They’re young, they’re talented, and they’re making exciting contributions on the court for the ASU volleyball team.
This is the freshman class that the Sun Devils (5-7) welcomed to Tempe this fall.
Heading into the new season, ASU coach Jason Watson knew his team would rely on youth to be successful on the court. With only two seniors, the ASU roster consists of seven freshmen.
“There’s a lot of responsibility on these freshmen, and there was when we recruited them,” Watson said. “We explained to them that they’re probably going to be the catalyst behind driving this program in the future.”
Twelve games into the season, the freshmen have embraced their responsibility and are quickly making an impact.
“We were excited and still are with this 2010 class,” Watson said. “It’s not surprising that they are contributing; it’s not surprising that they are competing, and, I feel, driving this program right now with their enthusiasm, with their excitement.”
Freshman setter Stephanie Preach and freshman outside hitter Danica Mendivil have each taken advantage of playing time this season.
Preach attended high school at Xavier College Preparatory in Phoenix and was thrilled with the opportunity to play collegiate volleyball close to home.
“I’m really close with my family, so it just kind of felt right out of the other schools,” Preach said. “My family is a big part of my life; they pretty much got me to where I was, so I wanted to share it with them as well.”
Mendivil, who hails from Utah, recently garnered all-tournament team honors for the ASU Sheraton Tournament. Mendivil smashed 43 kills against Pacific and Utah last weekend.
Although Mendivil has experienced some quick success for the Sun Devils, the work doesn’t stop there. Mendivil is determined to do whatever it takes to make ASU successful.
“I’m going to keep working hard, do everything I can to help the team out,” Mendivil said. “Whether that’s support from the sideline, whether that’s getting in and taking care of a job. Either way, I’m going to keep working hard to build the team up.”
Another freshman who has seen significant time on the court is libero Jenny Teslevich. Teslevich is also a product of Xavier, and joins the Sun Devil squad this year after an impressive high school career.
With the heavy influx of freshmen, Teslevich believes each new player adds something exciting to the overall equation.
“I think we make new and positive contributions,” Teslevich said. “Being freshmen, we all have different personalities, different styles of play. I feel like we all bring our own personality, and that raises the competitive spirit of the whole gym.”
Watson recalls being interested in the new recruiting class for reasons far beyond just volleyball talent.
“We gravitated to their willingness to compete, their enthusiasm,” Watson said. “We felt like we needed competitive athletes that were willing to compete, no matter what the score.”
While the freshman Sun Devils are focused on the 2010 season and the beginning of Pac-10 play, they admit that the future is bright for ASU volleyball.
“I think from now on, it’s just going to get better,” Mendivil said. “We have good players now. I feel like Jason is going to recruit even better. That’s going to keep being a process. Girls are going to want to come to this school to come play with us and play for the coaching staff.”
Reach the reporter at gregory.dillard@asu.edu
