Otterbein College Women's Volleyball

Three Cardinals Selected to Academic All-OAC First Team
Written Nov. 18, 2009 by Ryan Catanese

WESTERVILLE, OHIO – Senior setter Marinda Roderick, (St. Louisville/Utica) senior middle hitter Leah Yoder, (West Liberty/Salem) and sophomore libero Lindsey Russell (Dublin/Jerome) have been named to the Academic All-Ohio Athletic Conference First Team, announced the conference office this week.

A Middle Childhood Education major, Roderick played in all 33 matches this season and is a three-year starter. She has made the Otterbein Dean’s List all nine terms. In addition, she earned Academic All-OAC first team honors in 2008, and honorable mention honors in 2007.

A Business Administration major with a concentration in Accounting, Yoder has been a three-year starter and a mainstay on the front line for the Cardinals. She played in all 33 matches this season and finished sixth in the OAC in hitting percentage, hitting for a total of .279. She has been on the Dean’s List three different times.

A Nursing major, Russell played in 32 matches this season and is a two-year starter. She led the OAC in digs, tallying 780 on the season for an average of 6.7 per game. Both marks set Otterbein single-season records. Her efforts also earned her second-team All-OAC honors.

The three players were integral parts of one of the best seasons in Otterbein volleyball history. After winning only nine matches last season, the team turned around and won 24 matches this season, finishing fourth in the OAC. After defeating Capital University in a thrilling five game match, the Cardinals
fell to top-seeded Heidelberg in the semi-finals of the OAC Tournament.

Russell, Nagle Garner All-Ohio Athletic Conference Honors
Written Nov. 10, 2009 by Adam Prescott

WESTERVILLE, OHIO – Otterbein sophomore libero Lindsey Russell (Dublin/Jerome) and freshman middle hitter Ally Nagle (Dublin/Scioto) have been named to the 2009 All-Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) team, announced the league office Tuesday morning.

Russell was selected to second-team while Nagle earned honorable mention status. In addition, Nagle was chosen as the OAC Freshman of the Year.

A two-year starter, Russell led the OAC in digs this season with a total of 780 and an average of 6.67 per game. Over the course of the fall, she set school records for digs in a season, digs per game, and digs in a match by recording 43 in a 3-2 victory over Muskingum in the regular season finale.

In the opening match of the Cardinal Classic played at Otterbein, Russell tallied 33 digs in a three-game victory against Columbus State. She was a member of the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) 30-dig club 11 different times this season. In addition, she was named the Most Valuable Player of the Ohio Wesleyan Tournament and was chosen for the All-Tournament team at the Cardinal Classic, North Park, and Mount St. Joseph’s tournaments.

Nagle, spending her first season at Otterbein, led the conference with a .392 hitting percentage by converting 375 of 773 chances. She was also named to the All-Tournament team at the Ohio Wesleyan, Cardinal Classic, North Park, and Mount St. Joseph’s tournaments.

Nagle ranked third in the OAC with 3.22 kills per game and hit over .300 in eight of the team’s nine conference matches. In addition, she broke Otterbein’s single-season hitting percentage.

The Cardinals played to the best record in school history this season, finishing 24-9 a year after going 9-23. Picked to finish ninth in the conference preseason poll this year, Otterbein instead earned the #4 seed for the OAC Tournament and bowed out to top-seeded Heidelberg in the semi-finals.

Otterbein Falls to Heidelberg in OAC Tournament Semifinals
Written Nov. 6, 2009 by Adam Prescott

WESTERVILLE, OHIO – Otterbein, the #4 seed, fell to top-seeded and 19th-ranked Heidelberg in four games Friday evening in the semi-finals of the Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament.

After Heidelberg took the first two points of game one, Otterbein responded and took a 6-4 lead on a kill from freshman Courtney Kramer.

The Berg countered by taking 11 of the game’s next 15 points and found themselves holding a 15-10 advantage.

The Cards brought the deficit to 15-12 on back-to-back kills from Leah Yoder and Rayna Coleman, but the Student Princes bounced back to take an 18-13 lead.

Otterbein fought back yet again, drawing to within two, at 20-18 after a cross-court kill from sophomore Alicia Chafins.

After tying the game at 21-21 and forcing Heidelberg to call a timeout, the Cards fell behind 23-21 after Marian Bevington blocked a Cardinal attempt. The Student Princes would carry the momentum to take the first game 25-22.

The Cards had four service errors in the opening game, while Chafins got off to a hot start with 6 kills in 11 attempts.

Game two saw the Berg jump out to a 7-6 lead, only to have Otterbein regain the edge at 9-7 and pursue to push the margin to 13-9 on back-to-back kills from Coleman.

Keeping the pressure on, OC widened the lead to 19-12 after a Heidelberg reception error. Chafins tallied the 24th point with yet another kill, and the Cards held off a late rally from the Berg to earn a 25-22 win in the second game.

OC grabbed an early 5-4 lead in game three after a point from freshman Ally Nagle, the OAC ‘s leader in kills. Heidelberg then countered to take a 14-9 advantage on another kill from Bevington.

The Cardinals hung tough, but the hosts eventually played their way to a 25-18 victory to take a 2-1 lead.

Tied at 6-6 in the fourth, the teams exchanged points and found themselves locked back up again, this time at 9-9.

Even at 12-12, Heidelberg found momentum and took a 20-15 lead after a service ace from Suzy Street.

Otterbein fought hard, but the Student Princes proved too much and played to a 25-15 victory.

With the win, Heidelberg advances to Saturday’s championship match against Ohio Northern.

Coleman led the Cardinal attack by registering 14 kills on 26 total attacks for a hitting percentage of .423. Chafins tallied 12 kills on 43 attempts while senior Leah Yoder added five on 14 chances in her last collegiate game.

Freshman Lydia Wynkoop handed out 23 assists while senior Marinda Roderick, also playing her last college match, recorded 11 assists.

Sophomore libero Lindsey Russell tallied 21 digs on the evening.

Picked to finish ninth in the conference preseason poll, the Cards instead went 5-4 in the OAC and played to a 24-9 overall record, the best in program history.

Roderick Named to ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District Team
Written Nov. 5, 2009 by Adam Prescott

WESTERVILLE, OHIO – Senior Marinda Roderick, a setter from St. Louisville, has been named to the 2009 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District IV second team in women’s volleyball, as selected by the College Sports Information Director’s of America (CoSIDA).

A three-year letterwinner, Roderick has helped the team achieve the best overall record in program history this season. The Cardinals currently stand at 24-8 overall.

A two-time Academic All-OAC selection, Roderick has tallied 20 or more assists in 15 matches this season. Over the last three contests, she has averaged just under 26 per match en route to helping Otterbein upset nationally ranked Heidelberg and win its OAC Tournament quarterfinal match against Capital this past Tuesday.

A middle childhood education major, she has made the Otterbein Dean’s List all nine terms.

The fourth-seeded Cardinals travel to Tiffin this Friday for a rematch with Heidelberg, the tournament’s top seed. Starting time is set for 7 p.m.

Cards Advance to OAC Semis With Victory Over Capital
Written Nov. 3, 2009 by Adam Prescott

WESTERVILLE, OHIO – Otterbein, the #4 seed, upstaged fifth-seeded and cross-town rival Capital in five games Tuesday evening in the quarterfinal round of the Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament.

The win moves the Cardinals to 24-8 on the season and propels them into an OAC semi-final matchup at Heidelberg, the tourney’s top seed. Otterbein earned an upset bid of Heidelberg earlier this season in Westerville.

Otterbein jumped out to an early 5-1 lead in game number one, and extended the lead to 8-3 after a kill from freshman Michelle Gernert. After back-to-back kills from sophomore Alicia Chafins made the score 11-6, Otterbein took an even larger lead when freshman Ally Nagle tallied a point to push the advantage to 16-8.

Gernert tallied the 18th and 20th points on scattered plays, and Chafins struck a ball towards the back right corner that bounced off a Capital player’s hands for the 24th point. OC eventually grabbed the first game 25-10.

Down 11-9 in the second game, the Cardinals rallied back and took a 20-15 edge on another kill from Chafins. After a spike up the ride side from junior Rayna Coleman made it 23-17, Chafins ended the game a few points later, giving OC a 25-18 game two victory.

Coleman made it 7-5 early in the third set, and the team took a 16-13 lead after a Capital attacking error. However, the Crusaders responded and pulled out a 25-23 victory.

Game five saw Otterbein take a quick 5-2 lead, which was followed by a Capital timeout. A kill from senior Leah Yoder gave the Cards a 10-8 edge, and Otterbein won five of the next seven points for a 15-10 fifth-set victory.

Chafins and Gernert tallied 12 kills a piece to lead the Otterbein attack. Nagle, the OAC leader in kills, registered 11 on 32 attempts.

Sophomore libero Lindsey Russell tallied 29 digs while Chafins added 20. Russell is the conference’s leader in the category.

Freshman Lydia Wynkoop and senior Marinda Roderick combined for 49 assists, tallying 27 and 22, respectively.

The team now turns its attention to #1 seed Heidelberg on Friday. Starting time for that semi-final match is slated for 7 p.m. in Tiffin.

Volleyball Plans "Red Out" for Conference Quarterfinal Match
Written Nov. 1, 2009 by Adam Prescott

The Otterbein volleyball team, the #4 seed in the upcoming Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) Tournament, will play host to fifth-seeded and cross-town rival Capital Tuesday evening in the Rike Center.

The Cardinals, 23-8 overall and 5-4 in league play, defeated Capital in five games on October 24 in Bexley.

Winners of five straight, Otterbein encourages everyone planning on attending Tuesday’s match to come dressed or painted in red.

Otterbein Claims Victory Over Muskingum in Five Games
Written Oct. 31, 2009 by Ryan Catanese

WESTERVILLE, OHIO – Otterbein closed out the regular season Saturday with a win over Muskingum on senior day in the Rike Center. The win was Otterbein’s fourth straight in Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) play which improves their record to 23-8 overall and 5-4 in the OAC.

This marks the first time the Cardinals have had a winning record in conference play since 2006.

The two teams traded games throughout the match. Otterbein got off to a solid start winning the first game by a score of 25-20, Muskingum took the next game 25-27, then the Cardinals responded by breezing through the third game by a score of 25-13, the Muskies once again answered by taking the fourth game 25-22, but the Cardinals regrouped and took the deciding game 15-7.

The strong finish to the season puts Otterbein in a tie for fourth with Capital in the OAC, since the Cardinals beat the Crusaders last Saturday they will host Capital in the first round of the OAC tournament.

Freshman middle hitter Ally Nagle once again led the team in kills with 15 and had a hitting percentage of .375. Sophomore outside hitter Alicia Chafins tallied 12 kills and senior middle blocker Leah Yoder had 10 kills on her senior day to go along with an outstanding hitting percentage of .667.

Senior setter Marinda Roderick racked up 28 assists, while freshman Lydia Wynkoop had 29 assists.

Sophomore libero Lindsey Russell, the conference's leader in digs, set an Otterbein match record by recording 45 digs on the day.

The Cardinals return home on Tuesday November 3^rd to host an OAC Tournament Quarterfinal match against Capital. Match is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. in the Rike Center.

Cardinals Upset 17th-Ranked Heidelberg, Even OAC Mark at 4-4
Written Oct. 27, 2009 by Ryan Catanese

WESTERVILLE, OHIO – The Otterbein women’s volleyball team, now 22-8 overall and 4-4 in the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) earned a four-game upset victory Tuesday evening against Heidelberg in the Rilke Center. The Berg entered the match ranked 17th nationally in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Top 25 poll, as well as first in the OAC with an unblemished record of 7-0.

The Lady Cardinals, who fell short in the opening game despite having two games points, responded by winning the next three games in exciting fashion by scores of 25-23, 25-23, and 25-18.

The Cards opened the fourth and deciding game in strong fashion, scoring the first four points and never looking back.

This victory is the second upset of a top ranked OAC team in three days for the Cardinals, who returned to action after a five game victory against a Capital University squad that had only one previous loss in league play.

With the win, Otterbein not only evens its conference record, but jumps into a fifth-place tie with Marietta.

Heidelberg falls to 24-6 overall and 7-1 in the OAC, leaving them in a first place tie with Mount Union.

The Cardinal attack featured four big hitters on the night. Freshman middle hitter Ally Nagle totaled 12 kills and hit for a percentage of .345. Junior outside hitter Rayna Coleman tallied 16 kills; freshman outside hitter Michelle Gernert added 15 more, while sophomore outside hitter Alicia Chafins had 13 kills for Otterbein.

The setting duties were once again split evenly as senior Marinda Roderick totaled 27 assists, while freshman Lydia Wynkoop accumulated 26.

Sophomore libero Lindsey Russell had another fine outing with 29 digs, while Chafins added 16.

On Saturday, the Cardinals wrap up the regular season against Muskingum (2-5 OAC) in the Rike Center for a Halloween showdown. The match is scheduled to start at 1 p.m.

Cards Grab Two Victories at Capital Tri-match
Written Oct. 26, 2009 by Adam Prescott

WESTERVILLE, OHIO – The Otterbein women’s volleyball team notched a pair of conference victories this past weekend, defeating Capital and Westminster Saturday afternoon at the Crusaders Tri-Match.

Otterbein opened the afternoon by defeating Capital in a tough five-game match, winning the first two games as well as the last.

After taking the first two games by scores of 25-18 and 25-17, the team dropped a long third game, 31-29.

OC then fell in game four, but responded with a 15-7 triumph in game five to claim victory. Capital entered the contest with a 5-1 mark in league play.

Freshman outside hitter Kelly Montgomery led Otterbein’s attack with 15 kills, hitting .323 for the match. She also recorded six block assists.

Sophomore libero Lindsey Russell, the OAC’s leader in digs, tallied 34 over the five-game span.

The win improved the Cards to 3-4 in the OAC, good enough to sit in a tie for fifth.

The second matchup pitted Otterbein against Westminster, with the Cards prevailing in four games.

After dropping the second set, the team regrouped and won the ensuing two en route to the victory.

Freshman middle hitter Ally Nagle led the squad with 10 kills, registering a .529 hitting percentage. Junior right-side hitter Rayna Coleman tallied seven kills to go along with a .417 hitting-percentage.

The team, which now holds a 21-8 overall record, returns to action Tuesday evening when they host league-leading Heidelberg. Starting time from the Rike Center is slated for 7 p.m.

Otterbein Notches Conference Victory Over Baldwin-Wallace
Written Oct. 20, 2009 by Ryan Catanese

WESTERVILLE, OHIO— The Otterbein women's volleyball team improved its record to 19-8 overall and 2-4 in the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) after cruising past Baldwin-Wallace, 3-0, Tuesday night in the Rike Center.

There was a nice crowd on hand for the "Dig Pink" match as both teams raised awareness for breast cancer by participating in fundraising events in the days leading up to the match. Many contributions were made to the Side-Out foundation as fans bought t-shirts and balloons to honors people they knew who had been affected by breast cancer.

The Cardinals overpowered the Yellow Jackets from the outset and never looked back, winning the games by scores of 25-16, 25-16, and 25-13.

Baldwin-Wallace dropped to 3-23 overall and 0-6 in league play.

Freshman middle hitter Ally Nagle had another strong outing as she tallied 12 kills and an outstanding hitting percentage of .667. Freshman outside hitter Kelly Montgomery tallied seven kills and hit .438 while freshman Courtney Kramer had six kills and hit .455 on the night.

Freshman Lydia Wynkoop and senior Marinda Roderick split the setting duties as Wynkoop racked up 17 assists while Roderick chipped in with 13.

Sophomore libero Lindsey Russell was all over the court, making 18 digs in the Cardinal victory.

The Cardinals have a tough week ahead, beginning Saturday when they travel to Capital for a tournament where they will take on Capital University, who has an OAC record of 5-1, and Westminster College from Pennsylvania. Matches are scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. respectively.

Following the Capital tournament, the team returns to Westerville to face off against Heidelberg College, who currently holds down first place in the OAC. Starting time for that match is slated for 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 27.

WILMINGTON, OHIO—Otterbein evened its Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) record, breezing past Wilmington, 3-0, Tuesday in Wilmington.

The Cardinals, improving to 17-4 overall and 1-1 in the OAC, defeated the Quakers by scores of 25-14, 25-14, and 25-17. Wilmington dropped to 0-3 in league play.

“It was great to get our first conference win,” said third-year head coach Monica McDonald. “The Wilmington program has come a long way in the past few years and I knew their team would come ready to play.”

Senior middle blocker Leah Yoder and freshman middle hitter Ally Nagle led the Cardinal attack. Yoder, with seven kills, hit .545 over the three games. Nagle, hitting .389, led the team with nine kills.

Sophomore defensive specialists Renee Willke and Alicia Chafins combined for 25 digs.

“I was pleased with the way the team stayed focused throughout the match,” McDonald added. “We are more than ready for Mount Union this Saturday.”

The Cardinals are scheduled to host the Purple Raiders of Mount Union this Saturday in the Rike Center, beginning at 2 p.m. The Raiders come into the match 13-3 overall and 1-1 in the OAC. They lost at Capital, 3-1, Tuesday and defeated Baldwin-Wallace, 3-0, at home last Saturday.

Otterbein Volleyball to Host "Dig Pink" Event
Written Oct. 6, 2009 by Adam Prescott

WESTERVILLE, OHIO - On Tuesday, October 20^th at 7 p.m., the Otterbein women’s volleyball team will unite with conference opponent Baldwin-Wallace in order to raise money for the Side-Out foundation. The foundation works to generate funds for breast cancer research and awareness.

Spectators are asked to wear pink to the competition, and pink t-shirts will be sold for $8.00. Donations can be made directly to Otterbein’s account at the foundation’s website at www.side-out.org.

Make sure to select Otterbein’s account in order for the team to reach its fundraising goal.

If you have any questions, please contact head coach Monica McDonald at mmcdonald@otterbein.edu.

Otterbein Set to Begin OAC Play, Travels to Take on Marietta
Written Sept. 29, 2009 by Adam Prescott

WESTERVILLE, OHIO – Otterbein (16-3), fresh off winning three of four at the Mt. Saint Joseph’s Tournament this past weekend, is set to open Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) play this weekend at Marietta.

The Cards will look to build off a weekend where they defeated Hanover, Maryville, and OAC foe Baldwin-Wallace, all in four-game matches.

Freshman Ally Nagle leads the conference with a .490 hitting-percentage, and ranks third in kills with a 3.25/game average.

Sophomore libero Lindsey Russell sits atop the league in digs, tallying 485 over 71 games for a 6.83 per game average. The mark of 485 is over 100 more than the next closest player in terms of total digs.

As a team, the group ranks third in the OAC in both hitting and kills, and fourth in assists.

After several non-conference tournaments and matches, OC will now need to gear up for a tough OAC schedule waiting ahead.

“Even though we are off to a great start, the girls know that it is all about conference play,” said head coach Monica McDonald. “We have a very tough conference, but I am confident that we will surprise some teams this year.”

The first of teams will be the Pioneers, who hold a 13-5 overall record and are fresh off a three-game victory over Bluffton, a team that defeated the Cardinals in a grueling five-game match this past weekend.

“Marietta will be a great test for us,” said McDonald. “They are a very young but talented team. We won last year in a four game battle, but both teams have improved.”

The conference looks to be a battle night in and night out this season, as five teams enter OAC play with a winning-percentage of .722 or better. However, McDonald remains confident in her group and the talent they possess.

“I think we can compete with everyone in the conference, so the last half of the season could be even better than the first half,” she said.”

Starting time for Saturday’s contest at the Ban Johnson Arena in Marietta is scheduled for 1 p.m. After that match, the Cards will travel to play Wilmington on Tuesday, October 6.

WESTERVILLE, OHIO – The Otterbein volleyball team improved its season record to 13-1 over the weekend by winning three of its four matches and winning the 2009 Otterbein Cardinal Classic. The team finished tied in the standings with Thiel and Trine, but took the title due to tiebreak scenarios.

In the opening match of the weekend, OC overwhelmed Columbus State by winning in three straight games, 25-22, 25-15, 25-15. The match, which lasted just 65 minutes, saw sophomore libero Lindsey Russell tally 33 digs and the duo of freshman Ally Nagle and junior Rayna Coleman combine for 21 kills. CSCC entered the match ranked first nationally amongst the junior college polls.

In the night-cap, the team suffered its first lost of the season by dropping a five-game match to Trine. After winning the first two games 25-22 and 25-23, the Cards fell 25-21 and 25-22 in games three and four. Both teams battled in the fifth and final game, only to see Trine narrowly escape with an 18-16 win.

Four Otterbein players recorded double-digit kills in the match, with Nagle’s 18 leading the way. Senior Marinda Roderick tallied 29 assists while sophomore Kelly Schumacher had 26 filling in for an injured Lydia Wynkoop.

“Of course it would have been great to win all the matches, but our loss to Trine definitely made us better,” said head-coach Monica McDonald. “Every game in the five-game match was close and the experience will help us during some of our tougher matches to come. It was great to see how the team responded to losing Lydia in game one, as Kelly stepped up and we didn’t miss a beat. This team has shown character and heart all year, and that match was no different.”

Day two saw Otterbein handle Ohio Wesleyan and Denison in straight games, taking 3-0 victories in each match.

After Thiel and Trine lost a match on the second day, it allowed Otterbein to swoop back into the picture and take home the title.

Russell finished with 107 digs on the weekend, with an average of 7.6 digs per game.

“Lindsey had another great weekend,” McDonald said. “She had an unbelievable performance against Columbus State, and it was obvious that her 33 dig performance over only three games frustrated Columbus State’s talented hitters.”

“I can’t talk about the weekend without mentioning our impressive serve receive,” McDonald continued, “which is handled by the sophomore trio of Lindsey (Russell), Renee Willke and Alicia Chafins. There was never a time during the weekend when I felt like our offense was struggling because of our passing. The great numbers put up by our hitters this weekend were a direct result of our steady serve receive passing. “

Overall, McDonald was pleased with the performance of her group throughout the two-day event and is optimistic about the season moving forward.

“I am really excited, because even though we lost our first match this weekend, we continued to improve,” she said. “With such a great start to the season, it would be easy for us to get complacent. The girls are still hungry and getting better, and I really think our best volleyball is yet to come.”

The team hosts Ohio Dominican tomorrow evening in the Rike Center before traveling to the Mount St. Joseph’s Tournament this weekend.

Over the last two seasons, the Otterbein women’s volleyball team struggled to find the success they had been looking for. In the first two years under now third-year head coach Monica McDonald, the team went 13-49 overall and 3-15 in Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) play. This season, however, the Cardinals have played their way to a perfect 10-0 record out of the gate, giving them the best start in school history.

The 2001 team boasted a 15-1 record midway through its fall campaign but had lost early on in the season.

For the Cardinal volleyball followers and any within the program, it is easy to realize that this 2009 season is much different from those in recent years.

“We have some experience under our belt this year to combine with some really good freshmen that have come in,” said senior captain Leah Yoder. “I think our attitudes have changed a lot, and we worked really hard in the preseason. So far it’s paid off.”

With a roster that currently consists of eight freshman, eight sophomores, one junior, and two seniors, the group has appeared to be playing well beyond its years.

This fall, the team has won two matches that have gone the distance, defeating Ohio Wesleyan and Concordia (IL) in high pressure and intense fifth games. In addition, the team dropped its first game against Wooster and responded by winning three in a row.

“I could see my team last year really lose their focus and composure after we lost a game or maybe dropped four or five points in a row and fell behind,” explained McDonald. “This year, I don’t see a difference in the group between games, whether we’ve just won or lost.”

Realizing that you belong and that the necessary abilities exist to achieve success can be important for a relatively young team, especially when the program has recently experienced some frustrating times.

“We talked about confidence before the season started, and I told the team that it would be a huge part of becoming a better team... just knowing that they are good,” McDonald said.

If any on the team need reassurance that they are capable of achieving their goals, then they can just take a quick glance at the OAC stats and see what they’ve done thus far.

The team currently ranks in the top four in the league in assists, kills, and blocks. In addition, freshman middle hitter Ally Nagle sits atop the conference in hitting percentage (.404) while sophomore libero Lindsey Russell ranks second in the conference in digs.

McDonald also reflected on what this early success means to her personally since taking over the reigns in 2007.

“It was really hard for me to remain optimistic the first year, just because we were losing contributing seniors,” said McDonald. "I had to put a lot of faith in my recruiting and in my young players that I had.”

Yoder also took a moment to express what this season means to both her and fellow senior Marinda Roderick, the only two players on the roster to experience the last two-plus seasons under McDonald and the last three-plus overall.

“We’re definitely really excited about the start, especially since the last few seasons have been disappointing,” she said. “We just have that extra motivation to do better this year, and hopefully better than any Otterbein team has ever done.”

Despite the rough stretches, McDonald expected her squad to climb the ladder and begin to reach the new levels they are experiencing.

“Last year, I definitely knew that this season would be a lot better,” she said. “I think that even if I didn’t add anyone to the program, if I didn’t bring any freshmen in, then there still would have been major improvement on the nine-win season from a year ago.”

“I’m really excited for the sophomores that are playing this year,” McDonald added. "They lost a couple of their good teammates from a year ago that threw in the towel and didn’t want to ride out the tough times in order to make it here."

However, while the team has exploded out of the gate, their senior captain has made sure the group understands the importance of staying hungry and not becoming complacent or satisfied.

“We’ve been talking a lot about how we only have one opportunity with this specific team,” Yoder explained. “You never know who’s not going to play next year or what recruits you will have in. We’re making sure that everyone understands this could be the best year while they’re here, even if they are only underclassmen.”

With a 10-0 record at the moment and the potential to improve that mark this weekend in the Cardinal Classic, McDonald still understands the toughness and challenges of the upcoming conference schedule.

“We are absolutely going to have some battles, but I honestly believe that this team can compete with anyone,” she said. “Is it realistic to think we will go undefeated in league play, maybe not… but, if we can give ourselves a good position heading into the conference tournament, then anything can happen.”

Advancing deep into the conference tournament is definitely made a little easier if you have some experienced senior leadership. One cannot overlook the dedication, determination, and commitment of the two lone players experiencing their last go-around.

“If you look at the rosters of any Division III team, they are never senior heavy,” McDonald said. “A lot of the kids drop-out, so anytime you have two seniors who have made it through four years where they’re not playing for money, and instead doing it for the love of the game and joy of competition, then I think that says a lot.”

“Leah and Marinda have meant a lot to the program because they’ve had to be the stabilizing force through the coaching change and through the rough seasons,” added McDonald. “They mean a lot to the sophomore class because they had to walk them through a very rough freshman season, especially when they were thrown to the wolves early. That group really had to rely on Leah and Marinda to just be there and guide them. It’s definitely going to be hard to replace them.”

With more than two-thirds of the season still remaining, Yoder, Roderick, McDonald, and the rest of the Cardinal volleyball program have plenty of time to keep improving and make this season as memorable as can be.

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Otterbein remained unbeaten, winning four more matches to snare a co-championship at the North Park Invitational held Friday and Saturday in Chicago.

The Cardinals improved to 10-0 for the school’s best start to a season with wins over Judson (IL), 3-1, Concordia (IL), 3-2, Marian (WI), 3-0, and Purdue-North Central (IN), 3-0. The squad shared the championship with North Central (IL), each finishing 4-0 in the 11-team field.

“To win ten matches in a row takes composure and consistent play at a high level,” said third-year head coach Monica McDonald. “I am really proud of the way my team has handled tough situations.”

Otterbein's previous best start came in 2001. The Cardinals opened the season at 15-1.

Freshman middle hitter Ally Nagle led the way for the young Otterbein squad, hitting .458 over the four matches. She was named OAC “player of the week”. Nagle led her team in kills in every match, finishing with 49, along with four solo blocks and 11 block assists.

“After losing our starting middle from last year, we really needed someone to step up in the middle and play opposite senior Leah Yoder,” McDonald said. “Ally has more than answered the challenge. She is definitely a huge part of why we are 10-0.”

Sophomore defensive specialists Lindsey Russell and Renee Willke combined for 131 digs in the tournament. Russell led the team with 68, including 28 in four games against Judson. Yoder finished with a team-high 12 block assists.

“It is a lot of fun to coach a group of girls who don’t give up,” McDonald said. “This kind of fight will allow us the opportunity to beat some of the tough opponents we will face later this year.”

Freshman Nagle Earns OAC Player of the Week Honors
Written Sept. 14 2009 by Adam Prescott

WESTERVILLE, OHIO – Freshman middle hitter Ally Nagle (Dublin/Scioto) has been named the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) "Player of the Week", the league office announced Monday morning.

This past week, Nagle helped Otterbein win all five matches en route to improving the team record to 10-0 on the season.

Last Wednesday, Nagle recorded six kills and five digs in a quick three-game victory over Denison in Granville.

Over the weekend, she led all Cardinals with 49 kills as the team won all four contests at the North Park Tournament in Chicago, Illinois. Nagle posted double-digit kills in every match at the tournament, including an impressive 13 kills combined with just two errors against Marian (WI) to tally a .611 hitting percentage.

In addition to the 49 kills, she committed just 11 errors over the two-day tournament to hit .458.

Over the past week, Nagle has also contributed eight digs, six solo blocks, and 13 block assists.

She currently ranks in the top ten in the conference with a 3.14 kills per game average.

Otterbein next hosts the Cardinal Classic this weekend in the Rike Center, with the Cards opening against Columbus State on Friday at 2 p.m.

Cards Win Bishop Invitational, Improving to 5-0
Written Sept. 8 2009 by Ed Syguda

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Otterbein improved to 5-0 following a four-game sweep to win the Bishop Invitational hosted by Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware.

The Cardinals opened the tournament Friday with wins over Grove City (PA), 3-1, and Ohio Wesleyan, 3-2, before returning Saturday to wrap up the championship with wins over Transylvania (KY), 3-1, and Wooster, 3-1. The Fighting Scots of Wooster, finishing with a 3-1 record, placed second in the tournament and was followed by Transylvania (2-2), Grove City (1-3) and Ohio Wesleyan (0-4).

“I was really proud of the girls,” said third-year head coach Monica McDonald. “We played some very good teams at the tournament and found ourselves in some really close matches, but the girls just found a way to win.

“For the championship,” McDonald continued, “we came back after losing to Wooster by a significant margin in game one. We won games two and three and played some great volleyball in game four, only allowing Wooster 12 points. It was a great way to finish off a successful weekend.”

Junior outside hitter Rayna Coleman and freshman middle hitter Ally Nagle combined for 31 kills in the championship match against Wooster. Coleman, with 14 kills, hit .480 against Wooster. Nagle led the team with 17 kills, hitting .324 in the match.

Over the course of the four matches, Nagle tallied 49 kills along with a .330 hitting percentage. Sophomore defensive specialist Lindsey Russell finished the tournament with 105 digs, including 37 in the match against Transylvania.

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Otterbein opened the 2009 season with a strong 3-0 win over Ohio Wesleyan Tuesday evening in the Rike Center.

The Cardinals opened the match with a 25-23 win in game one, and then zipped through the final two, winning by scores of 25-17 and 25-11.

“I was really impressed with the way this young team opened the season,” said head coach Monica McDonald, who is in her third season at Otterbein. “We battled through a tough first game and then we didn’t let up. I thought that my upperclassmen showed confidence and poise, and I think that the freshmen worked out some of their jitters.”

Freshman middle hitter Ally Nagle paced the Cardinal attack with 12 kills in the match. Nagle finished with a team-high .556 hitting percentage, along with five blocks. Sophomore defensive specialist Renee Willke led the team with eight digs while freshman setter Lydia Wynkoop contributed a team- best 15 assists.

“It is always great to win your first game, but we play Ohio Wesleyan two more times this fall,” McDonald said. “We will have to continue to improve if we expect to keep the upper hand.”

WESTERVILLE, OHIO - Otterbein, with seven freshmen each logging playing time in at least 77 games last season, finds itself in a much better position heading into 2009. The Cardinals return 11 letterwinners, including six starters.

“Something we were lacking last year, as a young team, was leadership,” said head coach Monica McDonald, who is entering her third season at Otterbein. “We did not have any seniors, which hurt us.”

A pair of seniors, middle blocker and co-captain Leah Yoder and setter Marinda Roderick, will be called upon to fill that leadership role. Yoder led the team in blocks, averaging 0.61 a game, and finished second with 167 kills in 2008. Roderick averaged 8.0 assists and 1.6 digs a game.

Defense could be Otterbein’s strength in 2009. “I did not recruit any defenders in the freshman class because I felt very confident that we can just pick up where we left off last year,” McDonald said.

Returning starters Lindsey Russell and co-captain Renee Willke, both sophomores, will share playing time at libero. The pair finished one, two on the team for most digs. Russell averaged 4.3 per game while Willke averaged 3.2. Sophomore defensive specialist Casi Coy, who played in 106 games last season, also returns.

Rounding out the group of six returning starters are outside hitters Rayna Coleman, a junior, and Alicia Chafins, a sophomore. Coleman averaged 1.8 kills a game while Chafins averaged 1.3 in 2008.

“This year I focused my recruiting on the offensive side of the game,” McDonald said.

Roderick Selected to Academic All-OAC First Team
Written Nov. 24 2008 by Adam Prescott

WESTERVILLE, OHIO – Junior Setter Marinda Roderick (St. Louisville/Utica) has been named to the Academic All-Ohio Athletic Conference First Team, announced the conference office last week.

A Middle Childhood Education major, Roderick played in all 32 matches this season and finished sixth in the Ohio Athletic Conference in assists (850). She currently boasts a 3.86 Grade Point Average and has made the Otterbein Dean’s List all six terms. In addition, she was a member of the Academic All-OAC Honorable Mention Team last year.

Roderick helped the Cards double their win total from last season and make the conference tournament, where they were eliminated in the first round by Ohio Northern. The Polar Bears advanced all the way to the NCAA Final Four before falling to eventual National Champion Emory.

Otterbein Falls to #8 Ohio Northern in OAC Tournament
Written Nov. 5, 2008 by Adam Prescott

ADA, OHIO – Otterbein (9-23, 2-8 OAC) lost to #1 seeded Ohio Northern (28-4, 10-0 OAC) in three games in the first round of the OAC Tournament Tuesday evening.

Ohio Northern, ranked 8th in the nation by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA), took the first game by a score of 25-18.

The Cardinals battled throughout the entire match, but the Polar Bears proved to be too strong as they took the second and third games by scores of 25-15 and 25-19.

Otterbein freshman outside hitter Danielle Newman led the Cards with eight kills and 42 total attacks. Junior setter Marinda Roderick dished out a match-high 25 assists while freshman defensive specialist Lindsey Russell had a match best 19 digs.

The loss ends the season for the Cardinals, who more than doubled their win total from last season. With not one senior on the current roster, Otterbein will look to improve in the offseason and work towards taking the next step in 2009.

Cards Wrap Up Regular Season with 3-0 Loss
Written Nov. 1, 2008 by Adam Prescott

NEW CONCORD, OHIO—Otterbein (9-22, 2-7 OAC) lost to Muskingum (22-5, 6-3 OAC) in three games on Saturday afternoon.

Muskingum got off to a strong start by taking the first game 25-7. They then followed that effort by winning 25-16 in both the second and third games.

Freshman outside hitter Danielle Newman led the Cards with seven kills while freshman defensive specialist Lindsey Russell tallied 20 digs.

Otterbein Suffers Loss at Hands of Heidelberg
Written Oct. 28, 2008 by Adam Prescott

TIFFIN, OHIO – Otterbein (9-21, 2-6 OAC) fell to Heidelberg (25-2, 8-1 OAC) in three games on Tuesday evening.

The Student Princes came out strong and earned a 25-18 victory in the first game. That effort was followed by victories in the next two ensuing games by scores of 25-14 and 25-17.

Freshman outside hitter Danielle Newman led the Cardinals with 13 kills while junior setter Marinda Roderick dished out 19 assists.

Otterbein wraps up their season on Saturday when they travel to play Muskingum. Starting time is set for 1 p.m.

BEREA, OHIO – Otterbein (8-19, 2-5 OAC) lost to Baldwin-Wallace (11-16, 2-5 OAC) in three games on Tuesday evening.

The Yellow Jackets were able to sweep the first three games by scores of 25-18, 25-14, and 25-20 to win the conference battle.

Sophomore/outside hitter Rayna Coleman led the Cards with five kills. Junior/setter Marinda Roderick dished out 21 assists while freshman/defensive specialist Lindsey Russell recorded 18 digs.

Otterbein next travels to Gambier on Saturday to participate in the Kenyon tournament. Their opening match will be played at noon against Wooster.

WESTERVILLE, OHIO – Otterbein (8-18, 2-4 OAC) lost to John Carroll (15-9, 2-3 OAC) in three games on Friday evening at the Rike Center.

The Blue Streaks were able to take three consecutive games by scores of 25-13, 25-21, and 29-27.

Freshman/outside hitter Corinne Windle led Otterbein with seven kills and 31 total attacks, while teammates Lindsey Russell and Renee Willke contributed 13 digs each.

The Cards next travel to play Baldwin-Wallace on Tuesday, October 21. Startimg time from Berea is scheduled for 7 p.m.

WESTERVILLE, OHIO – Otterbein (8-17, 2-3 OAC) wad defeated by Ohio Northern (19-4, 5-0 OAC) in three games on Tuesday evening at the Rike Center in Westerville.

Ohio Northern, who is ranked #10 in the country, got off to a quick start by taking the first two games by scores of 25-10 and 25-6.

The Cardinals battled in the third set but the Polar Bears proved to be too tough as they won 25-10.

Sophomore/outside hitter Rayna Coleman led Otterbein with 7 kills, while freshman/defensive specialist Lindsey Russell had 11 digs.

The Cards next return to action on Friday when they host John Carroll. Starting time from the Rike Center is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Cardinals Earn Split While Hosting Otterbein Invitational
Written Oct. 13, 2008 by Adam Prescott

WESTERVILLE, OHIO – Otterbein (8-16) won their first match of the Otterbein Invite by defeating Defiance before dropping their second match to Columbus State on Saturday in Westerville.

The opening match of the day saw the Cardinals easily take the first two games from Defiance by scores of 25-16 and 25-13. However, Defiance responded by taking the third game 25-22.
The Cardinals then rallied to win a very close fourth game in their home gymnasium by a mark of 25-23.

Freshman/outside hitter Danielle Newman paced Otterbein with 14 kills, while fellow teammate Leah Yoder added 11 kills, two solo blocks, and two block assists. Junior/setter Marinda Roderick dished out 53 assists.

After a short afternoon break, the Cardinals then battled Columbus State in the second match of the day. After taking the first two games by scores of 25-13 and 25-21, Otterbein dropped the last three games to suffer a 3-2 defeat.

In that match, outside hitters Rayna Coleman and Corinne Windled recorded 13 and 12 kills, respectively. Marinda Roderick tallied 41 assists in the match to give her a total of 94 on the day.

Otterbein next returns to action on Tuesday when they host Ohio Northern. Startime time from the Rike Center is scheduled for 7 p.m.

WESTERVILLE, OHIO - Otterbein (7-15, 2-2 OAC) was defeated by Capital (19-5, 3-2 OAC) in four games on Friday night.

The Cards struck first, beating the Crusaders 25-16 to open the match. Capital then won three straight games, 25-21, 25-23, 25-23.

Freshman/outside hitter Rayna Coleman led all players with 18 kills, while junior setter Marinda Roderick dished out 49 assists.

The Cardinals return to action Saturday as they host Columbus State and Defiance College in a tri-match. The first match is scheduled for 2 p.m.

WESTERVILLE, OHIO - Otterbein (7-14, 2-1 OAC) defeated Wilmington (11-8, 1-1 OAC) in three games to earn their second conference victory of the season.

The host Cardinals took an intense first set by a score of 27-25.

Otterbein then built on that effort to win games two and three by scores of 25-18 and 25-21.

Freshman/outside hitter Danielle Newman led the Cardinals by recording 19 kills and 34 total attacks. Outside hitters Rayna Coleman and Alicia Chafins each had ten kills.

Junior/setter Marinda Roderick tallied 43 assists while freshman/defensive specialist Lindsey Russell had a match best 25 digs.

The Cards next host Capital on Friday. Starting time from the Rike Center is 7 p.m.

WESTERVILLE, OHIO – Otterbein (6-14, 1-1 OAC) defeated Marietta (12-9, 0-2 OAC) in four games on Saturday afternoon at the Rike Center in Westerville.

The Cardinals got off to a strong start as they took the first game 25-22. Marietta, however, responded by winning the second game 25-16.

Otterbein then rallied to win two games in a row by scores of 25-19 and 25-22 to win the match 3-1.

Alicia Chafins had 16 kills for Otterbein while fellow teammate Danielle Newman recorded 13 kills.

Marinda Roderick tallied 48 assists in the contest while Lindsey Russell had a match best 42 digs.

ALLIANCE, OHIO – Otterbein (5-14, 0-1 OAC) was defeated by Mount Union College (15-5, 1-1 OAC), by a score of 3-0 on Wednesday evening at the Timken Gymnasium in Alliance.

The Purple Raiders came out strong and took a quick 1-0 lead by winning the first game by a score of 25-7.

Otterbein battled in the second game but ended up falling short, losing 25-22. Mount Union was able to earn their first conference victory by taking the third and final game 25-12.

Freshman/outside hitter Danielle Newman led the Cardinals with six kills and 19 total attacks, while freshman/defensive specialist Lindsey Russell had 14 digs.

The Cardinals next return home to host Marietta on Saturday. Starting time from the Rike Center is scheduled for 1 p.m.

Cards Drop Denison in Home Opener
Written Sep. 17, 2008 by Ed Syguda

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Otterbein breezed through its home opener, dropping Denison in three straight games in a nonconference match held Wednesday evening in the Rike Center.

The Cardinals, playing as many as 10 freshmen, took the match by scores of 25-16, 25-11 and 25-10.

Freshman outside hitter Alicia Chafins hit .429 in the match, leading the Cardinals with 17 kills along with eight digs. Junior setter Marinda Roderick tallied 26 assists and 12 digs. Freshman defensive specialist Renee Willke led Otterbein with 16 digs. Freshman middle blocker Natalie Green added six kills along with three block assists.

Cardinals Earn Split At Ohio Wesleyan Tournament
Written Sep. 8, 2008 by Adam Prescott

WESTERVILLE, OHIO -The Otterbein women’s volleyball team (3-5) walked away with two victories and two defeats from the Ohio Wesleyan Tournament this past weekend in Delaware, Ohio.

On Friday, the team took the court to play Bluffton in the opening match of day one. Down two games to one, the squad was able to rally its way to a five-game win, defeating the Beavers by scores of 25-23, 22-25, 23-25, 25-22, 15-12.

The second match of the day saw Otterbein take on Grove City. The Wolverines were able to defeat the Cardinals in four games by scores of 25-21, 24-26, 25-21, 25-22. In the match, Otterbein freshman/outside hitter Danielle Newman tallied 17 kills, 59 total attacks, and seven digs while freshman/outside hitter Corinne Windle, who was named to the all-tournament team, recorded 16 kills and 52 total attacks.

Saturday began with Otterbein battling Transylvania (KY) in the second and last day of the tournament. After leading two games to zero, the Cardinals were able to withstand a late surge by the Pioneers to win in five games by scores of 25-20, 25-14, 19-25, 17-25, 15-12. Newman and Windle combined for 22 kills and 68 total attacks in the contest while freshman/defensive specialist Renee Willke contributed a team-high 14 digs. Senior/setter Marinda Roderick added 29 assists in the match.

The Cards finished the tournament by falling to Defiance in four games by scores of 25-21, 25-22, 25-27, 25-18. Newman and Windle teamed for 16 kills in the match while freshman/defensive specialist Lindsey Russell recorded 26 digs.

“I think this weekend was a great tournament for us, as we were able to play four teams that were pretty comparable to us talent-wise” said head coach Monica McDonald. “In two matches, we executed the little things and won, and in two matches we didn’t execute so well and lost,” McDonald added.

In addition, McDonald was satisfied with the way her young team performed throughout the tournament.

“Everyone contributed on the court this weekend. I was extremely pleased with our play off the bench, which allowed us to rest some kids who were either injured or fatigued without a drop in our play,” she said.

The Cardinals next travel to take part in the Wooster Tournament this Friday. They will play host Wooster at 4 p.m. then turn around and take on Ursuline at 6 p.m.

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Six members of the 2007 Otterbein women’s volleyball team were selected to Academic All-Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) teams, the OAC released today.

Otterbein and Heidelberg, with six players each, were the only two teams in the 10-member OAC to have more than four players selected to the academic teams.

Outside hitter Alyssa Petrella, a junior from Columbus (Bishop Ready High School), libero Julie Brown, a senior from Defiance (Ayersville), and middle blocker Laura Waddle, a senior from Washington Court House (Miami Trace), were named to the first team.

Petrella, a double major in organizational communication and public relations, has made the Otterbein Dean’s List all six quarters. Brown, majoring in early childhood education, has been on the dean’s list eight times. Waddle, a sociology major, has made four appearances on the dean’s list.

Otterbein players receiving honorable mention Academic All-OAC honors were setter Marinda Roderick, a sophomore from St. Louisville (Utica), defensive specialist Ashley Hansley, a senior from Westerville (Thomas Worthington), and outside hitter Emilee Appis, a senior from Coshocton (River View).

Roderick, majoring in organizational communication, has made the dean’s list all three quarters. Hansley, an art major, and Appis, an early childhood education major, have appeared on the dean’s list four times each.

“I am very proud of my team on and off the court,” said first-year head coach Monica McDonald. “I have been blessed with a group of girls who understand the importance of performing in the classroom.

Petrella Earns Academic All-District Honors
Written Nov. 8, 2007 by Ed Syguda

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Alyssa Petrella, a junior from Columbus, Ohio (Bishop Ready High School), was named to the 2007 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District IV third team in women’s volleyball as selected by the College Sports Information Director’s of America (CoSIDA), released today by CoSIDA.

Petrella started 28 matches at outside hitter this season, averaging 1.6 kills and 1.0 digs a game.

She is majoring in Organizational Communication and Public Relations, and has made the Otterbein Dean’s List all six quarters.

Academic All-District IV team members are selected through voting by CoSIDA, a 2,000-member organization consisting of sports public relations professionals for colleges and universities in the United States and Canada. District IV encompasses the states of Alabama, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and Tennessee.

WESTERVILLE, OHIO ―The Otterbein (4-20, 1-3) women's volleyball team earned its first OAC win of the year, knocking off Wilmington (4-17, 0-5) in 5 games Tuesday night in the Rike Center.

OC won the first two games in nail-biting fashion by scores of 30-28 and 30-27. Wilmington came back to win games three and four before the Cards used a near flawless fifth game to take the game (15-12) and the match, three games to two.

Senior outside hitter Alicia Davis (Reynoldsburg/Watkins Memorial) led Otterbein with 34 kills and a .392 hitting percentage. Sophomore Marinda Roderick (St. Louisville/Utica) had a season-high 75 assists which accounted for 96-percent of the team's total assists (78).

For the match, OC had 83 kills compared to 62 for Wilmington. The Cards also had a hitting percentage of .289.

Otterbein will remain home for a pair of matches Saturday, Oct. 13. The first match is scheduled for 1 p.m. and is against OAC opponent Muskingum (16-7, 2-3). Otterbein defeated Muskingum last season in four close games (21-30, 30-27, 30-27, 35-33). The team will then play a non-conference match against Hiram (18-3), with game time scheduled for 6 p.m. Otterbein fell to Hiram earlier this season in three games (30-17, 30-26, 30-27) at the Capital Tournament.

Cards Open OAC Play Against John Carroll
Written Sept. 26, 2007 by Don Middleton

WESTERVILLE, OHIO ―The Otterbein (3-14, 0-0 OAC) women’s volleyball team opens up conference play at home against John Carroll (9-10, 0-0) Thursday at 7 p.m. in the Rike Center.

The Cardinals finished 5-4 in the Ohio Athletic Conference a season ago.

Otterbein is led by a trio of seniors, which includes co-captain and defensive specialist Julie Brown (Defiance/Ayersville). Brown leads the OAC in total digs with 385, and digs per game with 6.21. The Defiance native also has produced double-digit digs in 15 of the team’s 17 matches this season.

Co-captain Alicia Davis (Reynoldsburg/Watkins Memorial) leads the Cardinals in kills (189) and hitting-percentage (.241) while Laura Waddle (Washington Court House/Miami Trace) is the team leader in total blocks with 41.

The Cardinals have started off slow with a 3-14 record, but with a 0-0 conference record, head coach Monica McDonald knows the team has a clean slate and anything can happen.

“Conference play is one of the most exciting aspects about coaching in the OAC,” said McDonald. “It is one of the strongest, if not the strongest conference in the nation. Any team can come out ahead on any given night.”

The Cardinals seek to knock off John Carroll for the third-consecutive time. Otterbein defeated the Blue Streaks a year ago (30-22, 30-24, 30-18) in Cleveland.

Cards Win Two at Mount St. Joseph Tournament
Written Sept. 11, 2007 by Aurelio Ruiz

WESTERVILLE, OHIO--The Cardinals were looking for some redemption at the Mount St. Joseph Tournament held last Friday and Saturday in Cincinnati after opening the new season at 0-4.

The Cardinals went 2-2 in the tournament with wins coming against Geneseo (NY) and Lake Erie. The squad opened the tournament with 15th-ranked Walsh, a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. Although the Cardinals fell in three games, first-year head coach Monica McDonald felt the team played its best match.

“Compared to last weekend, I am very pleased with the results,” McDonald said. “Not just because of our improved win-loss record, but because our kids are really starting to understand the system that has been put into place and beginning to see it work”

Against Geneseo, a 3-2 win, outside hitter Alicia Davis, a senior from Reynoldsburg, tallied 15 kills and 27 digs. In the second win for the Cardinals, a 3-1 decision over Lake Erie, libero Julie Brown, a senior from Defiance, piled up 26 digs.

Even though McDonald earned her first two victories of her collegiate coaching career, she was more pleased with a loss.

“I felt we played our best match against Walsh and I experienced more fulfillment in watching the girls do the things I have taught them than the five-set win against Geneseo, where the girls did not play as well.”

Monica McDonald Named Head Coach
Written July 31, 2007 by Ed Syguda

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Otterbein announced today the appointment of Monica McDonald as head women’s volleyball coach.

McDonald, 24, a native of Newark, Ohio, replaces Sharon Sexton, who accepted an administrative position in the department of athletics at Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Ore. McDonald comes to Otterbein from Mount Union College in Alliance, Ohio where she has served as assistant volleyball coach since 2006. She also assisted in men’s and women’s track and field.

“Monica provides all the right ingredients for success at Otterbein,” said Otterbein director of athletics Dick Reynolds. “What she may lack in head coaching experience, she makes up for with her enthusiasm and knowledge of the game.

“She’s had an outstanding playing career in NCAA Division III and, when it comes to recruiting, knows Division III and the central Ohio area well,” Reynolds added.

McDonald, a 2005 graduate of Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio, was a two-time All-American outside hitter at her alma mater, helping lead the Tigers into the NCAA Division III Tournament four times, including two advancements into the Elite Eight. She majored in business management with a minor in sociology.

“I am very excited about my first head coaching job,” McDonald said. “I am familiar with the athletic success associated with Otterbein and am excited to have the opportunity to add to the tradition. It will be very rewarding to compete as a coach against teams and coaches I played against as an athlete.

“Coach Sexton has left me a team of talented athletes,” McDonald continued. “I am confident that with such a dedicated group of young women, I will be able to add to the success Otterbein has enjoyed in the past.”

While at Mount Union, McDonald took part in a volleyball program that improved from 15-16 in 2005 to 22-10 last season.

Sams and Goodman Named to Academic All-District Teams
Written Nov. 9, 2006 by Ed Syguda

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Two members of the Otterbein women’s volleyball team were named to 2006 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District IV teams as selected by the College Sports Information Director’s of America (CoSIDA), released today by CoSIDA.

Setter Jesse Sams, a senior from Eaton, was selected to the second team, and outside hitter Liz Goodman, a senior from Tiffin (Old Fort High School), earned third team honors.

Sams, majoring in early childhood education, averaged 14.4 assists a game, breaking a school record. The two-year starter held the former record, 12.1 assists a game, set in 2005.

Goodman, majoring in English and journalism, hit .219 for the season and finished second among teammates in blocks, averaging 0.8 a game. The two-year starter averaged 2.7 kills a game.

To be eligible, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative G.P.A. of 3.20 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standing at his/her current institution and be nominated by his/her sports information director.

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Outside hitter Heather Meyer and middle hitter Laura Waddle were named to the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) second team, the OAC released today.

Meyer, a senior from Columbus (Westland High School), and Waddle, a junior from Washington Court House (Miami Trace), helped lead Otterbein to a 22-10 overall record, marking a school record for winning percentage (.688). The Cardinals finished in a fourth-place tie with Mount Union, each 5-4 in the OAC.

Meyer, who was an honorable mention All-OAC pick in 2005, set two Otterbein single-season records on her way to becoming the school’s career-record holder for kills over four seasons (1,661). She also set records for kills in a season (488) and kills-per-game average (4.5). The outside hitter tallied double-digits in kills and digs in 27 of 32 matches this season.

Meyer led the OAC in kills and kills-per-game average this season, according to statistics of games played through today.

Waddle, who earned honorable mention All-OAC honors in 2005, became the Otterbein career leader for blocks (350) in just her junior season. She set Otterbein single-season records for total blocks (144), block assists (110) and block-per-game average (1.3).

WESTERVILLE, OHIO--Fifth-seeded Otterbein, closing out regular-season play on a strong note, opens the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) Tournament Tuesday at fourth-seeded Mount Union. Match time is scheduled for 7 p.m.

The Cardinals, 22-9 overall, finished in a tie with Mount Union (21-9) for fourth place, each 5-4 in the OAC. The Purple Raiders won the regular-season meeting with Otterbein, 3-0, Oct. 21 in Alliance.

“Our performance at Mount Union earlier could very well have been our worst outing of the season,” said eighth-year head coach Sharon Sexton. “It is rare to be given an opportunity so soon after a loss like that to face the same team in the same gym—and you can bet we will take advantage of it.”

The Cardinals wrapped up the regular season with a convincing 3-1 win over 22nd-ranked Capital by scores of 30-20, 30-23, 25-30 and 30-21 last Saturday in the Rike Center.

Outside hitter Heather Meyer, a senior from Columbus (Westland), led the Cardinals with 23 kills and a .320 hitting percentage along with 21 digs.

Middle hitter Laura Waddle, a junior from Washington Court House (Miami Trace), hit .297 and made four blocks in the match. Waddle tallied 15 blocks on the week—four against Case Western and seven against Heidelberg—to become the Otterbein season-record holder with 142.

Libero Allie Busser, a junior from Westlake (St. Joseph Academy), led the Cards with 24 digs against Capital, extending her Otterbein season record to 692 digs.

“Everyone came to play and everyone did their job,” said Sexton about the win over Capital, who came into the match 15-1 over its last 16, including three wins over top-25 opponents. “Our offense was balanced, our defense was extremely solid and we took care of the ball when it was on our side of the net.”

The winner of the match between Otterbein and Mount Union advances and will face the winner of the game between top-seeded and 23rd-ranked Ohio Northern (24-8, 8-1) and eighth-seeded Heidelberg (21-14, 4-5) Friday in the semifinals.

“Mt. Union is a young, but very talented team and we are going to have to put together a balanced and complete match if we expect to move on in the tournament,” Sexton said. “We made way too many unforced errors the last time we faced them and did not take advantage of the numerous opportunities that they gave us to change the course of the match.

“I think we definitely have a level of confidence coming off the Capital win that puts us in a really good place to make a run at a tournament championship if we continue to play at that level,” Sexton added.

WESTERVILLE, OHIO--Otterbein, riding a five-match winning streak, hosts Baldwin-Wallace, 7 p.m., Tuesday in a key Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) matchup.

Both teams come into the contest with just one conference loss. Baldwin-Wallace, 21-4 overall and ranked 20th in the country, sits second in the OAC at 5-1, just one-half game behind league-leading Ohio Northern (17-7, 5-0). The Cardinals, 20-6 overall, hold down the third spot with a 4-1 conference record.

“Baldwin-Wallace is ranked 19th in the country for a reason, and they will bring that confidence into our gym,” said eighth-year head coach Sharon Sexton. “But, when it comes down to it, we are two teams who have lost only one conference match to this point. So, obviously, this will be a huge match for both teams. I expect it to be a battle from the first serve.”

Otterbein picked up a pair of OAC road wins last week, defeating Muskingum, 3-1, in a hard-fought match, and Wilmington, 3-0.

Muskingum almost forced a game five, but Otterbein prevailed, winning the fourth game, 35-33, last Tuesday in New Concord. The Cardinals dropped the first game, 30-21, before winning the middle two by identical scores of 30-27.

Middle hitter Laura Waddle, a junior from Washington Court House (Miami Trace), hit .429 in the match. Outside hitter Heather Meyer, a senior from Columbus (Westland), recorded her 22nd double-double of the season with 27 kills and 23 digs

“We got off to a very slow start in the first game and gave up a lot of points on our own unforced errors,” said Sexton about the Muskingum match. “ I was extremely pleased with how they responded after game one. The match was a balanced effort across the board both offensively and defensively.

“The way this conference stacks up, any time you can get an OAC win it’s a good win,” Sexton continued. “But any time you can pick up an OAC win on the road, it’s a great win.”

All the Cardinals saw action in the win at Wilmington last Thursday. Waddle, again, led the squad in hitting with a .467 while Meyer saw just enough playing time to pick up another double-double with 14 kills and 12 digs.

“Everyone on the team has played an extremely vital role in the success we have experienced to this point of the season, and to have everyone receive the opportunity to play at Wilmington was great,” Sexton said.

WESTERVILLE, OHIO--The Cardinals, coming off a six-game sweep in a tri-match held Saturday at Otterbein, head into the heart of their Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) schedule.

Otterbein, 18-6 overall and 2-1 in the OAC, plays a pair on the road this week, visiting Muskingum (11-7, 2-3), 7 p.m., Tuesday and Wilmington (2-19, 0-4), 7 p.m., Thursday before hosting 19th-ranked and OAC leader Baldwin-Wallace Oct. 17.

“Muskingum always poses a threat, especially when playing at home,” said eighth-year head coach Sharon Sexton. “We are most definitely going to need to be at our best when we travel there. We can't rely on one or two players to get the job done against a team like Muskingum.

“I am looking forward to this match as I think it will show a lot about where we really stand at this point of the season,” Sexton added.

Otterbein picked up wins No. 17 and 18, sweeping Marietta and Elmhurst (IL) last Saturday in the Rike.

“Going 2-0 and not dropping a game against two very solid teams was something that we needed from a confidence standpoint heading into this week, “Sexton said. “The OAC is so deep as a conference and we approach every match knowing that anything can happen. We knew that Marietta was going to come into our gym looking for an OAC upset and I am extremely pleased with how our team responded to that challenge.

“Defensively, Allie Busser has been getting better each time she steps on the floor and this has made a huge difference,” Sexton continued. “She averaged almost eight digs a game last week.”

WESTERVILLE, OHIO--Otterbein, coming off a 3-1 performance at the Carnegie Mellon Crossover, continues its schedule against nonconference competition before resuming play in the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC).

“This week is going to be another very important week from both a practice and match standpoint,” said eighth-year head coach Sharon Sexton.

The Cardinals, 12-3 overall, host Defiance, 7 p.m., Tuesday and then travel to Cincinnati Friday for a tournament at Mount St. Joseph.

“Defiance is always a solid team and I would like to see the consistency of our ball control improve heading into this match,” Sexton said. “The Mount St. Joseph’s Tournament is going to be our toughest challenge to date.”

The Cardinals open the tournament with Baldwin-Wallace Friday at 1:30 p.m. in a nonconference matchup and then face 20th-ranked Mount St. Joseph at 3:30 p.m.

“I look forward to having the opportunity to see B-W prior to conference play as they are one of the premier teams in the conference at this point,” Sexton said.

Middle hitter Laura Waddle, a junior from Washington Court House (Miami Trace), helped lead Otterbein to a 3-1 mark at Carnegie Mellon last Friday and Saturday in Pittsburgh, Penn.

“Laura had a great weekend controlling the offensive tempo of the team,” Sexton said.

The Cardinals swept Rochester Institute of Technology (NY), 3-0, but dropped a 3-1 decision to Stevens Institute of Technology on the first day. The team bounced back Saturday to defeat Nazareth in three games and Gettysburg in four.

“I was very pleased with how we looked in the final match against Gettysburg, especially in the last two games,” Sexton said. “Offensively and defensively, we were working extremely well together. When this team plays at that level, we can beat anyone on the other side of the net.”

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Otterbein takes an eight-match win streak into the Carnegie Mellon Crossover scheduled to begin Friday in Pittsburgh, Penn.

The Cardinals, 9-2 overall, take on Rochester Institute of Technology, 2 p.m., and Stevens Institute of Technology, 4 p.m., Friday, followed by Nazareth, 10 a.m., and Gettysburg, 2 p.m., Saturday.

“We need to take our game to the next level this weekend,” said head coach Sharon Sexton, who is in her eighth season at Otterbein. “We are in a great place, having won our last eight matches, but the competition is only going to continue to get better as we head into the heart of our season.

“The teams that we are facing off against this weekend,” continued Sexton, “are all strong teams, who are also coming into the tournament carrying a lot of momentum. We’ll need to control the tempo of each match we are in from an offensive and a defensive standpoint from the moment we walk in the gym in order to be successful.”

The Cardinals, who lead the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) in hitting percentage (.251), assists (15.2 a game) and kills (16.3 a game), head into the tournament off a three-game sweep of Bluffton by scores of 30-25, 30-9, and 33-31 last Tuesday in the Rike Center.

At the beginning of the week, outside hitter Liz Goodman, a senior from Tiffin (Old Fort High School), led the OAC in hitting percentage (.382). Outside hitter Heather Meyer, a senior from Columbus (Westland), led the conference in kills (4.2 a game), while setter Jesse Sams, a senior from Eaton, ranked first in assists (14.8 a game).

UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS, 0HIO—Otterbein opened Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) play in fine style, turning back John Carroll, 3-0, Wednesday in University Heights.

“Last night’s win was a good start to conference play,” said eighth-year head coach Sharon Sexton. “John Carroll is a young team that is progressively getting better each time they step on the court.”

The Cardinals extended their win streak to 15 games with the three-game sweep by scores of 30-22, 30-24 and 30-18.

“Offensively, it was not one of our best performances, but it shows how well we are developing as a team in being able to shut out a solid team in three games,” Sexton said. “We still have a lot of things that we need to work on, but we are in a very good place as a team at this point in the season. I think the team is generating a lot of confidence.”

Outside hitter Heather Meyer, a senior from Columbus (Westland High School), turned in her sixth double-double of the season with 10 kills and 12 digs while middle hitter Emilee Appis, a junior from Coshocton (River View), led the team with a .500 hitting percentage along with four block assists. Middle hitter Laura Waddle, a junior from Washington Court House (Miami Trace), added 12 kills and four block assists. Outside hitter Liz Goodman, a senior from Tiffin (Old Fort), tallied nine kills and four block assists.

Otterbein, 6-2 overall, hosts a tri-match Saturday. The Cardinals are scheduled to play Washington & Jefferson (PA) at 2 p.m., and Ohio Dominican at 4 p.m. Ohio Dominican faces Washington & Jefferson at noon.

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Heather Meyer, a senior outside hitter from Columbus (Westland High School), was named Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) “volleyball player of the week”, the OAC released today.

Meyer helped lead Otterbein to a four-match sweep to capture the Johnson & Wales University Invitational held last Friday and Saturday in Providence, R.I. She tallied 16 kills and 15 digs in the championship match against previously unbeaten Springfield College (MA), and was named the tournament’s MVP.

On the week, Meyer hit .323 over five matches, averaging 4.5 kills and 4.5 digs a game.

PROVIDENCE, RI--Otterbein swept through the Johnson & Wales University Invitational held last Friday and Saturday.

The Cardinals, behind the play of all-tournament selections Heather Meyer, selected “most valuable”, and Laura Waddle, won all 12 games played, dispatching Eastern Nazarene (MA), Babson (MA), and host Johnson & Wales in pool play before toppling Springfield (MA) in the championship match. Springfield entered the final with an unblemished 7-0 record.

“I was extremely pleased with the effort and performance of the entire team at the tournament,” said eighth-year head coach Sharon Sexton.

“To not drop a single game throughout the tournament is a testament to how well they all played,” Sexton continued. “Beating Springfield College, a team that has gone to the NCAA Tournament in three of the last four years, in three games really shows how the team is continuing to come together on the floor.”

Meyer, a senior outside hitter from Columbus (Westland High School), and Waddle, a junior middle hitter from Washington Court House (Miami Trace), combined for 25 kills in the championship match.

“Both Heather Meyer and Laura Waddle were very deserving of the MVP and all-tournament selections, but the play of the entire team was what enabled them to perform at a standout level,” Sexton said.

Otterbein, which improved to 5-2, is scheduled to open Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) play Wednesday at John Carroll.

“John Carroll is a much improved team from last year and will definitely be looking to defend their home floor in the first OAC contest of the year,” Sexton said. “We are successful when we control the ball, limit our own errors and set the tempo early in the match.”

Otterbein, for the sixth straight year, earned the Game Plan/AVCA Team Academic Award for the 2005-06 academic year.

The award, initiated in 1993 by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA), honors college and high school teams that display excellence in the classroom by maintaining at least a 3.30 cumulative team grade-point average on a 4.0 scale. This year, 287 schools received the honor.

The Otterbein team, under eighth-year head coach Sharon Sexton, achieved a 3.659 average for the year, including a 3.637 while in season last fall. Forty-four teams from NCAA Division III made the list, including Ohio Athletic Conference teams Capital and Marietta.

“The Game Plan/AVCA Team Academic Award is what being a student-athlete is all about. The AVCA is privileged to once again be able to award these schools for their excellence in the classroom,” AVCA Executive Director Kathy DeBoer said. “We congratulate the student-athletes, coaches and school personnel for achieving this honor and upholding the delicate balance between academics and athletics.”

Over 800 different schools have won the award in the program’s 14-year history, and over 2000 awards have been given out. Only two institutions, both high schools, have earned it all 14 years: Jonesboro High School (Jonesboro, Arkansas) and Ross S. Sterling High School (Baytown, Texas).

Outside hitter Heather Meyer and middle blocker Laura Waddle were named to the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) honorable mention team, released today by the OAC.

Meyer, a junior from Columbus (Westland High School), and Waddle, a sophomore from Washington Court House (Miami Trace), helped lead Otterbein to its best OAC finish ever, a share of second place at 7-2.

Meyer leads the OAC in kills, averaging 4.0 a game, and sits 11th in digs with a 4.1 average.

“Heather was on the floor for every point of every game this year,” said seventh-year head coach Sharon Sexton. “She is a truly multi-dimensional player from an offensive and a defensive standpoint.

“Heather knew that teams were going to be keying on her all year long and yet she always came ready to play and stepped up to the challenge,” Sexton continued. “Heather is truly one of the reasons we were as successful as we were this fall.”

Waddle led the team with a .304 hitting percentage, placing her fourth in the OAC. The middle hitter ranks fifth in the conference for blocks, averaging 1.2 per game, and eighth for kills, 3.4 per outing.

Otterbein, turning in a school record 7-2 mark to finish in a tie for second place in the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC), heads into the OAC Tournament on a roll.

The Cardinals, seeded third, host sixth-seeded Mount Union, 7 p.m., Tuesday in the quarterfinals. This marks the highest seed ever for an Otterbein team in the OAC Tournament, which began in 1984. The Cardinals are making their tenth appearance.

The Cardinals, 9-1 over their last ten matches, have made a remarkable turnaround since opening the season with a 5-8 record against nonconference opponents. The team’s recent success has come as little surprise to seventh-year head coach Sharon Sexton.

“I knew the potential was there all along,” Sexton said. “It was just a matter of whether or not we were going to mature together come OAC play, and we did.

“We knew going into this season that this team had the chemistry, the heart and the talent necessary to have a season like this,” Sexton continued. “It has not been an easy road for them, but they have believed in the system and in each other all along and we are where we are today because of that.”

Otterbein closed out the regular season with a sweep of Wilmington, 3-0, and Walsh, 3-2, in a tri-match hosted by Wilmington last Saturday.

Middle hitter Laura Waddle, a sophomore from Washington Court House (Miami Trace), paved the way for Otterbein’s record-setting seventh conference win, hitting .435 and making six blocks in the win over Wilmington. Outside hitter Heather Meyer, a junior from Columbus (Westland), added 13 kills and 11 digs, boosting her season total to 22 double-doubles.

The Cardinals hold a 5-2 record against the other seven teams in the tournament. Otterbein defeated Mount Union in four (27-30, 30-24, 30-23, 30-25) at home Oct. 15. The squad’s two conference losses came on the road at nationally-ranked and top-seeded Ohio Northern, 3-0, Oct. 11 and second-seeded Baldwin-Wallace, 3-0, Sept. 27.

Sexton said the team’s success in the OAC Tournament will hinge first on taking care of the home court where Otterbein is 8-2 this season.

“Other than that,” Sexton said, “we need to continue to do the same things that we have been doing the last month or so—jump out quick, control the tempo of the match, and believe that we can beat any team on the other side of the net.

“We have to play one point at time, one game at a time and one match at a time and the rest will take care of itself,” Sexton continued. “This team is not satisfied yet. Records or not, they will come to play.”

The Otterbein women’s volleyball team set a school record for most Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) wins in a season, six, with a 3-0 win over Muskingum at home this evening in the Rike Center.

The Cardinals, improving to 6-2 in the OAC, surpass the previous record of 5-4 set in 1994, which, incidentally, marked Otterbein’s only winning season in conference play prior to this year.

Otterbein closes out regular-season play in a tri-match at Wilmington Saturday before hosting a quarterfinal game of the OAC Tournament, which is scheduled to begin Nov. 1.

Outside hitter Alicia Davis, a sophomore from Reynoldsburg (Watkins Memorial), was selected Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) player of the week in women’s volleyball.

Davis helped lead Otterbein to three wins last week, including a stunning 4-1 upset win at 23rd-ranked Capital last Saturday. The Cardinals also defeated Marietta, 3-0, in an OAC matchup at home, and Denison, 3-2, in a nonconference match on the road.

The sophomore tallied 45 kills, 57 digs and six blocks over the three matches. Davis hit .300 against Capital on her way to a career-high 21 kills along with 20 digs, and posted a career-high 25 digs at Denison.

Otterbein pulled off a major program win, defeating cross-town rival Capital, 3-1, Saturday in Bexley.

“That was the best match I have seen an Otterbein volleyball team play in my seven years as the head coach,” said Otterbein head coach Sharon Sexton shortly after her team defeated 23rd-ranked Capital to improve to 5-2 in the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC).

“We came out of the gate fast today, which is something that we have been working on,” Sexton continued. “This team has always battled, but we have historically gotten off to a slow start, especially when we are on the road.”

Capital, coming into the game locked in a three-way tie with Baldwin-Wallace and Ohio Northern for first place, each 5-1 in the OAC, came right back with an easy 30-18 win in game two, and then things really got hard.

“After game two,” Sexton said, “we knew we were back to even and just had to play our game in order to be successful.”

The Cardinals took the next two by scores of 34-32 and 32-30, but had to fight back after being just one point away from defeat in each. In the third game, Capital led 29-28, and in the fourth and decisive game, the Cardinals scored seven of the last eight points after trailing 29-25.

“This was such a balanced effort across the board,” Sexton said. “Everyone—from the bench to the starters—played their roles and played as a team today.”

Outside hitter Alicia Davis, a sophomore from Reynoldsburg (Watkins Memorial), led the way with team highs for hitting, .300, and kills, 21. She also tallied 20 digs. Outside hitter Heather Meyer, a junior from Columbus (Westland), picked up her 17th double-double of the season with 19 kills and 17 digs. Middle blocker Laura Waddle, a sophomore from Washington Court House (Miami Trace), added 15 kills and five blocks.

“The team went to Capital confident in their ability to pull off an upset and did so by sticking to the system that we have run all season,” Sexton said. “We knew that Capital was a very offensive and a solid blocking team, and, in order to win, we had to take advantage of the ball when it was on our side of the net and that is exactly what we did.”

Otterbein, sitting just one game out of first place in the OAC, closes out regular-season play this week, hosting Muskingum, 7 p.m., Tuesday and then traveling to Wilmington for a tri-match next Saturday. Otterbein is scheduled to play Wilmington at 1 p.m., followed by Walsh at 3 p.m.

“We are exactly where we want to be at this point in the season,” Sexton said. “It is so nice to see how this team keeps maturing as the season rolls on.”

Otterbein, coming off a 3-1 win over Mount Union, remains locked in a tie with Muskingum for fourth place, each 3-2 in the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC).

The Cardinals, under seventh-year head coach Sharon Sexton, played to a split decision last week, losing 3-0 at 10th-ranked Ohio Northern Oct. 11 before rebounding against Mount Union.

The squad started out slow, losing the first game to the Purple Raiders, 30-27, but won the next three by scores of 30-24, 30-23, and 30-25 last Saturday at home in the Rike Center.

“Plain and simple, we started slow,” Sexton said. “We didn’t take care of the ball in the first game and scored 16 of their points on our own unforced errors. Once we settled down and played our game of better ball control, the end result spoke for itself. In game three, we had no hitting errors.”

Outside hitter Alicia Davis, a sophomore from Reynoldsburg (Watkins Memorial), and middle hitter Laura Waddle, a sophomore from Washington Court House (Miami Trace), hit .364 and .367, respectively, in the win. Outside hitter Heather Meyer, a junior from Columbus (Westland High School), recorded her 16th double-double of the season, collecting 15 kills and 18 digs.

“The win against Mt. Union was a very important one for us, especially coming off a disappointing performance at Ohio Northern,” Sexton said. “We are doing a good job this season defending our home floor (6-2 at home) and winning when we have to win. At this point, we need to work on being a little more consistent on the road.

“This win has put us exactly where we need to be in conference play,” Sexton continued, “As long as we continue to take one game at a time and not look too far ahead, we will be in good shape.”

Entering the week, Waddle ranked second in the OAC for hitting (.318), fourth for blocks (1.4/game) and tenth for kills (3.1/game). Meyer ranked third in the OAC for kills (4.1/game). Setter Jessica Maul, a junior from Eaton, ranked second in the conference for assists (11.8/game), while libero Allie Busser, a sophomore from Westlake (St. Joseph Academy), held down the sixth spot for digs (5.1/game).

Otterbein hosts Marietta Tuesday for a match beginning at 7 p.m. The Cardinals travel to cross-town rival Capital, 1 p.m., Saturday. Marietta sits eighth in the OAC at 1-5 while 25th-ranked Capital shares first place with Baldwin-Wallace, each 5-0 in the OAC.

Otterbein, fresh off a pair of conference wins, enters the week locked in a tie with Muskingum for fourth place, each 2-1 in the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC).

The Cardinals, under seventh-year head coach Sharon Sexton, swept John Carroll, 3-0, and Heidelberg, 3-1, in a pair of OAC matches at home last week.

“It was definitely what we wanted to do going into the week,” Sexton said shortly after her team defeated Heidelberg in four by scores of 18-30, 30-28, 30-26 and 31-29 last Saturday in the Rike Center. “Once we got out of that first game, we controlled the tempo and the match.”

Outside hitter Heather Meyer, a junior from Columbus (Westland High School), recorded her 15th double-double of the season, collecting 15 kills and 25 digs in the win over Heidelberg. Libero Allie Busser, a sophomore from Westlake (St. Joseph Academy), notched a career-best 35 digs. Middle hitter Laura Waddle, a sophomore from Washington Court House (Miami Trace), chipped in 16 kills and five block assists.

“We did what we needed to do,” Sexton said about the Heidelberg win. “We didn’t have one star today.”

Waddle ranks third in the OAC for hitting (.318) and sits fourth for blocks (1.26/game) and ninth for kills (3.14/game). Meyer ranks second in the OAC for kills (4.09/game) while Busser holds down the seventh spot for digs (4.94/game). Setter Jessica Maul, a junior from Eaton, ranks second in the conference for assists (11.77/game).

Otterbein travels to Ohio Northern Tuesday for a match beginning at 7 p.m. The Cardinals host Mount Union, 1 p.m., Saturday. Ohio Northern sits third in the OAC at 3-1 while Mount Union is winless in four OAC matches.

Otterbein, a winner in four of its last five matches, opens Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) play at Baldwin-Wallace, 7 p.m., Tuesday.

“We’ve played the toughest competition we could going into the conference, and the players have gotten better,” said seventh-year head coach Sharon Sexton. “They have the confidence coming off the wins over the last week and a half, but they know the conference is going to be tough.”

Otterbein comes into the week fresh off a hard-fought 3-2 decision over Ohio Dominican at home last Friday.

“Ohio Dominican is a great team,” Sexton said. “They’re one of the scrappiest teams that we’re going to see. Our team just plugged through and kept going after them. That was a huge, huge win.”

The two teams traded wins, with Otterbein winning games one, 30-28, and three, 30-27, before prevailing in the final, 15-7. Ohio Dominican won the other two by scores of 34-32 and 30-27.

Outside hitter Heather Meyer, a junior from Columbus (Westland High School), outside hitter Alicia Davis, a sophomore from Reynoldsburg (Watkins Memorial), and middle hitter Laura Waddle, a sophomore from Washington Court House (Miami Trace), combined for 59 of Otterbein’s 79 kills in the win over Ohio Dominican. Meyer led the trio with 21 kills.

Meyer leads the OAC in kills per game, averaging 4.22. Waddle sits fourth in the league in blocks per game (1.33), fifth in hitting percentage (.330), and ninth in kills per game (2.98). Setter Jesse Maul, a junior from Eaton, ranks third in assists per game (11.48) while defensive specialist Allie Busser, a sophomore from Westlake (St. Joseph Academy), holds down the eighth spot in the OAC in digs per game (4.52).

Following Baldwin-Wallace, Otterbein returns to nonconference play, visiting Wittenberg Saturday for a tri-match. The Cardinals are scheduled to play Wooster at 2 p.m. followed by nationally-ranked Wittenberg at 5 p.m.

Otterbein, facing three nationally-ranked opponents in it first eight matches, including Mount St. Joseph today, brings in Anderson (IN) and Marietta for a tri-match this Saturday in the Rike Center.

Marietta and Anderson square off at noon. Otterbein takes on Anderson at 2 p.m., followed by Marietta at 4 p.m.

“The competition we’ve been playing has been top notch,” said seventh-year head coach Sharon Sexton. “We’ve played really well at times and not so well at times, which is expected for a young team.”

The Cardinals head into the week following a 1-3 performance at the Hiram Tournament held last Friday and Saturday. Three of the matches went five games, including a 3-2 win over Alma (MI).

“Our offense has gotten a lot better,” Sexton said. “Throughout, our hitting percentages are getting to be where we want them to be.”

Middle hitter Laura Waddle, a sophomore from Washington Court House (Miami Trace High School), sits fourth in the OAC with a .346 hitting percentage. She ranks sixth in the OAC in blocks, averaging 1.3 a game.

Outside hitter Heather Meyer, a junior from Columbus (Westland), averages 3.67 kills a game, fourth best in the OAC. Setter Jesse Maul, a junior from Eaton, ranks fifth in the OAC in assists, averaging 10.11 a game.

Seventh-year head coach Sharon Sexton likes her team’s chemistry heading into the new campaign.

“They are the closest knit group that I’ve had in seven years,” Sexton said. “They play well together on the floor.”

Although Otterbein graduated six seniors, a pair of returning starters—outside hitter Heather Meyer and middle hitter Laura Waddle—form a solid nucleus from which to build the 2005 squad.

Meyer, a junior, tallied 22 double-doubles on her way to honorable mention All-OAC honors last season. The 5-10 outside hitter tallied double-digit kills in 28 of 31 matches and finished third in the OAC with a 4.24-kills-per-game average.

Waddle, a sophomore, led her teammates in hitting, .272, finishing eighth in the OAC. The 6-2 middle hitter averaged 0.81 blocks and 2.22 kills a game as a freshman.

Alexanne Holcombe, a junior setter/outside hitter, Liz Goodman, a junior middle hitter, and Allie Busser, a sophomore defensive specialist, round out the list of five returning letterwinners.

Other upperclassmen expected to make their way into the rotation include sophomores Alicia Davis and Julie Brown at outside hitter; sophomore Emily Appis at middle hitter; sophomore Ashley Hansley at defensive specialist; and junior Jesse Maul at setter.

Freshman outside hitter Alyssa Petrella is expected to see significant playing time on the varsity level, according to Sexton. Other freshmen include defensive specialist Amy Kusan and outside hitter/defensive specialist Jessica Gongwer.

“Our goal for this season is ball control,” Sexton said. “We want to keep the ball alive and terminate once we’re in system.

“Our main focus is going to be defense,” Sexton continued. “In NCAA Division III volleyball, the best teams are the teams that keep the ball off the floor, then execute offense. If you have ball control, then you can execute your offense.”

Otterbein opens the new season in a tri-match at Wittenberg Sept. 3. The Cardinals are scheduled to play defending NCAA Division III champion Juniata (PA) and fourth-ranked Wittenberg. The squad opens at home Sept. 6 with Urbana.

Heather Meyer, a sophomore outside hitter from Galloway (Westland High School), was named the “most valuable player” of the 2004 Otterbein women’s volleyball team.

Meyer and teammates were honored at the annual award’s banquet held last Sunday on the campus of Otterbein College. Fifteen players were awarded letters.

The Cardinals, under sixth-year head coach Sharon Sexton, placed second at both the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and Ohio Wesleyan tournaments in 2004. The Cardinals faced top-notch competition throughout the season, including matches with nationally-ranked teams Wisconsin-Whitewater (12th), Alma (21st), La Verne (3rd), Ohio Northern (10th) and Mount St. Joseph (8th).

Otterbein compiled a 12-19 record and finished in a tie with John Carroll for seventh place, each 3-6 in the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC). The Cardinals qualified for the OAC Tournament for the fifth straight year.

Heather Meyer was selected honorable mention All-OAC in addition to her team MVP honors. She ranked third in the OAC for kills, averaging 4.24 a game. Meyer recorded 21 double-doubles in 31 matches and set school season records for kills (475), attack attempts (1,250), and kills per game (4.24).

Liz Goodman, a sophomore middle hitter from Tiffin (Old Fort High School), was named the team’s “most improved player”.

Laura Waddle, a freshman middle hitter/outside hitter from Washington Court House (Miami Trace High School), was selected the team’s “rookie of the year”. Waddle ranked eighth in the OAC with a .272 hitting percentage.

Chelsea Thresher, a senior outside hitter from Powell (Olentangy High School), was co-recipient of the team’s “Cardinal Award”. Thresher also earned honorable mention Academic All-OAC honors.

Melissa Davis, a senior setter from San Dimas, CA (Glendora High School), was co-recipient of the team’s “Cardinal Award”. Davis finished ninth in the OAC in assists, averaging 7.47 a game.

Third-year letterwinners: Katie Dennis, a senior defensive specialist from Cincinnati (Deer Park High School); Mandy Hall, a senior middle hitter from Lancaster (Bloom-Carroll High School); Erika Kastner, a junior outside hitter from Tiffin (Calvert High School); Nicole Marquette, a senior defensive specialist from Ashland (Ashland High School); and Natalie Williams, a senior setter from Tuscarawas (Central Catholic High School).

Second-year letterwinners: Beth Benedict, a sophomore defensive specialist from Columbus (Westland High School); Jackie Edwards, a sophomore outside hitter/defensive specialist from New Lexington (New Lexington High School); Bethany Evans, a sophomore outside hitter from Blacklick (Gahanna Lincoln High School); Alex Holcombe, a sophomore setter/outside hitter from Plain City (Jonathan Alder High School); and Meyer.

First-year letterwinners: Allie Busser, a freshman setter from Westlake (St. Joseph Academy); Goodman and Waddle.

Outside hitter Heather Meyer, a sophomore from Galloway (Westland High School), was named to the honorable mention All-Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) team.

A two-year starter, Meyer led the team in kills, setting Otterbein single-season records for kills (475), attempts (1,250), and kills per game (4.28) this season. Meyer sits third in the OAC for kills.

Two of those records—kills and kill per game—were set in 1998 by Mandy Simmerman, who sixth-year head coach Sharon Sexton said was one of the top performers in the OAC.

The Otterbein women’s volleyball team swings back into Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) play this week, visiting John Carroll, 7 p.m., Tuesday and Heidelberg, 1 p.m., Saturday.

“They both are better teams than they have been in the past,” said sixth-year head coach Sharon Sexton. “However, they are must wins for us. We need to get two “W’s” coming out of those games to be where we want to be in the conference.”

The Cardinals took two nonconference matches from Manchester (IN), 3-0, and Kenyon, 3-1, last Saturday at home. Otterbein is 5-1 over its last six matches, but the one loss came in its OAC opener, a 3-0 decision to Baldwin-Wallace last Tuesday in Westerville.

“They’re starting to pull together,” Sexton said about her team’s recent play.

“I think we’re playing a little bit smarter,” Sexton said. “People are starting to flow together a little bit more. Our offense is what it needs to be. We set some statistical goals that we wanted to attain over the weekend and continue into this week. We did what we needed to do.

“Our middles (Mandy Hall and Laura Waddle) played awesome this past weekend,” Sexton continued. “That was one of the things we wanted to do—get our middles involved in the offense.”

Otterbein closed out one of its toughest nonconference schedules in school history with an 8-12 mark. Along the way, the Cardinals played 5th-ranked La Verne (CA), 12th-ranked Wisconsin-Whitewater and 23rd-ranked Alma (MI).

“The wins and losses are not where we would like them to be,” Sexton said, “but that’s the kind of competition you have to play in order to get better.”

Sixth-year head coach Sharon Sexton says her squad’s competitiveness in the first week of play was due more to talent than anything else.

“Overall, our talent level is what is keeping us as competitive as we are because statistically we are not anywhere near where we should be,” Sexton said.

The Cardinals played to a 3-3 week against nonconference competition, including a second-place finish at the Wisconsin-Whitewater Invitational Sept. 3-4. Otterbein defeated Carroll (WI), 3-1, Manchester (IN), 3-1, and Marian (WI), 3-0, before losing to 11th-ranked Wisconsin-Whitewater, 3-0.

“I like the way a couple of our freshman have stepped up and play,” Sexton said when asked about the team’s positives in the early going.

“Laura Waddle and Allie Busser have definitely added something on the court and have made an immediate impact,” Sexton said. “It’s nice to have two young players doing what they are supposed to do.”

Sexton also expressed satisfaction with the team’s serve/receive, but would like to see her players cut down on hitting, blocking and service errors.

“We’re creating our own errors,” Sexton said. “The other night against Denison (a 3-2 loss), we gave up 60 points on our own—things that we can control.”

Otterbein continues nonconference play, hosting a tri-match Saturday that features Muskingum and Mount Vernon Nazarene. The Cardinals travel to Ohio Dominican Wednesday.

Sixth-year head coach Sharon Sexton will have a much more experienced team heading into the 2004 season thanks to the return of five starters and 11 letterwinners from last season’s 16-15 team, which finished 3-6 in the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC). The Cardinal roster also includes six seniors.

Heading the list of returnees are seniors Natalie Williams and Melissa Davis, who combined for 1,238 of the Cardinal’s 1,305 assists last season. Williams led the team with 923 assists.

“Natalie and Melissa are both excellent setters,” Sexton said. “I am extremely confident that both of them have the ability to run the offense this fall as they each bring a unique dynamic to the team.”

Though Otterbein loses just two seniors from a year ago, the void left behind will not be easy to fill. Exiting the Cardinal rotation were attackers Katie Peterson and Jess Lonjak, who accounted for 678 of Otterbein’s 1,526 kills last season.

Helping to fill that void will be seniors Chelsea Thresher and Mandy Hall along with sophomore Heather Meyer. Thresher was fourth on the squad with 264 kills and also tallied 168 digs. Meyer was second on the team with 296 kills and registered 259 digs. Hall was fifth on the team with 175 kills and third with 86 blocks.

“Heather Meyer made a huge statement in the OAC as a freshman,” Sexton said. “She is quite possibly the most powerful attacker we have ever had at Otterbein and she is only going to get better. She will definitely be our go-to player this year.

“Seniors Mandy Hall and Chelsea Thresher are also going to be extremely important in our offensive systems.”

Otterbein has brought in a number of talented newcomers, who could make an impact this season, including sophomores Bethany Evans and Liz Goodman, and freshmen Emilee Appis, Laura Waddle, and Ashleigh Hansley.

“Liz Goodman was a high school all-state middle hitter who did not play her freshman year, but had a great spring season,” Sexton said. “She is definitely going to add a great deal of depth at the middle hitter position this fall.

“Bethany Evans is a Division II transfer who has an incredible vertical leap and will also add depth and experience to the roster. Emilee Appis and Laura Waddle will be able to play either middle or outside hitter.

“Defensively, Ashleigh Hansley has the talent to fight for some playing time.”

Though the Cardinals were considered a young squad last year with little match experience, Otterbein began the 2003 campaign with a 9-2 record and won the Earlham Invitational.

“We were competitive in the OAC last year as we came close to upsetting the top-tier teams, but we didn’t quite have the maturity to finish out big games,” Sexton said. “This year should be very different. We will be a more experienced and disciplined team and that should enable us to convert close matches into wins.”

The biggest difference from last year’s squad to the 2004 team will be the chemistry within the team that was gained from a year of experience.

“The experience this team gained last year will be invaluable for this year,” Sexton said. “We will get to begin preseason at a far more advanced point than we did last year when we had all the new faces.”

This year’s Cardinal squad has already made strides to becoming better, which is evident by the number of challenging matches that have been scheduled.

“I have put together the toughest non-conference schedule that Otterbein volleyball has ever seen,” Sexton said. “We open our season at regional power DePauw University and then continue on to a tournament hosted by the 2002 national champions Wisconsin-Whitewater. We also have a tournament and home match against national powerhouse Mount Saint Joseph.

“These are the kinds of teams and tournaments that will prepare us to take on the competition in the OAC.”

The Cardinals will open up the 2004 campaign at DePauw University Sept. 1. Otterbein opens OAC action Sept. 28 at home against Baldwin-Wallace.

Katie Peterson, a senior from Galena (Big Walnut High School), was selected honorable mention All-Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) in women’s volleyball.

During her four years at Otterbein, Peterson amassed 1,063 kills, including a career-best 400 this season, and had 1,322 digs. Peterson was named the OAC Scholar-Athlete of the Month for November 2003.

Peterson ranked ninth in the OAC with 3.44 kills per game and led the Cardinals with 438 digs this season.

Cardinals Travel to Capital for Tourney Opener
Written by Justin Hamilton 11/03/03

Otterbein opens Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament play at cross-town rival Capital, 7 p.m., Tuesday in the quarterfinals.

“I like the fact that we don’t have to go that far, which is going to help us,” said fifth-year head coach Sharon Sexton. “It should give us a little bit more fan support.”

Capital (25-7) enters the match as the second seed and claimed a share of the OAC regular-season crown. Otterbein (16-14) is the seventh seed.

“Anytime we play Capital, it doesn’t matter who finished where in the season or who beat whom. It’s kind of an open invitation on who is going to step up and play.”

The Cardinals fell to Capital in three games (30-27, 30-22, 30-26) in their lone meeting Oct. 11 at home.

Baldwin-Wallace (16-15), Capital, and Ohio Northern (24-7) shared the regular-season title, each finishing 8-1 in the OAC. Rounding out the tournament field are Mount Union (25-9), Marietta (17-12), Muskingum (18-18), Otterbein, and Heidelberg (18-15).

“We have proven that we can play with the big guns in the conference, but we just haven’t had luck fall on our side,” Sexton said. “We have the confidence that we can beat any team in the conference.”

Tuesday’s other quarterfinal matches include top-seeded Baldwin-Wallace hosting Heidelberg, sixth-seeded Muskingum traveling to third-seeded Ohio Northern, and fifth-seeded Marietta heading to fourth-seeded Mount Union. All matches are set to begin at 7 p.m.

The Otterbein volleyball team prepares for its final week of the regular season before heading into the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) Tournament next week.

Otterbein, 16-12 overall and 3-4 in the OAC, nearly upset conference-leading Baldwin-Wallace last Saturday. The Cardinals grabbed the first two games before the Yellow Jackets claimed the final three. The match proved, however, that Otterbein is capable of beating the OAC’s best.

“I think we are still in a position to surprise the conference,” said fifth-year head coach Sharon Sexton. “We are talented enough to beat any team in the conference on any given day which we proved on Saturday.”

The Cardinals visit nationally-ranked Ohio Northern (22-7), 7 p.m.,Tuesday before ending the regular season at home against Mount Union (23-9), 1 p.m., Saturday.

Ohio Northern is currently second in the OAC standings with a 6-1 record while Mount Union sits fourth at 4-3. The top eight teams qualify for the OAC Tournament.

“My expectation is that we will push through and pick up at least one win in the next two matches as it is well within our capabilities,” Sexton said. “We need to continue to limit our own unforced errors and keep up the offensive production.”

Otterbein is 5-3 in its last eight matches and has begun to show some offensive consistency.

“Our offensive production has improved a great deal since the beginning of the season,” Sexton said. “We are where we need to be at this point in the season and have finally gotten comfortable with a starting rotation, which took a little bit longer than I had wanted or expected.”

As the team prepares for the final weeks of the season, the growth of the young Cardinal squad can be attributed to the senior leadership.

“Katie Peterson and Jess Lonjak have had outstanding senior seasons,” Sexton said. “They have set a tone for the underclassmen to follow. Everyone else has followed their lead and stepped up. They both deserve to be playing for a conference championship, which is something I believe we are still capable of achieving.”

Outside hitter Heather Meyer, a freshman from Galloway (Westland High School), was named Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) “player of the week” in women’s volleyball, the conference office released today.

Meyer hit .443 for the week with 50 kills and 32 digs in 10 games played. Meyer also added five aces in three matches played last week.

The season so far has been an up-and-down ride for the Otterbein volleyball team.

After beginning the year 9-2, Otterbein heads into its Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) schedule with an 11-8 record.

The Cardinals travel to Muskingum, 1 p.m., Saturday before returning home on Tuesday, 7 p.m., to take on John Carroll.

Fifth-year head coach Sharon Sexton cites youth as the source of the roller coaster play so far.

“I expected us to be young going into the season, and it takes some time to develop the right chemistry on the floor,” Sexton said. “I think this is the reason for our up and down play this year. Our number-one goal is to do well in the OAC. We still have an entire season in front of us.”

The biggest key for Otterbein’s success, according to Sexton, is to eliminate costly mistakes.

“We are still figuring things out, but one of the biggest things we need to do is to eliminate our unforced errors,” Sexton said. “Our outside hitters need to finish, and we need to become comfortable with one setter because we have been rotating two juniors (at the setter position) up to this point.”

The Cardinals were picked to finish eighth in the preseason coaches’ poll, but Otterbein has played much better than that ranking at times.

“We have only lost one match that was decided in three games, so I know we have the talent to win,” Sexton said. “First, we have to believe we can win, and second, we need to execute better.

“The OAC is up in the air,” she continued, “and anyone can win the title unlike in past years when there was one clear-cut favorite.”

This weekend, Otterbein will host the 7th annual Cardinal Classic volleyball tournament.

The two-day event begins on Friday at 4 p.m. and will conclude with the championship match at 6 p.m. Saturday. This year’s participants include Thiel (3-2), Bluffton (4-5), Heidelberg (5-6), Otterbein (7-2), Urbana (6-4), Lake Erie (0-7), Waynesburg (7-3), and Capital (7-2).

Lake Erie and Waynesburg will both be making their first-ever appearance in the tournament field. Lake Erie reigns from the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference, while Waynesburg participates in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference.

“It’s a solid tournament, and the talent will be a little better than the previous two tournaments we played in this season,” said fifth-year head coach Sharon Sexton.

Last season, Muskingum knocked off Otterbein in the semifinals in three games. Capital went on to win the tournament in five games.

“Capital is coming in as our cross-town and OAC (Ohio Athletic Conference) rival, and they will be trying hard to defend their title,” Sexton said. “We have a couple of new teams in this year that have never been here before so it is up in the air as to what they are all about.”

For the Cardinals, this will be their third consecutive tournament to start the season. Otterbein, 7-2 overall, went 4-0 to win the Allegheny College Tournament, and the Cardinals finished 2-2 at the Earlham tourney last weekend.

“We need to step up our play,” Sexton said. “We have been playing down at this point, which is a little frustrating.

“Being 7-2 is a good record," she continued, "but we could legitimately be 9-0.”

Coach Sexton is happy with the progression so far but understands that there is still some work to be done before the Cardinals open their OAC schedule.

"I am seeing some good things, but mechanically, there are some things that need work," Sexton said. "With us being such a young team and having so many new faces, it may take a little longer for everyone to get comfortable playing with each other."

The Otterbein Cardinals kicked off their 2003 volleyball campaign in grand style by claiming the Earlham College tournament over the weekend.

“These wins were huge for us,” said fifth-year head coach Sharon Sexton. “Beating Franklin was a big win for us because they were the defending tournament champions and undefeated in their league last season.”

The Cardinals went a perfect 4-0 en route to the tournament title, led by senior Katie Peterson (Galena/Big Walnut), who was named the tournament’s “most valuable player”. Otterbein claimed three-game victories on Friday versus Bluffton and Earlham before knocking off Taylor University-Fort Wayne in four games on Saturday.

Otterbein saved the best for last as the Cardinals rallied for a thrilling five-game victory over Franklin College in the final on Saturday afternoon. The Grizzlies had a chance to win the match by taking a 28-22 lead in the fourth game, but Otterbein pulled out a 33-31 victory to keep the match alive. The Cardinals closed out the fifth game with a 15-8 victory to seal the win.

Senior middle hitter Jessie Boyer was selected Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) volleyball player of the week for her performance in wins over Marietta and Heidelberg.

Boyer, from Zanesville (West Muskingum High School), set an Otterbein record for match hitting percentage, .765, with 13 kills, 0 errors in 17 attempts against Heidelberg. In six games last week, Boyer had 27 kills, seven blocks and a .711 hitting percentage.

Having won two of its last thee matches, Otterbein’s volleyball team looks ahead to Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) play on the road with match-ups at John Carroll on Tuesday and at Capital on Saturday.

The Cardinals (14-8, 0-2) come off a four-game match loss with Muskingum, which Otterbein head coach Sharon Sexton feels should help her squad with some added confidence on the road.

“We hung tough with Muskingum,” she said. “If we play like we did in our third game against Muskingum we can beat anyone. We’ve had some good practices and I am excited to see how are team plays this week.”

Otterbein senior Jesse Boyer continues to lead the OAC in hitting percentage (.385). Boyer also leads the Cardinals in kills with 246.

The Otterbein women's volleyball team has won eight of its last nine matches, and with Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) play right around the corner, the Cardinals are excited to improve on last season's 3-6 mark.

"We are excited for conference play to start," said head coach Sharon Sexton. "We still have a lot of areas to improve in, but we're getting there. Right now we need to focus on learning how to put matches away."

The Cards won four of five matches at the Cardinal Classic last weekend--a tournament that Otterbein had hoped to win this year. Despite not winning the championship, the Cardinals were successful in reaching the semifinals, before losing to OAC foe Muskingum 30-27, 30-21, 30-14.

"I was very disappointed in how the team played in our final match," Sexton said. "We played well up until that semifinal match. We do get to see them (Muskingum) again in conference play and I know that our team is capable of playing better."

Senior outside hitter Jessie Boyer continues to be a bright spot for the Cards, leading the conference in hitting percentage (0.425), while fronting the team in kills with 131. Boyer's exceptional play landed her a spot on the all-tournament team at the Otterbein Cardinal Classic.

The Cards host Kenyon, 7 p.m., Wednesday. Otterbein will begin OAC play at Baldwin-Wallace, 1 p.m., Saturday.

After winning four-straight matches and capturing the championship at the Allegheny Tournament in Meadville, Pa., Otterbein rolls into its own tournament, the Cardinal Classic, set for Sept. 13-14 in Westerville.

Coming off a school-record 24 wins just a season ago, the Cardinals are eight matches into a new year, opening the season with a 5-3 record. Fourth-year head coach Sharon Sexton is impressed with her team’s performance and remains optimistic about having another successful season.

"I think we've showed a lot of improvement," Sexton said of her team's effort at the Allegheny tournament. "We know where we are and our team knows where it needs to get to be competitive in conference play this season. We want to play well in conference this season."

The first step to accomplishing that goal, according to coach Sexton, will be this Friday and Saturday at the Cardinal Classic.

"Our team has two goals," she said. "Our first goal is to win the Cardinal Classic and second is to improve our record in the OAC. This tournament at home could give us some momentum going into conference play."

A large part of Otterbein’s success this season has been the play of seniors Christa Nalley and Brook Cann, who both brought home all-tournament honors from Allegheny. Nalley, an outside hitter, leads the team in kills with 92, an average of 3.17 a game, while Cann, the team’s setter, is fronting the Cardinals with assists at 321 (11.46 pg).

Senior Jessie Boyer continues to play a key role for the Cardinals, averaging 2.61 kills a game, while leading the team in attack percentage at .432.

“Our five seniors are a big part of this team,” Sexton said. “We especially would like to win this tournament for them. They are all where I expected them to be, and it will be exciting to see how things develop this season.”

This year's Classic features teams from Capital, Heidelberg, Marietta, Muskingum, Anderson (IN), Allegheny (PA), Ohio Dominican, Urbana, Earlham (IN), and Bluffton.

The Cardinals open play with Bluffton, 3 p.m., Friday in the Rike Center. Otterbein will open conference play on Sept. 21 at Baldwin-Wallace.

Otterbein, having improved its win total in each of the past three seasons, seeks to build upon the momentum of last year's school-record 24-win season.

Despite those 24 wins, however, a 3-6 mark in Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) play left the Cardinals feeling hungry knowing they still had something to prove.

"Our number-one team goal this season," said fourth-year head coach Sharon Sexton, "is improving our OAC record and moving into the top five of the OAC."

The Cardinals return nine letterwinners-five of them seniors, and another three juniors. "By far," Sexton said, "this is the most experienced team that I've coached at Otterbein. If we stay mentally tough, we can beat anybody. No matter what obstacles are thrown against us, we should be able to pull together."

Heading the senior class are returning starters Jessie Boyer, Brook Cann and Katie Carroll.

Boyer, a middle hitter, averaged 0.82 blocks a game, second best on the team, while Cann set school records for assists in a season (1,410) and per game (11.37) in 2001. Carroll, a defensive specialist, returned to the varsity floor last year after suffering a torn ACL in 1999.

Rounding out the senior class are opposite hitter Crista Nalley and defensive specialist Allison Wilde.

Lonjak, a middle hitter, set school records for block assists (78), total blocks (126) and single-match hitting percentage (.306) last season. Peterson, an outside hitter, ranked fifth in the OAC in digs per game (4.19), but underwent ACL surgery during the off-season. Nicole Marquette, also a junior, returns to her defensive specialist role after missing last season due to a torn ACL.

Sophomore outside hitter Chelsea Thresher rounds out the list of returning letterwinners.

Although Otterbein fields an experienced squad, Sexton enters the 2002 campaign a bit apprehensive and concerned on "whether or not we can come back from the injuries and remain healthy," she said.

"That first tournament is going to be extremely tough," Sexton said. "It should give us a good idea of regional competition since some nationally-ranked teams will be there."

Following Elmhurst, the Cardinals travel to Allegheny (PA) for another tournament beginning Sept. 6.

Otterbein opens at home with its own tournament, the Cardinal Classic, Sept. 13-14. This year's Classic features teams from Capital, Heidelberg, Marietta, Muskingum, Anderson (IN), Allegheny (PA), Ohio Dominican, Urbana, Earlham (IN) and Bluffton. The Cardinals, incidentally, ranked fifth nationally in home attendance, averaging 352 a match last season.

Following a nonconference match at Kenyon Sept. 18, the Cardinals open OAC play at Baldwin-Wallace Sept. 21.