Dover High celebrating 1996 and 1997 Final Four volleyball teams

DOVER (WJER) (August 26, 2022) – Dover High School this weekend will celebrate the volleyball programs’ outstanding final four teams from the 1996 and 1997 seasons.

It starts Friday when players and coaches will be recognized at halftime of the football game.

Then at Saturday’s volleyball game, prior to varsity warmups around 11:30 a.m., team members will be introduced on the court. There will be a meet-and-greet after the game and a get-together at Hoodletown.

Beth Mathews is the Dover volleyball coach, and she was the dover volleyball coach 25 and 26 years ago during those magical seasons.

“Those were just a great group of girls, and they worked really hard. They had a lot of fun together. They were a very close-knit team. They worked hard. They played hard. They really helped shape the program and helped get the program going in the right direction.”

She hopes this weekend rekindles some of the great community support they received during their tournament runs that included regional games at Meadowbrook High School.

“I remember coming around the bleachers and just being overwhelmed with the cheering from the crowd. It was packed house. It just took your breath away. It was so electrifying in there.”

Mathews says 2022 is a big year for women’s sports, with the 50^th anniversary of Title IX. Dover has been highlighting the achievement of local female athletes and teams.

“I just feel like anytime we can highlight some of these groundbreaking moments of our female athletic programs, even if it’s not the 50^th year of Title IX, but especially because it is, we can bring some focus and let today’s athletes see what their predecessors went through and did.”

Dover plays New Philadelphia in volleyball Saturday at Dover High, with the freshman game starting at 10 a.m. JV and varsity follow.

1996 team

• Angie Anslow Kochur
• Traci Feller Wood
• Kate Fishley
• Cassie Gritzan Rosenbaum
• Amy Horn
• Jesse Keith
• Jessica Lauber Weathersbee
• Amber Manfull Dursik
• Abby Mastin Houk
• Jennifer Reese Utter
• Jessica Reese Barton
• Kim Wallick Ross

1997 team

• Stacy Baker Maurer
• Tracie Feller Wood
• Kate Fishley
• Jessica Lauber Weathersbee
• Philista Mills
• Koryn Okey
• Monica Patrino
• Jessica Reese Barton
• Rosey Reidl Smith
• Renee Schwarm Mason
• Jess Shaw Bosler
• Abbey Walter Rubenacker
• Lindsay Walton

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