Volleyball to open season Wednesday at Rider
8/30/2011 4:36:00 PM | Volleyball
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The Lehigh women's volleyball team is improving year-by-year. In 2009, the Mountain Hawks advanced to their first Patriot League Tournament since 2003. Then last season, the team finished with a .500 or better record for the first time since that '03 season. After two years of accomplished seasons, the Mountain Hawks will look to set the bar even higher in 2011 under first-year head coach Bob Bertucci.
"Those are major accomplishments and we definitely want to improve upon that this year," said Bertucci, who has manned the sideline for 32 years, including the last 16 seasons as the head coach at Temple. "That would be a significant step for the program."
The Mountain Hawks are a young, but experienced team. Of the 13 players on the roster, ten return. And of those returning, four are starters, three of whom are upperclassmen - two seniors and a junior.
The 2011 squad's two seniors – Angelika Kopacz and Jessica Kudirka – were named the team captains and will look to lead the team on and off the court.
Kopacz, an outside hitter, led the team in total attacks (878) and kills (267) last year and was sixth in the Patriot League in kills. She was also tenth in the league in digs with 286. Kudirka led the team in assists last season with 627, which ranked her fifth in the league.
Joining the duo as a top returner will be junior Taylor Poole. Poole, a middle blocker, was a first team All-Patriot League player last year as she ranked second in the league with a .328 hitting percentage and ranked ninth in the league in kills averaging 2.44 per set. She also made an impact defensively as she led Lehigh with 75 total blocks, ranking tenth in the league in that category.
"Those three are our veterans and the core of our offensive unit," said Bertucci. "They will carry the lion's share of the work load."
While there may be some added pressure on them to perform, they are not out there alone. Lehigh also returns sophomore outside hitter Courtney McCutchan who was second on the team in kills last year and ranked eighth in the league in kills averaging 2.49 per set. She was also second on the team in digs with 311, which ranked her eighth in the league.
The team's libero, sophomore Rachel Charles, also returns after a 2010 season in which she led the league in digs, averaging 4.28 per game, and service aces, averaging .40.
The Mountain Hawks led the league in service aces last season in conference play, averaging 1.87 per set and Bertucci knows that if his team is going to be successful in 2011, they are going to have to use that to their advantage.
"That's a huge advantage if you are the best serving team," said Bertrucci. "Serving and passing really makes the difference in a match and that has to be the trademark of this team."
To be successful, Lehigh will have to also rely on controlling the ball. With the team's tallest player at 6-foot-2, the Mountain Hawks will be lined up game in and game out against a taller, more physical team. But while the team may be at a disadvantage height wise, they have the tools to overcome it."The big equalizer is ball control," said Bertrucci. "That can put a lot of pressure on even the biggest and more physical teams. Between our serving and passing and being able to control the ball, we have the team that can do it; it's just a matter of execution."
Sophomore middle blocker Amanda Clark, who started in 22 of the 26 matches last season, was second on the team with .70 blocks per set and will aid in some experience and depth up front.
Experience and depth is something that Lehigh will definitely look to use to its advantage this season. With experience in returnees junior Hannah Bennett and sophomores Lizzy Silverstein, Dana Raber and Paige Kruse combined with the talent of the incoming freshmen Sarah Giegerich, Jade Van Streepen and Kaylynn Genemaras, Bertucci is really excited about the ability to mix and match his lineup at any given moment.
"We can look to any of them to come into a game and we know they are capable of stepping in and doing a good job," said Bertrucci. "If someone is having a bad day or just needs some rest, we have that ability to put players out there that can produce."
Lehigh is going to need that combination of experience and depth as it heads on the road for the team's first nine matches of the season which includes facing a 2010 20-game winner (James Madison), two Big East teams (Syracuse and Rutgers) and Betrucci's former A-10 team (Temple).
"It's really tough to start on the road for that long," said Bertucci. "It's always difficult to win on the road, but to become a great team, you have to do it. I think it will give us an indication of how we can adapt to certain situations. From what I can see of the character of the team, they will be able to handle it well."
The unknown for Bertucci, however, which is probably true of most first-year head coaches at Lehigh, is how his team is going to be able to balance the road and handling their rigorous course work.
But that depth and experience the Mountain Hawks have comes in handy more than just on the court. Lehigh placed six student-athletes on the Patriot League's Academic Honor Roll for women's volleyball last season, four of whom will be returning to the squad this year in Bennett, Clark, Kruse and Raber. Those four along with the six other returnees will all be able to help each other and the incoming freshmen balance their classwork without letting it affect their performance.
Whatever his team faces on or off the court, Bertucci knows that this close-knit group has the character and mental toughness to get anything accomplished.
"This is one of the most cohesive groups I've ever seen," said Bertucci. "They want to get better and are willing to put in the work to do what it takes. They have great team chemistry and are driven to be successful."
They will look for their successes to start on Wednesday when Lehigh travels to take on Rider at 6 p.m. It will be the 31st meeting between the two schools and the Mountain Hawks hold the all-time series lead 20-10. The two schools previously squared off in 2009 when Lehigh defeated Rider in straight sets (25-21, 25-20 and 25-22) at the Leeman-Turner Arena. Rider is 1-1 on the season as they split two five-set matches – defeating Saint Francis (NY) and falling to Fordham.
Rider features four freshmen in its starting lineup with a sophomore and junior filling out the other two positions. Freshmen Kayla Wong and Jaclyn Webber led the way on attack for the Broncs with 3.2 kills per set and 3.00 kills per set, respectively.
"While they might be young, they already have the experience of playing two, mentally tough matches," said Bertucci. "It will definitely be a test for us right out of the gate."
The Mountain Hawks home opener is September 16 against Saint Francis (Pa.) as part of the Lehigh/Lafayette Invitational.
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