Argos embark on 2004 journey

"It's a different team. We have 10 returners and three freshmen," said Notre Dame coach Devin Grant. "The look on the floor is different people. We lost three starters, ones who heavily contributed."

Three players who made significant contributions last season will be asked to step up even more this year. Senior Danielle Dooly, a 6-2 middle blocker, finished last season with 255 kills and 68 blocks while finishing second in conference player of the year honors. Amanda Thomas, a 5-10 senior, moved from middle to the right side to take some pressure off her surgically-repaired knee. Thomas has 279 kills, 101 digs, 76 blocks and 38 service aces.

Kristen Everett, a 5-11 junior setter, returns but will be pushed by sophomore Jen McMurtry.

"They'll both play a lot," Grant said, who added that he is utilizing the strengths of each to create an uber-setter. Grant said Everett is taller and blocks really well, so she'll be the set when she's in the front row. McMurtry is a little quicker, a little better defensively and a better server. The offense will run through her when the setter position moves to the back row.

"We'll just see how it plays out," Grant said.

A number of other players, while not newcomers, are counted on a lot more this season. Val Adams and former Capuchino star Erin Canty will see increased playing time this year.

"[Adams] didn't play a lot last year but had a great spring season," Grant said. "[Canty] got limited minutes last year and will be counted on heavily early in the season.

"We have a little depth. We have people that can play more than one position. We have 13 players total, a much smaller group (from last season's 19) and people are seeing a lot more practice time."

The first couple of weeks will severely test the Argonauts. They will face some of the top teams in the nation in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), including No. 1 Fresno Pacific, No. 2 Biola and No. 12 Point Loma, as well as perennial powers Asuza Pacific and Westmont, which Notre Dame hosts 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.

"We play a ridiculously tough preseason," Grant said. "It's what we've asked for. Our goal is to be competitive and stay close. If you do some things right, you have a chance to win."

Grant is hoping the tough preseason will help when the Argonauts enter a revamped Cal Pac Conference. Gone is the two-division system that employed a conference playoff to determine the league's automatic bid to the regional playoffs. Instead, the Cal Pac is moving to a 10-team, round-robin format and eliminating the playoffs. The hope is it will allow more Cal Pac teams into the regional playoffs.

"(In the past the regional playoffs) took (conference) champions and at-large teams but none of the other teams (in the Cal Pac) were ranked high enough."

Notre Dame is the odds-on favorite to take the Cal Pac title again. Holy Names, which handed Notre Dame its only conference loss last season, was ranked No. 2 in the pre-season poll. Menlo and Bethany colleges should also be in the mix.

Grant said he has broken the season into three sections - preseason, where he hopes the team can pull a few upsets while getting ready for conference play; Cal Pac play, where anything short of a championship would be disappointing; the final stage would be the regional playoffs and beyond.

"We haven't gotten out of regionals in four years," Grant said. "By playing (top teams) early in the season … Hopefully we'll be battled tested."