By KARL E. PEARSON - kpearson@starbeacon.com
Staff Writer
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Traditionally, volleyball in the area has produced some of the highest level of performance of any sport. The 2009 season was no exception. In fact, it was one of the best in a long time.
The question is, can the pace be maintained this year? Area teams will have a tough act to follow last year considering eight of 11 teams finished above .500. Stacy Sepelak’s Riverside girls became the first team since Stephanie Kubec’s 2006 SS. John and Paul squad to make it to the regional finals of their division, finishing just short of becoming the first state tournament qualifier since Dave Fowler’s 1989 St. John team made the Class A finals.
Annah Haeseler’s Geneva team reached the Division district finals for the first time in her seven years as head coach of the Eagles. First-year SJP coach Brandy Orlando got the Heralds back to a level which used to be a foregone conclusion when they reached the Division IV district semifinals.
Significant graduation losses could make equaling or improving upon 2009 a stretch. Among those are two girls who are now playing for Division I college programs in Lakeside graduate Christiana Blakeslee at Holy Cross University and Conneaut product Nichele Johnson at Youngstown State University. There are several other girls playing elsewhere collegiately, led by 2009 Star Beacon Ashtabula County Player of the Year Taylor Webb at Mount Union College.
That leaves a bit of a void as to which girls will become the most prominent players in the area. It should all make the coming months very interesting.
Conneaut
New coach Paul Stofan would appear to face one of the most daunting tasks of any area coach as he takes over a largely inexperienced group of Spartans, who lost seven lettermen from the team that reached the Division II sectional finals. He’ll also have to compensate for not only the departure of Johnson, but Sarah Campbell to Thiel College, Kelsey Prevot to Pikeville (Ky.) College and Justine VanCise to Westminster College.
But to call Stofan new is more than a bit of a misnomer. He’s actually one of the most veteran coaches in the area, returning as a head coach for the first time since he left Madison after the 2003 season. He has the chops to go along with it, holding a 200-85 record (.702 winning percentage) in his 15 seasons of keeping the St. John program at the high level Fowler had it when he left and serving as the bridge to Kubec, then turning Madison into a force with which to be reckoned in the Premier Athletic Conference and Division I circles.
He acknowledges that he has quite a task ahead of him, though, with only three letterwinners — seniors Stephanie LeVesque, Adrianna Manniko and Lexi Zappitello — returning from the squad which set a new school record for single-season victories (15) two years ago for Paula Ghiz, then followed with 14 last year.
“Overcoming the loss of seven outstanding seniors (will be tough),” Stofan said. “Our leadership so far has been great and the younger players are following. The sooner our chemistry gets better and we pass (the volleyball better), I think we’ll do just fine.”
The help for the three returning seniors will come from juniors Jen Huston, Brittany Johnson, Athena Petri and Maria and Nicole Taylor, sophomores Lydia Coccitto, Tayler Kantola, Victoria Simek and Angie Zappitelli and sophomore Emilee Bucci.
Stofan will be dealing with one issue with which he has never dealt before — the lack of a league title for which to shoot. The Spartans are in their second season functioning as an independent, with no end to that circumstance on the immediate horizon.
Still, he has the Spartans playing with great expectations. Stofan has never been hesitant to set high standards.
“The districts (in the highly competitive Division II tournament at Jefferson High School) is what we have our sights on,” the Kent State University graduate said. “Since we are an independent, 17 wins and success in the tournament is what we are shooting for.”
Edgewood
Speaking of somebody coming back, Dave Fowler is in his second year back with the Warriors. A 16-8 season in which Edgewood gave Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin everything it wanted before succumbing in the Division II sectional finals was a good start.
Now Fowler’s task is to take Edgewood to another level. This is a special year for the Youngstown State University graduate as he celebrates his 20th anniversary as coach of the Warriors and his 30th year as a head coach, including his time molding St. John into one of the area’s great programs.
With each passing victory, Fowler’s legend in the coaching fraternity grows. If he and the Warriors can put together a 20-victory season, he would be approaching the 550-win mark (now standing at 524-166 for a .759 winning percentage).
Such a goal would be a lofty one. The Warriors lost two valuable components to graduation in first-team Star Beacon All-Ashtabula County player Laura Coxe, who is now playing at Mount Union, and second-team member Courtney Wentworth.
But there are still weapons in Warriors’ quiver. Returning are first-team Star Beacon All-Ashtabula County players Brittany Wentworth, a senior, and sophomore middle hitter Ashley Thomas. They are joined by senior letterwinners Chelsey Miller and Jessica Reed and junior Amanda Rodenbucher.
Fowler, the wily veteran, is playing his cards close to the vest.
“We will try to play to our strengths and work hard on improving those aspects of the game that have deficiencies,” he said. “Overall, we are a very strong defensive team and when focused make very few unforced errors handling the ball.
“When we improve the attacking aspect of our game, we will be an extremely difficult team to beat.”
He is hoping some of that offensive punch comes not only from his veterans, but players like seniors Brittany Boggs, Megan Brennan and Heather Daniels, juniors Kayla Claypool, Maddie DeGeorge, Annie Holz, Lisa Motter and Crystal Stewart and sophomore Katie Thomas.
Fowler finds himself in the same boat as Stofan, all dressed up with no conference title for which to play.
“I hope we find (a conference),” he said.
So it is quite probable the Warriors will make playing deep into the Division II district at Jefferson the chief objective. With the loaded field there, that should be a worthy goal.
Geneva
In many ways, Haeseler faces the same obstacles with the Eagles that Stofan faces with Conneaut, having also lost seven key seniors. That not only includes Webb, but first-team Star Beacon All-Ashtabula County selections Hillary Hambleton, who is now at Thiel College, and Kristyn Pristov and second-team all-county members Stephanie Booth, Aimee Jones and Rachel Murray.
But, unlike Stofan, Haeseler has much more experienced personnel returning. That includes two junior members of the Star Beacon All-Ashtabula County first team, Veronica Clutter and Audra Puckrin, senior middle hitter Ashley Meaney and junior outside hitter Katie Beacom.
Haeseler believes the Eagles possess many of the elements necessary to continue with the progress they made last year in their first season in the Premier Athletic Conference and to continue to perform at a high level in tournament play.
“Our team needs to pass well and let everything else follow,” the Edinboro University graduate, who is in her eighth season following in the footsteps of another coaching luminary, Stan Bielech, said. “Aggressive serving and a solid offensive core will determine our success.”
Helping to supplement Geneva’s veteran group will be seniors Lindsey Gibson and Becca Retallick, juniors Morgan Brubaker, Sara Ellsworth and Aleashia Tapia, sophomores Lyndsey Armstrong, Becky Depp and Emily O’Dell and freshmen Emily Ball, Christa Cash and Chelsea Scafuro.
Trying to improve upon their third-place finish in the PAC will be a challenge, Haeseler admits.
“I think Riverside will be the dominant team with North, South and Chardon to follow,” she said. “Many of our matches will go five sets to determine the winner. I believe the league will be tough, and we will hold our own.”
Grand Valley
The Mustangs’ move into the Northeastern Athletic Conference last year proved to be a positive thing. Coach Tracy Nelson hopes her team can make another step forward in the two-division conference in her 17th season with the reins of the GV program.
Those possibilities seem quite attainable as only two seniors were lost to graduation and nine letterwinners return. Included in that groups are seniors Allison Unger and Randi Woodworth, who each were second-team Star Beacon All-Ashtabula County selection last year.
Joining them are fellow seniors Cammie Brown, Cheyenne Dorhn and Kristen McClintock, juniors Bailey Holmes, Emily Nye and Tayler Schimley and sophomore Erica Taylor.
Nelson, a Kent State University graduate, believes she has the proper elements for success if they are pulled together.
“(We need) a strong back row and aggressive front row,” she said. “Playing as a team and not individuals (is important). (We need) good communication, too.”
Other players who are expected to contribute to GV’s efforts to improve on its second-place finish in the NAC East and its tie for third overall are juniors Jenson Kassay and Kayla Sirrine and sophomore Annie Pierce.
“I believe we have a good chance to win our division and overall in the conference,” Nelson said. “Mathews, Lordstown, PV and Ledgemont are very solid programs. The league should be very competitive.”
Jefferson
The Falcon program is in a period of transition, operating as an independent for the second year under coach Nancy Champlin’s direction while anticipating entry in the All-American Conference and a whole new set of opponents.
Jefferson also lost a sizable chunk of last year’s squad to graduation as six players departed. The biggest losses were first-team Star Beacon All-Ashtabula County selection Lizzy Ziemski and second-team member Hailey Burns.
Champlin will fall back on a cast of 10 girls who played enough last year to earn letters. They include seniors Amber Dumperth, Brittany Hurst and Brenna Miraszek, juniors Paige Clark, Laura Cole, Destinie Hill, Rachel Moyer and Bree Zalar and sophomore Giulia Giancola.
Developing a chemistry within that group will be Champlin’s goal.
“My team’s success this season depends on everyone working together and communicating well on the court,” the Kent State University and Northern Kentucky University graduate said. “We don’t have a lot of size in height, so we need to work on improving our vertical jump and bringing some power at the net on both defense and offense.”
Also hoping to help the Falcons reach those goals is senior Courtney Weber.
Lakeside
The Dragons hope to return to the standards they had held for two years prior to last season, when they won or shared the PAC championship and reached the district tournament twice, once playing in the title game. Coach Lisa Newsome has nine returning letterwinners to build around as she celebrates her 10th anniversary season with Lakeside.
The loss of six girls to graduation will be felt. That is particularly true of Angela DeGeorge, who was a first-team Star Beacon All-Ashtabula County selection, and Blakeslee, whose torn ACL early last season really had an adverse effect on the Dragons, but didn’t prevent her from gaining the attention of Holy Cross.
But Newsome has nine returning letterwinners on which to bank. They include second-team Star Beacon All-Ashtabula County selections Jenna Applebee and Tyra Miller, both seniors. They are joined by fellow seniors Lindsey Clint, Megan Frye, Kara Norman and Haley Verdi, juniors Rosie Messner and Alissa Sidbeck and sophomore Paige Halsey.
The keys to a successful season for the Dragons are quite elementary, Newsome believes.
“Our key to success will be defense,” the Baldwin-Wallace College graduate said with emphasis. “(We need to) focus on working together as a team and accomplishing small goals. (We need to) stay positive.”
Two juniors, Katie Jepson and Megan Richey, figure to help the Dragons reach their goals.
Newsome hopes Lakeside will be among the challengers in the PAC in the Division I postseason tournament.
“The PAC is a tough conference with well-run programs,” she said. “Riverside is always tough. North, South, Chardon and Geneva will be good, too.
“It will be another exciting season. I believe we will be right in the mix and very competitive.”
Madison
In her fourth season as the head coach of the Blue Streaks, Brynn Ryan is hoping to move the Blue Streaks up in the PAC standings and to make greater progress in Division I circles.
The Blue Streaks are a young group again despite losing just four players to graduation, chief of those being Juliana Brotzman and Sheryl Powell. The lone veterans are senior Kelsey Koskinen, Rachelle Repinski and Jessica Stewart and sophomore Riley Riehl.
“Our keys to success this year is remaining positive toward one another and sticking together as a team,” Ryan, a University of Toledo graduate, said. “Our team is a scrappy team with a heart of gold. Some of these girls are seeing the varsity level for the first time. Being on varsity for a first year could prove to be challenging. However, this team shows great potential.”
Providing those elements in addition to the veterans will be juniors Erin Burke, Sarah Sillitoe and Caitlin Post and sophomores Hayley Dake, Sierra Daugherty and Hallie Volmar.
Ryan likes her team’s attitude.
“The girls do not give up, even when they are down, and show an amazing talent to stay up with an opponent,” she said. “All of the girls are very encouraging and supportive of their teammates.
“Knowing that the players are there for one another to support both the good and bad situations that happen in games (is important). They are going to cheer when good things happen and encourage when the bad starts. In the end, the team will be one machine.”
She sees a very competitive PAC.
“Honestly, I think that the league is up for grabs this year with many teams losing their tough seniors from last year,” Ryan said. “I believe all of our teams will face challenges, but will put up a good fight for the league championship.”
Perry
The Pirates are a mixture of experience and youth as they enter coach Jeff George’s third season at the helm. They will be looking to improve upon last year’s fourth-place finish in the Chagrin Valley Conference Chagrin Division and their loss in the Division II sectional finals after earning the third seed at Jefferson.
The main graduation losses for George, the University of Dayton graduate, were Erin Kline and Olivia Szadkowski. But he is blessed with the return of seasoned players like senior Danielle Carroll and Rachel Crittle and juniors Kelsey Kline, Brooke Mako and Iza Zitney.
Added into the mix for the Pirates this year will be seniors Jillian King, Olivia Magnusson and Stephanie Wancho, sophomores Courtney Brassow, Megan Reid and Tori Toth and freshman Bethany Mako.
Repeated attempts to obtain comment from George on the prospects for Perry this season were unsuccessful.
Pymatuning Valley
Rob Wludyga enters his ninth season at the controls of the Lakers with hopes that his team can move up in the ranks in the NAC, where they finished second in the conference’s eastern division in 2009.
Prospects for that should be good with the loss of only three seniors to graduation and the return of eight letterwinners. The main loss at PV was Brittany Jock, who earned first-team Star Beacon All-Ashtabula County honors last year.
Providing hope for improvement are senior letterwinner Erin Smolinski, a second-team all-county selection, as well as seniors Nikki Gale, Celine Pollander and Josey Workman. Other veterans who will play key roles are juniors Corrissa Caldwell, Taylor Rhoades and Kerstin White and sophomore Michealia Skleres.
Wludyga, a Baldwin-Wallace College graduate, is emphasizing improved fundamentals with his team.
“Passing is crucial, and we especially need to communicate to put us in the best position to pass,” he said. “Our defense is always our top priority, and that’s the key to being able to play aggressive offensively.”
Other players who are expected to contribute for the Lakers this year are juniors Katie Holmes and Mel Somerville and sophomores Heather Brant and Ally Workman.
He remains optimistic about PV’s chances in the NAC and beyond.
“The NAC will be competitive again this year, with Mathews at the top after a great season last year,” Wludyga said. “Lordstown will be young this year, but they always compete at the highest level. I know Grand Valley has a solid group returning as well. But we feel that we should be right in the mix.”
Riverside
Can the Beavers top their performance from last year when they were just one victory away from advancing to the state tournament in Dayton? Coach Stacy Sepelak’s girls are certainly going to try as she celebrates her 10th anniversary season at the school,
Four key players, topped by Jayne Nagy, Teresa Noewer and Erika West, were lost to graduation, but Sepelak still has plenty of battle-tested personnel in seniors Nicole Bayer, Katie Hasebein, Taylor Jaros and Meredith Widecan and junior Elizabeth Maczuzak.
“We have five letterwinners returning with a strong group returning to the program,” Sepelak, a John Carroll University graduate, said. “We’re continuing to work hard and work on staying focused and playing together as a team. Those are a few key elements for us.”
Some girls who have been waiting in the wings, such as seniors Taylor Bernay, Erin Van Winkle and Alyssa Woltman, will play more prominent roles. Also expected to contribute are junior Carli West and sophomores Maggie Julius and Margaret Liberatore.
Sepelak is taking nothing for granted as her team strives to win its third straight PAC title.
“In our conference, no one can be overlooked,” she said. “Any one of us can win on any given night. Our team is working hard to stay in the top of our conference.”
SS. John and Paul
Brandy Orlando got the Heralds back on track last year. Now it remains to be seen if she can build on that in her second season.
Six seniors were lost to graduation, with first-team Star Beacon All-Ashtabula County player Carly Penna the most significant. But there are six returning letterwinners to show the way in seniors Sarah Blank, Ashley Fedler and Jennifer Kapalin, all second-team Star Beacon All-Ashtabula County selections, along with fellow senior Melissa Rebera. Juniors Kristina Gallo and Carolee Zullo will also be looked to for leadership.
“We’re looking for a solid foundation in serve receive and defense,” Orlando, an Edinboro University graduate, said. “We have strong senior leadership and experience. We have a nice selection of hitters and blocking this year.”
Adding those new elements are juniors Kathy Felde, Emily Kochevar, Megan Woodward and Evie Wheeler, sophomores Alex Ferrante, Liz Kovacs, Brenna Kubec, Brenna Powers and Annisha Willis and freshmen Ray Benedict, Alivia Cimorelli, Emily Powers and Mackenzie Stenroos.
Orlando faces the obstacle of keeping the Heralds motivated since they are no longer members of the Ohio High School Athletic Association. Playing most of their traditional rivals should help in that regard.
“Since we are an independent, we play a wide variety of schools,” she said. “We scrimmaged local teams in the preseason like Edgewood, Lakeside, Jefferson and Chardon that are solid. We’re looking forward to seeing them in the season, along with Conneaut, Geneva and Perry.”
