The Wayland Baptist volleyball season finally gets underway on Friday in Point Lookout, Mo. where the Pioneers will be competing in a tournament hosted by College of the Ozarks.

WBU will play four matches Friday and Saturday beginning with William Woods University at 3 p.m. on Friday. Immediately after that match, the Pioneers will take on College of the Ozarks, who defeated both John Brown and Oklahoma City last weekend at a tournament at Oklahoma City.

On Saturday, the Wayland women will play back-to-back contests beginning at 9 a.m. against Harris Stowe State University followed by William Jewell at 11.
  
A year ago, the Pioneers went 26-8, the most wins recorded in over a decade, and won their first ever Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament Championship.  With the loss of just two starters off that squad, expectations are even greater for 2009.

"There are high hopes," says Coach Jim Giacomazzi, who is beginning his third season on the Wayland bench.  "We have a lot of returning players, and they had a great spring, which is even more reason to be optimistic."

Prior to Giacomazzi's arrival on campus in 2007, it had been eight years since the Pioneer volleyball program had experienced a winning season, and the team had won just four Sooner Athletic Conference matches in the previous three seasons.

In the two years since Giacomazzi's arrival, the Pioneers are 49-25 overall and 17-9 in conference play.  They also ended an 11-year drought against Lubbock Christian University with a dramatic 3-2 win in the semi-final round of last year's SAC Tournament.

The Wayland coach says the key to the continued success of the program rests on passing and defense.  "Those two things help generate offense.  If we make keep the ball off the floor and make good passes, then our hitters have a better opportunity to score points."

Giacomazzi plans on running a more precision-oriented, multiple tempo offense in 2009 that will help keep opponents' blockers guessing.

"We really like attacking out of the middle, and we have great returners there in Jennifer Wyatt and Audrey Hemminger."

Wyatt was a 1st team All-Conference selection and honorable mention AVCA All-American last fall.  She led the team in blocks (0.7/g) and attack percentage (.266).  Hemminger, a SAC All-Tournament honoree and honorable mention All-Conference selection, was the team leader in solo blocks (24), and was second in total blocks (0.6/g) and third in attack percentage (.221).

Giacomazzi also noted the depth in the middle with the addition of Haley Hill, a 5-10 junior transfer from New Mexico Military Institute where she earned All-Conference and All-Region honors twice and was a NJCAA Player of the Week. Sophomore returnee Kimberli Harger, who is cross-training to work both in the middle and outside this fall, was a 2nd team All-Conference selection, and a SAC Player of the Week as a freshman.  The 5-10 Lubbock native was second in kills (2.42/g) and third in total blocks (0.44) for Wayland.   

On the outside, the Pioneers are excited about the return of Analicia Estrada, a 2007 All-Region VI selection, who was forced to sit out last year while recovering from knee surgery.

"Ana is the school record-holder for kills in a season (530 in 2007), so she should add a lot to our offense, as should Desiree (Luevano), who has looked great in the preseason.  We will also be looking for Dez to do well defensively and in service receive."

Luevano, the Pioneer leader in kills (2.5/g) a year ago, is a 5-7 junior who won 2nd team All-Conference and SAC Player of the Week honors.

A 5-10 right side hitter, sophomore Sabrina Davis provides another strong offensive presence.   "Sabrina has a solid block and has greatly improved her offense.  She's a fun person to have on the team."

The key to the Pioneer offense, however, rests in the capable hands of junior setter Anika Voigt.  The SAC Tournament MVP and a 2nd team All-Conference selection, Voigt has the best hands in the conference and possibly in the NAIA, according to Giacomazzi. 

"Anika betters the ball better than anyone else I've seen --- meaning the ball always comes away from her better than she receives it.  Her job will be easier this year because our passing and serve receive should be better. "

Defensively, juniors Staci Wilt and Whitney Bryant are battling for the starting libero job.   Wilt, a former setter, was second on the team in digs (3.72/g) in 2009 and Giacomazzi says her hard work in the spring to become more familiar on the defensive side of the game should pay off.

Bryant, a transfer from Redlands Community College, was among the NJCAA's top 50 in digs as a sophomore.  The Amarillo native won back-to-back National Home School titles as a member of the Amarillo Rockets in 2005 and 2006.

Alissa Mitchell, a sophomore returnee who also has had a strong preseason, is another player the WBU coach looks to for help on defense. 

"Alissa is able to make good use of her athletic ability and quickness to keep the ball off the floor."

The lone freshman on Giacomazzi's squad is Haley Williams who has a great volleyball background coming from Ruidoso, NM, where her team won the 2008 Class 3A State Championship.

Last year's victory over LCU and the tournament championship were just stepping stones in Giacomazzi's master plan.

"The win against LCU last year was the realization of one of our goals.  That win gave the girls the confidence that they can play with anybody in the nation.  This year we have all the tools in place to reach our next objective… a trip to the national tournament."