North Manchester, IN — By both statistics and situation, it was not where Goshen head coach Jewel Lehman wanted to be.
Playing in its final match of the 2007 season at Manchester College Wednesday night, Goshen (5-23, 0-8) dropped a 20-30, 30-28, 25-30, 21-30 decision to the host Spartans. Mathematically eliminated from having a chance at the Mid-Central Conference’s eight-team post-season tournament, the Leafs’ season would come to a close in this gymnasium on this night.
In a literal sense, Lehman couldn’t have been much more proud.
Fighting against injury, dealing with youth and making the best with a rather shallow roster, Lehman took a moment to ponder a potentially bright immediate future, as all but two of Goshen’s 10-player roster will return for next season. Taking into account that senior Danielle Haney saw action in just 23 of a total 95 games on the season, the Leafs return almost their entire active roster next fall.
It was enough — despite a win-loss record far less than her goal — to make Lehman smile.
“We have gained a lot of ground this season, but we have a lot of work to do to be more competitive in the conference that we are in,” Lehman said following Wednesday’s match. “This team is a joy to coach. We laughed much this year and had a lot of fun despite the frustration of not securing more wins. The players get along well and appreciate each other. Everyone continued to support each other in positive ways amidst the obstacles and the adjustments. The young players are excited about setting goals for next season and Coach (Val) Hershberger and I are emphasizing the importance of winter conditioning and a commitment to spring skill training for future success.”
With nearly all of its squad primed to participate in those off-season workouts — Goshen returns six underclassmen from the ’06 roster — Lehman has a solid foundation to build upon. The Leafs’ demonstrated its positive youth movement against the Spartans, as freshman Ashley Janssen led the way with an impressive final-match effort. Janssen recorded a team-best 12 kills on a .114 attacking percentage while scooping 17 digs and providing two service aces. Classmate Gina Richard added 11 kills and 13 digs — also with a pair of service aces — while junior Stephanie Kennell knocked down 10 attacks for points and recovered a team-leading 19 digs.
As a team, Goshen hit .040 for the match, but was strong in the second and third games, where the team hit .060 and .055, respectively.
“Our youth was evident especially at the beginning of the season, but by the end of the season we were starting to see improvement in our young players and we were executing very well at times,” Lehman said. “Some of our frosh are just building up toward their full potential and we will see their performance peak during their college years. =The future looks bright and we continue to recruit talented players who fit into our philosophy and can contribute to the college and volleyball program in significant ways.”
Freshman Alli Hawkins ran the setter position in Wednesday’s loss, culminating 34 assists and scooping 10 digs. Lone active senior Maria Rakochy added 16 digs and four kills. Junior Jess Buller had a rare off night, finishing with three kills and four digs in just three games played.
On the season, Buller led the team with 291 total kills, an average of 3.1 kills per game. She also led the dig category with 3.41 per game. Kennell had the highest team serve receive accuracy rating at 1.84 and the highest serve receive percentage. Richard, meanwhile, had the highest attack efficiency with a .143 hitting percentage.
“We struggled having players in and out of the line-up due to injuries and other issues, and statistically we could not make the plays when we needed to execute,” Lehman said. “At the end of the season we focused on making the big plays and on keeping opponents from getting a run of four to five points at a time. We were making progress on this and we’ll see the benefits of this even more next year. Mental toughness and confidence are developing.”
Goshen will officially conclude its season with a post-season banquet in December, as the team will then turn to off-season workouts and a heavy recruiting period. Check back to this website for recruiting updates and team information during the winter, spring and summer months. To contact Jewel Lehman, call her at (574) 535-7658 or click here to send her an email.
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Freshman Ashley Janssen