Aug. 19, 2010

Allendale, Mich. - With the opening week of the fall sports season underway and the 2010 Grand Valley State volleyball team reporting for preseason practices, here is the first look at this season's Lakers. The four-day series continues with the trio of players that forms the team's sophomore class.

In 2009, GVSU finished with a 16-13 overall record (11-5 GLIAC), posting a winning record for the 17th consecutive season. The Lakers advanced to the GLIAC Tournament and earned a berth in the NCAA Midwest Regional Tournament for the 10th straight year.

While the sophomore class may be small in number with just three players, the trio saw a lot of court time in 2009 and that trend looks to continue in 2010. Outside hitter Ashley Blaszczak, setter Olivia Kohler, and middle blocker Eno Umoh combined to play in 73 matches and make 21 starts, while Kohler was one of just four Lakers to play in more than 100 sets last year. These three figure to be key players again in the 2010 season.

"This is a group that had a lot of impact last year," explained head coach Deanne Scanlon. "Olivia started the whole year as one of our two setters, Ashley had a lot of playing time as a true freshman, and Eno was primarily a starter for the whole year, as well."

One of the more common terms for an athlete playing in his/her second year with a team is avoiding the somewhat typical "sophomore slump". After having a strong freshman season, coaches want to make sure that their players do not have a letdown heading into their second year.

"The sophomores have a lot of experience, probably more experience than the junior class, in the aspect of actual playing time on the court," Scanlon described. "We just want them to continue to take steps forward and not regress backwards. Our expectations are higher for all three kids this year."

Kohler joins seniors Rebeccah Rapin and Meghan Scanlon as the three returners to play in at least 100 sets last season, as Kohler and Scanlon were the team's two setters in GVSU's '6-2' formation. The former Michigan 'Miss Volleyball' award winner, Kohler played in all 29 matches, finishing second on the team in assists (416), fourth in service aces (16), and sixth in digs (132). She recorded 22 matches of at least 10 assists, including seven contests where she dished out 20 or more helpers. From Sept. 6 to Oct. 9, Kohler put together a nice streak, as she totaled 11 straight matches of double-digit assists, including a career-high 24 assists at Northern Michigan on Sept. 18.

"Olivia played in every match last season and we can tell she has gotten better as a setter," said Scanlon. "Coming in last year, we knew she was a tremendous athlete and she'd be ready to play. She just needs to know to not rely on her physical ability. With Olivia and Meghan having another year under their belts, we're better at the setting position. Now that she's not a freshman anymore, we need Olivia to be a leader on the court and be the quarterback for the three rotations when she’s out there."

A starter in 13 contests last year, Umoh had a terrific year defensively, leading GVSU in block assists (96) and ranking second in total blocks (103) and fifth in kills (92). She finished the year ranked third in the GLIAC in blocks per set (1.17). Umoh began her collegiate career in tremendous fashion, totaling a season-high 10 block assists and six kills in a 3-1 win over Texas-Permian Basin on Aug. 28. She recorded a block in 26 of 27 matches, adding eight total blocks and six kills against Wayne State on Sept. 12. Ranking fourth on the team (amongst attackers) in hitting percentage (.144), perhaps her best offensive match was a 3-0 win over Tiffin on Oct. 10 in which she smashed six kills (with no errors) in just 11 attempts for a stellar .545 hitting percentage.

"Eno is easily one of the best athletes on the team and there are times we almost need her to back it down a little bit," Scanlon mentioned. "We expect dynamic things from her; she has those 'Wow' moments, where everybody is asking, 'Did you see that?'. We are working with her on her control and trying to make her more technically sound. But there is nobody in the gym that can do some of the things Eno can do."

Appearing in 17 matches (including eight starts), Blaszczak totaled 35 kills and 27 digs in 38 total sets. She finished sixth on the team in block assists (20) and total blocks (21). There were several matches where the Laker coaching staff saw very positive things from Blaszczak. Against Findlay on Oct. 3, she notched a career-high nine kills, hit .412 for the match, and added three blocks assists in the 3-0 sweep. Down in Florida on Sept. 6, she tallied seven kills in 13 attempts and a season-high six digs in a 3-0 win over East Stroudsburg, which was followed by a personal-best five block assists against Eckerd later that night.

"Ashley is the most fit player in our program – and probably the most fit player in any program here on campus," Scanlon declared. "I would put her fitness up against anybody. She was a positive surprise last year and heading into this season. She’ll always be fit; now we're working on turning her into more of a volleyball player and making her more game-savvy."

Tuesday: Senior Class

Wednesday: Junior Class

Friday: Freshman Class