Volleyball looking to veteran leadership with youthful roster
With four incoming freshman and four returning sophomores from last season, it is a much younger squad than what fans have seen in years past. That, however, is not taking away from any expectations head coach Erik Olson has set for his squad this year.
“We have some ideas what direction we will be going with them,” Olson said. “We’re going to have to look at some film, but we’ll have some redshirts.”
With an influx of outside hitters, it is Olson’s belief that this season will be a good one to give the younger outside hitters a solid year to grow before they begin to hit the floor on a regular basis.
Quality underclassmen effort is something Olson values with the season just a few weeks away.
He is aware of the team’s youth as well as the veteran talent he has, and he knows what CMU has to do in order to be successful with the many freshmen on the roster.
“We’ve got a pretty veteran team,” Olson said. “Katie (Schuette) was an unexpected gift to give us another year of eligibility, so we expect our underclassmen to grow.”
The coaching staff had a good chance to scope out the freshmen talent during Saturday's scrimmage, where freshman outside hitter Melissa Fuchs was accountable for five kills and two digs.
Along with Fuchs, the rest of her underclassmen teammates were able to see some playing time in the scrimmage. They hope to gain some experience on what it's like to compete and win in the Mid-American Conference.
Despite the team's relative youth, it has plenty of veteran leadership in the likes of seniors Kelly Maxwell and Jenna Coates to help that happen.
“This year is going to give some a chance to really grow another year,” Olson said.
