Q&A: In the Swing of Things with Enesi & Meyers
EUGENE - The Duck volleyball team has been busy lately getting ready for the spring season which opens with a 10 a.m. meeting on Sunday, April 19 at the University of Portland.
Oregon then welcomes fans to McArthur Court for a chance to watch UO host Portland State, Saturday, April 25 at 9 a.m., Western Washington, Saturday, May 2 at 9 a.m., and Oregon State, Tuesday, May 5, at 6:30 p.m., and admission is free to all contests.
Two of Oregon's top returnees - senior-to-be Neticia Enesi and junior-to-be Heather Meyers - brought us up to speed with their busy schedules that included a trip to the U.S. Olympic Training Center and USA Volleyball A2 National Team Tryouts in February.
Q: I know you've been back on the hardwood the past few months in spring practice in individual and team sessions - are there any new wrinkles so far for either of you or the team compared to last fall?
Meyers
"With the graduation of Gorana (Maricic) last fall, I'm going to shift some of my responsibilities and take part of her role. Part of that means I may be doing more serve receive than last year. I'm still an outside hitter, and I still have certain types of hits that I'm good at, but I'm also playing more of her position on the floor."
Enesi
"One of the main differences this spring is figuring out the dynamics for this particular team and how to best use all the talent. Some of the underclassmen from before are now upperclassmen so there are new roles for many of us to learn. It's scary to think that I'm a senior now, so I'm trying to take a more prominent leadership role. On the court, we're doing more experimenting - I've even tried the back row a little - and also branch out from just being a middle blocker."
Meyers
"Our team will definitely have a new look in many ways partly since we had three starters graduate - "G" (Gorana Maricic), Katie (Swoboda) and Kristen (Forristall). We'll have a whole new feel, and we're always getting to know each other on the court better and working out various kinks."
Q: Was there any changes in your roles last year as the season went on that have made the adjustments this spring easier?
Meyers
"Later last season, I did more serve receive if the team needed it in certain situations, but it wasn't as concretely planned as potentially now. Those experiences were good for me to help get a feel for that pressure, and now I'm more comfortably dealing with that all the time."
Enesi
"For me it was more mental last fall - as the season went on I gained confidence and I better understood my role. That's made it easier for me to move around a lot more now. I'm going to play some middle still, but there are also new things we're experimenting with."
Meyers
"It's fun to watch her (Enesi) play in different places - you'll see her on the left side, right side, etc., and that's something that's everyone on this team is doing - trying out new things - along with testing out where the new or younger players play best."
Q: Does that mean we may even see more serving from "Teesh" this year?
Enesi
"Maybe, I've been working on it this spring, and trying to get a better 'float' down."
Q: What about mentally, how are you approaching this fall differently?
Enesi
"I'm a senior, and it's my last year. This is it, and in some respects it's all or nothing for me as far as my volleyball future professionally. I gotta go after it and try to lead by example and work extra hard."
Meyers
"I'm also trying to be a better leader and set a better example for the younger players. Before, I was often the youngest player on the court, and now I know I'm older than a lot of the other players. I'm specifically trying to be a better role model."
Q: From a coaching standpoint that sounds kind of fun to have this much talent, yet to have players so willing to shake it up. Is there a side to Jim where's he kind of like a mad scientist and likes to dream up crazy new plays?
Enesi
"I think he always likes trying new things. Part of the experimentation is for our sake, to keep us continuing to work hard. It's like offering a carrot to a horse, then pulling it away to keep it moving forward and trying new things."
Meyers
"He definitely wants us to keep raising the bar and knows that we're capable of so much more. For the new players, he wants to see that they also get new experiences."
Q: From a practice standpoint, have there been any differences in this year's spring format compared to previous years?
Enesi
"So far, we've done a few more drills on ball control, and some of them work on sharpening us mentally and keeping everyone focused, especially the younger players who are catching up. We maybe have't scrimmaged as much this year so far. Jim (Moore) has said it's better to play than only to practice drills, so we're probably building up that point."
Meyers
"Serving is likely something we may be working on more soon. We haven't done as much serving or passing yet, but we have done a lot of hitting and blocking."
Q: Strength coach Jeremy Pick complimented you (Neticia) recently and said that you have always been a great athlete physically, but he's seeing you take it to an even higher level this spring.
Enesi
"Thanks. Compared to where I was will I first got here, I definitely feel more comfortable with where I'm at physically, and part of it is mentally that I feel more confident. I know what I'm doing and understand the commitment we need to make. Once you mentally commit, the physical part follows."
Q: Did going to the USA Volleyball A2 Training Camp help the four of you (with Sonja Newcombe and Katie Swoboda) realize the high level of talent you see each day in practice here?
Enesi
"It was a great experience, and we were very appreciative of the chance to attend. Our talent levels showed that we were right there with many of the nation's top players. Once we arrived, it was all business - eat, sleep and play every day for three days straight. Looking back, it was a great bonding experience. When we arrived Friday we went to practice immediately and were separated into different groups and different drills so we looked forward to the times when we were together again each night."
Meyers
"Each day we woke up and would have a couple several-hour long sessions with a break in between. We started in certain groups, but we occasionally switched around, too. There were a lot of drills and scrimmages, and national team coaches evaluating us all the time. A lot of it was analyzing our fundamentals, and if they saw something they might work with us individually and see how able and willing we were to try a different method of hitting, serving, bumping, etc. It felt like a typical camp in many ways, and part of what they were examining was how good a listener you were, and your attitude. Personally, I didn't play as well as I would have liked, but it was a good experience. It was also a little fun because we were on our own. The coaches made the travel arrangements, but then it was all up to us - picking up the rental car, getting to the hotel, taking care of meals, etc., and that was a fun experience, too."
Q: At the practice sessions, did you have any memorable experiences?
Enesi
"I remember that they made everybody jumpserve with a topspin and that was an adventure for some of us who hadn't really done that much before, but everyone tried. Like Heather said, they wanted to see if you were willing to try new things, and be open. At that point, we were in winter training and we only had half-hour practices so we weren't in as great a shape. If we went now we would have been at a much higher level than compared to our offseason training."
Meyers
"For me, it was fun to see all the girls that I used to play with growing up - most of them I knew and had played with. There were a lot of new drills that were very tough and physically demanding, and everyone there was really quick and dynamic. One thing I remember, they emphasized this type of straight arm passing and holding our hands a different way - they weren't as focused on how low you were or how quickly you put your arms together."
Q: You have your first exhibition match of spring coming up this weekend - are you looking forward to playing against some new faces?
Enesi
"Definitely - it's something to look forward to. Instead of doing the same drills everyday, it helps us to get a better idea what things are working when you put another team out there. We may or may not be playing full 'matches'. Last year, we drove to Western Washington, and it ended up being more drills and simulated games, so it may depend on what the coaches decide."
Meyers
"We'll show up ready to play, but the format could always be something different. It's fun to play against new players since they have different tendencies than our teammates."
Q: What about afterwards - how are your summer plans shaping up?
Meyers
"I'm looking forward to again taking classes and doing the Oregon camps and training with the other athletes from football, softball, and various teams at our voluntary conditioning sessions - that was a great experience last year. Our summer days are really busy, so it's definitely not a vacation, especially July which is full of classes and camps."
Enesi
"I'm graduating this term, and I'll walk through graduation this spring, but will take eight credits in the summer and 10 credits in the fall - and all elective classes in the latter that I can specifically choose which will be nice. I'll be done after fall term so I can be ready to start playing somewhere professionally in January."
Q: Speaking of, have you heard back from 'G' and how pro volleyball is treating her?
Enesi
"She's been playing in Paris since January. It sounds like she's doing great and having fun traveling all around, especially from all the pix we've seen."
- www.GoDucks.com -
