The Lancaster Bible College women's volleyball team opens its 2016 season Friday night against Franklin & Marshall as the Chargers will take part in the Crosstown Crossover with the Diplomats, Elizabethtown and Penn St. Berks for the fifth straight season. Lancaster Bible comes off a 2015 season that saw the team go 14-16 overall and 7-5 in North Eastern Athletic Conference play. The Chargers advanced to the NEAC Playoffs for the fifth straight season and lost to Gallaudet, 3-0 in the NEAC Quarterfinals.
The Past
Lancaster Bible stumbled out of the gate, going 2-5 in its first seven matches, but rebounded midway through the season and strung together five straight wins in late September and early October to bring its record to 9-8 overall...The Chargers closed the regular season winning two of its last three matches, including a five-set victory over Wesley and a four-set victory over Eastern Mennonite...Lancaster Bible won three five-set matches in 2015 and won double-digit matches for the 10th straight season.
The Fresh Faces
The Chargers welcome four new players into the fold for 2016 as
Mandy Metzler,
Martina McCauley,
Allison Shuey and
Ashtyn Bouslog join the team...Shuey and Metzler will set for the Chargers, while Bouslog will be an outside hitter...McCauley, standing at 5-9, will work in the middle throughout the season for the Chargers.
The Experience
Lancaster Bible returns 10 players from last season's squad, including NEAC All-Conference 2nd Team selection,
Myranda Kemrer...Kemrer led the Chargers with 258 kills a year ago and also had 379 digs...Also returning is junior
Alyssa Bowen who had 233 kills and a team-best 48 blocks last year...
Lauren Grimm and
Hannah Gipe, each of whom had over 100 kills in 2015 also return, as does senior
Emily Olson who had 216 kills and 42 blocks a season ago...
Natalie Kennedy,
Erin Harkey,
Tiffany Weiler,
Jenny Lenko and
Hannah Thompson are also back for the Chargers this season.
The Coach Says
"With the mixture of our four freshmen and a great group of 10 returners, we should be a much deeper team this season," Lancaster Bible Head Coach
Lauren Bewley said. "Everyone is strong at their position and with our depth, I think we have a team that can advance to the NEAC Playoffs again and have a strong regular season."
The Outlook
Lancaster Bible will once again play a tough non-conference schedule as the Chargers face Franklin & Marshall, Elizabethtown, York (Pa.), Haverford, Shenandoah and Eastern Mennonite all in the first two weeks of the season...The Chargers also square off with Kentucky Christian, Catholic, Cabrini and Lebanon Valley later in the season...Lancaster Bible will play 13 conference matches this season as Wilson College added women's volleyball to make the NEAC a 14-team league...The Chargers will once again host a NEAC Weekend (Oct. 14-15) as Lancaster Bible welcomes Bryn Athyn, St. Elizabeth, Penn St. Abington, Penn College and Penn St. Berks to Horst Athletic Center...With 10 returners and four solid newcomers added to the mix, the Chargers, who won 14 matches last season, should be improved and once again advance to the NEAC Playoffs.
The Links
Schedule
Roster
Live Video
NEAC Website
