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The Rice Thresher
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by Chris Larson thresher editorial staff
That's how junior setter Nil Kalagoglu describes the 1999 volleyball season, a campaign that essentially never took place for her. Kalagoglu dislocated her ankle while warming up for the season opener, and the injury forced her to miss the whole year. Senior outside hitter Karolina Zelinka shared Kalagoglu's frustration. Zelinka, a first team all-Western Athletic Conference selection in '98, tore cartilage in her shoulder and played in only the first five matches of the season. "We had a good team and we expected to do really well," Zelinka said. "It was hard to see them lose games just because half the team wasn't there." But now is the time for these two Owls to make up for last season's unraveling. Based on last spring's workouts and this year's preseason practices, Kalagoglu and Zelinka believe the Owls are poised for a breakthrough campaign. "We've spent a lot of time together, and we got really excited from the spring," Kalagoglu said. "We've seen both the good and the bad, and we know that there's no reason for us not to win." Kalagoglu and Zelinka said making the transition back to the team was a painless process, and both are excited to join a returning core that gained both skills and experience through last season's trials. "Last year turned into a rebuilding year after everybody got hurt, and the freshmen gained a lot of experience," Zelinka said. "It was really easy to get back into it, especially in the spring. It felt just the same, like we weren't even gone." In addition to the talent that Kalagoglu and Zelinka add, the Owls should look like a strikingly different team from last year in terms of maturity and leadership. Eight of this year's Owls are juniors or seniors. "We've got a lot of experience compared to last year," senior outside hitter Klara Zelinka said. "Everyone knows what we're going to be going through." Previously, Klara didn't expect to be able to play with her sister during her senior year, because Karolina was supposed to use up her fourth and final year of eligibility last season. But the NCAA granted Karolina a medical redshirt, so the sisters will play their senior year together. "I've always played with her," Klara Zelinka said. "It would have been a lot different not to play with her." Probably no one is more grateful for the return of Kalagoglu and Karolina Zelinka than head coach Julio Morales, who looks to the players for far more than simple numbers on the court. "They're very important, strong players," Morales said. "They're mature, experienced players that have been with the team as it has developed. Not only because of their own play, but because of their experience, they're a catalyst to get us going."
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