Soccer coach Tara Erickson and volleyball coach Jim Moore have shared a lot of things: rebuilding programs, high expectations and impressive recruiting classes. They arrived at the same time and share the same ambition to turn around their respective programs.
When Erickson’s team was left out of the NCAA Tournament Monday, Moore felt her pain.
“It’s incredibly disappointing and I think it’s wrong,” he said.
Monday afternoon, various media outlets and Oregon officials tried to reach the NCAA committee without any success.
“My issue with that is they are obviously not scrutinized because nobody can get a hold of anybody immediately after the selection show,” Moore said. “If this was the men’s basketball committee, they have to answer questions to the media immediately so you do your due diligence a little bit more when ESPN or ABC is standing there ripping you up one side and down the other for your choices. That’s the problem.”
Oregon athletes live in a close knit community. They share residence halls and athletic facilities. Setter Nevena Djordjevic is roommates with goalie Emily Zaler and Sonja Newcombe is friends with Megan Watson.
The players have shared in their frustrations. They have celebrated each other’s big wins over ranked opponents. But what can the volleyball players do now for their soccer comrades?
“I think it’s more that we can listen, be just an open ear to know that we’re in a similar type of situation and just know that we’re there for them and that they can vent to us and get out any frustrations and that type of thing,” Newcombe said.
“It’s tough. They worked really hard. They had a great season and you know, they deserved it, but sometimes that happens and you learn from it,” libero Katie Swoboda said.
Three new additions
Coach Moore announced Wednesday that three prep volleyball players have signed National Letters of Intent on the first day of the early signing period. All three will join Oregon for the 2007 season.
The three new players fill positions left open by graduating seniors: middle blocker Kristen Bitter, outside hitter Erin Little and setter Heather Madison.
Sarah Cawrse is a 6-foot-1-inch setter from Rocky Mountain High School in Fort Collins, Colo. Lana Zielke, a 6-foot-4-inch middle blocker, is an Oregon product from Gresham High School, the same school that Madison came from. Heather Meyers is a 5-foot-11-inch outside hitter from Temecula Oak High School in California..
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Women’s Volleyball
Daily Emerald
November 8, 2006
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