REDHAWK CHAT: Carolyn Condit

On Wednesday head volleyball coach Carolyn Condit stopped by to chat and answer fans' questions.

Miami hosts its annual Best Western Sycamore Inn Invitational this Friday and Saturday, welcoming Troy, Pacific and St. John's for games each day.

Here is a transcript of Wednesday's chat.

MURedHawks.com: Coach Condit is settling in and is ready to answer your questions. Please keep them coming and we will begin this chat in a couple of minutes.

indianapolis: You mentioned on your twitter post that you gave the freshman playing time this last weekend. Do you think this contributed to the losses and how will this affect your RPI if you don't win the Mac tournament and are looking for a bid.

Carolyn Condit: Our freshmen earned the playing time and needed to contribute on the court in our quest to win. They did not cause us to lose, but unfortunately those losses could hurt us in the future. This could be counteracted by the caliber of competition we are taking on.

Tank (Piqua): Coach, what is a libero?

Carolyn Condit: A libero is a backcourt specialist who is never counted as a sub. She is a free sub as the name eludes too. She must be your most proficient passer and defender, while possessing leadership skills.

Ellie (Oxford): What is your favorite thing about this year's team?

Carolyn Condit: This is one of the hardest working teams that have put on a Miami uniform. Their chemistry is strong and the freshmen have already been acclimated into our system. Our four seniors understand what it is going to take this year.

Matt (Milford): How important are your four seniors to this year's team?

Carolyn Condit: Vitally important. It's not often that you have a senior setter who has experience setting all four years. Megan and Hallie are very versatile helping us in several attack positions and Maria is emerging as a go to player. Collectively their leadership blends well and could cause great things to happen for us this year.

Pete (Oxford): How do you find the teams to come to the tournament each year?

Carolyn Condit: Sometimes it is by invitation, and often it is through a mass email sent to all Division I schools. Often a team has a player from this area which helps their scheduling.

Cleveland: It seems the team is off to a bit of slow start following the win over Alabama. Are the ladies feeling the tough early schedule?

Carolyn Condit: Yes, the goal is to feel the tough early schedule. We want to be tested in every way before the MAC season begins. This team is resilient and I have seen good changes taking place.

Harry (Cincinnati): What is your biggest competition in the MAC in 2009?

Carolyn Condit: I've learned a long time ago that on any given day every team can be the biggest competition. If we go by the voting look out for Western Michigan and Ohio because of all that returns. But with the new coaches in our conference and the many talented athletes, it will be quite a challenging season for everyone.

Ruby from Darrtown: I always hear about basketball players' leaping ability. That's important in volleyball, too, right? How do Miami's trainers help your ladies improve their jumping ability?

Carolyn Condit: Great question Ruby. Jumping is very important, along with power. If they are not quick jumpers, it is hard to play Division I volleyball. Our strength coaches develop the athletes' core and lower body in a specific way for the sport of volleyball. The progress in the weight room this summer for our team was outstanding.

Beth (Conway): What do you look for in a potential volleyball recruit?

Carolyn Condit: In a potential volleyball recruit we look for a high level of skill combined with game intelligence, a strong competitive drive, commitment to physical conditioning and an overall love for the game. Great question, thanks.

Bill (Oxford): I like the variety of teams from all over the country coming to this year's tournament. What kind of competition can Miami expect?

Carolyn Condit: We can expect a variety of offenses and defenses. Every team will pose a different challenge. St. John's will have several international players, which will be good for us to see. It is always good to play a west coast team in Pacific, they recently took a set off of Florida and must be playing some good volleyball. I have a good friend who is building the program at Troy and they will come ready to play.

Ruby from Darrtown: It's Ruby again ... do you ever measure how high they jump? Who was your best-ever jumper?

Carolyn Condit: Yes we do measure. We like our athletes to touch as close to 10 feet or above as possible. We have had several athletes that can touch the rim, but most are in the range of 9'6 to 9'10".

MURedHawks.com: Here is the last question.

Marilyn (Cleveland): What is your favorite memory in 26 years at Miami?

Carolyn Condit: This is putting me on the spot because I have many. So I will mention two. The 1990 championship because of the odds that faced that senior class throughout their Miami career. And the 1998 championship and NCAA first round win because that team really knew how to compete and yet kept the game fun.

MURedHawks.com: We would like to thank Coach Condit for her time in answering your questions. Join us next Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. where our guest will be a representative of the soccer team.

Related Videos