Bradley’s Women’s Volleyball team has a promising mindset for the 2011 season. With new goals, new attitudes and new faces, the team is ready for a successful and positive year.
Along with two new freshmen, the team hired a new head coach, Jenny Maurer.
Junior Alise Tupuritis says the year has already started out differently.
“The new coach has brought a whole different positive atmosphere and attitude,” Tupuritis said. “We’ve struggled in the past few years and so having new faces join the team and new faces in the staff so far has been a really positive influence.”
This season has already started out strong. The women finished the CEFCU Classic opener with a 2-1 record.
“We play with a lot of heart,” Tupuritis said. “We had a little slump in the second game, but we showed that we can come back from deficits like that and I think we’re going to surprise a lot of people this year.”
Junior Jessica McNellis said Maurer has established a new vision for the program.
“She [Coach Maurer] has brought a whole new energy to the team,” McNellis said. “We have a lot more structure, there’s a better team chemistry going on, and there’s a lot more discipline with our basic skills and over all communication.”
The players aren’t the only ones optimistic.
Maurer said her experience with the team has been phenomenal.
“I knew that they were winners,” Maurer said. “They want to embrace the change and to turn this program around and leave behind a legacy.”
As for this season’s goals, Maurer said the team is focused on one step at a time.
“We just want to work as hard as we can right now,” she said. “It’s working hard day in and day out, leaving everything on the floor and having no regrets that will allow us to surprise ourselves beyond what we even think is possible. We want to be better everyday than we were the day before.”
Maurer said the team is focused on the pre conference schedule and they will be ready for Missouri Valley Conference play when the time comes.
“As long as you don’t lose that dedication and that focus on the important things, I’m pretty confident that we’ll be where we want to be at the end of the season,” Maurer said.
