Gandara Talks 2018 Volleyball Season
By Ashleigh Young
HurricaneSports.com
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The University of Miami volleyball program begins its 2018 season after reporting to practice earlier this week. After losing three starters, including last season’s 2017 ACC Player of the Year, the Canes look to build off last season’s 22-6 record with eight newcomers and exciting additions to the coaching staff.
Head coach Jose “Keno” Gandara sat down with HurricaneSports.com before the start of his sixth season at the helm of the Canes and discussed what he’s looking forward to this season and what challenges lie ahead for the Hurricanes.
The team lost three starters, including ACC Player of the Year Olga Strantzali, from last year’s roster. Who do you see as potential replacements in the starting lineup?
“We lost a great group of players, but Olga obviously was a special player so initially we want to fill that role with a team effort. We feel like there are several players capable of helping out offensively. We want to develop their roles to where we can operate with more players since we don’t have Olga.”
You brought in eight new players, seven freshmen and a transfer in junior Bridget Wallenberger. What do you think about your newcomers?
“I’m really excited about this class. They are obviously players that we’ve known for a while and have recruited for a long time and have a great connection with them. I also trust the returners to show them the University of Miami way and how we run our program. Our returners will also be able to teach this talented group of freshman to understand and transition into the style of play that we play here. This is an exciting group and this season should be great to see how they all compete together.”
The team is scheduled to make two trips away from Coral Gables during non-conference play. How do you think the non-conference schedule will benefit the team in preparation for ACC play?
“I always look at the preseason as an opportunity to get the team ready for ACC play. There are several factors that come into play and a lot of it has to do with the type of team you have. I think we have a good mix of competitiveness with our schedule. Travel also always presents other challenges with long days, practice and less than ideal schedules when you’re on the road so we have to learn how to manage those things. Playing at home early on against some good Florida teams will give us the comfort of playing at home, but also the challenges of playing tough teams. Then we travel to Puerto Rico where you can say there are a lot of distractions with the beach, the fans and everything. I’m confident our players will learn how to manage that as well. Traveling to Corpus Christi, Texas, isn’t an easy travel with connection flights and long days on top of road matches, but that’s critical in ACC play. Finishing at home playing LIU Brooklyn two days in a row will give us a chance to compare against similar conditions as the beginning of the season, so it all comes full circle and we’re looking forward to a big preseason.”
As a native of Puerto Rico, how are you feeling knowing you will be coaching your team in your home country?
“Obviously it’s exciting to show the team where I grew up. I’m really excited for them to see the competitive environment where we are playing at. The fans in Puerto Rico understand the game and love volleyball. They’re going to be there to watch them play. Even though it’s a preseason tournament where crowds usually aren’t big, we’ll have a pretty great crowd and play some good teams. I’m really excited to participate in this tournament.”
This spring had to be a bit challenging with limited players available to participate. How do you think the team benefited from a more specified approach?
“It was a little different than previous springs. We only had seven players but we were able to get really specific training to the returners that were here and who we will rely on a lot. We obviously know them a lot better and I think they understand their role to a higher degree. Kolby[Bird] is a senior, Haley [Templeton] is a senior and Elizaveta[Lukianova] has matured a lot and so has Cameron [Dobbs] and also Hannah [Sorenson]. Their job hasn’t changed, their goal hasn’t changed much, but they are better and worked at it consistently last spring.”
You have 99 career victories as a head coach and your team opens the season with a tournament at home. What would it mean for you to get your 100th victory on your home floor?
“I didn’t know I was even at 99. I have a long way to go, but it’s exciting. We put in a lot of work. I’ve had the privilege to coach some great athletes while working at Miami and even transitioning to being the head coach was something I was really proud of. The staff I’ve had and the administration being super supportive has allowed me to win enough matches to be one away from 100.”
