ECU Volleyball's First Practice of 2015 in the Books
August 11, 2015 | Volleyball
GREENVILLE, N.C. -- The East Carolina volleyball team hit the court for the first time this season for their first official practice of the season and third-year head coach Julie Torbett was pleased with what she saw.
The Pirates jumpstarted the day with a one-mile run which led to a team meeting followed by two hours of training and conditioning. After lunch, the squad headed inside Minges Coliseum for some ball handling work which was followed by a team dinner, a sand workout and a team meeting before the end of a long 12-hour day.
"We had one court session today and it was nice to see the girls back in action," Torbett explained. "We haven't been in the gym as a team since April, so that's a long time. It was really good to get back on the court and see what we can do. We are very athletic and we're a little bit taller this year so that's exciting."
East Carolina returns 13 student-athletes including six seniors in Lauren Bewick, Torre Blake, Erika Figueroa, Alex Johnson, Kierra Lee-Dunson and Sierra Lee-Dunson in addition to a pair of juniors and four sophomores. The Pirates also add five newcomers to the mix in four freshmen and one junior transfer.
With a large senior class coming back, Torbett expects to see the Pirates, who are coming off of a 15-win season -- the most victories since 2007, continue to move forward.
"We've been trying to move in a positive direction," Torbett explained. "I would love to have a winning season and would like to continue to move up in the American Athletic Conference and in RPI overall. Those are definite goals I have for the team.
"I'd also like for them to improve in the classroom," She continued. "They're doing a lot of community service and being involved with SAAC and the different organizations on campus. Our goal is to move in a positive direction in all aspects of the program."
Of the six seniors who are returning, four have played at ECU since their freshman year, while two transferred in last season. Torbett believes the half dozen upperclassmen will make a difference and bring leadership responsibilities and push their fellow teammates to compete at a higher level.
"[Our seniors are] a very strong group," Torbett stated. "They know this is it. That makes a big difference when they know they only have four months left of their career before it's over. I know that they'll push the team and provide leadership and experience that is needed going into the season."
The newcomers will also be looking to make a splash in their ECU debut as Torbett has already seen a few bright spots after just one day on the court.
"Sabrina Gonzalez is a junior transfer from UNC Pembroke," Torbett explained. "We needed to have another setter on the roster with (freshman) Haley Bidgood who came in during the spring. Sabrina has some years of experience running the offense and just needs to adjust to a higher level of play and to the players here. So that will take a little time.
"Jessica Nwabuko, who came from Dallas, Texas, played on the Texas Advantage club team which was ranked second in the nation. She played surrounded by great players that are going to the top universities in the country. Jessica feels she is ready to be that top player and wants to get her opportunity with ECU. She is definitely going to have that chance in her career here.
"Kaitlyn (Branam), a freshman defensive specialist, and Kori (West), a freshman middle hitter, are also going to provide depth in their positions," Torbett continued. "They are pretty solid as far as players coming in as freshman. They have good attitudes and bring a lot to the group."
With the final day of preseason in the books, Torbett was overall pleased with what she saw from her squad. Led by senior captains Erika Figueroa, a defensive specialist and libero, and Kierra Lee-Dunson, a middle hitter, the Pirates brought a lot of energy and excitement to the gym as they hit the ground running.
"We started things off with a very positive focus," Torbett said. "I thought the energy was pretty good for the first day. They were excited to get to play. We definitely need to work on communication and ball control. When you're first starting out those are some things that are very problematic. Luckily that is very fixable. Ball control is essential to be able to do anything so we're going to focus a lot of energy and time over the next few weeks on that.
"We'll be working a lot on team building and trying to jell the team together as much as possible," She continued. "We have a lot of new players, and I'm still new, so we're continuing to implement my system here and get that tradition in place so everyone knows what to expect. The trust level has to continue to develop as we try to bring a championship culture to Greenville."
Following a two-week preseason, East Carolina will open the 2015 campaign at Savannah State on Sunday, August 30. The Pirates' home opener is slated for Saturday, September 11 at 5 p.m., when ECU hosts Hampton in the first match of the East Carolina Invitational.
