by Matt Paulson
Editor in Chief
The University of La Verne women’s volleyball team earned a perfect 4-0 record to begin the season at the Whittier Invitational tournament hosted by Whittier last weekend.
La Verne knocked off the No. 15 team in the nation, the University of Puget Sound (30-23, 30-18, 30-24), along with Pacific Lutheran (30-26, 26-30, 30-19, 30-18), George Fox (30-17, 30-25, 30-14), and Lewis & Clark (30-20, 30-18, 30-12).
The seventh-ranked Leopards were led by the triumphant return of Amy Smith, who has experienced off-and-on performances since she tore her anterior cruciate ligament warming up for the national championship final in 2001 in Whitewater, Wisc.
Smith’s weekend hitting percentage of .520 earned her a nomination for National Player of the Week.
“(Smith) went off,” said head coach Don Flora. “We have high expectations for her senior year.”
Much of Smith’s success last weekend can be attributed to a treacherous off-season and summer workout regime.
“She’s worked so hard to come back,” said junior setter Amanda Thomas. “She’s going to be a huge force on our team.”
Last year’s Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Year, junior Amy Kratochvil, also debuted impressively, hitting .300 on the weekend, leading ULV in kills against both Lewis & Clark and Puget Sound.
Kratochvil looks to once again be a key player in both the Leopard attack and defense this year.
“(Kratochvil) does all the dirty work and all the little things that make us good,” Flora said.
As for repeating as SCIAC Player of the Year, Flora articulated that Kratochvil is a “definite candidate.”
Another junior, Adele Jones, who has been a key player on the Leopard offense since her freshman year, suffered a quad injury. Jones, as of this weekend, is being worked slowly back into the attack. But few have doubts about her full return.
“She’s going to come back even stronger once it’s fully healed,” Thomas said.
The Leopards entertain a slew of newcomers on the roster this year.
Tricia Schary, a junior transfer from Cal State Los Angeles, hit .482 on the weekend. Freshman Megan Powers also debuted strongly, Flora said, hitting the highest percentage of any middle on the weekend.
Freshman setter Leslie Flores from Temple City, who won CIF last year at her level, has opened the door for potentially running a slightly different offense than in the past. Changing to a 6-2 offense would utilize both Thomas and Flores at the setting position. This would allow Thomas, who is the starting setter, to swing on occasion.
“I like hitting, and it’d be fun running a different offense,” Thomas said.
The libero position, which was added recently to the women’s game after being a success in the men’s, is a spot for which three Leopards are competing.
Junior Jennifer Stout, who stepped in and played a key role in the 2001 National Championship match after the loss of Smith, occupies the starting job right now at libero.
But close on her heals are sophomore Sara Lupu and freshman Lauren Friestad out of Hemet.
This season, the Leopards look to repeat as SCIAC champions and be regarded as one of the nation’s elite programs.
To Flora, these goals are definitely attainable.
“Physically and athletically,” he said, “this is the most talented team I’ve been around.”
