Our Banquet

Hi Everyone!

This past week we had our OCVB end of season banquet tonight and it was wonderful! We started off at the Cheesecake Factory where we had great food and incredible deserts, while singing happy birthday to Laura. There was also an adventure to be had in taking a picture in front of the big Christmas tree at Crocker Park. After leaving Crocker Park we headed to Emily's (our adopted assistant coach) apartment for t-shirt exchanges and awards. The coaches gave a wonderful presentation of awards, with Best Team Player going to Lizzie, Most Improved Player going to Rosie, and MVP was a tie between Amanda and Tamm. Our t-shirt exchange was great, and our freshmen (as well as a few others) showed off their creativity in the homemade t-shirts they gave. We will miss the seniors, but we gave them a great send off. Congratulations Tamm and Rita!

Senior Interview

With the season over first year Rosie Eck and sophomore Liz Wong decided to interview our two seniors to get a little incite on their time here at Oberlin.

Fall Break Fun

Fall break was a busy week for the Oberlin College Volleyball Team. In between all the traveling to and from Indiana and Pennsylvania, we still found time to have some fun. Carey, and I decided to make our trip to Meadville, Pennsylvania a day trip and picked up the team at 9 AM to go to Erie. After a quick stop at Carey’s “Voodoo Doc” we continued to Presque Isle and explored the woods and waterfront, a little from our player’s exploration can be found in the video above. While the water was too cold to go in, it was still a beautiful day to sit on the beach and have lunch. After Presque Isle we headed on to the mall, where there was a little something for everyone. Some people snacked while other shopped. A couple even found their Halloween costumes. In all we had a fun week with each other, and got even closer as a team.

Play of the Week!!!

This past weekend we had a mini tournament at home where we played Notre Dame College, Carnegie Mellon, and Manchester College. After some opening night jitters on Friday against Notre Dame, we returned to our usual form going 5 sets against 2008 NCAA participant Carnegie Mellon University and defeating Manchester College in 4. In the Manchester match one play stood out more than others. Above is a clip of first year Laura Jessee drilling Manchester’s left back defenseman in the face. The Carnegie Mellon match had a sentimental story to it when both Kaplon sisters faced off for the first time in their college careers. Keep checking in as this is definitely going to be a special season.

The 2009 Season is Here

Our team has reported and preseason has been great. We have made great strides towards improvement, and it was recognized when we were picked 5th in the conference preseason poll. This pre-season we worked hard in the gym, and played even harder. Our team impressed us so much that instead of having three practices a day we took time to have some fun together as well. We camped out in Williams Field House, climbed the rock wall, had a movie night, and even a skit night. For more on skit night check out the movie above. Keep following us here and at www.goyeo.com as our season started on Tuesday, and we will have plenty to update you on.

Rounding Out Our Recruiting Class!!!

Chinwe Okona is our third and final recruit for the class of 2009. Chinwe joins us from Coral Springs, Florida. She is a 5'9" middle blocker who is looking to step in and help the team right away this coming season. With her great vertical and ability to hit back across her body we hope to see Chinwe add some immediate depth. In high school her dedication to sports was prevalent as she not only played for both the volleyball and track teams but also was the sports editor for her school paper. Chinwe will bring not only athleticism to our team but a greater social conscience. This past winter she had the privilege to go to President Obama's inauguration. Welcome Chinwe!!!

Our Second Commit!!

Laura Jessee from Roanoke, VA has also committed to Oberlin College and our volleyball team. Laura will be one of our most versatile players having the ability to hit from anywhere along the net. She is a 5'11 attacker with great leaping ability and strength. Depending on her role, we see her potentially even playing some back row and being an added threat from behind the 10 ft line. Laura came to us through the lacrosse coaches, as she was recruited as a goalie, however her determination and love for the sport of volleyball found her joining our team next year with the hope to make an immediate impact. Laura will be our 6th teammate that will be 5'11" or taller this upcoming season, making us one of the tallest teams in conference.

Welcome Laura!!!

We Have Our First Commit!!!

Rosalie Eck from Silver Spring Maryland has committed to join the Oberlin College YeoWomen in 2009. Rosie is a 6' middle who is looking to have an immediate impact on our squad. During the last four years she has been a starter for both her high school and MVSA Volleyball Club teams. Rosie will bring needed height and depth to our core of middles that includes Junior Maggie Jacobson and Sophomore Sara Blankemeyer. Rosie is still undecided on what she will be studying, however she is thinking about majoring in Spanish and Studio Art. Rosie is a well rounded individual with interests not only in her academics and in volleyball, but also the environment and outdoors. In the summer time she leads backpacking tours through parts of the Appalachian Mountains, and loves to spend as much time outside as she can. With Rosie's potential we look forward to seeing what she can accomplish over the next four years. Welcome Rosie!

This week for our Fun workout, we decided to take to the fields outside and play a little two-hand touch football. The ground was wet from the rain and it was windy--two obstacles that made the event just that more fun. We played three on three (Maggie, Kaitlin, and Eric vs. Lizzie, Courtney, and myself with Carey as all time quarterback) through the wind and the rain. The slippery grass wasn't very conducive to fancy footwork so I spent about 75% of the time falling down and getting grass stains all over me. It was a very intense game, complete with Hail Mary passes and impeccable two-handed taps (there may or may not have been an instance where I tackled Carey, but that's something we don't want to talk about). After a couple touchdowns and several unfortunate wipeouts, the game conceded to be a tie.

We decided we weren't toughed up enough as we left the fields, so naturally the only way to fix the situation was to throw mud on ourselves. And at each other. And at the coaches.

Overall, it was quite the splendid time, even though I myself am almost too sore to walk today.

~Sara

Spring Break 09 Part 5

Hi everyone!

I’m a dual-sport athlete (volleyball and track) here at Oberlin, so for spring break I ventured down to Atlanta, GA with the track team for some hardcore training and lots of fun. On our first full day there we headed into the city to Centennial Olympic Park. It was sunny and in the 70s – beautiful! Three hours of hanging in the sun and doing the Cha-Cha Slide amidst soccer, football and wiffelball games really brought me closer to my teammates. We worked hard on the track but also had a lot of fun together, such as playing “Beijing Olympics 2008” in the evenings on our coach’s Playstation. The track spring break trip was kind of like volleyball preseason in August: mostly eating, sleeping, and sports but also lots of team bonding time. One of the best parts of being a student-athlete at Oberlin is the built-in friend and support group that your team provides.

~Tamm

Spring Break 09 Part 4

Hello All,

For spring break I went to Austin, Texas for the the first time. I was expecting warm weather and lots of sun. However, this was not the case. I was planning a shopping expedition and asked at the front desk of the hotel about the location of the best shopping areas. They gave me instructions and a highlighted map and then asked me if I wanted an umbrella. (Now I should tell you that I had been carefully monitoring the weather channel and it said it was going to rain for sure). I decided that if I simply ignored the fact that it was supposed to rain it would not happen, so I turned down the offer for the umbrella and said I would risk it. About 5 minutes after leaving the hotel it began to pour and did not let up for more than 2 hours leaving me stranded in ironworks barbecue restaurant... and I heard that residents of Austin were thrilled because it hadn't rained for weeks :(

~Rita Kaplon

Spring Break 09 Part 3

Hey everyone!

This spring break I went home to Manhattan to get settled, and then went to Baltimore with my family for a few days. We went to the aquarium, explored the city, and took a tour of the Orioles' stadium. I got to sit in the dugout, which was pretty cool! Then I went to Wesleyan University to visit a few friends from high school. They took me around campus and I met most of their friends. We went to a Dar Williams concert, which was really fun. After a week I was ready to come back to Oberlin because my break was fairly low key - but it was still nice to have a week off!

I hope to see you all on campus soon!

~Lizzie

Spring Break 09 Part 2

Hi everyone!
I'm Anna, and over spring break I went on a training trip to Atlanta with the track team. It was incredibly warm and sunny the first half of the week, the second half was a little rainy, but we made up for it with marathon sessions of Arrested Development and playing lots of Beijing '08 on Playstation 3 (by the way, I am currently the reigning Beijing '08 champion of the track team). While we were there, we got to go to the World of Coca Cola and the Atlanta aquarium, which is the largest in the world. We also spent a day downtown at Centennial Park lounging around and playing wiffleball and frisbee with some kids we met there. The weather was good (for the most part), and the food was great, it's just to bad we had to come back to classes so soon. Hope everyone else's spring break was just as much fun!
~Anna

Spring Break 09

For spring break this year Liz, Courtney, Maggie, Kaitlyn, and I (Amanda) all went down to Florida! We stayed at Courtney's house in Kissimmee which is just south of Orlando. We road tripped it down there, and that was quite an adventure! Getting through Ohio was pretty easy and it was the only daylight we had because we left around 4:30 pm. West Virginia and Virginia were a bit rough going through the mountains, especially for me because I get motion sick. North Carolina was a breeze, and then we got to South Carolina. Around 4 a.m. we pulled off to get some gas and stretch. Upon getting back into the car we discovered that the key wouldn't even turn.

This situation would have probably induced panic in most, but Liz remained ever so calm and resourceful as she called the dealership to figure out what was wrong. Meanwhile, we were reading through the manual and thought the steering wheel was locked, but the man on the phone told us the battery was dead. So a towing company came out to give us a jump and it wouldn't work. Again, we still couldn't even turn the key. So he says he has to tow us- great, we think, we will be stuck in Walterboro, South Carolina (I bet you've never heard of it either). Liz, still remaining calm, calls back to get a second opinion. This time a woman answered and explained the steering wheel was locked and how to fix it and we had the car turned on and ready to go in about 5 seconds. Just goes to show that men can't really solve problems all that well! We were back on our way and finally reached the house at noon!

For most of the trip we just hung out at the house and relaxed and tanned. But we did go to the beach a few times which was awesome and leaves me with some funny stories to tell. We went to Indian Rocks Beach on the Gulf of Mexico one day though it didn't turn out just like we wanted because the weather was a bit cool and misty. The other day we went to the beach we visited Cocoa Beach on the Atlantic. We were frolicking in the waves with some new friends when a big wave pretty much obliterated Courtney. A few minutes later we were playing football when she realized her ankle hurt. Well, turns out she got stung by a jellyfish. All 7 of us surrounding her volunteered to pee on it for her, but she refused! And what do you know; it is still swollen 3 weeks later!

We had a few other funny moments around the house too, many of them involving fashion. Courtney and Maggie attempted to go running in swimming suits and sneakers, and Maggie somehow transformed a tube top into a halter. Liz bought a sweet zebra dress and hot pink shoes that elicited many stares while out to dinner, and I put my hair in a bunch of little buns hoping for waves but ended up with a poofy, 1920s mess. We also watched Twilight about 5 times (yes, we love it too!) and checked out the sexy men on NCIS (ask Kaitlyn about this one...). One day we went to Downtown Disney which was super magical especially because some of us, myself included, had never been there before. Basically we just got to hang out with each other in a warm, sunny place and not have to worry about the stresses of everyday life!

The trip was great and we are all missing the 80 degree weather and our tans now!
~Amanda

We're Blogging!!!

In order to keep you up to date with everything Oberlin Volleyball we have set up this blog for you. We will be frequently writing short pieces about our team, their accomplishments, stories from the players, and some video. Feel free to email us at eric.stark@oberlin.edu, and let us know what you want to hear about. Check back soon as there are plenty of things happening right now.