WATCH VIDEO of the 2010 Sunbirds in action.
Press Conference with Coach Janzen
Fresno Pacific has established itself as the dominant power in NAIA volleyball. Coming off a 38-0 season which saw them take home a third straight national title, go undefeated at home for the seventh consecutive season and win the GSAC for the tenth year in a row, the Sunbirds begin the 2010 season at #1 in the NAIA poll.
The team has won 110 of its last 112 matches, including 41 in a row, and boasts a 114-game home win streak that dates back to 2002.
The list of accomplishments is long, but tomorrow when the team takes the court against Montana Western, the slate will be wiped clean for the time being.
While 2010 is a new year, there’s no escaping the expectations that come with being a part of FPU volleyball.
“It’s there in the back of your mind, but it’s only what you make of it,” says senior All-American Lisa Shilling who, along with libero Mariah Mandelbaum, is aiming to complete her college career having never ended the season with a loss.
Shilling says the commonality among the last three national championship teams has been the close-knit team chemistry. Head coach Dennis Janzen thinks this year’s team could be potentially stronger in that area.
“We’re more together as a group and more committed to each other as teammates,” he said.
The Sunbirds return the bulk of their ’09 title team. They lose two players, including senior leader Tiffany Marinos, but the majority of the group returns, including all three All-Americans. Even Marinos will still play an important role, as she joins the coaching staff.
While Janzen acknowledges that his team has athleticism and physicality to match up with anyone in the country, he says they have a long way to go to get where they need to be.
“We want to be better defensively,” he said. “This program defensively has a higher standard than most. We have got to push defensive intensity.”
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Perhaps the most impressive thing about the recent success is that it hasn’t come against chump-change. The GSAC continues to be far and away the best volleyball conference in the NAIA, boasting four of the nation’s top five teams at the end of last season, yet the Sunbirds have won 52 straight against GSAC opponents.
The 2010 GSAC looks as tough as ever, with all the top teams having reloaded in an effort to dethrone the reigning-champs. Concordia comes in at #2, followed by #3 Cal Baptist. Biola at #6 and Azusa Pacific at #9 give the conference half of the top ten. Point Loma Nazarene comes in at #14 and Vanguard just missed the poll coming in at #26.
Now FPU will be trying to do something only previously accomplished by Hawaii-Hilo (1981-84) and BYU-Hawaii (1994-97): four straight NAIA national championships.
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It starts with the team’s middle blockers and outside hitters, where the Sunbirds return three NAIA All-Americans, including NAIA Tournament MVP Martina Gregusova. Gregusova led the Sunbirds with 444 kills last season and delivered some dominant performances against top-tier talent like Concordia and Cal Baptist.
Joining her at the outside hitter position is senior Michelle Johnson. Battling injuries at times last year, Johnson still put together a very solid junior season and will be a major contributor in 2010.
They’ll be joined by All-American senior Keke Wang, who will play middle blocker and opposite.
“Keke is as complete a volleyball player as you’re going to find at any level,” says Janzen. “She is first-team All-American at two separate positions.”
Wang teams with Lisa Shilling to form one of the best middle blocker duos in the country. Shilling earned second team All-American honors last season and is one of the driving forces behind the team’s success.
Fellow senior Mariah Mandelbaum led the GSAC in digs last season and will play a crucial role in 2010.
“Mariah came into a program as a gifted volleyball player and now her contributions are immeasurable,” said Janzen of his senior libero. “She’s emerged as a leader and a great teammate. She’s respected just as much for that as for her ability to pass and play defense.”
Sophomores Erica Adachi and Emily Carroll will once again be the team’s primary setters. Both showed tremendous improvement as the year wore on last season and can be counted on to facilitate the team’s offense. The two combined for 1,482 assists in 2009.
Newcomers Kathleen Anderson and Karah Mitchell give the Sunbirds two of the top local talents who can step in right away. Anderson, a 6’1” middle blocker, was first team all-valley at Lemoore High School. Mitchell, who plays outside hitter, starred for Clovis High School.
“They are exactly what a Sunbird volleyball player is,” Janzen said of his incoming recruiting class. “They’re athletic, they’re coachable and they’re willing to commit to their teammates.”
The team also adds former Fresno Christian standout Jessica Berg and Selma High product Brittany Sumpter.
The Sunbirds begin the season with tournaments in Oregon and Southern California and will get a test early-on when they face #13 Southern Oregon on the road. They will face Fresno State at the Save Mart Center on September 8, before beginning their home schedule that weekend when they host San Diego Christian and Point Loma Nazarene.
The rest of the schedule includes all of the GSAC teams, plus a home-and-home series against NCAA Division 1 CSU Bakersfield and a non-conference match against #8 Texas-Brownsville.