WALLA WALLA, Wash. -- Despite losing three top players to graduation last spring, Whitman College volleyball coach Dean Snider is full of optimism as his squad prepares for its 2001 fall campaign.
"We expect to do well again this fall," Snider says, eyeing the start of his sixth season as the Missionary coach. "We have good people returning, and we are fortunate to welcome another strong first-year class."
The Missionaries rolled to a 17-10 win-loss record last fall, which included an 8-8 mark and a fifth-place finish in the always tough Northwest Conference (NWC). It was Whitman's fourth consecutive winning season, giving Snider a 60-45 overall record during that time span.
A native of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Snider arrived on campus a month before the start of the 1996 fall season, which saw the Missionaries win just eight of 31 matches.
Snider's 2001 team will revolve around middle blocker Jill Huber (Enumclaw WA, Enumclaw HS), who earned second-team all-NWC honors last fall as a freshman, and senior co-captains Claire Novotny (Boulder CO, Machebeuf HS) and Allison Roth (Arlington WA, Marysville-Pilchuck HS).
"We look for another good season from Jill, who was our best player in her first year here," Snider says. "She is an outstanding player, and she's only going to get better and more consistent. She leads with her play from both the front and back rows."
Huber, a 5-foot-11 middle blocker, was one of only two first-year players to earn all-conference honors last season. She was among the NWC leaders in a number of statistical categories, finishing fifth in both hitting percentage (.236) and blocks (.97 per game). She also averaged .42 service aces per game, the third-best percentage in the NWC, and she was No. 11 in kills with 2.78 per game.
Huber was named NWC Player of the Week midway through the season when she collected 27 kills, 27 digs, nine blocks and four aces in two road victories. "As Jill refines her game she will become one of the absolute best players in the conference," Snider says. "She's also a joy to coach and a terrific young lady."
Novotny, a 5-foot-7 setter, returns to direct Whitman's offense. Averaging 10.29 assists over 79 games last fall, she was one of only three players in the conference who posted double-digit figures in assists.
Novotny also helped the Missionaries lead the NWC in service aces last season. She finished sixth in the individual rankings, averaging .38 aces per game. Whitman players filled four of the top seven spots.
"Claire did a super job last fall," Snider says. "She is a talented setter and has a great court presence."
Roth, a 6-foot-1 middle blocker, has been a steady contributor throughout her Whitman career. She averaged .81 blocks per game last year as a junior, which ranked her No. 11 in the conference. In a super sophomore season, Roth was No. 6 in blocks (1.0 per game) and No. 2 in hitting percentage (.278). "Allison also is a great passer and back row player," Snider says.
Kristin Carter (Portland OR, Sunset HS), a 5-foot-11 senior playing her third season of college volleyball, gives Whitman more depth at middle blocker. She averaged .91 blocks in 34 games last fall.
"Kristin has become an explosive attacker and a solid all-court player," Snider says. "At times she has been our strongest middle attacker, and she seems to keep getting better. Both Kristin and Allison provide on-court leadership and experience for our younger players."
Megan Kanaga (Maple Valley WA, Tahoma HS), a 6-foot-1 junior, and Denise Kirstein (Spokane WA, Ferris HS), a 5-foot-8 sophomore, are two emerging players to watch, Snider says. "They shared time last season on the right side, but they will probably play on the left this fall, giving us a strong one-two punch from the outside. Denise is our best athlete, very strong and explosive, and I'm sure she will turn some heads as the season unfolds. Megan is a super passer, and she has a long reach on her attack. She is very hard to stop when she gets a good wind-up."
Snider also sees better seasons ahead for his two defensive specialists, 5-foot-7 junior Liz Nelson (Seattle WA, Holy Names Academy) and 5-foot-3 sophomore Elly Smith (Spokane WA, East Valley HS). "We might have the best tandem at that position in the conference," he says. "Liz does a great job passing and digging, and she is perhaps our best server. Elly gives us a great emotional lift every time she steps on the court. She also does a fine job backing up Claire at the setter position."
In 44 games last season, Nelson averaged .39 aces per game, the third-best percentage on the team. In 87 games as a freshman, Smith collected 188 digs and the same number of assists.
Whitman's list of returning players also includes senior Bryn Thorsen (Eugene OR, Sheldon HS), a 5-foot-8 defensive specialist playing only her second season of college volleyball, and Leslie Crandell (Redding CA, Foothill HS), a talented 5-foot-8 outside hitter who rejoins the squad after a one-year leave.
"Bryn gives us more maturity and depth on the defensive side," Snider says. "We just hope she can stay healthy this fall and enjoy the season." Thorsen suffered a badly sprained ankle late last summer and played in just three games.
Crandell was an impact player during the fall of 1999, her second season, when she led the NWC in serving with .55 aces per game. She was 12th in the conference in digs with 3.12 per game. "It's good to have Leslie back," Snider says. "Her speed and athleticism will certainly help us."
While Whitman's roster is stocked with experienced players, Snider is excited about a trio of first-year athletes.
One of the newcomers is Megan Bessette, who was the starting middle blocker last year for both Robert Service High School in Anchorage, Alaska, and that area's Midnight Sun Volleyball Club. The 5-foot-10 Bessette led Service High to a state title and earned spots on the all-state and all-region teams for a second straight season.
"Megan also brings us more versatility in that she can play on the outside or in the middle," Snider says. "She plans to follow the pre-med program at Whitman with the possibility of going to dentistry school after she graduates."
Lyndsay Buckingham, a 5-foot-8 outside hitter from Skyline High School in Issaquah, Wash., adds more talent to Whitman's freshman class. Winner of her team's Most Valuable Player award, she led Skyline to a seventh-place finish at last year's Class 3A state tournament. She earned first-team honors in the KingCo Conference and was chosen by the state coaching association to compete in July's all-state matches in July. The Eastside Journal newspaper named her to its 3A/4A All-State Team.
Buckingham was honored by her high school as a Skyline Scholar Athlete and given its Scholar Leadership Award. She also competed at the state level in both track and golf.
Rounding out the first-year corps is Laura Williams, a 6-foot middle blocker from Churchill High School in Eugene, Ore.
Williams and her Churchill teammates missed qualifying for their state tournament last year by one game. She was named an All-American Scholar Athlete and was nominated for the U.S. Navy's Scholastic Honorary Women's Volleyball Team. She plans to study psychology and Spanish at Whitman.
Whitman begins its fall season by hosting the Holiday Inn Express Inn Invitational on Friday, Aug. 31, and Saturday, Sept. 1. The Missionaries will also compete Sept. 7-8 at the Colorado College Invitational.
Northwest Conference play for Whitman begins Sept. 14-15 in western Oregon. The Missionaries host their first NWC matches on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 21-22.