New and Updated Website

As you may have noticed, we have a new and updated website. You can add it to your bookmarks/favorites at:

http://rcthundervbc.wordpress.com

This new site provides team parents and athletes the ability to contribute their own content, which can then be posted at the site administrator’s convenience. This will provide us with a good deal of flexibility and provide the site with a new sense of vitality, making it a true clearinghouse for all team related activity.

If you are interested in providing an article or links to news articles about our team or any of the athletes on the team, email the webmaster with your idea or for directions on how to upload your own content.

Dumbaugh signs to play at Ohio Valley

By ROCKY STANLEY — The Independent

CNHI News Service

RUSSELL— Sarah Dumbaugh weighed several college volleyball offers. Ohio Valley University emerged as the winner.
The Russell High School senior and 16th Region Tournament Most Valuable Player signed Tuesday to attend the Division II school.
Ohio Valley is located in Vienna, W.Va., near Parkersburg, and competes in the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
“They contacted me about halfway through the club volleyball season,’’ Dumbaugh said. “At the time, I hadn’t heard of the school. That kind of drove me away from it.’’
Dumbaugh later decided to give Ohio Valley a look upon urging from Maren Witzel, who coaches Dumbaugh on the River Cities Thunder club team.
“I went down there for a visit and everything worked out,’’ Dumbaugh said. “Actually, I had a good feeling about it before I went.’’
Dumbaugh, who carries a 3.93 grade point average, was attracted in part by OVU’s small size and human resource management program. Ohio Valley has an undergraduate enrollment of 512 and offers a student-to-faculty ratio of 16-to-1.
“I love the atmosphere of the school in general, and the small classes,’’ said Dumbaugh, a member of the National Honor Society. “Another thing is that it’s only 2 1-2 hours away. It’s close enough that my parents (Ron and Ginny Cordle) can come.’’
During her visit, Dumbaugh practiced with some of Ohio Valley’s players.
“I should fit right in,’’ she said. “I think skill-wise, I will be fine. I know that the coach (Paul Jacoby) is definitely looking to me to step into the team with a leadership role.’’
Ohio Valley finished 10-29 last season, including a 6-11 mark in the WVIAC.
Dumbaugh, a 6-foot-1 middle blocker, helped lead Russell to four consecutive district championships and back-to-back regional titles as a junior and senior.
In 2005, the Lady Devils enjoyed the winningest season in school history at 30-6-1 while advancing to the State Tournament’s Elite Eight.
“Sarah played a very key role,’’ said Russell coach Darrell Adkins. “Her presence as a middle blocker anchored our defense. She has been a good offensive player, too.’’
Dumbaugh’s career included multiple All-Area, All-Region and All-District honors.
“You hate to lose talented players that work hard and show up to play every day,’’ Adkins said. “Sarah definitely falls into that category. Kids like Sarah are why you enjoy coaching. I look for her to be a great addition to that college program.’’
Dumbaugh said it will be difficult leaving her high school teammates.
“Our volleyball team is very close,’’ she said. “Brittany Wall and I have spent so much time together the last four years. Right now, I’m a little nervous but excited to start a new chapter in my life.’’
ROCKY STANLEY can be reached at rstanley@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2671.

Copyright © 1999-2006 cnhi, inc.

Rakes is rare player

Sports

Rakes is rare player

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By ROCKY STANLEY - The Independent Posted: 04/18/06 - 01:05:33 am EDT

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ASHLAND Division I volleyball recruits from eastern Kentucky are few and far between.

That makes Corie Rakes a notable exception.

Ashland ’s 6-foot hitting machine signed Monday to attend Austin Peay State University , where she will receive a full athletic scholarship.

While Rakes tends to be soft-spoken, her skills come through loud and clear. She averaged 13 kills as a senior and was named Area Player of the Year for the second consecutive season.

“Obviously, Corie is a dominant player in the front row,” said Ashland coach Scott Shirley. “She can dominate the net from pin to pin.”

Several Division I schools took notice. Among the others were Kentucky , Indiana State , Marshall , Pitt and UNC-Wilmington.

“Austin Peay came into the picture and Corie made a visit and fell in love with the campus,” Shirley said. “I think it will be a perfect fit for her both academically and athletically.”

Austin Peay, located in Clarksville , Tenn. , is a member of the Ohio Valley Conference.

“I think it’s the right size for me,” said Rakes, who has a 3.3 grade point average. “To get this kind of opportunity, it’s awesome.”

Ashland athletic director Mark Swift marveled at Rakes’ accomplishment.

“To earn a full Division I scholarship is a testament to her talent and work ethic,” said Swift, who is in his eighth year overseeing Ashland athletics. “During that time, I can probably count on one hand the Division I athletes in any sport from around here. In volleyball, I don’t think there are any.”

Shirley said Rakes has the personality and drive to continue to make winning plays on the court.

“She’s a very special player in that regard,” he said.

Slender yet powerful, Rakes also averaged three blocks and three aces last season.

Not bad for somebody who didn’t discover volleyball until high school. Prior to that, Rakes was a cheerleader for nine years.

“It’s pretty amazing how all this happened,” said the All-State player. “I’ve had really good coaches on my high school and club teams that made me a lot better.”

Austin Peay’s 2006 recruiting class is off to a flying start.

The Governors began by signing Kirstin Distler, a 5-9 outside hitter from Louisville Assumption, the nation’s top team according to PrepVolleyball.com. Assumption went 43-0 last season and Distler was an All-State Tournament selection.

Rakes and Distler will be roommates this fall.

“We’ve been e-mailing each other and becoming friends,” Rakes said. “Both of us are looking forward to playing together.”

Shirley believes Rakes’ best volleyball is yet to come.

“Corie has made a significant amount of progress each year, and I still feel she has a long way to go,” said Ashland ’s coach. “She can make the next step and do great things.”

Austin Peay, coached by Corey Carlin, was 10-21 last season and finished sixth in the 11-team OVC.

“They are kind of a mid-grade team in the conference at this point,” Shirley said. “With strong recruiting the last two years, I look for Austin Peay to make a significant push toward the top.”

Shirley said Rakes set a standard for excellence at Ashland , which won 25 matches last year and reached the regional semifinals.

“Although we have a lot of talented players coming back, those will be big shoes to fill,” he said. “Corie has been the most dominant player in the region for a while.”

ROCKY STANLEY can be reached at rstanley@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2671.

Strickland signs with Marshall

Herald-Dispatch

February 17, 2006
Section: Sports
Edition: Final
Page: 1B

Strickland signs with Marshall
Robyn Rison
The Herald-Dispatch

By ROBYN RISON

The Herald-Dispatch
rrison@herald-dispatch.com
SPRING VALLEY — Taylor Strickland gave up a lot of things — like other sports and free time — to be a good volleyball player.

Thursday at a ceremony, including lots of friends and family, in the Spring Valley High School library Strickland got something back — the promise of getting to play for four more years. Strickland signed a National Letter of Intent to play college volleyball at Marshall beginning this fall. She made school history by becoming the first SVHS volleyball player to sign with a Division I program.

“It’s relieving,” she said. “I don’t have to worry about choosing anymore. I like the girls, and I’ve been around Marshall since I was in seventh grade. I know the system.”

Strickland, an all-state performer, led the Timberwolves to back-to-back Class AAA state tournament appearances in 2004 and 2005. As a senior she was all-state, all-conference, a Wendy’s High School Heisman winner, a member of the West Virginia Regional Sports Network Dynamic Dozen and was on three all-tournament teams.

Strickland, who has also played club volleyball with the River Cities Thunder organization, will be the only West Virginia player on the Herd’s roster in 2006.

“We’re very excited to have a player of Taylor’s caliber from the state of West Virginia come to join our program,” Marshall coach Mitch Jacobs said. “Taylor’s talent level speaks for itself. We look for her ability in the back row to help us, and she could potentially set for us in the future.”

Strickland looked at other schools, but she’s always had a soft spot in heart for Marshall. Once she began playing volleyball in the seventh grade at Buffalo Middle School she knew it was the sport for her. From then on she has worked toward earning a place on a college roster.

Spring Valley coach Joy Bailey said there was little doubt that Strickland was going to make it.
“Taylor has a lot of drive, and she’s very determined,” Bailey said. “She’ll be successful at Marshall because of those qualities.

“She’s a leader and like having a coach on the floor. I know she wants to be a doctor, but I think she’ll be a coach in some aspect.”

She already is. In addition to playing volleyball, Strickland, who plans major in pre-med at Marshall, has actively worked with youth clinics and leagues and coached with the Special Olympics.

Whether she’s playing or coaching, Strickland just can’t get enough of her favorite sport.
“I’ve always had a passion for it,” she said. “I caught on quick and worked at it so much. I just felt that’s what I was best at.”

As good as she’s been, Strickland expects to have to work even harder and wait her turn on what should be another powerful and veteran Marshall team. She doesn’t mind though, as long as she gets to keep playing.

River Cities Volleyball Club putting West Virginia on map

By Robert C. Withers Staff The Herald DispatchHUNTINGTON - There is progress and then there is the kind of rapid progression made by the River Cities Volleyball Club.

The third-year girls club fields five teams in age categories from 14-Under to 17-Under for a season that runs January through May. The organization grew from 17 girls to start in 2003 to 78 this year.

Success is being measured now by more than just the amount of players. The club’s performance is attracting the attention of college coaches, club director Mike Strickland said.

“The main incentive to do this is to help kids get to the next level,” Strickland said. “Several girls got noticed by colleges this year, and several are being recruited by colleges from (NCAA) Division 1 to Division 111.

“West Virginia has never really been on the map in volleyball. It’s not considered to have strong volleyball, but we’re getting there.”

River Cities Volleyball Club teams are improving on each level, but the 17-Under River Cities Thunder team in particular stands out. The 17-Under squad of Tri-State players finished the season with a third-place finish out of 128 teams in the regional tournament held in Columbus.

“Not to sound conceited, but we did kind of expect it because we had the same girls as last year,” said 17-Under player Kristin Stamper from Wayne High School. “It’s probably because we’ve played together, and we know how each other plays.”

Stamper said the team has come a long way since its inception. “This year was way different than our first year,” she said. “Our first year we weren’t very good, and I’ll be the first to say that. But I think we all cared and wanted to win. That pushed us.”

Strickland, who also coaches, said the a high retention rate of players has developed a chemistry within each team that’s added to the quick rise of a regional power. Strickland said the Marshall University volleyball program has provided a boost with some coaching assistance.

Marshall head coach Mitch Jacobs has watched the orgranization and the 17-Under team’s progress. He said it’s not hard to understand why it’s been quick.

“It’s a combination, but they’re very dedicated,” Jacobs said. “The whole group, and they’re have been a couple of pretty talented additions, but the whole group has developed together. They’ve made big strides because they have eight kids who are committed and seven at every practice. This group puts it first.”

Jacobs said dedication means players are at practice, play in high school, attend camps and are always trying to get better. He also believes that’s a strong example for the younger teams.

Still, the rapid improvement is beyond what Strickland anticipated. “I’ll never forget the first tournament we went to,” Strickland said. “We were watching some other teams warm up, and we had that deer-in-the-headlights-look. I thought `what have we gotten into.’ The first game we played I think the other team scored 11 or 12 straight points before they hit one out to give us our first point.

“We pretty much got hammered every tournament that year. But we were 15 and 16 year-olds playing as an 18U team.” Thunder player Jessica Bailey from Spring Valley High School, also remembers those early tournaments when being one of the region’s premier teams was just a dream.

“We have so much more confidence now,” Bailey said. “The first year we were really scared, but now we know what to expect.”

River Cities Thunder turned natural athletic ability into highly effective volleyball skills. Those skills have been on display against teams from all over the country.

Bailey said she couldn’t imagine that the team would improve so quickly. “Dedication,” she said. “It’s a lot of hard work. We all get along really well. We know that we have to work really hard, and we play well together.”

Taylor Strickland, a club member since its inception, said the girls have always had high expectations. She said the biggest factors behind the improvement are hard work, the ability to get along and good instruction.

“We got tired of losing and wanted to improve and do the best we could,” she said. “Last year we did great, but this year was better.” River Cities Volleyball Club How teams fared in regional competitions:

17-U Thunder: 3rd place. Team members: Caitlin Mulvaney, Taylor Strickland, Jessica Bailey, Alisa Mays, Ashley Nicely, Brittany Hunt, Kristin Stamper, Corie Rakes. Coaches: Mike Strickland, Mitch Jacobs.

17-U National: 94th place. Team members: Brittany Wall, Sarah Dumbaugh, Dee Hoppe, Elizabeth Simmons, Audrey Rabalais, Bethany Woodall, Cassie Kelly. Coaches: Maren Witzel, Kendra Kelley.

16-U Thunder: 55th place. Team members: Katie Derickson, Kayla Cole, Amanda Lazaro, Candace Wright, Dani Turner, Samantha Russell, Rachel Carper, Savannah Russell, Christine Schussler. Coaches: Ashley Barnard, George Russell.

15-U Thunder: 166th place. Team members: Sydney Nicholas, Kali Enix, Emily Mannon, Beth Bartlett, Lindsay Mansfield, Julia Conley, Beth Ann Crutchfield, Kasha Shull, Chera Rogers. Coaches: Katie Stein, Chelsea Lazar, Herb Bartlett.

14-U Thunder: 222nd place. Team members: Megan Borak, Sydney Brickett, Micah Damron, Leah Jaenicke, Amanda Holbert, Raelyn Smith, Elizabeth Moore, Ericka Leighty, Kirsten Midkiff, Cara Newsome. Coaches: Veronica Lapointe, Brian Brickett.

Note: Any players interested in joining the River Cities Volleyball Club can contact Mike Strickland by e-mail at Imherdfan@aol.com or Mitch Jacobs by phone at 696-3980.

Source: By ROBYN RISON June 16, 2005 Section: Sports Page: 4B
The Herald-Dispatch
rrison@herald-dispatch.com