Volleyball Preview

Volleyball

By EDDIE HeRZPreview

Rebuilding Rams expect another successful season

Many teams in Colorado State’s circumstance would chalk off the upcoming campaign as a transitional phase and one in which players gradually ease into new roles with hopes of success further down the line. Considering each collegiate program eventually waves goodbye to its signature veterans, laying a fresh foundation inevitably surfaces as a requirement every few years. However, when glancing at CSU’s results under 12-time Mountain West Coach of the year Tom Hilbert, it’s nearly impossible to differentiate the occasional rebuilding season from any other segment within the Rams’ annual dominance.

That’s because no one truly categorizes a campaign as a rebuild if the squad maintains prosperity upon starting from scratch — like CSU has seamlessly achieved when necessary over its current streak of 23 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances.

No matter how many positions Hilbert must replace, the Rams always manage to overcome vital departures. With this in mind, despite a COVID-19 impaired offseason, the sideline chief sees no room for excuses following graduations from three 2019 all-conference recipients — who combined to receive the honor on 11 occasions throughout their careers.

“We lost so much valuable training time. But you don’t have time to sit back and worry and make excuses,” Hilbert says. “We need to get these guys going. We need to be who we are and try to be the best version of who we are. I know that I’m going to bust my butt like I do every year, and so is my staff to get people ready.”

Given CSU’s consistent dominance in the Mountain West, Hilbert is certainly confident in the Rams’ potential heading into 2020. Still, as the coach alluded to, coronavirus’ impact creates unique challenges as CSU prepares for the season after climbing to No. 11 in the country and posting a 29-2 record last year.

Besides losing meaningful training amid social-distancing procedures, the nation’s quarantine drastically impeded the team’s ability to bond off the court. Compared to other years, progressing relationships is particularly crucial with seven freshmen in the mix. Not to mention several less-experienced returners must grow accustomed to the roster’s altered configuration as well.

After all, developing chemistry and comfortability always begins away from the arena.

“It’s such a strange dynamic because, even though everyone comes on campus, we’ve had to keep the freshmen separate from the returners until everything sort of gets controlled,” Hilbert says. “We try to make it fun when these guys get into town. Compared to what we’ve done in the past with getting them out in the community, meeting each other, having dinners, none of that has happened. I feel especially for these freshmen.”

Regardless, it isn’t as if the Rams face a disadvantage. All collegiate volleyball programs are dealing with similar struggles.

And during the virtualfriendly phase, CSU continues to adapt in an attempt to keep every player on the same page — which commenced via meeting three times per week amid the worst of quarantine.

“We need to as a team really, really talk to them a lot,” Hilbert says. “And we do that. We have partners paired out for them, and they talk to them on a regular basis and check in with each other. Those things are important, and we’ve done well with them.”

COVID-19 constraints aside, two components of Hilbert’s four-player senior class in outside hitter Breana Runnels and libero Alexa Roumeliotis represent both the Rams’ most experienced and productive returners from last year’s group.

Once the campaign presumably rolls around, Runnels will hit the hardwood as CSU’s prime source of offense fresh off a prolific, all-conference stint where the redshirt senior’s 417 kills led the Mountain West. Equally as reliable, Roumeliotis finished first on the team in digs and established herself as an adept server in 2019.

Runnels and Roumeliotis arrive in Fort Collins boasting the most matches under their belts by a longshot. Coupled with the duo, Hilbert believes third-year sophomores Ciera Zimmerman and Jacqi Van Liefde can round out “a nice base” for the Rams.

Given her experience in the system, Zimmerman is in line to occupy the gaping vacancy left by Katie Oleksak, the reigning Mountain West Player of the Year. As one of the best setters in program history, Oleksak concluded her collegiate tenure forcefully upon leading the Mountain West in assists (1,160).

Stepping in for CSU’s all-time assister is surely a tall task. However, it undoubtedly bodes the Rams well that Zimmerman performed promisingly in her first eligible season via dishing out 97 assists in 24 sets off the bench.

“She’s a very good player,” Hilbert says. “She got in a decent amount of matches last year, and she really knows how to run things out there.”

Van Liefde, an outside hitter, wisely accepted a redshirt one season ago in light of the lineup’s maturity and already-apparent depth. Now, she embraces enhanced responsibilities alongside Runnels — who will take all the offensive help she can get in the absence of third-leading killer Jessica Jackson.

“Jackson came through and was very durable and very solid for us,” Hilbert says. “So, then we go into (last) year, and I wasn’t going to waste another year of Jacqi’s eligibility because she’s going to be a phenomenal force for us. She’s extremely talented.”

Beyond the aforementioned, four-player base, CSU hunts for an entirely new rotation at middle blocker following departures from allaround stars Kirstie Hillyer and Paulina Hougaard-Jensen. The ferocious competitors accumulated 86 percent of the Rams’ total blocks combined while Hillyer’s 315 kills were the most on the squad behind Runnels in 2019.

Finding reinforcements might not occur overnight. But like other positions across the court, Hilbert has quite a few individuals in mind who appear capable of stepping up. Namely, junior Sasha Colombo obtained a decent amount of action as a reserve last season after switching back to her primary position from outside hitter.

Hilbert also signed a pair of potentially key newcomers in junior college transfer Genesis Sheridan and touted freshman Karina Leber — who encouragingly

tallied 495 kills and 36 blocks as a senior at Wilmot Union High School in Wisconsin.

“(Leber) is a really good player, and she came from a really high-level club,” Hilbert says. “She’s physical and can do a lot. She’s been starting at a high level for a long time. The two middles that we added that have a good chance of playing are her and Genesis Sheridan.”

One honestly couldn’t blame the Rams if they felt utterly discombobulated right now. As the staff attempts to figure out who fits where, coaches can’t even watch players work out, let alone interact faceto-face. Nonetheless, as a whole, CSU hasn’t and simply won’t allow the current difficulties to deter its focus.

Losing neither pivotal assets nor the effects of COVID-19 can demoralize the conference-title hungry Rams. From top to bottom, CSU’s eyes remain on the prize. And if the program’s achievements over the past two decades indicate anything, it’s that the Rams will come together to discover the light at the end of the tunnel. Just like they always do.

“It’s really about just navigating through this, keeping people fired up and excited about what is going on,” Hilbert says. “These are challenges. But it’s my job to manage these guys’ experience, so they get something out of it. And that is what we are going to do. I’ve seen really good leadership, which is usually an indicator that people are ready to go.”