Ohio Volleyball Commitments

STORY BY ERIC FRANTZ
Volleyball
Hot Commodity
Sara Sage (center) chose UCLA
over Ohio State, Minnesota,
Penn State, USC, Pepperdine,
Michigan and Georgia Tech.
Photo by Jason Werling/Sandusky Register
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Sara Sage set a Huron
school record with 531
kills last season. The
old record was 350.
Photo by Jason Werling/Sandusky Register
hen asked to rank Sara Sage among the other Huron High
School volleyball players he’s coached over the last 15
years, Tigers coach Don Wood called the question “unfair.”
Opponents probably feel the same way when lined up
opposite the 6-3 outside/middle hitter.
“She’s one of the best players to come out of northwest
Ohio period,” Wood said. “Her physical stature and talent
level is phenomenal. She’s a special player.”
Sage is so unique in fact that there has never been one like her before –
so to say. Having verbally committed to UCLA, Sage will become the first
Ohio native to don the powder blue and play for the NCAA powerhouse
Bruins.
“If you play volleyball for anybody in the Pac-10 Conference that says a
lot,” Wood said. “I can only think of a handful of Ohio players who were able
to make it to the Pac-10 so that right there puts her in an elite group.”
According to UCLA, there have been few Ohio players who have even
been invited to the Los Angeles campus for recruiting visits, the most recent
being Toledo St. Ursula’s Sarah Florian (USC/Minnesota) and Ben Logan’s
Nicole Fawcett (Penn State). Sage ranks with those former Ohio standouts
and carries similar credentials.
In addition to becoming the first Buckeye to land at UCLA, Sage also has
U.S. National Team experience to add to her resume. In July, Sage was one
of just 18 athletes across the country invited to USA Volleyball’s Under-18
National Team training tryouts in Chula Vista, Calif. She made the 12-woman
roster (along with Cincinnati Mt. Notre Dame senior Rachael Adams) and
competed with the squad at the FIVB U-18 World Championships held July
31-Aug. 11 in Mexico’s Baja California region.
The one thing missing from her bio? A state title.
Last year Sage helped the Tigers reach the Division III state semifinals
before bowing out to Cleveland Villa Angela-St. Joseph. The trip to state was
Huron’s first since winning the title in 2002.
If Sage has her way, that championship drought will end this year.
“Let’s just say we have high hopes and we plan on being very competitive,” Sage said. “I’m not going to say we’re going to win the state title,
because on any given day anything can happen. We should be pretty good
though.”
When Sage speaks of potential pitfalls, she draws from experience.
Despite being a natural when she started the sport as a 10-year old, Sage
has had her downtimes.
Breaking onto the scene as a member of the Northshore Volleyball Club,
Sage made strides quickly. Less than two years after picking up the sport,
she was selected for an invite-only USA High Performance Camp.
Always the tallest girl in her class, Sage had big-time ability as well.
“She was pretty skilled right from the beginning,” Wood said. “She was tall,
but she also had skills. Everyone knew early on she was special.”
Sage received her first recruiting letter in seventh grade.
Entering high school, Sage experienced her first setback. Sidelined with a
leg injury she says was caused by “continual, non-stop activity,” Sage missed
the majority of her freshman year with a broken femur. She returned in time
for the tournament and tallied 78 kills in just 36 games as Huron finished as a
regional runner-up.
As a sophomore, Sage missed parts of the regular season with the same
injury. She says she didn’t give the leg proper time to heal and went under
the knife again. Huron was upset in the district semifinals. Despite the injury
and limited playing time, Sage still tallied 305 kills and was named third-team
All-Ohio.
“One moment that sticks out to me was a match against Toledo St. Ursula
that year,” Wood said. “She had 25 kills and even though we lost, it was a
high-level match that she performed extremely well in. I was amazed by
what she accomplished that night, let alone the fact that she did it on a broken bone.”
The time away from the game and the uncertainty wore on Sage.
“She was upset because she couldn’t play, but the whole ordeal was a
delicate issue for any teenager,” Wood said. “She could come to the gym but
she couldn’t compete and help out and I think that got to her. She makes a
big difference to our team when she’s in there and as a coach you tend to be
selfish because you want her out there but our first concern was getting her
healthy.
“I know it was a big personal battle for her and for her to work through that
and get where she is today is a pretty special feat. She’ll say she’s probably
a better person to have had to go through that. It was definitely tough on her.”
Sage added, “It was a disappointing time, but it also strengthened me as a
player and person.”
Sage’s full capabilities were on display during Huron’s run to the state
semifinals last season.
Playing her first complete high school season, Sage shattered Huron’s single-season kills record with 531. The previous mark was 350. Sage was
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named the Sandusky Bay Conference Player of the Year and earned first
team All-Ohio honors.
“Her kill percentage last year was over 60 percent which is unbelievable,”
Wood said. “In high school if you get someone near 50 percent that’s impressive. But that’s her strength. She also handles the ball and blocks very well.”
As a sophomore, Sage’s kill percentage was 59 percent.
Besides her size and athleticism, Sage’s mind-set is a strength. Both
coach and player pointed out her desire to succeed.
“She has a real good competitive edge,” Wood said. “She does not like to
lose and that filters down to her teammates. Her teammates are confident
with her on the court and you can see the carryover.”
“Determination,” Sage said. “I don’t give up. I’ve got fight in me and I don’t
like to lose. I always give my best effort at everything.”
It was that effort that helped Sage land at UCLA.
Making an impression on Bruins coaches at the USA High Performance
camp as a 12-year-old, Sage remained in contact with the West Coast
school over the years. She decided last year she was headed there after
weighing additional offers from Ohio State, Penn State, Minnesota, Michigan,
USC, Pepperdine and Georgia Tech.
“The coaches got me out there and once I got out there you couldn’t beat
it,” Sage said. “It is the perfect situation for me.”
The Bruins have been to 25 NCAA tournaments and have six national
championships. As a conference, the Pac-10 accounts for 13 of the 26
NCAA D-I volleyball titles, making it the mecca of collegiate volleyball.
As for the mecca of Ohio High School volleyball, Sage hopes to lead her
team back to Wright State’s Nutter Center and the state finals.
The Tigers have plenty of talent in addition to Sage – fellow senior Susie
Isphording has committed to Bowling Green – and have their sights set on
the big trophy. It would be the school’s third title following wins in 1999 and
2002.
“Sara has a bigger goal than just getting back to state,” Wood said.
“Potentially it could be a very special year for us. I’m not going to say we’re
going to win the title but it could be a special year.”
Huron already has its special player. — OH
Ohio Volleyball Commitments
A look at Ohio’s verbal commitments in the
Class of 2008
Abby Niekamp, Marion Local (Florida State)
Alli Hook, Findlay (IPFW)
Alliya Drzewiecki, Toledo St. Ursula (Florida State)
Ashley Frazier, Toledo Central Catholic (Alabama)
Ashleigh Slemmer, Dublin Coffman (Oakland)
Brooke Maher, Cincinnati Ursuline (Evansville)
Cassie Sowers, Westfall (Eastern Michigan)
Courtney Boggs, Worthington Christian (Liberty)
Emily Kauth, Chaminade-Julienne (Bowling Green)
Emily Shelton, Cincinnati St. Ursula (Coll. of Charleston)
Jenna Caylor, Centerville (Miami)
Jordan Goad, Toledo Notre Dame (Cleveland State)
Kelli Barhorst, Anna (Ohio State)
Lauren Simon, Norwalk (Kent State)
Maddy Shalter, Ottawa Glandorf (Northwestern)
Megan Barhorst, Marion Local (Cleveland State)
Missy Harpenau, Cincinnati Mother of Mercy (Cincinnati)
Rachel Krabacher, Cincinnati McCauley (Dayton)
Sara Sage, Huron (UCLA)
Sarah Mignin, Sylvania Northview (Ohio State)
Sharon Strizak, Cincinnati Mt. Notre Dame (Dayton)
Susie Isphording, Huron (Bowling Green)
Tricia Mullen, Botkins (Duquesne)
Huron could have a lot to smile about this season with two Division I
recruits back from last year’s team that made the state semifinals.
Photo by Jason Werling/Sandusky Register
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