Troy Bethany Christian hopes to regain FBAC volleyball crown
BY DAN STICKRADT
SENIOR EDITOR
dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com
TROY— It is not a right of passage, but it is often expected that Troy Bethany Christian will win a conference championship each season in volleyball.
So when the Bruins finished second a year ago, it almost seemed like a painful hiccup.
Bethany Christian finished 6-2 in the Fundamental Baptist Athletic Conference Red Division last autumn, snapping its string of straight league championships at 10. Rochester Hills Christian finished 8-0 in conference play in winning a league title for the first time.
“I think the girls really want to win the league this year,” admitted head coach Cheryl Tremper.
Since joining the FBAC in 1996, Bethany Christian has won the FBAC Red Division 13 times. They were an independent for four years prior to that after the Wolverine Christian Conference disbanded in 1992.
Tremper returned to the sideline this season after a short hiatus. Tremper coached at Bethany Christian from 1986-2005 and then took six seasons off before opting to return this year.
She inherits a team that not only returns a bulk of its talent, but has added some key new players and is off to a fine 4-1-0 start, including a runner-up finish to longtime state powerhouse Pittsford Freedom Farm Christian at their tournament.
The Bruins finished 14-7-1 in 2010 overall. The biggest win came in the Michigan Association of Christian Schools state quarterfinals, where they rallied to upset top-seeded Rochester Hills Christian in five games. The Eagles had swept the Bruins in the regular season.
GOING FOR THE KILL: Troy Baehany Christian sophomre Sarah Bishop and the Bruins are setting their goals on regaining the FBAC Red Division championship after finishing second last season. The Bruins had won 10 straight conference titles until last season. File Photo
Bethany Christian lost only three players from its roster of 14 and return four starters. Sophomore Sarah Bishop, a 5-foot-7 outside-hitter, and 5-6 junior outside hitter Leanna Sprankle have been key weapons on the attack. Senior DS/OH Rachel Waldrup (5-6) and senior setter Staci Green (5-4) are also back as starters.
It all starts with Green, a fourth-year starter at setter who has college potential.
“She’s very talented,” said Temper. “She kind of takes charge out there.”
Seniors Rebecca Ward (5-6) Hannah Clark (5-5) and juniors Mikayla Blair (5-7) and Michelle Tremper (5-6) also return, giving the team eight regulars back.
Sophomore setter Kelli Stonewall (5-5), junior middle blocker Jody Walraven (5-9) and junior middle Lindsey Mason (5-11) have moved into the lineup, with Walraven and Mason giving the team some much-needed size.
Last year the team’s tallest player who stood 5-11 transferred away during September, leaving the squad with virtually no size for a bulk of the season.
In the MACS Division I tournament, the Bruins have reached the state semifinals 11 straight seasons and have also played in the state title game on five occasions in school history, winning four titles. The most recent title came in 2008, when the Bruins defeated Freedom Farm of the title.
Bethany Christian was state runner-up in 2009 and also won titles in 1988, 1989 and 1991.
“We have been blessed with some very talented girls over the years,” said Tremper, who replaced Michelle Rodgers this season. “I think that is one of the reasons why we have been successful.”
The Bruins have already defeated defending league champion Rochester Hills Christian this season and will host Lake Orion Baptist for its second league game Friday. The FBAC-Red will have just four schools this season, so there will be only six league games.
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Category: High School, Prep Wraps, Troy Bethany Christian, Troy Christian Leadership Acadamy
