Benson's happy to be back

It wasn't the kind of second year back in Cheney Wade Benson envisioned.

A diagnosis of throat cancer can tend to change one's focus in life a great deal.

Fresh from a season off the bench - but hardly away from the game - Benson is healthy and raring to get things started as he's back in charge of his Eastern Washington University volleyball team.

The Eagles begin play this weekend at the Molten Classic in Berkley, Calif. where they face Seattle University Friday, Aug. 28, the host Cal Bears Saturday and conclude with Nevada, Sunday.

At a recent practice Benson was animated as ever, seeming to confirm what he said in a telephone interview that "Things are going very well."

"Health-wise I've got a lot of energy, I'm still not gaining weight like I want to," Benson said. "(It's) one step at a time."

Things are going strong with the team, he said, as Benson tries to make strides in rebuilding a program that was once one of the most dominant in the Big Sky Conference. Eastern finished 9-20 overall and 5-11 in conference play under the watch of assistant Michael King who served as the interim coach in 2014.

"Mike did a great job, he stepped in at a difficult time," Benson said. "You'd just like to see them pull out some of the games they had opportunities to win."

Benson said he likes the incoming kids and the team chemistry seen so far in camp. The freshman class has been outstanding, he said. "It's probably one of the better freshman classes we've had at Eastern for a long time."

But that group needs to have some guidance that coaches alone cannot deliver and that will come from a trio of veteran players.

"I think Allie Schumacher, Ryann (Ensrud) and Sophie (Miller), who are two seniors and a junior, have done a very nice job leading the team in regard to making the young players very, very comfortable," Benson said.

Benson sees the team's strengths as being "A pretty strong attacking team, but we're still pretty young with 14 freshmen and sophomores."

Those new faces will see their share of playing time. "They're talented, all the players on the team I have confidence in right now." The players coming off the bench can be difference makers when someone is struggling, Benson said. "That's what we're needing," he added.

Among the new faces is a familiar one to Cheney. Ashley Seiler, an outside hitter, joins the Eagles after one season at Casper College in Wyoming where she earned First Team All-NJCAA Region 9 honors after leading her squad to a spot in the NJCAA Region 9 title game.

As usual the Eagles' schedule will be tough and Benson hopes will prepare his team for Big Sky Conference play.

After Berkley, the Labor Day weekend will find the Eagles in New Orleans where they meet Providence, New Orleans and LaSalle. Then comes the tough duty of having to travel to Honolulu, Hawaii Sept. 10-12 for the Outrigger Resorts Challenge and matches against Florida, San Diego State and the University of Hawaii.

"I think the second tournament gives us a little potential relief," Benson explained. "(But) the first and third tournaments are high level."

Eastern's lone home preseason match comes Thursday, Sept. 17 versus NAIA Corban University from Salem, Ore. "It was a team we could get up to Eastern to play us before we go into conference," Benson said.

The team will take the weekend before the start of conference play to rest prior to playing what Benson calls "two really tough first-round opponents," in North Dakota and Northern Colorado, Sept. 24 and 26.

Paul Delaney can be reached at [email protected].