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2007 Season Preview

The Ohio Wesleyan University volleyball team made a significant improvement for the second straight season, jumping from a 6-23 record in 2004 to a 15-16 mark in 2005 to last year's 22-9 mark.

Another similar increase would put Ohio Wesleyan in reach of the school season record of 27 wins, and with 3 starters returning, head coach Cynthia Holliday thinks that the Bishops can parlay the success of last season into a return trip to the North Coast Athletic Conference championship tournament.

"We have a lot more depth on the team," Holliday said. "We had success last year, and we're building on that this year. I think another strength lies in the fact that we're a team and that everyone has bought into the team concept. It doesn't matter who does the job as long as the job gets done."

Senior Kelli Lester (Pataskala/Watkins Memorial) and junior Katie Hamilton (Hilliard/Darby) return in the middle. Lester ranked fifth in the NCAC in blocks last season, while Hamilton was a contributor in her first season of collegiate volleyball. Junior Janna Dagley (Beavercreek) and freshman Stacey Tighe (Lewis Center/Olentangy) are slated to see action both in the middle and at the weakside hitter spot.

"Our middles have been traditionally defensive," Holliday said, "but with the depth we have, we're doing more work on hitting and becoming a more balanced team."

[ Steffi Graf ] At outside hitter, senior Steffi Graf (Poland/Seminary) led the Bishops with an average of 3.11 kills per game and ranked fifth in the NCAC in digs last year on the way to first-team all-conference honors. Senior Stefanie McCoy (Powell/Olentangy) was second on the team with an average of 2.37 kills per game, and sophomore Kristin Kovach (Chagrin Falls/Kenston) also returns.

Freshmen Alexa Bean (Columbus/Upper Arlington), Lainey Kekic (Canfield/Western Reserve), Sam Owen (Westerly, R.I./The Prout School), Carly Topper (Novi, Mich./Greenhills School) also will get a chance to contribute. Bean and Kekic were first-team all-district selections in high school, while Owen helped her high school team win 3 state titles and Topper was an all-region pick.

"Our top 4 or 5 players are all talented," Holliday said. "We're going to be able to spread out the offense and have more players see action. On any given day, if someone is on, we will be able to get them into a game."

Joining Dagley and Tighe at the weakside hitter spot is freshman Jenna Teeters (Johnstown), another all-district selection in high school.

Further underscoring her theme of balance for the 2007 Bishops, Holliday notes that "we have solid blocking on the weak side."

[ Shea Pence ] Junior Shea Pence (Danville, Ind./Danville Community) takes over at the setter position after splitting time between setter and weakside hitter in Ohio Wesleyan's 2-setter offense. An effective weapon at the weakside hitter spot, Pence averaged nearly 2 kills per game in 2006.

"The success of the team lies in Shea's hands right now," Holliday said. "She's definitely the leader of this group, and we hope that with her experience, she will be able to spread out the offensive attack."

Teeters could reprise Pence's role as a hybrid setter/weakside hitter, and freshman Sarah Marshall (Lima/Senior) also is in the mix at the setter spot.

Defense was a strength of the 2006 Bishops as well, as the squad led all NCAA Division III teams with an average of 27.47 digs per game.

Senior Jaime Scharf (Marion/River Valley), an honorable mention All-NCAC pick in 2006, returns at the libero spot, with sophomore Katie Schlaudt (Holland, Mich.) also back.

Ohio Wesleyan opens the season by defending the championship of its own Bishop Invitational. Tournaments at Washington & Jefferson and Centre follow on the next 2 weekends before the double round-robin NCAC slate opens at national power Wittenberg on Sept. 19.