Volleyball

WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL

NCCAA Mid-East Region Champions 1985, 1997, 1998

RECENT HEADLINES

April 15th, 2009

Eagles Sign Definance College Transfer and Setter Makayla Graves

EDON, OH - Head coach Rick Kerkhoff is please to announce the transfer of Makayla Graves to Cincinnati Christian University. Makayla will be joining her sister Nikki graves who also plays volleyball at CCU. Makayla comes to CCU after a solid freshman year at NCAA Division III Defiance College where she enjoyed a solid freshman season.

Before attending Defiance, Graves was a two year letterwinner for coach Brock Bergman at Edon High School. As a senior, Graves was named First Team All-Conference in the Buckeye Border Conference while also earning 2nd Team All-District Honors. She was also named the MVP of both the Route 49 Classic and District All-Star Game.

At Edon High School, Makayla also had a stellar academic record as she graduated as the Salutatorian of her senior class. Graves was also a member of the National Honors Society.

"Makayla is an excellent student and a well rounded young person that will be a great addition to the team this season," said head coach Rick Kerkhoff. "She is a great setter that will really help us out this upcoming season."

Graves is the most recent addition of a stellar 2009 recruiting class for CCU volleyball.

March 18th, 2009

Eagles Sign All-Conference Outside Hitter Cara Barkes from Indiana

COLUMBUS, IN – Head Coach Rick Kerkhoff is pleased to announce that Cara Barkes has signed a letter of intent to play volleyball for the Cincinnati Christian University Golden Eagles in the fall of 2009. Barkes is currently a senior at Columbus North High School where she earned 3 letters in volleyball and one in gymnastics. The past two years Barkes has been named First Team All-Area and First Team All-Conference as she led her team to a conference championship in 2008.   In the past two years, Cara’s Junior Olympic Volleyball team (Circle City Volleyball Club) qualified for the National Championship tournament. Her current Junior Olympic coach, Eugene Kim, of the Hoosierland Volleyball Club, had this to say about Barkes: "Cara plays with a level of passion that often times goes unmatched. She's a winner and a warrior and has been a thrill to work with. The beauty of it is that she is a better kid than she is a volleyball player. I am thrilled for the future partnership of Cara Barkes and Cincinnati Christian University."

“Cara Barkes is a 5’ 10” outside hitter with an explosive jump and really attacks the ball. As good as Cara is at the net, she is a polished back row player that can defend against the toughest hits,” said Head Coach Rick Kerkhoff. He continued by saying, “She is going to fill a spot that will allow us to make other personnel moves that will make us a much tougher team! I am thrilled to add a third All Conference player to our incoming class of recruits.”

Barkes will be majoring in Education while at CCU. She hopes to take advantage of the opportunities available to CCU students in service and mission trips while in college. Her passion for volleyball is only rivaled by her passion for her Lord and Savior.

December 12th, 2008

Women's Volleyball Signs Grove City Standout Monica Reis

GROVE CITY, OH - Head Coach Rick Kerkhoff is pleased to announce that Monica Reis has signed a letter of intent to play volleyball for the Cincinnati Christian University Golden Eagles in the fall of 2009. Monica will be graduating from Grove City High School in the spring of 2009. Reis has been a standout on her high school team and will be reunited with a Junior Olympic teammate, Heather Hammonds, at CCU. At Grove City High, Reis was an all conference (OCC) Honorable Mention selection. Grove City was 16-9 on the year and finished the season as a district semi-finalist. Reis led the team in serving percentage and was second on the team with 55 blocks. Monica will be majoring in elementary education while attending CCU.

"Bringing on Monica is a huge addition for CCU volleyball," said Head Coach Rick Kerkhoff. "She will balance out the height in our lineup as she is the second 6 foot player signed for next year. Our team will take on a whole new dynamic with improved blocking and hitting. Monica is very athletic and has just started to scratch her potential as a volleyball player."

September 15th, 2008

CCU Signs Heather Hammonds From Newark High School

NEWARK, OH - Head Coach Rick Kerkhoff is pleased to announce that Heather Hammonds has signed a letter of intent to play volleyball for the Cincinnati Christian University Golden Eagles in the fall of 2009. Heather becomes the first signed recruit for the class of 2009. Heather is currently a senior at Newark High School in Newark, Ohio just outside of Columbus. Hammonds has been a standout in high school as well as on her junior olympic club team in the Westland Volleyball Club. At Newark High School, Hammonds helped lead her team to back to back district runner-up finishes the past two years and hopes to improve on that in 2008. As a junior, Heather received all conference (OCC) Honorable Mention recognition. She also lead her team with the highest serving percentage in 2007. Heather is interested in studying education as well as vocal music.

"Signing a quality athlete like Heather was critical for CCU as we complement our current outstanding defense with some added height," said Head Coack Rick Kerkhoff. "Heather will give us the ability to take our play to the next level. As a six footer with great leaping ability, she will have the opportunity to make an immediate impact on the team and will see significant playing time as a freshman. Heather is not just an athlete, she is a committed Christian athlete who exemplifies the type of person that we are targeting for 2009. She will not only be a great addition to our team but she will be a blessing to the entire campus community."

October 22nd, 2008

Eagles Sweep Season Series Against Ohio Christian and Look to Clinch #2 Seed

CIRCLEVILLE, OH - The Eagles defeated the Trailblazers from Ohio Christian University on Tuesday night in four games in a monumental win for CCU. Both teams came into this match fighting for the #2 seed in the regional championship which will take place next weekend at Appalachian Bible College in Bradley, West Virginia. CCU came out on fire in the first two games winning 25-22 and 25-15. Ohio Christian regrouped in a tightly contested third game as CCU fell 26-28. The Eagles regained their momentum and finished off the Trailblazers 25-19 in game four.

With the win, the Eagles currently sit at 2nd place in the regional standings and 9th in the national poll. Just last season the Eagles only won three games as they finished in last place. What a turnaround season it has been for CCU women's volleyball this year. CCU is currently 11-7 overall and 9-2 in conference. The Eagles look to close out their regular season on Saturday as they take on Applachian at home. The match will start at 2:00PM in Presidents Hall.

October 17th, 2008

CCU Gets Huge Win Against ORCC Powerhouse UC Clermont

CINCINNATI, OH - The Golden Eagles defeated a tough UC Clermont squad in four games on Thursday night, 23-25, 25-19, 25-23, and 25-23. UC came into the match on a roll with a 14-3 record but the Eagles played with heart and superior defense to take the match. Late in games 3 and 4 the Eagles were down, but they didn't quit. Instead they got critical blocks and kills from Taylor Farris and Ally Hall to complement the already great defense led by Katie Frisch and Madison Trainer to win the games.

Coach Kerkhoff said, "This was a big win for our program. We are stepping up to the next level and our players are meeting the challenge in front of them. In a close match like this, it is tough to single out a single player as responsible for the win. Our defense was rock solid, the setting was some of the best we have had all season and the hitting/blocking was great. When you beat a team as athletic as UC, you are accomplishing a monumental task!"

Kristen Becker had a stellar night setting posting 41 assists and added 13 digs. Taylor Farris had 21 digs and 19 kills on offense. Katie Frisch had 19 digs and Madison Trainer had 10 of her own.

October 8th, 2008

Taylor Farris Named NCCAA Student Athlete of the Week

CINCINNATI, OH - Taylor Farris, freshman outside hitter for Cincinnati Christian University, averaged 5.73 digs and 4.1 kills per set in 3 matches this past week. She also put up a rare 20/20 match against the #4 ranked USCAA team, OSU-Marion. In this match, Taylor had 23 digs and 21 kills excelling in both the front and back row. She also led the team in this week’s matches with 8 service aces. Farris has played an instrumental role in the Golden Eagles rise to a #9 national ranking in the NCCAA.

http://www.thenccaa.org/athlete_week.html

October 2nd, 2008

Women's Volleyball Defeats Ohio State Marion 3-1 on the Road - CCU Currently Ranked 9th in the Nation

MARION, OH - The Golden Eagles (7-4 overall, 6-1 conference) traveled north to take on Ohio State Marion on Thursday night and came away with a 3-1 win in the first non-conference victory of the season. Taylor Farris led the attack with 21 kills in the match. Lacy Domire had another solid performance as she tallied 19 kills. Kristen Becker spread the wealth around with a game high 49 assists. Senior Madison Trainer made a big contribution for CCU with a game high 25 digs.

The Eagles have also cracked the Top 10 in the latest NCCAA Rankings.

			Matches			Sets			Power
	Team Standings	Region	Wins	Losses	%	Wins	Losses	%	Rating
1	Lincoln Christian College	MW	12	4	75.0%	39	17	69.6%	5.250
2	Clearwater Christian College	S	20	1	95.2%	62	6	91.2%	5.190
3	Manhattan Christian College	C	16	4	80.0%	50	18	73.5%	4.650
4	Grace University	C	11	4	73.3%	34	15	69.4%	4.600
5	Moody Bible Institute	MW	12	2	85.7%	37	10	78.7%	4.286
6	Northland Baptist Bible College	MW	9	7	56.3%	31	31	50.0%	4.125
7	Philadelphia Biblical University	E	13	7	65.0%	43	31	58.1%	4.000
8	Maranatha Baptist Bible College	MW	9	7	56.3%	30	27	52.6%	3.938
9	Cincinnati Christian University	ME	6	4	60.0%	21	19	52.5%	3.900
10	Kentucky Christian College	ME	11	5	68.8%	37	16	69.8%	3.875

The Eagles are back in action this weekend as they travel to Nashville, Tennessee to take on the Flames of Free Will Baptist. The match is scheduled for a 2:00pm start.

September 27th, 2008

CCU Picks Up a Pair of Weekend Road Victories in Knoxville

KNOXVILLE, TN - The CCU women's volleyball team headed south to take on Crown College and Johnson Bible College over the weekend. After sweeping a two game home stand against both opponents last weekend, CCU was looking to win the season series on the road. On Friday night, CCU took care of business against Crown College in convincing fashion as the Eagles came away victorious 3-1. Saturday proved to be quite the challenge as JBC took the Eagles to five games. The Eagles came out on top in the decisive 5th game, winning 15-11 in a tightly contested game.

With the wins, the Eagles are now 6-1 in Mid East Region play. That record currently puts them right alongside regional powers Ohio Christian and Kentucky Christian for first place bragging rights.

The Eagles are back in action on Monday night at they travel to Mansfield, Ohio take take on Ohio State University Mansfield for a 7:00PM match.

September 20th, 2008

CCU Defeats Crown and Johnson Over the Weekend To Remain Lone Unbeaten in the Region

CINCINNATI, OH - The Golden Eagles (4-2 overall, 4-0 region) defeated league rivals Crown College on Friday night and Johnson Bible College on Saturday afternoon to cap a big weekend for CCU. With the wins, CCU remains the only undefeated team in Mideast Region play with a 4-0 record. Against Crown College, the Eagles won the first game handily but stuggled in the second game as Crown rallied to a 25-23 win. CCU regrouped and put Crown away in the final two games to win 3 games to 1.

Lacy Domire played well at the net with 13 kills. Ally Hall and Taylor Farris made big contributions with 9 kills each in the match. Katie Frisch did a great job serving as she tallied 5 aces in the victory. Kristen Becker also had a great game with 29 assists.

On Saturday, the Eagles followed up the win against Crown by defeating the Evangels of JBC 3 games to 1. CCU is back in action on Tuesday night as they travel to Grayson, Kentucky to take on Kentucky Christian University. The game is scheduled for 6:00PM.

September 9th, 2008

Eagles Defeat Ohio Christian in Thrilling Home Opener

CINCINNATI, OH - The revamped CCU women's volleyball team rallied from a 1-0 deficit to defeat Ohio Christian University at home on Tuesday night before an energetic Presidents Hall crowd. OCU came into the game as the regional runner up from last season after going 15-1 just a year ago. CCU came out of the gate on fire in the first game and went up 7-1 to get things started. Ohio Christian regrouped after a timeout and went on to win the first game 25-14.

CCU regained their composure in the second game and came away victorious 25-18. The Eagles continued to control the momentum in the third game as CCU won again 25-19. The Eagles put OCU away in the fourth game as CCU never trailed and went on to win 25-18.

The Eagles were led by Taylor Farris (13 kills), Lacy Domire (9 kills), Kristen Becker (33 assists), and Katie Frisch (15 Digs). With the win CCU is now 2-1 on the season and 2-0 in regional play. The victory helps the Eagles establish themselves as one of the top volleyball teams in the Mid East Region. CCU is back in action on Saturday as they travel to Newark, Ohio to take on The Ohio State University branch campus for a 1:00PM start.

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