NSU Horizons Winter 2008 - 2009

scoreboard NSU Athletics Fall Season review By Jeff Kelley T he 2008–2009 athletic teams had a banner fall season. Three of the five fall athletic teams contended for Sunshine State Conference titles, with both cross country teams advancing to the NCAA Regional and the volleyball team proceeding to the National Championships. Volleyball—Charting a Winning Course When Steve Wilcosky, head coach, took over the helm of the Nova Southeastern University volleyball program prior to the 2006 campaign, he inherited a team that had yet to claim a postseason match or advance to the NCAA tournament. The genesis of his rebuilding effort focused on changing the mentality of his players and bringing in the right mix of student-athletes who could help the Sharks ascend to unattained levels of success. Coming off a 2007 season that featured a 16-match turnaround, NCAA South Regional appearance, and a second-place finish in the Sunshine State Conference are evidence of Wilcosky’s vision in “Charting a Winning Course” for NSU volleyball. Wilcosky led the Sharks volleyball team into un-chartered waters in his third year at the helm for Nova Southeastern University in 2008. Not only did NSU secure its second consecutive NCAA bid, but it captured its first-ever NCAA Division II South Regional Title to advance further than any team in program history. The Sharks took an unusual path to the South Regional title, winning as the sixth seed in an eight-team field. After sweep- ing SSC rival Lynn University out of the court in the opening round, NSU was forced to pull off a thrilling comeback in the semifinals, overcoming a two-set deficit to Saint Leo University. After the Sharks dropped the first two sets against West Florida, the team methodically climbed back into the match and pulled off the upset to capture its first South Regional Championship. The team ran out of magic in its NCAA Division II Quarterfinal match (Elite 8) vs. national power Truman State in St. Paul, Minnesota. The Sharks post-season run marks the furthest the team has ever advanced, falling just three victories shy of a national title and finishing its season ranked number 20 in the nation at 24-12. The Sharks captured numerous honors for the first time ever in 2008. The accolades include Valia Petrova being named AVCA National Player of the Week and Petrova and Emily Carle earning the first All-America honors in program history. Cross Country—Cleared for Takeoff NSU, which earned its first-ever regional ranking in school history one year ago, had arguably its best season in program his- tory under Bryan Hagopian, first-year head coach. Led by defending Sunshine State Conference Runner of the Year and team captain Eskender Abdalla, the Sharks returned with 50 percent of the men’s team from a season ago. A four-time SSC Runner of the Week in 2007, Abdalla became the first NSU harrier to be named runner of the year. He posted five top-10 finishes in the Sharks’ six regular-season races and finished 18th out of 127 runners in the men’s 10k regional meet. The Sharks’s smallest group—its senior class—had a lot to do with how successful the Sharks are this season. The class consists of Abdalla and Robert Maughan, two runners who were both in their fourth year of competition on the collegiate level. Also returning to the squad were sophomores John Besharat, Jeffrey Palmer, Joseph Pena, and Agustin Rey. Palmer became the biggest surprise of the season, posting a vic- tory, three second-place finishes, and a top-10 finish in five races. For his effort, he was tabbed to the 2008 All- SSC Cross Country team and All-South Region team. He crossed the finish line in second place at the UT Early Bird Classic, finished second in the Florida Tech Invite, 10th at the UF Mountain Dew Invitational, first in the FLRunner.com invite, and second in the SSC Championships. He won three SSC Runner of the Week awards in 2008 and set a new personal best in his past three races. Junior duel-sport athlete Tara Haddock (who also plays women’s basketball) will anchor the women’s team in 2008. One of only two returnees, Haddock played a key role in the Sharks’s regional appearance one year ago. With a plethora of 40 horizons TARA HADDOCK