With just over a week's notice that their season was actually happening, the Linfield volleyball team starts its 2021 season under the direction of a new coach and a nearly entirely new roster comprised mainly of underclassmen.
 
NEW LEADER OF THE 'CATS
Haley Doerfler was hired to lead the Linfield volleyball program in January 2020. Her first regular season match comes more than 13 months later on March 4, 2021.
 
She is the first woman to coach the Wildcats since Robin Vealey led the program to a league championship in 1979.
 
PLAYING AN INDOOR SPORT IN A PANDEMIC
Indoor sports have battled many restrictions in trying to start their seasons. With its larger roster, the volleyball group had its first full-team practice last Friday after Yamhill County was dropped down to "High-Risk" classification.
 
Staging small-group practices "hasn't allowed the team to fully bond," said Doerfler. "It makes it more difficult to have that trust in your teammates that you're playing with because you can't develop that in practice."
 
After the first full-team scrimmage on Friday, the team will practice three times this week. When they take on the Lewis & Clark Pioneers on Thursday, it will mark just be the fifth time the whole team has been together. That's presented a notable challenge, Doerfler said, when all but three of 22 student-athletes on team are freshmen or sophomores.
 
"This group has really risen to that challenge and accepted it. Everyone is really looking forward to getting out on the court," she said.
 
"It's been a year that's allowed us to focus more on culture and where we want to go culture wise. That's really a great place to start in terms of everything."
 
Everyone who is in the gym, including the players on the court, are required to wear a mask at all times during the match.
 
MORE TIME OFF THE COURT THAN ON THE COURT
Since the student-athletes arrived on campus last fall, Doerfler has been able to spend more time with each player individually to get to know their personalities and also evaluate how each player's talents can best help the team win matches.
 
"The layoff has allowed to me to get to know the players off the court, to get to know them as people first before knowing them as volleyball players. It can be hard for a new coach to go straight into the fall season, because you don't get the offseason to build the relationships," said Doerfler.
 
"I wouldn't take it every year, but the layoff has had some nice side effects."
 
A ROSTER FULL OF YOUNG 'CATS
As noted, 19 of the 22 players on the roster are freshmen and sophomores. Of the three upperclassmen, only one – senior Regan Dean – was on the roster last season. Being a new coach, Doerfler has approached all players the same way regardless of how many years they've been in the program.
 
"It doesn't matter how old you are, everyone is a valuable member of this team," said Doerfler. "All of our freshmen, sophomores and one junior have accepted the challenge of what it means to be a college volleyball player. They understand that there are no small roles.
 
"I am really excited to watch them compete and coach them in a match. All our players are competitors. They want to go out and win and play hard, which is something that's hard to coach."
 
RETURNERS
Linfield returns outside hitters Dean and Raelynn Hammock, who were both among the top-30 in the Northwest Conference in kills per set in 2019. Hammock was 13^th with a kills-per-set average of 2.39. Dean was 26^th with an average of 1.88.
 
"Raelynn and Regan have risen to the challenge of what it means to be an outside hitter. Getting the balls that are out of system, that aren't set perfectly, getting asked to pass or receive the serve and getting back to take the attack," said Doerfler.
 
"I am really excited to see those two compete and rise to the challenge of what it means to be either a three-rotation or six-rotation outside."
 
Maya Nakasone was on the floor as the team's libero for nearly every point last season. She finished the season ranking fifth in the conference in digs, averaging 4.21 per set as a freshman. Doerfler anticipates another strong year for the defensive specialist/libero from Honolulu.
 
"Maya has been working a lot on her serve-receive and her ability to keep her feet in defense, which is huge as a defensive specialist/libero," said Doerfler. "The more often you are on the ground, the more often you will be in the way. She's been working hard at that and getting her angles nice and early and driving that ball up to target."
 
Doerfler pointed out Megan Stanek and Kayla Moss for their willingness to do whatever it takes for the Wildcats to win as another strength of the returning group.
 
"I am really impressed with their super positive attitude in being a member of the team and their flexibility. We had an injury on Friday and right away they asked to step in even though we had them training in a different position."
 
NEWCOMERS
Among the 13-member newcomer class, McKenzie Brock and Tessa Doerfler have had the most experience in college.
 
Brock is a junior transfer from Mt. Hood Community College. Doerfler is a senior who transferred to Linfield from Hawaii Pacific in 2018 and played 16 matches during that season.
 
"Tessa is a solid player, stays nice and controlled on serve-receive and on defense. She brings a nice steady leadership to the court," said Haley Doerfler, her older sister. "It is cool to be part of your sister's last year of college."
 
Brock and sophomore newcomer Seraiah Ochse are both middle blockers, a position that was an important need in terms of experience for Linfield.
 
"They are both new to us in the middle. I'm really excited to see their blocking ability to come into play and their ability to terminate out of the middle."
 
Another middle blocker the 'Cats brought in is Siera Crawford, who has the extra challenge of juggling time commitments of being a dual-sport volleyball and track & field student-athlete.
 
"Sierra is one player, moving forward, who we are really excited to see her grow and watch her compete," said Doerfler.
 
On the defensive side, Yssa Alcones and Anika Shuckhart are two new defensive specialists. Both also have the ability to play as a libero.
 
"Yssa is a phenomenal defender. She reads the court really well. Anika is someone we are super excited for her future and what she's going to bring to the program," said Doerfler.
 
Freshmen Zoie Warner and Maddie Broyhill add depth among the outside hitters for the Wildcats.
 
A setter from Tacoma, Washington, Mia Naccarato is expected to make an immediate impact. Doerfler says every hitter on the team gets excited to hit a ball set by Naccarato.
 
"Mia is phenomenal with her ball placement. She puts the ball in the same location every single time. She puts up a hittable ball every single time," said Doerfler.
 
A TIGHT ROTATION
Doerfler expects 9-12 players primarily getting the most court time. "They are players who seem to have good chemistry on the court. They challenge each other in a super positive way. That is huge."
 
"A big part of my coaching style is not putting a student-athlete in a position in which they haven't practiced, so we're not looking to go outside of that strategy."
 
A GOOD STEPPING STONE
During the spring season, Linfield will play each of the four Oregon NWC schools twice. No national championship or conference championship is up for grabs this spring.
 
"We have talked a lot about playing to win instead of playing not to lose. I'm looking for a group and a team that is wanting, ready to compete and works hard start to finish," said Doerfler on her goals for the spring.
 
"No student-athlete signs up to just practice. Getting to use this competition time is a reward for their hard work. They've all worked hard this fall and early spring to compete."
 
FAMILY TIES TO LINFIELD VOLLEYBALL
Doerfler enters her first season as head coach of the Linfield volleyball team with her younger sister, Tessa, as one of two seniors. The Doerfler's mother, Andrea, is an assistant on the coaching staff.
 
"In the practice that my mom was here, I realized I am now saying everything that she used to say to me as a player to other players while she is in the gym. It was cool to take that step back and realize that this is a lot bigger than just volleyball," said Doerfler.
 
Andrea Doerfler is a Linfield alumnae, who played for the Wildcats from 1982-85. Linfield finished no worse than second in the conference over that four years, including a conference championship in 1983.
 
"She was a student-athlete at Linfield when they were really good and won conference championships, so I'm super excited for the current student-athletes to learn from her," said Haley Doerfler.
 
The Wildcats start the 2021 season this week against the Pioneers. The team face off at Lewis & Clark's Pamplin Sports Center on Thursday and at Ted Wilson Gym on Friday, Start time for both matches is 7 p.m.
 
Per Northwest Conference protocols, fans are not allowed at any Linfield athletics events.