Rams Embark on New Era
A familiar face takes the reigns as volleyball opens with a splash
Braidon Nourse
As a roster and coaching staff, somewhere between familiarity and novelty is where the Colorado State volleyball team lies heading into the 2023 season.
Emily Kohan, an assistant coach for the Rams since 2016, took over as head coach after last season. Setter Emery Herman is going to play huge minutes commanding the offense as a transfer from Arizona. Meanwhile, the core group of starters, minus setter Ciera Pritchard, has remained largely unchanged since last year.
The challenge remains the same: Climb to and reach higher summits.
The goal is crystal clear with one glance at the teams the Rams will host on opening weekend. CSU volleyball is known for scheduling tough opponents for non-conference play – it’s been a staple of its culture and its drive to become battle tested before conference play begins.
This season, with a new head coach at the helm, they’ll take on two powerhouse programs on back-to-back days at home in what may be the toughest start to a season in program history. The Rams will open with No. 10 Kentucky on Friday at 7 p.m., then turn around and play No. 3 Stanford 24 hours later.
It’s a tough ask for the Rams, but to be the best, you have to play against the best. As it turns out, both top-10 opponents were looking for a challenge of their own in scheduling CSU. As one of the premier locations in terms of fan atmosphere, both Kentucky and Stanford called the Rams asking to play at Moby Arena.
For teams of such stature, it’s important to be challenged not only in competition, but also in adverse fan environments with the pressure of thousands cheering against you. It’s the kind of atmosphere CSU volleyball fans have to offer to the two big programs, which have won three of the last five national championships.
“It’s a testament to (the fans) and what Moby Madness is, that Kentucky and Stanford called us to come play here,” Kohan said. “They want to play good teams, so I think that’s a testament to our team. But also, both of those coaches, who are probably due to be hall of fame coaches, were like ‘we want our team to play in that kind of environment.”
For Kohan’s Rams, opening weekend will likely be the toughest test all season. But to bring about a new culture for her team, trials like these are necessary to build, or BUILD, rather.
BUILD is an acronym for the team’s philosophy under its new leader. It stands for Be a giver, Unity, Inspired work, Leadership and Do your best. If the Rams are able to do these things well over the course of the season, not only will they be at their best in terms of play, but the culture and identity of the team will be strong.
The BUILD culture was exactly the kind of thing Herman, the transfer setter from Arizona, was looking for in a new home.
A three-year player and two-year starter for the Wildcats, Herman brings her experience of 90 matches, 289 kills and just less than 3,000 assists after being the No. 68 recruit in the country coming out of high school. A very capable replacement for Pritchard, who held setting duties from 2019-2022, Herman and Fort Collins were a great match.
“Emily, first and foremost,” Herman said, referring to what brought her to CSU. “I think I was looking for a team and a community with great culture. Emily has a very big emphasis on building culture around BUILD and around family, and just being competitive. I think that drew me here a lot, and Fort Collins is pretty cool too.”
Despite the loss of Pritchard, who was as consistent as setters come, Kohan has drawn on the wisdom of her predecessor, Tom Hilbert, in order to not fret over the loss. Rather, it’s more about the opportunity she has right now with Herman and Barrett Power.
“I think one of the greatest things I learned from Tom Hilbert — and he’s still a great mentor for me — is he was never worried when he lost his big players every single year,” Kohan said. “I believe in what our whole team is ready to do any time somebody needs to be replaced, and both of our setters are incredible.”
It’s been awesome to build new relationships with people and I’m excited to have competition and to see what we can do as a team.Emery Herman
The connection Power and Herman have built up over the last six months has made the transition easier on everyone. Both of them know a spot isn’t guaranteed based on tenure with the Rams or resume with another program, but that doesn’t mean they’re in a bitter clash. Competition is there for sure, but they’ve only been aiding each other along the way.
“One of my favorite things about this setting position, between Emery and Barrett, is Emery didn’t come in and flex her muscles and she was kind of taking the temperature of the room, and Barrett was her biggest helper,” Kohan said. “And when it’s Barrett’s turn to be running things, Emery is her biggest helper. So, what we’ve talked a lot about, with the depth on the team, this spectrum of competitiveness and supportiveness. Somewhere in the middle of that has to be where our culture and our dynamic is going.”
For any setter entering a program, — and the hitters welcoming them in — a lot of learning and building trust is required. After all, the connection between setter and hitter can often be the one which determines which team will earn a point. At this level, the linkup needs to be nearly perfect to score a kill, especially when matches are on the line.
Learning an entire group of new teammates is an arduous task for anyone, but it’s been fun for Herman since she landed in Fort Collins.
“I think it’s been a good challenge but a challenge I was ready to take on and one I was excited for,” Herman said. “It’s been awesome to build new relationships with people and I’m excited to have competition and to see what we can do as a team.”
Kennedy Stanford (354), Annie Sullivan (275) and Karina Leber (245) were the top three in terms of kills last season for the Rams. They’ve been on the receiving end of passes from Pritchard for most of their careers at CSU. Now, they have to learn and build connections with Herman.
“It’s always a fun challenge for all of us to work on new things and with a new setter coming in, it gives us a kind of reset,” Stanford said. “We know how our other setters play and we have a rhythm with them, so it forces us to evaluate our own game and evaluate how we’re going to work towards getting better with someone new.”
Stanford and the rest of CSU’s hitters have been working hard at building the connection since Herman arrived in Fort Collins in January. Even though it’s only been seven months, the chemistry built between them is indicative of a longer period of integration.
“We’ve been working a lot in open gyms this summer, especially working on middle connection with Emery,” Leber said. “We’re getting better every week and it’s already like she’s been here a long time. She’s been here for more than six months, so she’s pretty much in the fold by now.”
The roster features nine seniors this season, many of whom have been regular starters or rotation players for the Rams. For a few, this season will be their last in terms of eligibility and because of that, this season will mean much more to them.
The seniors have the duties to pass the torch to the younger core of the team, but also to go out and perform as best they can this year. While the end of the road isn’t something they’re thinking about at this exact moment, their veteran status and responsibility to lead is always a priority.
As a team, it’s not solely the seniors’ job to lead or the younger players to be led. Everyone has something to offer and shouldn’t be afraid to do so.
“I think a lot of us, not even just the seniors, have a leadership role, so we all do things in our own ways,” Leber said. “We all bring different things to the table.”
Allowing and encouraging everyone to lead in unique ways is an integral part of Kohan’s duty as the Rams’ head coach.
So far, integrating into her new role has been relatively seamless. The trust she’s garnered from her players over her tenure has only been a great help, especially for longtime Rams like Leber, who has seen Kohan’s growth from for the past few years leading up to her promotion to head coach.
“Emily’s been here the whole time I’ve been here, she recruited me four years ago, so she’s been family since day one,” Leber said. “I think she’s doing a great job. I have full trust in her and her abilities to be a head coach.”