SELINSGROVE, (Pa.) — The 1999 Susquehanna University women’s volleyball team should be the deepest, most talented and most balanced in the first seven years under current head coach Bill Switala. If his team can stay as focused as it has been thus far in preseason, Switala is optimistic that it can meet its goal of making the final day of the Middle Atlantic Conference Championship Tournament.
Switala has added his best recruiting class to a roster which already had four starters and six letterwinners returning from a team which made the MAC Tournament last year for just the fourth time in program history — finishing fourth in the Commonwealth League. After scoring a straight-games victory over Allentown in the first-round of the playoffs, the Crusaders came up one win shy of both making the MAC Championship final four, and ending with a winning record as they finished 14-15.
Susquehanna will open its 1999 season next Saturday, September 4, at 10 a.m., against Rowan in the annual Scramble Tournament at Franklin and Marshall. The Crusaders will be one of eight teams in the field.
“We still have to work real hard, but everyone is focused on our common goal of making the MAC Championships,” said Switala, who is the winningest coach in program history and just three wins shy of 100 for his career, presently at 97-89 (.522). “This is the most balanced team I’ve had at the university. That makes it tough on our opponents because they won’t be able to key on one player.”
One player who will no doubt be on the top of opponents’ scouting reports will be 5-11 sophomore middle blocker Sarah Lauro (Collegeville/Villa Maria Academy), who is the team’s lone returning MAC Commonwealth League All-Star — earning second-team honors as a freshman. Lauro led the team last season with a .223 hitting percentage and also topped the charts in blocks per game (0.85/61 solo). She was second on the team in total kills (2.04 per game), also averaging 1.16 digs and 0.37 aces per game. She was also MAC Player of the Week on October 19.
“Sarah is blocking very well and, like the rest of the team, appears very focused. There appears to be a real drive to win this year and Sarah is one of the cornerstones of that,” said Switala.
Joining Laura as a starting middle blocker will be 5-9 freshman Traci Sariscak (Severna Park, Md./Severna Park H.S.), who was both first-team All-Metro and all-county by The Baltimore Sun last season.
Five-foot-nine sophomore Brittaney Snoke (Shippensburg/Shippensburg H.S.) is also a returning letterwinner and should provide additional depth at middle blocker.
The outside hitter position is where Switala has the greatest glut of talent with no less than seven players at that position and all of them pretty close in talent. Topping that list will be senior co-captains Jenn Ashton (Whitesboro, N.Y./Whitesboro H.S.) and Missy Kuruzovich (Johnstown/Westmont Hilltop H.S.).
The 5-5 Kuruzovich has started in each of her first three seasons, primarily as a defensive specialist before moving to outside hitter last season. She has amassed 718 career digs and was the team’s Best Defensive Player Award recipient last season as she ranked second in digs with 276 (2.73 per game). She was also fourth on the squad in service aces (36/0.36 per game) a year ago — totalling 70 kills (0.69 per game).
At 5-8, Ashton has also been a spot starter for the better part of the last two seasons. She played in all but 19 games a year ago and had 65 kills (0.79 per game) with 23 aces (0.28 per game) and 125 digs (1.52 per game). Switala is expecting Kuruzovich to once again be one of the team’s defensive leaders again, while Ashton will lead with solid, all-around play.
Another senior returning letterwinner at outside hitter who Switala is expecting to make major contributions this season is 5-11 Jen Mitman (Perkasie/Pennridge H.S.). Mitman has also been in and out of the starting lineup during her career, putting together her best season a year ago as she walked off with the team’s Most Improved Player Award. She appeared in all but nine games in ’98, finishing third on the team in kills with 151 (1.64 per game) while hitting at a .194 cli. She was also third on the squad in blocks with 44 (eight solo).
In addition to the three seniors, Switala expects highly-touted freshman Nicole Azar (Whitehall/Whitehall H.S.) to start at outside hitter in serve-receive situations. The 5-6 Azar was first-team all-district and all-conference, and second-team all-state last year at Whitehall.
Five-foot-eight sophomore Lydia Steward (Phillipsburg/Phillipsburg-Oseola H.S.) appears to be fully recovered from the ligiment knee injury which sidelined her all last season and also is in the mix for playing time at outside hitter. Switala calls her “the surprise of the preseason” and believes she is playing much better now than she was when he recruited her.
Five-foot-six Becki Bert (New Cumberland/Cedar Cliff H.S.) and 5-8 Ellen Hildebrant (Emmaus/Emmaus H.S.) are two other freshman who also are quality outside hitters.
Setting up all these hitters for points will be returning starter and junior Erin Leslie (Exton/Villa Maria Academy), with freshman Alexis Miranda (Quincy, Mass./North Quincy H.S.) also expected to see some time at the position.
In her first season as the starting setter, the 5-5 Leslie led the team in assists a year ago (7.14 per game) – finishing ninth in the MAC. She also led the team in service aces with 49 (0.49 per game), ranking fourth in digs (2.22 per game). Switala believes her year’s experience as a starter has given her “a better head for the game.”
The 5-4 Miranda was a Pilgrim Conference All-Star last season as a high school senior while leading her team in both service points and assists.
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