2011 Rutgers Volleyball Season Review
Dec 09 | Women's Volleyball
NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. (December 9, 2011) - Rutgers University volleyball overcame several obstacles throughout the season to win double-digit matches for the second-straight year under head coach C.J. Werneke and continued to lay the foundation for future success. The record of 10-21 overall and 3-11 in the BIG EAST does not tell the whole story of the season as several players cracked into the school record book and others emerged as important pieces of the program in the years going forward.
The season was highlighted by a memorable "Senior Day" weekend, a sweep over rival Seton Hall and a winning record at the College Ave Gym. The team also learned how to deal with setbacks and came together stronger as a result.
"Overall, there were some good moments, some great moments and then some moments that just got away from us," said Werneke. "I look at it as a season of good achievements and some setbacks. However, I feel that it was a little unfulfilled. I also feel that this year was a season that was full of potential. It was marked that we have not reached the peak yet."
Individual Accomplishments
Seniors Hannah Curtis (Wasilla, Alaska) and Kallie Pence (College Station, Texas) left their mark on the program in their final season, leading the team in kills (278) and digs (380), respectively. Pence's dig total was the fourth-highest in a season in Rutgers history as she started every match at libero. She also leaves with the 10th-most assists in school history (730). Curtis totaled 87 blocks in 2011 to bring her career total to 271, 10th-most in school history. However, the impact of the duo cannot be judged solely on the statistics.
"Words cannot describe how valuable the seniors were to this program at Rutgers," said Werneke. "Not only statistically and the skills they bring to the court, but who they are as people. They truly believe in our staff and what we are doing here and support the direction that we are going as a team. They absolutely are the foundation for our program moving forward."
Junior Stephanie Zielinski (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) also had a season to remember with 1,151 assists (sixth-most in school history) and 332 digs to accumulate a BIG EAST-leading 18 doubles-doubles from the setter position. She had nine matches with at least 50 assists, showing consistency from start to finish. Zielinski eclipsed the 2,000 career-assist mark in the win over Hartford and moved into fourth all-time in Rutgers history. Her career total sits at 2,939 heading into her senior season.
"She became much more consistent as the season went on," said Werneke. "It was an overall improvement across the board for her, which goes very well for the future of this program. I look forward to seeing her make a positive improvement going into next season."
Junior Alex Jones (Chesapeake, Va.) had a breakout year, but was hampered by injuries midway through the year that forced her to miss 14 matches. Despite the time missed, she still amassed 224 kills and put together a .383 hitting percentage, tied for the highest in the BIG EAST and the second-highest mark in the Rutgers single-season record book.
"It is just a tribute to her work ethic and her physical ability," said Werneke of the middle blocker. "I think that mentally she is gaining her confidence that she wants to be that go-to player for the team. That is something that we will continue to develop with her because she has all the physical tools, it is the mental aspect and the understanding of how good she can really be for this team."
The team also saw an immediate impact from a pair of freshman that had an opportunity to see significant playing time, Sofi Cucuz (Crown Point, Ind.) and Alyssa Monka (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.). Both appeared in all 31 matches with Cucuz recording 263 kills up front and Monka picking up 191 as a defensive specialist.
"No doubt, [Sofi Cucuz] had a great rookie season for us," said Werneke. "It was great to see her come in and compete extremely well at a very high level right away as a freshman. As the year progressed, she definitely gained more confidence. The future is bright for her.
"Obviously, [Alyssa Monka] has the skill set to play, but she is going to have to continue to develop," continued Werneke. "To take the next step, she really needs to combine everything she has together now as far as quickness and preparation."
The Scarlet Knights also saw the development of sophomores Brittany Bozzini (Saratoga, Calif.), Tiffany Regmund (Bryan, Texas) and Sheridan Taylor (Manhattan Beach, Calif.). Bozzini led the group with 292 digs and 225 kills, while Regmund put down 170 kills despite battling injuries throughout the year.
Season Review
The 35th season of Rutgers volleyball started in Texas at the Sam Houston State Invitational. Even though the team only won one of four matches, it allowed Regmund and Pence to play in their home state - something that the team tries to do every year with a nonconference tournament trip.
"We do schedule trips and tournaments to get our players back home to where they are from," said Werneke about scheduling. "We use this in our recruiting by telling the athletes that we will get them back to their home state at least once in their four years playing for Rutgers. This is something that we make a conscious effort for each season."
The trip back from Texas to New Jersey was delayed several days due to Hurricane Irene, forcing the home-opening match versus NJIT to be pushed back one day. That did not seem to bother the Scarlet Knights as they won their first match at College Ave Gym over the Highlanders in four sets on a season-high .302 hitting percentage. Jones notched 20 kills in the victory to lead all players.
That weekend, Rutgers traveled to Fairfield, Conn. to participate in three-matches at the Sacred Heart Invitational. RU won its first two matches in five sets against Hartford and Brown to extend its winning streak to four, but fell to host Sacred Heart in the championship. In the win over the Hawks, Jones and Pence both had team season highs with 27 kills and 30 digs, respectively, to help the team earn the win. The victory over the Bears was just as epic as the Scarlet Knights overcame match point six times to steal the win.
Following a loss at Hofstra, Rutgers had the opportunity to host the Rutgers Invitational at the College Ave Gym, welcoming Binghamton, Howard and Princeton. The Bearcats took home the championship as Rutgers could only take the match against Bison. Taylor earned All-Tournament honors for the Scarlet Knights as she tallied a career-high 18 kills versus the Tigers.
"It is important to have a home tournament on our schedule," said Werneke. "It puts the girls in our comfort zone and gives us a nice break from traveling, especially early on in the academic year. It allows our kids to kind of get a foundation of classes and not fall behind that quickly. It is great to have the support of the athletic administration and get the student body involved early on in the year. It was a great experience to compete in a tournament in our home gym."
Rutgers stayed at home that week to defeat Lehigh in one of the more dominating performances of the season. The match allowed Zielinski to move into fourth all-time in assists at Rutgers with 31 in the three sets.
The team hit the road that weekend to the Hampton Inn Classic at No. 5 Penn State, one of the most storied programs in NCAA volleyball history. The Scarlet Knights dropped matches to Florida Gulf Coast, Long Island and the hosts, but gained valuable experience.
"It was a great experience for our kids to see what a national-level program looks like," said Werneke. "It was good to show my team how physical they are and how they approached the match. It was just a great environment to play in a historic building like Penn State. Playing in that tournament this season, I am sure will be a moment that many of our players will never forget."
The Hampton Inn Classic was the final nonconference tournament for the Scarlet Knights as the team turned its attention to BIG EAST play. The team struggled with consistency throughout the conference season, but managed to steal sets from some of the top teams in the league, including Cincinnati, Syracuse and Marquette. RU took the Golden Eagles to the brink on their home court after taking the first two sets.
In the midst of the conference season, RU stepped out of the league to overtake Fordham in four sets. The Rams were a team that Rutgers had struggled with in years past and the victory showed progress and validation of the program-building process, Werneke mentioned after the win.
One of the biggest highlights of the season was the sweep over Seton Hall at the College Ave Gym on Oct. 14. The Scarlet Knights took it to the Pirates with a .250 hitting percentage a strong defensive effort to defeat the rivals for the second-consecutive year.
"It is an important win for us every year when we play them," said Werneke. "It is something that we talk about in our program, maybe a little bit too much at times. No matter what, Seton Hall is always an important match for us. We showed we do have the mindset and potential to put together big wins."
The Scarlet Knights did put together two big wins to end the season, defeating Connecticut and St. John's at the College Ave Gym to finish the season at 7-6 at home. It was the first BIG EAST weekend sweep for Rutgers since 2005 and the first under Werneke.
"There is just something about playing at 'The Barn,'" said Werneke. "It is a great environment to play in and it brings out the confidence in all our players. Anytime that you are in a comfortable routine and our players are comfortable in the home stetting, we are going to perform better and at a higher level."
Playing in front of many former players on "Alumni Weekend," the Scarlet Knights looked at ease against the Huskies, pushing them away in three sets with a team conference-best .283 hitting percentage.
Rutgers continued the momentum the following day against the Red Storm after honoring Curtis and Pence in a "Senior Day" ceremony before the match. The two finished their careers as the first players to have played a full four years under Werneke at Rutgers.
"It was a great weekend for us," said Werneke after the match. "It was great to end with two big wins and end with the same BIG EAST record as last year, despite everything that has gone on with the multitude of injuries, lineup changes and the struggles we had early on. What a great way to put it together."
The match was one of the more hotly-contested ones of the season as St. John's responded to Rutgers several times, but RU closed out the victory with a 15-11 fifth-set win. Curtis and Pence went out strong with 13 kills and 14 digs, respectively.
"I feel that ending the season on two great wins will definitely carry over in the offseason and into next season," said Werneke. "The season-ending meetings with our players had as high a vibe as ever. We can walk away having an unfulfilled feeling, but at least it will catapult us into the spring with some team confidence. We have a strong belief in our abilities to play well on the court. Now we just have to do the mental training and be consistent every day."
The program has already started to look forward to 2012, but can look back to 2011 as a year where the team learned how to deal with setbacks, set numerous individual marks, won several big matches and continued to lay the foundation for future sustained success.
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