Freshman trio earn Beerman’s praise

Pitt volleyball players usually know what to expect out of Chris Beerman, their head coach…. Pitt volleyball players usually know what to expect out of Chris Beerman, their head coach. He has garnered a reputation as a smart, intense and methodical figure that doesn’t condone anything but hard work and he has the results to prove it.

He also isn’t supposed to play freshmen this deep into the season.

Well, maybe the sixth-year head coach isn’t completely figured out.

Year after year, Beerman loses players at key positions only to fill those holes with his highly touted freshmen. Last year it was Jessica Moses, Stephanie Ross and Nicole Taurence seeing serious minutes in serious matches throughout the course of the season.

This year it has been a different crop of newbies making a difference for the Panthers, meaning Beerman’s once ironclad blueprint for success is undergoing some revisions.

“Well, put it this way, I’ve never started three freshmen before in my career as a coach, so this is special proof and the fact that they’ve remained starters the entire year is even more special, because a lot of times, freshmen will hit the wall at a certain point and they struggle,” he said of his trio of Meagan Dooley, Kim Kern and Michelle Rossi.

“This group, though, has been extremely consistent from day one all the way to now and productive, so I’m extremely pleased.”

Few things are more important to a volleyball team than consistency. From Rossi’s digs to Dooley’s kills, throwing in a Kern block for defense, the three have exhibited just that since earning the starting jobs at the beginning of the season.

Some of the success was expected from the onset, some of it a pleasant surprise.

Beerman knew what he was getting when he signed Dooley last year. The 6-foot-1 outside hitter from West Chester, Ohio pounds out 3.13 kills per game, leading her to 291 kills on the season, good for third on the team behind stars Diana Andreyko and Ross. Dooley is second only to senior setter Azadeh Boroumand in hitting percentage, ringing in at its .251.

“She’s been great. She’s been everything I thought she would be when I recruited her. She’s grabbed that position and done great with it,” he said of Dooley, who switched from playing the more rapid position of middle hitter. “

It’s not an easy move to play something you’ve never played before, so for her to have the accolades she’s having without ever playing the position she’s in is quite amazing.”

Dooley ultimately came to Pitt not only to hone her skills and contribute to the program, but to play for Beerman and the kind of players he brings into his program.

“I just really liked the program and the girls on the team and the reputation Pitt has as a volleyball program,” she said. “I think it’s really exciting having the opportunity to come here and contribute. I think it’s been a great experience and I’ve happened to learn a lot of new stuff and getting used to a faster game.”

Kern has had to get used to more than just the speed of the game. The middle hitter from Bradenton, Fla., is still getting used to the game itself, having played soccer most of her life and competitive volleyball only the last handful of years.

“It’s been real exciting. Really challenging trying to compete with older girls with more experience, so it’s been good,” Kern said. “I haven’t played that long, so I came here as a freshman hoping to get better and develop more as a player and get more experience, so I’m really excited to be playing a lot.”

Beerman will be the first to point out that she learns as quickly as the game is played.

“Kim Kern was a complete new player, so for her to come and start was completely unexpected. I didn’t expect that,” he said. “Her performance this year has been outstanding. Getting rookie of the week award is unbelievable from her background, so it just shows you her potential down the road.”

And he knows what could come of a converted athlete like Kern. Consider Megan Miller, a standout hitter for the Panthers during the start of the program’s renaissance.

“Again, I’ve had players like that before who excelled. Megan Miller hardly played club ball and was a really bad high school player, but became Big East Player of the Year, so it can happen, but she’s on pace to become a great player,” he said.

Neither Kern nor Dooley have had to deal with the pressures coming down on Rossi. The Cleveland native stepped into the libero position with steep expectations left behind by the graduated McGrane, who left the Panthers ranked inside the NCAA’s top five for digs in a career.

One dig at a time, Rossi has shown she is not only capable of maintaining that position’s high level of play, but building upon it.

“Megan had a great career, but Rossi’s done a great job here as a freshman. You don’t want to compare Rossi to McGrane when she was a senior; you want to compare her to McGrane as a freshman,” he said of his freshman libero who averages 4.16 digs per game.

“Megan improved a lot in her four years. The player that we all saw as a senior and said, ‘Wow, she’s incredible,’ wasn’t the player she was as a freshman. I think Rossi’s right on that pace to become a great player. She’s learning every day and every time she gets to play, she gets a little better.”

“Yeah there’s a lot of pressure [replacing McGrane], but I’m adjusting okay,” Rossi said. “Everyone on the team has helped me through it. It feels good to know everyone has my back for me.”

The trio certainly has had each other’s backs as well. That is hard not to do when you live in the same building, go to meals together and contemplate similar majors (Kern and Rossi are considering business while Dooley is an applied developed psychology major.)

Beerman has noticed and it validates his decision to go against the grain of his traditional coaching mentalities.

“I see them having a lot of success, I see them having great chemistry together,” he said. “I see them growing as a group and I see them winning a lot of matches.

“I think as they get into more leadership positions over time, they’re really going to set the tone as a group and for Pitt volleyball in the future.”