VB Q&A: Ducks Aiming For 'Moore' Success in '09
* Click the STATISTICS link above to see various season stats and a 2009 'Quick Facts' document.
EUGENE - Summer is just starting but it's never too early to start thinking Duck volleyball since it's barely two months until UO opens its 38th season at home in the Oregon Classic, Friday-Saturday, August 28-29.
The Ducks went 25-9 last season to score its most overall wins since 1984 (27), and tie its best Pac-10 finish and record (fourth, 11-7) since 1987. Oregon also made its seventh NCAA appearance and advanced to the third round for the second time ever in the 64-team format (the first came in ?07).
Fifth-year head coach Jim Moore sat down and brought us up to speed on how spring practice went and what to look for in the fall.
Q: The team has achieved so many impressive feats the past few years ? where does the team set the bar for this fall?
JM: “The emphasis is similar to the past - for us to get better each day in practice and matches and aim to be the best we can be. If we do that, the results will take care of themselves.”
Q: You mentioned before that this is a bookend team ? heavy on seniors and newcomers. Are there certain things that this particular great group of seniors can pass along to the freshmen?
JM: “This is a class that changed it all. It is the first that all came in together with expectations to win and then achieved that. They are a hard-working group that is focused on imparting the same values to the freshmen. This new class has tremendous potential, and are looking forward to making their impact, too.”
Q: How did the spring practice go, and is the team on pace with where you hope it would be?
JM: “We had a good spring. The team was able to continue to raise its speed of play, which is impressive considering they already played fairly fast last year. A lot of the players also better understand the offense and are playing at a higher, more concerted level. I could tell towards the end that the practices were starting to become a little bit of a grind - something that comes in part from playing at a high athletic level for an extended period of time. I think part of it was that last year that the expectations were so high coming in that everyone pushed really hard last spring and summer, physically and mentally, to be ready for the fall. Now they understand that the same commitment is necessary every year. The summer will be a good time for the players to recharge their batteries a little but also work on their strength and speed.”
Q: Any players switching positions/roles on the court among the returnees?
JM: “Heather (Meyers) is playing more opposite side and Sonja (Newcombe) and Neticia (Enesi) have moved around some, too. We’ll use some different blocking schemes too. Amanda (Westrick) had a great final spring match vs. Oregon State and she will have to continue that effort level to beat out some very good competition at libero. Dana (Stephenson) did really well when she was healthy at the end of the spring and showed she’s capable of being an important player for us if she continues to improve. Rhiannon (Tooker) also continues to improve and be an important part of this team.”
Q: What about a key newcomer ? how did Emilee (Sisco)’s adjustment go this spring?
JM: “She had a great spring. I was more focused how she would fit and blend into the team, interact with her new teammates, and learn what it would take to play in the Pac-10. She did great in all those aspects, and is a great addition.”
Q: In contrast, can you reflect on the graduation of several key players from last year, and how that will effect the team?
JM: “We’ll miss those four seniors noticeably. Gorana (Maricic) was a two-time All-American and unbelievably gifted. Kristen (Forristall) was a fabulous athlete, Marija (Milosevic) had a skill set that this team benefited from whenever she was on the floor. Katie (Swoboda) is someone I will miss in many ways. She started it all and was the first to buy into what we wanted to accomplish when she signed. She gave everything she had to the program and helped us learn how to win. Katie gave this a program a level of expectation of how to somehow dig every ball, and that’s something we need to continue.”
Q: Take us through the talent at the different positions on the floor.
JM: “The setter position comes down to Nevena since she’s a senior, and our others are so young. She continues to get better and better and had a great spring. We expect a great season from her.”
JM: “Our passer-hitter position is our strength with Sonja (Newcombe), Heather (Meyers) and Katherine (Fischer). Their presence will help us be one of the better serve-and-receive teams in the Pac-10 and nation. Even though she’s a freshman, Katherine has the potential to impact us immediately. To be successful as a team, we have to do that part well, and in turn it helps the setters which also helps the hitters. Sonja had an outstanding spring and is primed to be a major offensive force. Heather will be even better as she gets comfortable in her new role ? her athleticism and instincts make her flexible in various situations, and she has an ability to react like few players.”
JM: “For our more traditional outside hitter group, the right side group of Neticia (Enesi), Lauren (Gross) and Rhiannon (Tooker) is very strong. Neticia is a returning All-American, Lauren is very gifted, and Rhiannon continues to look more comfortable. The impact of Emilee (Sisco), Dana (Stephenson), Jocelyn (Levig) and Lauren (Gross) will be a determining factor how we do as a team since they are still gaining experience in the Pac-10.”
JM: “Our libero has great competition ? Amanda (Westrick) was one of our most outstanding players on the floor in the last match of the spring. She’ll have a dog fight for the top spots in our rotation, and we may have a third player come in and play back row, too. Katherine’s (Fischer’s) tremendous physical ability could put her in the mix, too.”
Q: Talk about Sonja’s leadership and why her teammates have looked to her as a floor captain since her freshman season.
JM: “I’ve never had a player lead a team like she has from the start. When she arrived as a freshman, the seniors saw her abilities and her composure, and they made the decision to give her that responsibility which is a unique way to do it, but a credit to them. As a senior she’s settled into that role, and she and Neticia have decided with Nevena and Emilee how to lead this really young team.”
Q: On paper, your previous four years here been an amazing success ? can you look back and evaluate what the team achieved already, and what the long term goals are?
JM: “We’ve come a long way, but we’re not we want to be yet, and we’re not a juggernaut yet either. It’s funny how time has blown by and also crept by at the same time. I can’t believe the seniors have been here for almost four years and Katie (Swoboda) is gone. She was only the third player I’ve ever had that I recruited, and then coached her whole career from signing through graduation. Now I’ll double that number this year when this year’s class graduates.”
Q: After 20 years as a collegiate coach, you’ve seen it all at various schools and various conferences ? what do you appreciate most about being the head coach of the Ducks?
JM: “There are so many amazing things happening here. When you see the new treatment center and see the new arena, new academic center, new alumni center, etc., there are so many things to be excited about. From a personal standpoint, the quality of life here is amazing. The mountains, the ocean, the weather, and the ability to be in a healthy, natural environment is important. The fall season is amazing ? it was spectacular when you saw the trees in Marquette (Michigan) ? but it lasts longer here. The summer time is also perfect and is better than anywhere else.”
Q: You resume is pretty diversified and shows you could be a successful coach at any level ? U.S. National Team, club coach, high school, etc. ? personally, why do you choose to be a collegiate coach?
JM: “You have to be good at so many things to be a collegiate coach. You have to communicate well to all types of personalities ? players, the community, administration, etc. The skill set is unparalleled. You also have to be able to manage information, budgets, etc. There are people you see that can make millions of dollars because they have one skill they’ve mastered, but as a coach you could be a horrible coach in the same situation. Being in this conference reminds me of that daily. When we went back to Northern Michigan and took a team that hadn’t made the NCAA tournament and went undefeated that first season, it makes me realize how difficult it is to play in the Pac-10. Competing against great coaches and great teams is a great challenge, but it’s exciting.”
Q: In practice, you particulary appear to love the aspect of ?teaching’ ? is that another important part of why you’re in the collegiate ranks?
JM: “One of my greatest role mentors was my graduate advisor, Rick Lussier. He’s the best teacher I’ve ever seen, and watching the impact he has on others makes me want to do it, too, so I started off as a high school teacher. However, I noticed that after teaching a certain lesson or discipline in high school for three years, that for me it started to become repetitive. With collegiate coaching, particularly in the Pac-10 it’s different every day, and that’s something I love. My mentor in the sport was Bill Neville who is the best volleyball mind I’ve seen. Watching him work with all levels of players ? he knows the game so well and knows how to get things done on the court and coax those things out of all types of players. He's a genius”
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