Overpowering at the net

ADA - Ohio Northern middle hitter Liz Schnelle leaps and stretches her right arm toward the overhead running track.

She uncoils and gives the striped ball a hard smack.

The ball barely clears the net and bangs off the new ONU parquet wood floor.

This was a practice session and the net she was using was actually six inches higher than the standard college women's volleyball net.

It's sessions like this that have paid dividends for Schnelle and her ONU teammates.

The 5-foot-11 junior Schnelle, from New Bremen, has helped powered ONU to a No. 10 ranking in the latest Division III national volleyball poll. The Polar Bears stand 20-4 overall, 6-0 in the Ohio Athletic Conference.

"We hit on a men's net, which is actually six to eight inches higher than this net," Schnelle said. "It was a challenge at first. I came in and practiced a lot over the summer and once you hit on that and go to this (the ONU net), you can't even compare it."

On the year, Schnelle leads the team in kills with 310 (4.19 per game). She also leads the team with 63 blocks, along with having 64 digs.

Last year Schnelle used her athletic ability to set a single-season school record with 573 kills, as she was named third team All-American. She had six 20-plus kill matches last year, including a career-high 31-kill match against Mount St. Joseph, and was named the national player of the week. She received the same national honor this year when she pounded down 27 kills in a 3-1 win over the Mount.

"Liz is just exceptional," ONU coach Kate Witte said. "She's one of the best middles in the country. ... She's just an exceptional both leader and person on and off the court who really helps us be successful."

Schnelle played basketball and volleyball and competed in track at New Bremen. She remembers some early basketball battles with her brother, Scott, who is now 6-foot-9 and a freshman on the ONU basketball team.

"We used to play outside on the basketball court every now and then, but now that he's so much taller than me it's not so much fun anymore," Schnelle said with a laugh.

"I loved sports and athletics so it was kind of hard for me to decide which one I liked the best, but more and more I got to play volleyball and learned about the sport, the more and more I fell in love with it."

Schnelle played club volleyball for Atlantis her final three years of high school. The team based out of the Piqua-Troy area, played numerous out-of-state tournaments, including going to Atlanta.

She came to ONU and has helped continue an extremely successful program.

Both Schnelle and setter Katie Weininger, who is only one of four ONU players with 4,000-career assists, were named All-American last year. Schnelle, a finance major, also was named Academic all-OAC.

Part of the key with ONU is its balance. Up front are middle hitters senior Samantha Markham (140 kills) and Schnelle. The outside hitters are sophomore Abby Schaller (161 kills) and Alex Christian (134 kills). Weininger sets them up and has 810 assists this year.

"Her (Schnelle's) athletic ability is phenomenal. She can do a lot of things. She's just a very, very good athlete," Witte said.

Schnelle added, "It's not one single person that we have to go to every time. ... And Katie Weininger, I can't say enough about her and all the things she does on and off the court."

ONU has won eight straight OAC regular-season championships with eight straight trips to the NCAA Tournament. Last year the Polar Bears reached the NCAA Sweet 16.

"I love being on top and I would never have it any other way," Schnelle said. "This program I just came into it. I was lucky. I really enjoy maintaining that No. 1 spot."

And if that means pounding away on a monster-size net, that's what she'll do.