Bluejays picked to make yet another run at KCAC title
Written by Andrew Ottoson
Wednesday, 30 August 2006
Tabor College volleyball coach Amy Ratzlaff has six seniors returning this fall. They are: back row (from left), Ashley McKillip, Lindsey Vogts, Ashley Malcom; front row, Kelsi Suderman, Staci (Whitcomb) Frick, Traci Neufeld.
The Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference volleyball head coaches have ranked Tabor College No, 1 in the KCAC volleyball preseason coaches poll.
Tabor tied Bethel College for first place in the KCAC by going 17-1 in conference play last season.
"It feels good that other teams respect you to put you in that position...but it doesn't really mean anything," coach Amy Ratzlaff said. "We'd still have the same amount of work to do whether we got picked first or last."
Some of Ratzlaff's time will be spent deciding how to respond to the one position where the Bluejays have a question mark.
"Adding two new setters to the returning experience of Audrey Schellenberg will be a key for us," Ratzlaff said.
The core of the 2006 Bluejay volleyball team returns from the team that went 22-11 overall and 17-1 in conference play in 2005.
"Our hitters have an incredible amount of experience and we will rely on them to help things run smoothly," Ratzlaff said.
Senior outside hitter Staci (Whitcomb) Frick was 2005 KCAC player of the year.
Senior Lindsey Vogts was awarded second team all-conference honors.
Frick, Vogts and fellow seniors Kelsi Suderman, Ashley Malcom and Ashley McKillip earned academic honors.
Senior Traci Neufeld also returns as a member of the nucleus of Ratzlaff's team.
The six seniors will be joined by eight freshmen and sophomores Schellenberg, Jesica Brucks and Maggie Weinman.
"The returning six seniors have the experience to stabilize the new talent coming into the program," Ratzlaff said.
"Forming our new offense will determine how quickly we perform at the level we want to be at...we have a lot of work ahead of us, but it is fun to see how it all comes together."
To be ready for matches against top conference foes Bethel and Kansas Wesleyan, and with tough non-conference opponents on their schedule, the Bluejays will have to work quickly.
Tabor opens its season today (Aug. 30) with a matches against Avila University and Baker University in Baldwin City.
The Bluejays open their home schedule Monday against Sterling. Matches begin at 7 p.m.
