As Minnesota prepares for its Alumni Match and 2006 season opener on Sept. 1 at St. Louis, gophersports.com continued a series of interviews with Minnesota players as it talked to seniors Malama Peniata and Meghan Cumpston about the upcoming season and other topics.

Malama Peniata
(On taking over the libero role after Paula Gentil’s graduation)
“I am very excited to play libero going into my senior season. I think playing with Paula for three years really helped me develop into a better defensive player. I am ready to take on the challenge, and am very confident heading into the season. I feel well-prepared after playing libero in the spring and during our European Tour.”

(On waiting for her chance to be a libero)
“I thought about it when I first came to Minnesota that I would be the libero when I was a senior. Paula was a sophomore when I was a freshman, so I knew that when I became a senior we would need someone to step up and take her place. I learned a lot from Paula, and I had a lot opportunities this off-season to play libero and get ready for the season. I am looking forward to the challenge.”

(On the different roles she has played while with the program)
“It has been fun playing different roles throughout my career at Minnesota. I have always been ready to do whatever my team needs me to do. It also keeps things fresh and makes it different for me in practice. I think that the different roles I have played have made me a better all-around player while I have been here.”

(On the different roles helping her play libero this year)
“I think it does help a little bit. I have played setter in practice at times, I played outside hitter last year and I have been a defensive specialists throughout most of my career. Being a defensive specialist helped me get more experienced, and sharpen my defensive skills. The other positions help me out in the preparation, because I can draw upon the experience of what I was thinking when I was playing them and think along with my opponents playing those positions and what their instincts might be.”

(On going to Final Fours in first two years and how last season ended)
“I think heading into this year we are not really dwelling on the past to much in regards to how we finished in 2005. We are looking at it as picking up where we left off last year and building off the foundation of what we did. We gained a lot of experience as a team last year, and we continued the process of building that foundation in the spring and in Europe. We feel like we are ahead of where we were last year, and as seniors we are going to try to use the experiences we had in 2003 & 2004 to help this team have a highly successful season.”

(On playing with Kelly Bowman at different levels, and both players being seniors):
“It seems weird that we are seniors since Kelly and I have pretty much shared the same courts, whether we have playing with or against each other, since I started playing organized volleyball. It has been fun competing with and against her at the different levels we have played at. We talk about it every once and a while. We are both looking forward to have successful senior season and finishing our careers her at Minnesota on a high note.”

Meghan Cumpston
(On the adjustment to playing at Minnesota transferring from Arizona)
“The system here is completely different then it was at Arizona, so when I first got here last season in August there was definitely an adjustment period. I started to get used to it a little more as the season progressed, but I was still trying to get comfortable with it during the later part of the year.”

(On being more comfortable after having been in the program for ayear)
“I think the spring season and the European Tour definitely helped myself and some of the other players gain more experience and get more comfortable with what the coaches were trying to teach us. I feel very comfortable heading into the year after having been here for year. Not only does it take a while to get used to the system, but it also takes you a little while to get to know you teammates tendencies on the court and what you need to do to help the team succeed. I feel comfortable with all of those aspects of playing with the team heading into the season. I think our whole team is way ahead of where we were at this point last year. That is due in large part to the work we did in the spring, summer and on the European Trip.”

(On team working on shotmaking skills during the offseason)
“I do think during the spring and the European Trip there has been an emphasis on taking a variety shots, and doing a better job of disguising where hit our shots. I think that is one of the areas we were able to work on during the spring and the European Trip. It has definitely carried over to fall practice, and our team has improved a lot in that area.”

(What were some of the adjustments you had to make on the court when you transferred to Minnesota)
“I think the biggest thing I have noticed here at Minnesota is the heavy emphasis on defense. It is such a big part of every day training and the general personality of our team. This program has taken a lot of pride in how well it has played defense recently, and it is due in large part to how hard we work at in practice.”

On how the experiences of playing at two different schools has helped)
“I think I have gained different things from each program I played with. I have really learned a lot defensively since I came here to Minnesota. At Arizona, I think I kind of learned the foundation of what to do at the collegiate level, and I have built on that here at Minnesota. I am just looking forward to taking all of those experiences into my senior season and having a good year.”