Malone Fights Back For 3-2 Victory In Regular-Season Finale At Ohio Dominican

The Malone University volleyball team wrapped its regular-season schedule on Thursday evening in Columbus, Ohio with a come-from-behind, five-set victory over Ohio Dominican University.  The Panthers, who are currently in transition to becoming members of NCAA Division II, looked to be in control of the non-conference match after taking the first two sets of the night by scores of 25-21 and 25-23.  However, the Pioneers rallied to take the third and fourth sets by identical scores of 26-24 and then went on to claim the match three sets to two after claiming the decisive fifth frame by a final score of 15-10.  Malone’s record improved to 28-8 with the comeback win while ODU dropped to 21-16.

Junior outside hitter Jennifer Gahagan (pictured to the right, Ravenna Southeast H.S.) ripped a career-high 23 kills to go with two service aces and 17 digs.  Junior outside hitter Lori Ickes (Smithville H.S.) followed with 16 kills and 23 digs while senior middle hitter Kristen Schoolcraft (McKinley H.S.) posted a season-high 14 kills with nine digs and six blocks (four solo).  Senior libero Julie Finley (pictured below right, Western Reserve H.S.) and freshman setter Jackie Schwamberger (Madison Comprehensive H.S.) also tallied career-high statistical totals in the match as Finley registered 29 digs while Schwamberger notched 57 assists and 24 digs.

Although the Pioneers narrowly missed out on qualifying for the American Mideast Conference Tournament, the squad will likely receive an at-large bid to compete in the NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association) National Championships which will be held December 3-5 in Kissimmee, Florida.

Malone Notes:  2009 marked the 12th time in program history and the sixth time under head coach Tanya Hockman that Malone has posted 25 or more victories…Schoolcraft now ranks second on the Pioneers’ all-time list for total blocks with 546…The Pioneers won 10 of their final 12 regular-season matches.

Malone Picks Up 3-1 Win Over Geneva On Senior Night; Pioneers Eliminated From AMC Postseason Contention Due To Tuesday’s Victories By Cedarville & Point Park

The Malone University volleyball team registered a 3-1 non-conference victory on Tuesday night at Osborne Hall over NCAA Division III Geneva (PA) College.  The Pioneers took the first two sets of the evening by final scores of 25-23 and 25-22.  The visiting Golden Tornadoes claimed the third set 25-22 before Malone wrapped up the match with a 25-21 triumph in set number four.  Malone improved its overall record to 27-8 with the Senior Night win while Geneva dropped to 19-11 on the season.  Unfortunately, despite the victory, the Pioneers were eliminated from AMC Tournament contention due to Tuesday’s American Mideast Conference wins by Cedarville University and Point Park University (See Postseason Picture Below).

Junior outside hitter Jennifer Gahagan (Ravenna Southeast H.S.) paced the Pioneers with 12 kills, two service aces and 17 digs.  Junior outside hitter Lori Ickes (Smithville H.S.) and senior middle hitter Kristen Schoolcraft (McKinley H.S.) each followed with 11 kills apiece.  In addition to their kill totals, Ickes also registered three service aces, 14 digs and three blocks (two solo) while Schoolcraft tallied four blocks (two solo).  Senior middle hitter Erica Gann (Meadowbrook H.S.) chipped in with 10 kills with two solo blocks.  Also making significant contributions in their final home match were senior setter Alyssa Dibell (Fairless H.S.) and senior libero Julie Finley (Western Reserve H.S.) as Dibell notched 25 assists and 16 digs while Finley scooped up 11 digs.

The Pioneers will wrap up their regular-season schedule on the road Thursday night with a 7:00 p.m. non-conference match against former AMC member Ohio Dominican University (21-15 overall).  A free live video stream of Thursday’s match will be available through Ohio Dominican’s website.  Click here for a link to the video stream.

Postseason Picture: The AMC receives two automatic bids to the NAIA National Tournament.  The first bid will be awarded to the conference’s regular-season champion and the second bid will go to the winner of the five-team AMC Postseason Tournament which will consist of finishers two through six in the final regular-season standings.  The single-elimination event will be hosted November 13-14 by the regular-season’s second-place finisher.

The Pioneers, who wrapped up the conference portion of their schedule over the weekend, have an AMC record of 7-5 and are currently in seventh place in the standings, percentage points behind sixth-place Point Park (PA) University at 7-4.  Although Point Park has one conference match remaining (Saturday on the road at Roberts Wesleyan College), PPU holds the tiebreaker over Malone and has therefore clinched the sixth and final AMC postseason spot because it defeated Malone in the only regular-season meeting between the two schools.

Despite having been eliminated from AMC playoff contention, the Pioneers could still possibly participate in the NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association) postseason.  Malone was ranked second in the nation in the most recent NCCAA rankings and could potentially receive a bid to take part in the NCCAA National Tournament which will be held December 3-5 in Kissimmee, Florida.

Malone Posts Nearly 600 Yards Of Total Offense In Convincing 48-12 Victory Over Trinity International

The Malone University football team racked up 580 yards of total offense on Saturday night at Fawcett Stadium as it rolled to a 48-12 Mid-States Football Association Mideast League victory against Trinity International (IL) University.  The Pioneers led 27-6 at halftime and then tacked on a pair of third-quarter rushing touchdowns to put the contest out of reach.  The win improved Malone’s record to 3-5 overall and 1-4 in the MSFA Mideast while Trinity International fell to 0-10 overall and 0-6 in league play.

The Pioneers tallied 244 yards through the air and 336 yards on the ground to account for their season-high total of 580 offensive yards.  The Trojans countered with 168 rushing yards and 91 passing yards for a total output of 259 yards.  In addition to its sizable advantage in yardage, Malone also led 29-11 in total first downs, intercepted two Trinity International passes and held the Trojans out of the end zone on two trips inside the Malone 20 yard-line.

Junior running back Markus McFolling (Seaside, CA) put the Pioneers in front 7-0 on the game’s opening possession after capping a nine-play, 69-yard Malone scoring drive with a four-yard TD plunge.  After recovering a Pioneer fumble deep in Malone territory, TIU then pulled to within 7-6 at the 2:58 mark of the first quarter when Trinity quarterback Daniel Beals connected with tight end Kyle Mowen on a 33-yard touchdown pass.  The Trojans then looked the knot the score but their extra-point try was blocked by Pioneer defensive lineman Chris Story (Jr., Las Cruces, NM), keeping Malone in front 7-6.

The second quarter was all Pioneers as the hosts scored touchdowns on all three of their possessions in the frame while outgaining Trinity International by a 214 to 20 margin.  McFolling pushed the Malone lead to 14-6 with 10:46 remaining in the half on a one-yard touchdown run.  After forcing a punt on the Trojans’ ensuing drive, the Pioneers then struck quickly as redshirt freshman quarterback Steve Brohl (Almont, MI) found freshman wide receiver Derrick McLean (Laurel Hill, NC) on a 94-yard scoring strike.  The lengthy catch and sprint to end zone by McLean pushed Malone’s lead to 20-6 (ensuing extra point was no good) and broke the Pioneer school record for the longest pass from scrimmage (the previous mark was established during Malone’s inaugural season against Geneva College on a 90-yard touchdown pass from Shane Nalepa to Eric Miller).  Brohl then wrapped up the second-quarter scoring with his second TD pass of the evening, a two-yard toss to tight end Brent Altenburger (Black River H.S.) that stretched the Pioneer advantage to 27-6.

Malone’s lead then grew to 41-6 in the third stanza with two more touchdown runs, the first an 11-yard sprint by senior running back Joseph Peters (Oakland, CA) and the second a seven-yard dash by junior running back Courtney Greer (Midland, TX).

Trinity trimmed the deficit 41-12 just over two minutes into the fourth quarter as Beals raced to the end zone on a 90-yard TD run.  The Trojans were unable to get any closer over the remainder of the contest, however, as McFolling capped the scoring two minutes later with his third touchdown run of the game, this time from eight yards out.

Brohl completed 13 of his 19 pass attempts on the evening for 244 yards and two touchdowns.  Junior wide receiver Jeff Perri (Alameda, CA) pulled in four catches for 70 yards, junior wide receiver Mike Medina (San Diego, CA) snagged three catches for 36 yards while McLean caught two passes for 101 yards, including the record-setting TD grab.

Peters, Greer and McFolling all eclipsed 80 rushing yards in the contest as Peters totaled 153 yards on 21 attempts (7.3 average) with one TD, Greer posted 99 yards on 10 carries (9.9 average) with one score, and McFolling registered 81 yards on 14 attempts (5.8 average) with three touchdowns.

Defensive back Jon Latimer (Sr., Dallas, TX) and defensive end Cody Carroll (Jr., Chardon H.S.) each posted a team-high eight tackles with Latimer also tallying one interception and Carroll recording three tackles for loss, including two sacks.  Senior defensive lineman Nick Rousher (Canfield H.S.) and freshman linebacker Antonio Scassa (Massillon Washington H.S.) each followed with five stops apiece.

Punter Mike Skvor averaged over 47 yards on his three punts with a long of 63.  In addition to the lengthy boot, his other two kicks were each downed inside the Trinity eight yard-line.

For the Trojans, Beals completed 10 of his 21 pass attempts for 91 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions.  He also notched 114 rushing yards on 18 carries, including the long TD run.  Wide receiver Dave Hardt caught three passes for 26 yard while defensive back Pete Miller recorded a game-high 11 tackles.

This week, Malone (3-5 overall, 1-4 MSFA Mideast) will travel to Indianapolis, Indiana for a 1:00 p.m. matchup with Marian University (5-4 overall, 2-3 MSFA Mideast).  The Pioneers won both of their previous two meetings with the Knights, including a 45-37 victory at Fawcett Stadium last season.

Malone Notes:  The Pioneers’ 580 total yards marked the highest offensive output since the squad piled up 633 yards in a 42-17 win over Taylor (IN) University on October 11th of last season…Saturday marked the second time this season that the Pioneers have eclipsed 300 rushing yards as the squad tallied a school-record 442 yards on the ground in a 65-10 win at Anna Maria (MA) College on September 26th…Malone now holds a 6-1 advantage in the all-time series with Trinity International.

Pioneers Conclude Season With 1-0 Victory At Point Park

The Malone University women’s soccer team picked up a 1-0 American Mideast Conference victory on Saturday afternoon at Point Park (PA) University as junior midfielder Katie Heckman (Mars, PA) scored the lone goal of the match in the 67th minute of play.  With the win, Malone ended the season with a 9-7 overall record and 5-6 mark in the AMC while Point Park concluded its 2009 campaign at 2-13-1 overall and 0-10-1 in the conference.

Despite wet and muddy field conditions, Malone out-shot PPU 38-2 and held a 25-2 advantage in total shots on goal.  After a scoreless first half, the visitors pulled ahead for good midway through the final frame with Heckman’s unassisted goal.  Malone’s defense held Point Park in check throughout the match as keeper Sam Brown (Sr., Butler, PA) stopped both shots that she faced to record her third shutout of the season.

Notes: In the 14-year history of the program, Malone has now tallied a total of 12 winning seasons...The Pioneers finished ninth out of 12 teams in the AMC regular-season standings, just three points behind Walsh University and Roberts Wesleyan (NY) College, who tied for fifth place and therefore earned the conference’s final two playoff spots…Malone totaled seven shutouts this year and ended the season with a 0.99 goals against average…In her eight starts this season, Brown allowed just seven goals for a 0.85 goals against average.

Pioneers Pick Up Pair Of Important AMC Victories, Remain In Contention To Qualify For Postseason

The Malone University volleyball team kept its American Mideast Conference Tournament hopes alive on Saturday with a pair of important AMC victories in its home tri-match with Cedarville University and Carlow (PA) University.  The Pioneers opened the day with a 25-21, 25-21, 21-25, 25-19 triumph over the Yellow Jackets and then wrapped up the afternoon with a convincing 25-19, 25-14, 25-15 victory against the Celtics.  In the day’s neutral match, Cedarville topped Carlow in three sets by final scores of 26-24, 25-16, and 25-21.  With the pair of wins, Malone improved its record to 26-8 overall and 7-5 in the AMC.  The Pioneers have now concluded the conference portion of their regular-season schedule and will have to await the outcome of several of this week’s other AMC matches to see if they will qualify for the AMC Postseason Tournament (see Postseason Picture below).

Against Cedarville, junior outside hitter Jennifer Gahagan (Ravenna Southeast H.S.) ripped a match-high 15 kills to go with one service ace, nine digs and four blocks (three solo).  Senior middle hitter Kristen Schoolcraft (McKinley H.S.) followed with 12 kills and six blocks (five solo) while junior outside hitter Lori Ickes (Smithville H.S.) totaled 11 kills, one service ace, 15 digs and two solo blocks.  Other contributors included junior right side hitter Emily Beiting (Ft. Thomas, KY) with nine kills, one service ace, and 11 digs and freshman setter Jackie Schwamberger (Madison Comprehensive H.S.) with 43 assists and 18 digs.

In Saturday’s finale against Carlow, Gahagan again led the way with nine kills and 10 digs.  Senior middle hitter Erica Gann (Meadowbrook H.S.) and sophomore right side hitter Megan Fisher (Perry H.S.) each followed with seven kills apiece.  In addition to her kill total, Fisher also served up three service aces.  Ickes added six kills while Schwamberger dished up 18 assists and scooped up nine digs.

The Pioneers will wrap up their regular-season schedule this week with two non-conference matches.  On Tuesday, the squad will host NCAA Division III Geneva (PA) College (19-10 overall) at 6:00 p.m. before travelling to Columbus, Ohio on Thursday night for a 7:00 p.m. match with NCAA Division II Ohio Dominican University ( 19-13 overall).

Postseason Picture: The AMC receives two automatic bids to the NAIA National Tournament.  The first bid will be awarded to the conference’s regular-season champion and the second bid will go to the winner of the five-team AMC Postseason Tournament which will consist of finishers two through six in the final regular-season standings.  The single-elimination event will be hosted November 13-14 by the regular-season’s second-place finisher.

With a 7-5 conference record, the Pioneers are currently in seventh place in the standings, percentage points behind fifth-place Cedarville at 7-4 and sixth-place Point Park (PA) University at 6-4.  The Yellow Jackets have one AMC match remaining (Tuesday at home vs. the University of Northwestern Ohio) while Point Park has two conference matches remaining (Tuesday at home vs. Ursuline College and Saturday on the road at Roberts Wesleyan College). 

Malone, which does not have any conference matches remaining on its schedule, would move into one of the top six spots and therefore qualify for the AMC Tournament if Point Park lost both of its remaining matches OR if Cedarville lost to UNOH.  Due to its win over Cedarville and loss to Point Park during the regular season, Malone holds a tiebreaker over the Yellow Jackets but would lose the tiebreaker to Point Park.

Pioneers Pick Up Pair Of Important AMC Victories, Remain In Contention To Qualify For Postseason

The Malone University volleyball team kept its American Mideast Conference Tournament hopes alive on Saturday with a pair of important AMC victories in its home tri-match with Cedarville University and Carlow (PA) University.  The Pioneers opened the day with a 25-21, 25-21, 21-25, 25-19 triumph over the Yellow Jackets and then wrapped up the afternoon with a convincing 25-19, 25-14, 25-15 victory against the Celtics.  In the day’s neutral match, Cedarville topped Carlow in three sets by final scores of 26-24, 25-16, and 25-21.  With the pair of wins, Malone improved its record to 26-8 overall and 7-5 in the AMC.  The Pioneers have now concluded the conference portion of their regular-season schedule and will have to await the outcome of several of this week’s other AMC matches to see if they will qualify for the AMC Postseason Tournament (see Postseason Picture below).

Against Cedarville, junior outside hitter Jennifer Gahagan (Ravenna Southeast H.S.) ripped a match-high 15 kills to go with one service ace, nine digs and four blocks (three solo).  Senior middle hitter Kristen Schoolcraft (McKinley H.S.) followed with 12 kills and six blocks (five solo) while junior outside hitter Lori Ickes (Smithville H.S.) totaled 11 kills, one service ace, 15 digs and two solo blocks.  Other contributors included junior right side hitter Emily Beiting (Ft. Thomas, KY) with nine kills, one service ace, and 11 digs and freshman setter Jackie Schwamberger (Madison Comprehensive H.S.) with 43 assists and 18 digs.

In Saturday’s finale against Carlow, Gahagan again led the way with nine kills and 10 digs.  Senior middle hitter Erica Gann (Meadowbrook H.S.) and sophomore right side hitter Megan Fisher (Perry H.S.) each followed with seven kills apiece.  In addition to her kill total, Fisher also served up three service aces.  Ickes added six kills while Schwamberger dished up 18 assists and scooped up nine digs.

The Pioneers will wrap up their regular-season schedule this week with two non-conference matches.  On Tuesday, the squad will host NCAA Division III Geneva (PA) College (19-10 overall) at 6:00 p.m. before travelling to Columbus, Ohio on Thursday night for a 7:00 p.m. match with NCAA Division II Ohio Dominican University ( 19-13 overall).

Postseason Picture: The AMC receives two automatic bids to the NAIA National Tournament.  The first bid will be awarded to the conference’s regular-season champion and the second bid will go to the winner of the five-team AMC Postseason Tournament which will consist of finishers two through six in the final regular-season standings.  The single-elimination event will be hosted November 13-14 by the regular-season’s second-place finisher.

With a 7-5 conference record, the Pioneers are currently in seventh place in the standings, percentage points behind fifth-place Cedarville at 7-4 and sixth-place Point Park (PA) University at 6-4.  The Yellow Jackets have one AMC match remaining (Tuesday at home vs. the University of Northwestern Ohio) while Point Park has two conference matches remaining (Tuesday at home vs. Ursuline College and Saturday on the road at Roberts Wesleyan College). 

Malone, which does not have any conference matches remaining on its schedule, would move into one of the top six spots and therefore qualify for the AMC Tournament if Point Park lost both of its remaining matches OR if Cedarville lost to UNOH.  Due to its win over Cedarville and loss to Point Park during the regular season, Malone holds a tiebreaker over the Yellow Jackets but would lose the tiebreaker to Point Park.