FORT COLLINS — There is change, but only on certain levels.
Colorado State’s volleyball team began practice Monday in defense of the five straight Mountain West championships they carry into the 2104 campaign. That defense will come with five new players and one assistant coach on the roster. It may seem like a lot, but it didn’t deter voters, who planted the Rams at No. 18 in the preseason AVCA poll, the team’s highest preseason setting since being No. 15 in 2011.
It makes no difference the Rams are in need of an outside hitter, or that they lost MW player of the year Sam Peters in the middle. Or the fact coach Tom Hilbert is searching for immediate help in the back row.
Beyond the ranking, which coach Tom Hilbert called a sign of respect, is the fact that six of the teams the Rams face are ranked or receiving votes; two of them (Wisconsin and BYU) are in the top 10. Hilbert wanted a better schedule, and he got it.
“I wouldn’t say I’m happy about it,” Hilbert joked, noting two of the tournaments on the road became extremely stronger when some teams dropped out.
But what it breeds is a special kind of player who comes to Colorado State, one who has to be ready for the challenge from Day 1. It’s a feeling that hits as a true freshman.
“It came immediately,” said Jasmine Hanna, an outside hitter out of Arizona. “I did a little research and I knew before I came that there were high expectations to be a player here. I mean, just walking through town, people are like, ‘you’re a volleyball player?’ There’s an excellence.”
The challenge not only comes mentally, but physically from Hilbert. You may come in recruited at one position and end up somewhere else. Kelsey Snider came as a middle, moved to the outside one year, then returned to the middle for an all-conference year in 2013. Dri Culbert showed up a setter and became an opposite-side hitter as a true freshman, a spot where she earned all-conference honors last year. Now, she may move to the left side.
“I think that’s the fun part about it,” she said. “There really aren’t set roles. There are certain players who play certain positions, but on any given day, any one is up for a different spot. If a freshman comes in and outperforms a senior on the outside, that’s just how it is. It’s that competitive aspect that helps us a lot.”
The reputation is one that Colorado State has grown nationally, but this year they bring in a couple of international prospects. Alexandra Poletto hails from Canada, while Sanja Cizmic comes from Split, Croatia.
There is no talent barrier in the program, nor is there a bias against youth. After one day, Cizmic said it’s clear that freshmen are expected to compete, and that’s a set up she prefers.
“That’s how it usually worked back home. In the first practice, if you’re not good, the coaches forget about you,” said Cizmic, who was first spotted by former Ram All-American Megan Plourde. “You have to be at your best the first time, but actually that’s kind of good. You push yourself more to be one of the good players; you push yourself to be a starter.
“Tom is a different guy than my coaches were, but I’m really happy with him. I had some rough coaches, throwing bottles at me if I missed a point or something. I’m glad I came here.”
Hilbert is entering his 18th season, and there hasn’t been one where his teams haven’t qualified for the NCAA Tournament. For the Rams, it’s 19 consecutive years, the seventh-longest active streak in the country. It can be daunting to live up to, so Hilbert doesn’t push it.
He doesn’t have to, because the players are already aware what’s on the line.
“These players have a great deal of pressure, I’m telling you. They do,” he said. “Nobody wants to be on a team that doesn’t make the NCAA Tournament at CSU volleyball. I guarantee you it weighs on them, so we try to talk about it as little as possible, because the answer to that is just go out and play at your absolute best as often as you can.
“They know the history of this program, and they know what goes on here. I guarantee you they’re proud to be part of it, but they know they have a role in it. It’s not about I’m good because I was recruited here. You have to be good and help CSU maintain this legacy.”
Contact Sports Editor Mike Brohard at 970-635-3633 or mbrohard@reporter-herald.com and at twitter.com/mbrohard