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.]

___________________________________________________________

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

1st Annual SFAVolleyBlog.net All-Conference Teams

Well, now this is gonna be fun. This is what you think it is...my picks for all-Southland Conference. The rules for me are simple. I want these to actually be teams..not 14 players on first team and eight on second team and all that. The Southland Conference voting is done by Sports Information Directors and coaches and they have their own criteria. Mine are simple. There are seven starters each night for any particular team, so we will pick seven girls per team. Each team is required to have a a setter, libero, two middle blockers, two hitters and a seventh player that can either be MB or OH. Now that you know my rules, let's get straight to it. Comments follow the lists.

1st Team All-SLC
S Robyn Smith, Central Arkansas
L Madison Hanlan, SFA
OH Chloe Smith, Central Arkansas
OH Carli Kolbe, Sam Houston
MB Ashley Bailey, SFA
MB Anna Ferguson, Sam Houston
OH Jessica Weynand, Texas State

2nd Team All-SLC
S Sarah Cartie, McNeese
L Cristin Curl, Central Arkansas
OH Chanel Tyler, McNeese
OH Yelena Enwere, Northwestern State
MB MC Bottles, SFA
MB Nicole Bowden, McNeese
OH Kendra Rowland, UTSA

3rd Team All-SLC
S Adrianne Meengs, Lamar
L Kaylee Hawkins, Sam Houston
OH Emma Ridley, Texas A&M - Corpus Christi
OH/MB Lauren Holdorff, Lamar
MB Amber Calhoun, Texas State
MB Evaree Franklin, Central Arkansas
MB Jayme Bazile, Lamar

Setter of the Year: Robyn Smith, Central Arkansas
Libero of the Year: Cristin Curl, Central Arkansas
Newcomer of the Year: Emma Ridley, TAMUCC
Freshman of the Year: Madison Hanlan, SFA
Coach of the Year: Karen Chisum, Texas State
Player of the Year: Chloe Smith, Central Arkansas

Just Missed:
S Michelle Miller, Sam Houston
L Danielle Daigle, Nicholls State
OH Jessica Hays, Central Arkansas
MB Briana Mason, UTSA

Comments:
So, how do I justify giving Hanlan first team All-SLC, but not libero of the Year? Well, to be honest, I had a really hard time deciding between Hanlan and Curl. In the end, I felt like Hanlan's additional attributes such as her good serve and higher reception percentage made her the better overall player. But, Curl's significantly higher digs per set per her as the top at that position. I went with the better overall player for 1st team, but better specifically in terms of the statistics that defines liberos when it came to the award. Plus, I decided on Hanlan for Rookie of the Year, so that gives her more total accolade anyway. The only person that could knock Hanlan off of Freshman of the Year would be Bazile at Lamar, but I think Maddie's made her case.

What really stands out to me is how balanced Texas State as a team is. Weynand was my hardest choice for 1st team...the others are locks, I believe. Chanel Tyler, or our own MC Bottles almost pushes her out in my mind. The teams announced by the conference may very well include both of those on the 1st team since they usually balloon those beyond seven players. But, for as good as Texas State is, they don't have many players worthy of individual honor - which points to depth, and I believe coaching. Despite our rivalry with Texas State, I believe Karen Chisum deserves the credit for organizing this depth and getting that group of players to truly play as a team. In my mind, they are the definitive favorite this weekend. That being said, any number of teams could trip them up including us. It just won't be Southeastern Louisiana, who is foolish to book any more than one night worth of a hotel.

It would not be an upset in my mind if Anna Ferguson won Player of the Year. I would not argue with that. Compare Smith and Ferguson:

Smith: 442 kills, 4.46 kills/set, .280 attack %, 59 blocks, .60 bl/s
Ferguson: 434 kills, 3.50 kills/set, .283 attack %, 120 blocks, .97 bl/s

So, do the blocks make up for the roughly one kill per set less? That's twice as many blocks as Smith you're looking at there. Of course, she's an MB and Smith hits from the right side. Still, I think Chloe Smith is the best player in this league this year, Ferguson second and Ashley Bailey third.

How is McNeese bad? I think all three of their second team picks are more than defensible. Nicole Bowden had a great year (112 blocks, 1.o1 blocks per set, 242 kills and 33 aces), Cartie is so solid and Tyler could have made my first team. Then, there is Priscilla Massengale, who dropped off a little at the end of the year, but still had a solid freshman season at over three kills per set. How are they terrible? How did they not make the tournament?

For those that want Daigle in place of Hawkins...fine. That was a toss up to me. I saw Hawkins make some unbelievable digs early in the year when they played UL-Lafayette and I wasn't overly impressed with Daigle when she came to Nacogdoches, so I let my own eyes rather than stats break the tie.

The four girls that just missed were my best of the rest picks. I seriously considered them for third team. I will also tell you that I stared hard at the following players: Priscilla Massengale (McNeese), Jennifer Brandt and Jasmine Harris (Nicholls), Alex Greer (SELA), Mo Middleton and AJ Watlington (Texas State), Whitney Walls (UTSA), Tara Frantz and Emily Shearin (UTA), Jessica Korda (TAMUCC) and Arielle Daron (SFA). So, if a girls name is not in this article, I don't think they have a case for the top-three teams at all.

Finally, I want to end where I began with the comments. If you could just lift everything in 30+ posts I've written this year about Maddie Hanlan and put it all in chronological order, you'd realize that at the beginning of the year I was quite skeptical about how sticking a freshman at libero was going to work out. But, when its all said and done.. what more can you say about her? She racked up some serious stats. Midway through the year, I really thought Bazile or Massengale was your best Freshman. But honestly, after reviewing the numbers and thinking back over things I've seen, I don't really think its close: Hanlan is the best. She flies under the radar a bit because she really isn't a flashy player. She's just....there. She's just where the ball is hit. It's not an upset if she gets first team-SLC, Libero AND Freshman of the Year. So, I know it took me an entire year, but the numbers don't lie: Maddie Hanlan can play.

Picking teams like this always creates a wave of emotion and any two people rarely completely agree. Then of course, I do not actually SEE all these teams equally, nor am I paid to follow college volleyball. As I said at the mid-point in the year. I do study and I do read around the conference daily. So, I feel like I've picked the folks that are most deserving. I'm a stats guy, but what was picked above wasn't based solely on numbers. Its also based on observation, conversation, reading and listening at just the right times.

Got a different opinion that me? Snub your favorite player? Let me know what you think. See you in San Antonio! Axe' Em 'Jacks!!

Live Blog Planned From Natchitoches on Thursday

I just wanted folks to know that sfavolleyblog.net is planning a live blog for Thursday's match against Northwestern State. This will be similar to the ones that have been hosted by www.sfajacks.com in recent weeks. I will travel to Natchitoches on Thursday afternoon and we will begin the blog slightly before 7:00 first serve. You'll need to navigate your way here to this website to join in on the chat. This will be a solo effort by yours truly as Ben has other duties to attend to in Nacogdoches and won't be making the trip this time. If you participated in the live chat that Ben did from Denton or the match that Ben and I worked together from Huntsville, then you know what to expect. I will be using the same "Cover it Live" platform that sfajacks.com has been using for all fall sport live chats.

If you can't be in Natchitoches, then please make plans to chat with me live Thursday night.

Finally, I would be remiss if I didn't throw complements the Ladyjacks way after tonight's convincing win against UT-Arlington. Several folks caught that I was a bit harsh in my criticism after the lackluster performance against Texas State. I felt that criticism was deserved, but so is praise for much stronger back-row defense, passing and overall play from the Ladyjacks tonight.

Ashley Bailey was great at the net with nine blocks - one that actually bonked off the face of a UTA player - and KO and Ari had fantastic offensive nights as well. Special congrats to Emily Frankin who played her best match as a 'Jack so far - it was great to see her excel tonight with nine kills. Finally, Hanlan, Miksch and Milburn totalled 33 digs between them. They did an outstanding job getting the ball to Paloma and keeping Maverick attacks from hitting the floor.

Let's keep it going next week against the Demons and Sugar Bears! Axe' Em!!

2009 Veteran Previews: Seniors

This is the first of three posts which showcase the veterans returning for 2009. Today we focus on the seniors that will take the court for Debbie Humphreys squad. Over the weekend, we'll turn our attention to the juniors and the sophomore class gets all the attention during the middle of next week. Oh, you can be sure we won't forget the freshman. With five of them, we are going to try and do something special to introduce all of you to the newcomers.


13 Ashley Bailey 6-0 Middle Blocker

100+ blocks. Mark it down - it's as good as in the books. Don't believe me? Then consider that Bailey has been amazingly consistent at the net since returning from her redshirt season in 2006. Realize that any comparison between stats put up in 2007 and 2008 has to adjust for the sets being played to 25 for the first time last year. In 2008, Bailey led the conference with an even 1.00 block per game while tallying 91 total rejections. Translated to 30 point sets, that's equivalent to 1.20 blocks per (30 point) game. In 2007, Bailey posted an essentially equivalent figure of 1.22 blocks/game. So, at the net, you know what you are going to get. She leads a core of middle blockers that will be as solid as any crew in the Southland Conference. Mix Bailey in with '08 SLC First Team selection MC Bottles and throw in the depth provided by Arielle Daron and opposing hitters are gonna have to get used to their attacks landing on their own side of the floor. That's without even factoring in any bonus contribution the 'Jacks get from 6-2 freshman Amber Doolittle.


The real leap forward by Bailey in 2008 wasn't in terms of defensive presence at the net. Instead, a complete player emerged as evidenced by more efficiency on offense. Her .298 hitting percentage was second only to Bottles on the club and really represents the step forward made from 2007 when she hit just .165. Kills per game stayed fairly constant going from a translated 2.24 per game in '07 to 2.35 per game in '08. Its the efficiency that made the difference - a feature Humphreys surely hopes to see again in '09.


There was always the potential for this. Bailey was often labeled as "raw" prior to her injury - her athleticism from day one on campus was undeniable. The difference now is that the raw power is harnessed and she clearly has become an all around force. She's imposing and intimidating... and she's an anchor. At a minimum expect a performance equal to her SLC Honorable Mention campaign in 2008. An even modest step forward and she's in the running for 1st team honors and SLC Player of the Year.


Her overall career numbers may not rival what Bottles totals will be by 2011, but that's only because Bailey played in the shadow of Traci Rohde until last year. Along with Bottles, she is as steady a contributor as the club has going into 2009. She's got no question marks hanging over her head like a few of her colleagues. Reliability is what to expect and she's got the ability to put the team on her shoulders - as broad and as strong as they are.


2 Paloma Buckner 5-11 Setter


During late October of last year primary setter Whitney Schott was fresh off a career high 62 assists in win against Sam Houston. No matter. Buckner was called on in the next conference match and responded with 41 of her own against rival Lamar. It was a very emotional match as the 'Jacks jumped out to a 2-1 set lead but ultimately had to watch Lamar celebrate a comeback win on our home floor. That match was the beginning of a shifting back and forth between Schott and Buckner as the primary play caller the rest of the year.

You need only know two things about how that setting seesaw eventually played out: 1) Humphreys went to Buckner in the decisive fifth set in the SLC Tourney game against Sam Houston and 2) Schott is probably now mixing in figure skating with setting on the frozen tundra that is Wisconsin-Green Bay.

I get the feel Humphreys genuinely trusts Buckner in an obviously more visible role this year. She won't have to carry the lion's share of the setting duties with teammate Laurel Kuepker trading in the libero jersey for her quarterback assignment alongside Buckner. Just how much time on the court Buckner gets in '09 is still unclear. But, I've got to believe that the combination of Buckner and Kuepker will be productive and the distribution of playing time looks to be fluid depending upon Kuepker's effectiveness in her new role. Be sure: Buckner is more than insurance against Kuepker's transition. Buckner would probably do just fine running the whole show - that probably won't be how it plays out, but its got to make the coaching staff comfortable knowing they can go with a twin attack of Lo and Buckner when necessary.

As I see it, Buckner's role is influenced to some degree by what freshman Maddie Hanlan can handle on the back row. Humphreys would like to see Hanlan contribute significantly at libero. If she can do that, then not having Kuepker in the off-colored jersey is a more comfortable proposition. One has to wonder if the club would be tempted to go back to Lo at libero if Hanlan needs more time before assuming a large defensive role. If so, Buckner would stand to benefit from increased time at setter. All signs point to Kuepker's role truly having shifted, but this is August and what really matters is what Humphreys sees as the best personnel to trot out on the court come November.

Buckner looks to make a significant contribution in '09. To what degree is the only issue. The bottom line: I think everyone involved sees the total contribution coming at setter as superior to what the club got last year.


6 Sydney Milburn 5-7 DS

Defensive Specialists don't get enough credit. All work, too little glory. The game is based around getting this ball-thingy over the net and they're the ones that play farthest away from it. "Back Row" players they're called. Where do you want to be at a concert? Front Row or Back Row? See what I mean. It's not fair.

For my money though, I still say the play I want to see the most is someone diving face first into the hardwood with arm extended saving a ball from going off the floor. Even the statistical term implies it's dirty work: the dig. Gotta love it. That's Milburn's job. Back row defense.

.

Trivia: Take away the fact that Lauren Railey can't put on the uniform anymore and that the aforementioned Kuepker has assumed the role of setter and who does that leave as the returner with the most number of digs per game?

.

Winner-winner chicken dinner: That'd be Milburn. Of the five freshmen that are just getting acclimated to college volleyball, only Hanlan is a back-row specialist. The club doesn't have near the DS depth that they do in the middle front - and maybe they don't need it, but when I scan the roster and only see "DS" twice that tells me that Milburn may very well see the court more in '09 than she did in '08. Hey, just like Buckner, Milburn was on the floor when the last set of the season commenced. She saw action in all five sets that night. Hopefully, she can build on the 12 digs that she put up in the final match of 2008.

.

One interesting note: At the team dinner last Sunday, Coach Humphreys chose Milburn to end the night by telling all in attendance what they could expect from the team in 2009. That told me something. Whether on the floor a ton or not, Milburn is a senior - and with that comes the expectation of leadership. She seems to be up to the task. Make sure and yell just a little louder when she digs one off the floor while crashing into press row. Remember, DS's don't get enough credit.