RICHMOND, Ky. - The Eastern Kentucky University volleyball team will open the 1998 season on Tuesday, September 1, in Alumni Coliseum against the University of Evansville.

"I have not had a chance to see a tape of Evansville, yet," said Eastern head coach Lori Duncan. "Based on their team last season, we don't expect them to be overpowering. But they will be consistent.

"We'll prepare for them, not knowing a lot about them, expecting them to do a lot of things well."

Duncan is both excited and apprehensive about what the 1998 season will bring for Eastern. The Colonels return only four players from last seasons' team. Of those returnees, only one is a senior with three sophomores. Ten newcomers enter the year with only three of them having collegiate experience.

"We (the coaching staff) have to balance our expectations with the reality of where we'll be as a team," said Duncan. "My expectations are to win every time we are on the court. But we need to realize that we will not win every match."

Duncan will look to four Colonels to carry the bulk of the load this season. All four are sophomores with one year of playing experience at the collegiate level. They include 5-10 outside hitter Jeni Brockman and 5-9 outside hitter Sarah Stern, both returning from last years' squad; 5-10 outside hitter Courtney Bowen, a transfer from the University of Massachusetts; and 5-9 setter/outside hitter Mary Lee Keranko, a transfer from Rider University.

"These four will lead our team," said Duncan. "They will have days that they will not perform well. I tell them 'Our performance will vary, but attitudes and work ethics will not vary'. You can't control performance every day, but you should never vary in your attitude or work ethics.

"We must deal with adversity well. That's what great teams do. That is going to lay the foundation for future success."

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