Last season's Grinnell College volleyball team survived some initial growing pains and was playing its best ball at the end of the 2007 campaign. With just one senior graduating from that that squad, the Pioneers are looking to pick up where they left off in 2008.

Grinnell finished 3-6 in the Midwest Conference, good for seventh place, and was 5-24 overall. However, the Pioneers finished off the season with consecutive victories over Knox College and Illinois College to springboard them into the 2008 campaign.

Among the top returnees is middle hitter Claire Reeder '11, a Second-Team All-Midwest Conference selection last season. Reeder, who was named to the all-tournament teams at every tournament in which Grinnell competed, etched her name among the Pioneers' all-time leaders in several categories. She finished third-best in kills per game average for a season (4.00), sixth in kills in a season (392) and 11th for blocks in a season (104). She had 32 kills in a match with Culver-Stockton, which is the third-highest total in Grinnell history.

Erin Labasan '11 tallied 718 assists, which ranks eighth all-time for Grinnell, and averaged 3.92 digs per game, 10th-best. She is switching back to outside hitter this season. Defensive specialist Carlie Beach '10 had 34 digs against Culver-Stockton, fifth-best for a Pioneer.

Outside hitter Elizabeth Davis '11 also played a big role, as she ranked second on the team in kills per game (2.50) and digs per game (3.47). Also coming up big at the net were outside hitter Caitlin Helterline '10 (1.53 kills per game) and middle hitter Kelsey Montgomery '11 (1.25 kills and 0.82 blocks per game).

Other contributors back from 2007 are setter Cara Rowe '11 and defensive specialists Rachel Smith '11, Muriel Gallo-Chasanoff '10 and Caroline Bailey '10.

Among the new players are Olivia Wilks, Hannah Campos and Brooke Yoder (all setters), Molly Wingfield (right-side hitter), Gillian Dryjanski and Anna Day (outside/middle hitters), Anne Brothers (middle hitter), Morgan Mercer (outside hitter), Kate Duran (defensive specialist) and Bonnie Kircher. All are first-years except Brothers, who is a sophomore.

"I think this is going to be a special team and that they are poised to take the volleyball program to the 'next level,'" said Grinnell coach Tom Sonnichsen. "The young women who were with us last season made tremendous improvement as the season went on and the incoming players are going to make a big impact. I expect this team to quickly learn how to work together and for them to present a real challenge for all of our opponents.

"We are much more balanced this year than last and we are at least three deep at every position," he added. "I think the base strength of this group is the ball handling, which contributes directly to scoring. Finally, this is an outstanding group of young women who love playing the game and love playing volleyball with each other."

Grinnell College volleyball player Claire Reeder '11 was named to the 2007 All-Midwest Conference second team on Monday.

Reeder, a 6-foot middle hitter from La Grange Park, Ill., provided the Pioneers with a huge spark this season. She not only made the all-tournament team at every tournament in which Grinnell competed, but also etched her name among the Pioneers' all-time leaders in numerous categories. She finished third-best in kills per game average for a season (4.00), sixth in kills in a season (392) and 11th for blocks in a season (104). She had 32 kills in a match with Culver-Stockton, which is the third-highest total in Grinnell history.

Reeder also led the Pioneers in aces with 0.29 per game and was third in digs with 3.15 a contest. Her efforts helped the young Pioneers finish the season with a two-match winning streak, a good sign of things to come.