This is the 14th of a 16-part series, analyzing the fall sports of each school in the Lone Star Conference. Today will feature Texas Woman’s University.
Volleyball
The Pioneers take a step back in 2009 with a 16-17 record, following a 20-win season the previous year.
Last season, TWU stayed right around the .500 mark all season long, never posting a winning streak of more than four games and three games was the longest losing skid of the season. TWU did win its last two regular-season games, beating Southeastern Oklahoma in five sets and then sweeping East Central to advance to the school’s sixth straight LSC Championship.
But eighth-year head coach Shelly Barberee still has seven players back from last year, including five starters.
Leading the way for TWU in 2010 should be senior outside hitter Alyson Harlan, a second-team All-LSC pick last year. Harlan led the squad with 273 kills, along with a team-high 334.0 points.
Also back is senior libero Kendra Coulson, who ranked sixth last season in the LSC, averaging 4.31 digs per contest.
Sophomore Erica Humbach finished seventh in the league in blocks, averaging 0.81 a game.
Other key returners for TWU this season include senior setter Sydney Veitenheimer, senior middle blocker Laura McClung and junior middle blocker Katelyn Osborne.
Newcomers to the squad are junior-college transfers Megan Chetwood (North Lake College) and Andrea Rivera-Rojas (Iowa Western CC) and incoming freshmen Chole’ Tate and Brittney Adkisson.
The Pioneers are picked to finish eighth in the preseason LSC standings. Early in the season, the squad will travel to Hawaii for a four-game tournament to face teams such as BYU-Hawaii, Chaminade and Hawaii-Hilo.
Women’s Soccer
Statistically, the 2009 campaign would be classified as a losing season as the Pioneers finished 8-9-2.
But it’s hard to not think ninth-year head coach Fleur Benatar wasn’t pleased with the final outcome, especially the way TWU fought down the stretch.
At one point, the Pioneers were 2-7 and struggling through a five-game losing skid. But the squad picked it up in conference play with a 6-3-1 league mark and even advanced to the semifinals of the LSC Championship, only to fall to eventual-winner Central Oklahoma.
Aside from a late-season push, the Pioneers can also be excited about the return of nine letterwinners, including senior goalkeeper Nori Morgan, the LSC’s Goalkeeper of the Year in 2009. Morgan led the conference in saves with 102 and ranked third with seven shutouts, including three straight against conference foes Angelo State, Northeastern State and East Central midway through the season.
Also returning is senior defender Natalie Holovach, a second-team All-LSC pick. Holovach also scored three goals, including a game-winner.
Sophomore Amanda Allen scored two goals and had two assists last season, and will be joined by senior midfielder Christine Mendoza. Other returners include senior midfielder Kyli Morgan, sophomore forward Grace Williams and junior midfielder Halla Ali.
Of the 18 games on the schedule, 10 are at the TWU Soccer Field in Denton, where the Pioneers were 5-1 last year.