COLUMBUS, Ohio – For the second consecutive year, the Capital University volleyball program will be under the direction of a new head coach, this time with
Rosanna Sguerra at the helm.
Last season, Capital volleyball made a turn for the better, improving upon a 2020-21 record of 1-18 to finish 7-15 in the more normal 2021 season. Heading into 2022, the program will have to continue that positive momentum under Sguerra's outlook for the team.
Sguerra, who joins Capital from Kenyon College, will rely on her ability to build relationships and to mentor her student-athletes to lead to success on the floor this coming year. A former assistant on a Coach of the Year staff in the NCAC conference, Sguerra has proven success coaching the game, and Cap volleyball is eager to get started in this new era.
PRESS REWIND ON 2021
Capital continued to deal with the many challenges brought on by Covid-19 last season as the team lost out on numerous contests due to protocol concerns. Despite those challenges, the team took to the floor with a positive outlook and picked up some strong results, including winning four out of their last five matches of the season. Wins came against Washington & Jefferson, Wooster, Kenyon, St. Vincent, Thiel, Wilmington, and Hiram.
WELCOME BACK
Coming back in 2022, the program will be missing a couple of key contributors in
Delanie Nahikian offensively and
Erin O'Connell defensively. Despite the graduation of those two key players, many returners have had some great success on the floor. Returning to guide the offense is setter
Jordyn Hoffman who took over main responsibilities as a freshman. Hoffman recorded 464 assists and 34 kills in her debut year. She also contributed 105 digs and 15 blocks on the defensive side.
Looking to feed off the setting from Hoffman will be returning attackers
Sydney LaPointe,
Lindsay Rich,
Alissa Holler,
Caleigh Hamby,
Larissa Smith and
Regina Cetnarowski. That group combined to amass 407 kills in 2021. This contingent of players has also contributed heavily defensively as they added up for 134 digs and 106 blocks.
Specific defensive specialists returning to the back row will be
Paree Furness and
Michaela Recker. Furness tallied 117 digs, while Recker recorded 52 scoop ups.
With the total roster number sitting at 24 entering the year, there will be plenty of additional players back and several new faces that will certainly be in the conversation for a spot in the rotation throughout the preseason.
LOOKING AT THE SCHEDULE
Capital will be opening the season with a slew of non-conference matches in the form of four tournaments, and four head-to-head matches. The season will open up at the Cedar Point Tournament, hosted by Heidelberg University on September 2nd and 3rd. There, Cap will play Allegheny, St. Mary's, Adrian and Thiel. After a single match with Wooster on September 7th, Capital will come back to the Capital Center for their home opening weekend. Capital will host the Pam Briggs Classic on September 9th and 10th with multiple teams descending onto Columbus, Ohio for the weekend. Capital will play Hanover, Defiance and Earlham over that weekend. Capital's next tournament will be hosted by Wooster where Capital will play four more games. The final tournament of the year will be the Beaver Fall Classic where Cap will play the hosts Bluffton and Rochester on September 24th.
OAC play will commence for Capital on October 1st as Capital will host Otterbein at 11 a.m. Then, the Comets will travel to Wilmington before hosting perennial power Ohio Northern on October 8th. Capital will follow those matches up with home contests against Muskingum (Oct. 12), Marietta (Oct. 19), and John Carrol (Oct. 22). The team will also travel to play Mount Union (Oct. 15), Heidelberg (Oct. 26), and Baldwin Wallace (Oct. 29).
