The Daytona State women’s volleyball team hosted and won its first-ever home match early this fall in the L. Gale Lemerand Center on the Daytona Beach Campus.Prior to the match vs. Indian River State College, Olympic gold medalist Lloy Ball and his father, American Volleyball Coaches Association Hall of Famer Arnie Ball, gave a free presentation regarding their experiences on the court.
Under the leadership of Coach Laura Stegall, the college’s inaugural volleyball team looks forward to a competitive season. “As a first-year NJCAA team, we have a lot of talent, but we’re young, with all freshmen,” she said. “I expect that we will be tested against some of the more established teams. But it will be good for us, and I’m confident in everyone’s desire to win.”
Daytona State Athletic Director Will Dunne said he’s looking forward to seeing this young team compete. “Their work ethic is tremendous,” he said. “They have a good bit of talent. They’re going to work hard and good things are going to happen. It’s very exciting.”
The home volleyball matches are free to Daytona State students and employees. Tickets for the general public are $5. The season’s final home game is Nov. 1, followed by regional and national tournaments.
New men’s hoops coach expects high standards on court and in classroom
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| Ryan Ridder |
“Obviously, our goal is to compete for a conference championship and give ourselves a chance to play in the post season,” the soon-to-be 29-year-old coach said. “But what’s more important is that we have a good group of guys who not only are talented basketball players, they also are committed to high academic standards and doing good in the community.”
Ridder looks forward to revitalizing a Falcons program that has a history of success in the past, with the exception of going 6-25 last season. He is rebuilding a team that includes six freshmen and just two returning sophomores out of a 13-man roster. He will attempt the turnaround with the help of Assistant Coach Dominique Taylor, Volunteer Assistant Coach Blake Touchard and Director of Basketball Operations Patrick O'Grady.
“The coaching staff is looking forward to seeing a lot of defensive force and a lot of rebounding this season from our players,” Ridder said. “They’re bringing a positive attitude every day, and it reinforces the players and their focus on the game.”
Prior to joining Daytona State, Ridder served three years as assistant coach at NCAA Division I school, Campbell University, where he was responsible for overseeing players’ academic enhancement, workouts, recruitment and scouting. He also directed the school’s highly successful Campbell Basketball School.
Prior to that, he was a volunteer assistant coach at his alma mater, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, serving as an assistant under his father, Steve Ridder, and helped ERAU reach the quarterfinals of the NAIA national tournament.
A Father Lopez High School graduate, Ridder earned his bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Studies from ERAU in 2008 and a master’s degree in Sports Management from California University of Pennsylvania in 2009.
For more information about Daytona State Athletics, visit: http://www.daytonastate.edu/athletics.
