'Best kept secret': Danbury volleyball off to historic start for program

DANBURY TWP. — Danbury volleyball is in uncharted territory. The Lakers are now 10-2 (6-2 SBC River) on the season after a three-set sweep of St. Mary Central Catholic (2-8, 1-7) on Tuesday night, 25-10, 25-20, 25-12. Danbury has already surpassed its win total from last season in just 12 matches. "They're a joy to be around because they work so hard," Danbury coach Keith Diebler said. "I've coached 1,000 things. This is really fun." A season ago, Danbury went 9-14 in Diebler's first season as head coach, and that was progress. Since 2010, the Lakers have had four winless campaigns and another four with a single win. A 6-10 mark in 2017 was followed by a combined four wins the next three seasons. "I want to (build a program) before I give it up," said Diebler, who also coached one season of volleyball at Genoa. "I'm getting to be ancient. Build a good, solid program and something that lasts and continues on." The 2021 nine wins in a single season was unprecedented in recent history, and it was the high-water mark for the program dating to at least 2007, when MaxPreps' data cuts off. The OHSAA's online playoff record dates to 2002. In that time, the Lakers have one sectional title (2005) and four other postseason victories, winning sectional semifinals in 2003, 2014, 2020 and 2021. So in the last 20 years, Danbury has totaled six tournament victories. Those past flickering moments may not be the peak anymore, though. "These athletes have taken that on their shoulders," Diebler said. "It's a joy in practice. They come in and understand that they've got to work hard and take care of business. They work extremely hard." On Tuesday night, Danbury showed off its deep stable of hitters, athletic defenders and strong servers, most of whom aren't yet seniors. Junior hitter Lia Brown led the charge with seven kills and four aces. "Lia is a silent leader," Diebler said. "She's our go-to girl, if needed." Another junior, Kelly Uhinck, controlled the first set at the net with three kills, including the one that ended the set. She, Brown and senior Natalie Rose brought a strong block, too. Rose and Brown played a strong second set, which is also when the Lakers' serves really woke up to hold off a scrappy SMCC squad that was led by Ava Fullam's 18 digs and three kills apiece from Mazzara Lynch, Addison Raymond and Fullam. "Last year, we would continue to go down," Brown said. "This year, we continue to build ourselves up because we know we can do better than we did last year." In the second half of set two, Danbury senior Sarah Collins had a pair of aces, as did junior setter Alera Masters. Sophomore hitter Ella McDonald got in on the action in the second set with a couple kills. Her classmate, middle Mia McDonald, has had big moments at the net this season, too. "We play 12 people," Diebler said. "They're all young. The thing about it is, we consider that a strength. We like that we can attack from anywhere." After the tight second, Danbury controlled the third. Sophomore libero Maci Brown dove all over the floor to prolong points, as did senior defender Josie Skinner. Masters dropped a couple sets over the net for kills of her own and added a few more aces. Another sophomore, Kendall Chanteau, had a pair of kills in Danbury's 12-3 closing run. Uhinck got back in the action with a kill for point 24, and then Masters tallied her fourth second-hit set dropped to the floor for the final point. That sparked celebrations on the floor and in the sizable Lakers student section, and they all joined in the school's alma mater afterward. "Since we're getting a little better and improving a lot, (the students) are realizing that volleyball is gonna be a pretty good sport in the upcoming years," Masters said. "I think they're very excited for us." While it may seem surprising on paper, this stretch of play by Danbury hasn't shocked the Lakers. An extremely young bunch showed strong development last fall, then put lots of work in during the offseason. They get into the gym before school for additional reps, too, and it all shows when they take the floor. "Last year, people would come up to our place and expect to win," Lia Brown said. "This year, we put the work in before the season so we could change that." Diebler likes his teams to peak when the tournament comes around, so he's hoping there's still plenty of improvement in the Lakers' future. They've got their next match at Tiffin Calvert on Sept. 20, the toughest test an SBC River team can get. But regardless of that result or what happens in the weeks to come, Danbury has already made clear this season that something is different when the Lakers take to the volleyball floor. And slowly but surely, they're putting everyone else on notice, too. "I think we're one of the best-kept secrets around," Diebler said. "We're starting to get a little bit of attention."