Defending champ volleyball team gets 2009 camp underway
The Tennessee Tech University women’s volleyball team took the first step in its 2009 season Monday as 12 players reported to Eblen Center for the first time.
Team begins on-court practive
Tuesday
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. -- The Tennessee Tech University
women’s volleyball team took the first step in its 2009
season Monday as 12 players reported to Eblen Center for the first
time. There was excitement in the air as head coach John Blair
addressed his players as a group for the first time since part of
the group captured the OVC regular season and tournament titles
last season.
“The first day of training camp is always exciting, both for
the coaches and the players,” said Blair, the 2008 Ohio
Valley Conference Coach of the Year.
The Golden Eagles have seven returners from last season’s
OVC championship team, including junior OVC Player of the Year Leah
Meffert and senior OVC Defensive Player of the Year Katie Kenline.
Meffert finished among the conference leaders in kills and points
last season, while Kenline tallied 558 digs en route to setting the
school record for career digs.
Joining Meffert and Kenline are returners Amanda Lindgren, Teresa
Craig, Marie Peddicord, Melanie Culp and Laura Pierce – each
of whom has at least two years of playing experience at Tech.
Five new faces will wear the purple and gold this season in
freshmen Heather Asplund, Stacey Butts, Madison Comperry, Katrina
Dvorken and Kelsey Gray. Blair has high expectations for his
newcomers and will look for them to make contributions right
away.
“I hope the freshmen are coming in ready to compete for
playing time, and I think they are,” Blair said. “We
brought in a very talented group, and we’re ready to see what
they can do.”
The team will walk on the court for its first practice of 2009 on
Tuesday morning and later will begin learning the offense in an
evening session.
Tuesday marks the first of 17 straight days of practice before the
Golden Eagles travel to Knoxville for their first match of the
season on Saturday, August 29 against the University of
Tennessee.
“This is a good group,” Blair said. “We’re
excited to get on the court Tuesday and start things off
right.”
