Health is key for USU spikers
For most sports teams, the second half of the year is a chance to regroup and continue to aim at the prize at the end of the season – a shot at a conference title.
The Utah State women’s volleyball team is no exception.
After dealing with the loss of outside hitter Zuzana Cernianska for a couple of matches with an elbow injury, the Aggies were dealt a blow when they lost outside hitter Beth Hodge with a strained rotator cuff before the UC Riverside contest.
“The Big West Conference championship is up for grabs between six teams right now,” said Utah State Head Coach Burt Fuller. “We’ve got a little bit of catching up to do. We are going to have to work just as hard, if not harder, than anyone else because we’ve got to get healthy to see if we can get a share of that conference title.”
UC Irvine (7-2 in BWC action, 16-5 overall), UC Santa Barbara (7-2, 11-6), Long Beach State (6-3, 11-5) and Cal State Northridge (6-3, 10-6) are all ahead of Utah State (5-4, 6-10) in the league standings.
Fuller said Hodge is recovering well and was even throwing the ball a little bit before Utah State’s 3-0 victory over Utah Valley State College on Tuesday.
Although the Aggies would love to have her back for Idaho’s contest Saturday in Moscow, Fuller said he doesn’t think Hodge will be ready.
“Our trainers are working with her daily,” he said. “It’s just a matter of when she is cleared and has the ability to go out there and take some swings.”
Hodge won’t just jump back into the lineup, though. Fuller said she would likely be similar to Cernianska, who still isn’t at full strength. The sophomore finished the contest against UVSC with seven kills and six errors for a .050 hitting percentage.
Although the Aggies have struggled with lineup changes in the last few weeks, the combinations Fuller is putting on the court are starting to gel.
Erin Graybill, who first saw significant playing time when Cernianska went down and is now a regular starter with Hodge out, has impressed Fuller with her ability to play in the middle and the outside. He said it is a difficult task, but something she is doing well at.
Fuller said he is also satisfied with the duo of middle blocker Ingrid Roth and setter Andrea Delsigne.
“They play with each other every day,” he said. “Ingrid is getting stronger as an athlete and is maturing as an athlete. She is getting to be a smarter volleyball player. [Roth and Delsigne] have been together two years and it is starting to show. I think next year it is going to be even better. It’s just a matter of time and them getting comfortable.”
Roth said she isn’t sure what caused the sudden connection, but it is something she is really enjoying.
She said the team’s passing has been on the last few matches and the outside is doing well. The combination of the two makes Roth open and she has the opportunity to shine.
“It is nice to connect with your setter, finally,” Roth said. “[Tuesday] wasn’t my best, but lately I’ve been doing a lot better. [Delsigne] has been setting really well lately which is really nice for hitters. We still have lots of work, though, because we want to be perfect.”
Setter Dominique Arsenault said the team feels good at the halfway point, but understands it has to continue to strive for its ultimate goal of going 9-2 to finish out the season.
She said the team wants to not only capture the Big West tournament, but it also wants to earn a trip to the NCAA Tournament.
“We have to work a lot and we have to keep working hard even if we are hurt or tired,” she said. “We are excited. We really want to reach our goal.”
Fuller said he thinks the goals are within reach, and can’t remember the last time Utah State was within two matches of the lead after the first round of play.
The Aggies made it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament and finished the season ranked 22nd in the country in 2000. In Fuller’s first year at USU in 2001, Utah State also made it to the first round of the tournament and finished the season ranked 21st in the country.
-juag@cc.usu.edu