EDMOND – A bevy of returning players along with an influx of talented newcomers has Central Oklahoma ready to make some noise on both the conference and national levels in 2023.
The Bronchos of head coach Edgar Miraku have back all six starters plus three other letterwinners from last year's 24-7 team that tied for third in the rugged Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association, with five of those starters earning All-MIAA honors.
Toss in three transfers all capable of making an impact along with five gifted freshmen and it's easy to see why UCO is expected to be a top contender for the league title as well as make a run at returning to the NCAA Division II national tournament.
"We're better on paper, but can we convert that to being better on the court is the question," said Miraku, who is 243-85 entering his 12th season at the helm. "We returned pretty much everybody and added some good pieces. Now we have to work things out as far as chemistry and the synergy of people striving to get better."
Leading UCO's big group of returners is junior All-American Jaedynn Evans, who led the nation in digs last season.
The Bronchos have back two other first-team All-MIAA performers in sophomore Sydney Huck and junior Jenna Karp, while sophomore Lindsey Houran and junior Mallorie Koehn were second-team picks a year ago.
Sophomore Lari Migliorino is UCO's other returning starter. Juniors Brynn Egger and Katie Le and sophomore Hannah Barry all earned plenty of playing time last year as well.
Junior transfer Addison Wimmer is expected to have the biggest impact among the eight newcomers, though several will push for playing time.
"The important thing for our team to understand and realize is how important every match is," Miraku said. "It's not just the match-up with the top four or five teams, it's the match-up with every team.
"We can't overlook anybody and have to be ready every time we play because that's when people sneak up on you. But we feel good and positive about what we have and are anxious to get started."
Here's a position-by-position look at the Bronchos:
HITTER
UCO is in great shape here with the return of two All-MIAA players and the addition of a proven veteran transfer who was a two-time All-Great American Conference performer.
Huck was MIAA Freshman of the Year and a first-team All-MIAA selection last season after collecting 440 kills and 349 digs. Koehn had 312 kills in earning second-team All-MIAA honors.
Wimmer adds even more firepower to the position after knocking down a school-record 529 kills at Northwestern Oklahoma State last year to garner first-team All-GAC acclaim.
The Bronchos also have Egger, a two-year letterwinner with 314 career kills to her credit.
MIDDLE BLOCKER
The Bronchos are stronger in the middle with three players back from last year while also gaining a quality transfer with starting experience.
Karp is the ringleader, a two-time All-MIAA honoree who can be a dominating force at the net. She was a first-team All-MIAA pick last fall after hitting .334 with 297 kills and 84 total blocks.
Sophomores Barry and Migliorino both played key roles last year, with Migliorino starting most of the season. She hit .328 with 178 kills and 45 blocks, while Barry had 64 kills and 31 blocks.
Joining the mix is sophomore Mikiah Perdue, who had 123 kills and 49 blocks while starting 14 matches at Division II Union (Tenn.) in 2022, and freshman Ellie Smith provides quality depth.
DEFENSIVE SPECIALIST/LIBERO
A team strength from last year should be even more powerful, with the All-American Evans leading a deep and talented cast of back-row defenders.
Evans took over the libero role last season after having not played much in several years and proceeded to lead Division II in total digs (775) and digs per set (6.62) in a masterful showing of defensive prowess. She's set to lead the way, but has plenty of help.
Le was a second-team All-MIAA pick in 2021 after making 600 digs and added 246 in a back-up role last year, with UCO adding another top-notch libero in transfer Andrea Coady.
The sophomore racked up 610 digs at Northwestern Oklahoma State last year, finishing third in the GAC with a 5.17 per-set average. Freshmen Olivia Lowary and Kaitlyn Parrott give the Bronchos even more depth.
SETTER
The Bronchos are much more settled at this position than they were at the start of last year, led by the return of Houran. She took over the starting role from the outset in 2022 and was basically UCO's lone setter. She ranked among the national leaders in total assists (1,400) and assists per set (11.97) in earning second-team All-MIAA honors and should be even better.
Freshman Riley Roberts is expected to have a big impact and battle for playing time, while rookie Margo Sudzina will also help out.
