Photo by: UT Martin University Relations
SKYHAWK VOLLEYBALL LOOKS TO TAKE NEXT STEP IN UPCOMING 2019 SEASON
8/23/2019 10:24:00 AM | Volleyball
MARTIN, Tenn. – One year after the University of Tennessee at Martin volleyball program punched its ticket to the Ohio Valley Conference Championship tournament for the first time in six years, the Skyhawks are hungry for more.
Five full-time starters return from last season's squad who won 14 matches – the most victories for the program since 2011. Head coach Jaclynn Wilson oversees a roster that includes nine returners who each started at some point during last season's run to the postseason, combining for 155 starts overall.
"Making the tournament last year was good for the growth process of rebuilding a program," said Wilson, who enters her fifth season at the helm of Skyhawk volleyball. "However, not one of us were satisfied with just making the tournament. We're striving to improve our performance consistency on the court each day in practice and in match play."
UT Martin opened its preseason camp on Aug. 10 and Wilson has been impressed by the team's attitude during the daily grind of practice season.
"Our biggest strength so far has been our resilience," Wilson said. "We are seeing more discipline in the practice gym and a very aggressive mindset on both the offensive and defensive ends. We're strong across the board and have some depth that we've lacked in years past."
Senior Hannah Phillips projects to be at the forefront of the Skyhawks' success in 2019, as she was voted on to the Preseason All-OVC squad. The 6-2 outside hitter is coming off an all-conference season where she notched a team-best 2.70 kills per set in league play, hitting .229 overall while slamming down 295 kills.
"We expect Hannah to perform at a high level while demonstrating senior leadership on the court," Wilson said. "Her experience and composure on the court have helped her step into the leadership role – she will be an integral part of everything we do this season."
The only other senior on the UT Martin roster is middle blocker Gintare Mackeviciute. Limited to 25 matches because of injuries in her debut season last year, she ranked in the top-10 in the OVC in attack percentage (.291, fifth) and blocks (0.94 per set, eighth) while pacing the team with a .273 hitting percentage against league foes.
"We are looking forward to seeing Gintare healthy for a full season," Wilson said. "She changes our team dynamic so much when she is out there – it's not a coincidence that we really started to take off last season after she returned to the lineup. She's an intimidating presence at the net whose intensity is unmatched on our team."
Wilson has also been highly encouraged by the play of returning setter Kenzie Hinshaw. She has divvied out 1,652 assists over her first two seasons in a Skyhawk uniform while leading the OVC with 43 service aces last season (the most by any UT Martin player since 2001).
"Kenzie is prepared to put her teammates in the best positions to succeed offensively," Wilson said. "Over the last two seasons, she has demonstrated a lot of growth in every aspect of her game. Pair that with her pure athleticism and speed and we expect Kenzie to have a breakout season."
Justine Walker was the only Skyhawk to start in all 31 matches in 2018 as the middle blocker will look to build off her formidable sophomore campaign. She topped the OVC in total blocks (122) while turning away 1.14 blocks per set in conference play last season, upping her two-year block total to 209 swats.
"We feel very comfortable with our middles, led by Justine and Gintare," Wilson said. "It's not a stretch to say that if they play to their full potential, we could have the best duo at that position in the conference. They bring valued experience to the court and provide a strong component in our defensive strategy at the net."
Another returning starter from last season is Jamie Rys, who logged 26 starts in 2018. The junior from Channahon, Ill. was a jack-of-all-trades last season, piling up 190 kills, 269 sets, 28 service aces, 20 assists and 20 blocks.
"Jamie's versatility is so valuable for us," Wilson said. "We are confident in her ability in a variety of roles on both ends going forward."
Four sophomores have also shined in the preseason, indicating that they are ready for bigger roles in 2019. Logan Wallick began last season as a starter at outside hitter before re-aggravating a preseason injury that forced her to miss all but six matches. Karen Scanlon was also sidelined with an injury during the early portion of the season but rebounded well, eventually cracking the starting lineup in eight different matches. Jessica Reynolds and Addison Conley also turned notable performances into stints as starters in 2018.
"Coming off an injured redshirt season, Logan continues to work out the kinks in her return but she can be a solid force on the pin," Wilson said. "Karen has also battled the injury bug in her short time here but she has shown glimpses of stardom. We've seen a lot of maturity in Jessica's game this preseason and anticipate a positive season offensively for her on the outside. Addison has a world of potential and she rose to the occasion several times last year as she adjusted to the nuances of the collegiate game."
Five newcomers have also made a push for playing time during the preseason. Kayla Long is the only newcomer with collegiate playing experience, as the libero appeared in 36 matches over two seasons at the University of New Mexico. She joins Kayla Carrell (defensive specialist), Haeleigh Paulino (setter), Zoe Merriweather (middle blocker) and Lucy Kaufman (outside hitter/defensive specialist) as first-year players looking to make an impact in 2019.
"I've been so pleased with how our five new players have come in and have embraced our culture," Wilson said. "They have put in the work day in and day out and have not missed a beat during the preseason. I wouldn't be surprised to see several key contributors emerge from our group of newcomers."
A nucleus of battle-tested veterans and talented newcomers appears to be the right mixture of ingredients for a UT Martin squad that is ready to make some noise in the OVC in 2019.
"I feel we will perform with much more experience and composure this fall," Wilson said. "With the understanding that one or two players won't win a championship, we are really focused on the product of the entirety of our team this season. We hope to continue to gain respect within the OVC and feel the next step for our program is competing at the top for a championship."
Five full-time starters return from last season's squad who won 14 matches – the most victories for the program since 2011. Head coach Jaclynn Wilson oversees a roster that includes nine returners who each started at some point during last season's run to the postseason, combining for 155 starts overall.
"Making the tournament last year was good for the growth process of rebuilding a program," said Wilson, who enters her fifth season at the helm of Skyhawk volleyball. "However, not one of us were satisfied with just making the tournament. We're striving to improve our performance consistency on the court each day in practice and in match play."
UT Martin opened its preseason camp on Aug. 10 and Wilson has been impressed by the team's attitude during the daily grind of practice season.
"Our biggest strength so far has been our resilience," Wilson said. "We are seeing more discipline in the practice gym and a very aggressive mindset on both the offensive and defensive ends. We're strong across the board and have some depth that we've lacked in years past."
Senior Hannah Phillips projects to be at the forefront of the Skyhawks' success in 2019, as she was voted on to the Preseason All-OVC squad. The 6-2 outside hitter is coming off an all-conference season where she notched a team-best 2.70 kills per set in league play, hitting .229 overall while slamming down 295 kills.
"We expect Hannah to perform at a high level while demonstrating senior leadership on the court," Wilson said. "Her experience and composure on the court have helped her step into the leadership role – she will be an integral part of everything we do this season."
The only other senior on the UT Martin roster is middle blocker Gintare Mackeviciute. Limited to 25 matches because of injuries in her debut season last year, she ranked in the top-10 in the OVC in attack percentage (.291, fifth) and blocks (0.94 per set, eighth) while pacing the team with a .273 hitting percentage against league foes.
"We are looking forward to seeing Gintare healthy for a full season," Wilson said. "She changes our team dynamic so much when she is out there – it's not a coincidence that we really started to take off last season after she returned to the lineup. She's an intimidating presence at the net whose intensity is unmatched on our team."
Wilson has also been highly encouraged by the play of returning setter Kenzie Hinshaw. She has divvied out 1,652 assists over her first two seasons in a Skyhawk uniform while leading the OVC with 43 service aces last season (the most by any UT Martin player since 2001).
"Kenzie is prepared to put her teammates in the best positions to succeed offensively," Wilson said. "Over the last two seasons, she has demonstrated a lot of growth in every aspect of her game. Pair that with her pure athleticism and speed and we expect Kenzie to have a breakout season."
Justine Walker was the only Skyhawk to start in all 31 matches in 2018 as the middle blocker will look to build off her formidable sophomore campaign. She topped the OVC in total blocks (122) while turning away 1.14 blocks per set in conference play last season, upping her two-year block total to 209 swats.
"We feel very comfortable with our middles, led by Justine and Gintare," Wilson said. "It's not a stretch to say that if they play to their full potential, we could have the best duo at that position in the conference. They bring valued experience to the court and provide a strong component in our defensive strategy at the net."
Another returning starter from last season is Jamie Rys, who logged 26 starts in 2018. The junior from Channahon, Ill. was a jack-of-all-trades last season, piling up 190 kills, 269 sets, 28 service aces, 20 assists and 20 blocks.
"Jamie's versatility is so valuable for us," Wilson said. "We are confident in her ability in a variety of roles on both ends going forward."
Four sophomores have also shined in the preseason, indicating that they are ready for bigger roles in 2019. Logan Wallick began last season as a starter at outside hitter before re-aggravating a preseason injury that forced her to miss all but six matches. Karen Scanlon was also sidelined with an injury during the early portion of the season but rebounded well, eventually cracking the starting lineup in eight different matches. Jessica Reynolds and Addison Conley also turned notable performances into stints as starters in 2018.
"Coming off an injured redshirt season, Logan continues to work out the kinks in her return but she can be a solid force on the pin," Wilson said. "Karen has also battled the injury bug in her short time here but she has shown glimpses of stardom. We've seen a lot of maturity in Jessica's game this preseason and anticipate a positive season offensively for her on the outside. Addison has a world of potential and she rose to the occasion several times last year as she adjusted to the nuances of the collegiate game."
Five newcomers have also made a push for playing time during the preseason. Kayla Long is the only newcomer with collegiate playing experience, as the libero appeared in 36 matches over two seasons at the University of New Mexico. She joins Kayla Carrell (defensive specialist), Haeleigh Paulino (setter), Zoe Merriweather (middle blocker) and Lucy Kaufman (outside hitter/defensive specialist) as first-year players looking to make an impact in 2019.
"I've been so pleased with how our five new players have come in and have embraced our culture," Wilson said. "They have put in the work day in and day out and have not missed a beat during the preseason. I wouldn't be surprised to see several key contributors emerge from our group of newcomers."
A nucleus of battle-tested veterans and talented newcomers appears to be the right mixture of ingredients for a UT Martin squad that is ready to make some noise in the OVC in 2019.
"I feel we will perform with much more experience and composure this fall," Wilson said. "With the understanding that one or two players won't win a championship, we are really focused on the product of the entirety of our team this season. We hope to continue to gain respect within the OVC and feel the next step for our program is competing at the top for a championship."
Players Mentioned
DS
/ Volleyball
OPP/OH
/ Volleyball
S
/ Volleyball
OH/DS
/ Volleyball
L/DS
/ Volleyball
MB
/ Volleyball
MB
/ Volleyball
S
/ Volleyball
OH
/ Volleyball
OPP/OH
/ Volleyball
DS/OH
/ Volleyball
MB/OH
/ Volleyball
MB/OPP
/ Volleyball
OH
/ VolleyballFriday, January 23
Friday, January 23
Friday, January 23
Tuesday, November 11