remainder of the season. She will look to pick-up where she left off in 2014 where she tallied eight kills (.500 hitting percentage) and 11 kills in back-to-back matches before going down against the Cougars.
Kendall recorded 307 kills at College of Idaho last season, and prior to that, she helped lead Salt Lake Community College to 48 wins in her two seasons with the Bruins. Legerski was a two-time all-region selection at Casper College in Wyoming before transferring to Utah in 2015.
- MIDDLE BLOCKERS
Sophomore Carly Trueman returns to the squad as Utah's most experienced player at middle blocker position, but the Utes also bring back senior Brenna DeYoung and junior Alyssa Koenig to provide help at the net, as well. A pair of highly-touted incoming freshmen in Megan Boudreaux and Berkeley Oblad will also look for playing time with the Utes in 2015.
After sitting out a redshirt season in 2013, Trueman managed to record 178 kills (1.66/set) and rank second on the team with 113 blocks (1.06/set) following her first full season with the Utes last season. Trueman was named the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week back on Nov. 10 last season after collecting 14 kills and hitting .632 in a pair of matches against UCLA and USC.
DeYoung tallied 15 kills and 16 total blocks in nine matches for the Utes last season, while Koenig saw action in four matches.
Boudreaux makes the jump to the NCAA Division I level following a four-year career at Bingham High School. She was ranked the No. 7 player in the state of Utah following her senior season, where she led her squad with 63 blocks and a .332 hitting percentage on the offensive side of the net. A two-time All-State selection, Boudreaux helped lead Bingham High School to four-consecutive state tournament appearances.
Also making the move to the NCAA Division I level, Oblad was a 2014 Under Armour High School Second Team All-American selection following her senior campaign at Coronado High School in Henderson, Nev., and she ranked as the No. 34 player on the National PrepVolleyball.com Senior Ace list, as well. Oblad recorded more than 685 kills during her prep career, which included 243 kills during her senior season. She tallied a .440 hitting percentage that ranked No. 1 in the state of Nevada, while her 59 total blocks ranked 16th in the state. She then went on to be named a 2014 Nevada Gatorade Volleyball Player of the Year finalist.
- LIBERO/DEFENSIVE SPECIALISTS
The Utes bring back former All-Pac-12 Freshman Team Honorable Mention selection Tess Sutton to the libero postion, while also returning sophomore McCall Phillips and redshirt freshman Caroline Sipiora. Incoming freshman Megan Shughrou will also provide depth for the Utes in the back row.
Sutton is coming off a 2014 season where she saw action in 28 matches and tallied 96 digs for a 1.41 digs-per-set average. She totaled 23 assists in 2014 and heads into her junior campaign with 66 assists in her career.
Phillips saw action in two matches for the Utes last season, while Sipiora returns after sitting out out the 2014 campaign.
Shughrou was a three-year letterwinner at Chaparral High School out of Temecula, Calif., where she named a two-time defensive player of the year and a 2014 All-Southwestern League selection, as well.
- SCHEDULE
Utah opens the 2015 campaign hosting the annual Utah Classic, Aug. 28-29, at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City. The Utes welcome Idaho State, Cal State - Northridge and Lipscomb to the tournament.
Following a road contest at Utah State on Sept. 1, the Utes will travel to Spokane, Wash. for the Gonzaga Invitational (Sept. 4-5) and then onto Louisville, Ky. for the Active Ankle Challenge (Sept. 11-12).
Utah returns home for the its annual Deseret First Duel Challenge with BYU on Sept. 17 before opening up Pac-12 play against Colorado at home on Sept. 23.
Utah's other Pac-12 home matches include hosting UCLA (Oct. 9) and USC (Oct. 11), Stanford (Oct. 16) and California (Oct. 18), Oregon (Oct. 30) and Oregon State (Nov. 1), Arizona (Nov. 12) and Arizona State (Nov. 14) and will then close out the home schedule against Washington (Nov. 25).
Utah will then travel to Boulder, Colo., on Nov. 27 for the final match of the season against Colorado.
For more information on Utah Volleyball, check out UtahUtes.com or follow the Utes on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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