In an effort to officially wrap up the 2011 Ball State women's volleyball season, here's the first of four reviews of every player on the roster this season and what their individual opportunities will look like next season. I'll rate each player on a scale of 1-4 stars to grade them. Players that had limited playing time or didn't even play at all will earn an incomplete grade, but there will still be some analysis.
I'll go through each player position-by-position in each part, starting with defenders and then moving onto setters, outside hitters and middle blockers.
Libero/Defensive Specialists
Starting Libero – sophomore Catie Fredrich
Grade: 4 stars
Analysis: It says a lot about Fredrich that she was able to come into her first season as the starting libero and finish as arguably the most influential player on the team.
The high point for her in the season came in the middle of Mid-American Conference play when she was named the MAC Defensive Player of the Week four consecutive times. Her mid-season success slowed down slightly in the final month of the season as her defensive presence gradually became less visible.
I was told by a few different sources that the piling awards may have disrupted Fredrich's rhythm and focus, but that's just speculation. Either way, Fredrich played well enough this year in such a difficult situation in replacing Alyssa Rio for me to consider her the team's Most Valuable Player.
First defensive specialist – senior Kaylee Schembra
Grade: 3 stars
Analysis: Schembra would be an exceptional player if she was taller. Her height limits her on the court, but when she's in position to make plays, she's one of the most reliable players on the team. There were hardly any matches where I didn't see her make a diving dig to save a point. She filled her role as a utility player in 2011 well and finished off a great career with Ball State.
Second defensive specialist – junior Lauren Schlaker
Grade: Incomplete
Analysis: Schlaker performed well in her only significant playing time of the season, totaling 13 digs in Ball State's loss to Western Michigan on Nov. 4. She was needed as the team was trying to regroup from Jacqui Seidel's season-ending injury.
Other than that contest, Schlaker didn't get too many chances to play in 2011 with Fredrich and Schembra remaining healthy all season. That could change with Schembra graduating, even though it looks like Ball State is recruiting two different defensive specialists.
Kelsey Brandl (my go-to source on anything related to the team; big thanks to her for that) told me late in the year that the entire team is confident they wouldn't miss a beat with Schlaker on the court. Schlaker could become one of the team's primary bench players next season, so she'll have her chance to validate that trust in 2012.
Third defensive specialist – redshirt freshman Maria Dorsten
Grade: Incomplete
Dorsten played in just two sets this year. Maybe the walk-on will play a little more next season with Schembra gone, but with a few freshmen defenders soon to join the team, I doubt it.
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