Volleyball Ready To Launch New Era

Aug. 27, 2002

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* A NEW ERA BEGINS *
Ole Miss will launch a new era in Ole Miss volleyball Aug. 30, when they take on Eastern Kentucky in the first round of the Ruby's Invitational hosted by Montana. The new era officially began on Jan. 28 when Joe Getzin became the sixth head coach in the program's history. Since his arrival, he has assembled a top-notch coaching staff and seen the Gillom Sports Center undergo some changes. With 11 returnees including five seniors, and six newcomers, the Lady Rebels are ready to takeoff.

* MEET JOE GETZIN *
Known for his outstanding recruiting and on-the-floor coaching, Getzin came to Ole Miss after serving the previous two seasons as the top assistant coach at South Carolina. During his two-year stint, the Gamecocks reached the NCAA Tournament twice and posted an overall record of 42-13, 22-6 in the SEC. He previously served for the Gamecocks from 1993-95 and assisted in recruiting several top players, including Ashley Edlund, Heather Larkin and Shani Abshier. Larkin and Edlund were named All-SEC four consecutive years and Abshier was the 1998 Southeastern Conference Scholar-Athlete-of-the-Year.

* TOP-NOTCH COACHING STAFF *
Joining Getzin courtside is a bevy of experience on the international level and the Division I level. Kris Grunwald, no stranger to the SEC, spent two seasons as the head coach at Auburn University. In his first year, Grunwald led the Tigers to a 22-9 overall record, 9-6 in the SEC. In 1999, Auburn posted a 19-11 overall record, 8-7 in the SEC. Prior to being named the head coach at Auburn, Grunwald served as the assistant coach from 1994-98. While he was an assistant coach, the Tigers went 73-47 overall. During his last two years as an assistant, Auburn posted a 21-9 record in the SEC. Kim Crandall, a former high school All-American, brings a wealth of experience with a successful program, having played at Nebraska, one of the nation's top programs. During her four-year career as a setter, the Cornhuskers won three Big 12 titles and advanced to the NCAA Final Four twice (1996, 1998). Derek Schroeder will serve as the volunteer coach. He brings plenty of international experience coming from Canada.

* EASTERN KENTUCKY UP FIRST *
The Lady Rebels will face Eastern Kentucky in the first round of the Ruby's Invitational at 5 p.m. on Friday. The Colonels, coached by Lori Duncan, return four starters from last year's team that posted a 12-15 overall record. They finished sixth in the Ohio Valley Conference with a 7-9 record. Eastern Kentucky is led by senior outside hitter Becky Galati, who averaged 3.51 kills and 4.02 digs per game last year. The Colonels will have to replace setter Sharon Moreno, who tallied 1,012 assists as a senior last year.

* SCOUTING BOISE STATE *
Ole Miss will meet Boise State at Noon on Saturday. Boise State also has a new coach as Scott Sandel took over the program this summer. The Broncos, who return seven starters, are looking to rebound from a 1-25 season a year ago. Junior outside hitter Megan Tranter is the leading returner as she averaged 2.84 kills and 2.62 digs per game in 2001. The Broncos also return junior Joy Baldwin, who plays both outside hitter and middle blocker. She tallied 2.15 kills per game and finished second on the team with 47 total blocks.

* MEET MONTANA *
The Lady Rebels final opponent for the weekend will be host Montana. The two teams will square off at 7 p.m. on Saturday. Montana returns four starters from a team a year ago that finished 5-16 overall. Junior outside hitter Lizzie Wertz leads the list of returnees. She averaged a team-leading 3.83 kills and 3.40 digs per game in 2001. Claire Thompson, who split time at setter last season, will run the offense. She totaled 334 assists last year.

* HAVE WE MET BEFORE? *
This will be the first meeting between Ole Miss and Eastern Kentucky as well as with Boise State. The Lady Rebels are 0-1 against Montana. The Grizzlies defeated Ole Miss 3-1 in the Washington State Invitational in 1990.

* LADY REBS PICKED FOURTH IN SEC WEST *
Ole Miss was picked by the league coaches to finish fourth in the SEC Western Division this year. Arkansas was voted to win the West followed by Alabama and LSU. Mississippi State and Auburn round out the West. Florida was the league's choice to claim the overall title.

Up Close With Each Position ...

* SETTERS *
The setter is as important to a volleyball team as the quarterback is to a football team. They are at the center of everything that goes on offensively. Getzin is glad to have someone with experience back at such a crucial position. That someone is Jade Polonich, who has two seasons of playing time under her belt including starting 21 matches as a sophomore last year. Freshman Katie Griffin (Austin, Texas) has been a pleasant surprise so far, and Getzin expects great things from her down the road.

* OUTSIDE HITTERS *
With the loss of Jaime Burns at outside hitter, Getzin will turn to sophomore Elena Garcia, to set the tone. Garcia gained plenty of experience her freshman year playing in 24 of 25 matches and starting 20. She finished second on the team in kills and digs with 250 and 235 respectively. In addition to Garcia, the Lady Rebels have a pair of seniors in Cheryl Wilson and Erica Tricco that bring plenty of experience to the court. Wilson is in her third year in the program and possesses great athleticism. Tricco has played in 80 matches during her career. Junior Karla Zschau will figure into the mix as well as sophomore Mary Nell Bennett. Freshman Katherine Jensen also could see some playing time.

* MIDDLE BLOCKERS *
In the middle, Ole Miss is fortunate to have two seniors in Erin Newsom and Sarah Lansden. Newsom had some catching up to do in the fall after missing the spring with a broken hand, but she is ready to go. Lansden started 23 of 25 matches a year ago and worked extremely hard in the offseason to improve her defensive skills. Freshman Rachel Refenes has impressed the coaches in the early going and is vying for a starting spot. She has tremendous size and athleticism, and the coaches are excited about her prospects for a great career.

* LIBERO/DEFENSIVE SPECIALIST *
A new position in college volleyball this season is the libero (LEE-bah-ro). A defensive position that has been used in international play for several years, the libero is a permanent back row player that is prohibited from serving or attacking a ball above the top of the net. The libero also wears a different color jersey from her teammates to make the distinction for the officials easier. Sarah Lansden will be the primary libero, as the best defenseive player on the team. Senior Amie Ewing, sophomore Megan McCune and freshman Nikki Veach will figure into the mix as well.

* SCHEDULE *
The Lady Rebels will once again play a challenging schedule which includes six teams that made the 2001 NCAA Championships. The preseason features three quality tournaments. Following this tournament, the team will travel to Waco, Texas for the Baylor Classic. Joining Baylor, a 2001 NCAA tournament team, will be Texas-Arlington and Arkansas-Little Rock. The final preseason tournament, the Central Florida Classic, includes Charleston Southern and Montana. Other non-conference opponents include regional rivals Arkansas State and Memphis. The Lady Rebels will open SEC play the weekend of Sept. 27 with Florida and Georgia coming to town. The conference portion of the schedule includes playing Florida and Georgia twice.

* OH CANADA *
The Lady Rebels boast two players and one coach from across the border. Junior setter Jade Polonich hails from Calgary, Alberta, freshman Katherine Jensen comes from West Vancouver, British Columbia, and volunteer coach Derek Schroeder calls Ontario home.

* DEEP IN THE HEART OF TEXAS *
The 2002 roster has a Texas flavor to it with five players from the Lone Star State. Senior Sarah Lansden calls Kingwood home and fellow senior Erin Newsom is from Argyle. Sophomore Elena Garcia and freshman Katie Griffin hail from Austin. Freshman McKamy Tiner is a native of Dallas.

* ALL IN THE FAMILY *
Sophomore Karla Zschau is the last in a long line of volleyball players in her family following sisters Kristen (Tampa), Kim (Kansas State, USA National Team and Grand Rapids Force) and Kira (Ole Miss). Karla and Kira played together in 2000 at Ole Miss, while Kira was a senior on the team.

* OPPONENTS BEWARE *
Since Getzin's arrival on campus, the facility has undergone a few changes to make it a tougher place to play for opponents. The changes included repainting the floor Red and Navy Blue. New bleachers were added to surround the entire playing surface. The benches will be moved to the other side of the court to create a more exciting atmosphere for the fans and the team.

* NEXT UP *
Ole Miss travels to Waco, Texas Sept. 6-7 for the Baylor Classic. The Lady Rebels will meet Baylor at 1 p.m. on Sept. 6 followed by Texas-Arlington at 4:30 p.m. Their final match will be against Arkansas-Little Rock at 12:30 p.m. on Sept. 7.

The University of Mississippi Athletics

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