Stritch's Wlodarz Signs With Owens Volleyball, Becomes 6th Member Of Recruiting Class

Cassidy Wlodarz signs her LOI as her parents and Owens volleyball head coach Sonny Lewis look on. Photo by Nicholas Huenefeld/Owens Sports Information
Cassidy Wlodarz signs her LOI as her parents and Owens volleyball head coach Sonny Lewis look on. Photo by Nicholas Huenefeld/Owens Sports Information
Posted: Nov 29, 2016

By Nicholas Huenefeld/Owens Sports Information

Signing video - here 
Signing photos - here 

Oregon, Ohio---Cassidy Wlodarz, a 5-2 defensive specialist from Cardinal Stritch (OH) High School, has signed with the Owens Community College women's volleyball program.

Wlodarz, who was named First Team All-Toledo Area Athletic Conference (TAAC), TAAC Player of the Year and First Team All-District as a senior, becomes the sixth member of next year's Owens volleyball recruiting class.

In 2016, Wlodarz was instrumental in leading Stritch to the TAAC championship, which was the first for the program in seven years.

Wlodarz was named Second Team All-TAAC during her first three seasons at Stritch, where she was a four-year varsity player. She was also a two-time Honorable Mention All-District selection.

Academically, Wlodarz has been an honor roll student throughout her high school career and is a member of the National Honor Society.

Wlodarz now joins Michaela Eisenhauer, a 6-1 outside hitter from Margaretta (OH) High School, Ally Angstmann, a 5-10 outside hitter from St. Marys Memorial (OH) High School, Summer Sweeting, a 5-6 setter from South Central (OH) High School, Brooke Gerdeman, a 6-2 middle blocker from Leipsic (OH) High School, and Jordan Alt, a 5-10 middle blocker from Ottawa-Glandorf (OH) High School, as one of six members so far in next year's class.

Notes

The Owens Community College women's volleyball program recently finished the best season in program history at the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II level in 2016.

The Express finished 41-5 overall, went 14-0 in Ohio Community College Athletic Conference (OCCAC) play, won the Region XII District F tournament championship and advanced to the NJCAA Division II National Tournament, where they advanced to the national semifinals before finishing third in the nation with a five set win over No. 4 Catawba Valley. The finish represented the highest in program history at the NJCAA Division II level, which the team has competed at since 2001.  

In fact, the program has now captured two consecutive conference championships, with back-to-back 14-0 records, and Region XII District F tournament championships. After finished ninth in the nation at the NJCAA Division II National Tournament in 2015, the program has also recorded back-to-back top 10 finishes nationally.

In 2016, the team ascended to No. 2 in the NJCAA Division II national poll, where they spent the final four weeks of the regular season before the poll concluded for the year. Overall, the team spent seven straight weeks ranked in the top five after opening the year at No. 7. The No. 2 ranking was the highest in program history at the NJCAA Division II level.