The Case Western Reserve University volleyball team had one of the best seasons in program history in 2022, compiling a record of 22-6 during the campaign. The team's .786 winning percentage is the best mark in program history and the Spartans received an NCAA regional ranking for the first time since 2015. CWRU finished the season with a perfect 8-0 record at home.
The Spartans started the season with eight wins in their first nine matches, including a five-set victory over Mount Union at Horsburgh Gymnasium and six three-set wins. Following an early-season loss to Smith, Case Western Reserve won all of its matches against non-University Athletic Association opponents, including 12 via sweep. The Spartans wrapped up UAA Round Robin play with five-set wins over WashU, then ranked fourth in Division III, and rival Carnegie Mellon. Following a Senior Day win, CWRU concluded the season with a sixth place finish at the UAA Championship in New York.
Four Spartans earned All-UAA honors following the regular season. Junior middle blocker Jennifer Ngo was named to the All-UAA First Team for the second consecutive season and junior libero Alyssa Blessinger, sophomore outside hitter Rea Marfatia, and first-year middle blocker Amanda Ngo received All-UAA honorable mentions.
Jennifer Ngo became just the second Spartan in program history to be named to the First Team multiple times after former Spartan Lindsey Deyer was named to the First Team in 1999 and 2000. Ngo also became the fifth Spartan over the past eight years to be named to the All-UAA First Team, joining former Spartans Haley Kauffman (2015), Brianna Lemon (2017) and Karley King (2018). She led the Case Western Reserve attack with 2.52 kills per set on a .320 hitting percentage. Her hitting percentage ranks as the sixth-best in a single season in program history and was fourth highest in the UAA. At the net, Ngo was one of the leading blockers in all of Division III, ranking 18th in the country with 1.11 total blocks per set. Her career average of 1.12 blocks per set is currently a program record. Ngo added 0.80 digs and 0.24 service aces per set this season for CWRU.
Jennifer Ngo also received All-Region VII honorable mention recognition, becoming just the third Spartan in program history to earn All-Region honors after former CWRU student-athletes Kauffman (2015) and Tricia McCutchan (2008, 2011) were also named honorable mentions.
Blessinger earned her second All-UAA honors with the honorable mention after being named to the Second Team last season. She played in every single set for the Spartans this season, leading the team with 4.43 digs and 0.36 service aces per set. Blessinger's dig rate ranked second in the UAA and 150th in Division III, and she added 0.95 assists per set.
Marfatia, who played in all but two Spartan sets, had 2.35 kills and 3.03 digs per set, second best on the team. She added 32 service aces and 25 total blocks in 28 matches.
Amanda Ngo, who played in 27 matches, recorded 2.11 kills per set on a .232 hitting percentage and ranked second on the team with 0.80 total blocks per set in her first collegiate season.
Guiding the Spartan attack this season from the setter position were senior Sara Rogers and sophomore Ansley Yamaato. Rogers played in all 99 sets, averaging 4.75 assists and 2.06 digs per set in her final season with CWRU. Across three seasons, she totaled 1,511 assists and 664 digs in 80 matches. Rogers was named to the College Sports Communicators (formerly CoSIDA) Academic All-America Third Team following the season, becoming just the fifth student-athlete in program history to be named an Academic All-American. Yamaato, who played in every set for CWRU this season, led the team with 4.88 assists per set and added 2.06 digs per set. The pair also combined for 47 service aces in 2022.
First-year outside hitter Kalli Wall, senior outside hitter Gianna Lambert, and sophomore right side hitter Carly Scott each made significant contributions on the offense for Case Western Reserve. Wall was second on the team with 2.49 kills per set on a .264 hitting percentage in 82 sets. Lambert added 104 kills and 43 total blocks in 22 matches, finishing her career with 436 kills and 128 total blocks. In 86 sets, Scott averaged 1.55 kills per set, adding 0.57 digs and 0.34 assists per set.
Four Spartans were named to the CSC Academic All-District Team following the season. Blessinger, Marfatia, Jennifer Ngo, and Rogers each earned the honor for the first time in their careers. To be eligible for the CSC Academic All-District Team, a student-athlete must have started in half of the team's matches or have been a significant contributor off the bench and have at least a 3.50 grade point average through with one full year of college study.
Along with their success on the court, 19 Spartans received UAA All-Academic honors: Blessinger, sophomore Lily Crouch, senior Eve Dornback, junior Hannah Fox, sophomore Jolie Held, sophomore Lauren Himmel, Lambert, sophomore Chloe Maciejewski, Marfatia, sophomore Erin Murphy, Jennifer Ngo, senior Meara Reeder, Rogers, junior Lindsay Schamp, Scott, junior Karoline Shellhause, sophomore Maria Tuepker, Yamaato, and sophomore Deme Yianas. 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.
At the close of the 2022 season, Head Coach Karen Farrell has tallied 393 career wins with the program in 21 seasons.
The Spartans earned the following honors during the 2022 season:
College Sports Communicators Academic All-America
|
Sara Rogers
|
Third Team
|
University Athletic Association Athlete of the Week
|
Jennifer Ngo
|
Sept. 12 (Offense)
|
Kalli Wall
|
Oct. 17 (Offense)
|
2022 Season Leaders
CWRU in the final NCAA Division III team rankings (out of 426 ranked teams)
Category
|
Rank
|
Total
|
Aces Per Set
|
361
|
1.65
|
Assists Per Set
|
58
|
11.40
|
Blocks Per Set
|
29
|
2.02
|
Digs Per Set
|
150
|
16.25
|
Hitting Percentage
|
43
|
.217
|
Kills Per Set
|
50
|
12.51
|
Match W/L Percentage
|
29
|
.786
|
Opp. Hitting Percentage
|
78
|
.133
|
Team Assists
|
111
|
1,129
|
Team Attacks Per Set
|
197
|
34.77
|
Team Digs
|
170
|
1,609
|
Team Kills
|
113
|
1,238
|
Team Service Aces
|
325
|
163
|
Team Total Attacks
|
187
|
3,442
|
Team Total Blocks
|
56
|
199.5
|
CWRU individuals in final NCAA Division III rankings (top 250 players ranked)