Volleyball offense plays solid defense

Freshman Weiwen Wang named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week.

By Sam Wilson

Published Oct. 9, 2007

Senior outside hitter Na Yang had eight digs during Saturday's sweep of Texas Tech, and this number is significant only because at outside hitter, Yang's primary responsibility is offense, not defense.

"It kind of releases a lot of pressure because you don't have to think about covering all of the court," senior libero Tatum Ailes said. "But we have just some amazing diggers on this team."

Ailes logged just 10 digs in three games on Saturday, which was slightly below her season average of 4.80 digs per game.

Coach Wayne Kreklow said the defensive diversity is one of many surprises that his team has had for opponents in the last few matches.

"We do have some people that are playing out of position slightly, so you never quite know what to expect," Kreklow said. "Sometimes I don't know what to expect. I just hope that we can do little things well,"

In the team's previous two matches, both wins, Yang had nine and 13 digs respectively.

In the three prior matches, all losses, she recorded totals of six, five and one digs.

"I was very relaxed, so I was just fast feet," Yang said of her performance Saturday. "That's what (Kreklow) told me."

Kreklow said his team helped each other in all facets of the game Saturday.

"I thought we really did get a good team effort from everybody across the board," he said. "Blocking, digging — I thought we did a nice job of everybody kind of being responsible for their own."

In the team's previous two wins, sophomore setter Lei Wang, another offensive player, has contributed 15 and 12 digs.

She followed it up with seven digs on Saturday.

"I think I was just ready," she said. "If you don't expect the ball is coming, the ball is going to come to you. So I expect the ball is coming."

Yang said the team has been more confident during the winning streak.

"I think we just have more confidence to go at people," she said. "Not like before."

Ailes said having more people getting digs on the team makes the entire process run more smoothly, especially because it allows the next player to touch the ball to set her feet.

"I think it's easier, because our block is getting set every time, so it's making it easier on all of us," she said. "You can just get stopped and ready."

Freshman middle blocker Weiwen Wang was named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week for her performance in Wednesday's match against Colorado and for Saturday's game.

But she still found time to contribute performances of six and five digs, respectively.

"I just go at the ball," she said. "There is only one thought in my mind. That is, 'Get it up.'"