BYU gets key blockers back

All-American Moreno also returns as setter

By Scott Taylor
Deseret Morning News
Published: Monday, May 24, 2004 11:06 p.m. MDT
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PROVO — The biggest question mark of 2004 for the BYU men's volleyball team will end up being one of its biggest strengths as the Cougars look toward 2005 and defense of their NCAA championship.

That building block for BYU in the future is at middle blocker, where the Cougars enter with injury and inexperience. Returning for 2005 are starters Michael Burke and Victor Batista.

Of course, the other 2005 mainstay for coach Tom Peterson will be setter Carlos Moreno, whose position serves as playmaker and director for the Cougar attack.

As a junior in 2004, Moreno hauled in a mantle-load of major awards, both in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation and at the national level.

In the conference, he was player of the year, first-team all-MSPF and MVP of the MPSF tournament. Meanwhile, the American Volleyball Coaches Association named Moreno its player of the year and a first-team all-America, while at the NCAA Championships he received all-tournament and MVP honors.

But Peterson will have plenty of holes to fill with the departure of senior starters Fernando Pessoa, Jon Alleman, Joe Hillman and Shawn Olmstead, along with reserve frontliners Chris Gorny, Cory Carpenter and David Hyte.

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Pessoa earned AVCA first-team all-America honors and after switching from the defensive libero position to outside hitter for his final season; an all-American at opposite last year, Alleman received all-MPSF honors after moving to outside hitter in 2003; and Hillman stepped in as an opposite starter to achieve second-team all-America recognition.

In losing the aforementioned trio, Moreno will be without the Cougars' three leaders in kills per game — Pessoa at 4.03, Hillman at 3.54 and Alleman at 3.34.

In 2004, Olmstead was a constant at libero for the Cougars, while Gorny battled through preseason and midseason injuries to make key contributions at middle blocker and outside hitter.

In addition to averaging 2.5 kills a game each, Burke and Batista led the Cougars in blocks per game — Batista at 1.24 and Burke at 1.17.

Peterson has plenty of reserves to draw on for next season, often commenting that the Cougars boast the best second squad in the nation and that several backups could start on other MSPF squads.

Three sophomores — Rob Neilson, Taylor Evans and Steffin Rangel — saw the most action as reserves returning as key '05 players. Neilson is Moreno's backup at setter and often is inserted temporarily for his serving; Evans and Rangel came in occasionally to hit at the ends.

The host of Cougar underclassmen include a dozen freshmen reserves or redshirts in Peterson's program.

E-mail: taylor@desnews.com

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