NCAC Weekly Release (9-17-12) - Volleyball

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The North Coast will open league play on the volleyball circuit this week. The first conference match of the season will be contested on Tuesday with Wooster (0-0, 9-4) traveling to Allegheny (0-0, 3-9) for a 7:00 p.m. start. League action will continue throughout the week with three matches on Wednesday, one on Thursday, one on Friday and three more on Saturday.

ALLEGHENY won the final match of the 2012 Gator Invitational, 3-0, over Frostburg State to finish the weekend with a 1-3 record. Freshman Baylie Sheppard (Chagrin Falls, OH/Kenston), who was named to the All-Tournament Team, led the Gators on the weekend with 32 digs, 26 kills and three service aces in 13 total sets.

DENISON improved to 9-2 on the year, its best start since the 1996 season, after posting a 1-1 record last week. The Big Red fell to Ohio Northern, 3-0, on Tuesday, but rebounded with a 3-0 victory over John Carroll on Thursday. Freshmen Kenzie Kuhn (Naperville, IL/Benet Acad.) and Brittany Perry (Tiffin, OH/Calvert) paced the offense with 25 and 20 kills, respectively.

DEPAUW extended its win streak to 11-straight after running the table at the DePauw Tigers Invitational with victories over Hanover, 3-0, Olivet, 3-0, Kalamazoo, 3-0, and Millikin, 3-1. Sophomore Mary Kate Etling (Terre Haute, IN/North) and freshman Faith Rowles (Chesterfield, MO/Villa Duchesne) were both named to the All-Tournament Team. Etling led the Tigers with 60 kills, 22 blocks (3 solo, 19 asst.), 16 digs and three service aces in 16 total sets.

HIRAM upped its record to 11-3 on the season after posting a 4-1 record last week, recording wins against Baldwin Wallace, 3-0, Trine, 3-1, Defiance, 3-1, and Adrian, 3-0.

KENYON came up empty at its own Invitational over the weekend, dropping matches against Transylvania, 3-1, Juniata, 3-0, and Mount Union, 3-0. Junior Mary Jo Scott (La Canada, Ca/La Canada) amassed 25 kills and 28 digs over the two-day event.

OBERLIN posted a perfect 2-0 record on Saturday at its own Invitational, defeating La Roche and Albion by identical 3-1 margins. The Yeowomen were led by senior Laura Jessee (Roanoke, VA/Patrick Henry) who recorded 40 kills and seven blocks in the two matches combined.

OHIO WESLEYAN topped Wilmington, 3-0, to open play last week on Tuesday, but did suffer a 3-0 setback against Capital on Wednesday. The Battling Bishops then traveled to Marietta for the Pioneer Classic over the weekend where they posted a 1-2 record with the lone victory coming against Adrian, 3-1. Freshman libero Danielle Birney (Sylvania, OH/Southview) was named to the All-Tournament Team at Marietta after corralling 72 digs in the three matches combined.

WITTENBERG hosted the highly-competitive Wittenberg Fall Classic over the weekend. The Tigers went 2-2 at the event, defeating No. 7 Hope, 3-1, and Mt. St. Joseph, 3-1, and falling to No. 1 Washington (MO), 3-2, and No. 3 Calvin, 3-0. Senior Jessica Battanian (Toledo, OH/Notre Dame) was named to the All-Tournament Team after compiling 43 digs, 42 kills and three total blocks against some of the nations’ top competition.

WOOSTER opened play last week with a 3-1 triumph over John Carroll, and kept the momentum going with a 3-1 record at the Carnegie Mellon Invitational in Pittsburgh. The Fighting Scots opened the CMU Invite with wins over Elmira, 3-0, Pitt.-Greensburg, 3-0, and Scranton, 3-2, before dropping the final match of the event against Johns Hopkins, 3-2. Junior Erica Skillman (Ann Arbor, MI/Huron) produced a team-high 63 kills on the week to go along with 20 block assists and 13 digs.