Indiana University Athletics
Newcomers Making An Early Impact
9/17/2015 12:09:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
By: Sam Beishuizen | Twitter
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana head coach Sherry Dunbar-Kruzan doesn't let age or experience get in the way of talent.
If she's got a freshman that can play, they'll play. When a transfer is eligible and earned a spot, they'll be inserted right in.
Two freshmen—defensive specialist Samantha Fogg and right side hitter Elizabeth Asdell—have joined junior transfer Mallory Waggoner in breaking into Indiana's rotation in their first eligible seasons at Indiana.
The new faces had to work to earn their spots, Dunbar-Kruzan said. And they've wasted no time making a positive impact.
"It's all about winning, and they're helping us win," Dunbar-Kruzan said. "I don't care what age you are, whether you're on scholarship—whatever. When you get to our program, we expect the best out of you and will use the best."
All three have managed to fill into their own distinct roles as they Hoosiers have won seven of their first nine matches.
Another freshman, outside hitter Kendall Beerman, has also impressed Dunbar-Kruzan in practice but hasn't had a spot opened up for her quite yet.
Asdell has seen the most time thus far, immediately jumping in as a starter. She's played in 36 sets, making her the fourth-most used player on the team.
Dunbar-Kruzan called Asdell a sponge, soaking up advice from both the coaches and her teammates. She said she's the type of player who only needs a concept explained to her once to get a grasp of it.
"She's a true student of the game," Dunbar-Kruzan said. "You don't have to tell her 100 times how to do something because she does it right away when you tell her, and that's why she's going to be a really, really good player for us."
While also catching up to the speed of the college game, Asdell has also been learning a new position.
After playing as a middle blocker in high school, she's moved to the outside at Indiana. She said she still needs to sharpen up her all-around game, but she's enjoyed the transition to the position Dunbar-Kruzan recruited her for.
"I feel like you have to have the mindset of, 'Okay, this is a totally new thing,'" Asdell said. "I just had to let go of everything I've done before and really focused on this new approach. I've got some great teammates to lean on, and I'm only trying to get better."
While Asdell is learning a new role as a starter, Fogg has become a role player off the bench.
She's behind seniors Courtney Harnish and Kyndall Merritt in the rotation and mostly comes off the bench with specific goals in mind whether it be making a particular serve or helping Indiana defensively against a particular player.
She's already become a regular rotation player off the bench that Dunbar-Kruzan said she challenged early in the season to be more prepared. She said her teams are only as strong as the last player on the bench.
"Sometimes as a freshman, you can get too comfortable," Dunbar-Kruzan said. "Sam's done a good job of being ready to impact when she gets on the floor."
Fogg, like Asdell, said she's trying to soak up as much information as she can from the upperclassmen. She said the best way to get better is to learn from them and study what makes them good players so she can add their skills to her own game.
"Honestly, they help me so much with tips, and not just volleyball, but with talking and what to do off the court," Fogg said. "They make it easy for me."
Waggoner, a Cal State Fullerton transfer, has also managed her way into Indiana's rotation in her first season of eligibility.
Dunbar-Kruzan said she's been pleased with Waggoner's effort, even during the year she sat out. She's one of a handful of players who have been staying late after practice and arriving early to get extra work in.
"Mallory's an extremely dynamic athlete and she really has a lot of ability to do things at this level," Dunbar-Kruzan said. "I think for her, it's about gaining a lot of confidence and staying at one thing at a time and not get overwhelmed. It's not, 'I'm going to do this, this and this.' It's, 'This is my job right now, and this is what I have to focus on.'"
Dunbar-Kruzan expects to continue to rely on the newcomers this weekend when the Hoosiers travels to the Northern Colorado Classic in Greeley, Colo.
Indiana is coming off a 3-0 weekend at the Indiana Invitational and is looking to build momentum with the Big Ten season only a week away.
"These new girls came in and made an impact right away, and we expect them to keep it up," Dunbar-Kruzan said. "These kids can all succeed at a very high level, and I think it's a really nice group to be building on."
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana head coach Sherry Dunbar-Kruzan doesn't let age or experience get in the way of talent.
If she's got a freshman that can play, they'll play. When a transfer is eligible and earned a spot, they'll be inserted right in.
Two freshmen—defensive specialist Samantha Fogg and right side hitter Elizabeth Asdell—have joined junior transfer Mallory Waggoner in breaking into Indiana's rotation in their first eligible seasons at Indiana.
The new faces had to work to earn their spots, Dunbar-Kruzan said. And they've wasted no time making a positive impact.
"It's all about winning, and they're helping us win," Dunbar-Kruzan said. "I don't care what age you are, whether you're on scholarship—whatever. When you get to our program, we expect the best out of you and will use the best."
All three have managed to fill into their own distinct roles as they Hoosiers have won seven of their first nine matches.
Another freshman, outside hitter Kendall Beerman, has also impressed Dunbar-Kruzan in practice but hasn't had a spot opened up for her quite yet.
Asdell has seen the most time thus far, immediately jumping in as a starter. She's played in 36 sets, making her the fourth-most used player on the team.
Dunbar-Kruzan called Asdell a sponge, soaking up advice from both the coaches and her teammates. She said she's the type of player who only needs a concept explained to her once to get a grasp of it.
"She's a true student of the game," Dunbar-Kruzan said. "You don't have to tell her 100 times how to do something because she does it right away when you tell her, and that's why she's going to be a really, really good player for us."
While also catching up to the speed of the college game, Asdell has also been learning a new position.
After playing as a middle blocker in high school, she's moved to the outside at Indiana. She said she still needs to sharpen up her all-around game, but she's enjoyed the transition to the position Dunbar-Kruzan recruited her for.
"I feel like you have to have the mindset of, 'Okay, this is a totally new thing,'" Asdell said. "I just had to let go of everything I've done before and really focused on this new approach. I've got some great teammates to lean on, and I'm only trying to get better."
While Asdell is learning a new role as a starter, Fogg has become a role player off the bench.
She's behind seniors Courtney Harnish and Kyndall Merritt in the rotation and mostly comes off the bench with specific goals in mind whether it be making a particular serve or helping Indiana defensively against a particular player.
She's already become a regular rotation player off the bench that Dunbar-Kruzan said she challenged early in the season to be more prepared. She said her teams are only as strong as the last player on the bench.
"Sometimes as a freshman, you can get too comfortable," Dunbar-Kruzan said. "Sam's done a good job of being ready to impact when she gets on the floor."
Fogg, like Asdell, said she's trying to soak up as much information as she can from the upperclassmen. She said the best way to get better is to learn from them and study what makes them good players so she can add their skills to her own game.
"Honestly, they help me so much with tips, and not just volleyball, but with talking and what to do off the court," Fogg said. "They make it easy for me."
Waggoner, a Cal State Fullerton transfer, has also managed her way into Indiana's rotation in her first season of eligibility.
Dunbar-Kruzan said she's been pleased with Waggoner's effort, even during the year she sat out. She's one of a handful of players who have been staying late after practice and arriving early to get extra work in.
"Mallory's an extremely dynamic athlete and she really has a lot of ability to do things at this level," Dunbar-Kruzan said. "I think for her, it's about gaining a lot of confidence and staying at one thing at a time and not get overwhelmed. It's not, 'I'm going to do this, this and this.' It's, 'This is my job right now, and this is what I have to focus on.'"
Dunbar-Kruzan expects to continue to rely on the newcomers this weekend when the Hoosiers travels to the Northern Colorado Classic in Greeley, Colo.
Indiana is coming off a 3-0 weekend at the Indiana Invitational and is looking to build momentum with the Big Ten season only a week away.
"These new girls came in and made an impact right away, and we expect them to keep it up," Dunbar-Kruzan said. "These kids can all succeed at a very high level, and I think it's a really nice group to be building on."
Players Mentioned
Right Side Hitter
/ Women's Volleyball
Outside Hitter
/ Women's Volleyball
Defensive Specialist
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