After a lackluster 2022 season, Miami University’s women’s volleyball team is looking to bounce back this year.
The RedHawks finished with a 7-22 overall record last year and 2-16 record in the Mid-American Conference (MAC). Head Coach Carolyn Condit is returning for a landmark 40th season this year, but the team is losing star outside-hitter Alyson Severance. In her absence, the RedHawks will look to sophomore outside-hitter Ellie Hanson, who finished second in team kills behind Severance last year.
Miami’s team is inexperienced overall this year, but still hopes to finish strong this fall and stay competitive in the cutthroat MAC with several returning athletes. On the defensive end, Maggie McCrary is returning for her fourth season in Oxford. Last year was her best all-around season with a career high in kills and blocked shots, and she should continue to be a true force in Condit’s arsenal. The RedHawks will also look to Gentry Warrick, Hayden Hicks and Brooke Jackson to have stellar sophomore seasons.
Miami volleyball looks to continue success with Condit
Under Condit, the RedHawks have won 10 MAC Championships, numerous winning seasons and multiple NCAA Tournament appearances.
Last season, the RedHawks finished last in the MAC in kills and digs and close to the bottom in assists, blocks and service aces.
Still, the program has an amazing history. Under Condit, the RedHawks have won 10 MAC Championships, numerous winning seasons, and multiple NCAA Tournament appearances. The team is looking to return to that form this year.
This season, Miami is fielding almost the same group as last season, with a few subtractions. These subtractions are: Jacquelyn Krumnauer, Abby Stratford, Sylvia Koening, Lydia Harper and Allyson Severance. Severance, Krumnauer and Harper all played crucial roles on the court last year for Condit, so it’s vital that they replicate past performances.
Despite only having two seniors on the roster, the RedHawks have numerous players with high upside.
Hanson in particular should continue to impress and fill in for superstar Severance at the outside-hitter position. As a first-year last season, Hanson finished second on the team in kills with 230 and was a core contributor by starting 24 games for Miami. Hanson should continue to progress and improve as an all-around threat on the court in Oxford in this post-Severance era.
The RedHawks this year will also be without libero Krumnauer who recently graduated. In her role, Taylor Nomanson will hope to replicate Krumnauer’s performance last season for the RedHawks where she had 150 Digs, a career high. Nomanson missed last season due to injury, but the season before she was a key piece, starting 16 matches at Libero and having 250 digs which was near top-10 in the conference.
At the setter position despite losing Harper, the RedHawks will be in good hands with sophomore Hayden Hicks set to take over full time duties. As a first-year, Hicks was near the top of the conference in assists with 592, and she started in 24 of the 29 contests.
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Miami is returning all four middle-hitters from last season’s team, a position that was one of the bright spots last year. Gentry Warrick and Maggie McCrary both were consistent presences on offense, with each having 100 plus kills on the year. On defense, both Warrick and McCrary racked up double-digit blocked shots and were team leaders in the block assists category. This duo should pick up right where it left off.
The best is yet to come for McCrary in her final year at Oxford. McCrary had a phenomenal season last year, with career-highs in blocked shots and digs, plus a strong offensive season with 138 kills. McCrary, one of two seniors on the team will step into a new role as both a leader and a mentor.
McCrary is more than thrilled to take this new role.
“It feels really good,” McCrary said. “It’s definitely something different than before, but I love being a leader on a team where everyone gets along and has been gelling well.”
New assistant coach Brianna McCombs, said the team is aiming to play with more intensity this year. As a former player at Middle Tennessee State and Lipscomb, she built her whole game around aggression. Aggression and high intensity are both themes she’s preached to the team this year.
“As a player, I played without thinking I was all aggression,” McCombs said. “As a coach, I want the team to punch the opponent in the mouth, go so hard I have to want to pull you back. Fully buy into an aggressive mindset, the RedHawk mentality.”
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