OC Volleyball welcomes Kristen Johnson

OC Volleyball is excited to announce Kristen Johnson to our 2010 roster. Kristen comes to us from Decatur, Georgia. Kristen is a 5'10 Middle Blocker. Kristen also plays club ball as well for Cyclone Volleyball Club. Along with playing volleyball Kristen is also a member of the tennis team and is very involved in her school. She sent us an update on how her senior year is wrapping up."Our drama club just finished its production of a vampire spoof that was hilarious. I was a stage manager and lighting designer/operator for the show. It got to be pretty stressful, especially a few days before opening night when it seemed like nothing was coming together. We were spending long hours in rehearsals, which severely deprived me of sleep and sanity. But it seems like it all came together, and it ended up being a success. Its funny how thing all seem to fall into place in the end…And to be honest, I’m a little bit sad that its over now.

Prom was typical of any high school dance. I mean, there was a whole lot of hype surrounding it, but it turned out to be only marginally fun. My friends and I still made the best of it though. It was a lot of fun getting ready and dressing up. And after prom, we all went back to my house and hung out. So it still turned out to be a really fun night.

I graduate in ONE WEEK, and I couldn’t be more excited. Classes pretty much ended for me on April 30th because exams started the next week. Those have been pretty stressful. I’ve finished all of my history and English exams. The only ones I have left now are three biology exams and one math one, and then I should be completely finished. So I hope that this next week will fly by, because I am SOOO ready to graduate.


Highlights of my high school career….well, I was captain of the team this year. I led the team in both blocks and kills, and ranked in to county’s top fifty for blocks and kills as well. Last season my team placed first in our region, qualifying us for the state tournament . In state, we made it to the second round before losing a tough match that went to 5 games. And that’s pretty much it."

"OC volleyball is excited to work with Kristen and have such a well-rounded athlete come to our family. Kristen will step right in and make an impact with our team. She brings a very upbeat attitude to the program along with a great work ethic. We are looking forward to challenging and pushing Kristen to the next level as a volleyball player," Said Head Coach Carey Cavanaugh.

Maggie gives update from France

French Volleyball

Halfway through the semester, I joined my Sciences Po’s volleyball team. We practiced only once a week and played in tournaments when it seemed to work around our schedules, making the ambiance quite difference from any American volleyball team. Though the atmosphere was more social than competitive, playing for Sciences Po was a great way for me to make friends and memories! Because my school has a lot of international students, half of my team was French and the other half German. Communicating on the court was interesting, not only are volleyball systems and styles different across countries (and continents), but communicating in a foreign language when a game was close was an added challenge! You don't exactly learn volleyball vocabulary in French class. However, volleyball is still volleyball no matter what language or country it’s in.

One of my favorite tournaments we played in was an all-sport competition between all of France’s Political Science Schools in Strasbourg, France. The rivalries were intense (I don’t think I’ve ever been heckled so intensely!), but after the games all of the fans and players were joking around and laughing with each other. And of course winning the volleyball championship was awesome!

--Maggie

OC Volleyball welcomes Meredith Siefert

OC Volleyball program is excited to announce Meredith Siefert to our 2010 roster. Meredith comes to us from Rye, New York. Meredith is a 5’10 MB/RS hitter and has been playing volleyball since seventh grade. Along with high school experience Meredith has club experience playing this past season for Alpha Gamma Volleyball Club 18’s. Meredith has also excelled in track in field, breaking the school record for discus her freshman year. Meredith is coming into Oberlin with a great work ethic and a desire to succeed that will put her right into the mix with our athletes.

Meredith is very dedicated off the court as well. She has a special passion for the Spanish language and culture. She has had the opportunity to spend time in Roatan, Honduras with her church helping out schools and building a hospital. This has helped developed Meredith into the well-rounded person and volleyball player she has become. She has also won awards in Spanish honors class, math class, and one for a literary magazine. In her free time Meredith enjoys reading and has taken an interest in Italian so she started an Italian club at her school. She is looking forward to pursuing a degree in communications or anthropology.

"The OC Volleyball program is thrilled to have such a great student-athlete and person join our family. Meredith will make an immediate impact in the program because of her athletic ability and positive energy. We are excited to have the opportunity to challenge her daily and see her excel at the collegiate level," said Head Coach Carey Cavanaugh.