Marietta College volleyball off to hot start, but still has business to take care of

Marietta College’s Sophie Evans goes up for a block during a college volleyball match at Ban Johnson Arena.
(Photo by Rebecca Wheeler)

Marietta College head coach Kristy Newman has been around volleyball for a long time, but she insists she’s never seen a team like this year’s Pioneers.

Marietta is off to an 11-0 start this season and is ranked 16th in the country. It’s the first time in program history the Pioneers have earned a national ranking.

“It’s all about the girls and the hard work they put in every single day,” said Newman, who’s in her seventh year at the helm at MC. “Even when they’re not practicing, they’re watching film, studying themselves, studying the opponents. I couldn’t ask for a more dedicated, close-knit and caring team. I’m 32 and I have not seen a team like this ever.”

So far this season, the Pioneers have competed in the Mount Union Invitational, a quad at Carnegie Mellon, and the Mount St. Joseph Invitational, going 3-0 each time. They finally had their home opener on Sept. 21 at Ban Johnson Arena against nationally-ranked Case Western and won in straight sets.

“We’ve gotten good at being road warriors, but that Saturday against Case Western, the BanJo was rocking,” Newman said. “The atmosphere was amazing. It was — I cannot put it into words. We swept the No. 15 team in the nation, and the environment had a lot to do with it. It’s a lot easier to be successful when you’ve got a great environment to play in.”

Marietta improved to 11-0 on Sept. 25 with a road sweep of Denison.

Now, the Pioneers are gearing up for league play as the Ohio Athletic Conference slate begins Friday when MC travels to Ohio Northern.

“We want to win the OAC,” Newman said. “That’s one of the things I love right now. This team very much has the mindset of ‘Yes, that’s awesome to be ranked and have all this success because we’ve worked hard for it, but it doesn’t really mean anything.’ Friday, we start conference play and that’s what really matters. That’s a very level-headed approach from girls ages 18 to 22 years old, so that’s pretty cool.”

Marietta is a veteran squad with six seniors on its roster. That group has been instrumental in the turnaround of the volleyball program at MC. From 2018 to 2021, Marietta had a record of 37-66. Then, in 2022, the Pioneers won 19 games before winning 15 in 2023. Safe to say, they’ve been building toward this for a while.

“All the girls in the program right now came here with one common goal,” Newman said. “They’re program-changers. You build and build and build, and now they believe they can do it. That’s been the biggest thing the last two years. Marietta College volleyball had never done these things before. They had to learn how to do it.”

Junior Jillian Fellers leads the Pioneers with 132 kills this season, followed by senior Mia Silva with 113 and senior Maggie Fellers with 97. Maggie Fellers also has a team-high 20 aces this season.

Junior setter Emory Spitler has dished out 429 assists this season and leads the OAC with 10.97 assists per set. Junior defensive specialist Keira Shannon leads the squad in digs at 219, while Maggie Fellers is second at 102.

Sophie Evans, a Marietta High graduate, has also been a key contributor for the Pioneers with 70 kills and 26 blocks.

“Sophie’s Sophie,” Newman laughed. “It’s been cool this year watching her kind of flourish. She’s fearless. She goes out there and goes after it. She’s earned her spot on the floor. All four of our middles are extremely talented and they all bring different things to the table. Sophie brings a spark and a fire that her teammates feed off of. She’s a special kid.”

Ella Boyer (67 kills, 13 blocks), Alayna Ricker (58 digs) and Riley Hohman (60 digs, 11 aces) all have played critical roles in Marietta’s success as well.

“We talk about being calm in the chaos, communicating through things and loving each other well,” Newman explained. “Those are the things that make us Marietta College volleyball. That’s what makes us, us. It’s the bond and connection we have.”

Fans will have a chance to catch the Marietta volleyball team in person Wednesday, Oct. 9, when the Pioneers take on Otterbein at Ban Johnson Arena. Otterbein and Marietta were picked tied for first in the OAC Preseason Coaches Poll, so there will be a lot at stake. The match is scheduled to start at 7 p.m.

Contact Jordan Holland at jholland@mariettatimes.com.