This is the third of a four part preview of the 2011 Creighton Volleyball team. Coach Kirsten Bernthal Booth leads the Bluejays into the regular season starting on Friday, August 26, at the Texas A&M Invitational opening against Texas-San Antonio
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Head coach Kristen Bernthal Booth returns her entire set of defensive specialists from last year, except one Nayka Benitez.
The juco transfer from Western Nebraska Community College came in as a junior two years ago and made an immediate impact. Benitez quickly became the second-fastest player in program history to reach 100, 200, 300, 400 and 500 career digs.
A season ago, she shared the libero jersey with current sophomore Julianne Mandolfo. Despite Mandolfo’s year of experience, Creighton will be hard-pressed to replace a DS like Benitez. Luckily, junior Brooke Boggs returns to the starting lineup to play back row again for the Jays along with Mandolfo.
Also returning are Brianne Fliss and Brittany Moon who will look to compete for playing time along with true freshman Katie Neisler.
Mandolfo returns as one of the MVC's top liberos. (Steur/WBR)
Julianne Mandolfo had the rare opportunity to play the libero position as a freshman for an NCAA Tournament team in 2010. That being said, she’s prepared for the 2011 season.
“I like that I got to taste it, so now I’m going to want it more,” Mandolfo said. “I want to have bigger goals.”
The sophomore has lofty goals, but for the current school record holder for single-season digs and digs per set as a freshman, they might not be all that unrealistic.
“I want to get Libero of the Year [in the Missouri Valley Conference], so that’s a big goal,” Mandolfo said. “A lot of people are pushing me in the gym and I just want to bring it to another level and become one of the best liberos in the country.”
Coach Booth thinks they’re achievable goals, but more importantly she believes they are goals that will help the team get better.
“Obviously the team stuff is more important, but if she’s winning an award like [Libero of the Year] it means we’ve had a pretty great season,” Booth said.
Booth and her coaching staff recently met with Mandolfo and she told her libero to stay hungry and that she can’t become satisfied with where’s she’s at.
“What we told her is that you can’t be complacent,” Booth said. “If you’re passing the best on this team, that can’t be your standard. You need to look around to the top liberos in the country and that needs to be your standard.”
This season, Mandolfo will look to dig (pun completely intended) a path back to the Big Dance for the Jays and make a name for herself as one of the nation’s top liberos, all while wearing the wrong-colored jersey.
- Boggs will return to start at DS for the Jays (Steur/WBR)
Brooke Boggs is the definition of a team player. When asked her personal and individual goals for herself this season, she’ll tell you: “I think all of us have the same personal goal, honestly for the team to win the Missouri Valley outright, and then to win the (MVC) Tournament later on.”
The native Missourian started 21 of 33 matches a season ago, while playing in each match. Despite being injured for a portion of the summer, Boggs said she was able to train well from back home and is ready to play this season.
Having finished fourth on the team in digs behind Benitez, Mandolfo and now-graduated outside hitter Allie Oelke in 2010, Boggs looks to be a big part of the Bluejay defense again.
Aside from her defensive abilities, Boggs brings a solid serve that can be tough to handle for opposing teams. In the Blue-White scrimmage, she recorded three straight aces for the Blue during a fourth set run.
(Steur/WBR)
Sophomore Brianne Fliss is transitioning from setter to DS this season after backing up Megan Bober in 2010. Fliss played the second and fourth sets of the Blue-White scrimmage as libero for the White team, recording 13 digs in those two sets.
“Depending on how things work out, [DS] will be kind of my main role,” Fliss said. “I can look for more playing time in that position because there’s an open spot right now.”
Junior Brittany Moon and true freshman Katie Neisler also have an opportunity to see playing time in the back row this season.
Moon has seen limited playing time in two years with the Jays, but is optimistic that she can help the team this year.
“I hope to see some playing time,” Moon said. “That’s what I’m working on right now. I want to be someone to be relied on on the court.
“I want to be dependable and I want everyone to have high expectations of me and I want to uphold them so that we can grow as a team.”
In the Blue-White scrimmage, she donned the libero jersey for White team during the fifth set. She recorded 11 digs while splitting time between the Blue and White teams during the scrimmage.
Neisler has a special opportunity to play either as an outside hitter or as a DS. She saw time in both positions during the Blue-White scrimmage, but is probably more likely to receive playing time as a DS this season. The Texan says she just hopes to get a chance to contribute this season.
“I just want to maybe compete for a spot for some playing time and see what happens and just get better for the next few years,” she said.