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Bowling Green State University Athletics
Falcons Will Rely On Youth In 2009
August 12, 2009 | Volleyball
Over the past three seasons, the Bowling Green volleyball program has been one of the best in the Mid-American Conference, compiling a 72-21 overall record and 37-11 conference mark during that time. After graduating three key players a year ago, the 2009 team will need to find a new identity to continue to compete for a MAC championship.
Eight of the 14 players on the roster have one year or less of collegiate experience. Head Coach Denise Van De Walle, who needs just 13 wins to reach 500 for her career, and the Bowling Green coaching staff will need to bring along the younger players quickly to mesh with the upperclassmen.
“We don't have a lot of match experience under our belt,” Van De Walle said. “I always want to be the aggressor but that will be a challenge for us because we're so young.”
All that said, the cupboard is not exactly bare. Three seniors – Corey Domek, Shari Luther, and Kaitlin Jackson – have a lot of experience and junior Sam Fish is a two-year starting setter. Domek has been named second team all-conference for two consecutive years and Fish will direct the offense and provide on-court leadership as well. And the incoming freshman class was one of only two MAC units recognized as high honorable mention by PrepVolleyball.com.
“Every year we want to be in the hunt for a championship,” Van De Walle said. “This year will be no different. We know we have our work cut out for us but to be part of the elite eight that makes it to the Sea Gate Center is a fun place to be. It's almost like playing at home.”
In order to get back to the MAC Tournament, the Falcons will first need to navigate through a non-conference schedule that seems to be loaded with quality programs such as Ohio State, Xavier, New Orleans, Texas Tech and Northern Iowa. From there, Bowling Green must find a way to consistently win matches in a conference that seems to be loaded in 2009.
“Western Michigan and Miami return their whole teams,” Van De Walle said. “Ohio will be tough again. All three of those teams made it to the NCAA Tournament last year and have nearly all of their starters back. I don't see anyone going undefeated like in some years past. Every team is going to be good this year.”
The following is a position-by-position look at the 2009 Falcons heading into fall practice.
Setter
One of the Falcons' biggest strengths will be setting. A two-year starter, junior Sam Fish returns after averaging 10.13 assists per set to go with 2.06 digs per set and 47 blocks. Her 1,347 assists in 2008 were the second highest total in program history and she had 17 matches with at least 40 assists.
“Our setting is one of the strengths of this team,” Van De Walle said. “Sam has been on the floor since she got here as a freshman.”
Backing her up will be freshman Allison Kearney, but she's not a typical rookie. Kearney enrolled at Bowling Green and was on campus during the spring semester.
“I anticipate Allison being on the floor right away,” Van De Walle said. “She is a very good setter and has shown us she's ready to play.”
Left Side
Possibly the deepest position on the team, the Falcons have two seniors on the left side in Corey Domek and Kaitlin Jackson, along with sophomore Susie Isphording, who saw a lot of court time a year ago. Despite all of that returning talent, freshman Cassie Berning should see plenty of playing time as well.
Domek is a two-time second team all-conference performer and ranks 13th in career kills at BGSU heading into her senior campaign. She led the team in kills per set in each of the past two years and had 20 or more kills three times in 2008.
Jackson started 13 matches a year ago and is a versatile player, recording nine kills on four separate occasions and finishing with double-digit dig totals twice. She was also fifth on the team in blocks in 2008, including five in the team's record breaking performance against Florida A&M, when the Falcons recorded 35 block assists.
Isphording also adds versatility to the left side but will also play as a defensive specialist and libero, being able to serve, receive, and defend among the best on the squad.
Berning is a player who will compete for a spot on the floor right away because she can play at all six rotations. She will also have the opportunity to learn the collegiate game from an experienced unit.
Middle
Head Coach Denise Van De Walle will have her work cut out for her figuring out how to get all of the middle hitters the playing time they deserve. It's quite possibly the deepest position on the Falcons.
“The middle will be a dogfight,” Van De Walle said. “We have a lot of depth in that position.”
Shari Luther played in just 12 matches during her first two seasons in Bowling Green but made huge strides and started all 34 matches a year ago. She ranked second on the team with 110 blocks and was fourth with 206 kills, including a career-high 13 on two separate occasions. She was named to the Florida State Invitational All-Tournament team to open the season and continued to be a key player throughout the season.
Junior Noelle Spitler is primed to see more playing time in 2009 after seeing action in just nine matches a year ago. A transfer from Xavier, she now has a year of experience under her belt in Coach Van De Walle's system.
Sophomore Emily Kauth impressed the coaching staff during spring ball, stepping into graduating senior Kendra Halm's role on the team. Her quickness has helped her to make strides despite gaining experience in only five matches in 2008.
Freshman Kari Galen will need to make a transition to the college game quickly but she has high level club experience, playing for a Sports Performance team that advanced to the national championship match of the Junior Volleyball Directors Association.
Another freshman, Jingyi Wang, will likely redshirt as she gets adjusted to a new brand of volleyball after coming to the United States from Beijing, China.
Right Side
When spring practice began, the coaching staff knew that improvement from the right side hitters would be critical. And the unit did not disappoint. Lauren Mizgalski, who redshirted as a freshman in 2008, opened the eyes of the coaches with an impressive spring.
“We weren't sure how she would do in the spring,” Van De Walle said. “She really surprised us because she was far more dominating at the net than we thought she'd be.”
The continued progress of Mizgalski's game will be important for the program to continue to build on the success of the recent past. Jackson will also see time on the right side when she is not on the left.
Libero
Alex Zlabis is the odds-on favorite to replace graduate Chelsey Meek for the different colored jersey. Meek broke the NCAA record for consecutive matches with 10 or more digs so it won't be an easy task to replace her.
“Alex stepped in the libero position in the spring and showed that she can do it,” Van De Walle said. “She wants the challenge of filling in for Chelsey.”
Isphording, who also plays left side and defensive specialist, and Madison Nitta will battle Zlabis for the right to wear the different colored jersey. Isphording's 245 digs a year ago ranked fourth on the team and Nitta now has a year of experience under her belt entering her sophomore campaign.
Defensive Specialist
Isphording was fourth on the team in digs a year ago, posting a career high 15 against Ball State. She had double-digit dig totals 10 times a year ago and was second on the team with 25 service aces. She will serve as the primary defensive specialist in 2009.
Eight of the 14 players on the roster have one year or less of collegiate experience. Head Coach Denise Van De Walle, who needs just 13 wins to reach 500 for her career, and the Bowling Green coaching staff will need to bring along the younger players quickly to mesh with the upperclassmen.
“We don't have a lot of match experience under our belt,” Van De Walle said. “I always want to be the aggressor but that will be a challenge for us because we're so young.”
All that said, the cupboard is not exactly bare. Three seniors – Corey Domek, Shari Luther, and Kaitlin Jackson – have a lot of experience and junior Sam Fish is a two-year starting setter. Domek has been named second team all-conference for two consecutive years and Fish will direct the offense and provide on-court leadership as well. And the incoming freshman class was one of only two MAC units recognized as high honorable mention by PrepVolleyball.com.
“Every year we want to be in the hunt for a championship,” Van De Walle said. “This year will be no different. We know we have our work cut out for us but to be part of the elite eight that makes it to the Sea Gate Center is a fun place to be. It's almost like playing at home.”
In order to get back to the MAC Tournament, the Falcons will first need to navigate through a non-conference schedule that seems to be loaded with quality programs such as Ohio State, Xavier, New Orleans, Texas Tech and Northern Iowa. From there, Bowling Green must find a way to consistently win matches in a conference that seems to be loaded in 2009.
“Western Michigan and Miami return their whole teams,” Van De Walle said. “Ohio will be tough again. All three of those teams made it to the NCAA Tournament last year and have nearly all of their starters back. I don't see anyone going undefeated like in some years past. Every team is going to be good this year.”
The following is a position-by-position look at the 2009 Falcons heading into fall practice.
Setter
One of the Falcons' biggest strengths will be setting. A two-year starter, junior Sam Fish returns after averaging 10.13 assists per set to go with 2.06 digs per set and 47 blocks. Her 1,347 assists in 2008 were the second highest total in program history and she had 17 matches with at least 40 assists.
“Our setting is one of the strengths of this team,” Van De Walle said. “Sam has been on the floor since she got here as a freshman.”
Backing her up will be freshman Allison Kearney, but she's not a typical rookie. Kearney enrolled at Bowling Green and was on campus during the spring semester.
“I anticipate Allison being on the floor right away,” Van De Walle said. “She is a very good setter and has shown us she's ready to play.”
Left Side
Possibly the deepest position on the team, the Falcons have two seniors on the left side in Corey Domek and Kaitlin Jackson, along with sophomore Susie Isphording, who saw a lot of court time a year ago. Despite all of that returning talent, freshman Cassie Berning should see plenty of playing time as well.
Domek is a two-time second team all-conference performer and ranks 13th in career kills at BGSU heading into her senior campaign. She led the team in kills per set in each of the past two years and had 20 or more kills three times in 2008.
Jackson started 13 matches a year ago and is a versatile player, recording nine kills on four separate occasions and finishing with double-digit dig totals twice. She was also fifth on the team in blocks in 2008, including five in the team's record breaking performance against Florida A&M, when the Falcons recorded 35 block assists.
Isphording also adds versatility to the left side but will also play as a defensive specialist and libero, being able to serve, receive, and defend among the best on the squad.
Berning is a player who will compete for a spot on the floor right away because she can play at all six rotations. She will also have the opportunity to learn the collegiate game from an experienced unit.
Middle
Head Coach Denise Van De Walle will have her work cut out for her figuring out how to get all of the middle hitters the playing time they deserve. It's quite possibly the deepest position on the Falcons.
“The middle will be a dogfight,” Van De Walle said. “We have a lot of depth in that position.”
Shari Luther played in just 12 matches during her first two seasons in Bowling Green but made huge strides and started all 34 matches a year ago. She ranked second on the team with 110 blocks and was fourth with 206 kills, including a career-high 13 on two separate occasions. She was named to the Florida State Invitational All-Tournament team to open the season and continued to be a key player throughout the season.
Junior Noelle Spitler is primed to see more playing time in 2009 after seeing action in just nine matches a year ago. A transfer from Xavier, she now has a year of experience under her belt in Coach Van De Walle's system.
Sophomore Emily Kauth impressed the coaching staff during spring ball, stepping into graduating senior Kendra Halm's role on the team. Her quickness has helped her to make strides despite gaining experience in only five matches in 2008.
Freshman Kari Galen will need to make a transition to the college game quickly but she has high level club experience, playing for a Sports Performance team that advanced to the national championship match of the Junior Volleyball Directors Association.
Another freshman, Jingyi Wang, will likely redshirt as she gets adjusted to a new brand of volleyball after coming to the United States from Beijing, China.
Right Side
When spring practice began, the coaching staff knew that improvement from the right side hitters would be critical. And the unit did not disappoint. Lauren Mizgalski, who redshirted as a freshman in 2008, opened the eyes of the coaches with an impressive spring.
“We weren't sure how she would do in the spring,” Van De Walle said. “She really surprised us because she was far more dominating at the net than we thought she'd be.”
The continued progress of Mizgalski's game will be important for the program to continue to build on the success of the recent past. Jackson will also see time on the right side when she is not on the left.
Libero
Alex Zlabis is the odds-on favorite to replace graduate Chelsey Meek for the different colored jersey. Meek broke the NCAA record for consecutive matches with 10 or more digs so it won't be an easy task to replace her.
“Alex stepped in the libero position in the spring and showed that she can do it,” Van De Walle said. “She wants the challenge of filling in for Chelsey.”
Isphording, who also plays left side and defensive specialist, and Madison Nitta will battle Zlabis for the right to wear the different colored jersey. Isphording's 245 digs a year ago ranked fourth on the team and Nitta now has a year of experience under her belt entering her sophomore campaign.
Defensive Specialist
Isphording was fourth on the team in digs a year ago, posting a career high 15 against Ball State. She had double-digit dig totals 10 times a year ago and was second on the team with 25 service aces. She will serve as the primary defensive specialist in 2009.
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