Rams gear for promising volleyball season

The Cornell College volleyball team makes its final go-around this fall in the Iowa Conference. That leaves one last shot at an IIAC championship, a goal the Rams have strived toward since entering the league in 1997.

The Rams, set to rejoin the Midwest Conference in 2012-13, look to build off last year's runner-up IIAC finish which included a school-best 6-2 record in conference matches. Cornell brings back four starters from that 17-17 club, and welcomes in one of the top recruiting classes in head coach Jeff Meeker's 10 years on the Hilltop.

"We are excited about the upcoming season," said Meeker, the 2010 IIAC Coach of the Year who notched his 200th career victory last fall. "With a great mix of veteran returning talent and a strong first-year class, we are looking to take the next step as a program. I think the gym will have a lot of energy when we hit the floor (for practice) on the 22nd (of August)."

Cornell opens the new campaign Sept. 3 in the Augustana (Rock Island, Ill.) Tournament, with matches scheduled against Aurora, Greenville and Knox. The Rams play Grinnell Sept. 5 in the home opener, and then begin IIAC play at Coe Sept. 7.

The Rams feature one of the league's most dynamic hitters in Kathleen O'Connor (Waukegan, Ill./Waukegan), the 2010 IIAC Freshman of the Year. The 6-foot O'Connor garnered first team all-IIAC accolades, ranking third in the league in kills (3.52 kps) and fourth in service aces (0.34 aps). She led the Rams with 433 kills, the fourth-best season total in school history.

O'Connor hit .173 and averaged 2.93 digs and 0.46 blocks per set. She finished her rookie campaign with 18 double-doubles (kills and digs).

"It's certainly a bonus to return the conference freshman of the year," Meeker said. "I think Katie's play will continue to improve as her game matures. She will also have more weapons around her this fall."

The Rams bring back three senior starters in outside hitter Samantha Pedersen (Nora Springs/Central Springs), right-side hitter Kirtley Hitt (Shorewood, Minn./Lakeside) and libero Kayla Gaines (Webb City, Mo./Webb City). They represent the only upperclassmen on this year's 20-player roster.

Pedersen was second on the team with 277 kills (2.05 kps) a year ago. She hit .169 and collected 345 digs (2.56 dps) and 31 blocks. Hitt recorded 210 kills (1.63 kps) and 65 blocks while fielding a .155 attack percentage. Gaines, a three-year letterwinner, ranked sixth in the IIAC with a team-best 393 digs (3.78 dps).

"We expect to get great leadership and contributions on the court from our three seniors," Meeker said. "All three were significant contributors last fall and have worked hard in the offseason to improve."

Sophomore defensive specialists Jordan Weitzell (State Center/West Marshall) and Victoria Fisher (Tacoma, Wash./Bellarmine Prep) are in the mix as returning letterwinners. Weitzell totaled 330 digs in 33 matches a year ago. Fisher played in 23 matches.

Sophomores Rebekah Byrne (St. Louis, Mo./University), Veronica Desangles (San Francisco, Calif./International Studies Academy), Catie Mueller (Enosburg Falls, Vt./Vermont Commons) and Melissa Kraker (Parshall, Colo./West Grand) are back for their second year in the program.

The Rams must replace four-year starting setter Hannah Boehmer, a first team all-IIAC performer who graduated with 3,926 career assists among a handful of other school records. Also gone from the starting lineup are middle hitters Simone Wright and Morgan May.

The Rams have several promising prospects among their 10 first-year players, seven of which hail from Iowa. The group features Mount Vernon High School graduates Kylea Weber and Taylor Dicus, members of the Mustangs' back-to-back state championships in 2009 and 2010.

The incoming class includes Allison Bauman (Brooklyn/BGM), Sabrina Hargis (Bondurant/Bondurant-Farrar), Katie Sickelka (Cedar Rapids/Kennedy), Maira Zuniga (Tucson, Ariz./Pueblo), Layloni Beard (Cedar Rapids/Washington), Taylor Horner (Friend, Neb./Friend), Rachel Henning (DeWitt/Central DeWitt) and Kelsey Gaillot (Denver, Colo./Denver Waldorf).

Meeker expects many of his newcomers to push for immediate court time.

"Our new players bring with them experience competing at a very high level, which certainly helps as we look to win an Iowa Conference championship," Meeker said. "They are very talented and also very good young people who fit extremely well within our team."