Lake Forest College Sports Information
Contact:  Mike Wajerski, SID

2002 Preview: Reloading, Not Rebuilding
  

The Foresters hope that 2002 will be their fourth straight year as the MWC's #1 team.
LAKE FOREST, IL - With four Midwest Conference Championships in the last five years, head coach Beth Pier has never had to go through a "rebuilding" year, and she's not about to start now. "I know that replacing the seniors will be nearly impossible," she explains, "but our winning attitude and winning ways will not leave with them. We'll just have to do it with different players."

The graduating players she refers to are a group of four starters who, in the last four seasons, have helped Lake Forest to an 81-40 record (30-4 in MWC regular season and tournament play), three MWC championships and three trips to the NCAA Tournament. Included in the foursome are the Lake Forest College career record-holders in kills, digs, and blocks.

The two returning starters are Stephanie Metzger and Jenny Anderson, who was selected to the All-MWC Second Team. After two years, Anderson is on pace to break the school records for both kills and digs in a career. Both Metzger and Anderson will be juniors and team captains in 2002. "We've been blessed with great leadership for a number of years," comments Pier. "I'm confident that Jenny and 'Metz' will carry on that tradition."

While two spots in the lineup appear to be set, the other four are up for grabs. Coach Pier expects the competition for those starting positions to be fairly intense, but also beneficial to her team. "Players tend to step up their level of play when they know there's a starting spot on the line," she explains. "If we have some talented newcomers competing with the returning players whose time on the court was limited last year, I like our chances of having another good team and another successful season."

Success, as followers of Lake Forest College volleyball have come to know it, would include a third consecutive 20-win season, a fourth straight conference championship, and another trip to the NCAA Tournament.