Bulldogs in control of race for WCAL volleyball
Dalton's Sara Geibel (2) hits over a block in a recent win over Hillsdale. The sophomore outside hitter has been one of the top attackers in the area this fall and is a big reason the Bulldogs entered the week in first place in the Wayne County Athletic League.
Two years ago Dalton’s volleyball team had one of the youngest rosters in the area and was officially in rebuilding mode.
Flash forward to the 2024 season and the Bulldogs are a veteran team back in the Wayne County Athletic League title chase.
Dalton entered the final full week of September with a perfect 15-0 record and a two-match advantage in the county standings.
And a lot of it has to do with the on-the-job training many of the current Bulldogs picked up over the past couple seasons.
“I think a large part of the team’s success this season is the experience that the girls have,” Dalton coach Allison Clear said. “The majority of these girls were playing varsity last year and have a lot of volleyball experience outside of high school. They have a lot of goals as a team, and they work very well together, which is helping them to accomplish their goals.”
One of those goals is to make a run at the WCAL championship, something they’re in the driver’s seat to do with just six conference matches to go and something the program hasn’t done since sharing the title with Waynedale back in 2019.
It’s also something current senior captains Madalyn Coblentz, Sophia Surmay and Lilli Ediger, among others, have been dreaming about the past couple of seasons as the Bulldogs found themselves in the bottom half of the league.
“All three of them do a fantastic job staying positive and leading the team to make everyone feel comfortable,” Clear said. “All three of those seniors play a major role every game and are integral parts of the team. Most importantly, though, is everyone on this varsity team is the reason why they have been so successful and why we are in this position.”
It truly has been a team effort as Dalton is getting contributions up and down the roster.
Coblentz, a key contributor since her freshman season, is among the area’s top defensive players as she averages 5.7 digs per set while Surmay recently surpassed the 1,000-assist mark for her career as she is closing in on 500 helpers for the fall. Ediger is the second-best hitter on the team, averaging 2.5 kills per set.
But it isn’t just upperclassmen doing damage as sophomore outside hitter Sara Geibel is one of the most versatile players locally as she leads the team in hitting (4.7 kills/set), ace serves (36 total) and second on the squad in digs (3.2 digs/set).
“Sara is an incredible player that just loves the game of volleyball,” Clear said. “She is constantly working on her skills and finding ways to get better. She is a smart player at the net and sees the court well. She can put the ball where we tell her and does well mixing up her shots to confuse the defense. She has a strong serve and can almost always serve the ball in the position that we want it to go.”
While the team still has a handful of road blocks in the closing weeks of the regular season including contests against Smithville, Waynedale and Norwayne to close out the WCAL calendar in October, Clear is excited about her team’s chances.
And it’s all thanks to the experience and work the team has put in well beyond this season to pave the way for a return to the top of the league standings.
“In past years we have struggled to finish games, and this year these girls have shown they are able to do that, but we are looking for consistency in these next couple weeks,” Clear said. “We are hoping to get some key wins as well as continuing to get better every time we step on the court to help prepare us for our postseason play.”