Looking to improve just one spot
Senior Twosome prepares to make run at CAA Title
Posted on August 27, 2007
JMU volleyball coach Disa Garner would probably have reason to worry if the season was played out on paper. With freshmen outnumbering seniors six to two, there is reason to believe such a young team could take a step back from its second place finish last year.
What Garner knows better than anyone though, is that her two seniors have more than enough experience and skill to keep the Dukes among the upper echelon of the Colonial Athletic Association.
Middle blocker Allyson Halls and libero, Jena Pierson have entered their final year as the leading offensive and defensive threats from last season as All-CAA First-team.
Halls led the team with 418 kills, finishing fifth in the conference, while Pierson registered 655 digs to lead the CAA.
“Our two seniors need to be consistent everyday and we’ll certainly be looking to them to step up and really guide how we play each night,” Garner said. “In a jam, that’s who we need to turn to and that’s who are go-to players need to be.”
Besides having the elder veterans to ball-handle and hit, Garner is also excited about the strides junior setter Lauren Miles has made in the off-season.
“Lauren Miles is setting a whole ‘nother level than she did over last year, and as a junior she’s definitely expected to offer a whole lot of leadership,” Miles said.
Of the freshmen, one name has stood out above the rest during preseason action: Lindsay Callahan. The highly-touted rookie was named the 2006 All-Tidewater Player of the Year by The Virginian-Pilot, after her senior season at Landstown.
“She’s [Callahan] brought some hard hitting, a different hitting style than most of our other hitters because she’s a fast hitter,” Pierson said.
Callahan is humbled by the opportunity to play for the Dukes and is hoping that she can make a difference as fast as she can spike the ball.
“It’s a new pressure for me, I’ve never started out at the bottom of the totem-pole like this; its definitely something you have to work for,” Callahan said.
Madison was slated to finish second in the conference in the coaches’ preseason poll behind the defending champion, the Hofstra Pride. A year ago, the Dukes proved the coaches wrong by tying for second, two spots ahead of the predicted fourth. Garner’s squad knows that overachieving is a possibility this year as well.
“It’s gonna depend on how well we travel because we’re traveling the first three weekends and as long as we take care of that then we’ll definitely keep it together,” Halls said.
JMU started the season this Friday when they traveled to Ohio University to play in the Hampton Inn Volleyball Challenge. Rutgers provided little trouble as Madison cruised to victory in three straight sets. Halls posted 14 kills and Pierson 20 digs. On Saturday though the Dukes fell to the host Bobcats in three straight sets. Callahan led the team with 13 kills.