The Mustang volleyball team has triumphed in back-to-back tournaments, starting off the season with a record of 5-1.
After a successful preseason with six of their eight top playmakers returning from last year, the team is sure to be a contender for the top spot in Conference USA. Coach Lisa Seifert, who has been the head coach since the program started in 1996, said this spring preseason was one of the most successful ones the team has had.
Outside hitters Kathryn Wilkerson and Dana Powell are two of the returning players, and will continue to be key players in the team’s success. Wilkerson, a senior, has already notched four double-doubles this season and is the only current C-USA athlete to have notched 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs during her career.
Co-captain Powell was recently named to the All-Conference USA Preseason Volleyball Team selected by C-USA coaches. Powell is also the only AVCA All-American (Honorable Mention) to return for the Mustangs. Last year she and former Mustang Kendra Kahanek became the first two SMU volleyball players to earn the All-American honor.
Replacing Kahanek is sophomore Courtney Manning, who averaged almost as many blocks per set as Kahanek did last year. Senior middle blocker Caitlin Adair, who has not played much during her career, has performed well this season, including 15 kills against Baylor.
Another big playmaker returning to the squad is co-captain and setter Kelli Becerra. Becerra was ranked fifth in C-USA with 10.4 assists per set during her sophomore year, and continues this year to provide “numerous great sets to her teammates,” said the SMU coaching staff. Another returning starter is outside hitter and libero Sidney Stewart. “[Stewart] has helped make the Mustangs one of the top defensive units in the league,” said SMU coaching staff. Freshman Meghan Janette, who is one of five freshmen added to the team’s roster, has also provided defensive help for the Mustangs this year.
So far this season, the Mustangs have dominated Butler, Baylor and Stephen F. Austin in their first tournament, the Baylor Classic. Becerra and Adair were named to the all-tournament team and Powell earned tournament MVP.
A week later, the Mustangs continued their winning streak in the Doubletree Invitational Classic. With wins over Texas Tech and Texas State, the Mustangs earned a 5-0 record, the best the team’s had since 2007. They experienced their first loss of the season against a tough UC Davis in the tournament, and now have a record 5-1. Wilkerson and Stewart were named to the Doubletree Invitational all-tournament team.
The team is scheduled to compete against UC Santa Barbara and Sacramento State in the Lobo Comcast Challenge this weekend in Albuquerque, N.M. The team is expecting to face some tough competition this weekend and for the rest of the season. Coaches say in-conference competition should come from: “Rice, Tulsa (who has the Preseason Player of the Year, Tyler Henderson) and Memphis.” The team has a tough year ahead of them, but coaches say SMU will be in the thick of the competition for one of the top teams.
