Kats eyeing big things in '09
8/27/2009 8:30:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
By Cody Stark, Huntsville Item Assistant Sports Editor
Senior Anna Ferguson has a good feeling about this year's Sam Houston State volleyball squad.
Having been around the program for the past five years, she should know what she's talking about. Ferguson was a key part in the Bearkats run to the Southland Conference tournament semifinals in 2008.
But it isn't the returning players that have Ferguson and the Sam Houston State coaching staff excited about the upcoming season, it's the six talented newcomers that could get the Bearkats back to the postseason in 2009.
"I would have to say that as far as level-wise, this team is about the same as the team I played on my freshman year," said Ferguson, who led the Kats with 356 kills last season and is a first-team preseason All-SLC selection. "We really should have won it then. I have the most confidence coming into this season than I have been the last three years."
That's a lofty comparison. Ferguson's freshman season in 2005 was one of the best Sam Houston has had in a while. The Bearkats finished second in the SLC and made it to the semifinals of the postseason tournament.
But this year's group has been creating buzz. Not only is Ferguson back, but she is joined by returning starters Kym Loving and Carli Kolbe and letter winners Katie Phillips, Kim Black, Shamira Washington, Jamie Kaleh and Courtney Laskowski.
Put that group together with freshmen Camille Alfaro, Kaylee Hawkins, Kelli Stewart, Becky Swann, Michelle Miller and Jamie Hass and the Bearkats have a shot of doing better than last year's squad that upset rival Stephen F. Austin in the opening round of the SLC tournament.
"The freshmen that came in are such a great addition to this team," Loving said. "Our freshman class was actually nationally ranked. It is very competitive in the gym and it makes us work harder. I think that is what is different than last year, that we have a lot of competition on this team."
The Bearkats have been working hard the past few weeks to get into playing shape and are still trying to find the right rotation for the upcoming season.
Sam Houston will get its first opportunity to see what it needs to work on and how far along it has come when the Bearkats host the Comfort Suites/SHSU Invitational this weekend.
Joining Sam Houston in the tournament field is Delaware State, Louisiana-Lafayette, Southern Utah and Texas-Pan American. The tournament starts Friday with five matches, the first beginning at 9 a.m., and will conclude with five matches Saturday.
"I think there are a lot of good teams coming in and it is a good time for us to see the new girls in action," SHSU assistant coach Joe Lind said. "We are going to throw out different lineups to see who works the best together out on the court. We have a lot of options.
"We are probably the most skilled and the most athletic, team-wise, as we have been in the past four years."
The Bearkats will play Southern Utah at 2 p.m. Friday, then they will face Texas-Pan American at 7 to close the first day. Sam Houston battles Delaware State at 11:30 a.m. Saturday and finishes with Louisiana-Lafayette at 7
