Aug. 22, 2005
The George Mason women's volleyball team will take the court this year looking to replace a dominant player, one who left an indelible mark in the school record books and was a nationally-recognized athlete as well. Sound familiar? In 2004, the Patriots were looking to replace four-time All-CAA performer Aline Pereira. Mason did just fine, making its 21st consecutive CAA Tournament appearance, a conference record. This year, Mason will have to find a way to replace four-time All-CAA performer Jesica Umansky.
Like last year, there's an athlete waiting in the wings, ready to step forward and become a dominant performer. Senior outside hitter Natalia Porosa was first-team All-CAA last year and this year, she could challenge for Player of the Year honors.
"We're expecting a lot from her," said George Mason head coach Pat Kendrick, entering her 21st season as Mason's head coach. "She has a lot of experience and she's had a lot of success. Over the past year, she's developed into someone we want to count on."
Porosa had an excellent season in 2004, recording a career-best 310 kills despite playing in the fewest games of her career, just 82. She had a career-high .233 attack percentage to go with 215 digs and 39 total blocks.
"She'll be a leader more in actions as opposed to words," Kendrick said.
Her leadership ability will be tested for the first time on Saturday when the Patriots host Georgetown at Linn Gymnasium in the season opener for both teams. Game time is set for 5 p.m.
Joining Porosa on the front line will be veterans Niki Bernardes and Jaqueline Kohler. Bernardes, a senior, also had her best season as a Patriot in 2004, with career-highs in kills (262), attack percentage (.151), total blocks (40) and service aces (46). She was among the national leaders in service aces for much of the year and finished the season second in the CAA in aces per game. Bernardes' well-rounded game and floor-experience are big assets.
"She has shown that she's one of our best passers and the novelty of being a left-handed hitter has done a lot for her," Kendrick said. "She's developed into a nasty server.
"She's very competitive and because she's been through the wars, she's not going to get rattled much. She's used to the pressure and I think that can help us."
Kohler burst onto the scene last year and was named to the CAA's All-Rookie Team. She was a finalist for Rookie of the Year and had an outstanding season despite playing a new position. She came to Mason as a middle blocker and has learned how to play on the outside. Her success is a tribute to her athleticism and she's poised to make a mark in the league.
"Athletically, I don't know if we'll see another player like her in the league," said Kendrick. "I think she certainly has the potential to be one of the dominant players in the conference. It's more about her confidence level at the (relatively new) position. Other teams kind of know who she is but I think they're going to see a different side this year."
Another player who spent much of 2004 learning was middle blocker Chantal Bodkin-Clarke. The junior came to Mason after a year at junior college and was a somewhat raw talent. Her intelligence and hard work allowed her to develop into one of the team's most consistent hitters. She led the team with a .257 attack percentage and 109 total blocks.
"I think she can be one of the top middles in the conference," Kendrick said. "At 6-foot-4, she has quite a presence at the net. Technically, we've worked on a lot of things with her. She's very smart and she retains a lot of the information we give her. It's just a matter of repeating it."
Mason will be without Bodkin-Clarke for at least three matches, possibly more, as she will be off campus for 10 days early in the season to compete in the NORCECA (North American, Central American, Caribbean) Championships. She will playing for her home country of Trinidad, which is the host nation.
The other returning player at middle blocker is junior Janelle Wilson. Wilson had a solid freshman campaign and she improved last year, turning in 133 kills with a .220 attack percentage. She also had 24 service aces, 55 digs and 56 total blocks.
"Janelle has the most experience of our middles," Kendrick said. "She practiced a lot in the sand (this summer) which has helped her jumping ability and she played in numerous outdoor tournaments. She has worked a lot on her physical conditioning.
"She's a great team player. Whether she's on the floor or not, she's always very enthusiastic. She put in as much time as anybody getting ready for this season."
The other returning player with significant experience is libero Zulma Rojas. The senior led the team in digs last year and was first in the conference in service aces per game, just ahead of Bernardes.
"Zulma plays mostly on instinct," Kendrick said. "Ninety percent of her game is instinct. At the same time, you have to be able to play in a system. When you go on instinct, you're not necessarily thinking of everyone else (in the system). She hates to see the ball hit the floor without going for it."
Three other players return from last year's team. Sarah Hipps was the team's top setter off the bench in 2004 and will fight for the starting spot this year.
"Sarah made a lot of improvement in the spring," Kendrick said. "She has the personality to (be the floor leader) which could be as important as anything."
Kristen Byler was Mason's top defensive replacement and server off the bench. She appeared in 50 games and recorded 69 digs. She also had six service aces and in many ways, is the antithesis of Rojas.
"She's a system player," Kendrick said. "For her, it will be a matter of giving her permission so if she thinks she can get to the ball, go get it."
The other player is Lindsay Angelo, who earned a medical redshirt in 2004 due to lingering effects from a 2003 injury. She will see time at opposite hitter.
Five first-year players will join the team in 2005, three freshmen, a transfer, and one senior. The senior is Julie Flanders, who in 2004-05, finished a four-year tour with the women's basketball team. She has not played competitive volleyball for some time.
"The biggest challenge is technically, there are some things she needs to work on," said Kendrick. Flanders can see time at middle blocker or opposite hitter.
The transfer student is Tricia Nelsen, who hails from Fairfax and spent a year at Christopher Newport, where she led the team in kills. Nelsen will line up at outside hitter.
The three freshmen are Morgan Connell, an outside hitter, Chelsea Kropp, a setter who will challenge Hipps for the starting spot, and Jourdan Dozier, a middle blocker. All are expected to see court time and possibly impact the rotation.
Just as there are question marks about the Patriots, there are also plenty of question marks about the CAA, as two new teams join the conference this year, Georgia State and Northeastern.
"I don't think there will be a clear-cut team blowing through the conference," said Kendrick. "From one through eight could be really tight. It will be interesting. I think the level of play will certainly be higher."
The conference's coaches agreed with Kendrick as four teams received first-place votes in a preseason poll. Seven points separated first to third (Hofstra, Delaware and Northeastern) while eight points separated fourth through eighth (Towson, William & Mary, James Madison, Virginia Commonwealth and George Mason).
As Kendrick said, it will be interesting.
Real interesting.
