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UNMs Ashley Kelsey hits the ball during UNMs match against UC Irvine on Nov. 13, 2014. UNM currently has three slots open for outside hitter candidates.
UNMs Ashley Kelsey hits the ball during UNMs match against UC Irvine on Nov. 13, 2014. UNM currently has three slots open for outside hitter candidates.

Volleyball: New, returning players alike vie for starting positions

New Mexico’s three starting spots for outside hitter are up for grabs.

Head volleyball coach Jeff Nelson said junior Cassie House is the front-runner to fill Chantale Riddle’s big shoes on the right side. However, Nelson said nothing is set in stone, and each of the five outside hitters has a real shot at claiming the position.

House, along with fellow juniors Julia Warren and Devanne Sours, is a returning starter from last year’s big hitting position. While Warren switched to libero mid-season, where she earned first team All-Conference honors, she will likely return to her natural position above the net.

Incoming junior transfer Marisa Doran threatens to take one of the starting spots after smashing down 293 kills for Irvine Valley College a season ago. Redshirt sophomore Ashley Kelsey will also be adding some depth to the spot as Nelson said she is returning to the hardwood near 100 percent following ACL troubles in the 2012 and 2013 seasons.

“They have different strengths,” Nelson said. “ ... We’ve got five really talented girls there — really physical, really fast — and, I think ... the right piece(s) of the puzzle.”

House, who battled a shoulder injury last season, said she welcomes the challenge of highly touted competition. She added that the drills in practice have become much fiercer, and the players have been pushing each other.

“Being deep in outsides, or any position, is fun,” House said. “All the outsides on our team are very versatile. We can go to the right side; we’ve been doing a lot of crossing patterns, a lot of different sets. It just makes the game that much more competitive and that much more fun.”

Whoever wins out the right side spot will certainly have a high bar to reach after Riddle’s graduation. As of now, Nelson said the 6-foot-2 frame of House brings a strong presence off the block, giving her the lead for the position.

As for the other outside hitting rotations, Sours has vastly improved from her freshman campaign, Nelson said after the Lobos’ first practice.

The coach attributed some of Sours’ recent success to the outside hitter’s experience in sand volleyball and to her trip to Europe with the Mountain West All-Stars.

Warren accompanied Sours in the 2015 Global Challenge as a member of the MW All-Stars. She said each player is indispensable within the position.

“As a group, in every position we are really deep,” Warren said. “We’re really solid this year.”

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Both Warren and Sours played in the inaugural season of UNM’s sand volleyball program. Doran also plays both on the hardwood and in the sand, giving the outside hitter yet another position to compete for.

Nelson said the sand volleyball program not only has brought about new talent, but has also boosted confidence for many of his players.

All five of UNM’s outside hitters play both in the sand and in the upcoming hardwood season.

Liam Cary-Eaves is the sports editor of the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at assistantsports@dailylobo.com or on twitter @Liam_CE.

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