First NOC Lake title up for grabs

The volleyball season for the Northern Ohio Conference is about to get started. A year ago, Bellevue and Tiffin Columbian split the final Sandusky Bay Conference Lake Division title, each going 8-2 in league matches. Since then, the Lady Red have dropped to the Bay Division of the new NOC while Columbian graduated the biggest hitter in program history in Kaela Jenkins. Now, schools like Perkins and Norwalk have their eyes on returning to the top of the league, hoping to win the first NOC Lake Division title. The first volleyball matches around the state are scheduled for August 17 with the local slate getting underway the next night. A look at the five members of the NOC Lake Division in alphabetical order: Clyde The Fliers were 7-16 overall last year, including a 3-7 mark in league play. Clyde graduated first-team All-SBC pick Lucy Glass (team-high 399 digs) and second-team selection Brooklyn Heminger (team-high 170 kills). "This season we will bring an aggressive serving game with positional depth," Fliers coach Shelley Rogers said. "I also believe our first ball contact defensively in addition to serve receive will be helpful to ensure our offense can set up." Amiyah Paul is back after 149 kills, which was second on the team. Honorable mention selection Kelsey Ray will run the offense after recording 464 assists. "Communication is something we will need to continue to work on," Rogers said. "We still have to work on setter-hitter chatter and overall talk while on the court." Norwalk The Truckers were 10-13 last year and 4-6 in the league. Norwalk returns a lot of its offense, including honorable mention pick Ainslee King (team-high 215 kills), second-teamer Maddie Gamble (214 kills) and honorable mention selection Emily Tyler (598 assists). "I think that one of the greatest strengths the Norwalk volleyball program has is its energy," Truckers coach Sarah Kipp said. "Our kids come in and work hard and work hard to celebrate their successes on the floor. It is a point of emphasis that we talk about with our kids to be genuinely excited for their teammates' success." Norwalk has one of the best combos defensively, as well. First-teamer Sawyer Wineman had 407 digs last year while Gamble added 297 digs. "I don't think that we can pinpoint just one kid on our roster to talk about," Kipp said. "We are led by an incredible group of five seniors — Sawyer Wineman, Emily Tyler, Bella Hernandez, Lily Colahan and Emmie Leber. They all bring leadership and experience to our team in a variety of ways." Perkins The Pirates were just behind Columbian and Bellevue in the league standings, taking third at 7-3. Perkins (12-11 overall) bid farewell to its two biggest hitters to graduation, second-teamer Micah Slay (283 kills) and first-team pick Ferrell Coleman (251 kills). That doesn't mean the cupboard is bare as Viera Walker returns after 202 kills during her freshman season. The Pirates will also benefit from the addition of St. Paul transfer Brooklyn Cassidy, who had 224 kills as a sophomore for the Flyers. "We're very excited about the potential of this team," Perkins coach Brandon Duvall said. "We have the right combination of talent, experience and competitiveness to have a successful season. We still have plenty of work to bring all the pieces together and establish our identity." Running the offense will be junior Braelyn Davie, a honorable mention pick a season ago. Through two seasons, she has 1,281 career assists, including 738 last season. The Pirates must replace Avery Maldonado, who had a team-high 364 digs. "Our leadership will be our biggest strength," Duvall said. "Each of our captains bring a different style of leadership to the team, and that diversity has been incredibly valuable, especially for our younger players. As a coach, it's a great feeling knowing the team is in such capable hands. It allows us to focus on the finer details." Sandusky Jamie Hiser is one of two new coaches in the NOC Lake. She takes over a team that was 2-18 last year and winless in 10 league matches. "Right now, our focus is consistency and establishing a positive, work-first culture," Hiser said. "The energy in the gym during summer workouts has been a mix. Some days are tough as we adapt to new expectations, and other days the girls are completely locked in. So much of our standard comes down to a few core leaders in the gym that the rest of the team looks up to." The Blue Streaks' two wins last year came against Toledo Start in a best-of-3 match and a 3-0 sweep of Mansfield Senior. Sandusky had just one player named to the all-league teams and that was honorable mention pick Khiya Rameau, who graduated. "Our athleticism is definitely going to be one of our biggest assets on the floor," Hiser said. "We have players who can make athletic plays and keep points alive. Beyond that, I'm relying heavily on our four seniors, Akiyla Jones, Eriahna Thomas-Newell, Mia Thompson and Ruby Capizzi to lead this group. They set the tone for how we operate." Tiffin Columbian The Tornadoes' top priority will be replacing Jenkins, the SBC Lake Player of the Year. She clobbered 542 kills last season and 1,592 kills for her career. Columbian does return first-team setter Avary Brown, a senior who is committed to Division I Butler. The Tornadoes return Lexi Beaston, a second-team pick. Aaron Simmons is the new coach for Columbian, taking over for Hope Boes. She led the Tornadoes to a Division III district title last year, finishing 18-8 overall. Returning Lake Division selections First team Finley Lapata, Bellevue; Sawyer Wineman, Norwalk; Avary Brown, Columbian Second team Kate Baptista, Bellevue; Lexi Beaston, Columbian; Maddie Gamble, Norwalk Honorable mention Calie Cramer, Bellevue; Kelsey Ray, Clyde; Ainslee King, Norwalk; Emily Tyler, Norwalk; Braelyn Davie, Perkins Note: Bellevue is now in the Bay Division