Lady Bees Volleyball

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Head Coach Rob Cline has announced the dates for the Lady Bees Volleyball “All Skills Camp”.  Girls entering 5th through 9th grades this fall are welcome to participate in the camp which will focus on the teaching and practicing of all essential volleyball skills. The camp will be instructed by Rob Cline and his staff.

CLICK HERE for the camp flier and registration form.

Click the “Email This Post” link above to send this article to any interested friends / relatives.

Lady Bee Star Makes It Official

By Dom DiPasqua/Staff Writer

Thursday, November 13, 2008

BROADVIEW HEIGHTS – Meredith Paskert wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.

With those closest to her present the six-foot, one-inch Lady Bee star officially signed her Mid-American Conference Letter of Intent to play volleyball for the next four years on an academic/athletic scholarship at Kent State University.

Surrounded by her parents, Kathy and Kurt and her younger brother and sister Jacob (13) and Abby (10) along with Brecksville-Broadview Heights head coach Rob Cline and Paskerts’ Junior Olympic club coach Steve Kotnik, the senior Bee captain signed on the dotted line and at precisely 4:56 PM, according to NCAA protocol, officially acknowledged the beginning of her college volleyball career.

Oh, and by the way, mom and dad had to make good on their autographs too on the multi-page, three-copy binding document.

Yes, dreams do come true.

The signing event took place in the Brecksville-Broadview Heights High School library and was hosted and video-taped by Bees Athletic Director Dan Kalinsky.

“I absolutely loved this past season, from the summer practices to making it to states, it’s going to be cool to look back on it years from now.” Paskert, who will major in exercise physiology at Kent, said. ” I remember going to watch a Division I college match when I was 14 years old and this seemed like a long way off for me at that point.”

Through hard work, determination and focusing on her goal of playing Division I college volleyball, Paskert is ready for the next level. Her coaches are confident that she can and will make an impact for the Golden Flashes next season.

Paskert had more than a cursory handful of college offers. But Kent had courted the middle hitter since the beginning, the school is close to home so that her parents and family can watch her play and academically her course of study at KSU fits the bill. Paskert had verbally committed to the Flashes in the spring, she just made it a formality yesterday at the onset of the NCAA’s early signing period.

“This is pretty monumental.” Cline said. “It’s going to be hard putting a line-up sheet together next season and not have Meredith’s name on it.”

“But what she has done for our program is like what the New York Yankess did in baseball. Joe DiMaggio passed it down to Mickey Mantle and so on.” Said Cline, who was decked out in a white shirt and red tie. “She helped us start a new tradition of volleyball at Brecksville and her legacy will be passed on to the younger kids.”

“Meredith is probably the best player that I ever coached.” Cline said. “She can play all the positions on the floor and play them well because she is so fundamentally sound.”

“When she was 14-years old I knew that Meredith would be a Division I college player. She is a five tool player.” Kotnik, who operates the Rennaissance Cleveland Volleyball Club and has coached Paskert for six J-O seasons, said. “Meredith comes from a wonderful family. She has solid ethics, morals and is well-rounded. Our job is to build confident and responsible people and Meredith is all that. I think that she’ll be more than just ‘all right’ at Kent.”

To contact: Ddipa67834@aol.com.

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RESPECT IS EARNED FOR SOLON TOURNEY

By Dom DiPasqua/Staff Writer

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

SOLON – Bees head coach Rob Cline figured that his team would garner one of the top seeds at the upcominig Divsion I sectional/district tournament at Solon High School. But what he found out Sunday afternoon was that his Lady Bees have earned enough respect this season that they are the number one seed in the tournament. Click HERE for the bracket.

Brecksville-Broadview Heights (15-3, 9-3 Southwestern Conference) will open post-season play by taking on the winner of the Bedford-Garfield Heights match at 7:30 pm on Thursday, October 16.

“The bracket looks pretty good. Everyone was running away from us.” Cline said via voice mail. “That says good things about us.”

The Bees travel to Avon Lake tonight and will host Midpark on Thursday for “Senior Night”. The regular season ends on Saturday morning when Brecksville entertains Beaumont in a non-conference, pre-tournament test.

Stay tuned to the site for more comments and details on the upcoming tournament.

To contact: Ddipa67834@aol.com.

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Meredith Goes Two Minutes and More

Meredith Paskert, the Lady Bees 6-1 senior captain and middle hitter, has officially come out of her shell.

I first met Paskert when she was a freshman on the varsity basketball team. Over the years Meredith’s volleyball talents exploded and her quiet demeanor evolved into a gracious, outgoing personality.

Meredith and I talked about her being the “first victim” of the two-minute interview drill this season for months and Paskert was true to her promise. Here is a little look into what makes the Kent State University recruit tick both on and off the court.

The questions were fired in no particular order and with no pre-set agenda, but Meredith hung in there (after the Mayfield scrimmage) and answered all of them with a smile on her face.

Q – Who is the worst singer on the Lady Bees?
MP – Probably me but I don’t sing a whole lot so no one seems to know that. (Abby) Brinkman likes to show off her singing.

Q – What is your favorite subject in school?
MP – Chemistry.

Q – Who is the teacher?
MP – Mrs. Smith.

Q – Who is your favorite Bee football player?
MP – “Mighty” Joe Youngs.

Q – Who is your favorite Bee basketball player?
MP – Michael Mancuso.

Q – What is the best part about being a Lady Bee volleyball player?
MP – The team. I love ‘em to death. On and off the court, they are great!

Q – What is your favorite thing to do when you are not playing volleyball?
MP – Go to Cozumel’s with the team for dinner.

Q – Browns vs Giants tonight in NFL pre-season, who will win?
MP – The Browns hopefully.

Q – Brecksville or Broadview Heights?
MP – Brecksville.

Q – What kind of car do you have?
MP – A hand me down 1997 Mercury Tracer.

Q – Are you a good driver?
MP – I try.

Q – What is your GPA?
MP – 3.4.

Q – What are your aspirations for your senior year in the classroom?
MP – I want to finish out doing the best that I ever have.

Q – What are your aspirations for your senior year on the court?
MP – To finish better than third in the conference.

Q – Your favorite part of going to the Penn State Camp?
MP – The coaches, they are really funny, fun to be with and they know what they are doing.

Q – What are you going to major in at Kent State?
MP – Exercise Physiology.

Q – You played a lot of club volleyball, what is your favorite city that you played in?
MP – It had to be Las Vegas. It was very cool.

Q – How many states have you played volleyball in?
MP – At least ten, but I don’t really know.

Q – Who is your role model?
MP – My parents.

Q – Sum up coach Rob Cline in three words?
MP – Ooh. Dedicated, comedian and he’s on your back

Q – He’s on your back?
MP – Ya, a lot.

Q – What is your favorite meal?
MP – Probably stuffed cabbage. (laughs) No one else seems to like it though.

Q – If you could pick anywhere in the world to go on vacation where would it be?
MP – The Banks of North Carolina, I love it there.

Q – Indoor volleyball or beach volleyball?
MP – I haven’t really played a lot in the sand. I think indoor is easier. Sand is hard to jump on.

Q – What is the worst meal in the high school cafeteria?
MP – Probably the fish sandwich, I won’t even go near it (laughs). But they have good food overall.

Q – Should Sarah Kirk keep stats this year?
MP – Yes she should.

Q – Will the freshman Abby Brinkman (Gail The Whale) make an impact this year?
MP – Oh ya! I feel like we have a ton of freshmen that as they get older they are really going to be good. Their senior year is going to be ridiculous. At the rate they are going it’s going to be insane. I want to come back to watch them.

Q – What is your best memory so far about being in the Bees volleyball program?
MP – Probably movie days. They all make fun of me because I talk the entire time.

Q – What are movie days?
MP – On Saturdays we’ll come in, have practice, then we’ll watch one of Rob’s movies that he loves. We watched ‘300’ one time and ‘Miracle on Ice’ the other. Movies that show a lot of team work. Then we eat.

Q – Who is the craziest player on the team?
MP – (Ashley) Sturgeon.

Q – Do you have any superstitions or pre-game rituals?
MP – No, not really. I try not to think about how good or bad the other team is. I just go in and play like it’s a fresh game no matter who they are.

Q – Can you look coach Cline in the eye this year and tell him that you gave 100 percent every single play?
MP – Yes!

Thanks Meredith for sharing a few laughs and for giving your fans a glimpse into what makes you tick both on and off the court.

Best wishes to you, coach Cline and all the Lady Bees for a great 2008 season.

Dom DiPasqua

To contact: Ddipa67834@aol.com

Cline Optimistic in Second Year

BROADVIEW HEIGHTS – A taller, much quicker and better defensive team is what Bee fans should expect this fall as the Brecksville-Broadview Heights volleyball team begins its second season under head coach Rob Cline.

The Lady Bees went 13-9 overall last year in Cline’s debut in the Bee Hive. That included an 8-6 slate in the rugged Southwestern Conference.

Brecksville fell to tournament nemesis Solon in the Division I district semi-finals last year. As always the Bees will have the Comets in their sites this autumn as well as Olmsted Falls and Amherst Steele in the SWC.

“If we can split with Falls and Amherst we’ll see what happens.” Cline said during a recent Saturday morning practice. “Our goal is to compete for a conference championship and beat Solon (in the tournament).”

The farthest that a Bee volleyball team has ever participated was a state runner-up finish in 1980. If that seems like a long time ago Cline can put that into perspective. “I was only five years old then.” He said.

The Bees will carry eleven players on the varsity roster. At the top of the list is Meredith Paskert who will be one of the best players in the Greater Cleveland area this fall and no longer be Brecksville’s best-kept secret.

Paskert is a 6-1 middle hitter who has already verbally accepted a full athletic/volleyball scholarship to Kent State University where she’ll head in about a year.

Paskert, who led the Bees in kills and blocks last year, was a first team all SWC- performer a year ago and was first team all-district in Division I as well. “If she isn’t voted the leagues MVP this year it will be a shame.” Cline said.

Paskert played this past spring and summer on an elite J.O. club team. Her squad finished the club campaign ninth nationally in the 17-U open division.

Joining Paskert at the net will be senior Kristen Towne. Towne, a Division I softball prospect as a catcher, is a solid 5-10 outside smacker who takes no prisoners with her vicious spikes.

“When you think of strength you think of Towne. She is a powerful, powerful kid.” Cline said. “She is a strong hitter who can block. In fact we may play her all the way around this year, we’ll see what happens.”

“Last year we were young.” Towne said. “This year we are doing instead of learning.”

Three more senior veterans will make up the heart and soul of the club.

Ashley “The Wizard” Sturgeon, one of the league’s best setters, returns. Sturgeon, who is 5-3 (on her tip- toes) possesses a 25-inch vertical leap and reported to camp in the best shape of her life.

Cline said that Sturgeon shed a few pounds in the off-season and because of that is stronger and faster. The outgoing Sturgeon and has matured into a team leader both on and off the court and is ready to spread her magic on SWC courts this fall. “Sturgeon has done everything for us from organize our camp and our car wash to order team tee-shirts.” Said Cline. “She is also trying to organize the ‘Volley For The Cure’ event for our home game with Olmsted Falls. Which is in awareness of breast cancer. This is what Ashley does.”

“I feel like we’re a more well-rounded team this year.” Sturgeon, who spent countless hours on the treadmill in the off-season, said. “We want to win the conference and of course beat Solon.”

This years team captains are Paskert, Sturgeon and Lindsey Remington. “The kids voted on the captains and I’m happy with whom they picked.” Cline said. “Sturgeon will be our speaking captain for the obvious reason.”

The Bees have a tight-knit team chemistry and a delightful collective team personality. It’s no wonder, several players go back a long way. “Meredith and I have been playing volleyball since CYO in the fourth grade.” Sturgeon said while thumbing through a uniform catalog.

It seems that Lindsey Rohal has been with the team forever, but 2008 can be the year that the 5-3 senior ball of fire will make a big impact.  Rohal too spent a lot of time playing at the club level in the off-season sharpening her skills as a libero/defensive specialist.

Natalie “The Blonde Bomber” Resparc is another upper-classman who has paid her dues and adds true athletic ability along with a competitive nature that makes her play taller than her 5-8 stature. She’ll add depth at the corner as well as provide veteran leadership.

“This is our senior year, we are going to work hard and go all out.” Rohal said in speaking for her classmates. “If fans come out and support us they won’t be disappointed.”

A year ago Lindsey “The Gun” Remington had just transferred from Strongsville and wasn’t sure where she’d fit in. It didn’t take long for the slender, 5-10 outside hitter to answer the press row pundits as she helped carry the Bees to their solid 2007 campaign.
“I think that we are going to be really good this year.” Remington said during a break in practice.

The only bummer of the summer came with the news that returning junior Ari Prinzbach, who made significant contributions a year ago as a sophomore, was injured.

Unfortunately Prinzbach felt the ugly twist and heard the gruesome pop of an ACL injury at the Penn State University camp on July 25 and will be lost for the season. She’ll undergo surgery at The Cleveland Clinic the day before school starts. “I’m going to come to all the games and coach Cline has ordered me a coaching polo shirt.” Prinzbach said during a recent scrimmage.

But the good news is that Prinzbach, an extraordinary student in the classroom, will still have her senior season and a shot at playing volleyball at the next level at an Ivy League type institution. “She’ll be my assistant coach, crutches and all.” Said Cline.

“We’re going to have size up front and speed and experience in the back row. On defense we read where we are going to hit the ball.” Cline said. “Plus we put a new defense in and the girls love it.”

Cline is a big believer in team defense and stellar serve-receive play and his newfangled “Read and Advance” defense should have opponents seeing red and plenty of it.

Recently completing a change of address form was Olivia Chrzanowski whose family recently left Seven Hills and settled in Broadview Heights.

Chrzanowski, who started at Padua Franciscan last year as a freshman, will be called upon to fill the void left by Prinzbach’s injury. “Olivia is an excellent outside hitter.” Cline said of his 5-11, sophomore newcomer.

Rounding out the back row will be returning junior libero and defensive specialist Melanie Smith. Smith, who along with Towne and Remington plays a musical instrument in the BBHHS Marching Band, will look to make sweet music for the Bees this year.

Smith is active in the back row and rounded into form during the latter stages of her sophomore season. Her play down the stretch of the regular season and into the tournament was a huge reason that the Bees finished strong a year ago. Her experience and athleticism will only add to Brecksville’s cause in 2008.

“We have depth and kids are fighting for positions.” Cline said. One of those players will be 6-0, freshman Abby Brinkman. “Abby will be an impact freshman and perhaps start inside.” Cline said. If that is the case then the Bees could be in for a “whale” of a season and Brinkman will be a big fish in a big pond.
Nikki Zambory is a 5-7 outside hitter. “Nikki is a good passer and back row player.” Said Cline. “She is also working on a jump floater.”

Jacque Reszler is a solid 6-0, junior that has great volleyball pedigree in that she is the niece of former Bee coach Stacy Kanaga. “She is working on her left hand. She is a great blocker and has athletic ability.” Said Cline. “She played really well at the Penn State camp.”

Brecksville will open their season with four straight SWC matches beginning with a trip to North Olmsted on Tuesday, August 26. Olmsted Falls invades the Hive on August 28.

Aside from league play the Bees have independent tri-matches with Wadsworth and Canton McKinley at home and will tangle with Hudson and Solon on the road. The annual Independence Tournament is also on the docket as is a regular season-ending match with Beaumont.

The Beaumont match is an intriguing one in that Cline’s mentor, Pat Royer, is the head coach of the Blue Streaks. Beaumont will be a great tune up as the Bees head into the tournament. “Beaumont could be the match of the year.” Said Cline.

BEE BUZZ – Amy Miller has joined Cline’s staff as the varsity assistant coach replacing Mary Ellen Mauser who has started a family. Miller is a teacher, but not in the BBHHS district. She hails from Johnstown, outside of Columbus and she played high school volleyball.

The junior varsity coach is Dan Irving. The freshman coach is Amy Masari, a Solon alum and Comet volleyball player who teaches at the middle school.

To contact: Ddipa67834@aol.com

Enjoy Big Success in Big D

BRECKSVILLE – As the calendar approaches August and tryouts for the upcoming high school season, several Lady Bees can finally unpack their travel bags and add up their frequent flier miles.

Meredith Paskert, Ari Prinzbach and Melanie Smith have recently returned from Dallas, Texas where their club teams enjoyed great success at the USA Volleyball Junior Olympic Championships.

Paskert, a senior who has already announced that she’ll accept an academic and volleyball scholarship to Kent State University, played for Cleveland Renaissance 17 National Team.

Renaissance claimed their bracket championship and ended up placing ninth in the country in the top level or “Open Division”. The open division featured the top 24 teams from across the country.

The Renaissance team consisted of many of the top players from Northeast Ohio and were coached by Steve Kotnik and Bob MacFarland, the three-time state champion coach from Stow High School.

Prinzbach and Smith played for the Great Lakes Quicksilver club team. The Quicksilver placed third nationally in the 17 American Division.

Lindsey Rohal, also an incoming senior for BBHHS, participated in an earlier high profile tournament in Orlando, Florida.

It has been a busy summer for many of the Lady Bees as they prepare to greet second- year head coach Rob Cline for tryouts in a couple of weeks.

Ddipa67834@aol.com

Veteran Braves Coach Resigns

By Dom DiPasqua
Staff Writer

Sunday, June 22, 2008

BRECKSVILLE – Ed Crann, the veteran volleyball coach at Berea High School, has resigned his position. Crann, who has had many years of success coaching at the club level as well, was the varsity coach of the Lady Braves for the past four seasons.

The popular Crann molded Berea into a respectable opponent in the highly competitive Southwestern Conference.

“I’m not sure if he had a chance to turn around the program at Berea.” Said Brecksville-Broadview Heights head coach Rob Cline. “He was polite to myself and the girls and was a likable coach in our conference.”

It is not known who has replaced Crann at Berea. Volleyball camps open in six weeks.

To contact: Ddipa67834@aol.com.]]>