With four starters returning from a squad that posted the best season in school history, who could blame fifth-year Shawnee State volleyball coach Steve Rader for feeling optimistic about a repeat performance in 2001?

Not so fast, Rader cautions.  "Certainly we have a strong nucleus returning," says Rader, "but we have some major holes to fill."  Gone from 2000’s 23-14 team are second-team All-American Mideast Conference hitter Aimee Gaines (graduation) and first-team all-conference hitter Melissa Holland (transfer).  Both Gaines and Holland ranked among the AMC leaders in attack percentage a year ago.

In addition to Gaines and Holland, the Bears will start the 2001 campaign without the services of sophomore middle hitter Kristen Jones (Bolivar/Tuscarawas Valley H.S.) who re-injured her knee during spring practice and underwent surgery in late June.  Jones started all 37 matches for Shawnee State as a freshman in 2000.  "That one hurts," says Rader.  "She was having a great spring when she went down.  If we’re lucky, we could have her back by the middle of the season.

"I told our players at the end of spring practice not to concern themselves with who isn’t on the court, but who is.  The players we lost were not our only talented players."  Leading the Bears returnees are a trio of outside hitters, juniors Elizabeth Quatman (Edgewood, KY/Scott H.S.), Jennifer Cornelius (Cheshire/River Valley H.S.) and Jeanne Brabson (Waverly/Waverly H.S.), as well as junior defensive specialist Doris Staler (Toledo/Libbey H.S.).  Rounding out the SSU returnees in addition to Jones are last season’s starting setters, senior Gretchen Bennington (South Webster/South Webster H.S.) and sophomore Tabby King (Beaver/Eastern H.S.).  Clearly our leadership will have to come from the junior class," Rader notes.  "Elizabeth has really improved her game since she got here, so much so that I struggle over how to best utilize her talents.  Jennifer really blossomed last year after we moved her outside.  Jeanne had a really good off-season.  My only problem with Doris Staler is that I don’t have enough of her.  I wish I could clone her – we could use more back row players like her."

Another solid recruiting year should provide some immediate help for the Bears.  Leading the newcomers are a pair of hitters, freshmen Chelsey Eldridge (Chillicothe/Huntington H.S.) and Kristi Twyman (Vincent/Warren H.S.).  Eldridge earned second-team All-Ohio honors in 2000, while Twyman was the Player of the Year in the Southeast Ohio Athletic League (SEOAL).  Also expected to make an immediate impact are sophomore middle hitter Mandy Goin (Belpre/Warren H.S.) and junior setter Anne Jennings (Miamisburg/Sinclair CC).  Goin was a second-team All-Ohio volleyball player at Warren, and garnered first-team All-America honors for the SSU women’s basketball team as a freshman in 2001.  "All four of them will help us," Rader continues. "With neither of our starting middles from last year with us to start the 2001 season, the addition of Mandy couldn’t have come at a better time.  Anne has some nice skills, and brings two years of college playing experience with her from Sinclair.  I told Chelsey and Kristi when I recruited them that I felt they could both help us right away.  With this recruiting class we’ve significantly improved our talent level and our depth."  Rounding out the Bears’ newcomers are a pair of walk-on freshmen, middle/outside hitter Leah Fulton (Seaman/North Adams H.S.) and setter Sarah Crull (New Paris/National Trail H.S.).

The 2001 schedule will provide plenty of challenges for Rader’s squad, as the addition of five new schools into the American Mideast Conference will force the Bears to play a 23-match league schedule. SSU will play only nine non-conference matches, compared to 23 last season.  "There will be no room for a let down," Rader notes. "With so many more conference games, every game is important. We will have fewer opportunities to use the non-conference schedule to improve." As far as the teams to beat in the AMC, Rader notes, "We’ve been looking up at the same five teams since I took over as coach at SSU: Mt. Vernon Nazarene, Malone, Walsh, Cedarville, and Ohio Dominican. They have been the class of the conference.  How we do against those teams will go a long way in determining the season we have.

"We had a really good off-season," Rader concludes.  "We improved our athleticism, and addressed some concerns in our defense.  Couple that with the winning season we had last year, and I really feel like our players understand now what it will take for us to continue that success."