2017 VB Preview: Liberos/DS
8/14/2017 5:24:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
The 2017 Sam Houston State Bearkat volleyball season is nearly upon us, with Coach Brenda Gray's group set to open up the year August 25 at the Texas A&M Invitational.
This is the first of a four-part preview, position-by-position of this year's squad. The Kats boast three preseason first team all-league choices and were picked to finish third in the Southland in the league's annual preseason poll.
LIBERO/DS NOTABLES
Returning: Addison Miller, Kayla Jones
Newcomers: Ashleigh Traylor, Amy Martin
HUNTSVILLE – With its four primary hitters back from 2016, offense should be easy to come by for the Bearkats in 2017. But the Kats have a big position to fill this year on the back line of its defense, and will likely turn to a sophomore to step into that role for 2017.
Last season Claire Kilpatrick led the Bearkats in digs from her libero spot, but this year fans will find her on the sidelines as an assistant rather than on the court in the off-color jersey after closing out her career ranked fourth all-time in program history with 1,518 digs.
With her departure, Coach Brenda Gray and her staff will likely be turning to sophomore Addison Miller to fill step in and take over at libero. It won't be an unfamiliar spot for Miller, who saw plenty of time in that spot a year ago during the middle portion of the season.
As a freshman, Miller picked up nearly 200 digs in 97 sets as both a libero and defensive specialist, starting a number of matches before a mid-season illness opened the door back up for Kilpatrick who took back over the libero spot for the remainder of the year.
“Last year Claire tweaked her back early in the year and then Addison came in and did a terrific job,” Gray said. “This year I expect Addison to come in and really take ownership of her position. With Claire still here on staff, I think that is an advantage we have, but ultimately, it's up to Addison and I think she will do very well this year.”
She is listed at 5-9 and brings more size to the lineup than a typical libero. Miller had her breakout match in an early-season win over Tulane with 17 digs and later in the year reeled off five consecutive matches with at least 11 digs. Her best match of the season came in a home win over McNeese when she dealt three aces and had 25 digs, the most by a Bearkat in 2017.
Along with Miller, the Bearkats have a number of others who could make an impact on the team on the back row, including returner Kayla Jones and newcomers Ashleigh Traylor and Amy Martin.
Even with Miller as the frontrunner for the libero jersey, Gray says that Jones is a viable candidate in that role as well. A tough player from the New Orleans area, Jones has improved since joining the program and saw time in seven matches as a true freshman a year ago.
“Kayla has a gritty heart and that attitude of no fear,” Gray said. “The longer we have coached her, the better she has gotten, and she has some attributes that we don't get in other places, including at the service line. She's a lefty, which certainly brings something else to the table.”
Meanwhile, Gray and her staff added a pair of athletic pieces in both Traylor and Martin. Traylor spent last season at Blinn College where she played in 20 matches as an outside hitter, and will bring that athleticism to the Kats in 2017.
“Ashleigh is a very natural athlete, and wherever the ball is, that is where she is,” Gray said. “She has quick foot speed and can help us on the back row.”
Additionally, the Kats brought in Martin, a 5-8 freshman from Huntsville's Alpha Omega Academy, who Gray thinks could be the diamond in the rough from this year's crop of newcomers. She is the third Huntsville native on this year's roster and helped lead Alpha Omega to the state finals twice. While there she had 243 kills as a senior while being named all-state each of her final three years.
“Amy is extremely athletic, and it's great to be able to get local girls here. The success from the Huntsville kids with our program has been phenomenal, and you can look at our roster right now and see that,” Gray said.
Although Martin's immediate primary role may be as a defensive player, Gray sees her as someone who could have the chance to play on the outside as well this season and brings a skillset that could see her as a six-rotation player during her tenure.
