1998 Volleyball Season Preview

May 29, 1998

When the Ole Miss women's volleyball team concluded the 1997 season with a second-straight third-place finish in the Southeastern Conference West Division and a 12-19 overall record, head volleyball coach John Blair knew his team was going to be in a transition period.

Leaving were four seniors, including All-SEC second team selection Susan Argue, outside hitter Leslie Bourgeois and middle blockers Stephanie Somers and Laticia Mathis.

Yet, going into the 1998 campaign, Blair feels that transition will be minimized as the Lady Rebels look once again to establish themselves in conference play, while making a run for their first ever NCAA Tournament appearance.

Even though the Lady Rebels will enter the season with seven newcomers to complement six returning letterwinners, Blair said his team will have the same philosophy. This will ultimately help Ole Miss make this transition as it prepares for Blair's 13th season at the helm of the program.

"I would characterize the 1998 team as one that will go right after an opponent," Blair said. "They started to show that in the spring and they are willing to stand in take the opponents' best shots. That has always been our philosophy and our goal, but this team has already shown a lot of backbone."

The team played only seven players during the spring session, but those players picked up a tremendous amount of experience heading into the season. Combine that with the talent level of the recruiting class, the Lady Rebels are primed to make a run in the SEC.

"We should be a good ball control, defensive team," Blair said. "These are always two areas we emphasize to a high degree. I don't anticipate any changes to our system, so we will be able to come in and pick up where we left off and our newcomers will instantly make us a better team."

One reason Ole Miss enters the 1998 season with a lot of confidence is because of junior setter Lisa Franinno (Metairie, La.). Ever since taking over for injured starter Liz Poerner in the second match of the 1996 campaign, Franinno has become a mainstay in the lineup. She now has two years of starting experience under her belt, and she has emerged as one of the top setters in the SEC. In 1997, Franinno was among the team leaders in digs and blocks while leading the team in assists and service aces. Backing her up is another talented setter in sophomore Renata Nowacki (Stoney Creek, Ontario), who used the spring season to learn and stabilize the position.

"Our setting position is the area where we have a lot of experience," Blair said. "Renata came in and had a very solid spring. Lisa, with her ball control combined with her all-round defense, is one of the most well-rounded setters in the conference."

In the middle, the Lady Rebels also return two players who have a lot of experience. Junior Lauren Dorcheus (Houston, Texas) had a breakthrough season in 1997, as she tied for the team lead with 70 blocking assists while finishing second on the team in total blocks. Sophomore Anna Hackbarth (Chaska, Minn.) also emerged as a solid performer in the middle. She saw limited time early, but then came on in the middle of the season and played in 25 matches, notching 64 kills and 40 blocks. Freshman Leigh Rittiner (New Orleans) will bring tremendous talent and volleyball knowledge to the position and will get playing time right away.

"We should be solid in the middle," Blair said. "We have two returning players in Lauren and Anna who have a lot of court time, and a good understanding of what we are trying to do. Their success will rely on how physical they are at the net."

The biggest question mark heading into the 1998 campaign will be on the outside, especially at the opposite side hitter. Senior Danielle Atzinger (Louisville, Ky.) is the team leader and one of the team's best defensive players and passers. Atzinger was only of three players to see action in all of 31 matches, and is consistently one of the team's top servers. Sophomore Kira Zschau (Dunedin, Fla.) showed a great deal of promise in limited time last season, and brings a lot of athleticism to the team's outside hitting position. She will be joined by redshirt freshman Ragan Howard (Savannah, Ga.), who used the spring to pick up a lot of experience, and she should battle for playing time once the season begins.

They will be joined by a talented pair of newcomers who are expected to play a big role immediately. Junior transfer Kari Elggren (Sandy, Utah) is coming off a successful career at Utah Valley State College, where she was an all-league selection. Elggren is expected to step in at the left or right side to provide all-around play immediately. Freshman Jamie Burns (Englewood, Colo.), is a talented player who was named one of the top five players in the state of Colorado. She will also play a big role right away, most likely on the left side.

"We have a little bit of a hole at the outside hitter positions," Blair said. "The two signees will help us be a better team right away. The only question is how quick they learn the system and adjust to our setters, but they have the opportunity to help us right away."

Overall, the makeup of the 1998 team will be a mix of experience players and several talented newcomers. Ultimately, Blair hopes that this will help the team make its next transition to the 1998 NCAA Tournament.

The University of Mississippi Athletics

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