“We’ve just finished our first week of practice and we are at that point where our players are getting a little tired. Overall though, I feel we’ve had a good opening week,” South Alabama head coach Nicole Keshock said. “Our team really looked fresh the first couple of practices. Our returners seem to have had things click for them and our freshmen have fit in right away. We look like we are in great shape and that is really due to the program our strength and conditioning coaches have had our players on during the summer. With our day off on Sunday, we should be fresh again next week.”

During the first week of practice, the Jags spent time working in individual position groups, before moving into full team practice later in the week.

“With us having three coaches now, we were able to separate our team into groups and got in a lot of individual work,” Keshock said. “One area where I feel our newcomers have helped tremendously on our team is our defense and in our serve-receive game. It’s been very scrappy and we’ve made some great digs on some really hard, effective hits.”

South Alabama returns nine letterwinners and three starters from last season’s squad, while welcoming five newcomers to the 2010 roster. 

The group of returnees includes a pair of seniors in outside hitter Juliana Almeida and libero/defensive specialist Kari Frazier. As a junior, Almeida led the club in both kills (312) and kills per set (3.03), while being just as valuable on defense, ranking second on the team with 2.33 digs per set. Frazier ranked third on the club in digs with 237 and 2.32 digs per set. The Mobile, native also led the club in aces last season.

“I have been really proud of the way our returners have come into the start of camp,” Keshock added.  “As a coach, you hope that there will be a point where things just make sense to them. They have come back from the from their summer break and just seem to have had it all come together for them – especially for two of our middle blockers, Jaclyn Nickels and Jillian Jordan. We have also moved Olivia Mohler from the right side to the left side and she has done extremely well. That position seems to make her a more effective hitter and she has had a lot of success there early on.” 

Seeing their first action in a Jaguar uniform this season will be Hofstra University transfer Val Podczasy, as well as incoming freshmen Torlandria Jones ( Benjamin Russell HS), Jessica Lewis (West Forsyth HS), Jenna Hassell (Niceville, HS) and Chelsea Noles (Chattanooga State Middle College High School).

Over the next two weeks leading up to the start of the season, USAJaguars.com will take a sneak peek at the different positions leading up USA’s first match on Friday, Aug. 27 when the Jags take on Southern Miss at the Southern Miss Invitational. South Alabama will then face Kennesaw State and Nicholls State on Saturday to close out tournament action.

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com.  Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

NOTE: Head coach Nicole Keshock also announced that Toni Dimitrov has joined the program and will serve as a graduate assistant coach for the 2010 season. Dimitrov comes to South Alabama from Sofia, Bulgaria where he has coached several different programs and helped develop a large number of players currently playing for the Bulgarian National Volleyball teams.