BETHANY, Okla. — It's a bit of a mystery, inside a riddle, wrapped in an enigma. That's the way it might look on the outside on Southern Nazarene's 2011 women's volleyball season, but not to those who are standing on the court.

To truly understand what's in store for the Crimson Storm for the upcoming season, you need to take a step back and begin to break it down piece by piece.

SNU finished fifth in the Sooner Athletic Conference in the 2010 season at 6-8 and were 21-16 overall. The Storm were picked to finish fifth accordingly in the 2011 preseason poll after SNU lost five seniors and returned just one senior and one junior. By all accounts, on the outside this should be considered a rebuilding year.

Take a closer look.

Let's start with what comes back. Junior Ellen Martin started nearly every match as a sophomore in the 2010 season. She was third on the team in kills, aces and digs behind two All-SAC selections. She was also an All-SAC honorable mention as a 2009 freshman.

“Ellen has started since she has stepped on the floor,” said SNU Head Coach Kevin Ingram. “She is a solid player and you can't say enough good things about her. Her leadership is really starting to develop and that will be a key for us moving forward. With her talent it allows us to play her in multiple positions.”

Add that with sophomore Kira Roberts who got all the experience she needed last year and added some strength over the summer. Roberts played in 121 sets as a freshman and picked up an All-SAC honorable mention. She finished the season 12th in the SAC in blocks and was second on the team.

“She was a freshman that really stood out last year and within three weeks was starting for us,” said Ingram. “Kira put up big numbers and showed how powerful she was. She gained even more in the offseason and we expect even bigger things from her.”

The lone senior may only stand at 5-2, but no doubt is expected to continue to make big plays. KateLyn (Kat) Biddy is expected to be a catalyst as a defensive specialist. Biddy played in 129 sets and was fourth on the team with 214 digs (1.87 dps.).

“Kat is key in the sense that she does know what we are looking for,” said Ingram. “She's a solid defensive player that we hope will continue to be consistent on that end.”

Kacee Montgomery picked up valuable experience last year as a freshman and should help SNU in the middle and on the opposite side. She started seven matches and recorded 23 blocks as well. The only other returner is Paige Richards who will serve as an outside hitter after playing in 17 sets last year.

“Kacee is coming off an injury, but we really think she could help us in the middle and possibly as an opposite,” said Ingram. “It really just depends on how quick she can get back into rhythm and could be a huge asset when she gets to full strength. Paige is another player that we will continue to develop in many places on the court. She has a great attitude which is such a positive in moving forward.”

Now the fun really begins.

After losing the five seniors and a few others from the 2010 season, Ingram loaded up on a talented incoming class that features three NCAA Division I transfers, a couple of junior college standouts and a strong freshman class to fill in each possible spot.

Two of SNU's transfers both come from Lamar (Texas) after spending their freshman seasons with the Cardinals in the Southland Conference. Jamie Hope and Kaylee Piatt will quickly increase the level of play as soon as the season starts. Hope, who is a two-sport athlete at SNU with track and field, is a 5-11 middle with plenty of athletic ability. Piatt will be called upon to run the show as she steps in at setter and will be a consistence force there.

“We were real fortunate to have some players that I recruited previously come back to us,” said Ingram. “I was able to work with Kaylee and Jamie a little bit during the off season. Kaylee will be a big asset to us on the setting end after transitioning an outside to a setter last year. She is very athletic and a great kid and will be a great leader even as an underclassmen. Jamie adds size and length and shows great potential. She should be a huge blocker as well.”

Taylor Jacobs comes to SNU from another Southland Conference school in UT Arlington. Jacobs is one of a pair of six-footers for the Crimson Storm and will both be a huge help in the middle and on the outside. In high school, Jacobs was a District Hitter of the Year as a senior and the Blocker of the Year as a junior.

“Taylor is another big player with good size,” said Ingram. “She's another one another one of those players that we got in on late in the recruiting process during her senior year of high school. Fortunately, after playing a year at UTA, she decided to check us out and made a change to come here. Taylor can play anywhere across the front row. She's a good blocker and hits the ball extremely well. We've liked everything we've seen on her.”

Southern Nazarene also brought in a little South American flavor in Natalia Oliveira who hails from Belo Horizonte, Brazil. The junior was a two-time All-Region V and All-North Texas Junior College Athletic Conference selection at Vernon College. She averaged 3.4 kills per set and was selected as the Vernon Freshman of the year.

“Natalia is a big transfer for us,” said Ingram. “She has the ability to play all they way around both offensively and defensively. She hits the ball hard and can find the different spots because she sees the court so well.”

The other junior college transfer is Kristen Adams, who helped lead Mt. San Antonio College to the California State Junior College Tournament.

“Kristen is another solid outside hitter with some college experience,” said Ingram. “She is coming off an injury so it will probably be mid-season before we see everything she is capable of doing, but is good fundamentally and is a hard worker and has a great attitude.”

The freshman class might be one of Ingram's best in his career at SNU.

Skylar Blackburn is a talented setter from Broken Arrow (Okla.) High School who was a four-year varsity player and will be another great setting option.

“Skylar is a tall setter, but can really be classified as a utility player because she is so versatile,” said Ingram. “We will look at her to play many other roles as well as setter. She's a tough player and wants to get out there and compete.”

The other six-footer is Cortney Sheid who hails from Ponca City (Okla.) High School where she was an all-state selection and a two-time All-Centennial Conference choice. She also helped the Wildcats to a 27-6 record as a senior.

“Cortney played on one of the top club teams in the state this past year,” said Ingram. “She brings a lot of experience to the court for a freshman. She is a big blocker and is continuing to develop on the attacking end. We are going to see a lot of development in her because we see so much potential in her game.”

Cortney Cnossen is one of three freshmen outside hitters. Cnossen was a two-time all-conference first team choice at Ponca City (Okla.) High School and will join Emily Dick and Emily Troup on the outside. Dick has already surprised early with her athletic ability after she was an all-state selection at Corn (Okla.) Bible Academy. Troup brings her talents north of the Red River after she was a two-time all-state and all-district selection at Covenant Christian Academy in Colleyville, Texas.

“Cortney is another utility that can really play any where,” said Ingram. “If we ever needed another set of hands, she could step in and help us there at setter. Her strengths are as a defender and outside hitter. Emily (Dick) is a great athlete and has a ton of potential. She hasn't had the advantage of the club system so the sky is the limit for her. She's going to fight for everything she can get. Troup might be considered undersized in some senses, but she is a great athlete. She's really going to fight for playing time and push some of the upper classmen and will be fun player to watch.”

Two freshmen will also accompany Biddy on the defensive end. Two in-state products in Kaitlyn Belanger and Abigail Funk, have plenty of talent to bring to the table. Belanger was a three-year varsity standout and a team MVP and Defensive Player of the Year at Weatherford (Okla.) High School. Funk was a three-year varsity member at Edmond (Okla.) North High School.

“Kaitlyn was one of the last to sign, but we worked hard to get her here,” said Ingram. “She's only been playing volleyball for a short period of time, but is an unbelievable athlete. Kaitlyn is really quick and picked up the game quickly. Abi is also another solid defender and we look for her to continue to develop as we go forward. She has a good set of skills and comes from a good club system.”

There's no doubt that Southern Nazarene has the talent to compete with anyone in the Sooner Athletic Conference. The question will be can the Crimson Storm be able to produce a high chemistry and be consistent night in and night out. If that can happen on a nightly basis, Ingram said there should be no lack of confidence in what this team could do.

“This team has set high goals early in preseason and they set those in motion even before I asked them to,” said Ingram. “They want to reach the next level and this is the idea of doing everything to its highest level. With the additions that have been made as well as the way we have changed the way we do some things, it has helped them gain confidence in where this team is heading. Our team chemistry is really good and we have high hopes for this season.”