Volleyball set for start of 2021 fall season

The Defiance volleyball team are set to start the 2021 fall season. The Yellow Jackets get the season underway at Heidelberg on Wednesday, September 1 at 7:00 p.m.

The Coach: Defiance is led by Brie Brenner who enters her tenth season at the helm for the volleyball program. Since the 2012 season, Brenner has led her teams to a 112-109 record, including a 23-6 mark in her second year at the helm that also saw DC post a perfect 9-0 regular-season mark in conference play and the first HCAC regular-season title for the program.  Brenner also garnered HCAC Coach-of-the-Year accolades for the second straight year.  The Jackets went on to repeat as conference regular-season champions in 2014 and make another appearance in the HCAC postseason.

Brenner has earned HCAC Coach of the Year honors in her first and second seasons as head coach, becoming the 15th coach in DC history to have been honored as the HCAC Coach of the Year and the first since the 2007-08 athletic year. She has led the Jackets to a spot in the HCAC Tournament seven times in addition to two HCAC regular-season titles, coached multiple All-HCAC players, including 10 first-team honorees, three All-Freshman players and one HCAC Player of the Year.  Brenner's teams have also carried its success to the classroom with 15 Academic All-HCAC awards and one national academic award winner.

The Captain: Earning the honor of being named captain and leading the Yellow Jackets this season is senior outside hitter Mackenzie Benham. In her junior season, she played in all 17 matches and 53 sets recording a team-high 156 kills and finished fourth in the HCAC in kills and kills-per-set (2.98). Benham also notched 142 digs, 15 total blocks, and 16 service aces during the spring 2021 season. She ended the year being named to the HCAC All-Academic and All-Sportsmanship Teams.

The Players: Players to watch out for this season and looking to make their mark are senior designated setter Tre'Ana King, senior setter Brianna Wheeler, sophomore middle blocker Olivia Rayk, and sophomore outside hitter Madison Schoenauer. King competed in all 17 matches and 54 sets recording 152 digs and nine service aces.

Wheeler played in all 17 matches and 54 sets dishing a team-best 411 assists and ender the campaign third in the HCAC in assist and fifth in assist-per-set (7.64). She also finished top five in the HCAC in service aces (28) and service aces-per-set (.47), while adding 129 digs and 34 kills.

Rayk ended her freshman season playing in all 17 matches and 56 sets notching 64 kills and 19 total blocks. Schoenauer finished her first year playing in 17 matches and 54 sets recording 94 kills, 16 total blocks, and 25 digs.

The Schedule: Defiance will play a 20 match schedule consisting of nine HCAC matches and 11 non-conference matches. The Yellow Jackets open the fall season on the road at Heidelberg on September 1 at 7:00 p.m. and their home opener will be Saturday, September 25 against Wilmington at 1:00 p.m.

Broadcasts: All home games will be played at the Karl H. Weaner Center and live stats and video can be found on defianceathletics.com.