Volleyball Launches Pre-Season to Prepare for 2008 Slate
August 12, 2008 | Women's Volleyball
Aug. 12, 2008
The University of Louisville Cardinals volleyball team has reported to campus and are now in pre-season training to prepare for the 2008 slate.
The Cards will be ready to face the 2008 season with a blend of new faces and a returning core of leadership.
Four seniors each bring a unique skill set to the Louisville arsenal.
Jana Matiasovska led the team in kills and attacks, averaging 3.61 kills per game. She also led the team in service aces with 37. She had 14 block solos and 110 digs.
Fellow senior Tatyana Kolesnikova, the outside hitter who was 2007's preseason Player of the Year and All-BIG EAST Tournament, averaged 2.39 kills per game.
Kristie Wetterer has served as captain and as the third leading Cardinal in digs with 2.14 per game and also had 18 aces.
Rui Liu serves as U of L's utility player. She's a blocker who can pass and a defender who can hit. She tied the school record in single match block assists with 12 with 147 digs and 108 total blocks.
The Cardinals, who led the nation in blocking as a team in 2007, return the NCAA statistical blocking champion in Lecia Brown. The junior averaged 2.07 blocks per game and averaged almost 2.45 against BIG EAST opponents. She tied a school record with 12 block assists against Duke. She was a member of the All-BIG EAST First Team and set a single season record with 198 block assists. Her 221 total blocks, was the second most all-time in a single season.
Fellow junior Justine Landi is the third leading returning hitter with 229 kills and the co-leader in service kills with 37. She was also the second leading digger with 237.
Last year's lone freshman Lindsey Mango may be the tiniest player on the court but she put up big defensive numbers. Her 440 digs last season, was the fifth most all time in a single season. She also notched 22 service aces and gained notice as a BIG EAST Rookie of the Week.
The returnees welcome their new teammates into the Cardinal nest. Anastasia Artemeva practiced with the Cardinals last year and now will put on a uniform for the first time. Gosia Lech joins the Cardinals from the Polish Junior National Team as a setter. Nicole Allgood and Maci Wachtel will add a hometown flavor to the roster. Allgood was a standout and Region 8 Player of the Year at nearby Oldham County. Wachtel was an All-State performer and a two-time state champion at Assumption High School. Setter Renee Tomko of Pittsburgh was named All-Conference all four years and was named to the All-State team the past two seasons as well. Gwen Rucker was signed as a two sport athlete to play volleyball and basketball. The freshman from down the road in Lexington was named to the All-State team in both sports last year.
