Dearborn, MI — For a young
and now shorthanded Goshen College women’s volleyball team,
putting up a 2-2 record at nearly any weekend collegiate tournament
would be more than respectable.
Coming up just short of that mark, however, has been a bitter reality.
Goshen (2-13, 0-3) posted a 1-3 record at this weekend’s
University of Michigan-Dearborn Collegiate Challenge Tournament,
replicating its 1-3 mark at last week’s Maple Leaf Invitational
(click here for article) in an almost exact blueprint of the week
prior. Goshen again cruised past one opponent (this time it was
Grace Bible College in a 30-19, 30-22, 30-27 win) only to drop
a five-game heartbreaker to another (the latest being Mid-Central
Conference foe Huntington University) in a 30-25, 30-27, 16-30,
20-30, 12-15 loss that was arguably the match of the four-team
tournament.
“We played well Friday but we were very disappointed not
to finish with a win against Huntington,” said Jewel Lehman,
Goshen head coach. “We were up two games and couldn’t
capitalize.”
The feeling following Friday’s loss to the Foresters was
newfound for Lehman, who in three seasons at the Leafs’ helm
had never seen her team drop a match after possessing a 2-0 game
lead. Huntington stormed back Friday night despite a tremendous
Goshen effort, as junior Jess Buller led the way with 15 kills
and 23 digs, both team highs.
The Leafs’ worst game in the match came in the middle, as
Goshen struggled to a -.152 attack percentage in its game three
loss — a turning point in the match.
“We need to be a little tougher all around,” Lehman
said. “And
that is both mentally and physically.”
Freshman Gina Richard came alive in Friday’s loss to the
Foresters, charting 13 kills to go with 12 digs, including a team-best
.206 attack percentage at the net. Classmate Ashley Janssen was
second on the team in digs with 16 and added seven kills. Junior
Stephanie Kennell pounded down two solo blocks and four assist
blocks in the loss.
Goshen dropped both of its Saturday contests, first to the host
Wolves (16-30, 11-30, 20-30) and then Indiana Tech (11-30, 18-30,
17-30).
“We struggled in executing the offense against Michigan-Dearborn
and Indiana Tech on Saturday,” Lehman said. “We spent
the majority of those matches scrambling and playing defense.”
In the four-match weekend, Goshen was led by Buller in total kills
(48), digs (57) and service aces (nine), while Richard added 30
kills and 28 digs for the tournament. Janssen placed 25 kills to
go with 39 digs on the weekend, while Kennell put up a solid three
solo and eight assist blocks to go with 29 digs.
Freshman Alli Hawkins ran the offense for the majority of the tournament
(61 total assists), but handed the reins to classmate Lindsey Nofziger
in the team’s win over Grace Bible, where Nofziger picked
up 24 of her total 36 assists on the weekend. In that win, Richard
tallied 11 kills on an incredible .526 attack average while Buller
added 10 and Janssen five on a .300 attack percentage.
“Lindsey did a great job of running the offense against Grace
Bible,” Lehman
said. “Overall, however, we need to develop a lower error
rate of play. We are giving our opponents too many points. This
was especially the case on Saturday.”
Goshen was again without senior middle/outside hitter Danielle
Haney, who is awaiting MRI results on her injured right knee. Huntington
took the team title at the tournament after finishing with a 3-0
record. The Leafs get the benefit of an immediate rematch with
Huntington, however,
as the team will travel to the Foresters’ Merillat Complex
Wednesday for an official MCC match-up. Match time is set for 7
p.m.
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  Freshman
Gina Richard
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