Volleyball Preview, Part 1: Youngstown State
Aug. 14, 2006
College coaches often use several terms to attribute their success. Leadership, balance, talent, and injury-free are a few that quickly come to mind. The latter may be uncontrollable, but the former characteristics are usually manageable.
With three seniors (Amanda Cindric, Cari Leslie and Janelle McDonald) and a junior (Jessica Fraley) the Penguins' upperclassmen are well-equipped for leading a relatively younger squad containing three sophomores and six freshmen.
Although the 2006 recruiting class - Ruth Boscaljon, Linzie Evans, Allison Heinz, Dana Leslie, Kaitlin O'Hara and Gretchen Van der Sluijs - was ranked in the top 100 in the country by www.prepvolleyball.com, the upperclassmen will need to provide the preparation and focus to lead a resurgence in the volleyball program.
"We have a well-balanced team," Head Coach Joe Bonner said. "Our seniors have a tremendous amount of experience and I think our newcomers have the ability to step in right away and contribute.
"But we are still a pretty young team and have some question marks and holes to fill."
Setter
One of the biggest concerns for Bonner is replacing four-year starting setter Angie Pasquinelli, who finished her career ranked second all-time at YSU with 4,028 assists.
Sophomore Karla Everhart and the 5-foot-9 Evans will be battling for the starting setter position.
Everhart, who guided her prep squad to a 28-1 record and a state runner-up finish in 2004, played in just 11 matches and tallied 2.19 assists per game before injuring her knee.
"We definitely have to address the issue of replacing Angie," Bonner said. "However, I have a lot of confidence in both Karla and Linzie to get the job done. Both will have to prove themselves quickly and I think they will."
Outside/Right Side Hitter
One of the Penguins' main offensive threats in 2006 is Fraley, who is slated to start on the right side. Fraley, who was named to the Horizon League All-Newcomer Team in 2004, missed most of the season due to an abdominal injury. Prior to her injury, she was averaging 4.46 kills and 3.23 digs per game while hitting at a .307 clip. During her first season, Fraley impressed by leading the Penguins with 360 kills, a new YSU freshman record, and 3.13 kills per game.
Probably one of the most well-rounded players of the squad is senior Cari Leslie, who needs 280 kills and 93 digs to become just the fifth player in school history to record both 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs in a career.
Last season, Leslie slammed 289 kills, 2.95 kills per game and recorded 330 digs.
Leslie is joined on the outside by sophomore Ebony Barbosa and freshman Dana Leslie, Cari's sister. Barbosa, who stands 5-foot-9, recorded 110 kills last season and Dana Leslie earned all-conference, all-county and all-district honors last season.
"The players we have on the outside will be vital to our success," Bonner said. "They are an athletic group but must be able to put the ball away when given the opportunity."
Middle Hitters
There will be three fresh faces in the middle of the Penguins' lineup after losing two of their top offensive players from a year ago, Abby Ettenhofer and Katie Shea. Ettenhofer led the Penguins with 333 kills and 3.06 kills per game and Shea recorded 269 kills and a team-best 106 blocks.
Boscaljon, Heinz and O'Hara should all see action in the middle and all three have the ability to play on the right side.
Heinz, who hails from Johnsburg High School in Johnsburg, Ill., earned first-team all-conference honors and O'Hara picked up third-team all-state honors as a senior at Canandaigua High School in Canandaigua, N.Y.
Defensive Specialists / Libero
According to Bonner, a catalyst to Youngstown State's success this season will be how well the Penguins serve receive and play defense.
In the back row, Cindric and McDonald return for their fourth season and provide a solid defensive back line for the Penguins.
Last season, Cindric led YSU in digs for the second straight year with 395, which is the sixth-highest single-season total in school history, and 3.87 digs per game. McDonald added 263 digs for a 2.41 digs per game average.
Sophomore Jenna Troff, from Coraopolis, Pa., came on late in the season to solidify the back row and tallied 70 digs in just 61 games played.
Van der Sluijs should provide the Penguins with an extra option in the back row.
"For this year's team to have success, we must be able to handle the ball on serve receive and in transition," Bonner said. "We have an experienced and talented group in the back and I have a lot of confidence that they will be able to get the job done."
Story provided by YSU Office of Sports Information
