RICHMOND, Ky. -- The 1999 edition of the Eastern Kentucky University volleyball team began preparations recently for its season opener -- Sept. 1 -- at the University of Kentucky.

Five juniors, five sophomores and eight freshmen will lead the hopes of the '99 EKU volleyball team as the Colonels hope to rebound from a rebuilding year in 1998 that saw Eastern go 3-23 with only four returnees from the previous year on the squad.

Lori Duncan will begin her second year at the helm of the Colonel volleyball team and hopes the year's experience gained by her 10 returnees and the influx of some talented freshmen will carry Eastern over the top as EKU continues its climb back to the upper echelon of the Ohio Valley Conference.

"I think the key to the '99 season is how quickly these freshmen that we have brought in can compete and challenge and learn our hitting and blocking schemes. How quickly they grasp our system will determine how much we struggle and when we begin to enjoy some success," said Duncan.

"We have a lot more depth at certain positions than we had last year and we have the ability to pass the ball on target better. This will help us. I can tell that our ballhandling skills have improved greatly from last year. Just like any team, we have to stay away from injuries to our key people to have a chance to be successful."

Leading the 1999 version of the Colonels will be junior co-captains Courtney Bowen and Mary Lee Keranko. Bowen, a 5-11 outside hitter, led Eastern in kills (3.3 pg.) and digs (2.9 pg.) last season and was second on the team last year in hitting percentage at .194. Keranko, a 5-9 setter/rightside hitter, averaged 2.9 kills and 2.2 digs per game last season. She also had 95 assists in her 81 games.

The starting setter for most of the '98 season is back for her junior year in 5-10 Sharon Moreno. She averaged 7.1 assists per contest and also came up with 87 kills and 149 digs.

Other starters back include 5-10 sophomore middle blocker Katie Lyon (7 block solos, 39 block assists) who also led the Colonels in hitting percentage (.194, 1.1 kills pg.); 5-10 junior outside hitter Sarah Stern (1.5 kills pg., 2.2 digs pg.); and 5-6 sophomore defensive specialist Jennifer Seretti (2.2 digs pg.).

Rounding out the lettermen back are 5-6 sophomore defensive specialist Erica Ashley (1.1 digs pg.); 6-0 junior middle blocker Kristen Campbell (0.7 blocks pg.); 5-6 junior defensive specialist Jenny Hite (1.2 digs pg.); and 5-11 middle blocker/rightside hitter Courtney Huyser (1.3 kills pg., 1.1 digs pg.).

Nine freshmen dot the '99 roster for Eastern, paced by highly-touted, 5-10 outside hitter Becky Galati who will hopefully add power to the Colonel lineup early in the year.

Other freshmen this season include 5-5 defensive specialist Kristi Kuzma; 5-6 defensive specialist/outside hitter Carrie Adams; 5-9 outside hitter Marita Jones; 6-0 middle blocker Marisa Kawa; 5-4 defensive specialist Hillary Jones; 6-2 middle blocker Andrea Guelda; and 6-0 middle blocker Whitney Pryor.

Eastern finished last season in a tie for ninth place in the final conference standings with a 3-15 record inside OVC play.