The Tiffin University Lady Dragons look to rebound from a difficult first year in the GLIAC, where the team struggled to a 2-14 conference record. Despite an overall record of 14-19, the team will look for greater success with a strong group of returning players and one season of play in one of the stronger conferences in the nation under their belt. Said fourth-year Head Coach T.J. Shouse, “It was a big adjustment for us entering such a tough conference, but we feel more confident and comfortable with our level of play after a year of experience.”The Dragons posted a strong start to the season, posting an 8-1 record before entering conference play. However, the GLIAC did not treat Tiffin kindly, with the Lady Dragons dropping their first six conference games before defeating Northwood at home in four. “We started slowly in conference games and it took some time to realize just what was needed to give ourselves a chance,” said Coach Shouse. The Dragons were looking to close the season strong after posting a win against local rival Findlay at home, but the team fell in its final five games to finish at 14-19. “We had opportunities available and gave them away,” said Coach Shouse, “and hopefully we’ll use those experiences to better our performance this year.”
The young Dragons will have only one senior on the roster, outside hitter Nikki Cranick, who has appeared in over 100 matches during her career. All-conference middle hitter Brittany Teaford returns for her junior year after leading the team in blocks and hitting percentage last year. Junior outside hitter Brooke Bernabei has led the Dragons in kills in each of her two years, eclipsing the 300-kill mark for the second straight year while finishing second on the team in digs. Junior Jessica Adams and sophomore Lindsay Heller will also look to build on solid 2008 campaigns, where they led the team in assists and digs, respectively. Overall, the young Lady Dragons will hope to continue to develop and climb the ranks of the conference in hopes of contending for a playoff berth.