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2007 Season Outlook
In the short time she’s been the volleyball
coach at Lewis-Clark State College, Jennifer Greeny has made an impact
on the program. From the off-season workouts to the smiles on the
players’ faces, Lewis-Clark State Volleyball has a new outlook.
“My personal goal for
this season is to make the team successful,” says Greeny, “whether that
success is defined in more wins than last year, enjoying the game more,
bringing more fans in, or doing better academically. I think all of
these things help in the development of the program.”
The Warriors suffered
only the program’s third losing record since 1993 last year and despite
losing only three players who saw regular action last year, LCSC is
picked to finish sixth this season in the eight-team Frontier
Conference.
Greeny says that is to
be expected based on last year’s record, a new coach, and a new system.
However, she says both her and the player are excited for this season
and that the Warriors are working hard to get better.
Greeny was named coach
in late March after the team had finished its spring workouts. The
challenge this fall has been installing her system, which helped Pullman
High place four consecutive years at the Washington State Class 2A
Tournament, including the program’s first state championship.
“One challenge for the
girls is just adjusting to my coaching, what I want, and the speed of
the game that I want to improve,” Greeny says. “I want to run a
faster-paced offense.”
Greeny says she plans
to use a 6-2 offense, which uses two setters. The Warriors return junior
Mindy Meyer and sophomore Lisa Davis, who split time as starters a year
ago. Freshman Kim Fong of Lewiston also will set this season and Greeny
says that two of the three will likely be on the court together.
The left-side hitting
position is perhaps the deepest on the team with returners Lindsay
Scott, a junior, and Brittany Hall, a sophomore, joining senior Marie
Balmer and newcomer Cintia Alessi, a junior. Balmer hasn’t played since
the 2004 season and Alessi earned Junior College All-America honors at
North Idaho College last season.
Greeny says Scott has
improved tremendously and that Hall has been working on improving her
footwork and consistency. Balmer was one of the top Warrior players in
2004 and despite some injury problems, Greeny feels she will make an
impact this year, as will Alessi, who has played internationally.
“She brings a whole
new level of experience to the team,” Greeny says of Alessi. “She helps
the team so much and she’s also willing to teach the other players. It’s
great to have someone like that.”
Junior Julie Maciboba
and senior Brittney Kubik are the middle blockers. Maciboba was an
honorable mention all-conference selection last year, while Kubik ranked
fourth on the team in kills. Greeny says both are working on improving
their blocking and being more consistent.
On the right side,
sophomore Dana Christiansen joins junior Austyn Lewis. Christiansen is a
left-handed hitter who “hits a heavy ball,” according to Greeny, while
Lewis hit the weight room hard in the summer and is the team’s most
improved player this fall, Greeny says.
Junior college
transfer Whitney Bond and freshman Katie Hinrichs of Pullman are the
team’s defensive specialists. Greeny says Bond is a hard worker and that
Hinrichs is adjusting to the speed and power of the college game.
Greeny says a big
challenge for the team this season is having just seven home matches,
all in conference play.
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