Rebel Volleyball Preparing For 2005 Season In Preseason Drills

Aug. 17, 2005

OXFORD, Miss. - Ole Miss volleyball enters the 2005 season with a new look once again, as six newcomers join eight returning players for the upcoming campaign that will see the Rebels play possibly the toughest schedule under head coach Joe Getzin.

The latest edition of the Rebel volleyball program is heavy on youth, but high on enthusiasm and energy as 10 of the 15 players on roster are sophomores or younger in standing.

Add to the mix a new staff of assistants and the outlook is a mix of excitement and the unknown as Ole Miss moves into a new season in volleyball and looks to continue to make strides in the Southeastern Conference.

Setters

It all begins with the setters in volleyball, and Ole Miss has the greatest jump between experience and youth at this critical position. What amounts to the quarterback on the floor boasts a fifth year senior in Ashleigh Shear, who played a bulk of the 2004 season in a 6-2 rotation, and a true freshman in Rachel Kieckhaefer.

Shear is in her second season playing for the Rebels after transferring from the U.S. Naval Academy and spending a year sitting out, but learning the system. Last season, her skill as a setter was evident as she tallied a team high 600 assists while splitting time in a 6-2 rotation.

"Ashleigh really worked hard in the off-season to get in shape and is very excited about leading this team," Getzin said. "She's not your prototypical volleyball player if you look at her build, but she's a strong athlete and she's very determined and focused."

Coming into the system with Shear in 2005 is a true freshman in Kieckhaefer. A tall setter at 5-11, the freshman brings a new look to the position for the Rebels and can change things up with her athleticism according to Getzin.

Kieckhaefer comes to the Rebel program after playing outside for her squad her senior season in high school, but has already caught on to the offense and has shown skill at setter after spending a year out of position.

"Rachel is new to the setter position, but she has shown that she is very capable," Getzin said. "We expect her to compete for some playing time and to get on the floor if she continues to progress at the rate she's shown this preseason. She comes in with a higher level of playing experience than what we have seen here in the recent past, and we expect her to push to get on the court early."

Outside Hitters

The position of outside hitter is one of the two positions on the floor with a bulk of experience in place, although the experience is limited to one year in the system.

The Rebels return three outside hitters from a season ago and bring a new faces into the mix for the 2005 campaign. It's a mix that Getzin feels comfortable with and shows a lot of potential for a strong offensive threat.

Nikki Hill, a two-time JUCO All-America selection, is arguably the standout athlete of the group as the lone senior in the bunch. The transfer got her feet wet in the Southeastern Conference and Division I volleyball last season and looks to continue to grow and lead the Rebels in the 2005 season. Hill showed her capability to take over games at times when she tallied a career-high 24 kills and 11 digs against Illinois-Chicago in the Magnolia Invitational last season.

"Nikki is a great player who showed last season that she belongs in the Southeastern Conference," Getzin said of the outside hitter. "More experience can make her a dynamic player and an All-SEC caliber performer. She has to get more consistent, but if she does that, we'll be in a better position to make things happen."

Also returning is junior Jaclyn Toohey, who missed several matches in the middle of the 2004 season due to injury. Toohey turned in an outstanding freshman campaign and was on track to continue to be a force as a sophomore before the injury. The Rebels are hoping she can pick up where she left off before the injury and provide a boost to the Ole Miss offense.

"Jaclyn has worked really hard in the off-season to rehab from injury and she wants to prove that she can be a consistent performer for this team and in the SEC," Getzin said. "She has really stepped up and emerged as a leader and that's something this team needs. She was ready to break out last year, and she has put the injury behind her and is ready to have a breakout year this season."

Katie Kramer rounds out the returning players on the outside for Ole Miss, and brings a hard and heavy handed attack to the offense. As a red-shirt freshman in 2004, Kramer spent most of the season working her way back into the offense and gaining confidence from injury her senior season of high school. According to Getzin, she has regained much of that confidence and is looking to make a move on the court.

Rounding out the outside hitters is freshmen Nicole Mahan, who could push for playing time early in her career. The Texas native replaces another Texas native, Elena Garcia, on the roster and brings with her solid playing experience and a strong arm.

"Nicole is a freshman we are really excited about with a lot of versatility," Getzin said. "She has great ball control and her back court skills put her into contention for playing time. She just finds ways to make the plays."

Right Side

The right side is anchored by junior Kristen Carroll, a two-year starter for the Rebels.

Every season in the program, Carroll has increased her role and become an integral part of the team and its success on the court. She is one of the top returning players on the team, tallying 263 kills in her sophomore season.

"Kristen has stepped up her role each season with us," Getzin said. "Her play was inconsistent last season, but at times she was unstoppable. We look for her to be a dominant player for us. The maturity and strength she has gained will help her. She's got two years under her belt in the SEC and she knows what to expect."

Middle Blocker

The middle blocker position, like the outside hitter, is one where the Rebels return a bulk of the experience on the team, although it's young experience.

Led by a senior and two sophomores in the returning lineup, Ole Miss adds two freshmen to the corps for the 2005 campaign.

Tricia Agree leads the way for the Rebels in the middle as the only senior in the position and one who saw a bulk of the playing time to start the 2004 campaign. A transfer from Western Carolina with one year under her belt in Getzin's system, Agee will be expected to lead a young group into the teeth of the Southeastern Conference.

"Tricia adds experience and is probably our most consistent player," Getzin said of the 6-2 middle blocker. "We need her to step it up and find that focus on the court and she can help us in a lot of areas. The red-shirt season and stepping up a level in competition slowed her a little last season, but she has worked hard and we need her on the court. She's a crucial player for us."

Joining Agee in the middle are sophomores Lauren Moffett and Cory Tidwell. Both players gained valuable experience as freshmen and showed flashes of greatness throughout the season. Tidwell turned in a solid performance with a career-high 11 kills against Texas State and Auburn. Moffett clicked on all cylinders late, turning in a career-high hitting percentage of .600 with 10 kills against arch-rival Mississippi State.

"Cory has really gotten stronger and played a lot as a freshman," Getzin said. "We expect her to have a stellar sophomore season because of being thrown in the fire as a freshman. She shows great leadership on the floor and rises to challenges.

"Lauren played sparingly as a freshman but really has put herself in a good position with hard work in the weight room," Getzin continued. "She had a good spring following a strong finish to the season. She has gained confidence and we expect her to push for playing time."

Joining the Rebel middles are freshmen Emily Jones and Caitlin Keefe.

Jones comes to the Rebels as a tremendous athlete with great leaping ability, but is a bit undersized at the position at 5-10. Keefe comes in at the other end of the spectrum as the tallest player on the team at 6-4 and has surprised the coaches with her ability.

"Emily is probably the sleeper of the group," Getzin said. "She makes up for being undersized with her athletic ability and quickness. She has a great jump but needs strength. We see a bright future ahead of her because of how quick she is in the middle. There is another level of play waiting to come out of her.

"Caitlin is the biggest surprise of camp because she's farther along than even we thought she was going to be at this point," Getzin continued. "She will be a force in the near future as she steps up her play more."

Defensive Specialists/Libero

Rounding out the squad are the defensive specialists, made up of a returning starter and two freshmen walk-ons. But simply looking at the surface could be dangerous according to Getzin.

Tara Langley returns as the starter from her freshman season a year ago. The sophomore tallied a career-high 24 digs in a win at Kentucky and proved to be a consistent performer for the Rebels every night.

"Tara really came out and had a great spring to follow up her fall," Getzin said. "She was put in a position where she had no choice but to play and be good. She is a quality libero with SEC experience. We look for her to take it to the next level this fall and she is capable of dominating a match from the back row."

Joining her are freshmen Christine Marchinski and Allison Weber. Both are walk-ons who have pushed the competition in the fall preseason and bring with them solid experience and athleticism.

"Christine was a late addition, but she is a great athlete and has played at a high level and won national championships," Getzin said. "She has played for a long time and has a great attitude. She always gives unconditional effort.

"Allison is a good athlete who has played a lot of sports so she has not focused exclusively on volleyball," Getzin said. "She's behind in the finer details, but her athleticism more than makes up for it. She is a positive force and her energy helps create a real team atmosphere. Both are good additions for us."

Keys to the Season

The keys to the season are many, according to Getzin, and one of the most important aspects is breaking in an entirely new staff of assistants.

Gone are three-year assistants Kris Grunwald and Kim Eymann, and in their places are Molly Alvey and Anastasia Porter.

It's a new beginning in a year that sees the Rebels welcome a lot of youth to the program and the added energy and excitement of new faces on the coaching staff and a new way of approaching the sport.

"The last three years have been a great start for building a program, and Kris and Kim were great for that," Getzin said of the two departed coaches. "This year we have added Molly and Anastasia. Molly has head coaching experience and has been around a high level of volleyball competition for the past few season. Anastasia has been competing for a long time on many different levels as an international player and an NCAA participant at Louisville."

Also added to the mix is a tough schedule that sees the Rebels face not only top competition in the SEC with teams like Florida and Tennessee who both advanced to at least the second round of the NCAA Tournament, but also sees Ole Miss face some of the top teams from other conferences as well.

Appearing on the schedule for 2005 are non-conference foes like national powerhouse Texas along with Miami (Fla.), North Carolina State, Lamar and Houston. All considered to be solid teams in their own right. Texas also advanced to the NCAA Second Round before being eliminated from the NCAA Tournament.

"Anytime you are building a program, you have to build the confidence of your players and show them that hard work pays off," Getzin said. "That's my scheduling philosophy. You want to schedule some games where you can hopefully achieve early success, but you also want to play top teams, and I think we do that.

"We play some teams that are powerhouses in their conferences, and even the teams we play that might not be on the tips of everyone's tongues are going to be tough teams who finish in the top half of their conferences," Getzin said. "There are no `gimmies' on our schedule and they challenge us to step it up for the SEC."

Ole Miss opens the 2005 season with a match against Louisiana-Monroe on Saturday, August 27, in the Gillom Sports Complex on campus.

The University of Mississippi Athletics

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