Team Starts Season Strong

Ask Lincoln College volleyball coach Mark Tippett for a status report on his team’s season thus far, and you’ll get a quick, simple answer. “I’m very satisfied. So far, so good,” says Tippet of his team’s record. “We’re 4-1. We’ve been in some spots where our backs have been against the wall, and we’ve responded with some very solid volleyball.”

For Tippett one key to his team’s success thus far has been experience. “Last year’s team had 12 freshmen on the squad, and four returning sophomores. This year, we have 8 returning sophomores,” says Tippett. “We’ve got a lot more experience on the court than the team from last year. ”But, according to Tippet, there has been one not-so-small hang up that’s come with the 2005 team’s experience. “Even though we’re returning a lot of experience as sophomores, there’s a lot of people playing new positions for us,” the coach says. “That is a challenge for us.”

According to Tippett, one of the players learning a new position to watch out for is Mount Pulaski’s Chelsea Faith, a sophomore outside hitter. “Chelsea has converted from right-side hitter to outside hitter. We’re relying on her right now for her passing ability, and her ability to side out,” says Tippett. “Right now, she’s probably the best pure hitter on the team. She can really kill the ball when she gets it in her wheelhouse. She does a lot of good things for us, she’s a team leader, and somebody that I would look for to possibly get onto that all-conference team this year.”

Other upperclassmen to watch out for in Tippett’s eyes are Beth Applen, Danielle Crum, Erica Lill, and Amber Stewart.

“Beth is our libaro right now. She didn’t see as much court time last year, but she’s very quick, a good passer, and a consistent defender. Danielle Crum was named to the all-conference team last year. She’s a solid, quick middle, a great blocker, and one of our best threats to side out,” says Tippett. “Erica Lill is another great presence in the middle for us. Lill and Crum give us a lot of stability as returning starters in the middle. And, Amber Stewart is making the transition from outside hitter to right-side. She’s a big hitter over there for us.”

As for his freshman class, Tippett says the sheer size of it - just four girls - does not infer a lack of talent by any means. “It’s a small group. We’ve only got four freshmen this year,” says Tippett. “The two girls I recruited heavily, the two I felt like we needed to have in order to have the team we have now are Lacey Guillaume and Katherine Cessna.”

“Lacey is in the back row right now, and down the road, I can see her getting some time at the libaro position. She’s a great athlete, very fast, and she’s really going to play a key role in a lot of areas for us.”

“Katherine Cessna is from Sycamore, Illinois, which has a very successful volleyball program. They made it to the super-sectional round in the playoffs last year, and she was a key member on that team. I feel comfortable with her up front, at the right side, or in the middle. She can step in and do some nice things for us.”

Other members of the freshman class are Emalie Carter and walk-on Tamara Smith. “Emalie Carter is from Athens, Illinois. She’s a great athlete. She’s got good experience at the small school level. She’s working on getting up to speed with the college-level game,” says Tippett. “We also have one other freshman, Tamara Smith, who’s a walk-on for us this year. She’s shown that she’s got a good consistent serve. She’s played well on defense, is pretty quick. She’s showing that she’s a valuable team member as well.

”Perhaps the most telling statement Tippett makes about his team comes when asked how he’d describe his team’s identity, or philosophy in the way that they play the game. “I’d say the word that sums us up is scrappy,” says Tippett. “We are a scrappy team. We play hard-nosed defense. We’re not a ball-control team. We’re not a team that’s going to pass, set, and hit quick, as much. We want to do that, and we’re getting to that. Our middles are capable of running a very quick offense. “ What I’ve seen so far this year, is that we’re best when we’re in a slug-it-out match. We hustle down every ball, and we dive for balls that I think a lot of teams will fall for. ” While making perfectly clear how happy he is with his team’s attitude and performance so far, Tippett is quick to say that scrappiness and hustle alone may not be enough for a successful season.

“It’s great that we’ve been successful so far with that, but I don’t think it’s going to last if we don’t become more of a ball-control team,” says Tippett. “We need to get to that point, and that’s what we’re working towards. Having players in new positions, and some inexperience in some key rolls, has contributed to a few breakdowns so far this year. We’re going to try to eliminate those as much as possible.” “Experience, practice, just getting out on the court, and getting game experience under our belt is what’s going to get us there.”

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