WBR will preview the 2013 Creighton volleyball squad in the days leading up to the Bluejays’ season-opening tournament in Ohio on August 30. Click here to read any posts you missed.
Michelle Sicner will lead the Bluejay offense this season (Spomer/WBR)
Following in someone’s footsteps isn’t easy. The comparisons are always there. The expectations are even greater. Four years ago Megan Bober followed in the footsteps of Korie Lebeda, who at the time was one of the more decorated setters in Creighton volleyball history. Now, four years later, it is Michelle Sicner who will replace Bober, the MVC Player of the Year and All-American honorable mention who graduated from the program as one of the more prolific setters in recent Missouri Valley Conference history. Sicner says the situation doesn’t faze her one bit.
“Megan is an awesome player. It is what it is. I will try and live up to her, but I am my own person. But I am excited.”
The keys are now handed over to Sicner to run the offense. Big shoes to fill indeed, but CU head coach Kirsten Bernthal Booth, who was a setter herself during her collegiate career, has no hesitation when talking about Sicner.
“Michelle Sicner is phenomenal setter,” said Bernthal Booth. A lot of people will question the situation since we lost Megan Bober our big setter, but those shoes are filled with someone very strong.”
Sicner has two seasons of experience. She spent her freshman season teaming with Bober in a 6-2 set just to get the talent on the court. Last season, Sicner played as an outside hitter so she could contribute to the team in any way possible. Although not her favorite position, her play helped contribute to Creighton’s 29-4 record and second round appearance in the NCAA tournament.
“It is really exciting (to play setter again). It is a little bit of a comfort blanket for me. I’m glad to be back in the setter position. It is more comfortable for me and what I am used to. I’m really excited for this season and for this team,” Sicner said.
The versatility of Creighton setters has been very important to their success. Sicner is tall at 6-2, and to go along with her setting abilities she was also successful on the blocking side of things. She ranked 16th in the MVC last season in blocks per set. This spring, when Sicner returned to her setter role in an exhibition at Nebraska, she finished with 49 assists, six blocks, five digs, and four kills in the win.
This season sets up really nice for a new permanent setter. With five returning starters back along with several other players with extensive experience and no seniors, the setting couldn’t be better for a smooth transition into the new role. However, moving into the Big East creates more challenges.
“I know we are all excited because it feels like we know it is a bigger conference with bigger opportunities for us,” said Sicner. “We have to take it one game at a time, it will be more competitive, more traveling. This year it will be all about teamwork and working more for everything because it is a bigger conference and none of us have really experience that. We will all experience it together.”
The biggest key for the setter position is the connection made with teammates. For Sicner she is still getting back into the groove.
“Right now it is still easy in the preseason,” said Sicner. Some days it is Kelli [Browning] and Lauren [Smith] in the middle and sometimes it is the outsides. Based on not setting much the last couple of years, it is the outsides for right now, but it is kind of a day to day thing trying to get back into the groove of everything and getting used to the hitters.”
In the long term future, look for contributions from Kenzie Crawford, Ashley Jansen, and Amanda Foje at the setter position. Crawford, a talent out of Grand Rapids, Michigan, will likely redshirt this season. Jansen will continue to compete for time on the defensive specialist side of things, which she played last season. Foje and Jansen could step in if the unthinkable happens where Sicner is sidelined.
“We are all really excited to get back in the gym,” said Sicner. “We are all pumped and ready to go.”