After finishing 27-4 with a sixth overall ranking last year, the UW volleyball team finished the season with a disappointing loss to unranked Brigham Young in the second round of the NCAA tournament.

This year, things will likely be different.

Five seniors, including three of last year’s starters, graduated, leaving holes in the Husky line up. The UW will have to replace outside hitters Christal Morrison and Stevie Mussie — who combined for 47 percent of the Huskies’ kills and 54 percent of the team’s total offense — as well as blocker Alesha Deesing.

While the Huskies will have to say goodbye to some quality players, UW volleyball will be welcoming six new faces to the program: five freshmen and a junior transfer student from the University of Utah. Three of those freshmen — Lauren Barfield, Kelcey Dunaway and Bianca Rowland — were highly touted local recruits.

These new players will have a lot to live up to, especially since the team has made the NCAA tournament for the last six years. In the last five years, the team has done so with a top-10 national ranking.

Coach Jim McLaughlin thinks his players are up to the challenge.

“I think we’re gonna be a good team,” he said. “The question is, can we be become a great team.”

Veterans like senior middle-blocker Jessica Swarbrick and junior libro Tamari Miyashiro will guide them along. Swarbrick is a two-time All-American and 2007 first-team Pac-10 honoree. She led the Huskies last year in both hitting percentage and blocks. Her .413 hitting percentage was second in the conference and 10th in the nation and her 1.42 blocks per game was fourth-best in the Pac-10 and 32nd in the country.

Tamari Miyashiro was the 2007 national defensive player of the year. She collected 622 digs last season with an average of 5.65 per game, good enough to rank 32nd nationally and second in the Pac-10. With only two seasons under her belt, she has already tallied 1,279 digs, putting her on pace to destroy the UW’s digs record of 2,038 by the time she graduates.

Also returning to the Husky lineup will be middle blocker and outside hitter Kindra Carlson, outside hitter Becky Perry, defensive specialist Megan McAfee, setter Jenna Hagglund, defensive specialist Bizzy Williams and outside hitter Jill Collymore.

Hagglund, a 2007 Pac-10 All-Freshman team member, is expected to return to her starting setting role. Last season she accumulated 1,422 assists, earning her No. 10 on the all-time career Husky list. Her 13.54 assists per game was second highest in the Pac-10 and 10th highest in the country.

Collymore and Perry are expected to be the starting outside hitters. Perry averaged 3.13 kills per game and was a member of the Pac-10 All-Freshman team.

Collymore, who redshirted the 2007 season, averaged 3.16 kills per game her sophomore year.

The UW’s biggest battle will be with its inexperience this year. Only four of the 14 players on the roster have more than one year of college experience, while five have only played in high school.

Despite this, McLaughlin is upbeat.

“I think we’ve made progress,” he said. “Not just physically, but emotionally. We’re learning at a higher level. I think this team has a chance.”

So far, experience doesn’t seem to matter. The team is 9-1 after beating then No. 17 University of San Diego Friday night at Hec Edmundson Pavilion.

“I like where we’re at and I like where we’re going,” McLaughlin said.

Reach reporter Zach Ruby at sports@dailyuw.com.