October 21, 2005

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Palo Alto Online

Perret's maturity shows up in SCU's successful year

by Rick Eymer

To hear Cassie Perret tell it, she was the shy, quiet type who let others do the talking when she first arrived at Santa Clara in the fall of 2002.

The Woodside Priory grad and Menlo Park resident said she wouldn't recognize her freshman self any longer, and volleyball has had a lot to do with her transformation into one of the top outside hitters in the country.

"I have changed a lot. I've matured overall as a person," Perret said after helping the 13th-ranked Broncos beat visiting San Diego, 27-30, 30-8, 30-16, 31-29, in a crucial West Coast Conference match last Saturday. "I've opened up more as a person and because of volleyball I've gotten a lot more aggressive."

Dustin Moore, who coached Perret at Priory and is currently an assistant at Santa Clara, said she always earned the respect of her teammates whether she was vocal or not.

"She wasn't a rah-rah type but she was a leader because she was one of our best players," Moore said. "She would go out and play hard all the time. Now she's developed an all-around game and she's playing with a whole lot of confidence."

Perret, a two-time all-WCC selection, has improved enough to garner some big-time postseason honors.

"I thought she would be a good Division I player because she has the size and build," Moore said. "She has exceeded what I thought she could do. Her numbers are good enough to warrant All-American attention."

Santa Clara coach Jon Wallace, who inserted Perret into the starting lineup from day one, appreciates Perret's development.

"She was fairly raw when she first came in but her explosiveness in getting to the ball, where it was maybe a three out of 10 before is now eight of 10," he said.

Perret, who was sold on Santa Clara during her official visit, became used to winning while at Woodside Priory. She helped the Panthers capture the state Division V title in 2000, and to a runnerup finish the next year.

Her most memorable athletic experience remains the state championship victory but that could change this year. Santa Clara has some unfinished business and Perret would like to end her collegiate career with a nice, long run in the NCAA tournament.

The postseason isn't yet on the Broncos' radar screen -- there's still the matter of the WCC schedule to complete. But the underlying motivation is to win the WCC, and then win an NCAA match for the first time since beating Sacramento State in 2000.

The Broncos are regular visitors to the postseason, earning a trip every year since 1998. They are also competitive, ending their season after marathon five-game matches in three of the past five years.

Perret is one of the big reasons Santa Clara (5-0, 16-1) has been successful. She recorded a team-high 15 kills and hit .483 in the Broncos' important win over the 18th-ranked Toreros. Santa Clara can take charge of the WCC race this weekend in matches against host USF and St. Mary's.

"We've had a great start and I believe this team can go further than we've ever been before," Perret said. "Winning in the NCAA was one of the goals we came up with before the season but we won't start to focus on it until after we make it. It's wins like this, though, that will help us."

While Santa Clara and San Diego are the only two WCC schools among the top 25, St. Mary's and Pepperdine are also receiving votes. The Pac-10, and their six teams among the nation's best, isn't the only game in town. The Broncos own a win over eight-ranked Arizona, which upset Stanford less than a week ago.

San Diego, which reached the Sweet Sixteen last year, has wins over 14th-ranked California and 24th-ranked Long Beach State.

Perret is one of four seniors who hope to show Santa Clara is a true national powerhouse.

"The seniors really bring the team together," Perret said. "It's a nice group who care about every one and promote team unity. It's the core of our experience and leadership and we're all very vocal."

The Broncos felt slighted when they were picked to finish third in a preseason WCC poll, though that's exactly where they ended last season.

Perhaps its just something in Santa Clara's makeup - the 9-5 conference record was its worst in Wallace's first six years as coach. The 18 overall victories were the fewest since the 1996 team went 17-11. The Broncos have suffered through just three losing seasons since 1983.

In other words, Santa Clara expects to win, and knows how to win. Wallace didn't have the set the bar high; the team did it for him.

"We have yet to talk about the NCAA," Wallace said. "The focus is on this conference. If we do win, it would set us up nicely for the tournament."

And maybe for a fairytale ending.

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