Southeast volleyball hopes to build on strong finish to 2006 season

A somewhat up-and-down 2006 Southeast Missouri State volleyball season nearly ended on a total upswing.

The Redhawks, after barely slipping into the Ohio Valley Conference tournament as the sixth and final seed, made it all the way to the championship match.

Southeast was swept by Jacksonville State, but the Redhawks figure they can carry the momentum of that late charge into the new season, which begins Friday at the Ball State tournament.

"Making the finals, even though we lost, it gave us a lot of confidence," said senior middle blocker Brenna Schlader, one of Southeast's three captains, during Tuesday's media day. "We're ready to go. I'm so excited."

Added senior outside hitter Brittany Hastings, another captain: "It gave us a lot of momentum. I think we're ready to start from that position and build on it."

The Redhawks face a major challenge right off the bat as their first match in the Ball State tournament is against Ohio State, the nation's 16th-ranked team.

Southeast faces Ball State and Maine on Saturday when the tournament concludes. The Redhawks open their home schedule Sept. 21 against Murray State.

"I feel good about this team, as long as they keep working," Southeast third-year coach Renata Nowacki said. "The finish last year was bittersweet. I think the girls remember that feeling.

"We said every practice we're going to work that much harder to get that [championship] trophy."

The Redhawks graduated two premier players from last season in kills leader Jessica Koeper and assists leader Jamie Baumstark, who both rank among the program's all-time leaders in those categories.

But Nowacki believes the Redhawks can improve on last year's 16-18 overall record and 8-8 OVC mark, which tied them for sixth in the 11-team conference.

"We lost two big names and we have a lot of unknowns, but I'm okay with that," Nowacki said.

Schlader, a second-team all-OVC preseason pick, ranked second on last year's squad in kills behind Koeper with 340. She led the Redhawks in blocks with 113, which placed her seventh in the OVC.

Hastings was third on last season's team with 296 kills.

Another returning starter is sophomore defensive specialist Molly Davis, who led Southeast and ranked eighth in the OVC with 540 digs.

Sophomore setter Sarah Barth made eight starts during her rookie campaign. She was second on the squad with 283 assists.

Sophomore outside hitter Karleigh DeLong, Southeast's other captain, overcame an early-season injury to record 122 kills and 136 digs.

Other returning letterwinners are senior defensive specialist Sirma Ozenir, junior setter Alyssa Aston (185 digs) and junior outside hitter Kim Unnerstall.

Southeast's 12-player roster is rounded out by four newcomers, including junior college transfer Aubrey Dondlinger at outside hitter.

The Redhawks' three freshmen are middle blocker Emily Hughes, outside hitter Claire Keaton and outside hitter Kelly Benacka.

Dondlinger, Hughes and Keaton are tentatively scheduled to join holdovers Schlader, Hastings, Barth and Davis in the season-opening starting lineup.

New assistant coach

Nowacki has a new assistant in Jeremiah Larsen, who played on BYU's 2001 NCAA championship team.

Larsen was most recently a volunteer assistant at Utah Valley State College, and he was also a head high school coach in Utah for three seasons, winning a state title.

"He's an excellent addition for us," Nowacki said. "His technical knowledge is great and the girls really respond to him."