CLARION VB HOSTS "TONY BANNER INVITE" TO OPEN SEASON SEPT. 4-5 CLARION, PA: The 2015 Clarion women's volleyball team, coming off back-to-back PSAC-West titles, returns to action on Friday September 4 and Saturday September 5 as the Golden Eagles host the Fourth Annual Tony Banner Invitational Tournament to open the new campaign.
A total of six teams will be competing in the Banner Invitational including North Alabama, Ashland, Indianapolis, Hillsdale and Gannon. UNA faces Indianapolis to start things off on Friday at 9am, while Clarion hosts Ashland at 11am to get the Eagles season underway. Clarion comes back against Hillsdale at 7pm on Friday night, then squares off against North Alabama at 11am on Saturday and Indianapolis at 5pm on Saturday. (complete schedule below).
"This is the strongest field we've ever had for this tournament," said Clarion's 9
th year head coach Jen Mills. "We will definitely benefit from the strong competition each match will bring and that will really help us prepare for our conference season."
Coach Mills has an eight year record of 207-71 (75.5%) and an incredible PSAC-West career record of 111-31. Mills, a three-time PSAC-West "Coach of the Year" (2010, 13, 14), has led Clarion to PSAC-West crowns in the same three seasons, a PSAC title in 2010, The Atlantic Region title that same year and an NCAA Elite 8 finish. Clarion has qualified for the NCAA D-II Playoffs in each of the last six seasons.
The Golden Eagles posted a 30-5 overall record in 2014 and a 20-2 PSAC-West mark to capture the West for the second consecutive season, while also advancing to the NCAA Division II Playoffs for the sixth straight year. The Golden Eagles have a 40-4 Western Division record the last two years and have gone 62-10 (86.1%) overall during that time.
The 2015 Golden Eagles return six players that contributed significantly in 2014, but also must look to replace 2-time PSAC-West player of the year
Laura Subject, who has graduated.
"The most important thing right now is to get better with every practice, every scrimmage and every match – that's a daily process," said Clarion's coach Mills. "Molding our team is a process, a process that has worked very well for us over the years and that's how we will approach 2015. Our success this year, as in the past, will be a direct reflection of how much each player improves throughout the year. The results will take care of themselves."
SEYBOLD, OLSON & BIGGS RETURN IN 2015 Three returning veterans ready to help lead the team are 2014 Third Team All-American
Morgan Seybold (Sr. Coraopolis/West Allegheny) at Libero, and PSAC-West and Atlantic Region "Freshman of the Year
" Gabrielle Olson (So. Gibsonia/Pine Richland) at middle hitter. Also returning is PSAC-West second team selection
Mackenzie Biggs (Jr. Aliquippa/Hopewell) as a right side hitter.
Seybold was a Third Team Daktronics All-American at Libero and the PSAC-West Defensive Player of the Year, among other honors, in 2014. He 763 digs were third most in a single season and ranked her first in the PSAC and third overall among Division II players with an average of 6.41 digs. She set a school record with 806 digs in 2013 and ranks fourth in career digs with 1,699.
Olson, a talented middle hitter and the 2014 PSAC-West Freshman of the Year, collected 264 kills and had a hitting percentage of 31.1 in 2014. She also had 99 total blocks and had a kill average of 2.22 per set.
Biggs, a second team all PSAC-West choice in 2014 as a right side hitter, notched 288 kills (2.42 per set), had a 27.3 hitting percentage, and had 82 total blocks.
BRAUNAGEL, FERRAGONIO, COX & PITTSLEY READY TO CONTRIBUTE Taylor Braunagel (So. Milford, Pa.), Catherine Ferragonio (So. Irwin/Norwin), Abbey Cox (Sr. Milan, Ohio) and Kaley Pittsley (Jr. Mt. Pleasant, Michigan) are all returnees Mills feels are ready to lead.
Braunagel, an outside hitter, played in 114 sets last year and contributed 354 kills, 78 digs and 23 blocks.
Ferragonio, an outside hitter/defensive specialist, played in all 119 sets and had 378 digs, 102 kills, and 20 service aces.
Cox, a middle/outside hitter, had 237 kills, 94 blocks and 20 service aces.
Pittsley, a setter who backed up All-American
Laura Subject a year ago, is battling for starting time in 2015. She had 48 assists last year.
Returning players who saw action a year ago and are looking for time include
Miranda Weston (So. Setter, Canonsburg), Jocelyn Uchic (Sr. OH, Maumee, Ohio), Kara Coffman (So. OH, Rocky River, Ohio), Morgan Herold (Jr. LB, Carlisle), Jessica Samuels (So. OH, Allison Park/North Allegheny), Shelby Coughenour (So. RS, Berlin, Pa.), and Victoria Evans (Jr. OH, Lindsay, Ontario). NEWCOMERS PREPARING FOR ACTION Clarion has four newcomers preparing for action and they are
Olivia Olson (Fr. MH, Gibsonia/Pine-Richland), Leah Vensel (Fr. S., Erie/McDowell), Lauryn Driscoll (Fr. MH, Aliquippa/Hopewell) and Marissa Robertson (Fr. OH, Columbus, Ohio/Centennial). Olson, a middle hitter from Pine-Richland high, helped the Rams to the WPIAL quarterfinals last year and has an All WPIAL selection.
Vensel, a talented freshman from McDowell high in Erie, was an All-State setter in both 2013 and 2014 and is battling for starting time.
Driscoll, a freshman from Hopewell high, was also an All-State player and has impressed Mills at all three hitting positions in camp.
Robertson, an outside hitter, is a very strong athletic player who continues to improve daily.
"We are better today than we were a week ago and we have to continue to get better every day to be where we want to be at the end of the season," said Mills. "We have a big, physical team and we are deep at every position," she continued. "We can play big and we can also use a ball control style – we continue to evaluate our options daily and look at the best combinations, but that will develop over time. I like our team, our work ethic and how eager they are to get better every day. We are headed in the right direction – we just have to keep following our process – one day at a time."
CLARION NOTES: After the Banner Invite – Clarion hits the road for 6 playing dates before returning to Tippin Gym on September 29
th to host Juniata at 7pm… Then the entire PSAC-West schedule is on the road --- with the Eagles not returning to Tippin until October 30 against Slippery Rock at 7pm.
VISITING TEAM INFO: ASHLAND – Coach Cass Dixon – 5
th Season … 2014 Record 10-15 … 2013 26-9 and 2012 24-9 both NCAA Qualifying Seasons.
NORTH ALABAMA – Coach Stephanie Radecki – 12
th Season … 2014 Record 20-12 … Gulf South runner-up … Career record 244-132 ,,, 3 Gulf South Championships.
INDIANAPOLIS – Coach Jason Reed – 3
rd Season … 2014 record 19-11 … Second place in GLVC .. 15-3 conference record and NCAA Qualifier.
HILLSDALE – Coach Chris Gravel – 20
th Season … 2014 record 12-14.
GANNON – Coach Matt Darling – 9
th Season … 2014 record 24-7 – NCAA Qualifier … 6 straight NCAA Playoff appearances.
BANNER INVITE SCHEDULEFriday, September 4th 9:00am Indianapolis (H) vs North Alabama
11:00am Clarion (H) vs Ashland
1:00pm Gannon (H) vs Hillsdale
3:00pm Ashland (H) vs North Alabama
5:00pm Indianapolis vs Gannon (H)
7:00pm Clarion (H) vs Hillsdale
Saturday, September 5th 9:00am Indianapolis vs Ashland (H)
11:00am Clarion (H) vs North Alabama
1:00pm Gannon (H) vs Ashland
3:00pm Hillsdale (H) vs North Alabama
5:00pm Clarion (H) vs Indianapolis
H- Designated Home Team
