MONDAY, JUNE 25, 2001
Area volleyball club to play in national competition
By Cathy Willoughby
Staff Writer
The thunk of volleyballs hitting outstretched hands resonated through Hopewell-Loudon's gymnasium last week.
The hands belong to the 12-year-old members of the Black Swamp Volleyball Club at one of their many practices. They are preparing to compete in the National Junior Olympic Championship in Sandy City, Utah, July 1-3.
The team consists of five players from Hopewell-Loudon, four from Tiffin Middle School and an 11-year-old girl from Ottawa-Glandorf. This is the second year the club team has been in existence.
The team won a regional competition at the University of Dayton the first weekend in April to qualify for the national tournament.
"The top two teams get to qualify,'' said Melissa Ison, whose daughter Ashley Cook is on the team. "There will be a total of 48 12-year-old teams nationwide competing, including Puerto Rico. There will be three teams from Ohio.''
Those Ohio teams, including one from Toledo and one from the Cleveland area, have arranged to scrimmage with the local team to prepare for the national competition.
"We have hosted scrimmages with them fairly regularly,'' Ison added. "There has become quite a camaraderie between the three teams.''
Membership in the volleyball club team is by invitation only.
"You are invited to be part of the club team,'' Ison added. "Most teams have try-outs, but the coach (Dave Ulmer) hand-selects the teammates.''
A total of 41 people are traveling to the tournament. The costs of the girls' traveling expenses were covered by fund raisers.
"The girls did a fund raiser for their coach and entry fees,'' Ison said. "They had a serve-a-thon and raised $200. The team has a 92 percent serving average.''
Now, in preparation, the girls and their families meet for practice four times a week and for one scrimmage a week.
Ulmer also teaches at Old Fort school and coaches Hopewell-Loudon junior high volleyball during the school year. Dave Reinhart is the club's director. He said the club itself has been in existence since 1996, when they started with a team of 17-year-olds.
Their season begins in December and normally ends the last week in May. "The last couple of months have been much more intense,'' Ison said. "They are guaranteed at least seven games over a three-day spread.''
Because of all of the time spent together, the parents of team members have grown close, Ison said. Several of the 12-year-olds have sisters on the 17-year-old team, making the groups close.
"And after each of the tournaments we go out to new places to eat,'' Ison said. "Dave (Ulmer) knows all of these unique, out-of-the-way restaurants.''
"We are very blessed that we have a close group of girls,'' she said. "With the tournaments, we have a really good drive there. They last all day, and then we go out and eat. The day starts at 5 a.m. and we won't get back until 9 or 10 at night.''
Amber Smith from Hopewell-Loudon School has played volleyball since the fourth grade. "Spiking the ball'' was the reason she cited volleyball as her favorite sport.
"I'm a little bit nervous,'' she said of the tournament. "But I think we are going to do good.''
"Volleyball is more challenging,'' said Tiffin student Meghan Florence. "I have to work a lot harder.''
"I just enjoy it a lot more than other sports,'' 11-year-old Maddie Shalter, from Ottawa-Glandorf, said. "My teammates are really nice and stuff. It's a good experience for us and fun.''
Kaylee Adams of Hopewell-Loudon has been playing since the second grade.
"I enjoy playing it. I just enjoy it a lot more than other sports,'' she said. "It's kind of an emotional challenge as well though. I think playing on the club team will prepare us for high school, give us more experience.''
"It's very exciting to see how far the girls have come,'' Ison added. "They are learning one another's strengths and weaknesses and working together to complement all of that.''