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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 4, 1991)
Sports Wednesday, September 4, 1991 The Battalion Page 9 Bringing class to the court KARL STOLLEIS/The Battalion A&M volleyball coach Al Givens has high expectations for the Lady disappointing 1-2 start last weekend. They face Lamar tonight and North Aggies in the 1991 season. A&M hopes to bounce back from a Texas tomorrow night at G. Rollie White Coliseum at 7 p.m. Givens hopes Lady Aggies will learn from past experiences by Scott Wudel The Battalion The Texas A&M volleyball team al ready has begun to learn from its mis takes, just three games into the 1991 sea son. After a disappointing third place fin ish in the Texas A&M/Holiday Inn Invi tational this past weekend, the Lady Ag gies are ready to start the season all over again. Texas A&M volleyball coach Al Givens believes his young team had the talent to easily win the tournament, as did his players. But it didn't happen that way. Now they must find out what went wrong and make sure it doesn't happen again. Givens and most of his team have been down this road before. Last season the Aggies hung onto long matches against nationally ranked opponents only to finally give in. But the coach knew his team was learning from that experience too. Now the Lady Aggies, one win and two losses into the season, must take some of those lessons to the court. Most of Givens' team returns from last year. But he said that doesn't neces sarily guarantee success on the court. "We do have experience coming back, but we have to be realistic," Givens said. “We graduated a four-year starter and a three-year starter. I think its going to take a few matches for people to step in and fill those positions. "But as far as talent and general ath leticism, this team has a lot to offer the program." Givens lost one of his best outside at tackers, Amy Cumings, and his four-year setter, Krista Hierholzer, to graduation. Now he must ask some of his younger players to step in. But Givens is not without experience in his lineup. Seniors Alysia McMath and Sheri Hermesmeyer return, as does pre season all-Southwest Conference selec tion Elizabeth Edmiston. The tri-captains will be expected to lead a young bunch of Lady Aggies onto the court every gamenight. The coach is also expecting sopho mores Amy Kisling and Kim Mitchell to find their full potential and add it to the A&M effort every match. Givens said he needs his two seniors to stay consistent while Edmiston must stay healthy to lead the team through a 17-match September and a tough confer ence race in October. "One of the reasons we scheduled 17 matches in September was because we knew we were going to need that many to help give us the chance to mature a lit tle bit and also to help us prepare for the SWC race," he explained. The Lady Aggies finished fourth in the conference last year, and are expected to do the same again this season. But Givens and his team have higher confer ence hopes this time around. "We feel we're capable of moving up if not two notches, at least one," he said. "Our goals are to finish in the top three." Givens' team must battle a consistent ly ranked Texas team as well as Houston and Texas Tech in order to move up. But the Lady Aggies want to extend this sea son into the playoffs. Givens said this season's schedule won't be as demanding as the one last year, which handed A&M an 18-19 record. The team will still face its share "If we get as good on the court as we are in the classroom, we're going to he awesome - and I've told our players that." Al Givens A&M volleyball coach of nationally ranked teams, but the coach is confident in the Lady Aggies' chances for greater success. "One thing I feel real good about is that our players never quit, they never give up," he said enthusiastically. "They work extremely hard. "If we get as good on the court as we are in the classroom, we're going to be awesome - And I've told our players that." The Lady Aggies will get their chance to bounce back from last weekend's dis appointment tonight against Lamar at G. Rollie White Coliseum at 7 p.m. "We have the offensive power to be real successful," Givens said. "If we can get the chemistry correct, if we can get consistent, and if we can minimize our unforced errors, we'll be successful. "They are more determined than ever to be real successful Wednesday night." McMath rotates volleyball, school and marriage during A&M career Senior learns from several of life's experiences by Michelle Bergeron The Battalion Alysia McMath loves chal lenge both on and off the volley ball court. The senior tri-captain for the Lady Aggie Volleyball team has many responsibilities this fall, yet, one sets her apart from the rest of the girls on the team. Not only is she an athlete and a student, but also a wife. The newlywed ad mits that this fall is defi nitely more difficult than any of her previous years here at A&M. McMath said the key to her success is time management. I really have to fo cus in a lot more on the court because I have more responsibility being a wife, student, and an ath lete," she said. "What's important is determining my time schedule and re ally getting my studying in, and in addition, mak ing my husband happy." Her husband is working in Baytown, so the newlyweds will be apart this fall. She said this makes her responsib- lities here a little easier, yet, it's really hard on the young couple. "It's tough, but it's a chal lenge we've set before us, and I know we'll see it through," she said. Alysia says she sets her private life aside her role as a team leader. As she embarks in her fourth year on the Aggie court she realizes she will carry a heavier load of responsibil ity. But she said everyone, includ ing the incoming players, have their own responsibilites. "I have to show leadership, along with Elizabeth, Sheri and Ray," she said. "We have a lot from,' plined. Along with setting a good example McMath said it is also very important to encourage the underclassmen. "We all stick together as a team and we help them because we've all been freshman and we know where they are coming she said. McMath's experience is very helpful to the under classmen though she ad mits she has several areas in her game that need im provement. "I don't think of any part of my game as a strong point, so I really want to improve on everything I do, just because I see a lot of niches that can be fined out," she said. One of these niches she wants to focus on is de fense, which she admits she loves to play. "I'm really agressive and it's such a challenge to try to figure out where they are going to hit the ball," Mc Math said. "It's like Coach (Al Givens) always says, defense is an attitude." Coach Givens also has some high expectations for McMath. "What I would like for her is to have a consistent year — consistently hit for high percentage and consis tently lend leadership as one of the Tri-Captains," he said. McMath wants all this too, along with the winning karl STOLLEis/The Battalion the Southwest Conference. , - . , Lady Aggie Alysia McMath faces many challenges while at when she is on the court j nc | uc |j n g school, volleyball, and marraige. McMath is a ^ ^ ^ - and and is totally fo- sen j or outside attacker and tri-captain for the A&M team, cused on volleyball. Sometimes it's really diffi cult to do that, but you need to be cause everyone is fighting for a position on the court," McMath said. "And the one who wants it most is going to be out there." This aggressive attitude is a great characteristic to possess in more responsibility on this team because we've been here longer and we know the rules. We need to strive to be successful in those rules and show a lot of discipline." This comes fairly easy to Mc Math, she said, because she grew up in a home that was very disci seem to have a fire going in each of us," she said. "Sometimes we might get a little bit scrappy, but it's these times we need to pull together as a team and remind ourselves that we are Texas A&M and no one is going to beat us." It's this attitude that keeps Alysia McMath a challenge to all life's other competitors. Edmiston important part of Aggie puzzle Junior remains focused on team concept by Chris Whitely The Battalion For all of the preseason acco lades bestowed upon Texas A&M volleyball player Elizabeth Edmiston, she manages to take everything in stride. "I'm not so concerned with my own personal (honors)," Ed miston said. "I'm more in- "We're just one big family," Edmiston said. "We all care about each other. It's not just a 'for 3 hours in the gym, we have to be friends' type situation. We do a lot together on the court, as well as off." One thing can definitely be said about Elizabeth, she is not a flash in the pan. She has been a force to be reckoned with on the volleyball court since her seventh terested in where the team is going.' As a new year dawns for the Lady Ag gies, Edmis ton, recently named to the preseason All- Southwest Conference squad as a ju nior, will play a large role in A & M ' s chances for success this season. "She some how finds a way to win," said head vol leyball coach Al Givens. "She's a true competitor. She wants to win in the worst way." Last year, Edmiston showed off her talents by racking up 1007 attempts which not only led the team, but also was the tenth-best season attempt total in Lady Aggie history. She was sec ond on the team in kills, and played in all but one game out of 37 despite having back problems. Considering all this took place as a sophomore, it is easy to see why Edmiston is so highly re garded. Yet despite her many awards and her publicity, she never fails to stay focused on her primary objective - being part of a team. Elizabeth Edmiston was named to the preseason AII-SWC team for her all-round play on the court.. photos by Karl Stolleis grade year in Kingwood, Texas. In high school, she was picked Texas' "Miss Volleyball", placed on All-State teams twice, selected MVP in her district twice, re ceived state academic honors, and made the "Fabulous 50" in Volleyball Monthly magazine. And even with all of her cred its, she nearly gave it up to pur sue her first love, swimming. "I planned on swimming in college, but it got to the point where I burnt myself out on it," she explained. "I was tired of be ing in the pool. "Volleyball was fun. I loved getting out there and banging the ball." Edmiston said Givens was a large reason why she chose Texas A&M. "All throughout the re cruiting process. Coach Givens was just a real nice man," she said. "He cares about us as peo ple, not just as volleyball play ers." Edmiston has her pri orities in line, though. She is an honor stu dent at A&M with a major in ki- nesiology- exercise technology. In high school she had a 97.4 grade aver age. "I've al ways had real high standards for myself academical ly," she said. "In high school, B's weren't ac ceptable. I'd set myself with that standard and I know what it takes to get there." Despite being a volleyball and a scholastic success, she refuses to let that put any pressure on her. "When I step on the court, that's the furthest thing from my mind," she said. "There could be pressure, but I'm not concerned with that." Elizabeth has a clear, unwa vering focus, not just on volley ball, but on life, in general. Its with this intensity she hopes will put the Lady Aggies on top of the SWC.