Hurricanes Volleyball Set to Begin Fall Camp
Aug. 5, 2011
Coral Gables, Fla. – Back-to-back NCAA Tournaments, 11 returning letterwinners – including five starters and the starting libero and three newcomers are all reasons for the high expectations for the 2011 University of Miami Hurricanes volleyball team. The Canes are set to begin fall camp on Monday, Aug. 8, inside the James L. Knight Sports Complex on the UM campus.
Under the direction of 11th-year head coach Nicole Lantagne Welch, the Hurricanes return two of the program’s top all-time statistical players in the form of senior outside hitter Lane Carico (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) and setter Katie Gallagher (Winter Park, Fla.). Carico is the school’s second all-time leader in kills, while Gallagher is second all-time in assists.
Leading into the season, Lantagne Welch looks to claim her 200th career victory, entering the year with 192 career wins under her belt. UMiami opens its competitive schedule on August 26 at the Tiger Classic, hosted by LSU in Baton Rouge, La.
A few days ago, HurricaneSports.com spoke with Lantagne Welch to discuss her thoughts on the upcoming season as she, her staff and team prepare for the start of practice on Monday.
Can you talk about what goals the team has in place after the core group returns after back-to-back NCAA Tournaments?
“We have met as a team and come together with some goals that we feel we can achieve in 2011. We said that we want to keep it within the team and thought it best not to talk about them outside of the program. But I can certainly tell you that we have set some high goals as a group.”
What improvements has the team (or any particular individuals) made during the off-season to get better for the upcoming year?
“Our team is more balanced coming into the season. Prior to last year, our focus previously had been really on the offensive side of the ball. Coming into this season, we have had the opportunity to work more on the defensive side of the ball while still carrying over our work from the previous year on offense. At the start of this season, we should be much stronger defensively than we were a year ago.”
Leading into the senior seasons for Lane Carico and Katie Gallagher, what have those two players in particular, meant to the UMiami program, as well as the record-setting success over the past three seasons?
“Really, it is our entire senior class that has meant so much with Ali [Becker] and Christine [Williamson] having a huge impact as well. With two fifth-year seniors and two seniors that have played much of their career – their experience, desire and ability to impact their teammates will be huge for this team.
“Specific to the question, Lane and Katie have brought a great deal to the program. They are two of the hardest workers in the gym and set the standard in practice and off the court. They are working so hard to become great leaders knowing how important that is for our team. Particularly to Lane and volleyball, she has the ability to impact the game in so many ways. Not only can she score, but she can make a save on defense or come up with a big block. Katie brings a big intensity and drive to win. She has also embraced the offense we have adjusted over the past couple of years to use to her advantage.”
Are there any newcomers that you expect to make an impact right away?
“Certainly. Our freshmen will always challenge immediately. Alexis [Mourning] will challenge for the open middle spot, and Blair [Fuentez] with her versatility, can challenge as a right side, left side and at setter.
“As far as newcomers go, Emani [Sims] was redshirted last season and is now primed for a great breakout season. She gained a lot of experience last year. And although she is still learning every day, we know she will impact this team positively this season.”
Christine “Beanie” Williamson has made a huge leap over the past two years. What will she bring to the team this year that may be important to the team’s success?
“Christine finally has quite a bit of experience under her belt. Early in her career, she was out quite a bit. So, these past two years that she’s really been in practices and matches and that has given her that experience and confidence to raise her game a few notches. With this year being her last, I think you’ll see a new sense of hunger in her to get the most out of herself and her teammates.”
As a coach, what have the last three years done for the UMiami program and development of where you want this team and program to be compared to some of the more traditional college volleyball “powers”?
“It is really more how you look at the entire 10 years of our existence. In only 10 years, we have now been to the NCAA Tournament three times, including the last two consecutive years. It just really shows that we are growing as a program and making the strides we need to make. We want our program to be a year-in, year-out NCAA team while at the same time striving for conference championships and national relevance. We can’t worry about other teams, but we know we are making those steps. We are excited about the future of this program.”
