Frosh talents bump team up

BY MELLISSA BLAKELEY

Often in the competitive sports world, teams rely upon their veteran players in the beginning of the season while inexperienced freshmen remain in the background. But as the women's volleyball team began its 2001 season playing at the Yale Invitational on Fri. and Sat., Sept. 7 and 8, the class of 2005 arrived on the scene ready to bump, set, and spike with the best of them. In their first appearance on the hardwood floors of Payne Whitney, these rookies sparked the Bulldogs to a 2-1 finish in the tournament.

COURTESY SPORTS PUBLICITY With the help of a strong crew of freshmen, the Bulldog seek to improve upon their 18-8 performance from last season.

Prior to the invitational, Yale prepared rigorously in the preseason, in the hope of establising aggressive and consistent play to carry into future games. After all, this is a Bulldog team that finished its 2000 season with a 18-8 overall record; in Ivy League play, the Elis finished in third place with a winning record of 4-3. In the end, it appears as if the players' effort and dedication paid off, with two victories against Marist (3-0) and Hartford (3-2) and a tough loss to Hofstra (3-0) over the weekend.

The Bulldogs attributed much of their tournament success to their consistency in matches, which resulted in high levels of team morale and concen-tration on the court. However, probably the most promising strength was the competitive play of the Elis' freshmen players.

Yale's roster boasts three rookies, all of whom made their season debuts with a combination of skill and pizzazz. Perhaps the tournament's most notable play was the "six-pack" by Jana Freeman, SY '05; she spiked the ball so hard that her opponent did not even have a chance to prepare and got hit in the face.

According to Lindsey Stimpson, JE '03, these freshmen add depth to the line-up with their all-around game. "They are all strong defensively and offensively," she said. "They're solid in all aspects of the game."

All three freshmen, Lauren Burke, SY '05, Freeman, and Kelly McAlearney, JE '05, were recruited for the team. Perhaps it is their enthusiasm for being Bulldogs that motivates them to play aggressively on the court. "We [the freshmen] had so much adrenaline on the court," Burke said. "We just can't wait for our next match."

Considering that only 12 of last season's 19 players have returned this season, new talent may be able to fill in for those who graduated last year; one of the key losses was Yale's only member of the 2000 All-Ivy First Team. As a result, this year's freshmen will get plenty of playing time. However, according to Betty Picinic, DC '03, that is well-deserved. "They're not playing like freshmen," she said. "They're all very confident."

It is now clear what these freshmen can do for the sport. But what can the sport do for these freshmen?

"The team has been incredibly welcoming in helping myself and the other freshmen adjust to college," Burke said. "I really don't know what I would do without their support on and off the court."

The members of the volleyball team are a close-knit community, a benefit that allows players to trust each other. In addition to approximately three hours of practice a day, six days a week, the players are constantly together off the court. Where you see one Yale volleyball t-shirt, you can probably find three more nearby. Upperclassmen say that the freshmen already fit right in with the team. "They're amazing," Picinic said. "They're not only great volleyball players, but they're also great people."

This closeness was evident in the Bulldogs' reaction to this week's tragic events. Even before Yale sporting events were cancelled for the weekend, the team decided to cancel its trip to Kansas City, Missouri for the Kangaroo Classic. Several players feared flying, and coach Peg Scofield declared that if one person was concerned, the whole team would cancel the trip.

"There are bigger things happening right now," Scofield said. The coach worried that players would suppress their hesitation in order to not let the team down. In these trying times, Stimpson credits the team's unique bond for easing her fears and concerns: "We are lucky that we have each other to look to for comfort."

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