MARIETTA, Ohio – The Marietta College volleyball team opens the 2013 season this weekend at the Sommer Center Spiketacular hosted by Bluffton University. The Pioneers play a pair of matches on Friday (Aug. 30) and two more on Saturday (Aug. 31).
"With four strong opponents, this weekend will be a good test for us," seventh-year head coach
Ray Costa said. "Hope advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament last year and our other three opponents are all coming off winning seasons."
Marietta opens the season against Alma College (Mich.) at 3:00 p.m. on Friday and then takes on Case Western Reserve University at 7:00 p.m.
Sarah Dehring is in her third season at the helm of the Alma program. She led the Scots to a 16-13 record in 2012. Senior middle hitters Rebecca Trosper and Lea Klooster lead the Scot attack. Trosper averaged 2.52 kills per set last year, while Klooster notched 2.37 kills per set.
The Spartans of Case Western went 24-11 a year ago under the direction of Karen Farrell, now in her eighth season at Case. Farrell will look to sophomore outside hitter Carolyn Bogart and junior middle hitter Natalie Southard to pace the Spartans. Bogart averaged 3.29 kills and Southard went for 2.84 kills per set last season.
Day two of the tournament will bring an even greater challenge for the Pioneers. Marietta squares of against Hope College (Mich.) at 10:00 a.m. and then plays the host Beavers at noon.
Hope made its fifth straight trip to the NCAA Tournament last fall and finished with a 29-5 record. Head coach Becky Schmidt is in her tenth season with the Flying Dutch. First team AVCA All-American outside hitter Jenna Grasmeyer and senior all-region middle hitter Mari Schoolmaster lead a potent Hope lineup.
Bluffton sophomores Kendra Parmenter and Jenny Brown return for head coach Steve Yarnell. Yarnell, in his ninth season, lead the Beavers to a 17-14 mark a year ago including a pair of 3-1 losses to Marietta. Parmenter, an outside hitter, averaged 2.76 kills per set, while Brown, a middle hitter, averaged 2.21 kps.
Marietta returns nine letter winners from last year's squad that went 17-12 and hosted an Ohio Athletic Tournament match for the first time in 27 years. The Pioneers' top two attackers return in senior
Paige DeVriendt (Bowling Green/Bowling Green) and junior
Rachel Hackenberg (Canal Winchester/Franklin Heights). An outside hitter, DeVriendt averaged 2.75 kills per set and Hackenberg notched 2.62 kps from her middle blocker position.
Fans can follow the Pioneers all season long at
pioneers.marietta.edu. You can also follow the Pioneers on Facebook at
facebook.com/MariettaCollege and @MariettaPioneer on Twitter.
