Sept. 6, 2001

Head volleyball coach Brian Hosfeld sat down Thursday afternoon and chatted with fans online. The following is a transcript of the chat session.

For archived transcripts of earlier chats, click here.

Rarry-san (Sendai, Japan): The effects of training in Japan are definitely evident. For how long will those training sessions continue to pay dividends?

Brian Hosfeld: As long as we can keep the intensity level up in our gym, we can continue to benefit from the training.

Michael Andrea (White Settlement, Texas): How much did the new scoring system play into Long Beach State's upset of Nebraska?

Brian Hosfeld: That's tough to say, I didn't see the match, but you've got two solid teams there battling it out. I imagine all it did was bring it to an end sooner.

Volley Bear (Waco): Coach, we seem to be a better serving team thus far. Do you think that's true and what would you contribute that to?

Brian Hosfeld: We're serving more aggressively, so maybe that's helped us in making a decision when we're on the service line, so we should be operating at a higher level. As of right now, yes, we are a better serving team.

Ron Waco: I am Baylor Volleyball's "biggest" fan. you have talked about the emotional loss of Kirsten Berg and how it affects the team, but how does it affect the game plan?

Brian Hosfeld: It affects us in the depth at our positions. Kirsten was a talented player that could play any position for us, so not having her around really eliminates some of the options in a game plan. The game plan now is to stay healthy.

Nikki (San Antonio): Congradulations on the win on Tuesday! I here the team went to Japan early in the season. How do you think that training will help you this year?

Brian Hosfeld: The training should help us, because we're further along than we would have been, because we've played more games already. The trip to Japan also offered a very intense level of volleyball, that we probably won't see again this year -- at that level, anyway,

Phil (San Diego): Is depth your biggest concern with this year's team?

Brian Hosfeld: It's not a concern, it's a reality. We don't have depth, so our concerns are taking the people that we have healthy and continuing to develop their skills and help them play at the highest level.

RockChalk: How does Stevie Nicholas compare to Elisha Polk at this point in her career?

Brian Hosfeld: Stevie right now is playing at a higher level than Elisha was in her sophomore year, but that also has to do with who she is surrounded by, our whole team is playing at a higher level. Elisha Polk will go down as one of the greatest players Baylor has ever had, but it's a tough comparison because the team composition is different.

AbbiBear: Do you like the new scoring format?

Brian Hosfeld: I'm still adjusting to it. There are so many different situations now that we didn't get even in the shorter 5th game of the old format. I hear that the majority of the fans are liking it.

Shannon (Houston): I really enjoy following Baylor Volleyball. But I understand there are some new rules. How do you like these new rules?

Brian Hosfeld: The only other significant change is the "let serve". This has allowed the teams to be more aggressive on the service line. Unfortunately, we'll probably see some matches that will end on serves hitting the tape and rolling over. That could be unfortunate, but it keeps the game rolling.

Steve K.: Looks like Cal Poly will be a tough. Were you surprised to see them win at LMU?

Brian Hosfeld: No. Steve Schlick is a quality coach, and has done a great job recruiting to SLO. The program was at one point in its history No. 1 in the country, many years ago, so he's in the process of bringing the program back to what they were traditionally known for. As far as our match with them goes, that should be an exciting match that people won't want to miss.

Chuck Binford (Dallas, TX): Coach do you think that Baylor can compete with other Texas Schools?

Brian Hosfeld: We've beaten all the Texas schools since I've been here, and plan on doing the same year in and year out.

Volley Bear: Where did you find the girl from Mexico?

Brian Hosfeld: We were passed a video tape, originally, and followed up on that tip.

RockChalk: What will it take for Baylor to return to the NCAAs this year?

Brian Hosfeld: We'll have to finish in the top half of the conference and beat some ranked teams. Serving tough and good ball control will help us do that.

Volleyhead (LA, Cali): Why is your whole team from California?

Brian Hosfeld: Actually, they're not all from California. But originally, I'm from California and had a good base of knowledge of prospective athletes there that we've been able to get out here.

Baylorfan (Waco, TX): I think it is great that your team is doing so well. I remember when that was not the case. I come to all the games now and bring my grand kids. They love to see the games. What do you think it will take to make more people volleyball fans here in Waco? Those people do not even know what they are missing.

Brian Hosfeld: Great question, BaylorFan. We need to get them to the Ferrell Center, to have them experience a match. We're working with marketing to increase awareness about our home matches and about the quality of the teams we're playing. College volleyball last year had some of the highest attendance numbers ever, and with the scoring changes, we are reaching out to potential new fans to increase that number even more. Thanks for your support, don't hesitate to come introduce yourself and your grandkids!

Brian Hosfeld: Thanks for all your questions. We will be webcasting our matches this year, so if you're not in town, you can catch our conference matches at GoBaylorBears.com.