Ohio Wesleyan University | Battling Bishop Athletics

2008 Season Preview

[ Kristin Kovach ] For Ohio Wesleyan University volleyball coach Cynthia Holliday, the "Land of Opportunity" is her own home court, Branch Rickey Arena.

With 5 starters departed from last year's team, opportunities abound for the 2008 Bishops. Nevertheless, Holliday's expectations haven't waned one bit.

"We're reloading from within," Holliday said. "We have a lot of people who got to see limited action last year, and we're expecting a lot from the upperclassmen who played behind starters before."

Also contributing to the Bishops' new look are first-year assistant coaches April Hall and Lindsey Wise. "They have brought in more enthusiasm and energy, and that has filtered down to the team," Holliday said.

"We don't have a lot of new faces, but there is a new attitude," Hall said.

The Bishop attack will run through junior outside hitter Kristin Kovach (Chagrin Falls/Kenston) and sophomore outside hitter Alexa Bean (Columbus/Upper Arlington). Kovach saw some significant playing time last season, piling up 69 attack attempts in a match at Allegheny. Bean played primarily as a defensive specialist last year but was a first-team all-district selection in high school.

Sophomore Sam Owen (Westerly, R.I./The Prout School) also returns, and freshmen Sara Morris (Point White Mountain, Alaska/Mt. Edgecumbe), an all-state selection in high school, and Sam Smyth (Falmouth, Maine), who won all-star honors as a prep, will seek to contribute.

Sophomore Stacey Tighe (Lewis Center/Olentangy), who contributed early but missed most of the season with an ankle injury, will open the season as the Bishops' weakside hitter, along with sophomore Jess Fowler (Swanton), who did not play last year.

[ Janna Dagley ] Senior Janna Dagley (Beavercreek) and sophomore Lainey Kekic (Canfield/Western Reserve) return as middle hitters. Dagley ranked third on the team with 57 blocks last year and proved an adept ballhandler as well, ranking third on the team in assists.

Sophomore Sarah Marshall (Lima/Senior), who lettered as a secondary setter last season, will direct the Bishop offense this year. Sophomore Jenna Teeters (Johnstown), who played both setter and weakside hitter last season, will be the secondary setter.

Defense was a strength of the 2007 Bishops as well, as the squad led all NCAA Division III teams with an average of 26.63 digs per game.

Junior Katie Schlaudt (Holland, Mich.) takes over as the Bishop libero.

"The team holds its destiny in its own hands," Holliday said. "Our goals haven't changed. We want to finish in the top four in the conference, and compete hard against the nationally ranked teams on our schedule."

Ohio Wesleyan opens the season at the Kalamazoo Inviational on Aug. 29-30. The Bishops host their annual Bishop Invitational the following weekend, and tournaments at Rose-Hulman and Capital follow on the next 2 weekends before the double round-robin NCAC slate opens against national power Wittenberg on Sept. 24.