UC Merced volleyball off to historic start

Little tests the makeup of a team more than injuries.

Can a group compensate for the loss of star power? Can players adjust to new roles and team dynamics on the fly? Are the healthy players versatile and selfless enough to play out of position?

It’s a scenario Allen McCreary has routinely faced in his five years as UC Merced’s women’s volleyball coach. No other Bobcat team has endured nearly as many devastating injuries, and 2015 has been no exception. Senior Victoria Rouse was lost to a season-ending knee injury three matches into the season, and freshman outside hitter Jade Fachin shortly followed her to the sideline.

While Rouse is the only player that’s been lost for the season, McCreary said enough nagging injuries have dogged his team that the season could have easily been derailed. Instead, UC Merced has responded with the best start in school history at 10-4. The Bobcats return home after almost a month of road matches boasting the longest winning streak in school history (five) and set to host perhaps the most significant weekend in the program’s existence with Embry-Riddle (13-7, 3-0 California Pacific Conference) and La Sierra (5-7, 1-2) visiting Friday and Saturday night, respectively.

“The kids have handled everything really well,” McCreary said. “They embraced that next-man-up mentality and had the confidence that the girls stepping in could succeed. We have kids that have done a great job playing where we needed holes filled and never once complaining.

“I think it’s the natural development of our program. When we were out recruiting the kids (last) spring, we really loaded up on the areas we needed help. I think our success to this point is a testament to that balance.”

Balance has been the key.

After leading the team with 288 kills a season ago when she was Cal Pac Freshman of the Year, Rachael Schaefer remains UCM’s top offensive weapon (148 kills). The gap for the secondary hitters has closed, however. Shari Pandy (97), Madison Mullane (92) and Jesika Tyler (86) aren’t far off the pace.

The same holds true in other phases of the game. Brooke Wheeler (239 digs) and Genna Garrett (215) have gone set for set with one another, and five players have at least 73 digs on the defensive end.

Merced hopes to parlay that parity into sole possession of first place this weekend.

“This is a huge weekend for us,” McCreary said. “I think it’s going to solidify a lot of things in conference. Embry-Riddle is a good team that’s playing some good volleyball right now. La Sierra was the No. 1 seed last year. They retooled but aren’t a bad team. They just haven’t had enough games yet to know how good they’re going to be.

“We ultimately want to win it all, and these are the kinds of teams we’re going to need to beat. The girls are ready, and I’m looking forward to it.”

Sykes garnering love – Joshua Sykes has made the most of his offseason.

The former Golden Valley High School basketball star most recently shined at the SoCal Fall Juco Jamboree at the end of September. Sykes, who is set for his sophomore season at Fresno City College, dazzled scouts with his athleticism and 6-foot-9 frame.

Sykes has performed well at a number of such showcases starting in the summer and is being touted as a Division I prospect. The schools seem to agree, with his name linked to Pacific-12 Conference teams Arizona, Oregon and Cal in the past month.

This story was originally published October 14, 2015 at 5:54 PM with the headline "UC Merced volleyball off to historic start."