New school year, new season, new faces and new uniforms. There is a renewed sense of hope for BGSU volleyball, and we are filled with immense anticipation for the excitement to come from the hardwood in 2024.
Unless you have been following BGSU volleyball with a microscope over the offseason, there will inevitably be some notice of the lack of mainstay names from previous seasons and surprise at the number of newcomers for the Orange and Brown.
“This is the biggest incoming class we’ve had in my time at BG,” said senior and defensive specialist Lindsey LaPinta. “There definitely comes change, but this group is special because of the change they are bringing. Not only are they talented, but they have immediately bought into the program.”
Outside Hitters
For the second year in a row, powerful outside hitter (OH) Petra Indrova will not start the season on the floor. The rest of the OH position took more hits as both Hannah Best and Kat Mandly graduated away from the team. Best left as a junior after her “best” of three seasons, while Mandly finished as one of the most reliable players on the team.
Yet even with three huge offensive losses, head coach Danijela Tomic managed to strengthen the position.
Senior Mia Tyler will be the leading returner for the Falcons after tallying 303 kills, 38 digs and 322.5 points in last year’s campaign. Redshirt freshman Edyta Waclawczyk is also returning to the position after an injury derailed her in 2023.
Senior Jordan Newblatt, junior Paige Parlanti, sophomore Marija Tabak and freshman Marin Dunaway have been added to the position.
In 2023, Newblatt totaled almost 300 kills, a .249 hitting percentage and 329 points with Marist College. Her additional veteran experience and leadership qualities with a young team are just as important as her play on the court.
“I was excited to have a senior transfer come in,” said LaPinta. “Not only is she talented and has collegiate experience, but she has stepped in as a leader. Even though she’s new, everyone, including myself, looks up to her.”
Parlanti, a transfer from Vincennes University, recorded 514 kills, a .284 hitting percentage, 408 digs and 603 points last season. Adding Tabak’s 264 kills and .267 hitting percentage, along with Dunaway out of North Allegheny High School, Tomic will undoubtedly have decisions to make with six options and only one spot on the floor.
“I felt we balanced our age better with the transfers rather than having all new incoming freshmen,” said Tomic. “We had a big group graduating, and our recruiting was smart because of that.”
Defensive Specialists
On the back end, even more players need to be addressed.
Defensive specialists (DS) Alex Laboy and Benedetta Marcon are no longer on the team, spanning a gap of 218 sets played and 575 digs between both backs. In addition, Laboy assumed much of the libero responsibilities for the Falcons, another gap that will need to be filled before the first game on Aug. 24.
Like the OH, a handful of players were brought in to fill the gaps in the back line. Unlike the front, all three newcomers, Avery Anders, Katherine Eigner and Sydnie Hernandez, are freshmen.
Anders was a team captain at St. Joseph Academy in 2023 and earned a spot on the American Volleyball Coaches Association All-American Watch List. Eigner led her high school, St. Ursula, to back-to-back Detroit Catholic High School League championships. Hernandez attended Normal Community West High School in Illinois, where she set the program record for career digs and was a two-year captain.
“What I’m most impressed with is their commitment to getting better every day,” said LaPinta joyfully. “It’s easy to get down on yourself, but they are doing a good job of holding their own against older girls.”
The youth of the DS position places much of the back-row burden on the shoulders of leading senior LaPinta and sophomore Isabelle Laube. In 2024, LaPinta assumed a similar role to Laboy, while Laube played six total sets in her first year and recorded only six reception attempts and one dig.
“I feel grateful to be a role model for them (newcomers) and teach them the ways we do things,” said LaPinta. “I’ve seen immense growth in my position specifically, and I’m glad we have a team full of depth. I think that the most reliable teams aren’t dependent on two players to carry the load.”
Setters
Also new on the back row is Anna Sitek, a setter from Katowice, Poland. Her accolades from Poland include four-time Best Setter and six-time MVP in nationwide tournaments, Best Server and two-time MVP of the State Championships and three gold, two silver and a bronze medal from various Polish championships.
The setter position has a massive statistical gap to fill by the transfer of previous setter Jaden Walz. Walz transferred to Washington State University for her graduate year of volleyball after a 987-assist season, the most on the team by 630, and a 245-dig season, good for second on the team. Nearly as important were Walz’s communication and leadership skills, the emotional heartbeat of the 2023 Falcon success.
Amanda Otten will be the primary option for BG this season after a fantastic freshman endeavor. Before her season-ending injury last October, Otten played multiple positions, recording 152 points, 113 kills, 257 assists, 80 digs and 42 blocks in 62 sets played.
Middle Blockers
The last newcomer to the Falcons is middle blocker Cecily Waynar. At Amherst Steele High School in 2023, Waynar landed 315 kills with a hitting percentage over .340 and blocks north of 100.
She joins an already established middle with senior Alexis Mettille and junior Jessica Andrews. Mettille and Andrews walled the net last year, scoring 338 points, 230 kills and 159 blocks.
“Jessica and Alexis are playing at a high level right now,” said Tomic. “They both took their game to the next level since last season and will play a big part in our team’s success this year. Their experience and leadership are also invaluable.”
Opposite Hitter
Lauryn Hovey is one of if not the most impressive players on the remarkable team’s roster. As an opposite hitter in 2023, Hovey achieved the 500-kill mark, while also commandeering 80 assists, 182 digs and 601 points.
Hovey’s power is a supreme asset to the Falcons. Standing at 6’0, the junior is immensely strong with a stifling spike, landing 30 percent of hits last season, second amongst the team last season.
The most incredible detail about many of these talents mentioned? Youth. A recurring theme with the Falcons, who have, in total, only seven upperclassmen on the 18-woman roster.
“We are young,” said Tomic. “But we have a great core of returning players who are being great leaders, setting the tone for everybody, and I can tell the chemistry is great. They get along, work hard and do everything we ask them to do.”
Coach Tomic leads aside associate coaches Alex DelPiomboand Alison Cooke, the longest-tenured coaching staff in the Mid-American Conference (MAC). This crew has a record of 99-24 since their first season together in 2017. Why change what has worked so well?
The season-opening series will take place in the Stroh Center during the Hampton Inn Invitational, the first game played on the “Mo and Jon Stansbery Court.” This new Taraflex court will be debuted on Aug. 30 underneath Bowling Green and Chicago State.
