Pitt Hopes to repeat as Big East champs

After a 2003 season that ended with a Big East Championship and a berth in the NCAA… After a 2003 season that ended with a Big East Championship and a berth in the NCAA tournament — both firsts since 1994 — fans of the Pitt volleyball team may have only one question.

“OK, what now?”

That was the question head coach Chris Beerman used to sum up how his players felt heading into the 2004 campaign with a lot of talent and one title already under their belts.

Gone are Sarah Rollman and 2003 Big East Player of the Year Wendy Hatlestad, two senior starters from last year. But despite the loss of its duo of big outside hitters, Pitt returns in 2004 with as much talent as last year, and possibly even more depth.

Last year ended with a loss in the second round of the NCAA Tournament to Penn State, a loss which the Panthers feel can be avoided this season.

But for Pitt to repeat or exceed their achievements of last year, they will need big seasons from a pair of award-winning returnees, 2003 Big East Tournament MVP Megan Miller and Big East Libero of the Year Megan McGrane.

“With such strong players, we definitely should advance farther; everyone is strong mentally,” said Miller, a fifth-year senior who recorded 436 kills and 109 blocks as a middle hitter last season. After being selected as the Big East’s Preseason Player of the Year, expectations are high for both Miller and for her team.

“At this level, it’s all about experience, and I know the players have the goal to move farther after last year,” said Beerman, last year’s Big East Coach of the Year.

Those hopes also lie heavily on the shoulders and opposite-colored uniform of junior libero Megan McGrane, described by her coach as “one of the two or three best liberos in the country.”

McGrane, diminutive by volleyball standards at 5 feet 7 inches tall, set a school record in 2003 with 595 digs, resulting in a lofty 5.36 per-game average, numbers that are emblematic of her defensive talents.

Competition has also been a theme within the team’s practices, as Pitt’s talented younger players try to break into the lineup for 2004.

One position in which Pitt so far lacks a defined standout for 2004 is setter, where last year’s starter, Lindsey Macke, has had to fight back from injury to try to regain the starting role from sophomore Azadeh Boroumand, who replaced Macke during the spring season.

“A lot of coaches wouldn’t do that,” Beerman said. “They’d let their starter come back into the lineup, but we’re trying to move forward. And whichever player performs better is going to help us move forward.”

“In-team competition is good,” Miller said of practice. “It’s not out of control, and we just want to let it out on the other team.”

Two other players who look to contribute more in 2004 are Gini Ullery and Kim Norris.

Ullery, a red-shirt junior, is returning from a foot injury that caused her to miss the 2003 season. After starting for part of the 2001 and most of the 2002 season as an outside hitter, Ullery hopes to return to the Panthers lineup to contribute again.

Norris, a junior outside hitter and the sister of former Pitt setter Carrie Norris, hopes to follow in her older sibling’s footsteps as an all-conference performer. Beerman was happy with her performance last spring and is counting on Norris to be a contributor.

For Pitt to win the Big East again in 2004, its main opposition will come from last year’s losing finalist, Notre Dame, ranked 25th nationally in the preseason. To Pitt’s advantage, the 2004 Big East Tournament will be played at Fitzgerald Field House.

The Panthers also have a tough Thanksgiving Day match up with No. 20-ranked Louisville, a future Big East opponent for Pitt.

Yet even with all the tough competition lined up, Miller, the Panthers’ senior leader, showed no hesitation in stating the team’s lofty goals.

“We want to make a run for the national championship,” Miller said. “That’s what every team sets out to do. But there’s no one on our regular season schedule we can’t beat, so our first goal is to win each game and go undefeated in the regular season and then win the Big East tournament again.”