News Releases

Owens Community College Express Volleyball Opens Season at Lansing Tournament, Aug. 24-25

PERRYSBURG TOWNSHIP, OH – The Owens Community College women’s volleyball program will open its 2012 season with a tournament, Friday-Saturday, Aug. 24-25 at Lansing Community College in Lansing, Mich.

The Owens volleyball program is led by Head Coach Sonny Lewis. Last year, Lewis led the Express to 45 wins. Lewis’ Assistant Coaches are Denny Caldwell and Angie Parisho.

The Express will open its home campaign by hosting the Owens Express Invitational, Friday-Sunday, Aug. 31 – Sept. 2. All home matches are played at the College’s Student Health and Activities Center on the Toledo-area Campus. Owens is located on Oregon Road in Perrysburg Township.

The women’s volleyball program ended their 2011 season with a 45-5 overall record and finished 12-0 (first place) in the OCCAC regular season standings. Owens has won 11 out of the last 12 OCCAC regular season championships. Lewis’ squad also was ranked No. 4 in the final NJCAA Division II volleyball regular season poll. The Express lost to Oakland Community College in the finals of the NJCAA Region XII Championships.

“This year’s Owens Express volleyball team is extremely young as we have eight incoming freshman on the roster and only three returning veterans from last year’s team,” said Lewis “I am very happy with our progress during the preseason. We are getting better every day. The veterans are showing a lot of leadership and the freshmen are quick learners. I expect our team to once again be in the hunt for a conference title. We have to remain focused and work together in order to accomplish our goals.”

The Express have three players returning from last season’s team, including OCCAC Academic All-Conference selection Molly Hilfinger of Whitehouse (Anthony Wayne H.S.). In 2011, the sophomore setter was second on the team with 828 assists. The team’s Most Improved Player Award recipient, Hilfinger also recorded 45 aces and 281 digs.

Lewis’ squad also returns Alyssa Meis of Curtice (Genoa H.S.) and Brandi Schimming of Martin (Genoa H.S.). Meis, a sophomore outside hitter, recorded 163 kills, 73 digs and 49 blocks. Additionally, Meis earned OCCAC Academic All-Conference honors. Schimming is a sophomore defensive specialist and recorded 8 aces and 77 digs for the Express in 2011.

First-year players to the women’s volleyball program are Kennedy Geyman of Monroe, Mich., defensive specialist/outside hitter (Jefferson H.S.); Tiffani Hobbs of Toledo, rightside hitter (Toledo Central Catholic H.S.); Kenzie Kleinhenz of St. Henry, rightside hitter (St. Henry H.S.); Dakia Sellers of Mansfield, outside hitter/middle blocker (Madison H.S.); Jazmine Thomas of Lima, middle blocker (Lima Senior H.S.); Lisa Urbanski of Toledo, defensive specialist (Notre Dame Academy); Bailey Windham of Monroe, Mich., setter (St. Mary Catholic Central H.S.), and Dominique Yates of Toledo, middle blocker/outside hitter (Bowsher H.S.).

Owens Community College is an accredited two-year, state-assisted institution of higher education that has served Northwest Ohio since 1965. With a commitment to providing small classes, personal attention and unmatched affordability, the College serves the diverse academic needs of credit and non-credit students on the Toledo-area and Findlay-area campuses, as well as at the Arrowhead Park Learning Center in Maumee and the Learning Center at The Source in downtown Toledo. Owens offers associate degrees that transfer to baccalaureate degrees in the Arts and Sciences and over 130 technical program areas in Agriculture, Business, Health Sciences, Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, Skilled Trades, and Engineering and Transportation Technologies. Owens students also can earn the first two years of a bachelor’s degree with a smooth transfer to any area four-year college or university. For more information, visit www.owens.edu.