There is one word circulating the volleyball court this off-season. You hear it from the coaches and the players: aggressive.
It's the only word to describe Bull's practices, and one can only imagine what a game would look like. Much of that attitude can be attributed to new head coach Sally Kus, who wouldn't have it any other way.
"I insist that they're aggressive," said Coach Kus. "If they're not aggressive they are out of the drill. Sometimes it's the only way to develop things. They'll (play it) safe and I'll kick them out of the drill."
Whatever she's doing must be working. The players not only sound confident, they look confident. The team walks and talks with a confidence you wouldn't expect following a 5-23 season during which they dropped all 18 of their conference games. Maybe it has something to do with a new coach who is already in the National Volleyball Hall of Fame.
It could also be the success that the Bulls had in their spring campaign (the NCAA allows up to four tournaments in the off-season), finishing with a record of 20-5. While the level of play was not up to par with the MAC, a notable exception being Syracuse, players feel a little more confident.
"I think the greatest part of the spring season was that the kids walked out feeling successful," says Kus. "Everytime we left the gym you could see that they were smiling, they were happy, they were regaining their passion for the sport again."
Here is a look at the team by position.
Outside Hitters
Their main responsibilities this season will be serve return, digging and kills, basically everything but setting. Look for the outside hitters to get lots of low quick serves that don't give defenders a chance to set up a solid block.
"We have a freshman setter here and we are working on a quicker offense to beat the block," says sophomore Kathryn Henry. "It's not quite as high, it's a flatter set and it's pushed all the way out to the pin (a marker on the net parallel to the out-of-bounds line). The idea is when you get up, you see a hole in the block."
The outside hitters will be UB's go-to players, and will aid the middle hitters with blocking.
Setters
A young freshman-sophomore tandem with handle the setting responsibilities for the Bulls this season. Sophomore Molly Schrantz, who looked solid this spring, and freshman Amy Brown will be looked upon to lead UB in this position, but don't expect them to return many serves.
"We want to hide our setters on the serve," Kus said. "I don't want them touching the ball first because we need them to set up our middle and outside hitters."
The setters will run the offense, much like the quarterback on a football team, and will be responsible for making sure the game plan is understood and executed.
Middle Hitters
These players will be mainly responsible for blocking and quick kills. Upperclassmen Rebecca Ashare and junior Alexis Bouie will lead Buffalo onto the court this year, bringing experience, skill, and determination to the table.
"I take pride in my blocking," said junior "middle blocker" Alexis Bouie. "I love opening up the offensive board for the other hitters.my greatest joy is drawing the [opposing] middle blocker to me, and giving my outside or right side a one-on-one."
For the time being the Bulls will feel the loss of captain Rebecca Ashare, who is recovering from some minor back injuries and will not be available for this weekend's home tournament.
Right Side
Returning sophomore Molly Schrantz and Emily Dills will carry the load from the right side.
"We may use our right side hitters Molly and Emily in some combination attacks," said Kus. "But since they aren't lefties, we probably won't use them on the outside all the time."
Libero/Defensive Specialist
A new position this year, the libero will be mainly used for ball control and serve return. Two players have been specially brought in for this reason, Amie Wall, who transferred for her senior season from Daemen College, and Kathlene Hockaday, a junior college transfer from Broome C.C. They are experienced hitters who can help the Bulls in the backcourt.
Outlook
It may seem too optimistic to see big things for this team in the future, but that is the feeling you come away with when you talk to the coaches and the players. It is a contagious feeling, this optimism, and it can make even the most mediocre teams dangerous.
A season close to or slightly under .500 is not out of the realm of possibility, but with a young team in an excellent conference 10-15 wins wouldn't be a total surprise. In truth, no one knows what the future holds.
Fans and students have a chance to find out Friday night at 8 p.m. in Alumni Arena, as UB takes on Coastal Carolina in their home opening match in the UB Hampton Inn-Vitational. Students are free with their UB I.D.
