|
Rarely does an NCAA Division III volleyball team start a season with more seniors on its roster than freshmen. But that's the enviable position that Wittenberg Head Coach Paco Labrador finds himself in at the start of a promising 2011 campaign.
The Tigers return a whopping seven seniors to the roster — the most since Labrador took the reins in 2003 — in hopes of capturing that elusive national championship. Coming off a 32-3 finish in 2010, the stage could be set for a run well past the NCAA Division III Tournament Round of 16, which is where things came to an end against eventual national champion Calvin a year ago.
Wittenberg heads into the 2011 season with just one graduation loss, but it's a big one in All-American setter Amy Cox, who dished out 1,025 assists in 2010. She will serve as an assistant coach this year to Labrador, who ranks second among NCAA volleyball coaches — regardless of division — with a .872 winning percentage.
Multiple candidates are sure to emerge to replace Cox, starting with junior setter Hallie Donathan (Tipp City, Ohio/Tippecanoe), who has contributed 243 assists over the last two years and received valuable playing time as a defensive specialist and back-up setter in 2010. The Tigers also have two freshmen setters among the six incoming recruits.
|
The rest of the line-up returns intact, starting with 2010 All-Great Lakes Region middle hitters Katie Sumner (Dublin, Ohio/Watterson) and Miranda Sagle (Springfield, Ohio/Shawnee), both seniors. They are flanked by second-team All-North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) outside hitter Kimmie Dyer (Copley, Ohio/Copley) and productive right-side hitter Christine Simpson (Dublin, Ohio/Scioto), also both seniors.
The Tigers boast great balance both offensively and defensively, starting with Dyer, who led the Tigers in kills for a second straight year and ranked second on the team in digs in 2010. Seven different players finished with 100 or more kills in 2010, with Dyer, Sagle and Sumner all topping 200, and Sagle and Sumner both breaking the school record for attack percentage. Six different players finished with 100 or more digs a year ago, led by junior honorable mention all-region libero Christina Gilene (Milford, Ohio/McNicholas). She starts her third collegiate season with 981 career digs.
Other key returning players include senior outside hitter Hillary Monnin (Russia, Ohio/Russia), junior outside hitter Jessie Batanian (Toledo, Ohio/Notre Dame) and senior right-side hitter Catherine Farny (Fort Wayne, Ind./Concordia Lutheran). Each finished 2010 with at least 82 kills. In addition, senior outside hitter/defensive specialist Hannah Riley (Minerva, Ohio/Minerva) lends versatility to the line-up after contributing 157 digs and 25 service aces a year ago.
The 2011 season starts with the Wittenberg National Invitational on Friday, Sept. 2, and Saturday, Sept. 3, when the Tigers take on perennial national powers Emory and Juniata, in addition to Maryville. The Tigers are shooting for their 16th NCAC regular season and 16th NCAC Tournament titles in the last 17 years in 2011.
Written By: Ryan Maurer
Photos By: Erin Pence