2023 Season Preview: Volleyball

ABILENE – After a 2 p.m. scrimmage at home against Angelo State on Saturday, Abilene Christian volleyball begins its new coaching era later this month with a familiar face leading the way.
 
Head Coach Ijeoma Moronu Alstrup took the reins in July and brings fresh energy to her alma mater and the program she led as a player. While the goal will be immediate improvement on a 7-19 mark from 2022, Coach IJ (pronounced EJ) insists the cupboard she inherited is far from bare.
 
The team returns six starters, the top two finishers, the most efficient attacker, the assists leader, the top serve receiver, the ace leader and the top two blockers from last season.
 
"We have six consistent starters coming back to the team and that's a great starting point to build on," said Moronu Alstrup. "We have a very strong academic team which is something that I want to continue to uphold. Additionally, having a Freshman All-WAC member in Ashli Edmiston is also very exciting for the foundation of this team. I think the character and the resilience of our student-athletes is also something that will go a long way through a tough season."
 
Edmiston led the team last season with 292 points and her 2.48 kills per set was second only to Bryley Steinhilber's 2.66. That pair gives the 2023 squad some experience up front. They'll rely on last year's assist leader, Madeline Guffy. Guffy and Steinhilber have already made an impact this season.
 
"All of the returners have really helped make the transition a smooth one," Moronu Alstrup said. "Bryley Steinhilber I've gotten to know since my interview process, and she has been a great sounding board for me to be able to jump right in. On the court, I've seen Madeline Guffy really grow and step into her setter position. Our senior middles (Breanna Box and Braden Bossier) have also done a great job helping our young middles adjust to life in Abilene both on and off the court."
 
The jolt of a new coach is often a hurdle to overcome in a college program, but the transition is made smoother by the commonality of choice.
 
"I truly feel very lucky to have inherited the group of girls that I have," IJ said. "As an ACU alum, we all already have a common bond of choosing this place and I think that's been instrumental in our ability to build trust. They've been working hard this summer not only on the court and in the weight room, on their own, but they have also been very intentional with getting to know one another and I commend them for that.
 
"The returning players have been extremely welcoming and open to my idea of what a program culture should look like. They have been able to take what I've said and help disperse it on to the newcomers and have done a great job of helping me get everyone on the same page moving forward."
 
That's been a key as ACU brings in eight new players.
 
"The first time away from home is always a big adjustment but they have been able to fit right in," the coach said. "One of the comments I've gotten often from the upperclassmen is how seamlessly the group has blended which gives me a lot of hope for the future."
 
Of course, every year every coach seeks to improve and ACU has some room for growth
 
"A priority for us is raising the overall ball control of the team and our ability to score out of system," said Moronu Alstrup. "We were one of the top teams in digs last year but have to find new ways to score and capitalize on those digs."
 
The team is putting in the effort to bring a high-quality experience to its fans in Moody Coliseum.
 
"The fans can expect to see a confident team that comes out and plays all out no matter who is on the other side of the court," said Coach Moronu Alstrup. "With eight newcomers they can also expect to see a lot of new faces on the court that are ready to make an immediate contribution."
 
IJ says the WAC stage may be ripe for a daunting but significant turnaround for the Cats, using their core strengths: experience in the middle, defense and team mentality.
 
"There isn't a big gap between the bottom of the WAC and the bottom of the teams that get into the conference tournament," said Moronu Alstrup. "A big goal of ours is to make the conference tournament this year and by a few tweaks I believe we can get there."
 
The postseason isn't the only goal for the team, though it is an important marker.
 
"A big goal of ours is to make it to the conference tournament. Aside from that, we want to go into every match and compete to win. To play as many good points as possible throughout the season and feel as though we always went all out," Moronu Alstrup said.
 
A fresh look, experience in key spots and a talented crop of newcomers promise to make things exciting in Abilene.
 
"With our new style of play, a lot of our student-athletes will get the chance to turn heads," said Moronu Alstrup. "Ashli Edmiston has big goals for herself this year after coming off of a great freshman campaign. Madeline Guffy has really come into her own and I think she is going to do some really exciting things from the setter position. Both of our returning middles have big potential to be game-changers and playmakers for our team. I am also excited to see what impact Hannah Knier and Hannah Gonzalez may have as they will bring some great size to the court. At the end of the day, all of the girls have a fresh slate with me and I can see potential in every single one of them to be big-time for ACU."
 
ACU's regular season launches Aug. 26-27 at the Texas Tech Tournament. The Wildcats meet Houston Christian on Saturday and Texas Tech on Sunday. The first home match is Aug. 29 against Texas A&M-Commerce.
 
North Dakota, Grambling and Providence visit for the ACU Home Tournament Sept. 1-2 and Texas Tech visits on Sept. 5.
 
Tournament trips have the Wildcats meeting California at Texas State and Mississippi State in MSU's Maroon and White Invite.
 
The WAC schedule begins Sept. 21 and 23 with Seattle and Utah Valley visiting Moody Coliseum.