SVEN ALSKOG
STAFF WRITER
An early season schedule heavy on travel has tested the Idaho State University volleyball team, with the unit responding well as it looks to build on its success in the 2012 season.
To this point, the Bengals have played 11 games, 10 of which have required travel for tournaments at the University of Missouri, the University of New Mexico and Utah Valley University. The lone home battle thus far for the group came against the University of Montana Western, a straight-set sweep. Following a 1-2 showing in the Utah Valley tournament, the Bengals’ record now stands at 6-5 overall.
It looks to be another strong season for ISU, with lone returning senior Lori Mendenhall-Lee back to defend her Big Sky Conference Most Valuable Player award from last year and multiple others looking to step into larger roles on the team.
Head coach Chad Teichert will continue to rely on junior libero Kylee Searle-Sessions to stabilize the team defense and fellow junior Alydia Fields-Grimm to provide an offensive spark. Last season, Searle-Sessions had a team-leading 360 digs, while Fields-Grimm had 197 kills, good for fourth on the team.
The duo of junior Whitney Bartschi-Harrington and sophomore Kenzie Filer will again be called upon to handle the front line for the Bengals. With Filer tallying 10 blocks in the ISU win over Pittsburgh, things are looking good up front for the team, as on top of Filer’s production, Bartschi-Harrington was consistently dominant during the 2012 season.
In his sixth season at the helm for the ISU volleyball team, Teichert will look to lead the Bengals to a winning record in the Big Sky Conference for the third time in four years.
To do so, incoming freshman Marissa Todd and transfers Desiree Nielson and Kylie Johnson will be expected to step into important roles and produce immediately. Along with that trio of players, Teichert also was able to bring in Bailey Bars, a two-sport athlete at ISU who participates in track and field on top of volleyball, to fill a key spot on the Bengal roster.
Potentially the most important player for the 2013 Bengals will be sophomore Tressa Lyman. The outside hitter was dominant as a freshman, leading ISU in kills with 326 last season. In order for the Bengals to continue their upward swing in the Big Sky Conference standings, Lyman will again need to be outstanding this year.
When it comes to competition for the Bengals in the 2013 campaign, 2012 Big Sky regular season champion Portland State is again expected to be at or near the top of the conference, with the coaches picking them to repeat as conference champions. Portland State received seven first-place votes in the preseason coaches poll, while ISU was picked second, garnering two first-place votes.
Another benefit for the Vikings is that the conference championship will be hosted by them on Nov. 29-30 in Portland. The host in 2012, Northern Colorado, took full advantage of their opportunity to have the conference tournament at home, taking three games in a row to win the title after finishing fourth in the regular season standings.
Conference play for ISU begins on Sept. 19 on the road against the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks. The first conference battle in Pocatello, where the Bengals went undefeated last season, will not occur until Oct. 4 as they host the Montana State Bobcats. It looks to be another exciting season for the volleyball team, as they aim to capture their fourth conference title in school history.
