Roderick Selected to Academic All-OAC First Team
Written Nov. 524 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.

Emily Hurlburt led all players with 16 kills in the match.

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

Cards Fall to Baldwin-Wallace
Written Oct. 21, 2008 by Adam Prescott

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.

Otterbein Defeated By Blue Streaks
Written Oct. 17, 2008 by Adam Prescott

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.

Kristen Kidd led John Carroll with seven kills.

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

Cards Fall Victim to #10 Ohio Northern
Written Oct. 15, 2008 by Adam Prescott

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.
 

Otterbein Falls to Capital
Written Oct. 10, 2008 by Jason Guyer

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.
 

Cards Victorious Over Quakers
Written Oct. 7, 2008 by Adam Prescott

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.

Otterbein Defeats Marietta
Written Oct. 4, 2008 by Adam Prescott

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.

Alex Weissling had 13 kills for the Pioneers.

The Cards next host Wilmington on Tuesday. Start time is set for 7 p.m.
 

Otterbein Falls to Mount Union
Written Oct. 2, 2008 by Adam Prescott

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.

With the win, Otterbein snapped a three-match losing streak.

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.

Six Cardinals Earns Academic All-OAC Honors
Written Nov. 15, 2007 by Ed Syguda

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

Jesse Sams

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.

Liz Goodman

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.

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.

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.

Meyer and Waddle Repeat--Earn Second Team All-OAC Honors
Written Nov. 6, 2006 by Ed Syguda

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.

Heather Meyer

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.

Laura Waddle

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.

Cards to Host B-W, Visit Mt. Union
Written Oct. 16, 2006 by Ed Syguda

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.

Cards Head Into Heart of OAC Schedule
Written Oct. 9, 2006 by Ed Syguda

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.”

Cards Prep for Challenging Week
Written Sept. 25, 2006 by Ed Syguda

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.”

Cards Travel to Carnegie Mellon
Written Sept. 22, 2006 by Ed Syguda

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).

Cards Open OAC Play with Win
Written Sept. 14, 2006 by Ed Syguda

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.

Meyer Named OAC Player of the Week
Written Sept. 11, 2006 by Ed Syguda

Heather Meyer

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.

Cards Sweep at Johnson & Wales
Written Sept. 11, 2006 by Ed Syguda

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.”

Cards at Top of Their Game in Classroom
Written Aug. 24, 2006 by Ed Syguda

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).

Meyer, Waddle Earn All-OAC Honors
Written by Ed Syguda 11/07/05

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.

Cards Carry Mo into OAC Tournament
Written by Ed Syguda 10/31/05

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.”

Cards Set School Record for OAC Wins
Written by Ed Syguda 10/25/05

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.

OAC Names Davis Player of the Week
Written by Ed Syguda 10/24/05

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.

Cards Notch Major Program Win
Written by Ed Syguda 10/22/05

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.”

Otterbein easily took the first game, 30-21, hitting .327 as a team.

“That was a momentum boost right away,” Sexton said.

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.”

Cards Hold onto a Share of 4th in OAC
Written by Ed Syguda 10/17/05

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.

Cards Sweep John Carroll and the 'Berg
Written by Ed Syguda 10/10/05

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.

Cards Open OAC Play at Baldwin-Wallace
Written by Ed Syguda 09/26/05

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.

Cards to Host Tri-Match
Written by Ed Syguda 09/13/05

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.

Meyer & Waddle Form Core for 2005
Written by Ed Syguda 08/30/05

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.

Meyer Named Team's Most Valuable
Written by Ed Syguda 02/21/05

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.

A list of special award winners from 2004 follows:

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.

Players earning letters in 2004 were:

Fourth-year letterwinners: Davis and Thresher.

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.

Meyer Named to All-OAC Team
Written by Ed Syguda 11/08/04

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.

Cards Seek OAC Wins on the Road
Written by Ed Syguda 10/04/04

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.”

Cards Rely on Talent in the Early Going
Written by Ed Syguda 09/10/04

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.

Cards Field More Experienced Lineup in 2004
Written by Justin Hamilton 08/18/04

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 Named All-OAC
Written by Justin Hamilton 11/11/03

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. 

Cardinals Look to Surprise OAC Leaders
Written by Justin Hamilton 10/28/03

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.”    

Meyer Selected OAC Player of the Week
Written 10/20/03

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.

Cardinals Set to Open OAC Play
Written by Justin Hamilton 10/03/03

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.”   

Otterbein Set to Host Weekend Tourney
Written by Justin Hamilton 09/10/03

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."

Cards Win Quaker Classic to Open '03
Written by Justin Hamilton 09/02/03

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.

Boyer Named OAC Player of the Week
Written 10/21/02

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.

Cardinals Hit Road for a Pair of OAC Matches
Written by Jason Erickson 10/7/02

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.

Cardinals Take 4 of 5 in Classic
Written by Jason Erickson 9/17/02

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.

Otterbein Hosts 6th Annual Cardinal Classic
Written by Jason Erickson 9/10/02

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.

2002 Season Preview

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."

Coach Sexton just may have the guns to pull it off.

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.

The junior class features returning starters Jessica Lonjak and Katie Peterson.

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.

The Cardinals open on the road Aug. 30 at the Elmhurst (IL) Tournament.

"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.