Volleyball News

2007 SEASON PREVIEW

Last season, the Delaware Valley College volleyball team finished 12-12 for the program’s first non-losing season since 1988. Now head coach Shawn Rush and his seven returning letterwinners will look to take the next step and compete for a Freedom Conference playoff spot.

Heading the cast of returnees is the senior combo of middle hitter Andrea Wolf (Held) and setter Bonnie Zobel. Wolf (Allentown, PA/Parkland) played in 77 of the team’s 84 games last year and led the squad in kills (227), service aces (67) and blocks (52). Her averages of 0.87 service aces per game led the Freedom Conference and she also ranked sixth in kills (2.95 avg) and seventh in hitting percentage (.272).

Zobel (Southampton, PA/William Tennent) was right behind Wolf as she placed second in the conference in service aces with 65 in 84 games (0.77 avg). Zobel also placed sixth in the Freedom with 607 assists (7.23 avg) and she added 87 kills and 210 digs for the season.

Fellow seniors Jackie Holdsworth (Dumont, NJ/Dumont) and Stephanie Knox (Narberth, PA/Lower Merion) will look to end their collegiate careers on a high note.

Holdsworth racked up 124 kills to ranked third on the team last year. She also added 148 digs and 44 service aces. Knox finished the ’06 campaign with 99 kills, 26 digs and 23 blocks.

Junior Kate Klish (Nanticoke, PA/Greater Nanticoke) and sophomore Jaki Blood (Linesville, PA/Linesville) are coming off seasons that saw them place in the Freedom Conference’s top 10 in various categories.

Klish notched 411 digs in 82 games (5.01) to finish second in the conference. She also contributed 26 service aces and 23 assists. Blood was sixth in the league with 43 service aces in 81 games (0.53 avg), and she also added 102 kills and 187 blocks on the year.

Sophomore Danielle Ford (Bridgewater, NJ/Bridgewater-Raritan) rounds out the returnees. Ford saw time in 23 games last year and recorded 33 kills.

Delaware Valley opens its season on Saturday, September 1 when the Aggies travels to Ursinus College to take on the host Bears as well as Wesley College.