Team hopes for freshmen
help
By Paul Trembacki
Sports
Editor
A few weeks before volleyball training camp started,
senior Christy Case was in Merrillville, Ind., to watch NBA center Vlade
Divac’s golf outing. As she was taking a break under the hospitality
tent and the subject of her discussion switched to volleyball, one of
the first things she mentioned was this year’s freshmen.
She expressed enthusiasm over the three new players
— Leah Wischmeier, Lindsey Phillips and Kim McConaha. And with
good reason.
The trio, coach Jeff Hulsmeyer said, "is,
athletically, just as good, if not better, than any class we’ve
had."
"I’m excited about the future,"
the third-year coach said.
Case said the three freshmen have adjusted well
so far. This means the players are more prospects than projects. Plus,
there’s always the chance that one or more of the players might
play a significant amount of time and maybe become the next Joanna Lowry.
As a freshman last season, Lowry was one of the
best young players in the conference. She was the only Boilermaker to
start all 32 matches and play in every one of the team’s 114 games.
She led Purdue in kills with 444 (3.89 per game) and averaged 2.28 digs
and 0.38 blocks per game en route to making the Big Ten’s inaugural
all-freshman team.
Phillips said that during her recruiting visit
Lowry was used as an example of a player achieving immediately.
Each of the three players brings something significant
to the court. Wischmeier has good ball control, McConaha hits and slides
well and Phillips brings her height — she’s 6-foot-4, the
tallest player on the team by two inches — and the ability to block
opponents’ attacks.
Phillips, an Orem, Utah, native who was recruited
by Utah, Utah State, Brigham Young and Illinois, is definitely in playing
shape. After leading her club team, High Country, to a second-place
finish in the club division at nationals in early July, Phillips played
on a traveling all-star team that had matches throughout Europe. She
had just one week off before Purdue started practicing.
Wischmeier and McConaha haven’t been resting
much either. After playing volleyball, basketball and track at Centerville
(Ind.) High School, McConaha helped her club team, Munciana, to a national
championship in the open division. Wischmeier, who played volleyball
and basketball at Brownstown (Ind.) Central High School, helped her
team, Circle City, to a third-place finish in the open division at nationals.
All three players want to learn a lot this season,
but they’d rather do it on the floor than on the bench. After just
a few days of training, the trio has received quite an education and
realized that high school volleyball and college volleyball are vastly
different.
"It’s just a whole other level,"
said Wischmeier, a 6-0 outside hitter.
McConaha, a 6-1 middle hitter, said the intensity
level is what separates college volleyball from anything else she’s
ever played.
"The speed of the game, the slants, it’s
all just so intense," she said.
But because they’ve handled the workouts,
the players have already earned the respect of their teammates.
"They’re working extremely hard and things
are coming together," said senior Maegan Petersen. "I think
they’re going to continue to get better and better."
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