Jason Werling/THE POST Ohio plays host to Delaware and the University of Alabama Birmingham in the Ohio Volleyball Bromley Classic this weekend at The Convo.

The Ohio volleyball team gained experience last season, and with it a foundation that it is trying to build upon for this season.

Last year's 8-22 record (2-14 in the Mid-American Conference) leaves room for improvement for the 1998 season.

The team was young last year with only one senior. Experience gained while playing together was an advantage taken from last season and head coach Ellen Dempsey is looking to use that as a step toward this year's goals.

Eight of the 13 teams in the conference attend the MAC Tournament. Dempsey said this fact makes "every conference match critical," and experience is necessary to perform well in those matches.

If the volleyball team used all of last season to build experience, it is definitely continuing along that path in the 1998 preseason.

Ohio is scheduled to play Marshall at home November 4, but the Bobcats and the Thundering Herd took advantage of their proximity to put in some early playing time on September 1. Ohio lost 1-3 (13-15, 6-15, 15-12, 5-15), but gained the experience it was looking for.

The Pocahontas Federal and Loan/ASU Classic last weekend gave Ohio three more games under its belt. Ohio went 1-2 with win against Morehead State and a loss each against Arkansas State and Morehead State.

Leslie Arnoldink spent last season doing nothing but gaining experience. She was redshirted in 1997 and it's paid off so far. She led the team with 11 of its 50 digs in the team's victory over Morehead State.

If she had it to do over again, Arnoldink would still choose to be redshirted.

"I'm the kind of person who likes to see what is ahead of me so I know what I'm getting into," she said. "Being able to sit down and watch things as they happened helped me understand the game."

Freshman Michelle Gil, who was originally competing for the starting setter position, will be redshirted for this season. Gil had anterior cruciate ligament surgery on July 11 to repair the tear she suffered while playing volleyball. She is expected to be practicing full force with the team by mid-January.

"Michelle is a fantastic setter who could have added experience and court savvy to complement what we already have," Dempsey said.

With the loss of Gil came a pleasant surprise for Dempsey though.

Freshman Megan Hoyt, expected to redshirt this season, will actually see some playing time. She was originally going to be redshirted because Dempsey was not sure how quickly she would progress.

"Megan has made fantastic strides during the pre-season," Dempsey said. "We could definitely use her in the front row."

Hoyt will most likely see playing time as an outside hitter.

Senior middle blocker Traci Nation and junior outside hitter/middle blocker Katie Mullen made the Pocahontas Federal and Loan/ASU Classic All-Tournament team.

Nation and Mullen, among the top five middle blockers in the MAC, will lead the Bobcats along with senior setter Carolyn Cowling who earned the starting setter position for the Ohio Volleyball Bromley Classic this Friday and Saturday at The Convo.

Ohio and the University of Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens start the tournament off at 12 p.m. Friday in The Convo. The Bobcats will then play the University of Alabama at Birmingham Blazers at 7:30 p.m.

The number two and three teams play Saturday at 2 p.m. for the chance to advance to the championship match, scheduled for 7 p.m. Saturday night.