It would be an understatement to say the outlook is promising for the Lewis-Clark State College women’s volleyball team this season.

To wit, the team has three first-team all-Frontier Conference players returning, including senior middle blocker Nicole Graybeal, who was the league’s Player of the Year and a first-team NAIA All-American.

The Warriors return eight players and one redshirt from a squad that won its fourth straight FC regular season and tournament titles, posted a 31-3 record, established season records for overall winning percentage (.912) and fewest losses, and advanced to the Elite Eight of the NAIA National Tournament, which marked LCSC’s second-best finish in 11 national appearances.

LCSC also added sophomore setter Nevena Dragovic, a transfer from California Baptist who earned first-team all-conference honors as a freshman in the NAIA’s best volleyball league, the Golden State Athletic Conference.

The Warriors also recruited six freshmen who are expected to push the returners for playing time.

Finally, LCSC was not only picked to win the conference title again in the FC coaches’ preseason poll, but the Warriors were ranked No. 7 in the NAIA preseason poll, which is believed to be its highest ranking ever in the first poll.

It’s easy to see why expectations are high for the 2011 Warriors, but first-year coach LaToya Harris and the team have different ideas. Their goals reach much higher.

“The one thing coach keeps telling us is to push beyond our comfort zone,” says senior outside hitter Kelli Tikker, who earned first-team all-conference honors last season after leading the team in kills. “That is the one thing she keeps reiterating because we did make it to the Elite Eight last year but we want to go beyond that. In order to do that, we have to push beyond our comfort zone.”

Pushing beyond last season’s finish is a common theme among the returning players. They feel the team was not that far from being a national title contender a year ago and that they can make such a run this season.

“We don’t feel pressure,” Tikker says. “You can take pressure as a positive or a negative. We know we have to step it up and we believe in each other and we believe in ourselves.”

“Confidence,” says senior outside hitter Lauryn Herrick, also a first-team all-conference performer from last season. “We have the recipe to be the best this year. I don’t know what it is, just a feeling inside. Therefore we’re going to use it and accomplish our goals.”

The Warriors do have to make some adjustments this season, starting with Harris’ style of play. Although Harris and the coach she replaced, Jen Greeny, both played at Washington State under coach Cindy Frederick, they don’t share the same coaching philosophy.

“It’s different,” Harris says. “What Jen taught them they were successful with it. Granted we have similar backgrounds but I’m a different coach so the players may have to start over a little bit. But change is good and I think it’s going to be positive. “

Some of the changes may not be noticeable, such as some defensive adjustments and strategies, but the team will also run a quicker offense, trying for quick hits and not allow the opponent’s defense to get set.

“A quicker offense and different ways of playing defense,” Herrick says of the changes. “She (Harris) also is finding a way of fixing things that didn’t take us to the next level last year. She is very confident in the fact that she watched a lot of tape during the summer and knows what prevented us from getting past the Elite 8 last year. She is doing everything she knows to get us there.”

Harris says it’s been a pretty smooth transition coming into the program and adds the team has been quick to pick things up, although there’s always room for improvement.

“I think their work ethic stands out,” Harris says of the team. “They were working hard before I got here and then watching them step on the court and how they work hard together and how tight knit they are as a family is fun. And motivated to be the best like they are is something that you just can’t find in a group. That is something coaches have to train. That has made it an easy transition for me and to push them to do better.”

Herrick says the players have good reason to push themselves.

“We are motivated because we want more,” Herrick says. “One area is conditioning. We were kind of tired at the end last year. Granted we played a lot of games within a few days, but that is what is going to take us to the next game, still being able to compete and not having our legs being tired from jumping. Some of the stuff that she (Harris) is bringing in will help us get there.”

--To read the full 2011 outlook pick up this year's LCSC volleyball printed program which will be sold at all home matches--