TEN QUESTIONS WITH...

This weekend, you traveled to the James Madison Tournament where you finished second. In the finals, you lost to James Madison in five games. To play with a team that is 8-2, how much confidence does that give you going into Mid-American Conference play?
I think we’re really excited and definitely ready to play. This whole preseason play, we’ve been working hard and I think, coming off that tournament, going 2-1, that’s really helped us boost our confidence. We’re definitely ready to play some MAC games that really count.

What were some of the bright spots from the weekend that you saw, especially with MAC play approaching?
I think our team is finally starting to play together. We have a lot of new fresh people playing this year. We’re really young so it’s hard for us to kind of play together. We’re starting to really mesh well together and become a true team.

Last year, you entered conference play with a 5-7 record. This year, you are 7-6. How important is it to come in to MAC play with a winning record?
I think it’s really important. It gives us a lot of confidence stepping onto the court for our first MAC game.

You’ve been a regular in the UB lineup for four years. Did you expect to make such an immediate impact with the team?
Not really. When I was a freshman, there were a lot of seniors on the team so I really didn’t expect to come in and start playing right away. I was really happy that I could do so and that I could make a big impact on the team.

After your freshman season, UB got a new coach in Sally Kus. What has she been able to do to help the program?
I think the biggest part of Sally is she stays really positive. She’s helped us out so much. She brought in two great assistant coaches and those three together are so positive. We’ve changed completely. We’re a totally different team from my first year.

This summer, you played on the Western Open Team at the Empire State Games and won a silver medal. What was that experience like?
Playing this summer was good for me, just to keep playing and not lose anything. It was really fun. I played with some past players from UB so we had a lot of fun. It was good to be competitive during the summer.

You list in the 2004 volleyball media guide that going to the sectional finals at Lancaster High your senior year was your greatest athletic experience. What made that team and that year so special?
My senior year of high school, we had a lot of seniors on that team. We were all really close. We had all played together for four years. That was our first time going (to the finals). We just had so much fun. We played really well.

You were recruited out of Lancaster High, just 15 minutes away. What made you decide that UB was the place to play volleyball rather than other schools like Duke and Siena that recruited you?
I wanted to stay close to home. I’m kind of a homebody. I didn’t want to be too far away from my parents and my sisters. That’s why I chose UB, and it’s good academically.

Now the important question. You’ve lived in and around Buffalo all of your life. Where is the best place to get chicken wings?
I have to say Duff’s. Definitely Duff’s--no question about it. Some people say the Anchor Bar, but I’m a Duff’s girl.

What has been your favorite moment as a UB athlete?
Meeting all the girls and becoming so close (has been the best part of being at UB). Making so many new friendships is really definitely the best part of being an athlete.

“The 10 Questions With…” feature is compiled by Joe Guistina.