The faces may change, the names on the roster may alter, but one thing is for certain: The mission stays the same.
And now more than ever as Colorado State volleyball is set to head to the Pac-12 and commemorate its 50th year as a program, the Rams are determined to take home a championship.
“We want to go out into the Pac-12 with a bang and hopefully championship No. 28. It might look a little different along the journey, but I’m really confident by the time conference starts that this is going to be a championship-level team.” -Emily Kohan, volleyball head coach
“Every single year, we’re coming in here to win championships,” head coach Emily Kohan said. “The puzzle pieces (have) got to be put together. There’s just a few more question marks (this season), and we have time. … I’m really grateful for the extra practice opportunities.”
The American Volleyball Coaches Association committee let the Rams have an early start to the fall season, allowing them to begin practice a week ahead of schedule — a timely advantage for Kohan as CSU prepares for its Aug. 29 season opener against Colgate.
Change within a roster is nothing new for college sports, but this year’s turnover is among the largest in recent memory for the Rams. Five of six starters from last season are gone, with nine newcomers joining the program.
“Every single day, there’s a lot of growth,” Kohan said. “There’s a lot of excitement, a lot of curiosity — even from our end, like the coaching staff walking into the gym on the first day, of being like, we don’t even know what these kids are like.”
But after countless hours of curating chemistry both on and off the court, this new roster for CSU has already begun creating its own history for the program. CSU has been predicted to finish second within the Mountain West, just behind Utah State.
And although there might not be an established starting roster, there’s a roster filled with players ready to fight and defend the current title of MW champions.
“We want to go out into the Pac-12 with a bang and hopefully championship No. 28,” Kohan said. “It might look a little different along the journey, but I’m really confident by the time conference starts that this is going to be a championship-level team.”
But to reach that high level, hours of effort will have to be dedicated — most likely more than last season — especially because five of the nine newcomers are first-years. To Kohan, it’s not only a chance for her to foster growth but also a moment of opportunity, and Ram fans shouldn’t be surprised if a few make their debut on the starting roster.
But first-years aren’t the only new additions to the roster. Several talented athletes have joined the Rams, such as Brenna Rowland, Eve Wilson and — a name to keep an eye out for as the season progresses — Zosia Szczotkiewicz.
“(Szczotkiewicz’s) a fifth-year; that comes with a lot of experience and a lot of maturity, and she doesn’t get rattled super easily,” Kohan said. “It’s totally normal for a freshman to have some ups and downs, … but with Zosia and fifth-years, you know what you’re getting day in and day out.”
Although these first-years allow Kohan to step into a more coaching- and mentoring-focused role, the presence of older players on the court helps facilitate the transition, as they have gone through the collegiate circuit and can serve as leaders on the court.
Szczotkiewicz is a graduate setter transfer from UAlbany, where she spent the past three seasons. Prior to that, she played for a season at Wichita State. While recognizing there are big shoes to fill left by former setter Emery Herman, Szczotkiewicz stepped in as setter, looking to continue the level of prestige while also building this new era of CSU volleyball.
“I definitely want to help the team with my experience as a fifth-year,” Szczotkiewicz said. “I want to take that experience and confidence to the court (so that) they know they can rely on me.”
Szczotkiewicz noted that although there has been an increase in team chemistry, it’s been hard — especially as a setter — to work with a fairly new team. Yet she wants to continuously challenge herself within her role and will not be the only one to do so.
Although the starting roster still seems to be in question — or if there will even be an established starting six like the prior year — several players have been showing promise, even those who have been with the team for multiple seasons, especially middle blocker Kekua Richards.
“I love the pressure,” Richards said. “I have really high expectations for myself, and the two people that were ahead of me have really high expectations for me, so I’m excited to just kind of prove myself and grow and see how far I can go.”
There is no doubt Richards will be tallying more minutes this season, but there seems to be room for starting positions as the puzzle pieces fit together. And as Kohan noted, because their offense isn’t as predictable, it has the potential of being harder to defend.
The Rams are a wild card waiting to unleash this season, proving that despite losing almost their entire roster, they have the ability to not only come together but to win championships while doing it.
“The mission statement doesn’t change,” Kohan said. “Each new team is looking to keep building on their own tradition, their own story.”
Reach Sophie Webb at sports@collegian.com or on social media @sophgwebb.
