DENVER – Who are these MSU Denver volleyball players?
 
Get ready to find out.
 
Although the Roadrunners lost three incredibly significant seniors in All-American outside hitters Santaisha Sturges and Taylor Duryea and all-conference middle blocker Stephanie Laraway, fourth-year coach Jenny Glenn has shuffled some responsibilities and brought in a talented recruiting class.
 
Metropolitan State University of Denver takes the first steps with a team that figures to make significant improvement as the season progresses this weekend, when it plays for matches at the Concordia-Portland (Ore.) Volleyball Classic.
 
"We're only returning two people in the same position they played last year," Glenn said. "But we have a good crew. We're just going to look different because our strengths are different. Our offense will match that and leverage those strengths."
 
MSU Denver, which has appeared in 19 consecutive NCAA Tournaments, tied for the third-longest active streak in Division II, tips off the season Friday with a 12:30 p.m. match against Western Oregon before facing host Concordia at 8 p.m. later Friday. On Saturday, the Roadrunners face 20^th-ranked Cal Poly Pomona at 12:30 p.m. and Cal State Monterey Bay at 4 p.m.
 
Front and center for MSU Denver is middle blocker Alyssa Kelling, a fifth-year senior who is already among the program's all-time leaders in blocks per set (11^th, 0.94), block assists (13^th, 224) and total blocks (16^th, 249).
 
Kelling hit .281 and averaged 1.7 kills and 1.04 blocks per set last season while earning All-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference second team recognition.

"Her experience and veteran mindset definitely stabilizes this crew," Glenn said. "She provides that cornerstone, on the court and off the court, for a team with six newbies. And she's playing really well, with experience and savvy, both on offense and defense. I couldn't ask for more from her."
 
Jessa Megenhardt returns after being one of three setters used in the Roadrunners' 6-2 offense last season. She averaged 5.5 assists per set and the junior is ninth in school history with a .426 assist percentage and 20^th with 586 career assists.
 
Other than that, everyone else is either new or on the move.
 
High-flying Kayla White will be a six-rotation player. Alexis Benda moves into a more significant role. Avaline Lai, after hitting .325 overall and .414 in league play (second-best in the RMAC) moves from the right side to middle blocker.
 
"It's fun because we can be creative and change things up," Glenn said. "There's so many options, so many moving pieces that provide us opportunities to look different. So it's exciting and kind of refreshing to try to find the right mix on the floor."
 
Meanwhile, most of the six-player recruiting class is pushing for immediate playing time, including outside hitter Rylee Hladky, who has shown signs that she may be ready for six-rotation duty.
 
"She's really handled it well in this first little stretch of the preseason," Glenn said. "She's a great athlete and a great learner. And that's helped her get up to speed quickly."
 
While compiling a 70-24 overall record, including a staggering 49-5 in RMAC play, in her first three seasons, Glenn has usually had a more veteran group to rely upon.
 
That has made this offseason and preseason a little more unusual.
 
"I know it's trite, but we really are getting better every day," Glenn said. "With half the players new to the program, it's been a process, but the fun part is that I haven't had to repeat myself a lot. There's a lot of teaching in preseason, and they are picking it up quickly, which is allowing us to progress.
 
"You get to see big changes every day, rather than the small, minute changes you see with a veteran group. And they're just going to keep getting better throughout the season."
 
The Roadrunners, who were 21-10 overall last season and finished tied for fourth in the RMAC at 15-3, were picked to finish fifth in the coaches' preseason poll.
 
Is MSU Denver flying under the radar?
 
"We hope so," Glenn said. "We probably lost a more significant portion of our roster than any team in the RMAC. And there's a lot of really good returning players in the conference. People aren't going to necessarily know what to expect from us, because we are so different from last year."
 
So the first step to forming a new identity comes this weekend.
 
Western Oregon, picked to finish 10^th in the 11-team Great Northwest Athletic Conference, was 6-21 overall and 3-17 in league play last year. Concordia-Portland, picked eighth in the GNAC, went 12-15 and 9-11 to tie for sixth last year.
 
On Saturday, Cal Poly Pomona is coming off a 24-6 season that included a 14-3 mark in California Collegiate Athletic Association play and a trip to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Though ranked 20^th nationally, the Broncos were picked to finish only fifth in the CCAA's South Division by league coaches after a second-place finish last year. Cal State Monterey Bay, 16-10 and 11-7 in 2018, was picked third in the CCAA's North Division after sharing the division title last year.
 
"It'll be great to play somebody for real this weekend," Glenn said. "We'll be tested. There's a 'W' or and 'L' at the end of the match that really matters."