Challenging Opening Weekend on Tap for Scot Spikers

For The Week Of:
August 27, 2007

Written by Hugh Howard
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Abbie Casey

The College of Wooster volleyball team, under the direction of new head coach Sarah Davis, faces a challening debut to 2007 this weekend as it will be at the Ohio Northern Invitational. Three of the four matches the Fighting Scots will play will be against teams which were in the 2006 NCAA Div. III Tournament. On Friday, Aug. 31, Wooster will first take on Carnegie Mellon University (20-15 in 2006) at 3 p.m., followed by the College of Mount St. Joseph (27-12 in 2006) at 5:30 p.m. Then, on Saturday morning, Sept. 1, the Scots will be matched up with Hope College (25-10 in 2006) at 9 a.m., before going up against host Ohio Northern University (27-9 in 2006), which is ranked No. 15 in the Div. III preseason coaches’ poll, at 11:15 a.m. Last fall, Wooster was swept by Mount St. Joseph 30-17, 30-27, 30-15, and did not play this week’s other three opponents.

2007 Preview Notes: In some sense, this season will mark a new era for Wooster volleyball due to a coaching change at the top, however in another, it should be business as usual for the Fighting Scots as an experienced group will aim for 20-plus wins again and to be one of the North Coast Athletic Conference’s top teams ... First-year mentor Sarah Davis is taking over a group that produced 20-win seasons in 2004 (21-9) and 2005 (25-7), and may have had another last fall had it not been for a key injury (14-16) ... Carolyn Ciriegio (Covington, Ohio / Covington), a second-team all-NCAC performer as a sophomore, is now healthy and flanked by fellow seniors Heather Wolff (Mansfield, Ohio / Madison Comprehensive) and Erin Wright (Akron, Ohio / Walsh Jesuit), who have come back to the squad after being part of those 2004 and 2005 teams. Ciriegio was averaging 3.34 kills on a .246 attack percentage from her outside hitter position before suffering the knee injury, similar to her sophomore numbers (3.82 kpg, .273 attack pct.). Wolff’s return could be significant as the setter was on the All-NCAC Team her previous two seasons, earning second-team recognition in 2004 and honorable mention in 2005. Wolff will look to pick up where she left off, setting a College record for assists (1,501) and assists per game (13.17) as a sophomore. Wright also is a welcome addition, as the 5-11 middle hitter should contend for considerable action ... Wooster also has three juniors who are letterwinners in Ali Drushal (Lakeville, Ohio / West Holmes), Abbie Casey (Prospect, Ohio / Marion Pleasant), and Megan Earle (Middleburg Hts., Ohio / Midpark). Drushal will likely anchor the team’s defense after leading the league with 8.22 digs per game and racking up a school-record 888 total en route to NCAC Libero-of-the-Year honors in 2006. Casey is making the transition back to right-side hitter after serving as the setter, averaging 10.98 assists last fall, while Earle looks to continue to make her presence felt as both a defensive specialist and outside hitter ... Two other key players will be sophomores KateLynn Riley (Westlake, Ohio / Westlake) and Sarah Lorch (Lexington, Ky. / Henry Clay). Riley, a hitter, was coming on strong at the end of her first year, ending up at 2.87 kills per game on a .203 attack percentage, while Lorch will be a factor, competing for playing time at middle hitter and right-side.