NCAC Weekly Release (9-4-12) - Volleyball

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The North Coast opened the 2012 volleyball season with an impressive 21-14 record against non-conference opponents on the opening weekend. Denison (4-0) and Wittenberg (3-0) got out of the gates strong, while Ohio Wesleyan surpassed its win total from 2011 on the opening weekend of 2012 with a 3-1 mark at the OWU Invitational.

ALLEGHENY won its season-opener for the first time since 2005 with a 3-2 triumph over Pitt.-Greensburg at the Saint Vincent Tournament; however, the Gators couldn’t sustain the momentum throughout the tournament as they dropped the final three matches of the weekend against Franciscan, Eastern Mennonite and Carlow. Freshman Baylie Sheppard (Chagrin Falls, OH/Kenston) led the Gators on the weekend with 78 digs, 29 kills, six service aces and three total blocks.

DENISON opened the season with a 4-0 record for the first time since 2006 after a successful run at the Ohio Wesleyan Invitational. Freshman Kenzie Kuhn (Naperville, IL/Benet Academy) helped the Big Red with a strong performance at the net after accumulating 43 kills and 21 total blocks (12 solo, 9 assists). In addition, sophomore setter Jessica Borsani (N. Baltimore, OH/Van Buren) dished out 172 assists, including a season-high 67 against Grove City, while sophomore libero Emily Marguerite (Wilmette, IL/New Trier) racked up 76 digs in 14 total sets.

DEPAUW opened the season with back-to-back losses against Dominican and No. 2 Washington (MO) on Saturday, but rebounded with a pair of wins against Cornell (IA) and Eureka on Sunday at the Washingtion (MO) Labor Day Classic. Freshman setter Faith Rolwes (Chesterfield, MO/Villa Duchesne) was named to the All-Tournament Team after leading the Tigers with 114 assists and finishing second on the squad with 53 digs over the two-day event.

HIRAM finished third overall at the Goucher College Greg “Gio” Giovanazzi Memorial Tournament after posting a 3-1 record at the event. The Terriers posted wins over Goucher, Cabrini and Catholic, while suffering its lone loss against Johns Hopkins.

KENYON kicked off its season at the North Park Classic. The Ladies fell on the first day by identical 3-2 scores against Howard Payne and Ripon, and split a pair of matches on day two, falling to eventual champion St. Mary’s (IN), 3-1, before closing out the tournament with a 3-0 triumph over IU-Northwest. Junior Mary Jo Scott (La Canada, CA/La Canada) earned All-Tournament honors after totaling team highs with 62 assists and 12 aces to go along with 32 digs and seven blocks.

OBERLIN needed just one day in 2012 to double its win total from a season ago, outlasting Pitt.-Greensburg and Westminster in five sets on Friday, before falling in four sets to both St. Vincent and Franciscan on Saturday. Senior Laura Jessee (Roanoke, VA/Patrick Henry) averaged 3.78 kills per set over the weekend after totaling 68 kills in 18 total sets.

OHIO WESLEYAN stormed out to a 3-0 record for the first time since the 2006 season after knocking off Earlham, Wilmington and Manchester, all in straight sets, at the OWU Invitational. The Battling Bishops, who did drop the final match off the weekend against Grove City, were led by senior Megan Weissenberger (Toledo, OH/Central Catholic) who amassed 39 kills, 39 digs, nine service aces and four total blocks in 13 total sets.

WITTENBERG, the defending NCAA Div. III National Champion, picked up right where it left off last season as the Tigers opened the season with three victories at its own Courtyard Marriot National Invitational. The Tigers, who knocked off No. 24 Trinity, 3-1, in the final match of the event, got a strong effort from freshman Kara Seidenstricker (London, OH/Jonathan Alder) on the opening weekend as she totaled 47 digs, 41 kills, six total blocks and five service aces in 11 sets.

WOOSTER split four matches over the weekend at the Ohio Northern Invitational, defeating Carnegie Mellon and Thiel and suffering defeats against ONU and Heidelberg. Junior Autumn Berry (Grand Rapids, OH/Ostego) helped trigger the Fighting Scots 3-2 come-from-behind victory over Thiel after dishing out a career-high 46 assists and totalling 16 digs in the match. On the weekend, Berry totaled 119 assists, 32 digs, nine kills and four total blocks in 14 sets.