2008 Woodie Awards
Fall Sports Preview: Teams ready for action
Erin Quinn
Issue date: 9/5/06 Section: Sports
What were you doing on August 26? Unless you are a varsity athlete (or Res Lifer), you were probably not yet at Smith. While most Smith students do not return to campus until after Labor Day, athletes competing in fall sports have been on campus practicing, sweating and bonding with teammates for the last two weeks in preparation for their upcoming seasons.
If the thought of a few weeks at Smith devoid of any academic commitments sounds like a breeze to you, think again. Volleyball player Erin Schaefer '07 explains, "Preseason is about three things: eating, sleeping and playing volleyball! Every day we have two volleyball sessions for two hours each for eleven days and most evenings we have some sort of bonding activity."
In order to be prepared for the physical rigors of these twice-a-day practices, most varsity athletes participate in a workout routine over the summer. Schaefer describes the purpose of the volleyball summer workouts: "[They are] designed so that we're working out 5-6 days a week and [include] agility, lifting, jump training and sprinting." That being said, the potential for a successful season is largely based on a team's commitment to off-season conditioning and learning to play together at a high level over the course of only a few weeks before the first game.
With a new appreciation for the dedication of these athletes in mind, read below for a full preview of the volleyball, tennis and soccer teams:
Volleyball
Looking Back: Although the Pioneers finished fourth in the regular season NEWMAC standings, they won the post-season conference tournament, which earned them a bid to the NCAA Division III Regional. The team finished with a 23-7 overall record.
New Face: The team has a new head coach, Angela Mills. Previously an assistant at Amherst, Mills is taking over for the highly successful Bonnie May, who now serves as Smith's Assistant Athletic Director. According to Erin Schaefer '07, "Mills is a very supportive, active force in our coaching staff. She's very big on giving feedback and designs practices with the assistance coaches so we have a productive session every time."
2006: In order for the season to be a success, the team needs to work hard to replace the talent of last year's senior class, which included All-Americans Lauren Perry '06 and Kate Sorensen '06. While it would seem nearly impossible for the fall '06 team to replicate last year's success considering the loss of these two players, Schaefer cautions against negative thinking: "While we certainly miss our grads from last year, everyone is stepping up to assume bigger roles than they had last year. We're looking forward to a productive season from first-years and returners alike and are [ready] to defend the NEWMAC title."
Tennis
Looking Back: The 2005 Smith tennis squad ended the NEWMAC regular season in a disappointing seventh place, which prevented them from earning an invite to the postseason NEWMAC tournament. Additionally, the team placed fourth at the Seven Sisters Tournament and thirteenth at the New England Women's Intercollegiate Tennis Tournament.
2006: After a less than perfect 2005 campaign, there is plenty of room for improvement this year. Returning player Seiko Fujii '09 expects more from the team this year: "We want to stay together and focused throughout the season. We want to qualify for the NEWMAC playoffs! It would be great (and it wouldn't surprise me) if we [receive] the sportsmanship award as well."
Key Player: Catherine Lydecker '08 won the Seven Sisters individual championship in '05.
The Last Word: "Our team has so much spirit and our matches are exciting to watch because there's just so much personality out there on the courts. Who said tennis matches are boring to watch? I shouldn't forget to say that Smith Tennis is a good-looking team…plus, we wear cute tennis skirts. Woohoo! Come and cheer us on!" - Seiko Fujii '09
Soccer
Looking Back: In 2005, the team fished fifth in the regular season NEWMAC standings and was a semifinalist in the NEWMAC tournament.
2006: Look out for a lot of new faces on this year's roster. Of the 21 players on the roster, 10 are first-years. If the Pioneers are able to overcome this lack of experience, look for big things to come this season and the years to come. Co-captain Natalie Sullivan '07 describes the current situation of the team: "The first-years are all doing really well and have been quite impressive, so things are looking up. Our team is definitely a different group than last year as we just graduated six seniors, all who were very key players, so we're looking to all of the returning players to step into leadership roles and to the first-years to bring some new talent to the team."
The Last Word: "Smith Soccer always promises excitement on and off the field. We play some very competitive teams this year and close games are always fun to watch. Spending some time at the fields is a great way to relax on a Saturday and as players we really appreciate the support of those on campus. And they don't call it the beautiful game for nothing." - Natalie Sullivan '07
If the thought of a few weeks at Smith devoid of any academic commitments sounds like a breeze to you, think again. Volleyball player Erin Schaefer '07 explains, "Preseason is about three things: eating, sleeping and playing volleyball! Every day we have two volleyball sessions for two hours each for eleven days and most evenings we have some sort of bonding activity."
In order to be prepared for the physical rigors of these twice-a-day practices, most varsity athletes participate in a workout routine over the summer. Schaefer describes the purpose of the volleyball summer workouts: "[They are] designed so that we're working out 5-6 days a week and [include] agility, lifting, jump training and sprinting." That being said, the potential for a successful season is largely based on a team's commitment to off-season conditioning and learning to play together at a high level over the course of only a few weeks before the first game.
With a new appreciation for the dedication of these athletes in mind, read below for a full preview of the volleyball, tennis and soccer teams:
Volleyball
Looking Back: Although the Pioneers finished fourth in the regular season NEWMAC standings, they won the post-season conference tournament, which earned them a bid to the NCAA Division III Regional. The team finished with a 23-7 overall record.
New Face: The team has a new head coach, Angela Mills. Previously an assistant at Amherst, Mills is taking over for the highly successful Bonnie May, who now serves as Smith's Assistant Athletic Director. According to Erin Schaefer '07, "Mills is a very supportive, active force in our coaching staff. She's very big on giving feedback and designs practices with the assistance coaches so we have a productive session every time."
2006: In order for the season to be a success, the team needs to work hard to replace the talent of last year's senior class, which included All-Americans Lauren Perry '06 and Kate Sorensen '06. While it would seem nearly impossible for the fall '06 team to replicate last year's success considering the loss of these two players, Schaefer cautions against negative thinking: "While we certainly miss our grads from last year, everyone is stepping up to assume bigger roles than they had last year. We're looking forward to a productive season from first-years and returners alike and are [ready] to defend the NEWMAC title."
Tennis
Looking Back: The 2005 Smith tennis squad ended the NEWMAC regular season in a disappointing seventh place, which prevented them from earning an invite to the postseason NEWMAC tournament. Additionally, the team placed fourth at the Seven Sisters Tournament and thirteenth at the New England Women's Intercollegiate Tennis Tournament.
2006: After a less than perfect 2005 campaign, there is plenty of room for improvement this year. Returning player Seiko Fujii '09 expects more from the team this year: "We want to stay together and focused throughout the season. We want to qualify for the NEWMAC playoffs! It would be great (and it wouldn't surprise me) if we [receive] the sportsmanship award as well."
Key Player: Catherine Lydecker '08 won the Seven Sisters individual championship in '05.
The Last Word: "Our team has so much spirit and our matches are exciting to watch because there's just so much personality out there on the courts. Who said tennis matches are boring to watch? I shouldn't forget to say that Smith Tennis is a good-looking team…plus, we wear cute tennis skirts. Woohoo! Come and cheer us on!" - Seiko Fujii '09
Soccer
Looking Back: In 2005, the team fished fifth in the regular season NEWMAC standings and was a semifinalist in the NEWMAC tournament.
2006: Look out for a lot of new faces on this year's roster. Of the 21 players on the roster, 10 are first-years. If the Pioneers are able to overcome this lack of experience, look for big things to come this season and the years to come. Co-captain Natalie Sullivan '07 describes the current situation of the team: "The first-years are all doing really well and have been quite impressive, so things are looking up. Our team is definitely a different group than last year as we just graduated six seniors, all who were very key players, so we're looking to all of the returning players to step into leadership roles and to the first-years to bring some new talent to the team."
The Last Word: "Smith Soccer always promises excitement on and off the field. We play some very competitive teams this year and close games are always fun to watch. Spending some time at the fields is a great way to relax on a Saturday and as players we really appreciate the support of those on campus. And they don't call it the beautiful game for nothing." - Natalie Sullivan '07
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