Two games into Pac-12 play, head coach Beth Launiere still hasn’t settled on a set starting lineup and rotation for her team. In the last four games the Utes’ starting lineup has been inconsistent. The only players who have remained constant in the lineup are Adora Anae, Tess Sutton, Kendall Cygan and Brenna DeYoung. Apart from those four, the Utes have experimented with several different alternatives.
In Utah’s Sept. 12 matchup against Seton Hall, Emma Kirst, Carly Trueman and Caroline Sipiora started the game. Trueman was the only one of the three to make a large impact, recording 10 kills, five digs and eight blocks.
In the next game against BYU Kirst was replaced by Alyssa Koenig. Koenig has since retained the starting position and played well as a middle blocker alongside DeYoung. In that game against BYU, Berkeley Oblad came off the bench and brought energy to a team that lacked the intensity to pull out a win in a single set against BYU. Oblad’s performance, highlighted by six kills and two blocks, helped propel her into the starting spot against Colorado. She recorded 11 kills and four blocks, proving why she deserves to play.
Launiere is trying to find the best combination of players for her team and wants to bring in players who will help assist the team to some more wins.
“If we were 13-0 [the lineup] probably wouldn’t be changing,” Launiere said. “We need competition, and we need people to step up. I think there are a lot of unknowns with a lot of the young players, so we want to keep giving them a chance to see what they can do.”
New assistant coaches fitting in well
JJ Van Niel and Malia Shoji, Utah’s two assistant coaches, are both rookies in terms of coaching for Division I volleyball.
Van Niel served as a consultant coach for the National Women’s Volleyball team and has spent the last few years coaching club and high school volleyball. Shoji is no stranger to volleyball either. Coaching runs in her family. Her dad has coached NCAA volleyball for over 30 years, and her uncle Dave has been Hawaii’s head volleyball coach for 40 years. Most recently, she served as an assistant coach for Western Oregon University, a Division II school, from 2012-2014.
Since being brought into the program, Van Niel and Shoji have performed well under the pressures of coaching in the Pac-12. They are actively involved in the practices and games, and the players pay close attention to what they say because although they are new, it doesn’t mean they don’t know what they are talking about.
Launiere has seen how the coaches have adapted to the program and is more than happy to have them on board.
“Of course there’s been a learning curve in every aspect of the program,” Launiere said. “We’ve spent a lot of time making sure they are getting on par with our system, but I am also listening to them to see what they can bring.”
Trio of sophomores leading the charge
Eliza Katoa, Anae and Trueman are key players for the Utes, yet they are all sophomores who haven’t even hit their prime. Anae knows this and is working hard to better herself so she can prove to everyone why she deserved a spot on the Pac-12 all-freshman team.
“Personally, my goals are to be the best player I can be this season,” Anae said. “I’m trying to progress every day.”
Anae leads the Utes with 3.98 kills a set, while Katoa is second with 3.04 kills a set. Trueman has recorded 28 blocks on the season to go along with 1.97 kills a set and is also second on the team in hitting percentage at .305. This trio is crucial to the Utes’ success.
The Utes are 7-6 on the season and have gone through their fair share of ups and downs. However, Launiere finds it is easy to look on the bright side since her team is led by these players who still have two and a half years left at the U.
“It is what it is,” Launiere said. “We know that we have to get better, but we’re excited for the future.”
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