While Liz Brenner may go down as one of the best volleyball players in the history of Oregon athletics, losing Brenner will be anything but detrimental to next year’s volleyball team.
Yes, Oregon is losing a former All-Conference and All-American player in Brenner, whose intangibles far exceed what anybody outside of the program could possibly understand, but the Ducks are well-equipped to deal with that loss.
Now-junior outside hitter Martenne Bettendorf, as well as a committee of young and talented players, will step into the massive footsteps of Brenner.
Bettendorf was arguably Oregon’s best player during the 2014 season when she was named as an All-Conference performer as well as being selected to as a third-team member of the All-American type.
Bettendorf’s steady climb to one of the most feared outside hitters in the Pac-12 began as a freshman when she averaged 0.98 kills per set in limited action as a freshman but saw that number jump to 2.71 kills per set on a .153 attacking percentage her sophomore year. This past year, those numbers all shot up, particularly her attacking percentage as Bettendorf totaled .309 percentage while averaging 3.52 kills per set.
Helping out Bettendorf will be a trio of now-freshmen who all contribute the most on the offensive side of the ball. Setter Maggie Scott and outside hitters Frankie Shebby and Taylor Agost provided Oregon with an breathe of youth on this years roster and all three contributed in many different ways.
Scott was the most steady of the group as she averaged 6.63 assists per set while splitting time with senior Shellsy Ashen in Oregon’s 6-2 rotation. Shebby was by far the most explosive of the group as the incredibly athletic freshman was able to sky through the air multiple times for big-time kill. But in order to take the next step forward, Shebby needs to become more consistent on the offensive end as well as a better defensive player.
Agost struggled in the beginning of the year while trying to adjust to the speed and athleticism of the college game but injuries also helped derail her getting off to a better start. In the end of the season though, Agost took the rotation spot of now-sophomore Naya Crittenden and helped the Ducks became a fierce blocking team by using her 6-foot-3 frame to consistently baffle opposing hitters and setters.
Defensively, the Ducks are in great shape as far as next season goes now-sophomore libero Amanda Benson and now-junior defensive specialist Chelsey Keoho both return to give the Ducks a domination duo in the back row. Benson will return to Eugene as a three-year starter next year while Keoho made a huge difference in the last half of the season as her communication put all the Oregon players in their proper positions.
Senior Serena Warner, along with Ashen, will be graduating, leaving the ducks to now-sophomore Kacey Nady for Warner. Nady was virtually an unknown entering this year, but really emerged as a true two-way threat for the Ducks. Nady averaged 2.05 kills per set while hitting a team-high .339 and added 93 blocks on the year.
Oregon has all the pieces in place to make another deep NCAA tournament run, but in order to do so, someone is going to have to step-up. The talent is there but with the loss of Brenner, where will the leadership come from?
Follow Ryan Kostecka on Twitter @Ryan_Kostecka