Chargers volleyball adds 4 recruits

Originated from the Hillsdale College athletic department, check out the links to some profile pages on the players

It has been three days since the 2009 Hillsdale College volleyball season ended. But the program is already looking ahead to 2010.

Head coach Chris Gravel is pleased to announce the signing of the following players: 6-feet-1-inch tall RS Bekah Draves (Milan, Mich.), 5-8 OH/DS Caitlin Kopmeyer (Troy, Mich./Bloomfield Hills Lahser), 5-9 S/DS Sydney Lenhart (Temperance, Mich./Bedford) and 6-0 MH Lindsay Kostrzewa (Traverse City, Mich./Christian).

Draves is a  powerful right-side hitter who was a four-year starter at Milan High School. She led her team in kills all four years, and in 2009, led the program to its best record in more than two decades, 27-11.

Draves had 394 kills, 262 digs and 66 service aces as a senior. In 2008, she rang up 305 kills, 243 digs and 76 service aces, while being named First-Team All-Conference, All-Area by The Ann Arbor News, and All-Region. Her older sister Sarah played volleyball at the University of Michigan from 2004-07. Her father Tom was a track athlete at Concordia University, and her mother Karen played volleyball at George Williams College, where she earned All-Region honors.

She also earned three varsity letters in tennis, and was named that team’s MVP in 2008. She played club volleyball for the 18-1 Huron Valley Volleyball Club under coach Justin Martin. Outside of athletics, Draves earns a 3.8 overall grade point average, was named to the honor roll multiple times and is a member of the National Honor Society. She is also a leader with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, a freshman mentor, and volunteers at the Leslie Science Center in Ann Arbor.

Kopmeyer is a versatile player who excels at passing and hitting from the outside. A key part of a very good high school team at Bloomfield Hills Lahser High School, Kopmeyer finished the 2009 season with 542 kills, 73 service aces, 52 total blocks and 320 digs. She is an excellent jumper and a powerful outside hitter.

She had a season-high of 36 kills and 31 digs in a marathon 3-2 postseason win over Pontiac Notre Dame Prep on Nov. 10.

Lenhart was the starting setter for four years at a very successful Temperance-Bedford team in her career. She is one of the finalists for the 2009 Miss Volleyball Award.

Last week, Lenhart was named First-Team All-State, First-Team All-Region, First-Team All-Conference and First-Team All-Region, the latter honor given by the Monroe Evening News.

Lenhart has made the All-Region team three times, and was also named All-Conference three times in her career. She served as team captain for two years and was awarded the team’s outstanding setter award. Her team was also conference champions in 2009.

She played club volleyball most recently for the Premier Volleyball Club. In three club seasons, Lenhart’s teams have a combined record of 47-3. She carries a 4.02 grade point average, is a DECA

Historian, and is part of the school store and gardening committee staffs.

Kostrzewa had a huge season for Traverse City Christian High School in 2008, where she earned All-State honors and was named to the Traverse City Record-Eagle Dream Team. She suffered an injury that caused her to miss the 2009 volleyball season, but she is expected to be healthy well before the Chargers open preseason practice in August.

She was named her team’s best offensive player in 2008, and finished that season with 534 kills (3.71 per set), 178 total blocks, 284 digs and 55 service aces. She started at middle hitter in each of her three seasons in high school and had more than 300 kills as a sophomore in 2007. She also earned All-District honors twice.

Kostrzewa played tennis for two years and this year, is her school’s Senior Class President. She is a member of the high school choir, the school worship team and has performed in two school plays. She also joined classmates at Traverse City Christian on two mission trips to provide relief for victims of Hurricane Katrina.

Hillsdale College’s volleyball team just finished a season where it went 24-8 and won its first-ever GLIAC Tournament championship. The Chargers advanced to the Midwest Regional Semifinals last week, and have won three GLIAC South Division titles over the past four years. Twelve of the team’s 14 players from the 2009 roster will return in 2010.