The Ohio Northern women's basketball team brings back its second-, third- and fourth-leading scorers for the 2019-20 season. And while that's plenty of production coming back, the challenge for 19th-year head coach Michele Durand is identifying a new go-to scorer, and that may not be one single player.
"We've had that go-to player for quite a few years now, but I think it's going to be a committee of people this year," Durand said. "… Our motto is, 'Tough and together.' We really have to be tough and really have to be together. If we are together, I think we can win some games."
Senior McKenna Hostetler (Plain City/Alder) was named Ohio Athletic Conference Libero of the Year, headlining a list of five Ohio Northern volleyball players to receive All-Conference accolades, in voting conducted by the league's 10 coaches.
Senior All-American Chelsea Huppert (Bremen, Ind.) joined Hostetler as First Team honorees.
Seniors McKenna Jordan (Toledo/St. Ursula) and Sydney Bapst (Grove City) and freshman Madison Kern (Loveland/Mount Notre Dame) received Honorable Mention All-Conference honors.
Head coach Kate Witte was selected as OAC Coach of the Year.
The No. 12-ranked Ohio Northern volleyball team will travel to Grand Rapids, Mich., and face Aurora (Ill.) in the First Round of the 2019 NCAA III Tournament on Thursday.
The match time will be announced later in the week.
The Polar Bears (26-5 overall) are making their 32nd NCAA Tournament appearance in the 40-year history of the event.
Ohio Northern qualified for the NCAA Tournament by winning the Ohio Athletic Conference Tournamewnt title in a thrilling 5-set victory over Otterbein, giving ONU the league's automatic bid.
The No. 17-ranked Ohio Northern women's soccer team will host the first two rounds of the First Round of the 2019 NCAA III Tournament on Saturday and Sunday at Kershcer Stadium.
The Polar Bears (17-2-2) will host Grove City (Pa.) (12-6-2) in the first round.
The match time will be announced later in the week.
ONU will also host a first round match between Centre (Ky.) and Scranton (Pa.) on Saturday.
Saturday's winners will play on Sunday for a trip to the Sweet 16 on the line.
The Polar Bears are making their fifth NCAA Tournament appearance in program history and their second in the past three seasons.
Ohio Northern wrestling head coach Ron Beaschler enjoyed what he saw out of his young squad last season. They improved as the year wore on, and many of the grapplers performed best toward the end of the season.
Beaschler and the Polar Bears would like more of the same in 2019-20.
"Expectations are to pick up where we left off last year and improve," Beaschler said. "We were young last year. We had a lot of holes, and we filled several of those holes through recruiting. … Guys that got starting opportunities last year need to keep progressing to being better wrestlers this season."
The Ada fall sports awards program scheduled for tonight (Nov. 12) has been postponed to a date to be announced. Also, all junior high practices for tonight are canceled.
