Wednesday, April 05, 2000
Elder volleyballers No. 1
10 lettermen return for defending champ
BY BEN WALPOLE
Enquirer contributor
Area coaches voted the Elder boys volleyball team No.1 in the Enquirer's preseason poll, and just two weeks into the season, the team already has gone a long way toward proving it's worthy.
The defending state champions opened the season two weeks ago with a straight-set win over Centerville in a rematch of last year's state final.
“I wanted to make sure we refocused on what we had to do this year,” Elder coach Tom Silbernagel said. “I wanted to see where we stood compared to last year, because I knew they (Centerville) had a pretty good team coming back.”
Silbernagel thinks being the favorite can be a positive.
“No doubt, we've got a target on our backs,” Silbernagel said. “But I think in the long run it may be a good thing. It may help us to keep our focus.”
The Panthers, who have had six straight winning seasons, return 10 lettermen from last year's 26-1 squad, including senior setter Nick Gergen, who was MVP of last year's state tournament. All-state hitters Alex Vogt and Mike Wauligman also are back.
Here's a look at the rest of the top 10:
• 2. St.Xavier: Philip Bange, a 6-foot-4 senior all-state setter, leads four returning starters looking to improve on last year's 18-6 record.
“We're a very strong hitting and blocking team,” coach Donna Mechley said. “We don't have a complete game yet. Hopefully by tournament time, we will develop good defensive and passing skills.”
• 3. Moeller: The Crusaders won 20 games last season for the fourth straight year, despite playing primarily sophomores and juniors. They have five starters returning this season.
• 4. Princeton: Two starters from last year transfered, but the Vikings have one of the area's best trio of seniors in Gary Barnhart, Brett Knapp and Sean Day.
• 5. Purcell Marian: The defending GCL-North champ return seven lettermen, including all-region seniors Scott Monroe and Mike Ryan.
• 6. Sycamore: First-year coach Stan Kaniecki has a senior-dominated roster. Chris Collett, Mike Rovito and Noah Juran are all returning starters.
• 7. Roger Bacon: Sally Veatch takes over as head coach after 16 seasons as an assistant for the Spartans girls volleyball team, and she inherits a young but talented group that went 11-11 last year.
• 8. Lebanon: Despite early-season injuries that have shelved several starters, the Warriors are off to a 6-1 start, showing the team's depth.
Junior setter Joey Williams recorded 121 assists in the first five games this year but fractured his elbow in a game against Roger Bacon, leaving his status for the rest of the season in question.
• 9. LaSalle: Coach Bob Wood has LaSalle off to a 3-2 start in the program's first season.
• 10. Lakota West: West hopes to overcome a lack of experience with its athletic ability and height. Five players are at least 6-2.
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