Sunday, November 07, 1999
NORTHERN KY. INSIDER
NKU volleyball team begins quest for national title
BY NEIL SCHMIDT
The Cincinnati Enquirer
This is a tale of Norse and knees, of depth and determination trumping injuries and illness.
With the Great Lakes Valley Conference volleyball tournament beginning Thursday at Northern Kentucky University, the host school begins the most promising postseason in its athletic history. NKU (27-1) is No.3 in NCAA Division II, its highest ranking in history, and seems set to stalk the school's first national championship in any sport.
None of which coach Mary Biermann could have imagined had she known she'd lose two starters to knee surgeries and a backup to a ruptured appendix.
“It has been amazing,” she said. “This just goes back to team strength and personal strength.”
And, in large part, Bethany Gastright. The sophomore from Holy Cross returned from her own major knee surgery to steady a shrinking lineup.
“I had no idea what to expect this year,” Gastright said. “But we've shown that everybody plays an important part. When we all play together — well, you can tell by our record.”
In early 1998, Gastright ranked as this program's least likely savior. She had verbally committed to NKU's volleyball team but figured her scholarship offer was endangered after tearing her ACL in her senior basketball season.
Biermann called as soon as she heard. No problem. Come on in and sign, then take your time rehabbing.
Playing just six months after surgery and slowed by a weighty brace, Gastright still had a decent freshman season. A middle hitter, she had to move to outside hitter when All-Great Lakes Region star Jenni Long went down with a knee injury.
“It was tough, being a freshman and learning a new position in a pressure (postseason) situation,” Gastright said. “But I was so much more comfortable this year because of that experience.”
NKU returned five starters from that Elite Eight team, but Long reinjured her knee at the start of this season. When she returned, another starter — defensive specialist Liz Lamping — was lost for the year. Middle hitter Amy Ryan's aforementioned appendix has left her hospitalized.
Gastright took Long's outside hitter spot and bloomed. She stands second on the team in hitting percentage (.309) and kills (356) is the reigning GLVC Player of the Week. Long, still hobbled, has been able to inherit Lamping's spot and anchor the defense.
Star senior Jenny Jeremiah has again been brilliant, and junior setter Bobbi Casey (St. Henry) has excelled in her first season as a starter.
“Bethany's play has been critical,” Biermann said. “I wouldn't call her a surprise, but she's definitely one of the most improved.
“It's fitting — one recovered injured player taking over for another. The key to any successful program is depth.”
NKU has won its last 29 home matches and owns a 48-match home winning streak against GLVC foes. If next weekend it wins a third consecutive GLVC title — setting a school record — it will host the Great Lakes Regional Nov. 20-21 and have the inside track to another Elite Eight berth.
“Everybody would love to win the national championship,” Gastright said. “Despite everything (troublesome) that has happened, we're still in position. We're ready to go for it.”
CLASH OF THE TITANS: Kentucky's top two football titlists meet next year for the first time when Highlands plays Louisville Trinity in a season-opening bowl game.
Highlands, which has won a Kentucky-best 13 state titles, and Trinity, a 12-time champion, will meet at 6 p.m. Aug. 19 in the Recreation Bowl at Montgomery County High School in Mount Sterling.
“It's really exciting to have this matchup,” Highlands coach Dale Mueller said. “We like to play the best teams we can.”
Highlands is trying to line up another heavyweight for the following week: the annual St. Luke Hospitals Champions Bowl Aug. 26. Then it gets a return visit from Cincinnati power Elder in Week Four.
DAWN MADNESS: Newport Central Catholic folks knew the Ronny Dawn hype was big when newspapers reported last month he was in attendance at Kentucky's Midnight Madness. He had been invited there — several schools invited Dawn — but he instead attended Xavier's Madness.
The NewCath junior, named Northern Kentucky's top player in a preseason coaches poll, is already his school's most recruited basketball player ever. And that's only heating up, as UK, Clemson, Ohio State, Xavier and others make weekly contact — either with mailings or by calling NewCath's coach, father Ron Dawn.
The 6-foot-1 guard averaged 19.7 points, 3.2 rebounds and 3.0 assists last year but made his name at Pittsburgh's Five-Star Camp and on the Kentucky Nike Senior All-Star traveling team. Dawn set single-game and tournament records for 3-pointers at the AAU state tournament this summer.
HALL OF FAME: The Northern Kentucky High School Soccer Coaches Association has announced its 1999-2000 Hall of Fame inductees:
• Ed Lett, Dixie Heights boys coach from 1986-91.
• Pat Noll, all-state Covington Catholic defender in 1985 and '86; played on three state tournament teams.
• Mark Behan, Covington Latin goalie from 1983-86.
• Jeff Biedenharn, St. Henry midfielder who made the All-Midwest Region team in 1986.
They will be honored at the Coaches Association all-star banquet, held 7 p.m. Nov. 22 at Thomas More College's Seiler Commons. For tickets ($18), call Tim Dressman at 342-8829.
Neil Schmidt is The Enquirer's Northern Kentucky sports reporter. Call him at 578-5582 or send e-mail to nschmidt@enquirer.com.
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