2007 Volleyball Outlook

The 2007 Blue Knight volleyball team will have quite a different look this year since it has more new players than returnees on its roster. One term you will not hear around the team is “rebuilding” as the team prefers the term “reloading”.

The Blue Knights are building a foundation for Urbana University’s future at the NCAA Division II level. After a period of acclimation, the team plans to continue our success on the court with several new faces and new lineups. Urbana has averaged more than 30 wins for the past three seasons and can continue that trend this year as long as the team learns to play together quickly. The Blue Knights will start the season ranked in the top five in Region IX where they have been a mainstay over the past several years. The team will gel by season’s end and if they can create good team chemistry before the start of conference play, it will be another successful season of Urbana University volleyball.

The Blue Knights’ success will start with the coaches creating chemistry on a large team, and then it falls on the lone senior’s shoulders. Lisa Schulte (Ottawa, Ohio) will need to provide leadership for the team on and off the court.  Schulte, a three-year letter winner as an outside hitter, brings tremendous amounts of experience and winning to the lineup. An Academic All-American, she will contribute in all areas of the game. Last season she was named an honorable mention All-American Mideast Conference selection while amassing 356 kills, 679 digs, 64 blocks and 45 aces.

The junior class will also be relied on heavily for their leadership and will be called upon for their experiences over the past two seasons. Maria Wuebker (St. Henry, Ohio) has the most experience on defense, leading the team from the back row as the libero last season. She led the team in digs with 923, plus added 39 aces, and was also named Region IX Defensive Player of the Week.

Kelly Boyer (Houston, Ohio) will be asked to dominate the net and lead the Blue Knights in blocking. Urbana will utilize her quick attacks by making her the starting middle hitter. Boyer showed flashes of greatness last year while racking up 273 kills and 133 blocks as a force at the net.

Jessica Foxbower (Loveland, Ohio) will be asked to focus on playing as a right side hitter this year. She has shown great promise at times but injuries have kept her off the court for most of her two seasons. Foxbower brings a strong left-handed swing and is a good blocker; she complements that with a nice low flat serve. Lindsay Cassell (Urbana, Ohio), who played her first season with the Blue Knights in 2006, will be asked to focus more on being a defensive player and she is a very versatile athlete. She came on strong at the end of last year and the Blue Knights hope that trend continues into the 2007 season. Cassell is a good passer in serve reception and is another strong server.

Brennan Moore (Hollansburg, Ohio) joins the team this year after coming to Urbana as a basketball player. She got her feet wet playing last spring where she made big contributions. Moore’s college playing career was temporarily derailed by an ACL injury, but she looks to make up for lost time in her last two years of school. Look for her to make great passes and fill in as a middle hitter this season.

The sophomore class features players who also made nice contributions last year, mostly on defense. Julia Harvat (Mason, Ohio) and Danielle Miller (Lancaster, Ohio) both saw action as defensive starters last season. They will again be competing for those roles this year. Harvat was one of Urbana’s tougher servers last year and will be asked to find a way to utilize that as an offensive weapon, along with her back row attacks. Miller is working on a new spin serve that will cause problems for passers and may also be used as a hitter.  

Bethany Artz (Tipp City, Ohio) is Urbana’s only returning setter for 2007. She got into a handful of games last year and will need to recall those experiences this year. Artz has soft hands and good set placement that is also complemented by a nice dump shot. She can place her serves nicely and will be asked to step up her leadership to the level the setter position demands.

Jacie Peters (Arcanum, Ohio) also saw some action as a right side hitter after playing middle hitter in high school. It was a role and position change she was happy to make and help out with last year. She will be asked to do much the same, but with only a few middle hitters on the roster, she may move back into the middle position. She has a great blocking game that will get better with her strides in strength conditioning and quickness. She is getting more on top of the ball, giving her strong swings and she is one of Urbana’s best line hitters. Rounding out the sophomore class is Heather Powers (Lancaster, Ohio), a transfer from Miami University of Ohio. She was a much decorated high school player until an ACL injury her junior year that caused her to miss out on her senior season. She did make it back for track season, earning state shot put and discus championships which led to her track scholarship at Miami. The Blue Knights are happy she wants to get back onto the court this year. Powers is a complete competitor who can do it all. She is extremely strong as you will see when she hits.

As Urbana starts up a junior varsity program again this year, you will see several freshmen on our roster. This is no ordinary class. Not just because of their large numbers do they jump off the page, but because they are an extremely talented group. This is Urbana’s deepest class from top to bottom which will make the Blue Knight lineup tough with some of them winning starting roles. They will also complete Urbana’s deepest bench ever. When called upon, they will step in without missing a beat. One of the most relied upon recruits will be Audree Castle (Springfield, Ohio). Even though she was Urbana’s last signee just days before camp, she will be asked to contribute right away. She’ll be looked to win a starting setter position by utilizing her quickness and soft hands. Castle gives the hitters a quality set every time and is a leader by example. She is also a good defensive-minded player.

Stevie Jacob (Pickerington, Ohio) may be the “X” factor that Urbana needs to become a great team. Recruited as a utility player who can literally do anything, she may make her biggest impact as a setter. She learned the position last year when her high school team needed one and is quickly developing good setting skills. Jacob is a strong hitter, scrappy defensive player and very athletic, allowing her to make plays by getting to balls in a flash. 

Adrianne John (Nashport, Ohio) has also been a pleasant surprise at camp. The coaching staff knew she had all the tools, but she is picking up Urbana’s offensive and defensive systems quickly. She is a very smart player who makes few mistakes. That combination may find her as the Blue Knights’ other starting middle hitter. Chazity Bush (Cincinnati, Ohio) has also been having a great camp. She is probably Urbana’s most athletic and quickest player and she has a great vertical. She has a huge ceiling of potential and the Blue Knights are sure she will reach her potential since she is eager to learn and ask questions. Bush is sure to see court time sometime this year as an outside or right side hitter. Darcy Winebrenner (Reedsville, Ohio) is another one of Urbana’s well-rounded type of players. She will start her career as an outside hitter, but could quickly find herself as a defensive specialist due to her nose for the ball and scrappy defense. She also has good control of her serve and shots.

Kalie Denton (Prospect, Ohio) is a tall outside hitter who makes good high contact with power. The Blue Knights could also develop her into a good right side hitter to take advantage of her height and blocking. She knows how to win and make plays. She should be an all-around player who should blossom after adjusting to the speed of the college game. Local player Brittany Davis (West Liberty, Ohio) rounds out the freshman class as a setter. She can set, play right side and serve as a defensive specialist. She will focus on her setting game this year while adjusting to a quick offense that the Blue Knights like to run. She is a good blocking setter and she also has a tough serve to pass.

There are several new Blue Knight names and faces to learn this season. One thing fans can count on is seeing the same scrappy Blue Knight defense and quick high-powered offense that has become a trademark of Urbana teams. The 2007 squad will have one noticeable difference, moving to a 6-2 style offense utilizing two different setters. This also should produce more blocking and an extra hitter to provide even more balance to the multi-faceted offense. This year’s team is very fast and extremely scrappy. Look for few balls to hit the floor, at least on Urbana’s side of the court. This season’s Blue Knights will also boast one of the biggest rosters in the American Mideast Conference and surely one of the deepest, if not the deepest, bench. Every one of Urbana’s players is sure to make their mark on the team this year and contribute to another winning season.

[Back to Urbana University Volleyball]