UC Clermont's Volleyball Season Opens Monday

The University of Cincinnati Clermont Volleyball Team is ready for the start of the 2014 season.

The Cougars are coming off an excellent 2013 campaign, which saw them capture a regular season, as well as a conference tournament title. They also received their eighth consecutive at-large bid to the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) national championship tournament – making it to be quarterfinal round before being eliminated.

This year, the Cougars will be playing as a non-conference program. This status will make their season especially challenging. The vast majority of games on the 2014 schedule will pit the Cougars against scholarship schools. These schools are members of the NCAA, NAIA, NJCAA and USCAA. Clermont will also face a few high-quality independent programs.
 

Among the many highlights this season, the Cougars will kick off the home portion of their schedule on Aug. 25 against Marygrove College – the NO. 1 seed in last year’s USCAA national tournament. Marygrove represents the highest rated program to ever visit the Cougardome.

The Clermont roster will benefit from some experience in 2014. Returning players from the outstanding 2013 team make up a significant portion of the roster. The Cougars did lose several top notch players to graduation, but the returnees are talented and highly motivated — including one individual selected as a 2013 USCAA Honorable Mention All-American.

Although no seniors are on the squad, a trio of juniors will lead the way. These juniors include setter Alex Robb (Amelia), outside hitter Kaitlyn Miller (Sycamore) and middle hitter Kiley Collins (Goshen). These players have produced at a high level over the past two years.

Four sophomores come into the season with a year of collegiate experience under their belts. That knowledge should help them be even more productive in 2014. Defensive specialist Samantha Gilbert (Franklin County, Indiana), middle/outside hitter Amber Lawrence (Felicity-Franklin), libero Taylor Herrmann (Glen Este) and right side hitter Kasey Arnett (Batavia) will provide much offensive and defensive talent.

There are four newcomers for 2014. Outside hitter Ashley Dundes (Loveland) earned Second Team All-American honors in high school. Right-side hitter Kasey York (Western Brown) received a First Team spot on her All-Conference team (Southern Buckeye Conference) for her 2013 exploits. Outside hitter Adriene Jones (Goshen) and right side hitter Samantha Nellis (Dayton, KY) come to the team with a substantial amount of potential.

The season begins with back-to-back home games on Monday, Aug. 25, and Tuesday, Aug. 26. First serve for both contests is 6 p.m.in the Student Activities Center or Cougardome on the UC Clermont campus located at 4200 Clermont College Dr., Batavia, Ohio 45103.

Head Coach Joe Harpring enters his 11th year as head coach. Harpring first joined the UC Clermont as an assistant volleyball coach in 2001. He spent three years as assistant before being hired as the head coach in 2004. In his prior 10 years as head coach, his teams compiled a 188-80 record, won six consecutive Ohio Regional Campus Conference (ORCC) West Division titles, secured one Ohio Regional Campus State Championship, captured the first four regular season titles in the history of the Ohio Collegiate Athletic Conference (OCAC) and won three OCAC tournaments.
 
The 2004 conference championship was the first in the history of the Clermont volleyball program. In 2006, the volleyball team achieved another first. The Cougars received a bid to the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) National Championship Tournament. The team has been selected for eight consecutive national tournaments and capped the 2009 season with an appearance in the Final Four. Among other honors, Coach Harpring’s players have earned 15 USCAA All-American, seven conference Most Valuable Player and 25 First Team All-Conference awards. Four of his former players have been inducted into the U.C. Clermont Athletic Hall of Fame. Coach Harpring was also inducted into the Hall in 2007.

For more information about the Volleyball Program, visit: http://www.ucclermont.edu/athletics/WomensVolleyball.html