2015 Volleyball Preview

DEFIANCE, OHIO  --  The Defiance College Yellow Jackets continued to be one of the top teams in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference last season season with its third straight season of 18 or more wins, a second consecutive HCAC Regular Season Championship and hosted the conference tournament in back-to-back seasons.  DC looks to continue that momentum in 2015 and will return several players from last season's roster in its quest for a third conference crown.

Defiance finished with an 18-12 overall record last fall and 8-1 in the HCAC.  The Jackets won nine of their last 10 regular-season matches to end the year and capture the regular-season championship and the top spot in the postseason tournament.

DEFENSE

DC will return four players listed as defensive specialists on the roster and will be led by senior Rebecca Kain (Orland, Ind./Prairie Heights).  Kain was the team's starting libero as a junior and played in 105 of 106 sets while leading the team in digs with 540 (5.14 digs per set) setting a school single-season record.  She also went on to record season records in serve percentage (.949) and digs per set.  Her 540 digs ranked third best in the HCAC.  Kain tallied 11 matches with 20 or more digs, including a season-high 28 digs against Baldwin Wallace University on Sept. 13.  With her 540 digs, she also became the program's all-time leader in the category in the 25-point rally scoring era with 1,279 career digs.  In addition, Kain added 42 assists and 14 service aces.  Following the season, Kain garnered honorable mention All-HCAC honors for her efforts.

Joining Kain on defense will be juniors Makayla Dennis (Bryan), Dia Jackson (Detroit, Mich./Canton) and sophomore Jaidyn Patridge (Toledo/Springfield).  Dennis played in 81 sets a year ago and was one of six players to record 100 or more digs with 139 (1.72 d/s).  She ended the season second on the tema in service aces with 28 and also had three kills, 18 assists and one block.  Jackson saw playing time in 58 sets and had 97 digs (1.67 d/s) with eight assists and three aces.  Patridge had a strong season as a freshman playing in 97 sets and finished third on the team in digs with 229 (2.36 d/s).  She had six matches with 10 or digs with a season-best 22 digs against Baldwin Wallace.  Offensively, Patridge led the team in aces with 29. 

HITTERS

The Yellow Jackets will return a host of players up front led by sophomore Meredith Shank (Maumee/Springfield).  Shank finished on the HCAC All-Freshman Team following a "rookie" campaign that saw her play in 105 sets and finish second in kills with 276 (2.63 kills per set) to go along with a .200 hitting percentage.  Her 276 kills ranked 11th most in the conference.  Shank posted  15 matches of 10 or more kills, including a stretch of five straight matches near the end of the season that saw her tally a season-high 18 kills against Rose-Hulman (Ind.) Institute of Technology.  She also went on to record 11 aces and four set assists.  Defensively, Shank finished in the top-six on the team in total blocks with 31 (10 solo and 21 assists) and averaged .30 blocks per set.  She also added 89 digs (0.85 d/s). 

Junior Hope Neargarder (Union City/Mississinawa Valley) should also be a key player for DC as an outside hitter/middle blocker.  Last season, she played in 105 sets and had 113 kills (1.08 k/s) with a .180 hitting percentage.  She went on to add 13 assists and one ace.  Neargarder was equally consistent on defense with 34 blocks (nine solo and 25 assists) to go along with 53 digs (0.50 d/s). 

In addition, look for the sophomore duo of Danielle Robbins (Westland, Mich./Wayne Memorial) and Sydney Unger (Frankfort, Ind./Clinton Central) to provide depth at the hitter positions and compete for increased playing time in 2015.   As freshmen, Robbins came off the bench to play in 20 sets and recorded 12 kills (0.60 k/s) to go along with an ace, three blocks (one solo and two assists) and two digs.  Unger also played in 20 sets as a backup and had 11 kills (0.55 k/s) with five aces, an assist, a block (one assist) an d18 digs (0.90 d/s).

The Yellow Jackets will also bring in three freshmen in Caitlyn Meyers (West Alexandira/Twin Valley South), Brooke Plummer (Plain City/Jonathan Alder) and Marissa Windau (Castalia/Margaretta) to bolster the position and compete for playing time in their first seasons with the program.

SETTER

DC will look to replace four-year player Alicia Kalik at the setter position and will look to do so with junior Ari Mahaffey (Porter, Ind./Chesterton) who will move from her outside hitter position from a year ago to be the team's primary setter this fall. 

Mahaffey will still provide a potential scoring threat as a hitter following a season in which he had 218 kills (2.12 k/s) in 103 sets.  She was amongst the team leaders in aces with 13 and also had nine assists.  Defensively, Mahaffey totaled 21 blocks (eight solo and 13 assists) and had 121 digs (1.17 d/s).

The Jackets will also welcome one freshman at the setter position in Megan Overmann (Lorain/Marion L. Steele). 

SCHEDULE

Defiance will begin the 2015 season at the two-day Calvin (Mich.) College Invitatational beginning on Friday, Sept. 4 in Grand Rapids, Mich.  DC will take on host school and AVCA preseason No. 1 nationally-ranked Calvin on Friday beginning at 1 p.m.  The team will then take on No. 23 Pacific Lutheran (Wash.) University in its final match of the day at 5 p.m.  The Yellow Jackets will wrap up the event on Saturday, Sept. 5 with matches against No. 2 Emory (Ga.) University at 10 a.m. and John Carroll in the finale at 3:30 p.m. 

Defiance will not play its first home match until Tuesday, Sept. 29 when it hosts Ohio Northern University in a non-conference match at the Karl. H. Weaner Center.  The match is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.