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cavalier profile Emily Rottman Fourth-Year • Volleyball At the saying goes, Virginia's women's volleyball team has nowhere to go but up after posting a 9-22 record (3-17 in the ACC) last season. If the Cavaliers are to move up the proverbial ladder, they'll need continued stellar play from fourth-year libero Emily Rottman. Rottman entered her final season with the ninth-most digs (1,229) in program history, a total that included a career-high 40 in last November's match against Clemson. Moreover, she recorded at least 10 digs in all but four matches last season. "Emily tended to get overlooked because we didn't win a lot of matches," second-year head coach Dennis Hohenshelt told TheRagingBull.com. "The fact is she has the potential to become one of the best liberos in the ACC." Rottman inherited her "volleyball genes" from her father, Steve, who played the sport at the University of Southern California. She was a PrepVolleyball.com All-American at Santa Barbara High and picked up at Virginia where she left off in high school — earning the first ACC Freshman of the Week accolade during her initial season. In one sense, Rottman's presence is extremely important considering she's the lone fourth-year on a team that includes a total of 12 first-years and second-years — seven of whom are in their first season on the squad. "I can say this is the first time that I've felt a lot older than the first-years," Rottman told TheRagingBull.com, no doubt with a smile. "I'm like, 'Wow!' I'm an old woman [Rottman's 21].' But we have some outside hitters that can terminate. Lauren Fuller, for example, has done a great job setting. "Everyone really has stepped up and they're getting better every day. That's all we really can ask for." Hohenshelt's task may be a bit easier this season considering he has 18 women on his roster as compared with barely a dozen during his inaugural campaign. "The competitive spirit in the gym is way higher with so many more people," Rottman said. "It's way more dynamic having multiple people that can play different positions. That takes everything to a higher level." — Mike Scandura ◆ Photo by Matt Riley/ courtesy UVa