Entering this season's training camp, coach Dave Boos knew it would be different from the 2008 preseason when he had 10 new players.
About one week into the Ball State University women's volleyball team's first official workouts, the third-year coach has not been disappointed.
With all but two players returning from the last season's team, Boos said Wednesday that it has allowed his players to progress more quickly in the preseason.
"We walked into the door and covered things in the first three days that we didn't cover until the second week last year," Boos said. "We can go much, much faster and fine-tune."
Ball State has all seven starters returning after finishing last season in third place in the Mid-American Conference Western Division and being eliminated in the conference tournament quarterfinals.
Boos said last season was primarily a learning process for his team throughout the entire year. During last season's training camp, Boos said he had to spend a majority of time teaching his new players the proper movements and techniques in order for them to adjust to his defensive system.
Setter Brittany McGinnis said everyone has noticed a different pace to this year's preseason camp because the majority of the team is familiar with the Cardinals' system.
"Dave has a system that is pretty difficult to learn," she said. "Having 10 new people to come in at one time it was pretty bad at times, where as this year we are learning how to control those times on the court."
Already knowing the defensive system has also made this preseason training camp less physically difficult for the team, middle attacker Jennifer Boyd said.
"We were doing a lot of double-knee drops, shin drops and our legs were sore. Towards the end of preseason it was hard to walk," she said. "Every preseason you get a little bit sore, but it's not half as bad."
Since arriving at Ball State in 2007 Boos said he has always made minor changes to the team's preseason training camp based on the roster. With a more experienced roster this season the coach said he has made additions ranging from focusing on goal setting to playing music throughout the practice to get his players in a match mindset.
An additional factor helping Ball State at this preseason training camp is its early non-conference schedule, Boos said.
The Cardinals will play two 2008 NCAA Tournament teams in the first two weeks of its season. Ball State will open its season against Purdue University on Aug. 28 in West LaFayette and will play defending Big East champions University of Louisville on Sept. 4 at Worthen Arena.
Boyd said playing those high caliber teams at the beginning of the season makes the preseason more important. She also said it has also helped the players adapt to the change in pace from last season's camp.
"It makes you want to go now, instead of kind of easing into it and slowly getting better as time goes on," Boyd said. "It helps with the urgency of we need to get good now and get prepared now."
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