Angola, IN — If the Goshen
College women’s volleyball team was already fighting an
uphill battle in this 2005 season, on Saturday it got oil doused
on the mountainside.
Starting sophomore outside hitter Stephanie Kennell suffered a
severe ankle sprain in the first game of the Tri-State University
Invitational, reducing Goshen’s squad to a bare-minimum six
available players for the remainder of the day. Not surprisingly,
the Leafs struggled to find its collective rhythm, first dropping
a match to Tri-State 22-30, 17-30, 19-30 and then to MacMurray
College (34-36, 20-30, 28-30) and Huntington University (20-30,
20-30, 30-27, 27-30).
“Clearly this was a tough day for us with the early loss
of Stephanie Kennell,” said Jewel Lehman, Goshen head coach. “This
team has encountered some obstacles this year already with the
loss of several athletes we all thought were going to be a part
of the team this year. The injury to Steph is problematic, particularly
due to our low numbers. I was impressed with the way this small
group of committed individuals persevered on Saturday. These athletes
show a lot of heart and they refuse to give up. Unfortunately right
now we are in a position where everyone will have to be performing
well to take the match. We can cover for each other some, but we
don't have players coming off the bench to bail out our first string
if they are struggling.”
Immediately after the loss of Kennell Saturday morning, it was
not that Goshen (0-5, 0-0) was struggling, but trying to adapt
to an entirely new rotation. After battling the host Thunder to
a tough 22-30 decision in game one, the Leafs were obviously a
shell of themselves in games two and three, failing to reach the
20’s in both stanzas.
“When Steph went down, we had to make a lineup change and
had to adjust during this match,” Lehman said. “She
was playing well and her injury significantly impacted the level
of experience
on the court for us. As a result, it was difficult to gain any
momentum because the players were getting used to a different rotation.”
Sophomore Carly Feldman did her best to anchor the front line without
her fallen teammate, knocking in seven kills on a .294 attack percentage.
Senior Anna Herdeck and junior Danielle Haney each provided five
kills, while Herdeck scooped 12 digs and Feldman 11.
Now knowing that Kennell would be unavailable for the remainder
of the day — and perhaps the upcoming week — Lehman’s
squad looked to refocus as best as it could. Goshen turned in a
spirited effort early on against MacMurray, but despite several
opportunities at game point dropped the first stanza by a 34-36
count. According to Lehman, that loss ruined any chance the Leafs
had for taking their first match of the season.
“I really feel that if we had been able to finish the first
game for the win, we would have been in a position to win the match,” Lehman
said. “Mentally, we were a bit down after the morning loss
and we needed a win here in the first game to give us a boost.”
Things did begin to click in the lineup change against MacMurray,
however, as again Feldman led the offensive charge with 13 kills
on a .278 attack percentage. Classmate Jessica Buller also found
her niche on the outside, placing 10 kills to go with a team-high
10 digs. Freshman Caitlin Helmuth was able to turn out 22 assists
from the setting position despite a relatively low serve-receive
effort (.848).
“We struggled a bit on serve receive and therefore Caitlin
Helmuth was often setting on the run,” Lehman said. “We
continued to work very hard against MacMurray yet despite significant
effort
in the third game, we couldn't string enough good plays together
to take it.”
Perhaps affected by the first two losses of the day — or
by the fatigue of playing without substitutions — Goshen
struggled early in its final match against Mid-Central Conference
foe Huntington. After dropping a pair of 20-30 losses, however,
the Leafs charted their first game victory of the year, a 30-27
beacon in the fourth. The Foresters responded by taking the match
in five
with
the same score, but the effort pleased Lehman.
“We struggled in the beginning of the match against Huntington
but stayed in the match mentally and we persisted,” she said. “We
took the third game and battled with them in the fourth. We missed
some critical serves and as a team struggled with serve receive
again.”
An .896 team serve receive percentage did not offset the incredible
performance turned in by Herdeck in the day’s final match,
as the senior scooped 19 digs to go with seven kills on a remarkable
.429 attack percentage. Feldman wasn’t far behind, also getting
under 19 digs while placing eight kills. Buller knocked in a team-high
10 kills, while Helmuth dished out a personal-best 28 assists on
121 sets.
At the conclusion of the day’s activities all eyes turned
toward Kennell, who was diagnosed with a grade two ankle sprain
by Goshen College head athletic trainer Linda Kaminskis on Monday.
According to Kaminskis, Kennell will be out of action for another
five to seven days, with the outside chance of playing some back
row in the upcoming weekend.
That news will not help Goshen in the immediate future, however,
as the team opens MCC competition Tuesday night at Bethel College.
Match time is slated to begin at 7 p.m. in the Wiekamp Center.
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  Sophomore
Stephanie Kennell
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