Entering its second year of existence, the Oregon sand volleyball team is looking to take the next step into being a contender after a dismal opening season.
The Ducks finished last year with a 3-8 record but with an experienced returning roster, optimism is high out on the sand, according to head coach Stacy Metro.
Metro returns for her second season at the helm after being an assistant coach for the volleyball team during the fall.
Oregon’s roster is compiled of most of the returning volleyball players for next year’s fall season and is led by Frankie Shebby/Kacey Nady and Shellsy Ashen/Liz Brenner.
Last year’s duos of Martenne Bettendorf/Amanda Benson and Ashen/Brenner were the Ducks’ top groups but Benson will not return.
Ashen and Brenner bring a lot of experience to the team after being on the Oregon volleyball squad for four years. Their communication with one another will be vital to their success.
Brenner totaled 349 kills while Ashen contributed 704 assists during the fall volleyball season.
Nady showed a lot of promise last year, which led to her successful fall volleyball season, and being paired with the athletic and aggressive Shebby could combine for a deadly duo.
After having no role during the 2013 volleyball season, Nady broke out for 248 kills and 93 blocks during the fall.
Maggie Scott, a setter, should pair nicely with the length and athleticism of teammates Serena Warner and Taylor Agost.
Natalie Bookout-Gonzalez was one of the more successful players from last years squad so her game experience and success combined with Bettendorf could really surprise some of the teams.
Shebby and Nady kickstarted the 2015 season by playing in the two-day “Dad” Center Founder’s Cup in Honolulu that began on March 21. The squad will play in its first team match on April 4 against Washington in Portland, Oregon.
The Ducks’ first tournament is April 10-11 at the Stanford Tournament in Stanford, California before finishing the season at the Boise State Tournament on April 24 in Boise, Idaho.
The match against rival Oregon State will take place in Corvallis, Oregon on April 15.
Since the Ducks do not have a home site, they practice at the outdoor volleyball courts at South Eugene High School and that’s why they don’t host any matches.
Because sand volleyball is still a relatively new sport at the collegiate level, finding teams to play against is a challenge in the northwest.
Last year, the Ducks played against 11 different colleges but had to travel to South Carolina to face five of those colleges. Only three of the matches were in the state of Oregon.
This year, the Ducks are staying on the west coast but will play in four different states before the season is over.
Oregon’s primary use for competing in sand volleyball is to allow its players to get more experience and training in for the 2015 volleyball season. If the Ducks hope to take the next step for the upcoming volleyball season, it all begins with this year’s sand volleyball squad.
Follow Ryan Kostecka on Twitter @Ryan_Kostecka