Colorado University Athletics
Jesse Mahoney addresses the media
Volleyball Media Day Quotes
August 22, 2017 | Volleyball
BOULDER - The 2017 volleyball season will start on Friday, August 25, at the NIKE Invitational in Norman, Okla. CU returns several key players from the 2016 roster that finished 14-16 overall, including Naghede Abu, Anna Pfefferle and Alexa Smith. All three, along with head coach Jesse Mahoney, were on hand to talk about the upcoming season at Colorado's Annual Fall Olympic Sports Media Day on Tuesday.
Below is a transcript from the press conference.
Colorado Head Coach Jesse Mahoney
General
"We've been going since August 8 and went down to the Olympic Training Center for almost a week. We really only lost a few players from last year, but they were definitely key players. We lost a libero and two setters, so half of our first contact and all of our second contact. A lot of this training camp has been about finding answers in those positions. We feel like we are certainly very skilled and athletic. We return a lot of our point scoring and attacking so I'm excited about that. It's a little bit of a new look team with some new faces out there in key positions.
"I'm very excited about our schedule, we play some good teams on the road and some good teams at home. We'll be at the University of Oklahoma to start the season and then we'll come home and play Rice and Wake Forest. We'll be at Illinois the third weekend to play Illinois and Penn State again as part of the Pac-12/Big 10 Challenge. Then we'll compete at Colorado State. Our nonconference slate is pretty tough and then the Pac-12 is the best league in the country, so we'll play about 15 matches against top-20 competition once we get to that point. We're very excited to start. We're tired of playing each other so we need to get out and play somebody."
On Team Growth
"We just got out of a film session and all of these players right here could have run that film session themselves. They all have an idea of what it is we're trying to accomplish. From that aspect, I still think we're a work in progress a little bit. I mentioned our setting position earlier, we'll have freshmen on the floor setting, so they don't have the benefit of some of the experience that some of our older players have."
On The Matchup Against Colorado State
"We want to play Colorado State every year. Right now we have the gentlemen agreement to play home and away alternating years. They've been a top-20 team; they've been to over 20 NCAA tournaments in the last 25 years. So, they're right down the road and it's an opportunity to play a really good team. I think beating them last year was a step in the right direction. Playing them at home (Fort Collins) this year is going to be a tougher task because they're very good. I think for the state of Colorado, there's really good volleyball in the state and that match up can be a premiere match up nationally as well."
On Team Maturity
"Having players that essentially have started since they were freshman, having them be juniors and seniors now, really anchors what we're trying to do on the defensive side of the ball. They're much better blockers now then they were a year ago and they were very good a year ago. Defensively, I really think they anchor what we're trying to do and I think they're in a place now where they can coach themselves through the defensive side of the ball. I think we need to get better offensively and really in all positions, but we're looking for ways that we can score a little bit better in the middle so that we can lean on our middle attackers a little bit more. I think that'll come with time, breaking in some new setters. But as we get through these first couple of weeks, I think we'll be in a much better rhythm as far as that goes."
On Team Goals For The Season
"My goal is to win our next match. I know that's not the answer you want but we're going to take the non-conference to say we need to win games. There are some important games in the nonconference, but we need to get better for September 20, we need to be a lot better than we are now. That's (Sept. 20) when league play starts. The first four weekends, we need to get some wins. There are some important matches but we need to use that as an opportunity to get better in the Pac-12. The eighth placed team in the Pac-12 made it to the round of eight last year, so where we fall in the Pac-12 isn't as urgent. We need to be competitive night in and night out. We have enough talent on this team to do that. We have enough talent to make the NCAA Tournament. But we're not at that level right now. Right now our goal is to get better in the preseason and then look at the Pac-12 once we get there."
Middle Blocker Naghede Abu
ON THE PRESSURE OF BECOMING A MORE FOCAL PART OF THE TEAM THIS SEASON
"We (Anna Pfefferle and Abu) are both upperclassmen at this point, so there is a certain standard we hold ourselves to – which is definitely a higher standard than the one I held myself to last year. Yes, there is an added responsibility but no, I don't necessarily feel pressure because I feel like we've been here long enough to understand what we are going to do and be able to handle it."
ON INDIVIDUAL GOALS FOR THIS SEASON
"I just want to be more consistent in my delivery and in all-around play, blocking and attacking – just to be more consistent and to have a decent number every time."
ON TEAM GOAL THIS SEASON
"I think our team goal would be to be more consistent. I thought last year we had a lot of highs and a lot of lows but we never went into a match knowing what we can expect specifically. So we can focus on being more consistent in our production all across the board."
Middle Blocker Anna Pfefferle
ON THE SIGNIFICANCE THE TRIP DOWN TO THE OLYMPIC TRAINING CENTER HAD ON TEAM BUILDING
"We really enjoy practicing at the Olympic Training Center because it gives us an opportunity to be in a place where we are only focused on volleyball – only with each other. It also is just a really good place for us to get into that championship mentality because we are practicing where Olympians practice and there are people training there when we are there – trying to make it to the next Olympics. It is a great time for us to bond as a team, to start getting into our systems, and to just bear down and focus on volleyball, and really get into that championship mentality."
ON THE PRESSURE OF BECOMING A MORE FOCAL PART OF THE TEAM THIS SEASON
"I think that comes with being a senior. Naghede and I have both pretty much been starters since we were freshmen. So there is definitely a bigger weight on our shoulders to be able to anchor the block defensively and score at a high rate offensively. I think if we are able to do that and maintain that position when either of us are on the court, that will definitely help our team."
ON TEAM GOAL THIS SEASON
"We want to be playing our best volleyball when we are going into postseason play or the end of our conference play. The past couple of years we have been sort of up and down and I think this is the year we want to focus on steady improvement throughout the entire year."
ON INDIVIDUAL GOALS FOR THIS SEASON
"I want to be a better leader on this team. I'm more of a 'lead by example' type person. But I think now that I am an upperclassman, I can be that person that can be vocal on the court and off the court – just setting that example for our younger players and the rest of the team."
Outside Hitter Alexa Smith
ON THE IMPORTANCE OF PLAYING SUCH A HIGH LEVEL OF COMPETITION IN THE PAC-12
"I think the Pac-12 is one of the best volleyball conferences in America. That's what makes it so exciting every night because you know you are going to have a tough match. There is not a bad team in the Pac-12. You have to be ready to play every night and that's what makes it fun."
ON INDIVIDUAL GOALS FOR THIS SEASON
"I want to be someone my teammates can depend on with being consistent. I want to step even more into my role, hopefully as a leader on our team. I want to be able to play both sides of the ball both offensively and defensively at a high rate."
Below is a transcript from the press conference.
Colorado Head Coach Jesse Mahoney
General
"We've been going since August 8 and went down to the Olympic Training Center for almost a week. We really only lost a few players from last year, but they were definitely key players. We lost a libero and two setters, so half of our first contact and all of our second contact. A lot of this training camp has been about finding answers in those positions. We feel like we are certainly very skilled and athletic. We return a lot of our point scoring and attacking so I'm excited about that. It's a little bit of a new look team with some new faces out there in key positions.
"I'm very excited about our schedule, we play some good teams on the road and some good teams at home. We'll be at the University of Oklahoma to start the season and then we'll come home and play Rice and Wake Forest. We'll be at Illinois the third weekend to play Illinois and Penn State again as part of the Pac-12/Big 10 Challenge. Then we'll compete at Colorado State. Our nonconference slate is pretty tough and then the Pac-12 is the best league in the country, so we'll play about 15 matches against top-20 competition once we get to that point. We're very excited to start. We're tired of playing each other so we need to get out and play somebody."
On Team Growth
"We just got out of a film session and all of these players right here could have run that film session themselves. They all have an idea of what it is we're trying to accomplish. From that aspect, I still think we're a work in progress a little bit. I mentioned our setting position earlier, we'll have freshmen on the floor setting, so they don't have the benefit of some of the experience that some of our older players have."
On The Matchup Against Colorado State
"We want to play Colorado State every year. Right now we have the gentlemen agreement to play home and away alternating years. They've been a top-20 team; they've been to over 20 NCAA tournaments in the last 25 years. So, they're right down the road and it's an opportunity to play a really good team. I think beating them last year was a step in the right direction. Playing them at home (Fort Collins) this year is going to be a tougher task because they're very good. I think for the state of Colorado, there's really good volleyball in the state and that match up can be a premiere match up nationally as well."
On Team Maturity
"Having players that essentially have started since they were freshman, having them be juniors and seniors now, really anchors what we're trying to do on the defensive side of the ball. They're much better blockers now then they were a year ago and they were very good a year ago. Defensively, I really think they anchor what we're trying to do and I think they're in a place now where they can coach themselves through the defensive side of the ball. I think we need to get better offensively and really in all positions, but we're looking for ways that we can score a little bit better in the middle so that we can lean on our middle attackers a little bit more. I think that'll come with time, breaking in some new setters. But as we get through these first couple of weeks, I think we'll be in a much better rhythm as far as that goes."
On Team Goals For The Season
"My goal is to win our next match. I know that's not the answer you want but we're going to take the non-conference to say we need to win games. There are some important games in the nonconference, but we need to get better for September 20, we need to be a lot better than we are now. That's (Sept. 20) when league play starts. The first four weekends, we need to get some wins. There are some important matches but we need to use that as an opportunity to get better in the Pac-12. The eighth placed team in the Pac-12 made it to the round of eight last year, so where we fall in the Pac-12 isn't as urgent. We need to be competitive night in and night out. We have enough talent on this team to do that. We have enough talent to make the NCAA Tournament. But we're not at that level right now. Right now our goal is to get better in the preseason and then look at the Pac-12 once we get there."
Middle Blocker Naghede Abu
ON THE PRESSURE OF BECOMING A MORE FOCAL PART OF THE TEAM THIS SEASON
"We (Anna Pfefferle and Abu) are both upperclassmen at this point, so there is a certain standard we hold ourselves to – which is definitely a higher standard than the one I held myself to last year. Yes, there is an added responsibility but no, I don't necessarily feel pressure because I feel like we've been here long enough to understand what we are going to do and be able to handle it."
ON INDIVIDUAL GOALS FOR THIS SEASON
"I just want to be more consistent in my delivery and in all-around play, blocking and attacking – just to be more consistent and to have a decent number every time."
ON TEAM GOAL THIS SEASON
"I think our team goal would be to be more consistent. I thought last year we had a lot of highs and a lot of lows but we never went into a match knowing what we can expect specifically. So we can focus on being more consistent in our production all across the board."
Middle Blocker Anna Pfefferle
ON THE SIGNIFICANCE THE TRIP DOWN TO THE OLYMPIC TRAINING CENTER HAD ON TEAM BUILDING
"We really enjoy practicing at the Olympic Training Center because it gives us an opportunity to be in a place where we are only focused on volleyball – only with each other. It also is just a really good place for us to get into that championship mentality because we are practicing where Olympians practice and there are people training there when we are there – trying to make it to the next Olympics. It is a great time for us to bond as a team, to start getting into our systems, and to just bear down and focus on volleyball, and really get into that championship mentality."
ON THE PRESSURE OF BECOMING A MORE FOCAL PART OF THE TEAM THIS SEASON
"I think that comes with being a senior. Naghede and I have both pretty much been starters since we were freshmen. So there is definitely a bigger weight on our shoulders to be able to anchor the block defensively and score at a high rate offensively. I think if we are able to do that and maintain that position when either of us are on the court, that will definitely help our team."
ON TEAM GOAL THIS SEASON
"We want to be playing our best volleyball when we are going into postseason play or the end of our conference play. The past couple of years we have been sort of up and down and I think this is the year we want to focus on steady improvement throughout the entire year."
ON INDIVIDUAL GOALS FOR THIS SEASON
"I want to be a better leader on this team. I'm more of a 'lead by example' type person. But I think now that I am an upperclassman, I can be that person that can be vocal on the court and off the court – just setting that example for our younger players and the rest of the team."
Outside Hitter Alexa Smith
ON THE IMPORTANCE OF PLAYING SUCH A HIGH LEVEL OF COMPETITION IN THE PAC-12
"I think the Pac-12 is one of the best volleyball conferences in America. That's what makes it so exciting every night because you know you are going to have a tough match. There is not a bad team in the Pac-12. You have to be ready to play every night and that's what makes it fun."
ON INDIVIDUAL GOALS FOR THIS SEASON
"I want to be someone my teammates can depend on with being consistent. I want to step even more into my role, hopefully as a leader on our team. I want to be able to play both sides of the ball both offensively and defensively at a high rate."
Players Mentioned
Tuesday, December 02
Saturday, November 29
Wednesday, November 26
Friday, November 21