BENNINGTON, Vt. - Building from the ground up is nothing new for the Southern Vermont College volleyball program, but this time around, a West Coast approach could possibly do the trick.
Since 2005, five different head coaches have opened the year with the Mountaineer women and none have eclipsed the .500 mark through the regular season. The most frustrating results have occurred in the last two years, as SVC finished 0-22 under Tina Cook in ‘08 and 1-20 under Carmine Garofalo in ‘09.
Starting over with a clean slate and bountiful possibilities is new head coach Josh Stokes.
Stokes hopes to turn the things around through the ability to get experienced players to invest in the potential of Southern Vermont volleyball.
"Everything starts with recruiting," Stokes said. "We will move forward and improve as a team, and as a program, by bringing in the right type of player that understands the intricacies of the sport and knows how to win.."
Stokes learned the fundamentals and details of volleyball while growing up in Southern California before getting his first taste of coaching at Cuesta College during the late ‘90's. After a couple of years navigating his way through the coaching ranks of California, Stokes moved from the bench to the court, playing the setter position for a Ramapo College squad that was ECAC champions in 2003.
Stokes plans to utilize a long list of contacts that has continued to expand along with his growing coaching resume during the last 15 years. The newest SVC coach has already proved the ability to recruit skilled players by pulling in Joanna Hogue - a junior college transfer from Cuesta College, who was named Western State Conference All-Conference team honorable mention in her second season with the Cougars.
"I'm really excited to be here," Hogue said. "Volleyball on the East Coast is a lot different from what I'm used to back home - the game is a lot slower out here. But I've also noticed that these girls on this team have more heart and desire to improve than any teammates I have ever played with before."
Hogue was an All-WSC second Team choice in ‘08 and led the Cougars in digs her sophomore season with 259. Her career total of 539 digs ranks third all-time at Cuesta.
"There was no recruiting done when I played," said former SVC player and current assistant coach Kayleigh Moretto. "Moving forward, if we're able to recruit experienced players it'll be a huge advantage for the girls on the rosterthat have limited experience. Just simply being around that knowledge, practicing with them and learning from them everyone will improve and we'll get better as a team."
With a slim roster of only seven players early in the preseason, Stokes is working to bring in more players, but such a short window of time before the season begins ultimately hampers the roster's growth. Two more California players could possibly join the squad this weekend, with the prospect of a Hawaiian athlete also enrolling at SVC before the regular season opens on Sept. 4.
"We're only a couple of days into practice and I am already seeing major improvement out there," Stokes said. "When we have experienced players practicing with us, playing with us, it's great because there is a visual aid for every one who has not played extensively growing up.
"I can say things till I'm blue in the face at practice and diagram things out, but the girls aren't going to understand and develop those essential skills until they are able to see it in action and practice alongside that talent level."
Although, making a serious impact through recruiting takes time and that is the one thing Stokes does not have before the home opener. With his current roster, the newest SVC head coach is hoping to merely improve each and every day, finding ways to capture small successes throughout the season. But that won't hold Stokes back from pushing his current team to the limit toward overall improvement.
"We've never gone this hard before," Mountaineer Tasha Smith said. "We have no where to go but up."
With Moretto now on the bench as a coach after leading SVC with 105 kills a season ago, Smith will have to step up following her 60 kills in ‘09 - second on the team. But the Mountaineers will benefit from the knowledge and understanding Sarah Golub brings back to the court after finishing with a team-leading 62 assists during the ‘09 campaign.
"Sarah is going to make a hug impact for us this season," Stokes said. "She is a very versatile player, who has been nothing but a sponge, soaking up all of the information I have thrown at her so far."
Stokes is also excited about the enthusiasm his players are bringing into the mix this early in the year, especially the leadership of Sherrita Hall - who in the coaches' words, "doesn't know the word stop and will push us to improve."
It's that endless amount of desire that will drive SVC to triumph this season.
"The energy level is a lot higher this season," Golub said. "We expect to do well and that's because the confidence level continues to grow."