Pleiman Named Outstanding Graduate by the Owens Business Department

Ashley Pleiman, left, is pictured with Tim Miesse, who is the chair of the department of business technologies at Owens, after being named the outstanding graduate in the business administration concentration. At right is Pleiman during the NJCAA D-II National Tournament earlier this season.
Ashley Pleiman, left, is pictured with Tim Miesse, who is the chair of the department of business technologies at Owens, after being named the outstanding graduate in the business administration concentration. At right is Pleiman during the NJCAA D-II National Tournament earlier this season.
Posted: Dec 09, 2016

By Nicholas Huenefeld/Owens Sports Information

Toledo, Ohio---Ashley Pleiman (Fort Loramie/Fort Loramie, Ohio), a sophomore middle blocker for the Owens Community College women's volleyball team, has been named the outstanding graduate in the business administration concentration at Owens.

With the honor, Pleiman was recognized during a breakfast awards ceremony this morning at Owens. She was presented with a plaque by Tim Miesse, who is the chair of the department of business technologies.

As a freshman, Pleiman was named to the Ohio Community College Athletic Conference's All-Academic team, and her academic performance was a key reason the team finished with a 3.23 GPA, which was the highest among all athletic teams in the conference. On top of that, she earned the NJCAA's Exemplary Academic Achievement Award.

On the court, Pleiman was only able to play in the team's final 12 matches as a freshman due to a preseason injury. During that stretch, though, she produced 54 kills with a .280 hitting percentage along with 35 blocks (11 solo) and 12 digs.

As a sophomore, Pleiman played in all but one match and produced 307 kills, 84 blocks (five solo) 65 digs and 16 aces. She hit .311 and had 10 matches with double digit kills, and she produced a career-high 16 kills against Catawba Valley on Oct. 7.

Pleiman closed her career with 361 kills and a .306 hitting percentage along with 119 blocks (16 solo), 77 digs, 16 aces and seven assists. 

Pleiman is still deciding where she would like to play volleyball and get her education next year. 

Notes

The Owens women's volleyball program recently finished the best season in program history at the 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 two straight Region XII District F tournament championships. After finishing 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.

Recently, three sophomores signed with four-year schools. Brooke Gyori (Clay/Oregon, Ohio) will play at NCAA Division I University of Tennessee at Martin, Tyanna Smith (Bowling Green/Bowling Green, Ohio) will play at NAIA Shawnee State University and Annie Lindeman (Ottoville/Ottoville, Ohio) will also play at NAIA Shawnee State University. Pleiman and Christine Tylutki (Monroe/Monroe, Mich.) are still deciding where to go.

Following the season, the team has signed a stellar recruiting class thus far that includes: Cassidy Wlodarz, a 5-2 defensive specialist from Cardinal Stritch (OH) High School, 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.

The team will also return Niki Polce, a 5-4 defensive specialist from New Boston Huron (MI) High School, Leah Ballenger, a 5-7 outside hitter from Fremont Ross (OH) High School, Madison Lammers, a 5-9 outside hitter from New Knoxville (OH) High School, Devon Heitkamp, a 6-1 middle blocker from New Bremen (OH) High School, Erika Angstmann, a 6-1 outside hitter from St. Marys Memorial (OH) High School and Olivia Hermiller, a 5-11 right side hitter from Ottawa-Glandorf (OH) High School. Angstmann earned First Team All-OCCAC recognition as a freshman, while Polce was named Honorable Mention All-OCCAC. 

For more info on the Owens volleyball program, visit here