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