Goshen, IN — The Goshen College
women’s volleyball program announced the commitments of three
preps Thursday — two
of which arrive from nearby Bethany Christian High School (Goshen,
IN) — in adding to what is quickly becoming a deep and
talented incoming class.
Head coach Jewel Lehman announced that Bethany Christian standouts
Gina Richard and Allison Hawkins along with 2006 Toledo Central
Catholic High School graduate Lindsey Nofziger will join the Leafs’ program
beginning in the fall of 2006, joining recent Crawfordsville High
School graduate Ashley Janssen (click here for related article)
as the program’s singed recruits to date.
“We couldn’t be happier with the group of young ladies
that we have brought in this off-season,” Lehman said Thursday. “They
all have the desire and talent to accomplish things both on and
off the court, and all of them are outstanding students. We feel
very fortunate to have another talented group of freshmen joining
our program.”
After an injury-plagued, marginal-sized roster hindered Goshen
in 2005, Lehman has made it a point to add quality depth, bringing
in a pair of setters in Hawkins and Nofziger and two talented,
athletic front-row players in Richard and Janssen. A 5-11 middle
blocker, Richard graduated as the all-time leader in kills (819)
and blocks (131) in Bethany Christian history, adding 151 digs
and 48 serving aces as a senior, second- and fourth-best on the
Bruins’ squad, respectively. Bethany’s most athletic
player over the past two seasons, Richard helped guide the Bruins
to a sectional runner-up finish as a senior.
“Gina brings a lot of talent and comes to us with sound techniques
and skills,” said Val Hershberger, Goshen assistant coach. “We
are excited about the potential that she brings to our volleyball
program.”
Hawkins, meanwhile, arrives as a major contributor to both Richard
and Bethany Christian’s overall successes, departing as the
school’s all-time leader in both assists (747) and service
aces (89). Hawkins, a 5-5, three-year starter at setter for the
Bruins, quarterbacked the team to a 21-11 record as a senior captain.
Hawkins served that capacity in her final two seasons in uniform.
“Alli will bring a lot of positive energy to the Goshen squad,” Hershberger
said. “We will look to her for future leadership, and she
comes in as a very experienced setter.”
Hawkins said that the decision to attend Goshen did not come easily,
but after many travels and much deliberation, she said the campus
just felt right. Unsure of what she will study once at Goshen,
Hawkins maintained a GPA of 3.5 throughout high school, serving
as a class officer for three years and a council member of her
church youth group for two.
“I am very excited to be continuing my education and volleyball
playing careers at Goshen,” Hawkins said. “Playing
volleyball is a passion of mine and a very important part of who
I am. I wanted to find a place where I felt comfortable doing what
I love. Knowing that I will also get a good education, it made
sense to sign with Goshen. I visited a majority of Mennonite colleges
and GC seemed to be the best place for me to grow and learn in
this next stage of my life. I am looking forward to joining a talented
group of players and being a part of re-building a successful program
at Goshen.”
Nofziger arrives from Toledo as perhaps a diamond in the rough,
a 5-3 setter that may be the biggest surprise of the group. Leading
Toledo Central Catholic to a 17-2 record as a junior, Nofziger
averaged 6.8 assists per game and charted a serving percentage
of .960. Electing not to participate in high school athletics as
a senior, Nofziger joined a squad in the Toledo-area Catholic Youth
Organization, leading the team to a 14-0 record and league championship.
That group went on to win the Diocesan High School Tournament,
with Nofziger leading the team in serving percentage, assists and
total sets.
Also a standout in the classroom, Nofziger maintained a GPA of
3.81 throughout high school while serving as a member of the National
Honor Society. Nofziger said she plans to major in nursing once
on campus.
“Lindsey is a very versatile, athletic player who will provide
some depth for us,” Hershberger said. “She is the type
of player that makes everyone around her better. That is a trait
that
you cannot have enough of on a volleyball team.”
Check back to this website for continual off-season information.
To contact Jewel Lehman, call her at (574) 535-7658 or click here to send her an email.
|
|
Gina
Richard
