2016 Olivet College Volleyball Preview

A year ago, the Olivet College women's volleyball program finished the 2015 season with a 14-14 overall record. With the majority of its starting lineup from that team returning for the 2016 season, head coach Megan Merchant is optimistic the Comets can post a record above the .500 mark for only the second time in program history.

Leading the way for the Comets in 2016 will be seniors Danielle Bearden, Mona Hinamanu and Re'Gene Thompson. Bearden has been one of the starting setters for the team since coming to Olivet. She enters her senior season four sets shy of 2,000 for her career. Bearden's other career stats include 663 digs and 72 service aces.

A defensive specialist/libero, Hinamanu is the Comets' all-time leader in digs with 1,165. She had a career-best single-match high 28 digs in a five-set win over Anderson (Ind.) University last season.

Thompson entered the 2015 season with 55 career kills. She quickly doubled her career total with 71 kills in four matches at Olivet's season-opening tournament. Thompson finished the 2015 season with 324 kills, .224 attack percentage and 59 total blocks.

Returning junior attackers are Courtney Cronkright and Allison Turner. Cronkright has seen action in all 57 varsity matches in her career at Olivet. She has 207 kills as well as 48 service aces and 38 blocks. Turner has played in 48 career matches, recording 316 kills and 60 blocks.

The sophomore class features a strong group of attackers and a couple defensive specialists. Playing at the net will be Megan Black and Erie McClendon, while the defenders are Ashley Lounds and Andrea Rico.

Of the three attackers, McClendon saw the most action at the varsity level last season, as she participated in 23 matches and had 57 kills. Black saw the court in 19 matches last season and had 43 kills. Lounds played in all 28 matches and registered 194 digs. Rico appeared in 14 matches and collected 49 digs and served up seven aces.

The Comets will start their season Friday and Saturday, Sept. 2-3, at Anderson (Ind.) University for four matches against Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference teams. Olivet's first match is Friday afternoon at 2 p.m. against Manchester (Ind.) University. The Comets will also play Anderson (Ind.) University, Mount St. Joseph (Ohio) University and Franklin (Ind.) College. Olivet will make its home debut Wednesday, Sept. 7, when it hosts Kalamazoo College at The Cutler Event Center for a 7 p.m. match.