2010 Player Preview: Arielle Daron

It's time. The season is finally upon us. As I sit and type this, the team bus is en route to Waco in order to get settled in before playing host Baylor in our first game of the season tomorrow night. I really hope many of you reading this can find a way - any way - to support the Ladyjacks. Being in the Ferrell Center with purple on is the best way, but remember that we have Gametracker and the live chat with Ben and I available for you here. I've recently learned that the software that we use for the in-game live chats is smartphone compatible meaning that you can join the chat even if you are in the Ferrell Center watching the match. Ask questions, make comments and interact with other SFA Volleyball fans that are both near and far from the action. Ben and I will be your eyes and ears if you can't be there in person.

Unfortunately, one of the 'Jacks who will be recuperating an injury and not available for battle this weekend is Senior right-side hitter Ari Daron. All are hopeful that Ari's wrist heals mega-fast and she gets back into the lineup in about a month - possibly sooner.

My timing was bad in that I sent Ari the questions below right before she was scheduled to go in for her surgery. I should have moved this interview up to be more accommodating. For that, I apologize, but Ari was very gracious to get back to me soon after the surgery was over, which of course, I didn't expect.

I remember watching Daron as a sophomore- she got in a few dozen sets at middle blocker - but Ashley Bailey and the emergence of freshman MC Bottles overshadowed her contributions. Last year, I began to go to early fall workouts in order to report on things here at the blog and I was blown away. The advances that Ari had made between the end of her 2nd year and the start of her 3rd Fall were astronomical. She was easily one of the most improved players we had going into last year. Of course, all of you know the rest of the story to this point. She went out in 2009 and backed up what we all saw in practice to the tune of 307 kills. Only Bottles and Owens saw more sets come their way than Daron in 2009. Her .229 attack percentage was third on the team and best among those playing primarily on the outside.

Daron is one of the most versatile front row players we have, so I really hope she is able to get back on the court soon. Maybe the time off will keep her extra fresh for the end of the season when things get to be a grind. We'll need her more in November than right now. Something tells me she'll make her presence known.

Have fun reading the interview...and I hope to see as many of you reading this as possible in Waco or at the very least in Johnson Coliseum next Tuesday night for our home opener against Louisiana-Monroe.

SFAVolleyBlog.net: In addition to volleyball, you were excellent at both basketball & track in high school. You had multiple team MVP and all-district honors as a prep athlete. Was it tough to decide to concentrate solely on volleyball when you were first coming out of high school or did you know for sure you wanted to play volleyball in college?

Ari: Yes it was very hard to decide between volleyball and basketball because I loved them both equally. Every since I was little, my family would encourage me to play basketball in college then continue on to the pros so that they could get free tickets! But, after my senior year I knew I had to chose and I chose volleyball mainly because of SFA. I had my mind made up that if I played collegiate volleyball it would have to be here. For one reason, because I have a family history here. My grandma used to be the head chef and my grandpa was the head custodian and they both retired from SFA. But also visiting the team and seeing the love and chemistry along with the Village dorms played a big role in me coming here too!

SFAVolleyBlog.net: This time last year, when I was watching practices, it was clear that you had really improved a great deal between the end of your sophomore and the beginning of your junior year. Going into this season, what areas are you looking to make the greatest strides in?

Ari: I think there's always room for improvement in all aspects of my game but blocking would remain at the top of my list. It's gotten better but still not where I feel its capable of being. I'd really like to see us all step up a great deal against Central Arkansas this year. We're capable of beating any and every team that we play. I just can't sit well with the thought that they are an undefeatable team. That should be us.

SFAVolleyBlog.net: Last year, you had some of your very best games against some of the conference’s toughest opponents. You had a career high 19 kills vs. UCA at home and hit .522 with a team-high 14 kills against Texas State. Are you someone who looks forward to being at the center of things in big matches? Are you someone who wants to get set the ball at crunch time or get a block at just the key point in a big match?

Ari: Yes, I always want to get the ball and I always want my teammates to have the confidence in me that I can and will get the job done when we need it.

SFAVolleyBlog.net: As a senior, you are now in a position to have a big impact on the underclassmen that are coming in after you. Which former players were the biggest help to you while they were upperclassmen and you were just getting started?

Ari: I would have to say Ashley Bailey had the biggest impact on me, on and off the court. She was my friend, my teammate and my "mother away from home"...and at other times was more like a big sister. There are times I sit and think "I don't know what I would have done without her". I still call her on a regular basis to talk or for her to keep me sane. But any issue I had or anytime I needed advice about volleyball, or class, she was the first person I'd call because I knew she'd tell me exactly what I needed to hear whether I wanted to hear it or not.

SFAVolleyBlog.net: Finally, in Lo’s interview, she claimed you have the title of “prankster” on the team. The readers were told of an incident at McNeese where you help barricade a door so coaches couldn’t get in. Do you admit to the title of "prankster"? Are there any other famous pranks that you can recall that are able to be printed? Do you have any “partners in crime” on these pranks or do you work alone?

Ari: Yes, I have to admit to it!. But I rarely act alone. Usually if it wasn't me alone, then [former Ladyjack]Emily Franklin had a part in it. There was a night when me, Emily, and [former Ladyjack] Amber Doolittle were at the Village playing Guitar Hero: We would invite teammates over one by one to "see Emily's Halloween costume" and when they went to open the closet door we had someone hiding inside with a water gun and a camera at the top of the closet recording the entire thing. We scared everyone on the team but I think scaring Maddie was probably the funniest.

[Ed. Note: I playfully ask for the video that goes along with this prank, but something tells me... I ain't never gonna get it.]

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Remember: Baylor Tournament this weekend and home opener against ULM on Tuesday night at the Coliseum. In case you want to read back over the previous player profiles, here are the links. We have three to go & they will appear in this order: Allison Gideon, MC Bottles and then Kelsey Owens will wrap this series up before going to an all-freshmen Q&A.

Finally. The Season. Let's rock and roll.

Carrie Hahn
Laurel Kuepker
Melissa Miksch
Maddie Hanlan
Sabrina Burns

3 UP, 3 DOWN

After nine games the 'Jacks stand at a respectable 5-4. This weekend they invade Tulsa, OK to repay a favor by playing in the Raddison Tulsa Airport Invitational Tournament. See, two years ago, Tulsa came to Nacogdoches to play in our tourney, so this is the return trip. Along with the Hurricane - oh excuse me - Golden Hurricane (I still don't get that), SFA will face Debbie Humphreys' alum Texas Tech and West Coast Conference member Gonzaga.

Next week at this time we hope you all will have cleared some weekend space to join us in Johnson Coliseum for the Ladyjack Invitational Tournament. The 'Jacks will get in two games next Friday (2:30 and 7:00) and two more next Saturday (12:30 and 7:00). Keep the 18th and 19th reserved for supporting the girls.

Its only been eight days, but it already seems like forever that the club played at home. I really, really dislike these long spells on the road. This one is a 17-day span away from our home court and unfortunately, we've got another 17 day span in October on the road too. I know schedules are made under all sorts of considerations, but that doesn't stop me from thinking that a weekday match stuck in the middle of those road swings would aid in overall support from fans. Ugh, I digress.

What we're gonna do here today is look at the first nine matches and play "3 Up, 3 Down". I've read through box scores a few times and looked over game stories and had a conversation here and there with folks, and here are my takes for three of the more positive signs early in the season - followed by three things that we'll want to change going forward.

I'll take the approach of saving the best for last.... so not to accent the negative, but in the spirit of ending on a high note.. we begin with:

3 DOWN:

1. Team Attack Percentage: .189
You might remember from a previous post that the conference as a whole hit .192 last year. Simply put, I don't think this club is going to play deep in the postseason if they are an average attacking club. Now, Owens getting hurt didn't help things, but the team has got to get balls to the floor at a better rate. The team hit .237 last year. We are a quarter of the way through the season (that feels weird to even type) and the club will have to hit approximately .253 the rest of the way to match last years' percentage. Balls have to be knocked down at a bit more consistent clip to wind up with a high seed in the SLC Conference Tournament in November. Our leading attacker in terms of total kills and attacks is hitting .120. If whoever leads the team in attacks at the END of the year hits .120 then we will be an average team in terms of the standings. To put things a different way, the leading attacker on this team WON'T hit .120. You just won't give that many swings to a person hitting that low. Need proof?...The lowest hitting percentage over the last decade for a Ladyjack leading her team in attacks for the year is .183.

2. Too Many Service Errors
Yes, its true that we have 13 more aces than our opponents (40-27). However, that advantage is nullified when we look at the free points we are giving opponents. SFA has committed 64 service errors as opposed to 45 by our opponents. There's some simple math here. That's 'Plus 13' on aces and 'Minus 19' on service errors. Bottom line here is that the serving isn't helping us win matches at this point. By way of comparison, last year the team had substantially more aces than opponents while simultaneously having LESS service errors than the competition.

3. Matches like UC-Davis Can't Happen
Look, I know UC-Davis is a good club. But the truth is, we played better against Missouri State and Missouri State beat UC-Davis earlier in the tourney completed last week. Granted... Missouri State was on their own floor, but still, you get my point. Say what you will, but getting beat 25-14, 25-14, 25-13 is getting spanked. We were down 8-15 in each set - never really in any of them obviously. UC-Davis only committed six errors on 88 total attacks for the entire match. If you take the starting middle blockers out of the equation, SFA hit a ridiculous -.121 in the match. Without Bottles and Bailey we had only 10 kills coupled with 17 errors. To be an elite team in our conference, poor outings like that have to be kept to a minimum. That match took 66 minutes which is all you really need to know about it.

3 UP:

1. Back Row Defense Appears Solid
Ok, listen. Go back and read my previous posts on the Kuepker switch and the trust in Hanlan at libero. If I'm gonna shoot straight on the things above, then I have to be truthful down here too. I have been pleasantly surprised at Maddie Hanlan's adaptation to the college-level libero spot. I know, I know.. all the coaches are thinking "Nanny nanny boo-boo - we told you". It's not that I didn't trust what I was being told, but hey - Libero is the chief of the back row. Trust it to a freshman when you had one of the best liberos in the conference already? Just count me skeptical. Until now. Hanlan's averaging an even 4.00 digs per set and throw in Melissa Miksch at 3.54 dps and things look mighty secure on away-from-net defense. Hanlan's the #1 reason I am itching to see the team get back home. I want to see all this for myself - and I want the fans to see it too. The one game we've had at home both Hanlan and Miksch had 18 digs in just three sets. Getting that one exposure to that kind of production has left me antsy to see the back row play again. Hanlan and Miksch right now have me at the top of their fan clubs. And yes, I can hear the "What took ya so long?" comments from the coaches about now as well.

2. Daron hitting .268 - leading the team
When I did Ari's preview capsule back on August 14, I wrote "how scary are the middles on this team if Daron contributes significantly?" Well, Daron deserves every bit of playing time she is getting now and the middles on this team are really, really scary good. Daron's career hitting percentage coming into this year was .067, so I don't have to elaborate on just how much of an improvement we are witnessing here. She's already racked up more kills and attacks in the first nine games than she did in either of her previous seasons. We are watching a breakout and the benefits are going to be felt deep into the conference schedule. The thing is: This club does have the cast of characters to knock down balls. We've just got to find out who to set the ball to and in what frequency. Daron has stuck her hand up as if to say 'I can handle a heavier role'. I say we continue to give it to her. Daron's (along with Miksch's) improvement is a big reason we should be optimistic going into conference play in a couple weeks - along with getting KO back.

3. The two-headed setting attack is working
Many matches so far have seen the assist totals be evenly split between Kuepker and Buckner. I think this is evidence for the twin approach. Kuepker setting while the spot is in a back row rotation and Buckner setting when the spot jumps forward appears to be a good call from Debbie Humphreys so far. I've got a lot of questions about the setting position that I want to ask in weeks to come. I'll do an entry just on the setters at some point with the answers I get, but for now... this dual approach appears stable. One other tidbit from being in practice: More than a couple of times, I have watched assistant coach Erin McClanahan work with the setters. She often turns to one of Buckner and/or Lo and complements them on their decision making and distribution of balls. I am learning that the "smarts" of distributing balls to attackers in the proper way is underrated. Both of our setters seem to understand how to do this really well. They don't appear to just do things in a cold, formulaic way. They appear to do a good job of "taking what the defense gives" and optimizing the distribution of the attacks per teammate. The more I think about that job, the more difficult I realize it is. Buckner and Kuepker appear savvy in that regard.

Next week, I will begin previewing teams for conference play and soon I will try and have another set of interviews with both coaches and players. As always, if you have an idea - let me know. Recently, I have rekindled old conversations with former Ladyjack players. I am planning on taking a look at some of SFA's history and re-introducing you to some of the players that used to grace the court while wearing purple. At some point next week I will try and pass along an update on Kelsey. I am planning on talking with her directly when the team returns from Tulsa.

Finally, and I meant to do this weeks ago, thank you to those of you that spoke to me after the ULL match with kind words about this blog. Several fans and parents were complementary of the effort being made here. I truly appreciate that support. I also want to say this to any prep player that might just happen to be scanning sites like this: we are unique in how much coverage we give our team. Go check how much effort is being put out at other Southland schools to cover their squad. Read the game wraps and you'll see that Ben does a way better job than his competition when it comes to writing up stories at sfajacks.com. Then, go ask yourself if other schools we compete against have a forum such as this for their team. The answers you find should tell you something about SFA Volleyball.

'Jacks Sweep UL-Lafayette in Home Opener

SFA held UL-Lafayette to .084 hitting for the night and Sophomore Melissa Miksch had a career high 18 digs in a 3-0 sweep in the first match of the season at Johnson Coliseum.

After the match I talked with Coach Debbie Humphreys and she was quick to point out the solid play of Arielle Daron - a player the 'Jacks will be counting on more in 2009. Daron knocked down 6 balls with no attack errors. Just like in the NIU tourney, Daron was a valuable contributor to the offense. MC Bottles led the 'Jacks with 12 kills and Freshman Maddie Hanlan matched Miksch with 18 scoops of her own. SFA had seven total team blocks with Senior Ashley Bailey assisting on five blocks and Daron assisting on three.

Before the match I talked directly with the injured Kelsey Owens. The news on her appears positive. More than likely she'll be out for the upcoming road tourneys, but her timetable is in weeks, rather than months. That bodes well for having her back before conference play.

Miksch and Freshmen Sabrina Burns may be in-line to pick up the slack in KO's brief absence. Of course, Miksch's defense keeps her on the court for many rotations anyway. Burns killed four balls in nine attacks with only one error (.333). Miksch had five kills on the night to go along with her solid defensive effort.

The team was shaky in the opening set, but the hitting percentage improved after each switch, so that was positive. It was nice to see the team get a win when Williams-Roberts wasn't at her strongest (-.029). Amber was our offensive leader at various times last weekend, so getting her back on track in Missouri along with solid outputs from those mentioned above should put us in a good position to be competitive all weekend long.

The main thing is we got the "W". Hanlan did a great job passing and the serve-receive error tally was only one...the lowest of the year so far.

The team was certainly not firing on all cylinders, so its exciting to think what might happen when KO is back and we get a handful of players that really catch fire.

We'll post the Freshmen interviews here tomorrow. If you were in Johnson Coliseum tonight - thanks for your support. If you were in Nac and weren't there then shame on you. Make sure you get to the tournament we host on Sept. 18 and 19.

2009 Veteran Previews: Juniors

This is the second of what will be three posts which profile the veterans returning to the court for SFA Volleyball this season. The senior previews are below these and the sophomores get their turn in the spotlight next week. We certainly won't forget the fab five: the freshmen on Debbie Humphreys squad will get showcased in a different way than this. More on that next week. But without further delay lets look a little closer at the third-year players.

3 Laurel Kuepker 5-6 Setter

"There is nothing wrong with change, if it is in the right
direction." - Winston Churchill

Back in 2006 when All-American Stephanie Figgers was on her way to 756,215 digs or whatever I would often lament about how we were going to replace her when she finished her four year stint at SFA. One day before a match one of the coaches took me aside and told me to look over in the front row of the stands. "That girl right there....there's our replacement for Figgers over there" - I was told. "That girl" was sitting with her father taking everything in during a recruiting visit and I swear she looked all of 14 years old. "That girl" was Laurel Kuepker.

Kuepker wore the libero jersey in her first ever collegiate game and collected 22 digs in a tournament win against Montana State. That was then...this is now: Newsflash - Setter from '08 bolts for cheeseland and Lo's gonna set instead of play libero.

Fine. I trust Humphreys when she says that Kuepker can handle it. Hey, assistant coach Brian Yale ran an offense while at Bowling Green. Assistant Coach Erin McClanahan has a couple thousand assists in her past as a player. They know. These people know. Couple that with Lo's intelligence and the fact that setting is in her past as a prep player and I am totally a believer.

However, I'm a numbers guy and the numbers say this will be quite a task. Kuepker eventually gave way to veteran Jami Hill at the libero spot in '07. The team benefited - Lo benefited. It took some pressure off and ultimately paved the way for Kuepker to excel last year.

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Let's just get this out of the way right now: Kuepker got robbed. I mean, held up at gunpoint and robbed. Kuepker gets "Honorable Mention" SLC? I nearly flipped out. Seriously? She leads the conference in digs per game, accounts for three of the five times ANYONE in the conference goes for 3o digs, earns defensive player of the week more than ANYONE in the conference and friggin' Kelsey Jewasko of UTSA gets libero of the year? Oh, yeah.. and after the conference crowns Jewasko what does she do in her one tournament game: 12 digs (4/game). Kuepker? 33 digs (6.6/game). Have I made my case? Nothing against Ms. Jewakso, but that voting was a joke. Plain and simple.

So, Kuepker is leaving a spot on the floor where arguably she was the best in the conference. That's guts. That's coaching guts. Hey, consider this: Kuepker averaged 3.75 digs per game as a freshman and a translated 5.34 digs per game as a sophomore (recall, we gotta adjust for playing to 25 now). Figgers averaged 4.1 digs per game as a fish and 5.39 per game as a sophomore. Now, I am not saying Lo would have been the second coming of the libero deity that is Stephanie Figgers. I am simply saying Kuepker's record at libero isn't drastically different than Figgers at this point in her career.

So, is it Schott leaving or Hanlan coming that is the principle component here? Both? Or, is it neither - maybe Lo would move to setter if Schott stays and Hanlan goes elsewhere. Only three people know the answer to that and I'm not going to make a habit of second guessing those three.

Facts are facts: Kuepker led the conference in digs per game and could (should, gosh doggit) have won Libero of the Year. Schott was second in the SLC in assists per game. Replacing all that isn't like flipping a light switch. Then again, consider these words:

"Change is the law of life and those who look only to the past
or present are certain to miss the future. - John F. Kennedy"

In Lo we trust. Kuepker is the future. Fearless prediction: It wouldn't surprise me one bit if someone as smart and savvy as "that girl" thumbs her nose at the '08 voters and brings down the house in '09. And if she does? Her place in SFA volleyball history is pretty much "set".

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10 Kelsey Owens 5-10 Outside Hitter

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To me, KO is the key.

Middles? Dominant. Should be good to go.

Setters? We've covered that. Kuepker and Buckner give every sign they can shoulder that load. Also, my ears hear and eyes see newbie Gideon getting praise. Check.

Hitters? Someone...maybe TWO someones... have got to step up. Big Time.

Back row will be and has been discussed elsewhere. Its got question marks too but this team needs its hitters to take giant leaps forward if its going to hover atop the SLC standings.

I will tell you right now where my eyes will go in the boxscores during the first few games of the season before I can witness things first hand in Johnson Coliseum: Row: Owens. Column: Hitting Percentage.

Owens' career hitting percentage is .160. She hit .190 last year. The conference as a whole hit .192 last year.

If someone asked me to make a list of what this club has to do to make sure it goes farther than one game in the SLC Tourney, then the first thing on my list is "Owens has to bring it. Night in. Night out." If Owens breaks out and starts throwing down on people, then look out - this team is going to be good. Really good. If KO hits .190 again? Meh.

If you've been halfway paying attention, then you know this team has no senior OH's. So, here's your default leader at outside hitter. Will Owens lead this team in attacks? If you had to guess right now, she'd be your choice, right? It's not unreasonable for a leading attacker on a club at this level to swing 1000+ times. Owens' had 559 attacks last year. It looks as though she's in for a lot more ice on that shoulder after matches.

The Kuepker switch can go fine. Hanlan can pull a Jewakso. Bottles and Bailey will see your attack and raise you a solo block and still, if Owens is so-so it ain't gonna matter much. She's going to have to lead.

I know we are focused on 2009, but since I believe Owens is the #1 key, consider this: Suppose Owens (and Williams-Roberts) really step up this year. Suppose Kuepker is honky-dorry at setter and Hanlan is really a wonderkid. Imagine 2010. Despite losing Bailey wouldn't this team be really set up for 2010? Bottles. Owens. Kuepker. Williams-Roberts. Hanlan. If that's most of the core now and they are good, then doesn't it stand to reason that they'd be great in 2010? That's without even mentioning Daron/Miksch and the fact that one or more of the other freshman from this class may contribute in a meaningful way. I know I am getting the cart ahead of the horse, but my point is: However good we are in 2009 - and we could be really good - I think we'll be even better in 2010.

I like KO. I really do. She's the one player I've got my fingers crossed tightest on. I really, really want to see her become one of the top outside hitters in the conference. Start the count to 1000 now. Let's find out.

4 Arielle Daron 5-10 Middle Blocker

You see that picture over there? That's Kasey McBrearty of A&M Corpus Christi in 'fail' mode. Return to sender with love from Ari and Bay.

I really hope one of my most common phrases from the mic this year is "Blocked by Daron and Whomever" I won't actually say "Whomever", I'll say whomever actually got the block assist.. oh, you get it...

Depth is good. This team needs players like Daron. If she's your third best MB, then you are really, really deep in the middle. I know its early in the practice season, but I've watched a couple of afternoon sessions in the past week and Daron is one of the players that most impresses me. She's Middle Blocker gravy. I think we all know Bailey and Bottles are the main dish.

Man, how scary are the middles on this team if Daron contributes significantly? In a couple of drills in practice last week, Humphreys had Daron and freshman Sabrina Burns working with the outsides taking four-sets against one blocker. Daron's really athletic and if she becomes versatile, then obviously that gives the coaching staff more options on how to integrate her into schemes. I am really curious to see how she gets used this year and she's one of the players I am most anxious to ask Humphreys about. Like Sophomore Melissa Miksch, she may not go into the year asked to shoulder a major load, but if those two push the players ahead of them on the depth chart a little, then that's all the better.

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Once during practice, I heard Humphreys yell out "If you can find that one thing you do really well, then do it over and over and make it your way to contribute." It may have been just coincidence, but she was facing directly toward Daron and Miksch standing side-by-side in line. It was almost as if Humphreys was affirming the importance of role players - and who knows what might happen in the course of a season - roles change.

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Despite getting in just 42 sets last year, Daron virtually tied Shelly Swendig for third on the team in blocks per set. That's a good sign - when she was in there, generally speaking, she was blocking well. All signs point to improvement. Depth is good.