2012 Season Preview, continued with great potential. She was the MVP of her conference last fall as a senior at South Salem High School and a three-time all-conference honoree. As one of five players six feet or taller on the roster her height and athleticism will be a bonus for the Broncos on the court.
MIDDLE BLOCKER Who’s Back? The middle blockers have a lot of experience back from last year’s team. Among the four players who will play at the position are returning starter Brittany Reardon and Leah Stevens, who started the season as a key reserve but did record 10 starts throughout the campaign.
Brittany Reardon
Leah Stevens (Scottsdale, Ariz.) is the second player back that saw a lot of action last fall starting in 10 of 23 matches played, recording 79 kills, 40 blocks and 104.5 points. The junior is a solid middle blocker who can move to the outside when needed. Stevens has the athleticism and ability to be among the best at the middle blocker position for Boise State come opening day. The third middle blocker back from 2011 is Sarah Webster (Palm Springs, Calif.) who redshirted. Webster had a good spring camp and should push Reardon and Stevens for quality playing time. She was a two-time conference player of the year and two-time All-CIF honoree as a prep star at Palm Springs High School. Who’s New? The newcomer to the position is spring transfer Aly Duffin (Loomis, Calif.) who spent the fall of 2011 at Georgia Southern University before enrolling at Boise State last January. The former three-time all-conference high school star from California is a hard worker with a good slide attack off one foot. Duffin is expected to challenge the other three middle blockers for a starting role when the season opens on Aug. 24.
California started in 16 of 22 matches last fall recording a team third-best 205 digs. The coaching staff expects the experience of Whitney to have a stabilizing affect along the back line this season. Kristyn Kirschenman (Bakersfield, Calif.) saw a lot of time on the floor in 2011 as a redshirt sophomore. Kirschenman played in 29 matches with one start as a defensive specialist recording 89 digs. She is a good server and possesses solid defensive skills. The redshirt sophomore is expected to play the role of a defensive specialist in 2012 but could move to libero if needed. Who’s New? There is one new face in this group and that is Jackie Pyles (White Lake, Mich.). Pyles has a ton of volleyball experience playing the game all her life. She played both outside hitter and defensive specialist in high school but is expected to move into the back line at Boise State. The true freshman plays with a lot of energy and is a talented defensive passer. Pyles was a Michigan honorable mention all-state and three-time all-conference first team honoree in high school.
LIBERO AND DEFENSIVE SPECIALISTS
The top Bronco in hitting percentage last fall was was a Brittany ny Reardon (Stayton, Ore.) who was a redshirt freshman at the time. Reardon turned in the second-best season in school history and finished the year ranked first in the MW and 31st nationally hitting an impressive .355 percent. She was also a force defensively for Boise State ranking second on the team in blocks with 78. With one year under her belt Reardon is expected to have a big role this season. She will be challenged to not only repeat her success from a year ago but to pick it up a level in 2012.
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Who’s Back? There are three Broncos who are expected to see action as either the libero or defensive specialist positions this fall. One of the three, Kersti Whitney, started on the 2011 squad at defensive specialist. Kristyn Kirschenman saw action in 29 matches in 2011, while Jackie Pyles is a true freshman this season. The projected 2012 libero is senior Kersti Whitney (Coto de Caza, Calif.). Whitney is an excellent defensive player who’s experience comes primarily as a defensive specialist through her first three years. However, she is expected to easily move into the libero role this fall. The native of
Kersti Whitney