The 2018 NCAA Volleyball season kicks off this week around the country and this Friday in Seattle, as the Huskies open their campaign with two straight matches against 14th-ranked San Diego. Single-game tickets are available for purchase now. GoHuskies.com will take a look at the four positions leading up to the season opener, starting with the middle blockers and continuing today with the liberos.
SEATTLE – Opportunity abounds for the Husky liberos this season, and the three returners look to make the most of it. Juniors Shayne McPherson and Cailin Onosko, and sophomore Emma Calle should all expect to see increased roles this fall compared to 2017, and Head Coach Keegan Cook believes they are ready.
"Returning three healthy defensive specialists who have put in some time is a nice luxury to have," Cook says. "All three of them have had at least one spring with us, so they're organized. They know what they're doing in practice. They're contributing in the serve/serve-receive game especially. I think there could be some more opportunities for them to contribute in matches."
The opportunity stems from the graduation of UW's two primary passers last year in Tia Scambray and Courtney Schwan, with Crissy Jones also providing some passing. At times last year, McPherson was used as a back row sub alongside Scambray at libero and a similar configuration could help to solidify Washington's ball control this year.
Cook says McPherson has the edge for the starting libero spot, a position she played all throughout her freshman season and then split time with Scambray last year. A great beach season this past spring is one factor Cook cites in the gains he has seen McPherson make since the end of last indoor season.
"Huge improvements," he says, "especially in her serve-receive passing. Her assertiveness and her ability as a defender and a serve-receiver, she looks like a libero who knows what she's doing. As a server you see more consistency, it's a handful of serves out of a hundred that are better than the ones before, I think you see fewer errors, and you see her put pressure on different seams. That can go a long way for us." San Diego native, junior Cailin Onosko
Junior Cailin Onosko has checked in mostly as a spot server over her first two years, and her serve will still be a great weapon for the Dawgs, but Cook has seen a lot of hard work pay off in her serve-receive game as well.
"Cailin is getting a return on her tireless work ethic," Cook says. "She had an outstanding spring, just put in tons of lonely hours after practice, she really was driven to make an impact. So I feel really good about the place she's gotten herself heading into the fall."
Emma Calle got just the smallest taste of action her freshman year, playing in just one set in part due to injuries. But the native of Villa Park, California is healthy, training hard, and ready for whatever role the staff asks her to play.
"Being healthy goes a long way," Cook says of Calle. "Emma's freshman year was tough with some injuries, and so to have her in practice contributing with both her skill and her personality is really great for this group. She is a really positive influence, and her passing and defense are making it harder and harder on our hitters in practice."
