Oakland City, IN - The 2019 version of Oakland City University volleyball saw their fair share of struggles. But the closet is not left bare by any means. With a new leader in head coach
Amy McNamara, and a strong group of returning players, things are looking up for the OCU volleyball program.
After losing their first four outings of the season, losing at Franklin College (3-0), against St. Mary-of-the-Woods College (3-1), and then their opening two matches in the KWC Invitational, falling 3-0 against Maryville University and Trevecca Nazarene University, the Oaks found their form, downing Bluefield State College in straight sets.
It was the last win for the Oaks for over a month, losing against Kentucky Wesleyan College (3-0), Berea College (3-1), Maryville University (3-0), Midway University (3-0), St. Mary-of-the-Woods College (3-1) and Grace Christian University (3-1). However, in their second matchup at Grace Christian University, in Wyoming, Michigan, OCU found their stride, winning in four sets.
Despite being competitive in their final four outings, the Oaks were unable to pull off a victory, falling to Midway University, Ohio Valley University, Aldderson Broaddus University and Fisk University, finishing the season with a record of 2-14.
Malia Schmittler (Fr., Edwards County HS) led the team in kills, with 112, one more than
Drew McNamara (Jr., Mount Vernon HS).
Bethanie Knepp (Sr., Barr-Reeve HS/St. Joseph University) added 95 on the season, while leading the team in hitting percentage at .174. With no true setter on the roster, middle hitter
Courtney Griffith (Jr., McKracken County HS) filled the role for the majority of the season, leading the team in assists with 208, while
Taylor Whalen (So., Caldwell County HS/Midway University) added 110. McNamara paced the Oaks with 16 service aces, followed by 11 each by Schmittler and Knepp.
Defensively, Whalen came up with a team high 149 digs, followed by 133 by
Lauren Stone (Jr., Central HS) and 125 from
Reagan Hensley (Jr., Henryville HS). Schmittler led the team in blocking, with 14 solo blocks and 37 block assists, while Knepp had six solo blocks and 21 assists. Griffith added 20 assists, while Stone and
Kiare Young (So., Princeton Community HS) had 13 each.
