Aug. 21, 2006

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - The Thundering Herd enters the 2006 season after a history-making 2005 campaign. Marshall won its first championship in volleyball since 1996 and had four all-conference members: 2005 C-USA Player of the Year Kelly-Anne Billingy and departed senior 2005 C-USA Setter of the Year Katie Stein. Another departed senior, Nickie Sanlin, was a second team selection and Stephanie Cahill made the third-team. Coach Jacobs also captured the league's Coach of the Year honors. Marshall is coming off its first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 1995, going 26-6 and 15-1 in C-USA. The Herd was able to string together the longest winning streak in program history with a 12 match winning streak to end the regular season, going 27-1 in those games. Jacobs said the team will have to remain consistent in its play to be successful again.

"We may always be building," Jacobs said. "However we have to attempt to keep this quality of play that will enable us to become an established program."

Marshall's second season in C-USA will feature a younger and more dynamic Herd. The Herd is expected to compete at the top of the league again according to the conference's coaches and was selected first, receiving eight of 12 first place votes, in the preseason C-USA coaches' poll.

"Every team in this league seems to have improved this off-season but us," Jacobs said. "A team could win this league with five losses this season."

Jacobs' squad will compete against some quality opponents in four tournaments in the early part of the season.

"We need to play a tough schedule," Jacobs said. "Especially here in Conference USA with the quality of teams in this league. We've scheduled some extremely tough matches early in the season to prepare us for a league that is very hard to separate by record."

With a junior class composed of captains Maggie Arias, Cahill and Chelsea Lazar along with AVCA Honorable Mention All-American and 2005 Conference USA Player of the Year Billingy, the Herd will have its sights on defending its conference title. The 2006 roster will be composed of one senior, five juniors, four sophomores and four freshmen.

"This team has to find its personality," Jacobs said. "Our captains have to learn about leadership qualities. They will to develop leadership the same way the entire team is going to have to build its character."

The performance of Billingy, who garnered AVCA National Player of the Week for the week of Oct. 31, as well as set a pace for record book supremacy with 552 kills in 2005, is now second all-time in kills at Marshall with 1,246. She has compiled a career .329 hitting percentage, which is also the program's best. Billingy was named 2006 C-USA Preseason Player of the Year for the second consecutive year.

Joining Billingy on the Preseason All-Conference Team are Arias and Cahill.

Cahill, a multidimensional player, ranks high in Marshall statistical categories as well. In her past two years, she has finished only behind Arias in digs with 684 and also finished second in 2005 in aces with 53. Cahill is also tied for third in school history with seven aces in a single match.

With outside hitters Cahill and Billingy looking to be the leading offensive threats, a corps of middle blockers will see action in 2006.

"Outside is definitely our most explosive," Jacobs said. "We are going to be a very different team. We will attack physically from the outside, but we are not as experienced in the middle."

"We only have one middle returning (Chelsea Lazar)," Jacobs said. "Uche (Ndubisi), Jalicia (Ross), Layne (Kehl) and Emily (Sullivan) will all play middle. Versatile players are what we built this team around."

Marshall juniors Lazar and Uche Ndubisi will play significant roles for Jacobs' squad. Co-captain Lazar saw action in 36 games and started four matches. With 31 kills on the season and 16 total blocks, Lazar will look to be a defensive force at middle blocker.

Ndubisi served as a dynamic player for the Herd in 2005. The middle hitter will be called upon to do much of the same in 2006. She completed her sophomore season with 135 kills and averaged 1.42 kills per game and 51 blocks.

Freshman inside/outside player Emily Sullivan and 6-foot-1-inch Layne Kehl will also log playing time for the Herd.

"Our middles can defend four their size," Jacobs said. "They have offensive capabilities but their strengths are more defensive."

The Herd's lone senior is Christin Bimberg, who averaged 1.11 kills per game, with a total of 70 kills, 48 digs and saw action in 63 games in 2005. She and sophomore Katherine Poss will be called on for the setting duties for the coming season.

"Right now we have no true No. 1 setter," Jacobs said. "Both of them can do things for us and have done a good job. I know Christin will do a great job if that's the role we need from her."

Defense will be one of the Herd's strength this season. The libero, Arias, finished the 2005 season with 435 digs, an accomplishment that landed her fourth on the single season dig total in school history. She totaled 841 digs in her two seasons of action.

Taylor Tanner is the most experience player returning from the sophomore class. The defensive specialist started 24 matches and scored 2.15 digs per game. Ali Hansen will also expect to see court time.

Freshman Kristin Marcum, one of Prep Volleyball's Top 250 seniors will play at a host of positions for the Herd in 2006.

"We have four very good defensive specialists," Jacobs said. "Ball control and defense has to be stressed."

With different ingredients and a different style of play, similar results are anticipated for the 2006 squad. Jacobs said the Herd's immediate future will be a telling one for the program.