Volleyball Preview Part 7: Youngstown State

Aug. 23, 2005

New Coach Bonner Leads Penguins into 2005 As the 2005 season approaches, the Youngstown State volleyball program enters its 31st season under the guidance of new Head Coach Joe Bonner, the seventh head coach in the school's history.

Bonner, who spent the last two seasons as an assistant coach at Dayton, inherits a team with eight letterwinners and five starters returning from a team which won its first Horizon League Tournament match last season.

"I think this is an exciting time for Youngstown State volleyball,"Bonner said. "Implementing a new system will be a challenge for us but I'm confident our returning players will make the proper adjustments.

"We also have a talented group of newcomers entering our program so the future of the Youngstown State volleyball is bright."

Setter
Leading the Penguins in 2005 is four-year starting setter Angie Pasquinelli, who ranks third all-time with 2,819 career assists. She needs just 181 assists to become the third player in school history to collect 3,000 assists during her career.

Freshman Karla Everhart, a 5-foot-10 setter, guided her prep squad to a 28-1 record and a state runner-up finish in 2004 and will push for playing time.

"With a three-year starting setter returning to lead the offense always gives you a foot up on the competition," Bonner said. "Angie (Pasquinelli) is probably our most experienced player and we will look to her for floor leadership. She is a key to our offensive success."

Outside Side Hitter
One of the Penguins main offensive threats in 2005 is sophomore outside hitter Jessica Fraley, who was named to the Horizon League All-Newcomer Team last season. During her first season, Fraley impressed by leading the Penguins with 360 kills, a new YSU freshman record, and 3.13 kills per game.

Senior Crystal Duncan will also play a big role on the right side with her blocking capabilities.

Probably one of the most athletic players of the squad is junior outside hitter Cari Leslie, who returns as one of the team's top all-around players.

Leslie slammed 262 kills, 2.45 kills per game and recorded 290 digs last season for the Penguins.

Leslie is joined on the outside by freshman Ebony Barbosa and junior college All-American Tracy O'Bonna. Barbosa, who stands 5-foot-9, was an all-state selection last season while O'Bonna ranked third in the nation with a .479 hitting percentage and 13th nationally with 3.9 kills per game.

"Our outsides are a very athletic group," Bonner said. "These positions are going to be a key to our success this season. We need to be smart, aggressive and be able to put the ball away and I think we have the players to do that."

Middle Hitters
In the middle, seniors Abby Ettenhofer and Katie Shea combined to average more than four kills and almost two blocks per game.

Ettenhofer tallied 2.06 kills per game while hitting at a .216 clip and Shea recorded 2.03 kills and 1.17 blocks per game, which led the team.

Freshman Michelle MacMunn, who set the career kills and blocks records at North Gwinnett High School, will also be in the mix in the middle. MacMunn was also a two-time all-county selection and ranks ninth in the state in career blocks.

"In the middle, we are fortunate to have two players with experience in Abby (Ettenhofer) and Katie (Shea)," Bonner said. "They need to be big factors at the net defensively and offensively for us."

Defensive Specialists/Libero
In the back row, juniors Amanda Cindric and Janelle McDonald provide a solid defensive back line for the Penguins.

Last season, Cindric, who spent most of her time as the libero, led YSU with 294 digs and 3.06 digs per game while McDonald added 145 digs for a 2.45 digs per game average.

Newcomer Jenna Troff, from Coraopolis, Pa., adds depth to the back row of defense.

"We have a really solid group of back-row players who play with a lot of tenacity and enjoy their role," Bonner said. "We need to be able to dig balls up and get into our offensive rhythm to give us an opportunity to win.

Just like other sports, we have to have a strong defense in order to win matches and championships."

Story Provided by Jamie Hall, YSU Sports Information