June 7, 1999
BERKELEY, CA - There is no looking back for the California women's volleyball program as the Golden Bears have every reason to look forward to the 1999 campaign.
With a new coach, eight returning letterwinners and eight newcomers, Cal volleyball has reason to be optimistic. With first year coach Rich Feller at the helm, the Bears have a former assistant with the United States National Team and someone who led Colorado State to eight NCAA appearances and a 299-167 record in 14 seasons. Cal features top returnees in Brook Coulter, Kellie Alva, Alicia Perry and Candace McNamee, who have all established themselves in the Bear record books. Cal is also welcoming in a large class of newcomers who will help establish depth to Feller's program.
"We are looking from this time forward," said Feller. "We are only looking what might be and what the possibilities are. We want this team to feel that anything is possible. I like the attitude and athleticism of this team. There has always been the potential in our core returners to make the NCAA Tournament. This is a tight, cohesive group who knows what they can do as a unit. They have high expectations of each other because they have seen their teammates play at their best. I think the challenge will be overcoming any doubts they have about making postseason and maintaining their health and fitness level. But, I get the feeling this team likes the challenge."
Indeed, anything is possible for the Bears as they had successful spring practices with Feller and performed well in several tournaments. Cal placed second at the UOP Tournament Apr. 3 and placed third at the CS Bakersfield Tournament Apr. 17, defeating USC and Pacific. The Bears also played well at the Loyola Marymount Tournament Apr. 24, topping Purdue and UC Irvine.
"Our spring practices were quite good," said Feller. "We accomplished a lot and improved in some individual areas. I think we were also able to put some new life and spirit into the program. We worked really hard, but I think, by and large, the players found enjoyment in the workouts. The three words that are important in my program are attitude, effort and enthusiasm, and those words were definitely part of our spring workouts."
Even though the Bears struggled in 1998, suffering numerous injuries and finishing 7-22 overall and 3-15 in the Pacific-10 Conference, they return six starters, including seniors Coulter and Alva. Cal also returns junior outside hitter Perry, an honorable mention All-Pac-10 selection in '98, and sophomore setter McNamee. Other returning starters include junior outside hitter Jameka Stevens and junior middle blocker Kelly Meyer.
Coulter was one of the nation's top servers as she finished fourth in the nation and led the Pac-10 with 56 service aces. She was also second on the team with 234 kills last season, despite missing the final eight matches with a stress fracture in her left shin. Alva, a member of the 1996 Pac-10 All-Freshman Team, led the Bears with 87 blocks and is sixth on the school's all-time block list (246). Last season, Perry took up some of the slack when Coulter was injured, leading Cal in kills in seven of the last eight matches. She finished the year with a team-leading 331 kills and 298 digs, and had 13 double-doubles on the season.
McNamee, who as a freshman was the only Cal player to compete in every match and tallied 1101 assists, was named one of 18 athletes selected to try out for the United States' World University Games team. She spent the majority of the summer practicing with the USA squad at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid, NY and with the USA A2 team in Colorado Springs, CO.
Jameka Stevens was one of the Bears most consistent players last season before suffering an inflamed right shoulder prior to the Stanford match Oct. 9. Despite playing only 14 matches, Stevens was fourth on the team in total kills (160) and led the team in kill average (3.33). Kelly Meyer was an occasional starter last year and should see considerable action this season after showing flashes of brilliance in '98. She played in 17 matches with 99 kills, 52 total blocks and a .238 hitting percentage. Meyer top matches included recording nine total blocks Oct. 16 at Oregon and a career-high 13 kills and nine digs Oct. 30 at Washington State.
The two other returners for Cal are sophomore defensive specialist Tala Banatao and sophomore middle blocker Reena Pardiwala. Banatao is an athletic defensive specialist who tallied nine kills, five assists, two service aces and 20 digs in 15 matches last year as a redshirt freshman. Pardiwala is an outstanding athlete who steadily improved as a true freshman last year, playing in 25 matches with 120 kills, 64 digs and 36 total blocks. Unfortunately, she ruptured a disk in her lower back during the summer and will redshirt for the 1999 season.
"When we look at the amount of players who graduated from the schools that finished ahead of us in the Pac-10 last season, we feel we have a chance to improve," said Feller. "With our experience coming back, the opportunity is there for us to move up in the standings."
Besides the eight returning letterwinners from the 1998 squad, Feller will be welcoming in seven freshmen and one junior college transfer for the '99 campaign.
Feller's first Cal recruiting class is led by freshmen outside hitters Courtney Guerra and Leah Young, and freshman setter Caity Noonan. Guerra is a 6-0 outside hitter from Royal High School in Simi Valley, CA, where she was named CIF Division 1A Player of the Year and both L.A. Times and L.A. Daily News Player of the Year after recording 537 kills and 300 digs as a senior. Young is a 5-10 left-handed outside hitter from Golden West High School in Visalia, CA. She is an outstanding jumper who finished her high school career with 388 kills, 147 blocks, 357 digs and 57 service aces. Noonan is a 5-8 left-handed setter from Sacred Heart High School in San Carlos, CA, who will provide the Bears with depth at the setter position after being named Varsity Volleyball Player of the Year by the San Mateo County Times after her senior season.
Another top newcomer for Cal will be 5-8 junior outside hitter Laurel Kokaska, who was a first team All-American, Orange Coast League MVP and California Junior College Player of the Year last year at Golden West College in Huntington Beach, CA. In 1998, Kokaska led her team to the state championship with a 27-0 record, while hitting .441 and averaging 2.98 digs per match.
Rounding out the Bears roster will be four talented freshmen recruited walk-ons, Alyssa Currier, a 5-10 outside hitter from Arch Bishop Mitty High School in Campbell, CA, Emily Getchel, a 6-0 middle blocker from Burlingame High School in Burlingame, CA, Julie Meyer (sister of Cal junior middle blocker Kelly Meyer), a 5-10 outside hitter from Centennial High School in Bakersfield, CA and Emily Clowes, a 5-9 outside hitter from Granite Bay High School in Granite Bay, CA.
