16th-ranked Volleyball ready to continue their dominating presence in the OAC

After competing in a conference-only spring campaign, the 16th-ranked Muskingum volleyball team is ready for another championship run in the Ohio Athletic Conference. The Muskies begin their 2021 season on Wednesday, September 1, when they host Ohio Wesleyan in the Anne C. Steele Center at 7:00 p.m.

Last spring, the Muskies won the OAC regular-season championship with a conference record of 16-2 and finished the season with an overall mark of 18-3. The Muskies won the regular-season crown outright for the first time since 1999, earning them the top seed in the OAC Tournament.

Muskingum is led by two-time OAC Coach of the Year, Hallie Cruzen. Under Cruzen's six-year tenure, the Muskies have five appearances in the OAC Tournament, including two appearances in the championship match. Last spring, Cruzen guided the Muskies to a final ranking of 16th in the American Volleyball Coaches Association Top 25 Poll. The Muskies were ranked as high as 12th during the shortened spring campaign.

The Muskies will be guided by senior captains Brooke Bigrigg, Erin Dickson, and Maddie McGee. Bigrigg, the OAC Volleyball Player of the Year honoree, ended her spring campaign leading the Muskies defensively with 356 total digs averaging 4.94 digs per set. Bigrigg also earned OAC Volleyball defensive Player of the Week during the season. Bigrigg notched 133 total kills averaging 1.85 per set, and has added 50 assists.

A First Team All-OAC honoree, McGee finished the spring campaign leading the Muskie offense with 268 total kills averaging 3.88 kills per set. She also notched a total of 184 digs and was coined OAC Volleyball Offensive Player of the Week.

Dickson, a Second Team All-OAC award winner, finished the year with a team-high of 482 assists (6.89 assists per set). She secured a total of 62 kills, 187 digs, and 10 total blocks.

Other Muskies to watch this season are junior middle hitter Emma Dunham, junior setter/outside hitter and captain Emma Conrad, sophomore middle hitter and captain Raegan Flood, sophomore middle hitter Hannah Gove, and sophomore Khloe Taylor. A Second-Team All-OAC honoree, Dunham finished the spring campaign playing in 21 matches, logging 149 kills and 64 blocks. Conrad played in 21 matches, dishing out 262 assists, grabbing 159 digs, and locking in 23 service aces. Flood finished her first season appearing in 35 sets notching 40 kills, 19 digs, and 12 total blocks. Gove finished her freshman campaign competing in 20 matches registering 46 kills, grabbing 32 digs, and 23 total blocks, while Taylor also finished her freshman campaign appearing in 18 matches, grabbing 51 digs and hitting 100 kills.

The Muskies will host eight games in the Anne C. Steele Center this season and hit the road five times. The Muskies will also compete in three-weekend out-of-state tournaments. The schedule features eight schools ranked in the top 25, including three in the top 10. Furthermore, the Muskies face four teams who received votes in the poll, including Ohio Wesleyan, who the Muskies open their 2021 season against on September 1. The Muskies open up OAC play when they host John Carroll on Wednesday, September 22, at 7:00 p.m.

All home games will be played in the Anne C. Steele Center and will feature an HD video stream accessible through the OAC TV app and on fightingmuskies.com.