Volleyball looks to continue winnings ways this season

Under the direction of two-time OAC Coach of the Year Hallie Cruzen, the Muskingum volleyball team will look to continue their winning ways this fall. Muskingum begins their 2022 season on Friday, September 2, when they take on Grove City at the Great Lakes Crossover.

Last fall, the Muskies finished with a regular-season record of 16-9 and also advanced to the Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament semi-finals. Under Cruzen's leadership, the Muskies have made appearances in the OAC Tournament in all six years of her tenure, while also tallying two Regular Season OAC Championships and one birth into the NCAA Tournament.

This season, Muskingum will be guided by their four captains; senior Emma Conrad, junior Raegan Flood, junior Lexie Huck, and junior Abigail Dickson. Conrad, who's entering her second season as a volleyball captain, finished with a career-high 401 assists during the 2021 campaign. Flood, a two-time volleyball captain as well, enters the 2022 season after tallying career-highs in kills (149), digs (59), points (186), and blocks (41) last season. In her first season with the Muskies in 2021, Huck made an instant impact on the offensive side of the ball. Huck registered 147 kills to help lead the Muskie attack, while also registering 41 digs and dishing out 17 assists. Dickson, a member of the Academic All-OAC team a season ago, will look to provide veteran leadership and will help guide the defense as Muskingum looks to compete for the OAC crown again this year.

This season, Muskingum will also look to seniors Emma Dunham and Gracie Collins to provide veteran leadership. Dunham, an All-OAC Honorable Mention honoree last year, tallied 162 kills, 58 blocks, and a team-high .316 hitting percentage to lead the Muskingum front line. Collins, a member of the 2019 and 2021 Spring OAC Regular Season Championship teams, will bring championship experience to a group of promising young players on the defensive side of the ball.

Muskingum will host six games inside the Anne C. Steele Center this season and hit the road for six away contests. The Muskies will also compete in three weekend-tournaments this season including the Great Lakes Crossover, Mount Union Invitational, and the ONU Invitational. Muskingum will also compete in two neutral site games this year. The Muskies take on Eastern at Juniata College and battle Kenyon at John Carroll. This year, Muskingum will take on three teams ranked in the preseason top 25 poll, while also battling two teams who received votes in the preseason poll. The Muskies will open OAC action on Wednesday, September 28, when they travel to Otterbein. Muskingum hosts their first home match on Saturday, October 1, when they take on Heidelberg at 1:00 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.