CONTENTS CONTENTS 3 2008 OUTLOOK VOLLEYBALL STAFF 4 Head Coach The Pioneers look to improve upon Ray Costa their success in 2007. 5 Assistant Coach Jill Howard 4 COACHING STAFF GENERAL Ray Costa begins his second INFORMATION season as Marietta’s 10th 2 Marietta College volleyball coach. 32 Ban Johnson Arena 33 Dr. Jean A. Scott 7 PIONEER PLAYERS 33 Larry Hiser Everything you need to know about 34 Athletic Staff 36 Media Info & Pioneers’ players from Ashley Ben- Directions nett to Tasha Williams. 2008 SEASON 14 THE OAC AND 3 Outlook 2008 OPPONENTS 6 Alphabetical Roster 6 Numerical Roster Information on the OAC and 7-13 Pioneer Players Pioneers’ opponents for the 2008 17-18 The Opponents season. 2007 SEASON 19 Review 19 2007 REVIEW 20-21 Statistics Review of the 2007 Pioneers’ NUMBERS 12-15 season. AND RECORDS 22-30 Marietta Records 22 THE RECORD BOOK 31 Coaching Records 31 Year-By-Year A rich history of Pioneer volleyball is Records chronicled in a listing of outstanding performances. President: Dr. Jean A. Scott (Westhampton College at the University of Richmond, 1968) Enrollment: 1,450 Founded: 1835 Location: Marietta, Ohio Nickname: Pioneers Colors: Navy Blue and White Conference: Ohio Athletic Conference Division: NCAA Division III Arena: Ban Johnson Field House (1,500) Athletics Director: Larry Hiser, (Ohio Northern, 1987) Head Coach: Ray Costa (York, 2004) Sports Information Office: Director: Dan May ‘03 Volleyball Publication Winners Office: (740) 376-4891 Dan May ’03 and Ryan Zundell Cell: (740) 438-3013 ’93 were awarded Citations for Fax: (740) 376-4674 Excellence In Publications from E-mail: [email protected] CoSIDA at their Annual Convention in Tampa, Fla. The 2007 Volleyball Media Guide won Best Cover. 1 MARIETTA COLLEGE When you’re a Pioneer, you’re part of a diverse and vibrant campus experience. arietta College traces its beginnings to the establishment of the Muskingum Academy, which was founded by pioneer set- MARIETTA COLLEGE tlers in 1797, in Marietta, Ohio. The Academy became the first institute of higher education in the Northwest Territory. MIn 1835 Marietta College received its charter from the State of Ohio to offer college-level degrees. As a result, 173 years later, Marietta College now includes more than 40 buildings over 90 acres located two blocks from downtown Marietta. Marietta College is a private, nonsectarian, coeducational, contempo- rary liberal arts college. As an institution of higher education, Marietta seeks to prepare highly qualified graduates through its educational programs. The College offers Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Science in Petroleum Engineering, and Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees, as well as three graduate degrees. Consistently ranked by U.S. News and World Report among the best liberal arts colleges in the Midwest, Marietta has attained national recognition for many of its programs, including studies in leader- ship education. The fall enrollment of the College was 1,450, including students from 42 states and 10 countries. The male-to-female ratio is nearly 50:50, and the student-to-faculty ratio is 12:1. The community of Marietta, Ohio, was settled in 1788 by Revolution- ary War veterans and became the first settlement of the Northwest Territory. Now a city of 14,000, Marietta saw its greatest growth during the oil boom of the late 19th century. Still, Marietta has retained a particular pioneer spirit of independence and outward New England charm. Its historical significance also makes Marietta a popular location for tourists around the country. Marietta is a riverboat town situated at the confluence of the Ohio and Muskingum rivers, and many of the community’s most important celebra- tions and activities are associated with the rivers. Marietta is part of the Marietta-Parkersburg metropolitan area, which has a population of more than 130,000. 2 2008 P REVIEW MOMENTUM TO OAC success is a point SUCCESS of emphasis in ’08 he Marietta College volleyball team, entering its second year with Head Coach Ray Costa, will work to continue its early-sea- son good fortunes but also translate that momentum into more success on the court during Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) Tplay in 2008. “I am excited because of all the hard work that our returning players put in during the off-season,” Costa said. “With an enthusiastic group of newcomers joining them, I believe we have a tremendous opportunity to build off last year’s success.” The Pioneers return nine players, including five letterwinners and four seniors, from their squad that finished 12-15 and eighth in the OAC a year ago. Defensive specialist Brittany Papili, setter Caity Shirk, middle blocker Sarah Vadaj and defensive specialist Emily Wheatley will be asked to provide senior leadership on and off the floor this fall. In addition, junior defensive specialists Becca Holzworth and Katy Williams complete a solid nucleus of upperclassmen. This is vital for success in the OAC, which had two teams qualify for the NCAA Division III Tournament in 2007. The team has once again set high expectations on the court, in the classroom and out in the community, all key aspects of the Marietta vol- leyball experience. “The hard work and commitment necessary to being well rounded student-athletes is something that we take great pride in as a team, and I am excited to see our returning players foster that sense of pride in our program,” Costa said. Marietta will once again open the season at home with the River City Tournament on Aug. 29. The Pioneers’ OAC opener is slated for Sept. 27 against Heidelberg. 3 HEAD COACH RAY COSTA Costa begins second season ay Costa, a native of HEAD COACH Long Island, New York, begins his second sea- son as Marietta Col- Rlege’s head volleyball coach. Costa, the tenth volleyball coach in the program’s history at Marietta, led the squad to a 12-15 record and a trip to the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) Tournament in his first season with the Pioneers. Before coming to Marietta, Costa spent three seasons as the full-time assistant coach with Washington & Lee, located in Lexington, Virginia. “I am excited about this upcoming year because of all the hard work that our returning players put in during the off-season,” Costa said. “Their dedication and hard work has created a strong foundation for us to build upon for the fall. With an enthusiastic group of newcomers joining them, I believe we have a tremendous opportunity to build off last year’s suc- cess.” While with Washington & Lee, the Generals posted an 89-21 record. In 2006, the squad went 28-9, was undefeated in the Old Dominion Ath- letic Conference and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Division III Tournament. Costa graduated Cum Laude with a bachelor’s degree in secondary education—specializing in mathematics—from York College of Pennsyl- vania in 2004. He served as the head coach for the Rockbridge County Juniors from 2005-07 and worked at a variety of volleyball camps over the past few summers. During his time at York, Costa played four years of club volleyball and was the manager of the women’s varsity team as a junior and senior. He acted as the club team president for three years, managing financial mat- ters, organizing travel arrangements, scheduling practices and matches and serving as the team’s representative. Costa was a player-coach as a sophomore and senior and the head coach during his junior year. In 2004, the National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA) ranked the club team No. 25 in Division II. Costa, who is also the department’s compliance director, lives in Marietta. 4 ASSISTANT COACH ASSISTANT COACH JILL HOWARD ill, a 2007 graduate of Hiram College, begins her second season as the assistant vol- leyball coach at Marietta Col- Jlege. Howard, a libero, was a four- year letterwinner with the nation- ally ranked Terriers volleyball team, which made four appearances in the North Coast Athletic Confer- ence (NCAC) Tournament, winning in 2006. Twice Hiram reached the NCAA Tournament—2005 and 2006—during her career. Howard, who was named to the NCAC and Ohio Northern Invitational All-Tournament Team in 2006, holds the Hiram records for digs in a match, season and career and is the career leader in service aces. “I am very excited to be a part of the Marietta College volleyball pro- gram,” Howard said. “Competing in the OAC is a challenge and I look forward to helping the Pioneers again this season.” Before her time at Hiram, Howard played on Dayton Juniors, a com- petitive club team that qualified for the national tournament four times in her 10 years with the program. During college, she also gained coaching experience at the club level and worked various volleyball camps. Howard, a Fairborn native, earned a Bachelor of Arts in early child- hood education at Hiram. She is currently working toward earning a Mas- ter’s of Education at Marietta. 5 NUMERICAL ROSTER No.. Name. Yr.. Pos.. .Ht.. Hometown/High School 2 . Becca Holzworth* . Jr. DS . 5-7 . North Olmsted 3 . Brittany Papili . .Sr. DS . 5-1 . Wilmington, Del./St. Elizabeth OSTERS R 4 . Meredith Storey . Fr. RS . 6-0 . Olmsted Falls 5 . Alex Weissling . Fr. OH . 5-10 . Dublin/Dublin Scioto 6 . Caity Shirk* . .Sr. S . 5-6 . Middleburg Heights/Midpark 7 . Katy Williams* . Jr. DS . 5-6 . Richmond, Ind. 8 . Elizabeth Robbe . Fr. RS . 5-9 . Crystal Falls, Mich./Forest Park 9 . Tasha Williams . .So. RS . 5-9 . Little Hocking/Warren Local 10 . Jaimie Hartline . Fr. OH . 5-9 . North Canton/Glen Oak 11 . Kelly Schoener . .So. OH . 5-8 .