At times in the history of an athletic team, a class of student-athletes comes along that helps enhance the level of play to new heights, taking ownership and leading by example. The 2010 Charleston Southern volleyball team features a veteran group, with five seniors who all have played a major role in the Lady Bucs' resurgence.

When looking for a defining moment in recent history for the Charleston Southern volleyball team, one needs to look no further than Nov. 19, 2009. The Lady Bucs defeated Winthrop 3-2 in the Big South quarterfinal, breaking a 31-match winless streak to WU while advancing to the conference semifinal for the first time since 1990.

The win against Winthrop showed the team that they can compete with and defeat perennial powers in the Big South, and made the Lady Buccaneers a team to respect.

"Winning in the first round last year, I think has just shown them that they're a team to contend with. I think we could do it again," Head Coach Danyel Bellush said, adding "They've taken ownership of this team, and that is an invaluable thing to have."

Several players shone during the match, coming up big in the clutch. There was Trinder in the middle, throwing down 11 kills and adding three total blocks. Outside hitter Amanda Hill registered a double-double with 14 kills and 15 digs. There was Cori Holeman, squelching the Eagle attack with six total blocks, to go with 10 kills. Libero Tricia Rodl steadied the back row with a match-high 24 digs. Libertowski recorded nine digs on defense and saved her one service ace for the deciding point.

One thing these five players have in common: all are senior standouts on the 2010 volleyball team. All five appear in the starting rotation, and have done so for a majority of their time at CSU.

Rodl said, "Last year's wins were the best. It was really rewarding to know that the two years that we've worked to get playing time, to play on the court, going through stupid freshman mistakes, has just paid off."

These five were part of a seven-player freshman class in 2007 which also included current redshirt-junior setter Amy Nokes. This group has bonded together, developing a unity and trust which informs their actions on and off the court.

Hill said, "We are comfortable playing around each other. When I'm in the back row with Tricia, I know which ones she's going to get, and which ones I'm going to get. We understand each other, because we've been with each other for so long. It's natural for us."

Part of that bond stems from the fact that members of this senior class come from as far away as Arizona (Rodl), Illinois (Trinder) and Indiana (Libertowski).

Trinder said, "These girls are like my family now. Being so far away from home, being from Chicago and coming down here, I didn't really have family down here. So, it's like they became my family."

Each of the seniors has helped re-write the record books, as they all appear in the top 20 in program history in at least one category. Hill and Holeman have broken records in kills and blocks, respectively.

"All five of the seniors are major impact players," Coach Bellush said. "The chemistry they have with each other is huge, and I love that underclassmen get to witness that, because I think it's special."

During their first season at CSU, the Lady Bucs went 10-21. As sophomores, this class helped the team to a six-match improvement in the win column, going 16-18. In 2009, the junior class played a major role in a 17-17 campaign which saw big victories over rivals College of Charleston and Coastal Carolina, and the aforementioned postseason win over Winthrop.

Coach Bellush said, "This class was really dynamic. They came in wiser than a typical freshman class. When they came in, they just came in ready, with a chip on their shoulder almost, to prove everybody wrong. So, I think, cumulatively, they've done it together."

The team has improved its record each of the previous three seasons, the first time it has occurred in program history, as they were added to a club which went 8-22 in 2006.

The seniors are leading the way, guiding the team to success which hasn't been seen at CSU since the mid-1990's. In turn, the freshmen, sophomores and juniors are contributing to the resurgence, buying into the hard-working, blue-collar style exemplified by Coach Bellush's teams and displayed by all five seniors.

Holeman said, "We came in so young and naïve as volleyball players, and now we're all mature. We're the ones giving advice to the younger girls and helping everybody." She added, "It's good that we have that bond. Yeah, we're teammates, but we're best friends as well."

Libertowski said, "We're definitely one of the shortest teams, but we definitely have the heart. We all get along so well, and we all really want to win. We all really have a drive to win and make ourselves better each practice."

This season, expectations are high and the seniors are leading the way. The seniors are represented at the top of each statistical category on the team, with the exception of assists, which Nokes holds.

Coach Bellush said, "I think they are leaving the program at a much higher level than when they came in, and that's a credit to them. I love them. They want to win a championship, and that's the only thing."