Weekend matches telling of volleyball future
Nic Schluterman
Issue date: 11/7/08 Section: Sports
On one side of the Barnhill Arena court Sunday, fans can see the team that Robert Pulliza pieced together.
In his four recruiting cycles as an assistant coach at Kentucky, Pulliza lured the players who have taken the No. 19 Wildcats to a 13-1 conference record so far this season.
Sophomore blocker Queen Nzenwa, a native of Lagos, Nigeria, is Kentucky's first All-American in 15 years.
Two other Wildcats are in the top five in the league in blocks.
On the other side of the net, fans can see the program that Pulliza hopes he can rebuild.
The Razorbacks (6-17, 3-10 Southeastern Conference) are a team of scattered pieces.
Fortunately for Pulliza, some of his top performers this season should be around for awhile.
Arkansas starts four underclassmen, including team kills leader Kelli Stipanovich.
However, these young players are prone to the usual traps of inexperience.
Citing issues of chemistry and hustle, Pulliza has shuffled around his lineup over the past two weeks.
"In all honesty, our effort last week [in two road losses] was average, and therefore, our numbers were average," Pulliza said.
The usually steady Stipanovich has seen her playing time cut in favor of a platoon of teammates, including sophomore Hillary McCormick.
Freshman Phoebe Bautista, the team's former starting libero, has begun to share her role with sophomore Mackenzie Rhea.
Pulliza has emptied the bench in search of players who can contribute to Razorback teams now and in the future.
Senior hitter Christina Lawrence is one Razorback who will not be a part of Pulliza's rebuilding process, but she might help the team win this season.
Last weekend, Lawrence became the 13th player in Arkansas history to reach 1,000 career kills.
She has led the team in kills each of the last six matches.
"I wish we had [Lawrence] for four more years," Pulliza said. "Our staff feels very fortunate that we have been able to be a part of her career for one year."
In his four recruiting cycles as an assistant coach at Kentucky, Pulliza lured the players who have taken the No. 19 Wildcats to a 13-1 conference record so far this season.
Sophomore blocker Queen Nzenwa, a native of Lagos, Nigeria, is Kentucky's first All-American in 15 years.
Two other Wildcats are in the top five in the league in blocks.
On the other side of the net, fans can see the program that Pulliza hopes he can rebuild.
The Razorbacks (6-17, 3-10 Southeastern Conference) are a team of scattered pieces.
Fortunately for Pulliza, some of his top performers this season should be around for awhile.
Arkansas starts four underclassmen, including team kills leader Kelli Stipanovich.
However, these young players are prone to the usual traps of inexperience.
Citing issues of chemistry and hustle, Pulliza has shuffled around his lineup over the past two weeks.
"In all honesty, our effort last week [in two road losses] was average, and therefore, our numbers were average," Pulliza said.
The usually steady Stipanovich has seen her playing time cut in favor of a platoon of teammates, including sophomore Hillary McCormick.
Freshman Phoebe Bautista, the team's former starting libero, has begun to share her role with sophomore Mackenzie Rhea.
Pulliza has emptied the bench in search of players who can contribute to Razorback teams now and in the future.
Senior hitter Christina Lawrence is one Razorback who will not be a part of Pulliza's rebuilding process, but she might help the team win this season.
Last weekend, Lawrence became the 13th player in Arkansas history to reach 1,000 career kills.
She has led the team in kills each of the last six matches.
"I wish we had [Lawrence] for four more years," Pulliza said. "Our staff feels very fortunate that we have been able to be a part of her career for one year."
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