WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL

2008 Season Recap...Q & A with coach Phil Peterman

1)  Now that you're done with your first full season as the head volleyball coach, what has surprised you about the experience, if anything?  I was surprised at the level of competition and how well my freshmen adapted from the high school court to the colligate level.  I was also surprised at how one dominate player could take over and change the outcome of the game.

2)  The team started slow, but then really picked up their play during the conference schedule.  Do you think it helped the team to play so many tough road matches at the beginning of the season?  I truly believe that you play to your level of competition.  We played in a lot of tough road tournaments at the beginning of the season and faced numerous teams in the top 25 in the country.  This exposure showed us where we want to be in the near future.   It also mentally prepared us for our conference schedule.  We knew that if we could play with this tough competition, we could play with anybody in the conference.

3)  Jess Tirko and Olivia Hallahan seemed to be the leaders on this year's squad.  Can you talk a little bit about what those players brought to the table?  They did a great job being leaders to this team.  They were the only returners and showed it everyday at practice and in our matches.  They pushed the freshmen to be the best that they could be, and to work hard on a daily basis.

4)  Both Tirko and Hallahan also were ranked in the final NCAA statistics for digs and blocks, respectively.  Were you or either of the players aware of this during the course of the season?  We did not become aware of this until late in the season.  We were playing Susquehanna, and after the game their head coach told me how impressed he was with my team.  Especially with Jess being ranked number one in digs in the country.  He then proceeded to tell me about their rankings and how to find them online. 

5)  With so many freshmen on the roster, how do you think they performed as a group?  As a group, I thought the freshmen did an outstanding job.  It is difficult to come in from high school and match up against seniors who have been playing for four years.  The college game much more powerful and faster.   We made the playoffs as the fifth seed, and could have done even better if it wasn’t for some mental mistakes.  These mistakes came from a lack of experience.  The future looks bright. 

6)  You had a chance to play Juniata College, the #1 ranked team in the country at the Division III level.  What was that experience like?  It was an unbelievable experience playing Juniata.  They are the best at this level and have proven it for years now.  I think this experience has only helped our program as a whole.  It gave my girls the confidence of knowing that they could hang with anybody.  In the game of Volleyball, all you have to do is side-out to remain competitive.  Everybody had butterflies throughout the match, but it showed us what we were working towards.  I look forward to playing Juniata again, and continuing this match in the future. 

7)  Who do you think will be the teams to watch for in the conference this coming Fall?  Frostburg and Penn State Baron will be tough again.  I think the conference is getting stronger, and both Pitt teams will be good as well.

8)  How do you feel about the group of players you're going to have coming back for next season?  I am very exciting about the squad coming back next year.  We are not losing anyone on our roster, and the incoming recruiting class looks good.  It will be beneficial to have a squad with more colligate experience.

9)  Which player, if any, surprised you with their play this season?  I thought a lot of players stepped it up this year.  However, Jess and Olivia did an amazing job this past season.  Jess flew around the court passing balls that you thought no one could get a hand on and Olivia did a phenomenal job blocking girls that were much taller than her.  I wish everyone had the heart that these two showed throughout the season.