Yes, the University of Utah volleyball team has unexpectedly lost half its starting lineup, but as the Utes prepare to open the 2007 taking on the last team to beat them, UCLA, on Friday at Nebraska, they have the kind of under-the-skin determination that adversity fosters.
"Everyone believes that we're going to be in, I don't know, big trouble," said coach Beth Launiere. "But we've got a lot of good players in this program. We have some pretty motivated players that want to step up and win."
In fifth-ranked UCLA, the No. 21 Utes meet the team that ended their 2006 season at Pauley Pavilion in the NCAA second round. Friday's match is the opener of the American Volleyball Coaches' Association Showcase tournament at 5 p.m. (MDT) at Nebraska's Qwest Center, site of the 2006 Final Four that included the Bruins.
No. 1-ranked defending NCAA champion Nebraska and Tennessee are the other teams in the prestigious season tipoff tourney. It's Utah's first appearance in the Showcase. "It's an honor to be invited," Launiere said.
When the Bruins ousted the Utes last December, Utah had second-team All-American Airial Salvo at outside hitter, NCAA region freshman of the year Sydney Anderson setting and the nation's No. 2 blocker, 6-foot-7 Emillie Toone, in the middle.
But Toone tore an anterior cruciate ligament in May and is out for the season, and Salvo and Anderson abruptly bolted from the team in late spring. Salvo wound up at Washington, where she'll have to sit the year, and Anderson joined the U.S. team for training. Both have Olympic aspirations and were counseled that they'd have a better chance if they joined higher-profile programs.
"Emillie, that was heartbreaking because it's her senior year, and she's such a nice anchor in the middle," Launiere said. "That hurt our team, no question, but she's doing great, and she gets to come back next year. She's stayed with us and is actively involved all the time. She'll get an extra spring of training in this year and have a great senior year."
Launiere doesn't talk about the bitter defections of the other two. She prefers to say the team is long over it, yet there is still an underlying seething that may work in their favor. "We're not trying to make it about that, but deep inside, there's some of that," Launiere admitted.
"We're not feeling sorry for ourselves. We don't want to take the easy road."
With a schedule Launiere calls "top 10," it won't be an easy road.
Utah still has gifted players, led by third-team All-American Whitney Webb, all-conference Lori Baird, veteran Connie Dangerfield, versatile Kate Robison and emerging Kathryn (Lovell) Haynie, who started 23 matches in 2006 and finished strong in the tournaments.
"We have Kate and Kat on the outside, Whitney on the right side, Connie in the libero position. We don't have as much depth as any coach would like," Launiere said, "but sometimes you don't need depth."
Launiere has six freshmen, with 6-2 Karolina Bartkowiak and 6-3 Danielle Killpack earning praise for play in training camp."I don't think they're going to lead the nation in blocking like Emillie did, but they're good players," Launiere said.
Two more freshmen are battling for Anderson's setting spot, Stephanie Shardlow and Keisha Fisher, who was recruited as a libero but plays both positions.
After two matches in the Showcase and three at Purdue's Mortar Board tournament next week, Utah opens the home season with unranked Southern California Sept. 9 and No. 10 Florida at Crimson Court Sept. 9. The Mountain West Conference opener — Utah's third in the preseason MWC poll — is Sept. 13 at San Diego State with the home opener Sept. 21 with always-tough Colorado State.
2007 University of Utah volleyball schedule
Date Opponent / Event Location Time
Aug. 24 vs. UCLA (AVCA Showcase) Omaha, Neb. TBA
Aug. 25 Nebraska/Tennessee (AVCA Showcase) Omaha, Neb. TBA
Aug 31 vs. North Carolina (Purdue Mortar Board Tourney) West Lafayette, Ind. 3 p.m.
Sept. 1 at Dayton (Purdue Mortar Board Tourney) West Lafayette, Ind. 10 a.m.
at Purdue (Purdue Mortar Board Tourney) West Lafayette, Ind. 5:30 p.m.
Sept. 7 vs. USC Salt Lake City 7 p.m.
Sept. 9 vs. Florida Salt Lake City 4 p.m.
Sept. 13 at San Diego State San Diego 8 p.m.
Sept. 15 at UNLV Las Vegas 2 p.m.
Sept. 21 vs. Colorado State Salt Lake City 8 p.m.
Sept. 25 vs. Weber State Salt Lake City 7 p.m.
Sept. 28 at Air Force Colorado Springs, Colo. 7 p.m.
Sept. 29 at Wyoming Laramie, Wyo. TBA
Oct. 3 vs. New Mexico State Salt Lake City 7 p.m.
Oct. 5 vs. New Mexico Salt Lake City 7 p.m.
Oct. 6 vs. TCU Salt Lake City 7p.m.
Oct. 12 vs. Brigham Young Salt Lake City 7 p.m.
Oct. 20 at Colorado State Fort Collins, Colo. 7 p.m.
Oct. 23 at Utah Valley State Orem, Utah 7 p.m.
Oct. 26 vs. Wyoming Salt Lake City 7 p.m.
Oct. 27 vs. Air Force Salt Lake City 7 p.m.
Oct. 30 at Utah State Logan, Utah TBA
Nov. 2 at TCU Fort Worth, Texas 6 p.m.
Nov. 3 at New Mexico Albuquerque, N.M. 7 p.m.
Nov. 9 at Brigham Young Provo, Utah 7 p.m.
Nov 16 vs. UNLV Salt Lake City 7 p.m.
Nov. 17 vs. San Diego State Salt Lake City 7 p.m.
Nov 22-24 Mountain West Conference Tourney First Round Las Vegas TBA
Nov. 29 NCAA Tournament TBA TBA
Dec. 6 NCAA Regionals TBA TBA
Nov. 13 NCAA Finals TBA TB
—ALL TIMES MOUNTAIN
Utah volleyball roster
No. Name Ht. Pos. Yr. Exp. Hometown (Previous School)
5 Lori Baird 6-2 MB JR 2L Murray, Utah (Murray HS)
10 Karolina Bartkowiak 6-2 MB FR HS Aurora, Ill./Wroclaw, Poland (Cottowood HS)
14 Connie Dangerfield 5-7 L SR 3L Salt Lake City, Utah (Cottonwood HS)
11 Keisha Fisher 5-7 L/S FR HS Ririe, Idaho (Skyline HS)
8 Kathryn Haynie 6-0 OH JR 2L North Salt Lake, Utah (Woods Cross HS)
12 Stephanie Hodgman 5-9 DS/OH SO 1L Los Gatos, Calif. (Los Gatos HS)
18 Leilani Ili 5-11 OH FR HS Gilbert, Ariz. (Gilbert HS)
9 Danielle Killpack 6-3 MB FR HS Idaho Falls, Idaho (Idaho Falls HS)
7 Jennifer Lanting 6-6 OH FR HS Corcoran, Calif. (Central Valley Christian HS)
16 Kate Robison 6-0 OH SR 3L Syracuse, Utah (Clearfield HS)
6 Chelsey Sandberg 6-1 MB SO 1L West Jordan, Utah (Copper Hills HS)
2 Stephanie Shardlow 5-10 S FR HS Saugus, Calif. (Saugus HS)
4 Hilary Taylor 5-10 OH SR 1L Salt Lake City (Western Wyoming CC)
15 Emillie Toone 6-7 OH/MB SR 3L American Fork, Utah (American Fork HS)
17 Whitney Webb 6-1 OH/MB SR 3L Gilbert, Ariz. (Gilbert HS)
E-mail: lham@desnews.com