[ COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL ]
FL MORRIS / FMORRIS@STARBULLETIN.COM
Hawaii's Nohea Tano and Maja Gustin blocked an Idaho shot last night during a first-round NCAA Tournament match at the Stan Sheriff Center. The Wahine swept and will face BYU.
Second-generation setter
BYU's Richards took a long road
to her position, but can't wait
to face Hawaii
Brigham Young setter Lauren Richards is the link between the past and the future of Cougar volleyball in more ways than one.
The second-generation Cougar guided her team into today's NCAA second-round match against No. 2 Hawaii. Behind Richards' 12th double-double (36 assists, 10 digs) of the season, the Cougars swept New Mexico State 30-17, 30-17, 30-27 yesterday in the opening match of the NCAA Tournament.
"I can't wait to play Hawaii," Richards said. "I wanted to play them so bad last year. I'm so excited."
Getting to a starting role has taken some time for the redshirt sophomore. Richards was part of former BYU coach Elaine Michaelis' last recruiting class. The setter's progress and court savvy have helped the Cougars in what Michaelis called a "rebuilding season" after BYU (24-8) lost three starters from last year's squad.
Michaelis knew what she was getting with Richards, whose mother Lori played for Michaelis from 1977 to 1978.
"Lauren's a great jumper, very athletic," said Michaelis, BYU's director of women's athletics. "They have the same personality. They're very competitive, reserved and team-oriented.
"There are similarities in the smile. She has a pleasant appearance and there's always a we-can-do-this attitude."
The can-do attitude comes from having done everything. As a prep standout, the 6-foot Richards was mostly a hitter in high school, but she competed as a setter for the U.S. Junior National team.
Richards was recruited as a setter for BYU but came out of a redshirt year to play outside hitter in 2001. Richards missed the first 10 matches of the season but still finished with an average of 2.36 kills per game.
"It was the most bizarre thing I've ever done," said Richards, who also had four kills and hit .600 yesterday. "I've played outside before and I love to hit. It was kind of cool that they were like, 'We need you to hit.' Some of the girls were mad, so there was tension.
"It was really hard. It was emotionally and mentally very tough. And I learned a lot from it."
Richards redshirted last season and was prepared to run a 6-2 offense with Karina Puikkonen, but the senior decided not to return for her final year. Her experience in her first two seasons helped Richards to take what the upperclassmen dished out.
"She's pretty much like a freshman setting-wise," said senior opposite Carrie Bowers, who hit .478 with 12 kills yesterday. "She didn't set her freshman year.
"We're really good friends, so I can tell her whatever I want to tell her. Low, high, off, too fast, too slow."
Richards has improved greatly over her first year of setting. She isolated her hitters well and made smart decisions on the court. She showed off her court awareness in Game 3 when she set a ball to the deep corner on a broken play that resulted in a point for BYU. Her play on the court is indicative of grooming from parents who both played collegiate volleyball.
Richards says she feels the weight of controlling the offense, but it is a pressure that she enjoys.
"I love my position," Richards said. "There's a lot that you can do. They depend on me.
"I know that I need to take control a lot of the time. They're looking toward me. If I'm out of control racing around then our team is racing around. If I'm calm and keeping my composure, then our team does."
