Veteran-Laden Roster Looks to Lead Bison Volleyball to First PAC Crown

Aug. 25 – BETHANY, W. Va. - Having lost just two players from a team that captured 27 wins and a berth in the ECAC South Championship Tournament last season, the Bethany College volleyball team will look to an experienced core to take the team to new heights in 2015. 

Despite posting four-consecutive seasons with at least 25 wins, the Bison have yet to capture an elusive Presidents' Athletic Conference Championship crown. However, with the amount of experience returning to the roster in 2015, head coach Courtney Kline believes that the conference title is within reach.

"Our goal every season since 2010 has been to capture the conference championship," commented Kline, who is entering her ninth season at the helm of the Bison. "This year it seems like it's even more likely because of the strength of our leadership. The leaders on this roster have been just blowing me away in practice, and I'm looking forward to getting out on the court with this group."

A veteran-laden roster which features a total of nine returning letterwinners will see the bulk of the work in the 2015 campaign. Leading the charge for the team will be seniors, libero Julia Mouch (Toledo, Ohio/Sylvania Southview) and setter Mackenzie Lauber (Mansfield, Ohio/Madison).

"Julia and Kenzie are two of the most experienced seniors I have seen in my tenure as coach," remarked Coach Kline. "Both have really stepped up as on the court leaders and will help guide the team this season.

Mouch, a three-time All-PAC performer, returns for her final season as the cornerstone of the Bethany defense. In 2014, Mouch ranked first in the conference in total digs, tallying a career-high 684 on the season. A figure of consistency, Mouch tallied double-digit digs on 35 separate occasions, which included a career-high 36 in a five-set match with John Carroll University.

One of the top defensive specialists in Bison history, Mouch currently ranks third all time on the Bethany career list in total digs. Having posted 600+ digs in each of her last two seasons, Mouch needs just 612 in her senior campaign to become Bethany's all-time leader, which would surpass Bethany Hall of Fame inductee Robin (Sayre) Pietryk (2,516).  

"Julia has always been an incredible leader by example," said Kline of her three-year starter. "Typically she hasn't been the vocal leader on the court, but this season, she is really starting to embrace that role. I believe that the team will be better as a whole for it.

The three-year letterwinner will lead a defense that will look to have one of the best seasons in recent memory as three of the top five leaders in digs in 2014 return for another year.

Haley Santymire (Clifton, Va./Centreville) will join Mouch as a main starter on the back line of the defense in 2015. Last season, Santymire appeared in 142 sets, totaling 312 digs while also tallying a career-high 45 service aces.

"Haley brings great ball control and speed to the back row of the defense," remarked Kline. "We are looking for her consistency in both the defensive and serving games to really shine through in the upcoming year."

Other players that could vie for time on the back line include sophomores Dixie Schultz (California, Ky./Campbell County) and Jordan Mann (Zanesville, Ind./Gallatin) as well as freshmen Haylee Frazier (Hamilton, Ohio/Hamilton), Alexi Massari (Monongahela, Pa./Ringgold), Keili Terry (Leesburg, Va./Saint John's) and Reilly Parker (Irwin, Pa./Norwin).

The offensive attack this season will begin with Lauber, who returns for her third season at setter with the Green & White. A three-time all-conference selection (including one season at Bluffton University), Lauber earned Second-Team All-PAC honors following the 2014 campaign. She ranked first in the conference in assists, tallying 1,417 which ranked second on Bethany's all-time single season list.

"Kenzie brings and unmatched confidence to the court every time out," said Kline of her senior setter. "She has a lot of faith in her ability to run the offense and is capable of making good decisions as well as making sure that every one of the hitters is put in a good place to succeed."

Lauber, as well as junior Allie Powell (Indianapolis, Ind./Lawrence Central) and freshman Emily Duke (North Ridgeville, Ohio/North Ridgeville) will make up the core of setters for the Green & White this season. No matter which setter is on the floor for the Bison, they will have a plethora of weapons at their disposal.

Starting with outside hitters, juniors Dylana McKenzie (Hopewell, Ohio/West Muskingum) and Dakota McKenzie (Hopewell, Ohio/West Muskingum), the Bison return five of their top six offensive weapons from a season ago. Last year the twin sisters combined for 946 kills in 2014, the most by any duo in Bethany College history.

Each McKenzie tallied over 400 kills in the season, marking the first time since 2011 that a pair of Bison had gone over the 400 mark in the same season (Carrie Talkington and Taylor Cassidy combined for 854).

Dakota was named a First-Team All-PAC selection following her sophomore season while also being named an All-North Region Honorable Mention selection by the American Volleyball Coaches' Association (AVCA). She ranked first in the conference with 488 kills, placing her just seven kills shy of the Bethany single-season record (Cassidy had 495 in 2012). A consistent force on the outside, she tallied 30 matches with at least 10 kills, including a career-high 25 against Saint Vincent College.

"Dakota has always brought an extremely tough attack to the table," commented Coach Kline. "However, she worked very hard in the offseason to become a more versatile player. We believe that she is really starting to see the court well and figuring out that she doesn't have to just power through a block to score a point. It is going to make her that much more dangerous come the start of the season."

Dylana earned First-Team All-PAC honors for the second-consecutive season in 2014 after being named the conference's Freshman of the Year in 2013. She finished the season ranked second in the conference in total kills (458) while notching 27 double-digit kill performances.

"Dylana may be one of the most athletic players that we have on the court," remarked Kline. "Transitioning from a middle blocker in high school to an outside position in college has allowed her versatility to really shine. We are lucky to have someone with her kind of athleticism that we can run a multitude of plays for."

Despite losing Lynsie Mandt to graduation, the Bison have an army of outside talent ready to make an impact including junior Sam Katchen (Fox River Grove, Ill./Cary Grove), sophomores Morgan Wyckoff (Washington Court House, Ohio/Miami Trace) and Jordan Mann (Zanesville, Ind./Gallatin) and freshmen Addie Borland (Carrollton, Ohio/Carrollton) and Taylor Sisk (Ridgeley, W. Va./Frankfort).

Arguably the most improved position on the court in 2015 could be the middles for Coach Kline's squad.

Returning juniors Arielle Sanders (Maple Heights, Ohio/Maple Heights) and Alexis Castro (Lorain, Ohio/Lorain), as well as sophomore Sumayyah Muhammad (Warren, Ohio/Warren G. Harding), will all vie for time in a position that sees renewed depth.

Castro came into her own as a sophomore providing a vocal leadership in the middle. She posted career highs in both blocks (93.0) and kills (198) while playing in all 40 matches during the 2014 campaign. With her added skill set in 2015, Castro could see time both in the middle and on the outside.

"Alexis has really transformed into a solid all-around player," stated Kline of her vocal leader. "Not only does she lead us off the court, but she shows the rest of the players how it's done by leading by example.

"Castro's speed has allowed us to push the tempo with our offense, which is something from which I think we will really benefit."

Sanders and Muhammad provided more depth in the middle than the Bison have had in year's past. Sanders appeared in 39 matches as a sophomore, tallying 90 total blocks (second on the team) while ranking fourth on the roster in kills with 229. Muhammad played more of a specialist role during her freshman season, but will look to take on a bigger part in the upcoming year.

Other players that could see time at the net include freshmen Jordyn Williams (Erie, Pa./Central) and Ashley Veryser (Cygnet, Ohio/Elmwood).

"Overall our middle blocker position is deeper than it has been in years past," said Kline. "Arielle (Sanders) has come into camp in great shape for 2015 and both Jordyan and Ashley will allow us to do things and exploit matchups that we weren't able to before."

The Bison volleyball squad will open their 2015 campaign on Friday and Saturday, September 4 and 5 as they travel to Alliance, Ohio to compete in the University of Mount Union Tournament. The Green & White will open conference play four days later against Geneva on September 9 with their first home contest of the year slated for Wednesday, September 16 against Washington & Jefferson.

"This season has the potential to be something special," commented Kline on her team's chances in 2015. "I truly believe that this roster is one of the most talented that I have had in my tenure as coach and if there has ever been year for us to really contend for the conference crown, this is it.

"If we can put individuals aside and get everyone to play for the team concept, I believe we can accomplish great things this year."