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UD's talented hitter comes back strong after broken foot

Despite missing six weeks, Rachel Krabacher was named to the All-Rookie Team.

University of Dayton freshman volleyball player Rachel Krabacher is preparing with with the team for the Atlantic 10 tournament this weekend. The 19-year-old outside hitter from Cincinnati also was named Atlantic 10 Co-Rookie of the Week.

Teesha McClam University of Dayton freshman volleyball player Rachel Krabacher is preparing with with the team for the Atlantic 10 tournament this weekend. The 19-year-old outside hitter from Cincinnati also was named Atlantic 10 Co-Rookie of the Week.

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By Debbie Juniewicz, Contributing Writer Updated 12:23 AM Sunday, November 22, 2009

University of Dayton outside hitter Rachel Krabacher hasn’t simply passed her most recent test — she aced it.

After a redshirt freshman year spent learning a new position, Krabacher was ready to make an impact during the 2009 spring season.

“She was having a really good spring and was easily one of our best players,” Flyers coach Kelly Sheffield said.

But back problems put an abrupt end to her progress and she spent four months recuperating. Back on the court in August, the Cincinnati native who played middle hitter at McAuley High School, was anxious to start her first full season as the Flyers’ outside hitter. Krabacher had a standout performance at UD’s first tournament of the season, leading the team in kills and aces and she was second in digs.

“She was stuffing the stats,” Sheffield said.

But there was pain again. This time it was her foot.

“It hurt, but I’ve had so many odd injuries over the years and I was so focused on winning the game, I didn’t pay much attention to it,” Krabacher said.

The Flyers went on to win the Mortar Board Premier tournament at Purdue and Krabacher returned home with a swollen and bruised right foot. After X-rays the following day, she found out that she had played almost two matches on a broken foot.

It was while Krabacher wore a big boot on her foot and maneuvered through campus on crutches that Sheffield found out what his outside hitter was made of.

“She was in the gym 45 minutes before every practice, she went to the strength coach wanting to double up her workout,” Sheffield said. “After awhile, she was flexing for everybody. With those little arms it was funny, but you could tell this was someone who was driven.”

That drive paid off as Krabacher was back on the court six weeks after breaking her foot, returning to action Oct. 16 against Duquesne. The 6-foot-3 outside hitter has since been named Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week three times and was named to the All-Rookie Team. Despite being sidelined for six weeks, the 19-year-old has posted 153 kills and 20 aces this season. She led the Flyers in their final regular-season match of the season against George Washington with 13 kills and had 12 digs in the winning effort.

“She’s our best attacker at the antenna,” Sheffield said. “If you pump the ball out to her, she’s going to put it away.”

Krabacher adds another weapon to the Flyers’ arsenal, which already includes All-American middle blocker Lindsay Fletemier. While Dayton, 26-3 overall and 14-1 in the conference, can earn an automatic NCAA tournament bid by winning the A-10 tourney this weekend, the 26th-ranked Flyers, who last year qualified as an at-large team, might not need it.

“I think we go into it saying we’re an NCAA tournament team,” Sheffield said. “You never want to leave it in other people’s hands, but half of the teams in the tournament will go in at-large and we feel like we are one of the best 33 teams in the country.

“This weekend stands on its own — we want to win this tournament.”

A-10 volleyball tournament

Where: Frericks Center

First Round – Friday: No. 3 Xavier 3, No. 6 Charlotte 1; No. 4 Temple 3, No. 5 George Washington 2.

Today’s semifinals – 5 p.m.: No. 1 Dayton vs. Temple; 7:30 p.m.: No. 2 Saint Louis vs. Xavier.

Final – Sunday at 4 p.m.

Admission: $6 adults; $4 youth (18 and under) and seniors; $3 A-10 students with ID

TV: Finals broadcast by CBS College Sports

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