There are many things athletes do to separate themselves from others pursuing the same goals.
Getting stronger in the weight room, using plyometrics to improve conditioning and studying film of oneself and opponents are important tools that can turn good athletes into elite-level competitors.
Another component of athletics is competing hard at all times no matter what is on the line.
Though the chance of a postseason berth was not present Friday, Elyria native Kelly Ruth and the Xavier Musketeers (16-14) traveled to South Bend, Ind., for a volleyball showdown with Notre Dame.
“I just talked to Debbie Brown, the coach at Notre Dame, and there’s not a shot that either one of us are going to get in (to the NCAA Tournament),” said Xavier coach Floyd Deaton. “We both have the same record and we’re playing this for the love of the game.
“That’s when you find out who the contenders and the pretenders are. The pretenders are the ones that complain about playing. The contenders are the ones that look and say, ‘Let’s go do this because I love playing volleyball.’ Those are the ones you want to have around. It’s a Division I game, so it’s intense, but it’s also played for the pure enjoyment of the game.”
One of the competitors Deaton has relied on this season is Ruth, a junior outside hitter. The former EHS standout was selected as a captain by her teammates and helped the Musketeers to victories over Youngstown State, Ohio State and several Atlantic 10 opponents.
Deaton has asked Ruth to set the tone for the team on and off the Cintas Center court.
“Kelly’s learned how much leadership in off-the-court situations controls a team,” Deaton said. “It’s about the X’s and O’s, but it’s also about team camaraderie (and) keeping each other accountable. The underclassmen learned that if you’re going to come onto this court, you’re going to bring your ‘A’ game. If not, someone’s going to tell you about it.”
In addition to the off-court leadership she has provided, Ruth has also been a key component to the success of the program on the court. Heading into Friday’s match with Notre Dame, she ranked sixth in the Atlantic 10 with 329 kills and held a .220 hitting percentage.
While an outside hitter usually finishes a play, Ruth has been equally effective receiving the ball first. On serve-receive, she had successfully taken the ball 549 times and committed just 23 errors, with a .958 serve-receive percentage and 307 defensive digs.
“That was my biggest weakness coming in as a freshman,” Ruth said of serve reception. “I struggled a lot last year. I’m fortunate enough to have Christy Utnage, who is our serve-receive coach. She’s taught me a lot and I’ve been working really hard at it. I’ve learned some new techniques and how to be mentally tough.”
Mental toughness is always something Ruth possessed. Although she was physically and mentally strong enough to handle the grind of Division I volleyball as a young player, her intensity sometimes worked against her. Now that she has harnessed the enthusiasm within, Ruth has become a better leader.
“She’s just a polished player,” Deaton said. “She hits with power, but has developed all the shots that she needs to be a good volleyball player. In Division I, power gets you so far. There’s a lot of people that can block a ball at this level.
“She’s probably the most intense player I’ve ever coached. She’s learning to constructively manage that intensity to where it helps her teammates. In the past, if she was having a bad match, she would go back into a shell and not listen to her teammates. She’s learned to open up a little more.”
Although it has helped Ruth and her teammates, learning to turn intensity into a positive was not an easy process.
“It’s a long season and there are a lot of matches,” Ruth said. “Being able to be consistent throughout them all (is important). I used to be more of the rah-rah team leader out there, getting really excited after kills and good hustle plays. I noticed this past year, I’m less of the rah-rah and I’m more level on the floor. Some of the younger girls, they now have taken over that role. It’s nice to just try to be steady for the team.”
Heading into their season finale against the Fighting Irish, Ruth and the Musketeers still had an example to set for incoming players and opponents.
“With Junior Olympic volleyball play becoming more competitive, everyone’s getting better athletes for their programs. You’re not going to show up and win against these teams,” Ruth said. “Teams in the Atlantic 10 are all raising their level of play. The competition’s getting better and it’s ‘What are we going to do about it? Are we going to come in and let them dominate us or are we going to work hard in the spring and come back ready to go next season.’
“Last year, we knocked
St. Louis out of the tournament in the semifinals, then we lost to Dayton. This year, we lost to St. Louis in the semifinals. I’ve only been in the conference finals once. We want the conference championship and the tournament championship. I’m not going to sit here and just let St. Louis dominate the conference. That’s our motivation.”

News and Notes

The season of firsts continues for the Ball State University football team. The Cardinals, who earned a national ranking for the first time in school history earlier in the year, completed an undefeated run through the regular season with a 45-22 victory over Western Michigan this past Tuesday.
With the win, Ball State claimed it’s first-ever Mid-American Conference West Division championship and will play in the MAC Championship Game,
Dec. 5, at Ford Field in Detroit against the University of Buffalo.
Junior safety Alex Knipp (Amherst), one of the leaders in Ball State’s secondary, is the second-leading tackler on the team with 76 total stops. In addition to his 1½ tackles for lost yardage, Knipp has two interceptions and three pass break-ups on the year.
• The Ohio and North Coast Athletic Conferences presented their football awards this week.
While the Mount Union Purple Raiders cleaned up individual awards, Ohio Northern junior linebacker Gabe Washington (Admiral King) earned second-team All-OAC on defense. Washington had a team-high 75 tackles with 5½ for lost yardage. He also registered 1½ sacks, as well as an interception, fumble recovery and two pass break-ups.
College of Wooster sophomore linebacker Steve Custenborder earned first-team All-NCAC defensive honors. The Rocky River graduate finished the year with 87 tackles. He had 8½ tackles for loss, 2½ sacks and Wooster’s only interception return for a touchdown.
• Hillsdale kicker Mark Petro (Lutheran West) was honored with second-team All-Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference accolades. Petro converted 35 of 36 extra-point attempts and connected on 15 of 19 field goals. Petro made a 43-yarder, his longest of the season, in a 29-17 win at Indianapolis on Sept 20.
Three Ashland University football standouts earned All-GLIAC honorable mention honors. Senior linebacker D.J. Shaw (Keystone), defensive back Pat Curran (Olmsted Falls) and defensive lineman Kyle Clark (Black River) played a role in Ashland advancing to the second round of the NCAA Division II playoffs.
Shaw had 4½ sacks, while Clark had 10½ tackles for lost yardage. Curran finished the year with 94 tackles and two interceptions.
• Though the wrestling team at Baldwin-Wallace College is struggling, senior 133-pounder Brian Bucher (Avon Lake) is putting together a solid season. Bucher, who earned the OAC Wrestler of the Week award on Monday, is 10-2 overall and one of five Yellow Jackets with winning records.
Contact Matt Florjancic at 329-7135 or ctsports@chroniclet.com. 

In order to comment, you must agree to our user agreement and discussion guidelines.

Need help? Email Us.