Members of the U.S. Women's Volleyball Team discuss strategy during the Women’s “Fellowship” Tournament at the University of Maryland in College Park, Md., on Nov. 22, 2008. From left, Kristin Burke, Ludamila Mounty-Weinstock, Justine Jeter and team captain Pia Marie Paulone will be on the 12-member squad representing the U.S. at the Deaflympics in Taipei, Taiwan, from Sept. 5-15, 2009. (Photo by Bill Milios )
A golden opportunityVolleyball hopes team chemistry leads to gold medalby Rachel Benedict on May 1, 2009 U.S. Women’s Volleyball head coach Lynn Ray Boren’s medal collection is missing one color: gold. He notched bronze twice as a handball player in 1997 and 2001, and earned silver as the handball team coach at the 2005 Deaflympics in Melbourne, Australia. This year, with a squad of 12 volleyball players dedicated to a common goal, Boren has his best chance at earning the elusive gold at the Deaflympics in Taiwan. Ten of the 12 players live in Washington, D.C., a proximity team captain Pia Marie Paulone says is an advantage when it comes to training. “That’s the best thing about our team,” Paulone said. “We all practice together two or three times a week, sometimes more.” Although unable to participate in weekly practices, Tamara Jo Foronda, of Riverside, Calif., and Jenny Cooper, of Indianapolis, flew to D.C. for a weekend in April for training. The chemistry among the players was evident, Amanda Krieger said. “The sense of togetherness happens both on and off the court. We laugh together just like a family would,” Krieger said. Krieger left the squad after the 2008 World Championships in Argentina and returned this spring after completing the basketball season at Gallaudet. All the players but one worked with Boren before joining the current Deaflympics team, whether in high school, when Boren coached at Model Secondary School for the Deaf; at Gallaudet University, where he currently coaches volleyball; or at various summer camps. This familiarity has helped the players develop a rapport with their coach, and with each other. “The team is so good right now. We’ve all been playing together for so long — during high school and summer camps, together in college and over the past two years as a part of the national team,” Paulone said. Boren says he is extremely confident in his squad and that its team chemistry has never been better. The girls understand each individual’s role on the team, he said. He recently held a team meeting to discuss each player’s role on the team. There are four core players, he told them, four feeders and four essential players. He compared the team to the Earth, which is composed of a core, a crust and the atmosphere. Because everything works together and none can survive without the others, the U.S. Women's volleyball team, like the Earth, is an effective system. Although, the team faces serious funding issues, Boren is optimistic and said no player will be left behind in the States. Paulone echoed his optimism, “I don’t think that any of our players will be unable to go, because this is a team effort. If any of our players can’t go, then we won’t have a complete team, and we will need our complete team to be able to win gold,” she said. “Ultimately, I believe we’ll find enough money to cover everyone.” The women’s volleyball team is one of the few teams representing the United States that has a finalized roster, which Boren thinks says a lot about the team’s preparation. “We are heading in the right direction,” Boren said. All that’s left is “fine-tuning — reducing errors for instance — is needed.” Such “little things” could cost them the gold in Taipei, as they did at the World Championships in Argentina, where the team placed third. However, Boren thinks this team has the hopes and the potential to bring home a gold, which would finally complete his collection. |
 U.S. Women's Volleyball Team captain Pia Marie Paulone prepares to serve during the Women’s “Fellowship” Tournament at the University of Maryland in College Park, Md., on Nov. 22, 2008. (Photo by Bill Milios )
 U.S. Women's Volleyball Team coach Lynn Ray Boren. (Photo by Bill Milios )
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