Monday night was supposed to be a celebration of the defending MIAA champion Emporia State volleyball team, and a chance for the five freshmen to play under the lights and in front of a crowd for the first time.
A few of those freshmen might have to get used to the pressure quickly, because missing in action at Monday night’s scrimmage was right-side hitter Brittney Miller who had an MRI on her left hitting shoulder earlier in the day and had to sit out at least 24 hours.
“I’m worried,” senior Arica Shepard said. “She would be definitely missed if we didn’t have her out there. She’s obviously a big threat to other teams. She’s unstoppable, pretty much, so if she’s not out there, it’ll be a little unnerving.”
It might be too soon to hit the panic button. The Hornets expect Miller to be ready for the season, and she said she hopes to put off any surgery until after basketball season.
But if Miller has to miss any time, there were at least some encouraging signs during Monday’s scrimmage that the Hornets will be all right.
ESU coach Bing Xu said freshman setter Katelyn Schmidtberger would be the most likely candidate to replace Miller. Schmidtberger is another tall setter at 5-foot-9, and she showed a wide range of skills during the scrimmage.
Xu plans to mix in two setters with Schmidtberger and Liu playing at the same time even if Miller returns to the lineup.
“She can hit and has been hitting with us all the time,” Xu said. “We’re prepared for more options. She’s doing hitting, she’s doing blocking, she can play defense, she’s passing. She has done it all, so that’s an option.”
Schmidtberger has had to adjust to running Emporia State’s quick-hitting offense, but she looked comfortable during the scrimmage, particularly when passing to Shepard.
“It wouldn’t be so bad having a second pair of hands out there just in case Ting gets the first ball,” Shepard said.
The biggest question mark as the season approaches — assuming Miller returns — is how the Hornets will replace outside hitter Megan Koster and middle hitter Hannah Carter, who both graduated.
Junior inside hitter Brianne Boner, who played a significant role last year, is expected to be relied on even more heavily with Carter gone. Boner sat out Monday’s morning practice because of a sore knee, but she was one of the most valuable players during the scrimmage.
Boner was one of the few players who rotated between the black and gold teams, and whichever team she was on seemed to have the advantage. Boner was behind only Shepard on number of kills in the scrimmage.
Sophomore Megan Lueger is expected to replace Koster in the starting lineup, and Lueger showed with several emphatic kills that she’s gotten stronger and is more confident this year.
The Hornets played two games on Monday with the Gold and Black splitting, the Gold winning Game One 15-10 and the Black winning the final game 15-7.
Liu played on both winning teams, teaming with Shepard in Game Two, which was a big reason the score was so lopsided.
Schmidtberger had to play opposite Liu, and she helped keep the games competitive.
“I think it’s much easier for us to play 6-on-6, because last year we only had one setter and when we played 6-on-6, we didn’t feel like it was a real game,” Liu said. “But now when we play, it’s pretty much like a real game.”
Xu was encouraged with Monday’s scrimmage, but he said there’s still some confusion with the freshmen. If Miller ends up needing surgery, the freshmen could play a bigger role than expected.
“I think the whole team needs her to play,” Liu said. “She plays pretty well, and we need her.”