The Knights will

return just one

starter from '00

By BOB VARMETTE

Journal Sports Writer

NEW ULM -- Coaches may not awake in cold sweats after having a nightmare about this. But Martin Luther coach Drew Buck still would rather not have lost 10 of his 15 players from last season.

Gone is Lisa Gawrisch. Gone is Kelly Gawrisch. Gone is Emily Hahnke. Gone is Sarah Scharf. Just to name a few.

That's a lot of kills, a lot of set assists, a lot of blocks, a lot of digs.

"Like any team with new players, we're going through growing pains right now," Buck said. "They need to learn the system, they need to learn about each other. It's going to take some time, but there are some things there that I like. We've got some good kids. Now we just have to work them into the system. ...

"They need to learn me as much as I need to learn what they can do."

Five players do return for the Knights, who will start their season Thursday when they host Pillsbury in a nonconference match, but only one starter -- senior Rachel Kramer. Also returning are juniors Becky Pate, Annie Uecker, Missy Hahnke and Becky Bertolus.

All saw court time last season except for Uecker, who redshirted. All will be counted on to make contributions this season.

And the 2001 season won't wait. The Knights made their final cuts and had their first practice as a team only Monday and that means just three days of practice.

There is not a starting lineup yet. Buck said it's likely, that to start the 2001 campaign, MLC will lean heavily upon its five returning players.

The first few matches will be interesting.

"I'm not so much scared as it intrigues me," said Pate, a 5-foot-5 outside hitter from Wauwatosa, Wis. "I'm wondering how much we're going to gel together. It's very different from last year. We knew where other people were going to be."

The new players, including eight freshmen, know that much will be expected of them if the Knights are to repeat the success of the last few seasons. MLC went 31-5 last season, won the UMAC title and advanced to the first round of the NAIA Region III playoffs before falling to Briar Cliff.

"There's kind of a lot of pressure," said freshman Abbie Gunn, a 6-foot middle hitter from Phoenix. "But still, we made the team. You know that coach Buck saw something in you or he wouldn't have picked you. That gives you confidence."

In addition to the new faces, new to college volleyball this season is rally scoring. In rally scoring, either team can score, not just the team on serve.

Games will be to 30, with the winning margin at least two points through the first four games. The fifth game will be to 15 with the winner having at least a two-point margin.

"I never liked (rally scoring)," Buck said. "I don't know why. I still would prefer that you've got to win your points."

Buck added he didn't foresee any major changes in strategy because of rally scoring. Which is just as well -- they have a lot of stuff to learn as it is.

The Knights' first practice undoubtedly thrust a lot upon the newcomers. The next few days will see even more.

"My pat answer is I'm going to have to coach again," Buck laughed. "Coaching again, it's kind of exciting. I'm looking forward to that."

The 2000 Knights almost seemed as if they could be put on cruise control. Led by the Gawrisch sisters, and by setters Emily Hahnke and Jenny Nommensen, MLC plowed through the UMAC.

But with the departure of Lisa and Kelly Gawrisch, the Knights lost 5.6 kills per game. Emily Hahnke averaged 6.3 assists per game and Nommensen averaged 5.0 assists per game.

The good news for the Knights is that Kramer -- a 6-foot middle hitter from Gibbon -- does return. Kramer averaged 2.7 kills per game, second best on the squad, and led the Knights with 1.4 stuff blocks per game.

With the loss of Emily Hahnke and Nommensen, the setting position was ravaged. Uecker will have to make the transition from redshirting last season to entering this season as the Knights' top setter. Bertolus is being turned into a setter after playing the outside last season.

Gunn will be one of the newcomers that Buck will look to. Crystal Mielke -- a 5-foot-9 freshman from Loveland, Colo. -- is another, and also expected to contribute are Bethany Bauer, Becky Hahn and Jenni Goodger.

All are freshmen. Bauer -- a 5-foot-6 defensive specialist from Lake Mills, Wis. -- formerly attended Minnesota Valley Lutheran.

Hahn is a freshman 5-foot-8 defensive specialist from Sandy, Utah, and Goodger is a sophomore 5-foot-6 defensive specialist from Milwaukee.

"Hahn will probably be seeing starting time, or Jenni Goodger in the back row, as defensive specialists for my middles," Buck said. "They'll be the ones that see the earliest playing time. ...

Questions abound, but so does optimism.

"We know that we have good players," Pate said. "And we're nervous about the lack of experience. The new girls are still trying to get used to the program, but we just have to keep reminding ourselves that we have to talk. We're going to start off slow, but we're going to be getting used to each other.

"I'm very optimistic."