Carolinian

Issue date: 9/26/06 Section: Sports

Media Credit: PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY JOHN READ Theresa Hart (left) and Kaitlin Nortz have carried the Spartan Volleyball team all season long. UNCG surpassed 10 victories for the first time since 1999.

Every coach in sports knows that if you want to win, you have to have a "go-to" guy, or in some cases, girl, in the clutch. Every coach knows you got to have that one person who is willing to put the team on their back and fight to win like there is no tomorrow. Well, UNCG volleyball coach Shawn Garus is extremely lucky, because he has two warriors ready to battle at a moment's notice. Senior outside hitter Theresa Hart and sophomore middle blocker Kaitlyn Nortz knows what it takes to win and are willing to do everything it takes to get there.

The two players took different paths to make it to UNCG but both say one of the biggest factors in their decision was Garus. Hart, a native of San Juan Capistrano, CA, played under Garus while he was an assistant at the University of San Fransisco. "I decided I really liked his coaching style and I really enjoyed him as a coach," said Hart of Garus, "I wanted to continue for my last year of ever playing collegiately, to play for him."

Nortz, who came in as a freshman, wanted to experience something new. "I wanted to leave Ohio and do something new," said the Westerville, Ohio native. "I really liked Coach and the idea of starting a new program." That new program has already seen a tremendous turnaround from last season. The Spartans ended last season with a 5-26 overall record and a first-round exit in the Southern Conference Tournament. This year, they have already doubled their wins from last season with a 10-6 record, a feat that has not been reached since the 1999 season. As one of the five returning players from last year, Nortz has noticed a positive change in her team. "Everyone this year is definitely here to play volleyball and is 100 percent focused. Last year, people weren't focused and all about volleyball and this year it's totally different."

The big turnaround from last season can definitely by attributed to the hard-hitting antics of Hart and Nortz. Hart has come in and made an immediate impact on the team, turning the Spartans into a serious offensive threat on the court. Hart has already tallied 214 kills on the season, including nine double-digit efforts that are highlighted by four matches with twenty-plus kills. She has also been named to the All-Tournament team at the UNCW Invitational in Wilmington and the Runnin' Bulldog Invitational at Gardner-Webb, where she was named Tournament MVP.

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