LOCK HAVEN, Pa. - The 2007 Lock Haven University volleyball team will have the same goal this year as in any other previous year.

That goal is simple, win a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) championship, win the Atlantic Region, and ultimately win a national championship. Even with the graduation and loss of some tremendous players, expectations remain very high.

“We graduated the greatest player in American volleyball in Cherry Li (’07), so we cannot replace her,” said head coach Tom Justice. “But what people need to remember is that we’ve been winning conference championships since 1996 which means most of the time we’re winning without Cherry Li.”

The Lady Eagles will need to learn how to win again without the four-time all-American, but are very capable considering the talent and potential that returns to this year’s squad.

Some methods and strategies for scoring and playing defense will be different this year compared to the past few seasons. LHU may find itself more dependant on the outside hitters for points and attacking rather than the middle hitters, which was the team’s strength previously.

Middle Hitters:

This is the position that was occupied by Li YiZhi for the past few seasons, yet talent in this area remains in sustenance, and Justice is confident. But he doesn’t want his younger players to feel like they are in Li’s shadow.

Junior Stacey Borgia (Factoryville, Pa./Lackawanna Trail) will lead the charge and has seen plenty of playing time in her first two years as a Lady Eagle. Justice believes Borgia is fully capable of filling Li’s “big shoes”. As a versatile player she can move around and also attack from the outside hitter spot with the same effectiveness.

Sophomore Kim Windstein (McMurray, Pa./Peters Township) provides a consistent threat in the middle for the offensive attack. Justice says Windstein will eventually emerge as one of the better middle hitters in the conference as a result of the Lock Haven system.

Windstein’s fellow classmate Suzanne Carrieri (Warrington, Pa./Central Bucks) has been a pleasant surprise to the LHU coaching staff a la her improvement from last season. She has met all expectations and is ready to step on the court and play with the toughest of PSAC competition.

Setters:

In recent years, the Lady Eagles have run a two-setter offense with two players equally splitting setter duties. Fans last year saw a bit of a shift as one of the setters emerged to provide versatility and earned more playing time on the court. The expectation is to see more of the same in 2007, but Lock Haven will still run the two-setter offense as a base.

Last year’s freshman standout is now a sophomore and Fabiana Gomez (Montevideo, Uruguay/Consejo de E.S.) improved more than any other LHU player last season. A really smart player and a great team leader, coach Justice feels that she didn’t get the credit she deserved for her performance last year. According to Justice, there is no other setter in the conference who even comes close to her hitting ability which makes her such a versatile and dangerous player.

Sophomore Caroline Acosta (Los Altos, Ca./Los Altos) is the other setter who will figure into the rotation and is an extremely intelligent player who really understands the game of volleyball. She also brings a bright personality and enthusiasm to the team.

Outside Hitter:

On paper, the outside hitters should be the strength of this year’s squad, but it will depend on how they play. The Lady Eagles have a lot of talent, but more importantly, they have depth at this position. The coaching staff is comfortable with shifting middle hitter Stacey Borgia and setter Fabiana Gomez over to play the outside hitter position if needed because those two can also play the position very well.

Returning sophomore Christina Laury (Horsham, Pa./Hatboro-Horsham) was often in the mix last season as a true freshman and gained valuable experience. She is a dynamic outside hitter who can be very dependable when the team is in need of points. Christie Naumann (Charters Towers, Australia/Gladstone) has tremendous athleticism and is emerging as a great passer. She learned a lot in her first year and should see much more playing time in her sophomore season.

Another sophomore who will contribute at outside hitter is big Liz Metzmaier (McMurray, Pa./Peters Township) who stands six-foot and has long arms and legs. She has improved her technique from last year and has the potential to become a great blocker.

Incoming freshman Hilary Pavels (Valley Stream, N.Y./Valley Stream South) will provide depth as a sound player with good mechanics. Justice likes her passion as an athlete and said, “She’ll be our surprise package this year.”

Opposite:

“There has never been a six-foot, four inch outside hitter in the history of the PSAC,” coach Justice referred to playing his returning All-American Inga Kurgonaite (Kaunas, Lithuania/Yuosas Urbsys) at the outside hitter position. “She is the best player in the conference,” he added.

As the lone senior on this years squad, Kurgonaite has sung the praise of a few awards last season including American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Third-Team All-American honors. She is a familiar face throughout the LHU record books where she is on pace to finish within the top three spots in multiple career records. Currently she is third on the hitting percentage list with a .315 mark which is a result of how effective Kurgonaite is when she gets a chance to attack on the court.

Junior college transfer Juliana Nascimento (Guarulhos, Brazil/Seward County C.C.) is a good jumper who has a smooth approach. She is left-handed which will give her attacking advantages from the right side and the coaching staff has a lot of ideas for how to use her on the court.

Libero/Defensive Specialist:

The Lady Eagles won’t sell themselves short here as there are a plethora of liberos on the roster. Junior Julie Stocklos (Holland, Pa./Council Rock South) brings lots of game experience and is dependable providing great passing and defense on the court.

Gabrielle Koury (Pittsburgh/Upper St. Clair) is another junior but is entering only her second year at LHU. She is very effective from the service line and is a solid passer. Sophomore Heidi Stine (Hershey, Pa./Lower Dauphin) is very quick and athletic and yet is very vocal which is a very key attribute at the libero position.

Freshman Emily Pale (Jekintown, Pa./Saint Basil Academy) has a lot of talent but just needs the opportunity to develop as a player. She is another vocal player who communicates a lot on the court. Justice describes Pale and fellow classmate Hilary Pavels as very hard workers.

Justice feels fortunate to still have his assistant coach Gen Kawakita back for his seventh year because of his youth and the impact he brings to the program’s success.

The key to this year will be how quickly this young team will be able to gel and put victories up in the win column in the beginning of the season.

“We will need to find a way to win early because it is difficult to keep up with the PSAC,” said Justice. “I have a lot of confidence in our ability to get a lot of things done in a short amount of time.”

The Lady Eagles open up the 2007 season in a tournament at Shepherd College, August 24-25.