TEN QUESTIONS WITH...

This season, you lead the Mid-American Conference and are sixth in the nation with 1.6 blocks per game. What are you trying to do on each block attempt in terms of the positioning of your body and hands?
As a middle blocker, it's not only my job to block the other team's middle, but to assist on the outside, as well. When I am blocking the middle, I try to line up the way my hitter is facing. When I'm on the outside, I trust that our outside blocker is lined up correctly and I try to get out to her and then penetrate low and fast over the net.

Do you match-up against a specific individual on each block attempt or is it sort of a zone defensive setup?
My first responsibility is the other team's middle hitter. She can attack anywhere along the net, so I have to watch her and go wherever she goes. As soon as I realize she isn't getting set, I can release to wherever the ball is being set.

You were named your team's top newcomer last season. Did that create additional pressure to expand upon what you accomplished during your freshman year?
I have definitely put pressure on myself to get better, but not because I was the top newcomer. I want to get better because I love this game and this team. I want to do whatever I can to make our team better.

As the regular season winds down during the next couple of weeks, your team will be facing teams for a second time - like Ohio, Kent State and Marshall. How does having already played a team once affect your approach the second time around?
There's no question that you feel better prepared, because you know more or less what to expect. In cases where we've lost to a team, it's exciting to have a second chance against them.

In mid-November, your team will be participating in the MAC Tournament - which will include all 13 teams for the first time. What type of expectations do you have for that tournament?
We've been waiting for the MAC Tournament the whole year. It's been a huge goal for us to continue to improve and peak during the conference season - we're right on schedule, now. We will definitely go into the tournament with a positive attitude and a great deal of confidence.

As far as serves go, do you have different styles? How do you select the location of where you want your serve to land?
I'm still perfecting my serve and trying to develop different serving styles. For the most part, I use a "floater" serve. It's difficult to pass off a "floater" because it moves a little bit in the air as it travels. Our assistant coach, Katie Michalski, does a really good job in telling us where to serve to.

Offensively, how many plays do you have and what do they generally consist of?
We have about eight plays. We try to spread our offense so that their middle blocker has to move a lot. We also try to move everything quickly so that the opposition does not have a chance to set up a solid defense.

Are the offensive plays applicable only on the original attack, or are they still used during rallies that extend past a couple of exchanges?
When we are receiving the serve, our setter tells us what we're going to run. Our setter also gives us a free ball play, which occurs when the other team just passes it over the net. We usually just audible to anything we want to run in transition.

How does the rotation and substitution pattern work?
We rotate after the opposing team loses possession of the serve. The biggest change in the game has been the addition of the libero position. The libero is a defensive specialist who wears a different colored jersey - she can't serve or play in the front row. After our middle hitters serve, the libero comes in for them to play the back row.

As a member of the prestigious honors program here at UB, how difficult do you find it to balance your studies along with athletics?
It can be hard if you make it that way, but as long as you manage your time it's not too bad. Missing class because of road trips can set you back, but being an athlete also helps in the sense that so many people are looking after you and care about your studies.

-The "10 Questions with…" feature is compiled by Geoff Nason.