June 16, 1999

VILLANOVA, Pa. - The upcoming season is a crucial one for second year head coach Heather Hoehn and her Villanova Wildcats. The team is coming off a 12-16 campaign and the loss of four seniors coupled with the transfer of setter Cathy Arnette, 1999 will pose numerous challenges for the young 'Cats. Hoehn hopes to combat this high turnover with some fresh faces including three freshmen and one transfer, a new offense and a new attitude.

The new look team will have to move on with the loss of team leaders Megan O'Brien and Elizabeth Jones. O'Brien, who was a second-team all-Big East selection in '98 and Jones, who left the Main Line as the school's all-time dig leader leaves the remaining Wildcats with some big shoes to fill. Hoehn hopes junior Breen Eddinger will take one of those roles.

"Breen is one of our hardest working players. She leads through example both on and off the court," said Hoehn. "I will look for her to become one of our primary go-to players. It will be imperative that she plays consistently throughout the season."

Another problem Hoehn has to solve is that in 1998, Villanova lost a total of five games in five sets. In those games, Villanova led 2-1 in all but one of those matches. Hoehn is hoping that her team will learned to put teams away early and not to let their lead slip away.

"We lost too many close games last year. We have to turn the corner and start putting team away, not let them get back into the match," said Hoehn.

In the off-season, the first element coach Hoehn attacked was the conditioning of the squad. Starting last spring, the Wildcats were put through a rigorous training program that continued throughout the summer. Hoehn cites lack of conditioning on some of those late losses last year.

"We spent a great amount of time improving our fitness level this past off-season. We need to keep our concentration level high late in the game and I don't want fatigue to be a variable this year," said Hoehn. Another area that needed some noticeable work was the Wildcats offense, which last season hit a Big East seventh .215. With that in mind, Hoehn implemented a new offense that will better suit the talent of the '99 team.

"This season, we had to adjust our offense so the major of the action would come front he middle blocker position instead our our traditional outside hitter spots," said Hoehn. "We need to utilize our size and strength in the middle and have our outside support that."

Setter

Co-captain Stacey Moline will be the primary setter for the Wildcats this season. Moline, who suffered a tear of her anterior-crucial ligament early last season, has been injury plagued since her arrival on the Main Line. The 1996 Big East Rookie of the Year was sidelined for the majority of the 1997 season with a broken thumb. Despite her injuries, Moline has worked harder than ever to prepare for the upcoming season. With the transfer of Cathy Arnette, who took over last season for Moline after her injury, Stacey will be a necessary element for success. Along with utility player Erin Pfotzer, providing emergency back-up, the Wildcats will rely heavily on Moline's return.

"Stacey has the ability the lead our offense. It will be very important for her to get back in mental and physical shape as soon as possible," said Hoehn. "She has excellent court presence and we look forward to her return."

Outside hitter

With the loss of O'Brien ( 395 kills, 386 digs) and Jones (398 kills, 436 digs), the outside hitter position will no longer be the focus of the Wildcats offense, but it will remain an intrigal piece of the puzzle. Junior Ruth Ann Blankenhiem, who tallied 315 kills a year ago will lead the returning players, will make the move from the rightside to the outside hitter spot to help fill the void left by graduation. Junior Lisa Trumbull and sophomore Dana Jones will add depth to the Wildcats roster at this position. Freshmen Leah Mathews and Yvonne Pierpont will push the upperclassmen for playing time as the duo enters Villanova as coach Hoehn's first recruiting class.

"We will look for Ruth Ann to make the transition from the rightside to one of the outside hitter position," said Hoehn. "Playing time will be determined by the amount of work put in, in the off-season by Trumbull, Jones and the two incoming freshmen Mathews and Pierpont."

Middle Blocker

With the realigned offense, the middle blocker position has become the focus of the Wildcats' attack. The muscle behind this force is junior, co-captain Breen Eddinger who's 384 kills and 72 blocks a year ago is tops among returning players. Alongside Eddinger will be classmate Tina Zitterich who will have to increase her offensive attack this season. Known as a blocker, Zitterich, who tallied 47 blocks last season will have to show off some of her power and aggressiveness to increase her offensive output.

"I believe it is time for Zitterich to rise to the challenges ahead of her and become one of the dominant hitters in the Big East," said Hoehn. "Tina has worked very hard to get in shape and she will be ready for the season."

Adding depth to the middle blocker position will be sophomore Jackie Fugiel who is coming off a rookie campaign where she tallied 48 kills and 37 blocks in 48 appearances. Behind Fugiel will be freshman Lara Smith who will contend for playing time.

Rightside Hitter

Sophomore Libby Syblirud will lead the rightside hitters as she tallied 30 kills and 36 blocks in her first season on the Main Line. Utility player Erin Pfotzer along with Erin Biranus and Lara Smith will compete add depth to the right side. Sybilrud and Biranus' size and athleticism will be needed in our offensive scheme.

"Libby and Erin (Biranus) will need to step-up this season at add to our offensive attack on the rightside," said Hoehn. "With the support of Pfotzer and Smith, this is one of our deepest positions."

Schedule

The Wildcats schedule from a year ago was less than least forgiving as Villanova played seven teams that were ranked in the top 25 rankings. Among the previous mentioned seven, four squads were invited to the NCAA Tournament. For a team that could be classified as rebuilding, a challenging, yet moderate schedule was necessary. This year's team will compete in four in-season tournaments including Texas Christian, Montana State, Virginia Tech and the Villanova Classic. The Wildcats will play the full 11-game Big East tilt and non-conference opponents are Bucknell, Delaware, Fairfield and Maryland. Included in the 'Cats non-conference foes are the traditional Philadelphia schools, Drexel, Penn and Temple.

"I am looking forward to our schedule this season. It is better suited to our team and should give us a good opportunity to grow,"said Hoehn.