Coming off a banner year a season ago, the 2019 BYU women’s volleyball team combines experience and new faces.
Ten returnees, including four All-Americans, join eight newcomers on a squad that will seek to keep a streak of five West Coast Conference titles and seven NCAA Sweet 16 appearances going. Last year, the Cougars went 31-2, won the conference and reached the NCAA Semifinals.
WCC coaches have picked BYU to win the conference and national coaches have ranked the Cougars ninth in the AVCA preseason poll. BYU head coach Heather Olmstead and her staff bring a .901 winning percentage over the last four seasons, the highest of any program in the country, and will look to again be a force on the national stage in 2019.
Below is a look at the this year’s roster by position.
Middle Blocker
BYU returns not one, but two All-Americans in the middle with one of the best tandems in the country. Junior Kennedy Eschenberg ranked 31st nationally with 1.31 blocks per set last year, finishing with 205 kills, 141 blocks and a .345 hitting percentage.
Joining Eschenberg again this year is Heather Gneiting, who splashed onto the national stage in 2018 by leading all freshman nationally with 1.50 blocks per set (10th overall), and a .380 hitting percentage (23rd overall) to earn AVCA National Freshman of the Year. Now a sophomore, the third-team All-American added 225 kills and 18 aces on offense as well.
After utilizing a redshirt last year, AVCA Under Armour High School All-American Whitney Llarenas will also look to contribute in the middle.
Outside Hitter
National Player of the Year finalist Roni Jones-Perry has graduated and is currently playing with the U.S. National Team and professionally in Italy. However, senior McKenna Miller looks to return from a season-ending injury suffered last November and finish her BYU career strong. An AVCA third-team (2016) and two-time AVCA honorable mention (2017, 2018) All-American, Miller has 1,049 career kills.
Also returning is sophomore Madelyn Robinson who played in 83 sets last season and recorded 150 kills, including 10 against Florida in the Sweet 16. Junior Taylen Ballard-Nixon and senior Riley Lyman also bring experience to the position.
Freshmen Erin Anderson, Abbey Dayton and Morgan Johnson will seek playing time as they begin their college careers this season.
Opposite
High School All-American Kate Grimmer is the only player on the Cougar roster listed at opposite; the left-handed hitter will strengthen BYU’s offense.
Setter
Three Cougars are vying to take over at setter following the loss of first-team All-American Lyndie Haddock Eppich to graduation. Senior Kiani Moea’i, sophomore Tayler Tausinga and freshman Whitney Bower are all competing for playing time.
Libero/Defensive Specialist
For the fourth straight season, BYU will be anchored in the back by U.S. National Team member and All-American Mary Lake. The Palm Springs, Calif., native spent this past summer traveling the world with Team USA, winning a Volleyball Nations League gold medal and helping the team qualify for the 2020 Olympics. At 1,494 career digs, Lake is 300 away from becoming BYU’s all-time leader.
Defensive stalwarts Sydnie Martindale and Danelle Stetler will be replaced by a combination of three newcomers, including Salt Lake CC transfer Callie Whitney and freshmen Morgan Bower and Grace Wee.
BYU begins its regular season with the BYU Nike Invitational at the Smith Fieldhouse in Provo. The Cougars will play Boise State at noon and Utah Valley at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 30, before a showdown with No. 16 Marquette at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 31.