CHADRON – Coach Janel Baily is optimistic about her Chadron State College volleyball team as it prepares to open the season this weekend by playing in the University of Nebraska-Kearney New Victorian Inn & Suites/Runza Volleyball Classic.
 
Baily said the Eagles, a blend of five letter winners and numerous newcomers, have practiced well and appear to be improved in nearly every aspect of their game.  
 
The Eagles will play twice on both Friday and Saturday.  They will launch the season against Newman University of Wichita, Kan., at 4 p.m. (CDT) Friday and play the host Lopers at 8 that evening. On Saturday, CSC will tangle with South Dakota Mines at 10 a.m. and play William Jewell of Liberty, Mo., at 2 p.m.
 
Since the competition for playing time is close at almost all the positions, Baily said she will probably utilize a majority of the players on the roster in nearly every match. In several areas, three players are contending to fill the two spots on the court.
 
"We know we'll have to be fully ready to play and compete for every point," said Baily, who is beginning her second season as the head coach.
 
During the preseason, the coach said she saw lots of bright spots.
 
"We've played well as a team.  Our team chemistry is strong. We have a very enthusiastic, high- energy group and I think we're improved on both offensive and defense," Baily said.  "We have some hitters who can put the ball down and our defense, both blocking and in the back row, has looked good. We've worked hard on serve-receive so we can pass the ball well."
 
Baily added that the newcomers have "even exceeded my expectations."
 
"I'm really happy with the caliber of them. They're not intimidated by anything and they're hungry to play," she said.
 
The team has just two seniors on the roster. They are middle hitter Jessica Jester, a three-year letter winner, and Barbie DeCent, a rightside hitter who redshirted last season after playing well the previous year.
 
Joining Jester in the middle are transfer Ana Kalijevic and freshman Alia Brennan of Chadron. Baily said Brennan is among the newcomers who have had a good preseason.
 
"Alia's worked hard and the way it looks she'll be on the floor quite a bit," Baily said.  
 
DeCent and transfer Nikki Schmitt are battling for the playing time at rightside hitter, meaning the Eagles should have good depth there no matter which one takes the court first to open the season.
 
The same is true for the two outside hitter spots. Erika Roybal, a starter last year, is in the mix with redshirt freshman Shannon Durck and transfer Hannah Flaming, a community college All-American who came to CSC in January and went through spring practice. 
 
In the back row, transfer Brittany Oddo is due to start at libero while Alyssa Bauer and sophomore Jamie McLain, who switched from basketball to volleyball in the spring, are expected to see lots of action when front row players rotate to the back.
 
The UNK Lopers, who finished with a 35-3 record last fall, are third on the American Volleyball Coaches Association Division II coaches' poll for 2013. They also were picked to repeat as the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association champions this fall.
 
The other teams don't appear to be as imposing. Newman had a 4-19 record last season, South Dakota Mines went 12-18 and was one of the five teams the Eagles defeated a year ago and William Jewell had a 14-17 record in 2012.
 
The Eagles and William Jewell will meet again in the first match of the Colorado State-Pueblo Tournament on Friday, Sept. 13. CSC and the Mines Hardrockers also will play twice during the regular season and scrimmaged one another during the preseason.