Photo by Steve Crowell
Things are looking up for three of Oregon's freshman volleyball players, (I to r) Susan Payne, An
drea Kent and Heidi Eakin. Each has started for the Ducks at one time or another.
Striding into the limelight
Freshman net trio hears starting call
By Brent Paz
Of the Emerald
Because of injuries, Oregon's volleyball team has
resembled a kiddie corps this season.
Freshmen have been thrown into the limelight —
not by choice, but by necessity. Senior Cathy Hill,
junior Lisa Gemoya and sophomores Connie Riel and
Shaunna Koenig have fallen prey to injuries, with Riel
and Koenig out for the season.
Without some of her top players, Oregon coach
Chris Voelz has started three freshmen at one time or
another. A situation like that often spells doom for
volleyball squads.
Not for the Ducks. Heidi Eakin, Andrea Kent and
Susan Payne are the rookies that have kept the Ducks
swimming instead of sinking.
Oregon has survived and flourished with
freshmen. The Ducks are 22-15 on the season, 5-2 in
the NorPac conference, and in prime contention to
nab a spot in the league tournament Nov. 18-19.
"Every single one of our freshmen have kept lear
ning and kept getting better during the season,"
Voelz says. "They are less intimidated ...although
they still do things that are transition-like."
Transition from high school to college ball can be
rough. These three made the switch quickly and
under fire.
"I figured I would probably go in on the looser
games or games we got ahead more," Eakin says.
"Then when we started out with fourteen
(players)..."
And then thirteen, twelve and eleven, until
Oregon had nobody else to go with except inex
perienced and untested first-year players.
Eakin, from LaGrande, had a modest goal at the
beginning of the season — making the traveling
squad. Eakin has surpassed that objective and more.
A starter most of the year, she is third on the team in
kills with 172 and plays an integral part in the Ducks'
front-line play.
Voelz feels Eakin has fit well into Oregon's pro
gram despite the pressure of playing against older
and more experienced players.
"She is very coachable and very smart," Voelz
says. "We tell her where to put the ball, and she puts
the ball there. She is pretty tough-minded."
Kent has been another key participant for the
Ducks. The Colorado Springs, Colo., native has come
off the bench to fill a big injury gap.
"At first I was making mistakes right and left
every time I touched the ball," Kent says. "I wanted
to perform well, but I was trying too hard. Now it has
gotten better, but I still make mistakes."
The last of the trio to gain valuable playing time
and assume a starting position at times is Payne, a
walk-on from Pacific Palisades, Calif.
"On the court, you don't realize you are a
freshman," Payne says."She (Voelz) said I wouldn't
be playing that much because I was behind in pre
season workouts."
But Payne started against San Francisco and
helped the Ducks defeat the Dons.
Voelz didn't plan on having any of the three on
the team except Eakin when she went recruiting last
year.
"Heidi is the only one I recruited in terms of
scholarship," Voelz says. "Susan, Andrea, Monica
(Beemer) and Wendy (Hammer) are all walk-ons. I
looked at them as depth players, but all the freshman
have been able to contribute."
Voelz says none of her rookie players are
outstanding physical talents.
"None of them are awesome physically. They
aren't coming in like a Sue Harbour when she was a
freshman."
Still, the Oregon coach says their abilities will pay
dividends for the Ducks in the future.
"It can't but help them," Voelz says. "They will
have well-defined goals on what to work on in the
off-season to contribute next year."
Netters meet Cal in 'match ot the year
The fourth and final spot in the
NorPac Conference will be at
stake when Oregon's volleyball
team visits 16th-ranked University
of California Friday night in
Berkeley, Calif.
The Ducks, who received
honorable mention in last week's
top 20 poll, face 13th-ranked San
Jose State University in San Jose,
Calif., Saturday, their last con
ference outing of the season.
But the big game for Oregon is
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The Ducks, 22-15 and 5-2, are tied
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"It is the match of the year,"
says Oregon coach Chris Voelz of
the test against Cal. "We watched
Continued on Page 10
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