Tuesday, October 09, 2001
Mount volleyball on rise
Lions ranked No. 3 in Division III
By Neil Schmidt
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Michele Benoit knows about the College of Mount St. Joseph's volleyball tradition. When she played for Ashland (Ohio) University in the mid-1980s, she said, “We used to get our butts kicked by the Mount.”
Benoit now oversees arguably the finest hour in Lions volleyball history. She is coaching a 16-1 team ranked No.3 in NCAA Division III, its highest ranking ever.
3 Perhaps more surprising, the Lions lost half their team from last year yet seem stronger.
“The makeup of this team is very different, and there was a concern about that chemistry,” Benoit said. “But we knew that talent-wise, this may be the best team we've had (in her seven seasons as coach).”
Mount St. Joe's, formerly an NAIA school, joined the NCAA three years ago and went 32-5 that first season. It followed with 35-5 and 32-5 campaigns, reaching the national quarterfinals both times.
Its top guns are back: senior outside hitters Betsy Owens (Seton), a first team All-American last year, and Cristina Webb (Mason), a first team All-Great Lakes Region player.
Owens is the more complete player — “Great passer, defensive player, great server,” Benoit said — while Webb has become the offensive star, leading the Lions with 204 kills.
There are just 10 players on the roster. Two freshmen, outside hitters Tammi Toney (Harrison) and Jayne Kemphaus (McAuley), became immediate starters. Sophomore setter Meghan Meador (Mount Notre Dame) and junior middle hitter Ginny Thomas (Newport Central Catholic) are the other starters.
“With such a small team, we've been able to mesh really well,” Webb said.
The Lions will soon learn whether to consider themselves contenders.
They'll travel to St. Louis for the Oct. 19-20 Washington University Invitational, at which they'll face No.1 Washington and No.5 Central College (Iowa), the three-time defending national champion. They'll take part in Wisconsin-Whitewater's tournament Oct. 26-27, facing the No.2-ranked host school and No.7 Elmhurst (Ill.). “No one's out of reach, or that great that they can't be beat,” Owens said. “The sky's the limit for us.”
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Mount volleyball on rise
