JOHN KOVACH | Colleges DiCarlo, Lemke help Mount Union to best-ever start

ALLIANCE -- Good offense in volleyball starts with good defense, which is how Jess DiCarlo and Ashlee Lemke helped Mount Union College to its best start in school history.
DiCarlo and Lemke, both sophomore outside hitters from Austintown Fitch High, supplied a 1-2 offensive and defensive punch that proved to be a force in the Purple Raiders' 14-0 record to begin the season.
The 5-foot-10 DiCarlo led Mount Union to its record-setting 14th straight win at the Case Western Invitational against John Carroll and Case Western Reserve recently.
In that tournament, she had 72 kills, a .465 hitting percentage, 48 digs and 14 blocks, and was named Ohio Athletic Conference co-player of the week.
The Purple Raiders' unbeaten streak was snapped last week by Walsh, which was ranked No. 15 in the nation among NAIA schools.
Teammates set her up
DiCarlo credited Lemke and her other teammates for making her a better offensive player, emphasizing that the defense sets the tone for her team's 5-1 offensive alignment.
"A perfect a pass from a defensive player [to the setter] is really what does it. The setter will be in a good spot to set [me] up with a pass," said DiCarlo, noting that Lemke and sophomore Kristen Sagula are the two key defenders and that senior Katie Snyder is the setter.
"I am being set up pretty well by the defense and the setter. Our setter is a great setter. No matter what kind of pass she gets, she is able to get the ball to where I need it."
Through 15 matches, DiCarlo led the team in kills (212) and kills per game (4.00), while also contributing 107 digs and 47 blocks.
Lemke (5-foot-7) ranks second on the team in digs (171) and digs per game (3.29) among the regulars, trailing Sagula's 336 and 7.00. Lemke also had 88 kills, 1.69 kills per game and 25 blocks with 0.48 a game.
Snyder has 577 assists for 11.31 per outing, while adding 131 digs.
DiCarolo said Lemke knows how to get to the ball quickly.
"Ashlee's strength is defense. She is good at reacting to where the ball is going to go, and is quick on her feet to get there. She has a good reaction time to get to the ball," said DiCarlo, who is glad that Lemke continues to be her teammate from high school to college.
"We are familiar with each other and it makes it a lot easier to play together."
Well-prepared at Fitch
DiCarlo said she was well-prepared with fundamentals by coach Tom Case at Fitch, where she played four years.
She was able to build on that knowledge under veteran coach and motivator Sandy Douglas, who is in her 18th season at Mount Union.
"We weren't very good last year and we have the same starters as last year. But [Douglas] pushed us to [participate in] off-season training and it made us better players and we fit together like pieces in a puzzle," said DiCarlo, who got stronger and better.
"I lift weights, and we have spring ball with 10 practices and two or three tournaments. That has prepared us for the fall."
DiCarlo's early love of sports was influenced by her family.
"I grew up with two older brothers [Jake and Eric] who liked sports. I grew up with them as a tomboy playing sports with them," said DiCarlo. "My dad [Sonny] was involved in sports. I was always interested in sports."
DiCarlo said her father and mother, Marilyn, are her biggest boosters.
"Both of my parents come to see the matches. They are my number one fans," said DiCarlo, who is majoring in health and physical education and wants to become a volleyball coach.
kovach@vindy.com