Portland State’s women’s volleyball team could be forgiven for feeling pressured by expectations for the 2012–13 season. After all, they’re currently riding a streak of five consecutive appearances in the Big Sky Conference Championship Match. Instead, though, they’re mostly feeling confident, thanks to their successes thus far in the spring exhibition season.
Portland State’s women’s volleyball team could be forgiven for feeling pressured by expectations for the 2012–13 season. After all, they’re currently riding a streak of five consecutive appearances in the Big Sky Conference Championship Match. Instead, though, they’re mostly feeling confident, thanks to their successes thus far in the spring exhibition season.
“We like our chances,” freshman outside hitter Cheyne Corrado said. “We’re only losing one player from last year and already got a new recruit this spring. We’ll have a full team, and a lot of teams don’t have that kind of advantage.”
Corrado’s teammates on the Vikings’ 2012–13 squad will have a lot of veteran experience. The Vikings will return two first-team all-conference starters from 2011–12 in hitter Megan Ellis and setter Garyn Schlatter. They will also bring back Katie O’Brien and Aubrey Mitchell, who made honorable mention for the all-conference team. Coach Michael Seemann will return for his sixth season, hoping to build on the remarkable success of his first five. Thus far as Viking coach, he has compiled a record of 101-47.
Recently, it was announced that the veterans will also have a talented new recruit to join them. On April 12, the team announced the signing of Shelbi Miyashiro for the 2012–13 season. Miyashiro had played as a setter for Mid-Pacific Institute in Honolulu, Hawaii, where she earned postseason all-conference honors in her junior and senior years.
Thus far in their spring exhibition season, the veteran Viking team Miyashiro will be joining has shown a lot of the growth required for them to take a step forward next season. On April 14, they easily defeated Seattle Pacific, winning five of five sets. The next weekend, they lost to Oregon in three, but all three were narrow losses (25-22, 25-23, 25-22).
“We’re finding out what works. We’re learning our strengths and weaknesses. In the off season, you need to have that time to figure things out,” Corrado said.
In five straight appearances in the Big Sky Conference Championship Match, the team has won two, in 2008 and 2010, to advance to the NCAA Tournament. With the talent that will be on the roster in 2012–13, they know that similar peaks should be viewed as anticipated.
For now, though, the Vikings are happy to get some good playing time in and really get to know themselves as a team.
“It’s nice to actually have some competition, unlike in winter when it’s just practice. I think spring is going well; we’re a work in progress, and so far it’s been interesting and fun to find things out,” Corrado said.
The Vikings will play their final spring exhibition game on May 12 at the University of Washington at 11 a.m. From there, the team will go through camp in July and then begin their regular season in August.
