| 2001 Season
News
NOV.
20 — Pair Named Second Team All-Conference
Leafs
have a strong starter and finisher with freshman and senior achieving
honor
Senior
Heidi Foss
 Freshman
Mindy DeVito
|
Goshen,
IN — Two Goshen volleyball players were recently
selected to the All-Mid Central Conference Second Team
recently. Senior Heidi Foss and freshman Mindy DeVito
both were chosen by conference coaches as being among
the best in the league.
“Heidi and Mindy were our most consistent players this year,” said
Kent Nafziger, Goshen head coach. “Both have excellent skills and approach
the game with a lot of intensity and mental drive.”
Foss and Devito both played middle hitter for the Leafs, leading team in
kills and blocks. This season Foss broke the school record for career blocks
with 580 and finished second in career kills with 1300. DeVito was the
only freshman in the conference to be selected to an all-conference team.
“This is a great achievement for Mindy and we’re looking forward to
the next three seasons,” Nafziger said. “Heidi has had a great career
here. Setting the career block record and now being recognized by the conference
coaches for her achievements is certainly an honor she deserves.” |
NOV.
8 — Goshen Takes Taylor To Brink
Leafs
push Trojans to four games; end season in dignifiable fashion
Senior
duo : Senior
Rachel Swartzendruber attacks
Taylor on Oct.
10 as classmate Heidi Foss looks on.
The twosome played their last game in a Goshen
uniform Thursday. |
Upland, IN — Facing
the ninth-ranked NAIA team in the nation, Goshen College played
valiantly at Taylor Thursday night, losing a hard-fought 30-28,
19-30, 28-30, 17-30 decision.
The Leafs (10-20, 0-7) shocked the Trojans in the first game of the match, winning
with smart play and game-plan execution, according to head coach Kent Nafziger.
“Our plan was to switch in and out of different defensive schemes to keep
the Taylor hitters guessing,” Nafziger said. “I thought we executed
our defense very well tonight, which was the key to our first game success.”
The second game started in a 7-7 tie, but Taylor pulled away with some big kills.
With the match tied at one apiece, it was the pivotal game three that would most
likely decide the outcome.
Calling the third game a “back and forth battle for the lead,” Nafziger
said that the Trojans were just a tad better than the good blocking and defensive
effort from the Leafs.
“The outcome of the match might have been different if we would have taken
(game three),” he said.
Goshen tied the fourth game at 16, but Taylor opened up on a series of serves
and pushed the score to 22-16. That was enough, and the favored Trojans took
the match.
Leading the way for Goshen was freshman Mindy DeVito with 16 kills. Sophomore
Valerie Amstutz nabbed 18 digs, while classmate Kristi Miller was 119 for 120
in setting with 30 assists and 10 digs.
“Mindy (DeVito) had one of her best games for us,” Nafziger said. “She
did a nice job of pounding the ball and then coming back with a tip to open spots.
(Junior) Alyssa Beck had one of her best games at the net with three solo blocks,
while Valerie (Amstutz) hit well with some hard angle shots.”
Nafziger cited the importance of his two seniors in Heidi Foss and Rachel Swartzendruber.
Foss ends her career first in career blocks with 580.
“They both were aggressive at the net,” he said. “The stats don’t
show it, but they positioned their block so that our back row defense could make
plays.”
“While our ultimate goal was to win the match, I’m very satisfied with
the way we played,” Nafziger concluded.
“We left it on the court and were beaten by a good team.”
NOV.
3 — Quad Serves As Final Tune-Up For Goshen
Leafs
lose two matches and win one at Huntington; face Taylor in MCC Tournament
Thursday
Passing
improvement : Junior
Alyssa Beck
receives a serve against Grace earlier this season.
Goshen head coach Kent nafziger said that the
team's
defense improved throughout the day
Saturday. |
Huntington,
IN — In its last regular season competition of the season,
the Goshen College volleyball team won against Rio Grande and
dropped decisions against Cornerstone and Huntington at the Huntington
Quad Saturday. All three matches were three-game affairs.
The Leafs (10-19, 0-7) lost to NAIA Region VIII fifth-ranked Cornerstone 19-30,
13-30, 25-30 in the first match of the day. Freshman Mindy DeVito paced Goshen
with 12 kills and eight digs. She was also 20 for 20 in serve receive. Sophomore
Valerie Amstutz had 15 digs.
“We didn’t seem to get into our offense in this first match and struggled
with consistency,” said Kent Nafziger, Goshen head coach. “Cornerstone
made very few errors and exposed our weaknesses.”
Not pleased with the first-match performance, Goshen then drilled Rio Grande
30-25, 30-13, 30-26. DeVito and Amstutz again played well, nabbing 20 digs apiece.
Devito had 14 kills to go along with four blocks. Senior Heidi Foss drilled 11
kills. Foss was also 17 for 17 in serving with two aces.
In the last match of the day, Goshen was defeated by host Huntington 23-30, 21-30,
28-30. Senior Rachel Swartzendruber and DeVito provided over half of the team’s
kills for the match (six and seven, respectively) and combined with Foss for
13 total blocks. Amstutz tallied 19 digs to lead the team in that category, while
Foss was named to the all-tournament team at the conclusion of the day.
“I thought our defense kept us in each of the games (against Huntington),” Nafziger
said. “Defensively, I saw improvement in our play throughout the day.”
Goshen will travel to Taylor for the first round of the MCC Tournament this Thursday.
Game time is set for 7:30 p.m.
OCT.
30 — Leafs Take Pilots To The Wire
Host
Bethel outlasts Goshen in five-game affair
Freshman
Mindy DeVito
 Junior
Alyssa Beck
|
Mishawaka,
IN — In a fine matchup of MCC neighbors Tuesday
night, the Bethel College Pilots defeated Goshen in five
games, 34-36, 30-27, 30-16, 28-30, 15-5.
Goshen (9-17, 0-7) started the evening off strong, holding its composure
in the first game a number of times at game point and coming back for the
win, 36-34. The next two games went in Bethel’s favor.
“Game two was a close loss and we let the third game get away from us,” said
Kent Nafziger, Goshen head coach.
The fourth game found the Leafs down 25-19 when junior Alyssa Beck ripped
off four straight serves to bring the team within two. A good defensive
effort allowed Goshen to pull ahead and force the fifth game.
“It was hard to lose the fifth game after such a great effort,” said
Nafziger. “As a team, I was excited about our play in the first and second
games. When we got rolling again in the fourth game we were hard to stop.”
The Leafs were lead by freshman Mindy DeVito’s 18 kills. She also
was 24 of 25 serving with two aces and had four blocks and 14 digs. Senior
Heidi Foss nailed 16 kills, was 32 of 33 in service receive and had six
blocks and 11 digs.
“Mindy DeVito had an all around great game for us,” Nafziger said. “She
was definitely in a zone from the service line and was error-free in serve receive.
Heidi Foss had another great game for us out of the middle, making some key saves
and keeping us alive with some huge hits and blocks when we needed them.” |
OCT.
23 — Team Plays Valiantly On Senior
Night
Goshen
loses to Huntington in hard-fought match; Foss gets school
record for blocks
Teamwork: Freshman
Mindy DeVito and sophomore Kristi
Miller get together to
block
an attempted kill by Huntington
Tuesday. Nafziger said the
team played one of its best
defensive games of the season.
|
Goshen,
IN — For the two seniors in Heidi Foss and Rachel Swartzendruber,
the result of senior night was not what they had hoped for
in losing to Huntington College. The effort and support they
received, however, was more than they could have expected.
In front of the largest crowd to witness a volleyball game this season at Goshen’s
Roman Gingerich Fitness Center, the Maple Leafs played one of its “best
games of the season defensively” according to head coach Kent Nafziger
in a 23-30, 30-21, 27-30, 23-30 loss to the Foresters Tuesday night.
“We read the opposing hitters well and came up with a lot of points off
second efforts,” Nafziger said. “Huntington served us tough in the
first game, but we stepped up our passing in the last three.”
Goshen (9-16, 0-6) lost the first game of the match rather succinctly, but
quickly tied the match with an equally impressive second-game win. The final
two games turned out to be truly great competitions.
Reason
for concern: The
team and the official
gathers around senior Heidi Foss and sophomore
Kristi Miller
after the two
rammed heads
in the third
game. Both
continued to
play.
|
“(Sophomore) Kristi Miller stepped up with great choices in her setting
in the last three games," Nafziger said. “She and (junior) Alyssa Beck
were on fire from the serving line. Defensively Alyssa had a heck of a game,
hitting the floor and making some great plays.”
The Leafs had control of the third game until a freak incident occurred after
a Huntington attack. Foss and Miller, both attempting to pass, collided heads.
Both were dazed, and Miller came out of the game for a point. The Foresters were
able to capitalize off of the injuries en route to a 30-27 win.
The fourth and final game saw more great competitiveness from the Leafs. Huntington
shot out to an early lead, but some superior serving from Miller and excellent
team defensive play made the score 20-22, Huntington.
The Leafs could get no closer, however, as the Foresters played well down the
stretch.
Goshen was again led by the senior standout Foss. She became the school’s
all-time leading blocker at 556 blocks, breaking the former record of 555 held
by Kristi Glick. Foss also contributed 14 kills and 13 digs.
“I’m so happy that Heidi reached the career blocks record on her last
home match in front of her parents,” Nafizger said. “She has been an
outstanding player for us for the last four years. Her quiet intensity, consistent
play and leadership by example will never be able to fully replaced.”
Foss’s lone classmate also played huge. Swartzendruber provided six digs,
three blocks and three kills.
“Rachel played one of her best defensive games of the year from her front
row position, mostly picking up tips,” Nafziger commented. “Her intensity
and willingness to accept new challenges can never be measured in any kind of
statistic. Her constant commitment to improvement and ability to pull the team
together with her wonderful sense of humor will surely be missed next year.”
Beck had 17 kills on the night, while freshman Mindy DeVito provided 16. Miller
was 21 for 21 in serving with three aces to go along with 118 for 121 in setting
with 32 assists. She also had eight digs. Sophomore Valerie Amstutz had 14 digs.
OCT.
20 — Goshen Has Difficult Time At Anderson
Leafs
drop three, but Foss moves up in record books
Senior Heidi
Foss
|
Anderson, IN — Goshen
may have lost three matches at the Anderson University Quadrangle this
weekend, but the trip wasn’t all for naught.
Senior Heidi Foss’s 37 kills on the weekend moved her into second place
in school history in kills with 1243. The current record of 1391 is held by Kristi
Glick. Foss is also approaching the career school record for blocks as well — she
needs only five more to tie Glick with 550 blocks. That record should be broken
by Foss in Goshen’s next match with Huntington on Tuesday.
Even with Foss’s performance, Goshen (9-15, 0-5) could not muster a win
in three attempts Saturday. The Leafs lost first to host Anderson 25-30, 13-30,
25-30; to Otterbein 30-25, 21-30, 30-25, 23-30, 11-15 and to Huntington 30-26,
21-30, 20-30, 26-30.
In the first match against Anderson, Goshen head coach Kent Nafziger said the
team played well, but the Ravens middle hitters were simply too tough. Foss contributed
10 of her 27 kills against the host team.
The Leafs then played its best volleyball of the day against Otterbein, taking
the team to five games before eventually falling.
“Our passing improved and, in turn, our hitters were much more productive,” said
Nafziger. “The fifth game could have gone either way. They opened up to
an early lead and we just ran out of time.”
Freshman Mindy DeVito had a remarkable 20 kills against Otterbein, while Goshen
placed four players in double digit dig totals, led by sophomore Kristi Miller’s
21.Foss nailed 13 kills in the match.
In the final match of the day, Goshen beat Huntington in the first game, but
the Foresters stepped up in the games following.
“Huntington played well in the last three games and we just didn’t
respond,” Nafziger said.
Foss got 14 kills in leading the Leafs against Huntington. Freshman Mindy DeVito
had 17 digs and 11 kills.
Goshen gets an immediate chance to redeem itself against the Foresters — the
Leafs host Huntington Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.
OCT.
13 — Goshen Beats Manchester Again
Leafs
get Spartans in second face-off of the year; this one on the road
Sophomore Valerie
Amstutz
 Senior
Rachel Swartzendruber
|
North
Manchester, IN — After a slow start, the Goshen College women’s
volleyball team took a 22-30, 30-16, 30-16, 34-32 decision at Manchester
Saturday. The four-game win marked the second time this season
the Leafs beat the Spartans — the first victory coming at
Goshen’s own invite on Sept. 15.
The Leafs (9-11, 0-4) rallied after a first game that saw the team make
many errors and play with inconsistency, according to head coach Kent Nafziger.
The players then collected themselves, and reeled off easy wins in games
two and three.
“We really pulled together in the second and third games, making few hitting
errors and playing great defense,” Nafziger said.
The Leafs were led on the day by sophomore Valerie Amstutz. Her stat line
included a team-leading 14 digs and 11 kills to go along with a 13 for
13 service and 14 for 14 service receive performance. Junior Alyssa Beck
also provided 12 kills.
Goshen started off game four slowly, trailing Manchester 27-23. Sophomore
Kristi Miller then sparked a rally with her serving — she went 28
for 28 in service for the day — and propelled the Leafs to the 34-32
match winning result.
“Kristi’s serve was incredible today and her setting choices were excellent,” Nafziger
said. “(Senior) Rachel Swartzendruber held us together during our inconsistent
play, constantly talking and keeping other players up with positive comments.” |
OCT.
10 — Taylor Commits Fewer Errors Than Leafs In Win
Nafziger
says Leafs made too many mistakes in road loss
Timing: Senior
Heidi Foss and sophomore Kristi Miller rise up to block a Taylor
University attack Tuesday night.
|
Upland,
IN — Goshen dropped a tough decision to host Taylor Tuesday
night, losing in three games 18-30, 25-30, 19-30.
“Taylor is an excellent team that makes very few errors,” said Kent
Nafziger, Goshen head coach. “We knew going into tonight that we would have
to be at the top of our game.”
Goshen was led offensively by its two outside hitters: Junior Alyssa Beck
provided seven kills while sophomore Valerie Amstutz produced five of her
own. Beck was 11 for 12 in service receive while Amstutz got 10 digs and
was 12 for 14 in attacking.
“Our middle hitters weren’t as dominant as I would have liked,” Nafziger
said. “Alyssa (Beck) and Valerie (Amstutz) stepped up and played well. Alyssa
is playing at a higher level and is much more consistent than earlier in the
season.”
Nafziger noted too many errors as a reason for why Goshen (8-11, 0-4) could
not get a game on Taylor.
“We adjusted well in the second game and played with more attention to second
efforts,” he said. “While we ultimately weren’t able to finish,
I thought we kept ourselves in the game until the end.”
|
OCT.
2 — Big-Hitting Grace Slips Past Goshen
Leafs
drop first two games to defending conference champ by only four total
points
Rising: Junior
Alyssa Beck explodes off the floor for
one of her seven kills against Grace Tuesday. The
Leafs played Grace tough in the first two games.
|
Goshen, IN — On
Tuesday night in the Roman Gingerich Fitness Center, Goshen simply could
not get over the proverbial hump. Facing the two-time defending conference
champion Grace Lancers, Goshen lost the first two games of what would be
a three-game match by the score of 28-30, 28-30.
“Those games were very close throughout,” said Kent Nafziger, Goshen
head coach. “Grace made the least amount of errors in the last few points
and got the wins.”
It was evident that after the near-misses in games one and two that the Leafs
(8-10, 0-3) were disappointed — they dropped the third game by a 14-30 count.
“Grace is a very talented team with a lot of skilled hitters,” Nafizger
said. “I thought we matched up well and played very good defense. Our blockers
did a great job of taking away the cross-court hits and our back row rotated
to the line to come up with some big digs.”
Leading Goshen in that category were freshman Mindy DeVito and sophomore Valerie
Amstutz, tallying 12 digs apiece. Amstutz was also 15 for 16 in attacks and nine
for nine in serving.
SEPT.
28-29 — Leafs Take Two And Drop Three In Invite
Foss
named to All-Wheaton Invitational Tournament Team
Doing
it all: Senior
Heidi Foss gets low for a dig
against Dominican College Friday. Foss was named to
the all-tournament team after the
two-day event.
|
Wheaton, IL — When
the smoke cleared after this weekend’s Wheaton Invitational, the Goshen
College volleyball team found itself winning two of five games in the 10-team,
two-day extravaganza. Amidst this smorgasbord of volleyball, head coach
Kent Nafziger said the team played very well at times, and not so well
at others.
On Friday, Goshen (8-9, 0-2) played three matches. They defeated Dominican (21-30,
30-21, 18-30, 20-30, 11-15), lost to North Park (25-30, 22-30, 30-23, 15-30)
and defeated Trinity International (31-29, 21-30, 33-21, 30-21).
Against Dominican, Goshen was led by junior Alyssa Beck’s 13 kills and senior
Heidi Foss’s 17 kills and eight digs. In the loss to North Park, the Leafs
got solid play from Foss again, this time contributing 16 kills and six digs.
Freshman Mindy DeVito saw limited time in the front row during this match in
the last three games. DeVito suffered a high ankle sprain against Indiana Wesleyan
last week.
“I thought Mindy (DeVito) gave us a mental lift, coming back so soon after
the injury,” Nafziger said.
Goshen finished off the evening with an emotional win over Trinity International,
coming back in the third game to win 33-31, the game that Nafziger said “pretty
much decided the match.” Again the Leafs were led by
Foss and Beck offensively, while sophomore
Kristi Miller was 20 for 20 serving. DeVito played huge as well, nailing 12 kills,
grabbing nine digs and going 15 for 15 in serving — all on one healthy foot.
“I thought the team did a great job of staying mentally focused, playing
two matches in a row until 10:30 p.m.,” Nafziger said. “Everyone, including
the bench, pulled together and kept each other up. Alyssa Beck performed the
best I’ve seen her all season. It was the most exciting match of the tournament.”
Saturday morning, Goshen could not reduplicate its performance from just a night
earlier. Things started off poorly for the Leafs when Devito could not play after
her injured ankle became swollen and painful overnight. The Leafs lost to Carthage
15-30, 26-30, 26-30.
“We came out slow and never caught up,” Nafziger said. “We had
some spurts where weplaye d our game, but we weren’t as consistent as we
needed to be.”
Senior Rachel Swartzendruber pounded out 11 kills while filing the middle position
for DeVito. Beck and Foss added their usual offensive punch, each getting 11
kills.
In what would be Goshen’s final match of the tournament, the Leafs fell
to Clarke 28-30, 30-14, 26-30, 30-25, 13-15. It was after this match that Nafziger
became somewhat displeased.
“I was disappointed with the way we played,” he said. “Clarke
was not as strong as the teams we had just played. They beat us with tips and
good serving. Even though there was a lot of effort, we did not play to our potential.”
Foss and Beck each had 16 kills apiece. Sophomore Valerie Amstutz tallied 33
digs for the match and had 13 kills of her own.
At the conclusion of the tournament, Foss was named to the All-Tournament Team.
No squad at the invitational had more than one player on that team.
SEPT.
26 — Goshen Drops Match To IWU; DeVito Sustains Injury
New faces in new positions step in and play well after
starter goes down
Freshman Mindy
DeVito
Senior
Rachel Swartzendruber
 Freshman
Ashley Sider
|
Goshen,
IN — The Leafs got a scare early Wednesday night in the first
game of the match against Indiana Wesleyan. Starting middle hitter
Mindy DeVito (freshman) suffered a high ankle sprain while attempting
to block a Wesleyan attempt.
“I came down on a teammate's foot and rolled it pretty bad,” DeVito
said.
Having lost one of its best offensive players, Goshen turned to several
newcomers and several regulars forced to play new positions. And though
the Leafs lost the match 13-30, 19-30, 25-30, head coach Kent Nafziger
was pleased with the team’s collective performance in DeVito’s
absence.
“I thought we put together a good line up in the second and third games
(after Devito’s injury),” Nafziger said. “Rachel Swartzendruber
(senior) and Ashley Sider (freshman) both came into new positions and played
with a lot of confidence. Kendra Ramseyer (freshman) also filled a backrow position
for us.”
Goshen (6-6, 0-2) responded with strength after the first game. Senior
Heidi Foss and junior Alyssa Beck led the team with four kills apiece.
Foss was 14 for 14 in attacks while Beck provided four digs and two solo
blocks. Sophomore Valerie Amstutz was 18 for 19 in service receptions while
adding six digs. In the third game, Goshen stayed even with Wesleyan until
the final few points.
“The strength of our team bond was tested tonight and we accepted the challenge,” said
Nafziger. “We put together some good offensive combinations and took it
to them in the last game.”
DeVito begins treatment today on her injured ankle. It is unlikely that
she will play in this weekend’s Wheaton Invitational. |
SEPT.
19 — St. Francis Gets Leafs Again
Cougars defeat Goshen College for second
time this season
Goshen,
IN — Should Goshen meet St. Francis in this year’s postseason
conference tournament, Goshen head coach Kent Nafziger will not have
to look far for motivation. The Cougars defated the Maple Leafs for
the second time this season Wednesday, 30-23, 30-14, 30-23.
St. Francis was the lone team to do better than Goshen in the Defiance Invitational
earlier in the season, taking home first place while Goshen finished in second.
Wednesday night, the Cougars again were a bit better.
Senior Heidi Foss led the cause for Goshen (6-5, 0-1), sticking 10 kills while
going 14 for 15 in serving with 13 digs. Freshman Mindy DeVito added 10 kills
while going 17 for 17 in serving.
“I thought we did a nice job in the first game,” said Nafziger. “Heidi
(Foss) did a good job defensively for us.”
Goshen had the score knotted at 19 in Game 1, but couldn’t keep up with
St. Francis down the stretch. Nafziger believed this to be the difference maker
in the match.
“We weren’t able to match them to the end in that first game,” said
Nafziger. “After that, we lost our intensity an didn’t play as aggressively
as we are able to. St. Francis played very well and we just didn’t respond.”
Sophomores Erica Willems and Valerie Amstutz went six for six and seven for
seving in serving, respectively. Amstutz also provided 11 digs.
SEPT.
15 — Goshen Hammers Opponents In Own Tri Match
Manchester,
Robert Morris provide little reistance for host Leafs
Slam: Freshman
Mindy DeVito gets a kill against
Defiance Sept. 13. Senior Heidi Foss, junior Alyssa
Beck and DeVito currently lead
the team in attacks
per game. |
Goshen,
IN — Goshen got back on the winning track Saturday in sweeping the competition
in its own tri match.
Goshen (6-4, 0-0) defeated both Manchester (30-14, 30-23, 26-30, 30-24) and Robert
Morris College (30-19, 32-30, 30-18) in its second home performance of the year.
Against Manchester the Leafs were lead by junior Alyssa Beck’s 10 kills
and 12 digs. Sophomores Erica Willems and Valerie Amstutz lead the charge against
Robert Morris; Willems was perfect in serving with two aces, while Amstutz provided
nine digs and a nine for nine effort in service receives.
“Today was definitely a fun day for us,” head coach Kent Nafziger said
of the tri match. “For most of the day, we came out with a lot of intensity
and worked together. The team did a great job of understanding the game plan
and then going out and executing it.”
SEPT. 13 — Unexpected Loss Puts Bitter Taste In Leafs' Mouths
Goshen loses
to Defiance after beating them five days earlier
Strategy: Goshen
head coach Kent Nafziger tries to regroup
his squad after an early deficit against Defiance. |
Goshen, IN — Payback might very well have been on the minds of the Defiance
College volleyball players Thursday night. After losing to Goshen in three games
at their own invitational Sept. 7-8 — Goshen would take home second place
from that invite — the Yellow Jackets came to the Roman Gingerich Center
Thursday and soundly defeated the Leafs, 30-27, 28-30, 30-25, 30-27.
“Defiance was definitely ready to play tonight and took it to us,” said
Kent Nafziger, Goshen head coach. “We had moments when we played very well
together, but it just wasn’t consistent.”
At the invitational, Goshen (4-4, 0-0) played four teams in two days. The Leafs
beat Defiance in its last contest of the tournament, 30-2, 30-25, 30-17. But
Thursday was a different story, as Goshen found themselves playing catch up for
the entire match.
Senior Heidi Foss lead the offense with 19 kills, while sophomore Erica Willems
was perfect in service going 21 for 21 with three aces. Sophomore Kristi Miller
was 102 for 103 in service attempts while dishing out 49 assists in the match.
SEPT.
7-8 — Goshen Finishes With Strong Second Place In Nine Team Invite
Leafs
go 3-1 on weekend; lose to conference foe in championship match
Team: The
Leafs prepare for the match
against Manchester in a pre-game huddle |
Defiance, OH — The
Goshen volleyball team had two days of solid play which gained them
a second place finish at the Defiance Invitational, Sept. 7 and 8.
The Leafs defeated Hiram College (30-14, 30-17, 16-30, 30-28) and Ohio
Dominican (30-19, 31-29, 30-21) Friday evening, which placed them in
the top pool for Saturday’s tournament play. The team split on
Saturday defeating Defiance College (30-28, 30-25, 30-17), but dropped
to conference opponent, University of St. Francis (29-31, 18-30, 30-20,
17-30). Since this match took place outside of conference season, it
does not count toward conference standing.
Leading the
Leafs (3-3, 0-0) against Hiram was Freshman Mindy DeVito with 12 kills
and 5 aces while serving 19 for 20. Senior Heidi Foss added 7 blocks
including 4 solo blocks and 8 kills.
In match two, the Leafs combined a solid offense and tough serving to defeat
Ohio Dominican. Goshen head coach Kent Nafziger said, “Mindy DeVito and
Heidi Foss were a balanced attack out of the middle, which kept our offense
quick and difficult to defend.” DeVito and Foss combined for 29 kills.
Valerie Amstutz served 14 for 15 with 2 aces while Kristi Miller was 18 for
20 with 3 aces.
Against St. Francis, Foss lead with 15 kills and 7 blocks while senior Rachel
Swartzendruber added 6 kills and 6 blocks. Miller was 22 for 23 serving with
2 aces. Nafziger said, “As a team, we received the ball well, but just
couldn’t seem to get the kills like we did in earlier matches.”
In the last match of the tournament, Amstutz was 17 for 18 serving with 2 aces.
Sophomore Erica Willems was perfect in serving going 9 for 9 in the match.
DeVito and Foss combined with 28 kills. Nafziger said, “I was very happy
with our level of play. We were very consistent in all areas – strong
in serve receive as well as aggressive net play.”
SEPT.
1-2 — 2001 Season Starts With Win, Subsequent Losses In
Quadrangle
Maple Leafs knock off host school, then falter
as Miller suffers injury
Elgin,
IL — Goshen started off the season in great fashion this weekend,
defeating host Judson College in the Judson Quadrangle, 30-26, 27-30,
31-29, 28-30, 15-10. Competition at the invite was stiff, however,
as the Leafs dropped two following matches to Trinity International
University (30-24, 18-30, 18-30, 28-30) and the University of Illinois
Springfield (11-30, 25-30, 22-30).
Against Judson, junior Alyssa Beck helped spark a change in momentum in game
three. Down 27-29, Beck served four straight for the win, changing the complexion
of the game. Freshman Mindy DeVito had 17 kills and 10 blocks (four solo) in
the match, while Heidi Foss had 12 kills and seven digs.
“This was a well-deserved win against a very scrappy Judson team,” Goshen
head coach Kent Nafziger said. “Winning game three the way we did was huge.”
Against Trinity, the Leafs got an early scare. Starting sophomore setter Kristi
Miller, who had 44 assists in the Judson match, went down with an early ankle
sprain in the first game. Unexpectedly, junior Megan Yoder had to step in and
run the offense. Nafziger was pleased with the results.
“Megan (Yoder) did a great job for us in a difficult situation,” he
said. “She showed a lot of determination and had a great day from the serving
line. I was very pleased with the way the team responded to Kristi’s injury.
It would have been easy to get down, but we stayed positive and played to our
potential.”
After battling through the adversity, Goshen (1-2, 0-0) was simply not able
to hang with a very talented Illinois Springfield squad. Foss, DeVito and senior
Rachel Swartzendruber lead the charge offensively, nailing five, three and
three kills respectively. Yoder finished a perfect 14 for 14 in serving with
two aces and 12 assists. Miller is expected to be back by the Defiance Invite,
Sept. 7-8. |
