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New coach sets high goals for Tiger volleyball squad
8/27/2009
By CONOR NICHOLL
cnicholl@dailynews.net
In 2008, the Fort Hays State University volleyball team disconnected with head coach Steve Smith and struggled mightily with offense and blocking. The Tigers finished 9-25 overall and completed the season on a 14-match losing streak, longest since 2000. Smith resigned in late November after four tumultuous seasons.
A year later, players have forgotten the disappointing results and coaching change. Confidence is high and first-year head coach Kurt Kohler has set the loftiest standard.
"I plan on winning a national championship," Kohler said.
"Plain and simple. That is a pinnacle of what we are shooting for. There is no reason why we shouldn't set the same goal as a Washburn or an Emporia State. We are all recruiting the same kids.
"If they can get a team put together that is fourth or fifth in the country, Fort Hays can do the same thing. We are going to come out with the same mentality that they have, and I believe on the recruiting end we can do just as good a job in recruiting as any other program in this country. We are going to get the kids that we need and I want to win a national championship here," he added.
Kohler knows a national title might be difficult this fall. Fort Hays, which opens the season Friday at the University of Nebraska-Kearney tournament versus Newman University, has not made the national tournament since 2004.
The Tigers have not beaten a ranked team in four seasons. Since joining the strong Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association in 2006, the Tigers are 5-41 in conference play, including 2-18 last season.
This year, Fort Hays is ranked 10th out of 11 squads in the preseason coaches' poll. Five MIAA teams are ranked in the top 17 nationally. Generally, at least five MIAA squads reach the postseason.
"We want to finish top five (in conference) and that is a really big goal for us," junior setter Whitney Liggett said. "We are going to have the biggest goals. We are not going to think any less of ourselves just because of last year. We are going to set the bar high. We are going to reach it."
"It's exciting," senior outside hitter Lilian Rezende said. "I am ready to start and see how we are going to be. I am thinking that we are going to be better than last year."
Kohler, formerly Barton County Community College's athletic director, brings a winning tradition to Fort Hays. At his previous stops, Kohler was 137-30 at the high school level, and 89-44 at Allen County Community College and Barton County. In 2006, he became Barton County's athletic director to help clean up a scandal-plagued athletic program.
At Fort Hays, Kohler looks to revamp a team that ranked next to last in the conference for hitting percentage (.134) and last by significant margins in blocks per game (1.40) and hitting errors (877).
Kohler returns just one all-MIAA player (Rezende) and four starters. Last weekend, he lost his starting libero, Katelyn Lapham. Lapham, third in the MIAA in digs last fall, left the squad for personal reasons.
"Is that (a title) going to happen this first year?, " Kohler said. "I hate to say no. Stranger things have happened. This is a program that needs to continue to build, but we are not that far away from the top teams in our conference, and we are playing in one of the toughest conferences in the country, so if we could move up into the top four or five, who knows when you get to that regional tournament who can win it."
Offensively, Kohler has focused heavily on passing and improving what he labels "volleyball IQ." Kohler wants the team to look at the defense and locate the best shot; don't hit a hard shot when a roll or tip works best or vice versa.
"I saw in the spring that a lot of hitting errors occurred because of mental mistakes," Kohler said.
Hitting-wise, Kohler will likely start Rezende and sophomore Tracie Hileman as outside hitters. Senior Lydia Karnopp returns at right side. In the middle, junior Brandi Bertrand, sophomore Rebecca Mausbach and junior Amber Hockman are expected to see significant time. Only Mausbach has MIAA experience at middle.
Passing needed substantial improvement. Through preseason, the team has improved but suffered a setback when Lapham left. Libero remains undecided, but options include Liggett, Hileman and senior Ellen Dreyer. Liggett, who played defensive specialist and setter last season, might also set in the 6-2 offense with sophomore Lindsey Larson.
"It is nice that the passers pass it up and high because that helps the setters," Liggett said. "Like last year, I know we had a lot of passes go into the net or over. I think our passing is pretty good, but we still need to work on that. I think that may be our weakest part."
Kohler looks to run a fast-paced offense with shorter passes to the setter. Then, the setter will have more options for an attack.
"If our setter doesn't have to move, then she has the three hitters as options to run our offense," Kohler said.
In addition, Kohler also focused on improving confidence and consistent footwork. In the spring, he noticed some of the passers "actually retreat on the ball" instead of attacking.
"They would always pass balls a step behind the ball rather than getting their feet to the ball and controlling it a little bit better," he said.
Off a free ball or serve, Kohler would like the first pass to be overhand rather than underhand.
"It is more of an accurate pass to our setters, so we need to get our players in a mentality to start passing every ball like that," he said. "You look at the great teams in this country, they all take a lot of balls with an overhand pass."
Blocking-wise, Kohler has emphasized hand placement and reading the opponent.
During Monday's preseason scrimmage, he offered suggestions and adjustments to Hockman and Karnopp, among others.
"That first week of practice, I thought we were going to be the worst blocking team in the country, but we are starting to pick it up," Kohler said with a smile. "That is something that we really need to emphasize."
The changes could produce a few steps up in the MIAA -- and possibly a chance at Kohler's highest goal for the confident Tigers.
"I really feel like we can put ourselves in that position to be very successful by the end of the season," he said.
"If you come back in November and if we are in the middle of the conference, yeah, I will still be happy, but our main goal is to win a conference championship, win a national tournament."
| Scoreboard | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Sport | Date | Opponent | Score |
| BB | 03/17 | Missouri S&T | W 2-1 (10) |
| SB | 03/17 | Bethany | W 6-1 |
| SB | 03/17 | Bethany | W 8-1 |
| BB | 03/16 | Misosuri S&T | L 13-4 |
| MB | 03/14 | Central Missouri | L 80-73 |
| BB | 3/13 | NW Missouri | W 13-10 |
| BB | 03/13 | NW Missouri | W 4-3 |
| MB | 03/13 | Central Oklahoma | W 80-64 |
| SB | 03/08 | Fort Lewis | W 5-4 |
| BB | 03/07 | No. 9 Emporia State | L 13-7 |
| BB | 03/06 | No. 9 Emporia State | L 16-4 |
| BB | 03/06 | No. 9 Emporia State | W 3-0 |
| MB | 03/05 | Emporia State | L 65-61 |
| BB | 03/05 | No. 9 Emporia State | L 10-3 |
| WB | 03/04 | No. 15 Emporia | L 72-66 |
| WB | 02/28 | No. 12 Emporia State | L 87-80 |
| MB | 02/28 | Emporia State | W 94-47 |
| SB | 02/28 | Quincy | L 6-0 |
| SB | 02/27 | Mo Southern | W 9-3 |
| SB | 02/27 | Missouri S&T | L 8-3 |