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StumbleuponWinning record serves Lebanon volleyball well
Warriors have a lot of experience back from team that made it to district a year ago.
Friday, October 03, 2008
LEBANON — A 13-2 record and a No. 13 ranking in the state Division I volleyball poll would be enough to satisfy most coaches, but Lebanon High School's Tim Mersch is setting goals higher.
Last year the Warriors were 23-2 before losing to Cincinnati Mount Notre Dame in the district. With three college-bound players returning from that team, Mersch is keeping expectations high.
"We had a good year last year," Mersch said. "We have a lot of our main players back. But we're just not where I want them right now. I think they can get better before the tournament — high expectations, I guess."
Raising those expectations are seniors Mackenzy Harper, Kendle Rollins and Haley Cuffman. All three will attend college to play volleyball, with Harper going to Auburn, Rollins headed to Liberty and Cuffman bound for Northern Michigan.
"In high school, to have three players heading to college, that's pretty good," Mersch said. "Usually, at most you have one. That's one of the reasons we have high expectations, and we have to keep working hard."
Mersch, who is in his third year at Lebanon, has watched the team grow into a powerhouse. Lebanon, in the last two years, is 37-4 overall. Its record in games played is 123-25.
"Sometimes you get a little stagnant and bored," Mersch said. "The kids think, 'we did our jobs, let's go onto the next game.' They have that mentality. That's what we're going through right now. But they've been very, very successful."
Thursday, Oct. 2, was a battle for the Greater Western Ohio Conference South Division title with Springboro. Looming ahead is the GWOC tournament, which features all 16 teams and three divisions of the conference.
"It's going to play out like the NCAA tournament," Mersch said. "That's going to be exciting. We want to win that. We want to go onto sectionals, then districts. We're taking it game by game."
The tournament gives Lebanon the chance to play in-conference foes it doesn't regularly face.
"We didn't get to play schools like Vandalia Butler or Piqua," Mersch said. "Those are good programs, and we want to play them. The last two or three rounds, it should be very competitive."
Mersch feels the tournament gives the conference the chance to showcase itself to the state.
"I think the GWOC is the second best league in the state of Ohio, next to the Girls Greater (Cincinnati) League," Mersch said. "You're talking Vandalia Butler, Beavercreek and Centerville all having good years. There are some quality schools. In such a big conference, you don't get a chance to play them all. But the tournament will give us an opportunity to play some of those schools."
