Cougar head coach Chris Keife knows that if Azusa Pacific, ranked No. 14 in the preseason NAIA coaches poll, is to equal its finest season in over a decade, it will need to do so in an entirely different manner than 2005, which saw the Cougars advance to just its second trip to the NAIA National Volleyball Championship in the past 11 seasons. Gone from last year’s squad is the maturity and senior leadership of three of the Cougars’ top four kill leaders, including NAIA First Team All-American Jenny Brickner.

In 2006, Azusa Pacific looks to its lone senior, returning kill leader and NAIA All-American Second Team middle blocker Chelsea Morgan, to lead an otherwise young squad to continue the Cougars’ resurgence in the powerful Golden State Athletic Conference, which featured six teams ranked or receiving votes in the 2005 NAIA final poll.

Morgan enters her senior season ranked seventh in Azusa Pacific volleyball history in career kills with 848, and she is only the second Cougar to appear in the top 10 in fewer than 4 seasons of play. Joining Morgan in a leadership role will be sophomore All-GSAC setter Allison Kincheloe, who shattered Azusa Pacific’s single-season assist record in her rookie campaign with 1,786, catapulting her to fifth in career assists on the Cougar charts. Kincheloe will be the key to helping the Cougar offense continue to run efficiently.

"We lost a lot of maturity and leadership, but we have the potential to do just as well as last year," said Keife, who has compiled a 46-24 record in his first 2 seasons at Azusa Pacific. "We have experience at some key positions, with our setter and an All-American blocker (Morgan) back, but we will need our younger players to step in and contribute immediately."

Joining Morgan in the middle will be a combination of three freshman newcomers, including the 2005-06 National Christian Schools Athletic Association National Volleyball Player of the Year Jill Baker. The versatile freshman will also see time as an outside hitter for the Cougars. Baker is joined by fellow recruits Chelsea Ching, who also plays as a right side, and Brianne Sardo.

"It will be exciting to see this team develop and mature as the season goes on," said Keife. "The goal for our younger players is to understand the system and the techniques we teach to the point where it becomes second nature."

Other offensive options for the Cougars are junior Brianne Huff, an experienced player who spent time on the front row and as a defensive specialist in her first 2 seasons at Azusa Pacific, and sophomores Megan Burch and Kelsey Knudsen. Huff, a team captain, is a solid all-around player who can provide a positive contribution from a variety of positions this season. Burch, a southpaw, started 31 of 37 matches in her 2005 freshman campaign, posting 271 kills and a .255 attack percentage to go with 31 service aces, and she carries an increased share of the offensive load after further developing into a more powerful player in the offseason. Knudsen, a 6-foot right side hitter, saw action in 19 matches last season and also could contribute as a middle blocker.

Azusa Pacific returns its defensive leader in sophomore libero , who could also join the rotation as an outside hitter. Brown, a great passer and server, led the Cougars in 2005 with an Azusa Pacific single-season record 524 digs to go along with 38 service aces. Junior Alison Pattison adds valuable experience as a defensive specialist after appearing in all 37 matches while missing only one game all season. Pattison finished with 373 digs, second only to Brown, and she will be joined by sophomore Laura Stiles, who saw action in 27 matches in a reserve role in 2005.

"I am really anxious to see over the course of the year the players and team grow with one another," said Keife. "In addition to the talent we already have in place, it is exciting to think that much of this squad will remain intact for three years. In order for us to be successful this season, we need to mature and develop as we move forward."

Azusa Pacific hits the road for 11 of its first 12 matches, adding to an already challenging GSAC slate, which includes back-to-back NAIA Champion California Baptist and perennial championship contender Fresno Pacific, which has appeared in 12 consecutive NAIA Championship Tournaments. The Cougars kick off the 2006 campaign August 25-26 at Fresno Pacific, with the GSAC and home opener with Vanguard set for Sept. 7.