Bryan varsity volleyball players celebrate after winning a point in their match against Reinhardt last week / Triangle photo by Maddie K. Doucet

Sebastian Fischer
Sports Reporter

The Bryan College volleyball team (19-17, 13-3 in AAC) remains a force on its home court. The Lions took down conference powerhouse Union College (Barbourville, Kent.) 3-1 (25-18, 15-25, 25-21, 25-17) Saturday night and are now unbeaten for eight consecutive games in Summers Gymnasium. The win ended Bryan’s regular season and solidified second place in the conference standings.

In front of packed stands, the Lions came out of the locker room on fire and dominated the first set against the favored Bulldogs, who came to Dayton with a 13-1 conference record (16-14 overall). But while Union seemed lethargic and uptight, the Lions displayed pure joy at playing.

“We all understood the importance of a win [over Union] and played with a desire that hadn’t been there the last games,” said senior Chelsie Blackburn, explaining the extraordinary amount of energy on the part of the Lions.

Bryan won the first set by seven points, led offensively by freshman Kerrie Reinhardt who eventually recorded eleven kills for the whole match.

In the second set however, the Bulldogs stepped up their game and proved why they are the AAC table-toppers. Union took care of the ball on defense and executed with precision, beating the Lions by ten.

What followed was a contested third set. Especially in the beginning, the lead switched back and forth, never exceeding a one-point margin. After the intermediate result of 9-9, the Lions then pulled clear as they dominated the game at the net. The Union offense couldn’t handle the Bryan block, anchored by junior Kaylan Dilts and freshman Makenzie Sindelar, and in return had no answer to the Lions’ offensive fire power.

“Bryan played better on defense today and created better opportunities,” said Union coach Chuck Amshoff after the game.

The Lions went ahead as far as 21-12 and it looked like an assured set-win for Bryan, but Union scored seven points in a row as Bryan was sitting on 24 and made it a three-point game. Then, however, Lion’s Coach David Shumaker took a strategic timeout to break up the Bulldog’s streak and no other than the outstanding Dilts secured the set for Bryan with a block.

The fourth set was another display of Bryan’s defensive composure and offensive execution. The game stayed on even terms until midway through the set; when Bryan pulled clear again with a 4-0 streak. While Bryan was up 13-11, Union had the chance to retaliate but a dive by senior Caroline Aldridge prevented the Bulldogs from scoring. In the same play, Blackburn hammered down the ball for one of her nine kills that night – the Bulldogs never rebounded.

It was up to Blackburn, one of six graduating seniors in their final home appearance for the Lions, to end the game. Off a set from freshman Taylor Fink, who recorded an outstanding 38 assists and was named the AAC Setter of the Week, Blackburn spiked the ball for a kill.

To “this is our house” cheers from the Bryan fans, the Lions celebrated their deserved victory. They look ahead to the conference tournament with a great amount of confidence.

“We want to play like we know how to, and come out on top,” said Dilts.

Blackburn added that she feels confident in her team’s abilities: “If we play our game, we can take the conference championship.”

As the second seed, Bryan will face seventh seeded Reinhardt University in the quarterfinals on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. The site of the tournament is Bristol, Tenn.

[Triangle photos by Maddie K. Doucet]

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Sophomore outside hitter Chelsea Breaden (left) leaps for the ball in the match against Columbia College this past Saturday / Triangle photo by Maddie K. Doucet

Samuel Gilbertson
Guest Writer

The Bryan Lions women’s volleyball team continued its winning ways on Saturday afternoon, defeating the Columbia College Koalas (S.C.) in an intense battle that took all 5 sets to resolve (18-25, 19-25, 25-15, 25-22, 15-13).  Led by the impressive performance of sophomore outside hitter Carolyn Evans and freshman setter Taylor Fink, the Lady Lions came back to win the final three sets after losing the first two.

Coach David Shumaker was thankful to come away with the victory against a tough conference opponent.

“Trying to overcome an 0-2 deficit is difficult, but when you do, it’s always nice to see the girls gain self-confidence,” he said.  “You have to learn how to come back against tough teams like this.”

With the win, Bryan improved its record to 9-11 overall and moved into a tie with Union College (Ken.) for first place in the conference. Both teams are 7-1 in the ACC.  After a poor start to the season, the Lions have won seven of their last eight games, including an impressive six game win streak at home.

That streak looked to be in jeopardy on Saturday, however, when Columbia (13-8, 5-3 AAC) clearly outplayed the Lions through the first two sets.

“I think we just came out flat at the start—we weren’t mentally engaged,” Shumaker said.  “Columbia plays a different style than we are used to playing against, and it took us a while to adjust.”

In the third set, however, the Lions got back on track, grabbing an early lead that eventually built into a convincing 25-15 win.  After Columbia responded by jumping ahead to begin the fourth set, Bryan mounted a comeback to win 25-22 and forced the deciding set.

Although the Lions seemed to have taken most of the momentum, their 11-6 advantage in the final set quickly vaporized as Columbia went on a 5-0 run to even the set at 11.  However, Bryan regained the lead, winning both the set and the game.

The Lions were led by the efforts of Evans (16 kills), Fink (38 sets) and sophomore outside hitter Chelsea Breaden (10 kills).  Although young, all three girls have developed into a strong core of for the team and give Bryan reason to expect continued good play for the years ahead.

Next week, the Lady Lions travel to Montgomery, Alabama to play in the Faulkner University Tournament on Oct. 7-8.  Shumaker said the team is looking forward to the break in playing conference opponents, and that he was excited to have the chance to give more playing time to some of the reserves over the upcoming weekend of games.

The Lions will have to wait for the chance to continue their winning streak at home.  They do not play at Bryan again until Reinhardt University (Ga.) comes to Dayton on Nov. 1.

[Triangle photos by Maddie K. Doucet]

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Senior right side Chelsie Blackburn reflects the ball back to Tenn. Wesleyan / Triangle photo by Cat Rogers

Cat Rogers
Editor-In-Chief

[Triangle photos by Cat Rogers]

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Lady Lions Caroline Evans (#4) and Laura Adams (#20) attempt to block the ball from coming to their side of the net in Friday night's game against Milligan College / Triangle photo by Chloe Pool

Samuel Gilbertson
Guest Writer

The Lady Lions capped off a busy week of volleyball with back to back wins this weekend, beating Milligan College (Tenn.) 3-1 on Friday and Montreat (N.C.) College 3-0 on Saturday.

Friday’s match with the Milligan Buffaloes (6-10, 5-2 AAC) was a hotly contested affair, as evidenced by the first set, which Bryan (7-11, 5-1 AAC) narrowly won, 30-28. The two teams split the next two sets before the Lions won the fourth set decisively, 25-17.

Coach David Shumaker was pleased with how his Lady Lions played, and noted that Friday’s win was a boost to his team’s confidence.

“It was a huge win for us,” he said. “I think we had lost some confidence with the losses early on in the season, but we’ve played a tough schedule.”

In his first year as the Lion’s head coach, Shumaker is starting to see his team make significant progress.

“We are growing as a team. We’re hitting the ball smarter and placing it well instead of just hitting it hard,” he said.

He noted the impressive play of sophomore outside hitter Chelsea Breaden, who had 18 kills, and the consistency of freshman setter Taylor Fink, who had 50 sets.

“Taylor is really not playing like she is a freshman—she has really been looking experienced out there,” said Shumaker.

The Lions carried their momentum into Saturday’s game against the reigning conference champions, the Montreat Cavaliers (8-9, 4-2 AAC).

After a slow start in the first set, the Lions made a furious comeback to win. While the second set was also close, Bryan had control for the rest of the game, winning the second set 25-22 and the third set 25-21 to complete the sweep. The win puts Bryan narrowly behind Union College (7-10, 6-1 AAC) at the top of the conference.

Although Shumaker felt his girls weren’t on the top of their game on Saturday, he was satisfied with the win.

“I thought we were a little off, but we were able to claw back into the game and win,” he said. “Chesea Breaden and Taylor Fink again played great, but I think our Caroline Evans was our ace in the hole [Saturday] afternoon.”

After starting the year 2-10, the Lions have hit a hot streak, winning five of their last six matches. All five wins have come at home, a streak they hope to continue at home when the Tennessee Wesleyan Bulldogs visit Bryan this Tuesday night.

Tennessee Wesleyan has struggled to begin the year and is winless in conference play. Tuesday’s game begins at 7 p.m.

[Triangle photos by Chloe Pool]

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Senior middle blocker Chelsie Blackburn led the offfense for the Lady Lions with 13 kills in Wednesday night's game against Shorter University / Triangle photo by Maddie Doucet

Shane Vicry
Reporter

Bryan’s campus welcomed first year Head Coach David Shumaker and the 2011 Lady Lion volleyball team with a packed house for the team’s home-opener against Shorter University (Rome, Ga.) on Wednesday night.

The Lady Lions began the season short several key senior players, but looked to build momentum behind a raucous crowd.

Feeding off the home court atmosphere, the Lady Lions seemed poised to defend their turf as they roared out to a two sets to none lead. Unfortunately, Shorter was able to turn the tide, rallying to hand Bryan a 3-2 loss (26-24, 25-22, 13-25, 12-25, 6-15).

Trailing 23-18 in the opening set, the Lady Lions clawed back to a 23-23 tie. After saving a set point, the home team saw a Shorter ball sail long to complete the 26-24 comeback. The rally was keyed by outstanding defensive work from senior libero Caroline Aldridge and timely plays from the front line.

Bryan co-captain senior Chelsie Blackburn dominated affairs in the second set, posting back-to-back blocks and consecutive kills over a crucial five-point span to swing things in the Lions’ favor. Fellow captain senior Jessica Kaya also played well and finally closed things out with a kill after a few squandered opportunities at set point.

The Lady Lions looked in position to make it an early evening, trailing just 10-11 in a tight third set that could have closed Shorter out. It was at that point, however, that Bryan showed the signs of a team still learning to close out an opponent on the ropes, allowing the visitors to snare control of the contest with a devastating 14-3 run. Bryan was never really able to recover, and will take from this contest nothing more than a learning experience that will hopefully help them later in this young season.

The Lady Lions’ record now sits at 2-7 for the season. They have yet to begin conference play.

[Triangle photos by Maddie Doucet]

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Office 212 in Summers Gym sits empty with the title “Women’s Volleyball” on the door.  This fall it will be filled by a veteran volleyball coach with almost 20 years of experience.

David Shumaker spent the last 10 years as the head coach at Baptist Bible College (Clarks Summit, Pa.) where he also taught several Bible courses.

“[Volleyball] kind of grew on me,” said Shumaker.  “I loved to play when I was younger and I started coaching so that I could play more.”

Shumaker has already run several practices with the women’s volleyball team and has set some clear goals for next season.

“My [goal] this year is to get to know this team, develop the individuals on the team and then develop the team as a competitive unit,” said Shumaker.

Although he has high expectations for the team, Shumaker looks at winning as a by-product of having a life that puts Christ “front and center.”

Currently, senior Alison Young is working with the volleyball team on strength and conditioning.

“He is clearly a man who loves God and wants to elevate Christ through his team,” said Young.  “His coaching style is very energetic and competitive.  It keeps the team excited throughout the few practices he has been able to run with them.”

The women’s volleyball team is extremely well trained, according to Shumaker.

“It’s not like we are trying to climb up to the base camp for the final ascent to Everest.  We’re already at the base camp. Now it’s making that final ascent to the championship, and the potential is there to do it.  So I’m looking forward to giving it our best effort,” said Shumaker.

Shumaker and his wife, Joanna, and their two children (Drew, 16, Danielle, 13) will be moving to the Dayton area by the end of June.

Fun Facts:

-       Shumaker was born in Japan

-       Was a missionary kid for 12 years

-       Coached football for a year

-       Met his wife through volleyball

-       Favorite Quote: “Replacing Coach Sayles felt like replacing a rock star.”

The women's volleyball team says goodbye to Head Coach Leo Sayles who leaves Bryan for Gardner-Webb University / Photo courtesy of junior Chelsie Blackburn

Erika Simpson
Assistant Editor

Head Volleyball Coach Leo Sayles, after seven years at Bryan College, cleaned out his office and left for Gardner-Webb University (Boiling Springs, NC) where he has accepted their head volleyball coach offer. Sayles said he interviewed for the job on Jan. 31 and received their offer on Feb. 4.

Gardner-Webb University is a NCAA division I school and a Christian college, according to Sayles.

Sayles said that he heard about the job through a trainer on staff at Gardner-Webb, who had been his trainer at Bryan in 2006. He knew a lot about the school from her and she spoke to the athletic director, which “opened the door” for him.

Before this offer, Sayles said that in the last few years, he has had some other schools interested in him applying for a coaching job, but that there are few schools he would leave Bryan for. He said he knew that if the job at Gardner-Webb was offered to him, then it was because God wanted him to go there.

“I love Bryan College, my friends here, the athletic department and my players especially, and I’ve appreciated the student support throughout our run here the past seven years, and this feels like home,” he said “But I also have to be concerned about my family and their needs, and I have to be sensitive to what God is doing in my life.”

He called a meeting with his team on Feb. 7 and announced to them that he would be leaving on Friday to take the Gardner-Webb job. He said he told them early that morning because he did not want the news “trickling out to them.”

“I’m sure that some feel that I’m deserting them, but I hope they don’t,” Sayles said.

Junior Jessica Jones said that the announcement came as a shock to her because Sayles had not mentioned that he was thinking about leaving.

“I was really surprised and sad because I was looking forward to next year and building up the team,” she said.

The upcoming seniors are showing a lot of leadership, according to Sayles, and so is senior Alison Young who is helping lead them in off-season training. The sense of pride and ownership the team has in itself will help them next year, according to Sayles, as they adjust to a new coach. He said he desires for them to make it to the NAIA championships.

“They will always be my team,” he said. “And I want them to complete that task.”

Having a new coach will be a change, according to Jones, but she said she thinks it will be a good change.

“We can’t replace Coach Sayles, but it’ll be good having a new perspective,” Jones said. “I’m excited to see what the new coach brings to the team.”

Sayles said that Bryan is in the process of looking for a new volleyball coach. As for the classes that he taught, Women’s Soccer Coach Mark Sauve is taking over the bowling class, and Adjunct Professor Josh Bogle is taking over the volleyball class with the help of some of the volleyball players, according to Sayles.

Sayles left Bryan on Friday, Feb. 11 to move to N.C. over the weekend, and said that his family will follow him when their house sells in Dayton, or they finish the school year.

He said that he will miss the tight-knit circle of friends in the athletic department along with his relationships with his players and the beauty of Bryan’s campus.

“I truly am grateful for the chance that Dr. Zensen gave me here. Dr. Zensen and Dr. Livesay took a risk with someone who didn’t have head college coaching experience when they brought me in,” Sayles said. “And I am truly grateful for everyone who supported this team and this program, and my prayer is that they will support them even more as they go through this transition.”

The Bryan volleyball team played against both Montreat College (Black Mountain, N.C.) and Milligan College (Elizabethton, Tenn.) last weekend emerging with both a loss and a win, making its conference record 9-4.

Because of recent health problems Head Coach Leo Sayles was unable to attend either match. Instead, the Lions were led by Assistant Coach JoAnna McGill and senior Student Assistant Julie Barnett.

The girls celebrate at their home game against Milligan. The Lions won 5-2./ Photo courtesy of Daniel Impson

“We don’t have Coach here, but he has prepared us all season long so we know what to do; it’s just a matter of getting the job done,” said senior outside hitter Lauren Pratt.

The Lady Lions’ first match was against the Montreat Cavaliers on Friday with neck-and-neck sets of 25-23, 25-17 and 25-21, but the Lions dropped all three.

“I feel like we have been able to take our losses and what we need to learn from them and apply it to the next game pretty well,” said freshman setter Rebecca Adams.

And that is what the Lady Lions did on Saturday against Milligan’s Lady Buffs.

The Lions began with a rough start, but they found a hole in the Buffs’ defense and continued to tip the ball right into that spot. The Lions took the first win 25-23.

The second set was hard for both teams, but the Buffs finished with a 25-19 win.

It was tied up, but in the next set the Lions’ energy was flowing. From the start of the set the Lions took the lead and sustained it for a 25-18 victory.

The Lions were ahead 2-1. Both teams knew this could be the final set. The crowd was tense. The teams fought hard, but the Buffs would not let the Lions take the set and finished with a 28-26 win.

“We have really had to fight for everything,” said Pratt.

The women returned to the court for their final set. It was time for the Lions to prove they were ready. It was time, as Pratt said, “to get the job done.”

Though at first the Buffs held strong, the Lions overcame with a 15-9 win and claimed the victory.

“Our girls showed a lot of heart tonight, and it was hard with Coach Sayles gone. They did a great job today coming back and redeeming themselves, and it was fun for both teams. It was an evenly matched game, so I am not surprised it went to five. I am very proud of them. Coach will be too,” said McGill.

The Lions next match will be at home against Tennessee Wesleyan College (Athens) on Tuesday Nov. 2.

Senior Kaylan Dilts/Triangle photo by Catherine Rogers

The volleyball team faced the University of Mobile, Ala., Friday night in a close four-set match and emerged victorious.

“Our game plan was basic—make sure we control our side of the net,” said Head Coach Leo Sayles.

Going into the match, the Lions knew that Mobile was a good serving team, however, they felt stronger defensively and it showed, according to Sayles.

“Our blocking and defense were very effective against Mobile,” said Sayles. “I believe [they were] caught off-guard with how well we absorbed their attacks and answered back.”

The Lions held the lead during the first set, which ended in a Bryan win of 25-23. For the majority of the remaining three sets, the Lions trailed Mobile by one to three points, losing the second set, 25-22, winning the third, 25-23, and pulling ahead in the final rally of the fourth set for the 25-23 win.

“Each point was highly contested,” said Sayles. “There were long, furious rallies, but also moments where we ran our plays to perfection.”

The closely fought match was the best so far this season, according to Sayles, and one of the better home matches in his years at Bryan.

“I feel like we really used the game plan and took advantage of what coach told us,” said junior libero Courtney Cotter. “We struggled in the second game because we were too anxious to win…but in the end we got back into stopping their [outside players] with our digs and blocks.”

Bryan’s front line turned back 11 blocks during the match and five defenders totaled double-digit digs.

“There were some strong individual performances,” said Sayles. “Most notably [freshman middle blocker] Carolyn Evans, who I jokingly called ‘Super Girl’ afterwards, [senior middle blocker] Ashley Sours in the middle, Courtney Cotter defensively, and [junior setter] Sarah Thacker.

“The combination of teamwork, competitive spirit, individual drive and sticking to the plan led to a great victory,” said Sayles. “Hopefully, we can bottle what we did and repeat the effort each time we step on the floor.”

Bryan volleyball hosts their next conference game against Virginia Intermont College (Bristol, Va.). The match is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 8, at 7 p.m.

[Gallery photos by Catherine Rogers]

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Former homeschoolers Callie Singleton, Chelsea Breaden and Rebecca Adams study in the dorm and play together on the court/Triangle photo by Lana Douglas.

by Ericka Simpson
Assistant Editor

The women’s varsity volleyball team recruited three homeschooled athletes this year: freshmen Chelsea Breaden, Rebecca Adams and Callie Singleton. This is the first year homeschool graduates have made the varsity squad, according to Head Coach Leo Sayles.

Having a former homeschooler on a varsity team is not that unusual, according to Sayles, because homeschool athletics have broadened and now have national competitions and different associations in several sports.

Sayles said that the percentage of homeschoolers in high school athletics is still small but growing. The key to the homeschooled athletes he recruited is that all of them competed in club programs, and they all attended the volleyball camp hosted by Bryan.

“All these ladies did their homework,” Sayles said. “For any athlete–homeschool, private or public–if you don’t do some leg-work on your own, you may never get a call from a college coach saying, ‘We want you to play for us.’”

Chelsea Breaden

Outside hitter Chelsea Breaden graduated from The King’s Academy (Woodstock, Ga.), where she said she attended school twice a week and studied at home the rest of the time.

She has played volleyball for five years through Crown Athletics, a program specifically geared toward homeschoolers. She also participated in club volleyball for four years, playing with the Northwest Cobb Family YMCA, Cobb Atlanta Juniors and North Atlanta Volleyball Club.

Breaden said that Sayles was able to recruit her because she attended Bryan’s volleyball camp for several summers.

“He got to know me and watch me grow as a volleyball player,” Breaden said. “I guess he saw that I had potential.”

Transitioning from club athletics to Bryan has been an increase in intensity level, according to Breaden, but the team has been a great “support group” for her.

“I’m so glad God led me to choose Bryan,” she said. “It’s pretty much everything I could ever want in a college.”

Triangle photo by Lana Douglas

Rebecca Adams

Setter Rebecca Adams started her volleyball career in fifth grade. She said she played through Broadfording Christian Academy (Hagerstown, Md.), an accredited school with a homeschool program within in it.

She started playing club volleyball in sixth grade and competed for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Athletes in Action and the WACO/ Washington County Juniors.

During her sophomore year of high school, Adams said that she sent out her player profile to several college coaches, including Sayles.

“That summer, he invited me to his volleyball camp in order to see me play,” she said,“and from that moment on he considered me to be a recruit.”

Playing at Bryan has been a challenging transition, according to Adams, because the game here is played at a faster pace. She said she knows that her position as setter is important because her decisions can either “make or break the play/point.”

“I’ve always known that my position is a very key part of the game, but since being here I’ve come to realize how much greater my responsibilities are and how crucial it is that I contribute to my team efficiently and effectively,” Adams said.

Callie Singleton

Middle hitter Callie Singleton contacted Sayles through a family friend, Catherine Strode, who previously played volleyball at Bryan. Singleton said that the recruiting process started when she was in ninth grade.

Singleton has played volleyball since she was in eighth grade and participated in the Pulaski County Flames, an athletic organization run though a local support group called Home Educators of Greater Little Rock (Ark.).

She also played on the club volleyball team Fatchmo Volley. Even with her previous experience, she said that the transition to playing at Bryan has been rougher than she anticipated.

“It was kind of a wake-up call to be honest,” Singleton said. “I have learned so much over the past month about the game of volleyball, and it has been a great experience, and I have really grown as a volleyball player.”

Even though none of the homeschooled women will be starting this season, Sayles said that they all competed hard for their positions. He said he expects them to earn starting spots as they adjust to the “higher expectations placed on them in a faster (paced) game.”

Sayles said he also believes that there will be an increase in homeschool athletic participation as the number of homeschoolers rises, which will drive the competition up and lead to an increase in athleticism.

“For homeschoolers interested in playing college athletics, it is encouraging to know that three athletes are joining together to compete in one program and will hopefully give others incentive to pursue their dreams,” he said.