2009 Air Force Volleyball Season Preview
8/21/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Aug. 21, 2009
The Air Force volleyball team enters the 2009 season, looking to improve on its five-win total from one year earlier. Backed by the strong leadership of the returning Falcons, and the impressive talent of the incoming class, Air Force plans on having a strong showing.
The team is equally balanced between its two elder classes and its younger ones. The Falcons return one senior and seven juniors, which will combine with eight freshmen. The balance of young-and-old could provide the right combination of success for the upcoming season.
Although the squad's 2008 win total of five tied for the second-best single-season mark since 2003, the Falcons will look to climb to new heights during this upcoming campaign. However, the Falcons will have to recoup nearly half of its offensive and defensive production from one year ago due to several high-scoring departures.
Air Force will be forced to overcome the graduation of Jasamine Pettie and Kristina Stewart, as well as the departure of Katie Batchelder, who is spending her senior year in France, as a part of the Academy's cadet-exchange program, and senior Jocelyn Booker. That quartet totaled 49-percent of the team's total offensive output during 2008.
The Falcons will also need to fill a void, defensively, following the graduation of Stewart and the departure of sophomore Victoria Martinez, who left the program prior to the start of fall practice. Stewart tallied over 180 digs, while Martinez, who was the team's starting libero as a freshman, posted the program's fourth-best single-season digs total in Division I history at 284. In all, the departing Falcons accounted for 43-percent of the team's digs one year ago.
Although the task of replacing that sort of production might seem daunting, the returning Falcons have the skill - and will - to make it happen. Air Force continues to maintain a multitude of strong arms to the serving line, as Air Force returns 56 of its 79 aces from the prior year.
Highlighted by their talented senior team captain, the Falcons will return 10 players to the court, including six who have significant playing time on their resumes.
The Falcons will have just one senior on this year's roster. Michelle Harrington (Stuggart, Germany) is the last remaining member of the original class of 13 that joined the program in 2006. Serving as the team captain, the 2008 Most Valuable Player brings a wealth of knowledge to the Falcons' locker room.
Throughout her first three years, Harrington has become a powerful defensive threat for the Falcons. She has moved into the Division I career record book in all three blocking categories. She paced the squad with 17 solo blocks and 66 assisted stops. Over her career, Harrington has seen action in 271 matches and has accounted for at least one block in all but 12.
In addition to her skill at defending the Falcons' side of the net, Harrington is also an offensive standout for the team. Averaging 1.84 kills per set, Harrington led the 2008 squad with a .200 hitting percentage (the 10th highest single-season average in the Academy's Division I history). Last years, she also paced the Falcons from the line, collecting a team-best 13 service aces.
Bolstering the veteran part of the Falcons' roster will be the return of five juniors that have seen significant playing time over their first two seasons.
Joining Harrington on the front line is Nichole Stilwell (Divide, Colo.). Stilwell is another offensive and defensive threat for the Falcons. In addition to tallying a 1.95 kills per set average (the most of any returning Falcon), Stilwell also accounted for 44 total blocks, including nine solo stops, during her stellar sophomore season.
Although the Falcons' might have lost some numbers in terms of dig production heading into the 2009 season, the combination of Harrington and Stilwell at the net will provide a solid curtain at the net. The duo produced 90-percent of the team's blocks, combining for 127 of the 141.5 total blocks in 2008.
Air Force returns a junior setter, who saw significant action as freshmen and then split time at the position last year.
Starting 17 matches as a sophomore, Jessica Hellmann (Palisade, Colo.) accounted for a team-high 491 assists. She averaged helpers at a 5.99 per-set clip, while also cracking the 100-dig plateau. The Colorado product also returns a solid arm to the serving line, as she collected 10 aces last season. Hitting .104 and recording 13 blocks from the setter's position, Hellmann holds the third-highest marks of the returning squad behind Harrington and Stilwell in both categories.
Caroline Kurtz (Albuquerque, N.M.) brings a talented power back to the Air Force rotation. Although her totals were down from her stellar freshman campaign, Kurtz collected 105 kills and 124 digs. Her average of 1.49 digs per set is the second-highest of any returning member. She also added nine service aces and 11 blocks. The junior can be looked on as a vital member of the starting lineup or as a burst of firepower off of the bench.
Posting the most digs of any of the returning Falcons is junior Kelly Spencer (Sharpsburg, Ga.). As a defensive specialist, Spencer averaged 1.62 digs per-set (147 total) during her sophomore season. Since she spent much of her freshman year as the Falcons' libero, Spencer has the experience needed to help the club fill the void left by Martinez's departure. Spencer also returns 11 service aces to the team's stat line, as she was ranked second on the team in that category one year ago.
Juniors Emily Frick (Colorado Springs, Colo.) and Julia Hansen (Golden, Colo.) played sparingly throughout their first two seasons, but bring a wealth of knowledge to the program. Frick saw action in 11 sets last season, collecting her first collegiate kill and dig. The junior rounded out her stat line with five total kills and eight digs. Able to see extended action against Akron at the 2008 Air Force Invitational, Frick recorded her first multi-kill match. Like Frick, Hansen has performed well when given extra playing time. Tallying three kills and four digs in 20 sets as a sophomore, Hansen recorded her first collegiate solo block against Colorado State in Fort Collins. In fact, her solo stop was the only unassisted block by either team during that match.
Also returning to this year's lineup is junior Jackie Norton (Highland, Calif.), who has yet to see collegiate match action after being plagued by injuries during each of her first two years.
Air Force added eight talented newcomers to the lineup, providing extra depth to the rotation. With polished prep resumes in hand, these freshmen look to make an immediate impact on the Falcons' success during their first year.
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Outside hitter Maile Lolohea (Salt Lake City, Utah) has been on the Academy grounds for the past year, as she spent the 2008 season at the Prep School. Lolohea was a vital member of the Huskies' volleyball program, earning all-tourney honors at two separate tournaments. Prior to her move to Colorado, Lolohea was a high school standout for Highland High, claiming first-team all-state and all-region honors all four years.
Joining Lolohea on the depth chart at the outside hitter position is Julianne Haun (Navarre, Fla.) and Grace Konstanzer (Irvine, Calif.). A two-time Most Valuable Player and three-year all-area first-team selection, Haun holds the Navarre High School single-season and career records for kills and digs. Konstanzer, a three-year letterwinner for Woodbridge High School and member of the 2007 undefeated, league championship squad, was a two-time all-league honoree.
The Falcons also added a pair of right side players to the lineup. Briana Jones (Chicago, Ill.) played at Saint Ignatius College Prep and was an all-conference selection, while Preslee Maki (Florence, Mont.) was an all-state selection at Frenchtown High School. Maki, who also earned all-state honors as a member of the Baker High School volleyball team in Florida, is the daughter of Air Force football All-American and Academy record-holder for tackles, Terry Maki.
Defensive specialist Maiya Perich (Houston, Texas) appears to be the early favorite to fill the void at the libero position. A two-time Outstanding Defensive Player award winner at James E. Taylor High School, Perich was also a two-time all-district selection at libero.
Middle blocker Jackie Bringman (Torrance, Calif.) joined the Falcons' program after a four-year career at Redondo Union High School, while setter Dani Griffith (The Woodlands, Texas) played on two district championship teams at College Park High School. A walk-on, who impressed the coaches at the start of fall practice, Griffith played on The Woodlands Stars Volleyball Club that won the national title at the 2008 Junior Olympics.
Penny Lucas-White returns to the sidelines for her 14th year as the Falcons' head coach. She will be joined by assistant coaches Verna Julaton and Ruth Lawanson. Julaton is also entering her 14th season with the Air Force program, while Lawanson joined the program prior to the start of the 2008 season.
Backed by the program's longtime coaches, the Falcons will combine a talented corps of veterans and an impressive selection of newcomers to aim for new heights during the 2009 campaign.
