ALAMOSA, Colo.—Adams State University's volleyball team hopes to rebound from a tough season a year ago, and coach Lindy Mortensen thinks she has the talent to pull it off. ASU won two of 13 matches.

"We're hoping to improve our record," she said. "We feel like we can be competitive. We're deeper in some of our positions, so that will help."

Mortensen pointed to her outside and middle hitting positions as areas of depth for the coming season. One of the key contributors should be Shannon Mulkey, a 6-foot middle hitter. The senior from Plano, Texas, was Honorable-Mention All-RMAC last year. In 11 matches, she compiled 101 kills and a hitting percentage of .212.

"She's a good, middle hitter," Mortensen said. "She's one of our captains. Her skill and leadership will be a factor for us. She's a fast, middle player. She holds our team together. She one of our few, older players.

Chasey Black, a 6-foot middle and outside hitter, is back in action after breaking a finger last year. Anna Huggins (outside hitter from Albuquerque, N.M.) is another source of help for Mortensen. She had 18 kills and a hitting percentage of .131 in 2020.

"She's small, but she's a good jumper on that left side," Mortensen said.

Mortensen also is looking for Salt Lake City native and transfer player Sai Collins to have a big impact for the Grizzlies this season.

"She's a good jumper who's going to help us," the coach said.

Aside from the experience, Mortensen is looking to some freshmen to make contributions. Sierra Leone Sanchez is originally from Las Vegas, Nev., but prepped at Durango High School. Ailee Bugas, another defensive specialist, comes to the Grizzlies by way of a JC in Casper, Wyoming. She prepped at Mountain View High School and is originally from Fort Bidger, Wyoming. Shea Sapiha, originally from Long Beach, California.

"She was on the American Volleyball Coaches Association phenom list," Mortensen said. "She's young, and she needs some experience at this level."

Another potential impact player – who also happens to be a freshman – is Natalie Gallegos, who prepped at Los Alamos High School in Albuquerque. She's missed some time in the preseason because of an injury.

"We brought in more players so we could be deeper," Mortensen said. "We'll just have to see who steps up."

The Grizzlies' strengths center on experience. The weaknesses center on youth.

"We are young. A lot of coaches say that. But we have 11 players with four years of eligibility," Mortensen said. "We are definitely young. That can be a good thing if we keep getting better. We need to play and compete."

ASU has a tough schedule on tap. Mortensen said eight of the Grizzlies' opponents are in preseason top 20 polls.

"The girls are working hard in the gym," Mortensen said. "We need to see how we compete against other schools. We have a tough conference schedule, so we need to play at a high level. That's the way it should be."

The Grizzlies will be on the road this weekend when they travel to West Texas A&M to take on the four teams in the 2021 Britkare Lady Buff Classic.

The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference's preseason coaches' poll pegged the Grizzlies to finish in 14^th place. The home opener is Tuesday, Sept. 7, against Angelo State University.