NUHS begins

a new season

with new coach

and new attitude

By BOB VARMETTE

Journal Sports Writer

NEW ULM -- This season, what happened in the offseason may be very important to the New Ulm High Eagles when they begin their 2001 volleyball campaign.

The core of the Eagles squad, which went 6-23 in 2000, played volleyball in the offseason. They played well, and they won.

"They're more comfortable with each other, they have a better idea of what they can do," New Ulm High coach Becky Otte said. "Chemistry is actually a very good word for it. They're getting used to playing as a team rather than playing as six individuals."

The comfort level is important in a team sport, especially in volleyball where communication and trust are elemental to any successful team. Talent, even hard work, won't make up for a lack of communication and trust.

Otte is in her first year as the Eagles' coach, taking over for Paul Meyer. But she's been in the program for several years as an assistant. She knows what went wrong.

"Mentally, I don't think we were where we needed to be last year," Otte said. "When things we're going fine, we were OK, but we couldn't pull ourselves out of the holes. As soon as someone stepped up and gave us a challenge, we just backed down and kind of fell apart."

So just as important as the conditioning and drills the Eagles are enduring during two-a-days is mental conditioning. Otte said the players have undergone simulated pressure situations, which, she hopes, will prepare the Eagles for the pressure of a real match.

New Ulm High, which will open at Hutchinson Tuesday, returns nine letterwinners from last season, led by seven seniors, including returning setter and co-captain Amanda Paa, and the other co-captain, Allison Boddy.

Whether it's the optimism that comes with each new season when every team is undefeated or the bonding from the offseason, the Eagles enter 2001 looking forward.

"We're excited," Boddy said. "We had a lot of success in the offseason, we're looking pretty good and we only lost two starters from last year. We have a more positive outlook this year.

"We were ready for something new. It was a nice change."

The Eagles were a solid defensive team in 2000. Where they lacked was on offense.

Otte plans are for defensive refinement, and for a quicker offense. New Ulm High again lacks size, although the Eagles are a little taller, so Otte wants to capitalize upon the squad's overall quickness.

New Ulm High will not feature a single go-to girl -- the swinger who the others look to for the decisive kill. Instead, the Eagles will feature a multi-faceted attack, led by returning senior right outside hitter Tiff Drill (5-10).

Boddy (5-5) will hit from the left side, and seniors Carly Dirlam (5-9) and Jodi Schmidt (5-8) will see time at middle blocker for the Eagles. Junior Kayla Farasyn, who at 5-foot-11 is the tallest Eagle, and fellow juniors Sara Schneeberg (5-8), Angie Flor (5-6) and Steph Navara (5-7) are returning to the front row. Junior Christine Otis returns to the back row.

Dirlam led the Eagles with 2.0 kills per game in 2000 and Schmidt averaged 1.9 kills per game. Boddy had 1.5 kills per game and Drill recorded 1.1 kills per game.

Otte knows there are risks to counting on several different hitters rather on having one dominant hitter.

"It's not a matter of one individual doing it every game," Otte said. "I wish we did have one go-to hitter that we could always say we're going to set the ball to her. But is kind of nice, though, because it is going to be wait and see who's on that night, and the girls who are on are going to step up.

"Tiff Drill will be there for us. And the other girls, we'll see who'll step up. I think Jodi is swinging really well. Carly ... she's coming back and swinging well, too. And we've got a lot of competition at the outside. We'll just have to wait and see."

Paa will return for her second season as the Eagles' setter. As a junior, Paa averaged 7.1 assists per game.

Paa (5-8) also averaged 2.5 blocks per game, sharing the team lead with Schmidt.

Expectations? Otte expects a winning season, and the Eagles have as their goals for 2001 a South Central Conference championship and to be one of the top four teams in Section 2-3A.

"If we're playing well," said Otte, "I think we can play with or above anyone."