Northwestern University Athletics
Keylor Chan Weighs In On The Upcoming 2010 Season
8/17/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Aug. 17, 2010
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EVANSTON, Ill. -- With the start of the 2010 volleyball season just a week and a half away, Northwestern is hitting the court hard in preparation for another challenging run through the Big Ten. Head coach Keylor Chan recently sat down with NUsports.com to preview the upcoming season and shares his thoughts on the 2010 Wildcats.
On what Chan is excited about heading into the season...
"I'm excited to have a veteran team. We have a great mix of veteran leadership, talent and also some young players that will bring some new energy. I think we have a great balance of what you look for in an upcoming season. There aren't a lot of questions heading into the year. We just have to go out and play good volleyball."
On what the 2010 seniors have meant to the program...
"This senior class means a lot to this program, because they have been through a lot. I don't think we've had another class that has experienced as much as these girls have, both the ups and the downs. They've been very close to the (NCAA) tournament a couple of times, had a couple good years along with one very tough year. I think this class really has the opportunity to turn a chapter and leave their mark in Northwestern volleyball history."
On the outlook of the Big Ten in 2010...
"What's going to make this year interesting is you don't want to dodge the expectations that each team has, but at the same time you don't want to let someone's name or reputation get the best of you. We're going to approach the conference schedule the same way we did last year - train hard everyday, be well prepared for every match and enjoy playing every match. We all want the same thing, which is to be among the top teams in the Big Ten. It's just a matter of going out and doing it on a daily basis."
On the Wildcats' non-conference schedule...
"We're playing some very good teams during our non-conference tournaments this year, including a handful of perennial conference contenders and NCAA tournament teams. Getting a chance to see some of the best teams from around the country I think will be a good opportunity for our girls. We have quite a bit of home matches and matches within the Chicago area, which will be good for us, and have some quality opponents coming to Evanston. All of our preseason matches will challenge us and give us a good idea of where we stand heading into conference play."
On the incoming Wildcats...
"This is one of the top classes we've brought in at Northwestern, and we just need them to play volleyball. Obviously the freshmen need to learn a lot about collegiate volleyball, but all of them have the talent, experience and maturity to come in and contribute right away. Plus we also get the chance to have Christina Kaelin join our program from this year after a great career at Notre Dame. Not only will she provide talent and depth at the outside hitter position but brings a lot of experience and leadership that hopefully will impact the younger players."
On what it would mean to make the NCAA tournament...
"Obviously it would mean a lot, especially to these seniors. They've been right there on the doorstep a handful of times and it is something they haven't had a chance to experience during their time here. But the important thing for this team is just to work on getting better every day and improving each time they step on the court in order to earn that opportunity. Hopefully at the end of the year we've done what we needed to do, but right now we've got a lot of work to do."
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