Brenner, Ludeman pair for HCAC Coach and Player of the Year

GREENWOOD, Ind. – After one of the best seasons in DC volleyball history, individuals from the 2013 squad are being recognized for their amazing year highlighted by senior Chelsea Ludeman and head coach Brie Brenner being chosen as Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Player and Coach of the Year, respectively.  [All-HCAC Teams]

Ludeman (Napoleon, Ohio/Napoleon) becomes the Purple and Gold's first HCAC Player of the Year since it joined the conference in 2000. The senior outside hitter recorded her most illustrious season to wrap up her outstanding career with Defiance volleyball.

Ludeman competed in 105 sets over 29 matches for the Jackets and compiled Heartland Conference high's with 408 kills, 3.89 kills per set, 488.5 points and 4.7 points per set. The Napoleon High product also concluded the year second in the HCAC with a .306 hitting percentage and tied for third in total blocks with 88.

During her fantastic senior campaign, Ludeman reached the 1,000-kill milestone and with the year now completed, has officially secured the new DC record for kills per set over a single season. Her mark of 3.89 kills per set bests the old record of 3.61 held by Ann Hardaway from the 1990 season.

Ludeman concludes her career with 1,222 kills (3.04 per set), a .267 attack percentage, 54 aces, 569 digs (1.42 per set) and 296 total blocks (.74 per set). In her four years as a Yellow Jacket volleyball player, Ludeman was chosen as the Heartland Conference Freshman of the Year in 2010, named All-HCAC three times and HCAC Offensive Player of the week on three occasions.

As for Coach Brenner, she has now captured the award for top coach in the HCAC for the second-straight season. After leading the Purple and Gold volleyball to an 18-13 mark and a win over Hanover in the conference tournament, Brenner was selected as the Heartland Conference's coach of the year last season.

But the head coach for Yellow Jackets would outdo herself in her second campaign with Defiance. The squad was picked to finish third in the HCAC's preseason polls and did it outperform that prediction. Coach Brenner guided DC to a 23-6 record and a perfect 9-0 slate in conference play. It was the first team to go undefeated in the HCAC since Bluffton in 2009.

The Jackets dominated competition in the Heartland Conference, losing only three sets in their nine matches with HCAC foes. DC racked up 12.03 kills per set on an outstanding .260 attack percentage, while holding opponents to 9.13 kills per set and a miniscule .092 attack percentage.

Overall, the Purple and Gold put together a run of 12-straight wins and 23 victories in 2013. Its winning streak was the longest since before 2005 and its total victories are tied with the 2002 team for the second most in a single season in school history.

The only other squad to win more matches was the 2003 Yellow Jackets who compiled a 26-5 record.

Ludeman and Brenner were not the only individuals from the Defiance volleyball team to be honored. Making the All-HCAC team with Ludeman were a pair of juniors in Alicia Kalik (South Lyon, Mich./South Lyon) and Bree Anderson (Huntertown, Ind./Carroll).

Kalik put together a record setting season of her own. The third-year setter broke the all-time career assists mark on Saturday, October 26 in a weekend sweep of Rose-Hulman and Illinois Wesleyan, passing Megan Thigpen in the DC record books. The Michigan native sits at 2,800 assists, after three campaigns with Defiance. 

For the entire season, Kalik accumulated 1,063 assists on 10.12 per set. She led the conference in both categories throughout most of the season, but ended the 2013 campaign second in both to Transylvania's Sarah Jonas. She also chipped in with 259 digs and 38 blocks.

Kalik's efforts landed her HCAC Offensive Player of the Week three separate times during the season. This is her second-consecutive season being selected All-HCAC, as well as being DC's representative on the All-Sportsmanship Team.

For Anderson, this is her first accolade from the HCAC. In her second season with the Purple and Gold, Anderson racked up 262 kills and a .210 attack percentage, while adding 67 total blocks. But her efforts against conference opponents was what stood out on the season.

Anderson stepped up her play against the rest of the HCAC, averaging 3.07 kills on a .261 attack percentage. Of all athletes in the conference, those marks ranked ninth and sixth, respectively.

Others grabbing honors for the DC volleyball team were senior Lexy Pierce (Wauseon, Ohio/Wauseon) being selected as Honorable Mention All-HCAC and freshman Kelsey Tietje (Deshler, Ohio/Patrick Henry) being chosen to the Heartland Conference All-Freshman Team.

Pierce finished third on the team with 236 kills on a 2.54 attack percentage. The middle hitter also was tied for third with 67 blocks. In her career with Defiance, Pierce racked up 750 kills, 208 digs and 251 total blocks.

Tietje came through with an outstanding first season at DC. The Patrick Henry High product accounted for 151 kills on an impressive .254 attack percentage, while being solid at the defensive end with 88 total blocks that was tied for third most in the HCAC.  

The Purple and Gold will miss the three graduating seniors of Ludeman, Pierce and Christa Seidenstricker (Plain City, Ohio/Jonathan Alder). But the Jackets will look to bring back a lot of experience and depth for the 2014 season.