DuBoise reflects on championship year
To say this season’s Utah State volleyball team had a good year would be an understatement.
The Aggies won 24 matches, the seventh-most in school history, including the fourth-best start at 11-0. Collectively, they set an all-time USU single-season blocks record. They saw two seniors set all-time USU records in setter Chelsea Fowles (assists) and libero Christine Morrill (digs) and placed four players on all-conference teams. They also laid claim to the WAC Tournament Championship in Las Vegas in early December 2010 with a shocking sweep of No. 3-ranked Hawaii, who had not even lost a single set in conference play this season, in the title match. The Aggies’ thrilling run was rewarded by the programs’ fourth-ever NCAA tournament appearance, the only team from the state to qualify, with a loss at No. 4-ranked California to conclude the milestone-studded season.
After a whirlwind of success, head coach Grayson DuBose took a few minutes to sit down with The Utah Statesman to evaluate why so many things went right for his team this past fall.
Utah Statesman (US): What were your expectations heading into the season?
Grayson DuBose (GD): We always felt like we would have a good team based on the seniors that we had. The seniors especially had high hopes for the team heading into the year. We came into (the season) with the goal to win the conference. Many (seniors) stayed in Logan to work out together over the summer, which was a positive sign from the get-go.
US: How prepared did you feel the girls were heading into the season?
GD: I think they were much more prepared, probably more than past years. The seniors wanted to go out with a bang and show that they were athletes. We had many of our key players back, which I think was a big factor. A lot of our seniors, and (outside hitter) Josselyn (White), who had played a lot for us before. It’s one thing to be prepared, and another to know that those who are prepared have been with us before and have the plays already.
US: Did the fast start surprise you?
GD: As a body of work, we were surprised. But game by game, it made sense why we were succeeding. We looked at the next event as the most important event. That was our approach in the gym.
US: Did the mid-season slump surprise you?
GD: We lost to some teams that I felt we should have beaten. That San Jose State loss (in Logan, Oct. 2) still sticks with me. You’re not going to go undefeated, but we did actually have a chance to do it.
US: What were the keys to spark the turnaround?
GD: Occasionally, we hold what we call “come to Jesus” meetings. We held one on a Monday morning, I can’t remember the date, where we said “we’ve got to figure this out. Let’s get back to where we were.” We have to do it that way because we can’t do something like that after a match, because I’d say something stupid in that case.
US: During the slump, did you ever consider the fact that maybe your team simply wasn’t as good as we had all originally thought?
GD: I don’t think so. I always felt that we had a nice team. And the loss to Idaho (amid a nine-wins-in-10 stretch to end the season) was an aberration. We were never at a loss for who we were, just who we could be in the gym each day.
US: In the scope of your career, where would you rank that upset of Hawaii in the WAC final?
GD: I’ve had some unique opportunities as a coach. I’ve won a national championship as a coach, but (the Hawaii game) ranks right up there. It was great to be there (at Orleans Arena) in Vegas and soak up the environment with the team. To have that win after the way we rebounded … it’s pretty cool.
Make sure to check back on Friday when Coach DuBose talks about being two points away from falling short of all their team goals, what he and the team thought about their ticket to volleyball’s Big Dance, if it’s even possible to replace all-time record-setters, and how he views Logan’s own heckling students.
– rhett.wikinson@aggiemail.usu.edu