2015 Outlook: Olivet ready for a "fresh start"

The Olivet College women's volleyball program returns a solid nucleus of 10 players from last year's team. Head Coach Megan Merchant is hopeful these players can help the Comets have a better season than last year.

"We are ready for a fresh start," said Merchant. "We had a lot of close matches last year and I feel if we did not have to deal with some injuries and other off the court issues, it would have been a better year."

Leading the way for Olivet in 2015 will be senior Marissa Guile. She has been a part of the varsity team for the last three years and has 442 kills, 21 service aces and 180 total blocks in 80 career matches. Another senior, Dallas James, returns at the defensive specialist position and has played in 65 matches and is one dig shy of 300 for her career. She will also serve as a captain.

Other returning attackers include juniors Re'Gene Thompson and Gabrielle Trudell, and sophomores Courtney Cronkright, Kaylin Holley and Allison Turner. After playing in only one varsity match as a freshman, Thompson appeared in 24 last fall and finished the year with 55 kills. Trudell has played in 33 career varsity matches, recording 150 total kills.

Cronkright saw action in all 29 matches in her rookie season at Olivet. She posted 71 kills, 23 aces and 292 digs. Holley's playing time last year came in the junior varsity matches. Turner played in 25 matches last year and ended the year with 93 kills and 35 blocks.

Junior Danielle Bearden is the lone returning setter. She has appeared in every possible match during her career at Olivet, and played in 220 sets. Bearden has 998 set assists and 417 digs.

Junior Mona Hinamanu is back at defensive specialist and is likely to be the starting libero. Last year, she became the starting libero and posted a team-leading 490 digs, recording double figure digs in all except two matches. In her two-year career, Hinamanu has 710 digs.

The roster is bolstered by a 12-member recruiting class. Merchant is optimistic some of these players will be playing key roles on the team in 2015.

The Comets will open their season Friday and Saturday, Sept. 4, at Adrian College for four matches against Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference rivals. Olivet's first match is Friday afternoon at 1 p.m. against Manchester (Ind.) University. The Comets will also play Anderson (Ind.) University, Mount St. Joseph (Ohio) University and Earlham (Ind.) College. Olivet will make its home debut Friday, Sept. 11, when it welcomes Albion College to The Cutler Event Center for a 6:30 p.m. match.