BEREA, Ohio --- The Baldwin Wallace University volleyball team and second-year Head Coach Scott Carter will look to a youth movement as it seeks a return to the top of the Ohio Athletic Conference.
BW, who was picked third in the OAC Coaches Preseason poll, posted an overall record of 23-7 and finished third in the OAC standings with a mark of 6-3 in Carter's inaugural season.
Carter, who enters fifth career season of coaching, returns eight letterwinners, four starters plus the libero from last year's squad. He welcomes back two seniors, two juniors, four sophomores, three All-OAC players and the defending OAC Rookie of the Year.
"Our returners have established a foundation to build on but we still have work to be done," stated Carter. "The returners along with our newcomers are focused and committed to reaching our goal of becoming and maintaining ourselves as a national caliber program."
The eight returners are led by upperclassmen and senior Academic All-OAC libero/defensive specialist Arlayna Newcomer (Norwalk/St. Paul), senior All-OAC middle hitter Nikolette Scruggs (Barberton), junior outside hitter Ellen Hawkins (Worthington/Thomas Worthington) and junior defensive specialist Emily Daveant (North Ridgeville). Defending OAC Freshman of the Year and first-team All-OAC outside hitter Alicia Lortcher (Norwalk) leads the sophomore group that includes All-OAC setter Ashley Nuding (Perrysburg/Springfield), middle hitter/roght side hitter Jordan Diels (Paris/Minerva) and defensive specialist Angel Redman (Hinckley/Medina Highland).
Newcomer, who has been a three-year starter and two-year captain, appeared in 29 matches and recorded 275 digs, 21 service aces, 19 assists and two kills. Scruggs, who was a transfer a season ago, appeared in 30 matches and was second on the team in blocks with 66, second in service aces with 27 and third in kills with 215. Hawkins, who missed the early portion of last year's schedule with an injury, appeared in 12 matches and tallied 62 kills, 11 blocks, six digs and two service assists. Daveant appeared in 26 matches and recorded 133 digs, 14 service aces, 11 assists and one block and one kill.
The second-year group is headlined by Lortcher as she was the team leader in kills with 373 and service aces with 33 while being second on the squad in digs with 372 and third in blocks with 39. Nuding appeared in all 30 matches and was the team leader in assists with 1,091 while she tallied 198 digs, 24 service aces and 22 kills. Diels appeared in 26 matches and recorded 74 kills and 28 blocks. Redman saw action in 11 matches and had 43 digs and four services aces.
In addition to his veterans, Carter welcomes defensive specialist Avery Sluga (Eastlake/North), hitters Anna Anikienko (LaGrange/Keystone), Mekhia Henderson (Canton/McKinley), Anber Humphreys (Washington, Pa./Trinity) and Allyson Smith (Macedonia/Walsh Jesuit) and setters Shannon Ott (Milan/Edison) and Sarah Shaheen (Sewickley, Pa./Our Lady of the Sacred Heart). The seven newcomers will will all look to crack into the rotation this fall.
The Yellow Jackets opens the season in Latrobe, Pennsylvania on September 2-3 when they compete in the Bearcat Challenge hosted by St. Vincent University. BW hosts the 18th Annual Marcia French Memorial Tournament on September 9-10. The Yellow Jackets will also compete in the St. John Fisher (N.Y.) College Tournament and the annual Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference and OAC Crossover in September. BW opens OAC play on October 1 when they host Marietta College.
