For a new head coach in the NCAA, the typical turnaround period to make a team his or her own is five years. By then, all athletes will have been recruited by and will have only played for that new coach; therefore making any remnants of the previous coach only a memory for the program.

Entering her fourth year at the helm of the Cal State Stanislaus women's volleyball team, head coach Christina Lore believes her team is ahead of schedule.

"We're like a week ahead of where we were last year," said Lore, who was married in June to Jason Lore, changing how she is known on campus from Coach Difani to Coach Lore.

"I think the level of my team is better (than in seasons past),” Lore added. "I told my girls we're going to beat people because we have great team chemistry and we scout well. They understand what to expect. I just want to compete more."

The Warriors have not been doing much competing in the last five years. In 2007, the team finished with their fourth 20-plus-loss season in five years, and with the most losses (24) since 2003.

The California Collegiate Athletic Association is the most competitive conference in the Pacific Region and arguably in the entire nation, with three teams (Cal State San Bernardino, UC San Diego and Chico State) landing in this season's CBS College Sports Network/American Volleyball Coaches Association Division II preseason top 25, but Lore believes her team is ready to compete.

"There is a lot of positive energy in the gym," Lore said. "The sophomores are coming into their own now and we have a good freshman class."

There are only two upperclassmen on the team -- Megan Loghry, a senior, and Karly Penton, the lone junior. Loghry and Penton are charged with the task of bringing up a group of inexperienced players that includes 11 freshmen to compete in what Lore calls a "gnarly" conference.

"Off the court, (Loghry) is going to be a huge leader and set the bar high for what a senior should be on the team," Lore said. "She wants to do a lot of things and the other girls want to make sure she can do those things. She's going to be an integral part of our offense.

"(Penton) got a decent amount of playing time last season. She's been getting healthy and we hope she can jump into (a hitter's) role this season."

Lore tried to implement a faster offense in 2007 with more back row attacks. The team was able to play the offense correctly at times, but not as often as Lore would have liked.

"The way the girls are playing back row right now is really promising," Lore said of her team during late summer practices. "This is a very mature team."

The Warriors open their season with two tournaments on the road at Sonoma State and Cal State Monterey Bay, with a chance to make an impression against in-region opponents. The team's first home match is slated for 6 p.m. on Sept. 9 against Holy Names.

Preseason CCAA favorite and preseason national No. 4 Cal State San Bernardino will visit Warrior Arena at 7 p.m. on Oct. 24, CCAA runner-up and preseason No. 22 UC San Diego comes to town on Oct. 4 and rival Chico State, ranked No. 25 in the preseason poll, will go head-to-head with the Warriors on Nov. 4.

The following is a position-by-position breakdown of the Warriors:

Setters

Lore expressed that she would like to move more towards a 5-1 strategy, changing from the 6-2 setup she had last season. This leaves just one setter in the game, and that spot is being contested between sophomores Colleen Sullivan and Nicki Brown.

Sullivan found her way into the single-season record books for the Warriors in 2007, setting the No. 10 mark for assists in a season with 584 and the No. 9 mark for assists per set with 6.79. Both players got equal playing time in 2007, and Lore sees no clear favorite.

"I like competition. Everyone's just trying to figure each other out," Lore said. "(Sullivan and Brown) both improved from last year."

Outside Hitters

The Warriors have two huge gaps to fill at the outside hitter position with the departure of Debbie Vander Schaaf and Liz Cameron, both of whom are in the Warrior career top 10 for kills and attacks.

There are two players ready to fill the two spots, including a freshman. Sophomore Jen Gee saw significant time at the position in 2007, recording 118 kills on the season. Freshman Lianne Vicchio, a standout at Bella Vista High School in Fair Oaks, will take the other starting spot. Although Gee's starting spot is not guaranteed, it is guaranteed that at least one freshman will start at the position.

Lore will also have two players who will specialize in hitting from the right side, the junior Penton and freshman Vicky Costa.

"Vicky's pretty athletic, and Karly has been doing pretty well in practice, and competition is good."

Middle Hitters

Loghry will be the backbone of the middle hitter position in 2008, while two freshmen, Greta Gonzales and Angela Ohland will compete for the remaining starting spot, guaranteeing once again a starting freshman on the floor for the Warriors.

Loghry set a top five single-season mark for blocks per game in 2007, averaging 0.86 a set. Her career total of 199 total blocks is already fifth all-time at Cal State Stanislaus, and a repeat of last season's 94 total blocks (tied for fourth all-time in a single season) could jettison her to second place behind former teammate and graduated senior from 2007's squad, Caitlin Steffeck, who recorded 312 total blocks during her career.

"Angela has a strong arm. She's a smart player, very mature for her age in the game of volleyball," Lore said. "She's going to push Megan all season."

Libero

It would seem almost automatic that returning sophomore Megan Britton would be the starting libero for the Warriors after a record campaign in 2007, but a total of four players including Britton are hoping to land the spot, and for Lore, the more competition the better.

Britton, along with fellow sophomore Amanda Pielstick, as well as freshmen Nicola Rowbottom and Calla Rassmussen are in the running for the libero position.

Britton set records for digs in a single season with 506 and digs per set, averaging 4.73. Pielstick saw playing time as a reserve in 2007 and could see more in 2008.

"Amanda is pushing Megan this season," Lore said.