Volleyball Preview Part 8: Loyola
Aug. 24, 2005
Just eight months after its magical run through the Horizon League Championship and into the NCAA Tournament for the third time in six seasons, Loyola prepares to defend its conference tournament title with a new coach on the bench and without several familiar faces on the court. However, the cupboard is hardly bare for first-year head coach Marcie Bomhack, who inherits an experienced and hungry squad that is intent on building on last year's postseason run.
"We expect to be at the top of the Horizon League," said new head coach Tim O'Brien. "We have four starters back including a senior setter and senior outside with four years of experience. I feel that we are as strong as anyone in the league this year."
Despite the loss of four-year starters Lauren Holbrook and Nichol Amberg, All-Horizon League middle Hilary Stromath leads a contingent of five returning starters that are eager to repeat last year's achievement
SETTERS
The loss of Holbrook, a three-time all-region selection and an AVCA Honorable Mention All-America honoree last year, creates an opportunity for junior Sarah Elmer and freshman Mindy Rees to take the reins of what was the Horizon League's top offense last season.
Elmer is an athletic and offensive-minded player who played extremely well in a pair of starts during the 2003 season. A player with a high ceiling, Elmer has steadily improved with increased playing time and will be one of the front-runners for the starting setter position.
Competing with Elmer will be Rees, a versatile and dynamic freshman with the talent and experience at the lower levels to come in and contribute immediately. The experience she gained playing against top-flight competition at both the high school and club levels should ease her transition to the collegiate game and her development will be one of the things to watch this season.
OUTSIDE HITTERS
Despite Amberg's graduation, Loyola still boasts a stable of talented outside hitters that will help the acclimation process for the new setter.
Leading the group is junior attacker Courtney Ashley. Despite being slowed by a nagging leg inury all of last season, Ashley was still a weapon for the Ramblers, showing off her all-around game with 241 kills, 300 digs and a team-best 43 service aces. Back to full strength, Ashley is back to the form that saw her earn Horizon League Newcomer of the Year honors in 2003 and she is poised to step in as the primary point-producer this season.
The Ramblers are also counting on the continued development of sophomore Keily Zins, who gave Loyola fans a glimpse into the future with several dazzling performances last year. Honored as a member of the Horizon League All-Newcomer Team, Zins pounded out 211 kills last season, giving LU another point-ending masher from the pins, and her continued improvement will be an important part of the Ramblers' 2005 success.
Joining Ashley and Zins on the outside will be talented freshmen Audrey Davis and Maria Schmitt. A product of downstate Rantoul, Ill., Davis' athleticism and skill will be an asset to the team from day one, and she has the potential to be an instant contributor. Schmitt is another highly-skilled recruit from Cincinnati who will also be in the mix on the outside.
RIGHT-SIDE HITTERS
After posting career-highs in all major categories last season, Loyola will look for more consistency from senior Katie Henry on the right-side this year. Henry played her best in the team's big matches, posting a crucial double-double in the win over Illinois and adding nine kills in LU's NCAA First Round match at Wisconsin, and seems poised to become a reliable contributor on a match-by-match basis this season.
Zins, who played a substantial amount on the right-side last season, is another option and classmate Jennifer White could also see some time after serving primarily as a back-row player last year.
MIDDLE BLOCKERS
One of the most pleasant surprises of last season was the emergence of Hilary Stromath as an offensive threat in the middle. Standing 6-foot-3, Stromath has the potential to be one of the most dominant middles in the Horizon League and she will try to build upon a season in which she finished second on the team in kills (336) and second in the Horizon League in hitting percentage (.336), numbers good enough to earn her a spot on the All-Horizon League team as well as a place on the Horizon League All-Tournament team. Loyola will look for her to terminate points at the net, both offensively and defensively.
Junior Kathryn Langheld, who turned into a major contributor for the Ramblers last season, will play next to Stromath in the middle, provided she is recovered from injury. After playing just 18 games and recording four kills her freshman season, Langheld exploded for 304 kills last season while hitting at a .270 clip.
Waiting in the wings are a pair of talented sophomores, Melissa Craig and Shelby Henriksen. While both are still developing at the offensive end, they each showed excellent blocking ability and will continue to improve on both ends of the floor as they gain more experience on the court.
LIBERO
Junior Ann Deelo enters the season as the team's libero, trying to reduplicate the 2004 season when she set a single-season Loyola record with 415 digs. Despite some ups-and-downs, Deelo has entrenched herself as one of the team's top back-row players and added 20 service aces last season, the first in which libero's were permitted to serve.
Story Provided by Leo Krause, Loyola Sports Information
