The 2016 season served as a year of growth as the Case Western Reserve University volleyball team finished the year with a 21-10 overall record, while posting a 2-5 mark in the University Athletic Association and finishing in sixth place at the UAA Championships.

CWRU opened the season with an 8-0 record, while also claiming the team title at the 18^th Annual Marcia French Invite. In the winning streak, the Spartans won four matches by a 3-2 score. Of their 31 matches in 2016, CWRU won eight of those by a score of 3-2.

The Spartans were paced by freshman Haley Sims, who was selected as the UAA Rookie of the Year and earning All-UAA honorable mention, as well as All-UAA second team honoree sophomore Shannon Carroll.

Sims became the second Spartan ever to be named the UAA Rookie of the Year, the first since Natalie Southard earned the recognition in 2011. She finished the regular season with a .284 hitting percentage, which puts her at ninth in school history for attack percentage in a single-season. Sims led the team with 112 total blocks, including 81 block assists which puts her at 10^th in school history for block assists in a single-season. She finished third on the team with 242 kills and 2.03 kills per set and was named UAA Player of the Week on September 13^th.

Carroll averaged 8.31 assists per set during the 2016 season and has averaged 7.62 assists per set during her career which puts her at fourth on the Spartan's all-time list for assists per set in a career. The starting setter in every game during the season, Carroll led the Spartans with 989 assists and was second on the team with 301 digs.

Senior outside hitter Marian Barton and senior middle hitter Kayla Pfaff, who each served as the team's co-captains during the 2016 season, concluded their Spartan careers. Barton finished her senior season with 243 kills, 60 digs and 29 total blocks. Pfaff concluded her career ranking sixth all-time with a .252 attack percentage and eighth all-time in both block assists (175) and blocks per set (0.64).

At the net, freshman outside hitter Brianna Lemon and freshman outside hitter Karley King averaged 3.36 and 1.86 kills per set, respectively. Lemon finished first on the team with 400 kills and King finished fourth with 186 kills.

Defensively, sophomore Karina Bondelid averaged 4.00 digs per set during the 2016 season and has averaged 3.60 digs per set during her career which puts her at 10^th on the Spartans' all-time list for digs per set in career. The starting libero in every game during the season, Bondelid led the Spartans with 476 digs. She also recorded a team-high 46 service aces during the season which ties her for eighth on the all-time list for service aces in a single season. Bondelid currently ranks first on the Spartans' all-time list for service aces per set in a career with 0.42.

Finishing third on the team with 232 digs, sophomore defensive specialist Emily Wolfenbarger averaged 2.23 digs per set.

Along with their success on the court, five Spartans received All-UAA Academic honors: Barton, Pfaff, junior Emma Briggs, Bondelid and sophomore Noel Jeansonne. All-Academic Recognition is awarded to student-athletes who have completed at least one full year of college study and who carry a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.300.

Head Coach Karen Farrell concluded her 15^th season where she has led the program to at least 20 victories in seven of the last nine seasons. At the close of the 2016 season, she has tallied 308 career wins with the program.

The Spartans earned the following honors during the 2016 Season

2016 Season Leaders

CWRU in the final NCAA Division III team rankings (out of 427 ranked teams) 

CWRU individual's in final NCAA Division III rankings (top 250 players ranked)