Aug. 15, 2003

Southern volleyball team looking for turn-around in 2003

With six seniors among 10 returning veterans, Missouri Southern State University women's volleyball coach Debbie Traywick has good reason to smile going into her 16th season as head coach of the Lions.

But Traywick's rosy outlook on the 2003 season isn't based solely on her returning letterwinners.

She has an outstanding redshirt junior in Jackie Gallagher, a 5-foot-11 junior from Glendale, Ariz., who formerly played at the University of Idaho. Gallagher transferred to Southern before the 2002 campaign, but sat out that season.

"She may be one of the best players I've coached," said Traywick. "She's an emotional player who loves to play and will be fun for our fans to watch."

In addition to Gallagher, six talented freshmen join the Lions this season, giving Traywick more quality depth than she's had in recent years.

"We have more depth this season. We're a lot deeper than we were last season when injuries plagued us all year," the MSSU coach explained. "We played three-fourths of last season with at least one starter out due to some type of injury or ailment. We were never really healthy all year. Hopefully, the added depth this season will help us combat the injuries that occur. Injuries also hurt you in practice. We couldn't accomplish all we wanted to do last season because of the injuries."

Missouri Southern, 6-10 in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) standings and 12-16 overall last year, must show improvement in several categories to challenge last year's national runner-up Truman State, conference champion Washburn and 19-time MIAA winner Central Missouri State. The Lions ranked among the conference leaders in only one category in 2002. Missouri Southern was third in digs with 19.38 per game. Only Truman State and Washburn finished higher. Missouri Southern was seventh in hitting percentage (.178), seventh in kills per game (14.23), eighth in assists per game (12.20), sixth in service aces per game (1.65) and last in blocks per game (1.97).

The MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll had the Southern contingent picked seventh in 2003.

"Hopefully, our veterans and the new additions to our team will give us more consistency this season," Traywick said. "We need to eliminate the unforced errors, we need to serve better and we need to terminate the ball more effectively.

"We did some good things last season. We were a good defensive team and we passed the ball well. We beat Truman State last in the season and that has to give us encouragement going into this year. We beat the team that finished second to Brigham Young University-Hawaii in the NCAA Division II Championships."

Traywick, who is aided by graduate assistant Robert Creekmore, is blessed with several of her top performers from last year's team: seniors Kym Mutert, Amy Little, Jessica Brown, Jessica Puszewski, Lindsey Mason and Jennifer Ford, junior Sara Jaynes and sophomores Jeri Rinehart, Cindy Fleming and Marci Johnson.

Mutert, the Lions' 5-foot-8 setter, is a three-time letterwinner and was among the MIAA leaders in assists with 10.60 per game last year.

"Kym is so athletic and can do a lot of things," Traywick said. "She was a second-team all-conference player last year. She's matured with age and is excited about getting this season under way."

Traywick calls Little, a 5-6 outside hitter from Nixa, Mo., one of her most consistent players. "Amy is sound in all facets of the game. She hits the ball well, she serves well and she passes the ball well. And, she loves to compete."

Brown, who transferred into the program last year from Jefferson Community College, is a defensive specialist who worked on improving her passing during spring drills. A product of East Newton High School, Brown is more comfortable in the Missouri Southern system with a year's experience behind her, Traywick said.

Puszewski, 5-11 outside hitter from Papillion, Neb., has been a stabilizing force on the right side the last two years.

"She is a very strategic player and has great court awareness," said Traywick. "She challenged our seniors during the spring to get better. She will be one of our team leaders this season."

Mason, 5-11 middle hitter from Edmond, Okla., has been plagued by injuries during her career. "She's had a stress fracture, shin splints, sprained ankle and a shoulder injury during her career here," Traywick said. "A fifth-year senior, she adds stability and experience to our squad. If we can keep her healthy all season, that will be a big plus for our team.

Ford, 6-0 Tulsa, Okla., product, has had to battle her way into the Southern lineup. She didn't play her freshman and sophomore years, but worked her way into the lineup as a junior.

"Jennifer had a good first half of the season last year, but dropped off the second half. She's a self-made player who works hard and really had a good spring," Traywick said.

Ford, Mason, Puszewski and Mutert, along with junior Sara Jaynes, were named to the MIAA Commissioner's Honor Roll last season.

Jaynes, 5-10 middle hitter from Springfield Hillcrest, was moved into the middle last season after playing one of the outside positions.

"She struggled the first half of the year, but had a really strong second half," Traywick said. "She has a great attitude and made the sacrifice last season to help her teammates. She can play either the middle or outside and really had a great spring as an outside hitter."

Gallagher, 5-11 outside or middle hitter, is the other junior on the squad.

"Jackie is an excellent all-around player," said Traywick. "She serves well, she passes well and she can terminate a play. She will enable us to match up better with some of the stronger teams on our schedule."

Two of the three returning sophomores on the squad will be battling Brown and freshman Amy Barnicle for the libero or defensive specialist position.

Rinehart, 5-7 graduate of Diamond High School, was moved to the libero position in the spring after recovering from a shoulder injury.

"Her future as a defensive specialist the next couple years appears bright," Traywick said.

Fleming, 5-9 from Edgerton, Ks., has also been moved to libero from outside hitter.

"Cindy is a very good passer and will complement Jeri (Rinehart) in the future," Traywick said.

Completing the list of sophomores is Johnson, a 5-9 setter-outside hitter from Winona, Mo.

"We're grooming her for the future, to take over for Kym," Traywick said. "She brings a very good serve to the table and we'll try to take advantage of her serving ability this season. Also, Marci pushes Kym to perform better at the setter position. She sets a very hittable ball."

Another excellent server is freshman outside hitter Katie Patterson (5-8, Lee's Summit, Mo.).

"Katie has an excellent jump serve and she might be someone we can use to get her serve into the lineup. She's a fine all-around player who plays good defense and is an excellent passer," Traywick said.

Ashley Mehrer, 6-1 middle hitter from Winnetonka High School in Kansas City, played alongside Patterson on the Kansas City Invasion club team.

"Ashley is very athletic and hits with power," Traywick said. "She also blocks well and that's an area in which we need to improve after finishing last in the conference last year."

Another freshman who figures to help with the blocking is Ashley Wright, 6-1 Miller High School product.

"She's very athletic and an explosive jumper," said Traywick. "She has quick feet and her quickness can help her overcome some mistakes. She's a diamond-in-the-rough who will make a really solid player for us in a couple years."

Traywick likes the mental toughness of another freshman prospect, 5-8 outside hitter Sarah Hoffmeister of Joplin High School.

"She impressed me during her tryout. She was able to deal with bigger blockers and has a lot of desire to offset her lack of height. She could be an Amy Little-type player."

Barnicle, like Hoffmeister, is in Southern's Honors program and has impressed Traywick with her desire to be a member of the Missouri Southern squad. An outside hitter in high school at Willard, the 5-6 freshman will be moved to the libero position.

"I like her attitude," Traywick said. "She's persistent and wants to be a part of the program. She played on a club team in Springfield with Ashley Wright."

The sixth freshman is Elissa Herford, 6-foot right side hitter from Carl Junction. "Elissa has some ability and worked hard in Coach (Mike) Lawrence's conditioning program this summer. She also came to some of my volleyball camps when she was little."

Traywick sees Truman State, Washburn and Central Missouri as the three teams to beat in the MIAA again this season, but warns that Pittsburg State will be in the hunt.

"They've added a 6-foot-4 Nigerian in the middle and have a Division I transfer at setter," Traywick said.

"Really, I see more parity in the league," she said. "Northwest Missouri has a new coach and some new players; Missouri Western and Emporia State should be good and I believe we'll be able to compete if we can eliminate some of our mistakes. With our new additions, I believe we're stronger. We just need to be more consistent offensively. I was pleased with our defense last year."

Traywick likes the strength of Southern's schedule. The Lions will play eight regional teams in nonconference competition, including national power North Alabama, Henderson (Ark.) State, West Florida, Central Arkansas, Arkansas Tech, Harding (Ark.) University and West Alabama.

The Lions open the season on the road, meeting Central Oklahoma in Edmond on Aug. 30. The team's first home game will be against Henderson State on Sept. 6. The Lions are entered in two tournaments: Central Arkansas on Sept. 12-13 and Henderson State on Oct. 10-11.

A new wrinkle to MIAA play this year is the return of the conference tournament at the end of the regular season. That tourney will start on Nov. 11.