You may not recognize all the faces on Victor E. Court at Saturday’s game against Northern Iowa, because NIU has added five freshmen to its 14-person volleyball roster.

Jenny Dziubla, Irene Johnson, Joelle Beisel, Maria Benitez and Katie Walsh make up the class of 2009 on this year’s team.

Of the five new players, three are likely to start: Dziubla at setter, Johnson at outside hitter and Beisel at middle hitter. Benitez, a libero, and Walsh, a middle hitter, will both work their way into playing time, coach Ray Gooden said.

While most freshmen move into DeKalb and the residence halls on move-in day, these five moved into DeKalb weeks ago and stayed with teammates at different apartments, before moving into the residence halls.

When a majority of freshmen were getting to know people on their floor, going out at night and staying up until the wee hours of the night, this quintet was busy with a hectic schedule of practice, school and more.

“You are constantly busy,” Benitez said. “You get to know more, and are not as lost.”

But to Dziubla, the many hours of practice she’s logged before even playing in her first game will pay off, and not just on the court.

“We have our whole family here,” Dziubla said of the team.

For the freshmen, their youth won’t be any excuse to take it easy for the first few weeks. Walsh said the five have high expectations for themselves. Not only do they want to win the MAC championship, they want to be leaders on the team.

“We want to have the rest of the girls to feel comfortable with us,” said Benitez.

“And trust us,” added Dziubla.

The five think trust will help the transition from high school to Division I college volleyball.

“All around it’s a faster-paced game,” Johnson said.

With the freshmen making the move from the high-school ranks, Gooden realizes they need as much practice time as possible before the real games begin.

“[They] just need to get experience,” the fourth-year coach said. “They need to get used to the level, speed and intensity of the game.”

But how will Gooden’s three freshmen starters adjust to the new roles?

“All three have very good qualities,” Gooden said. “They just need experience.”

The new Huskies and their teammates are not the only people who have had to make adjustments. Gooden admits he has had to tweak his coaching style to fit with the new crew. The team has hit the basics so new players get a better understanding in practice.