Coming off an NCAA Elite Eight appearance, expectations are high -- national-championship high -- for the 20th-ranked BYU women's volleyball team as the Cougars open their season tonight at the Smith Fieldhouse.

"We have our eyes set on a national championship," said senior middle blocker and all-American Rachel Dyer. "If we talk about it, then it's there. It is part of our regular vocabulary and regular vernacular. Then, it doesn't come as a surprise when we get there and it is time for the national tournament. As long as we are talking about it along the way, then it doesn't come as anything new."

First-year coach Shay Goulding shares Dyer's vision -- but she's also a realist.

"To win the national championship is everybody's dream," Goulding said. "It is a dream that is within everyone's reach, when we reach our full potential. But, we want to win Friday night at seven and that is the real truth. From there, we take it one ball and one game at a time."

One ball at a time is a good strategy for a team that is only returning three starters from a team that ended last year ranked 12th in the nation with a 24-8 record, but has seven newcomers. With all the new faces on the team, chemistry has become a key factor in this season's success.

"The first few weeks were really crucial to us to really get in the gym and get a lot of reps together," said senior outside hitter Bryn Porter. "We had to get used to each other and teach them the systems they are not used to. We have come together nicely."

Goulding has put an emphasis on team building. In fact, she even had the players do a personality color test while on a retreat in Midway. The result is a cohesive team that has a family feel to it.

"We have gotten to know each other really well both on and off the court," Dyer said. "We have started to create some team chemistry and confidence. Everyone has been able to show that they can contribute."

One of the new players looking to make an impact is 6-foot-5 outside hitter Kayla Walker, a transfer from Pepperdine University. Walker has found the transition to BYU to be an easy one.

"The girls have been awesome," Walker said. "They help on the court, off the court, they are there for you, they push you and it really made it easy to make the transition."

Goulding is looking at the positives of such a big shake-up to the roster.

"I think it was a real blessing for me because I'm comingin new, too," Goulding said. "I'm coming into a tough situation. Let's be honest, Jason Lamb was a fantastic coach, they had an incredible year last year and people weren't that excited to see me show up. It didn't matter who I was, so I didn't take it personal."

The job of leading this team on the court falls two seniors Dyer and Porter. Dyer was ranked 11th in the country with a .411 hitting percentage last season while posting 1.31 blocks per game. Porter had 2.79 kills from her outside hitter position last season.

"I expect a lot of the returning players," Goulding said. "Especially those that were involved in the five-game matches that took them into the NCAAs."

The Cougars are ready for the off-season to end. They are ready to step onto their court and beat USU in front of a raucous BYU crowd.

"It is our dream to play here," Dyer said. "Then we get to play in front of so many screaming fans that are excited about volleyball and about us."