By THOMAS ST. MYER
tstmyer@muncie.gannett.com

(Published Friday, Nov. 20 2009) Any previous conversations about the best volleyball player in the history of Delaware County started and ended with Sacha Caldemeyer.

The former Burris setter won the 1992 national prep player of the year award, and she lived up to the hype at the University of Pacific as a 1996 All-American.

Caldemeyer remains at the top until proven otherwise, but she faces a formidable challenge from arguably the best college freshman in the nation.

Penn State freshman Darcy Dorton serves notice with every passing match that she deserves consideration for No. 1 all-time status. She ranks fourth in kills (211) and sixth in blocks (46) for the best volleyball program in the nation.

“Sacha Caldemeyer is the one that you have to draw the comparison to,” says Dave Shondell, whose Purdue Boilermakers play host to Dorton and No. 1 Penn State today. “… Darcy is on target to become the best. I think that would be fair to say.

Considering all the talented players that have come through that area, that’s quite a statement.”

Dorton cemented her legacy as one of the best from this county last fall when she powered Delta to the 2008 Class 3A state championship and won the national player of the year honor in the process.

She followed in the spring by winning two national club championships with the Munciana 18-1 Samurai.

Samurai coach Mike Lingenfelter says her rise to superstardom harks back to about two years ago.

“That’s where she started to evolve from being a big hitter to becoming a great player,” he says. “It was important to her to be the best player in America.”

Dorton proved to be the best on the prep stage, but her pursuit starts over in the college ranks. Shondell says she plays with arguably three of the top 10 players in the nation at Penn State.

Dorton left indentations in local gym floors last year as the ball flew off her hand and turned into a heat seeking missile. Her swings in warm-up drills before matches took everyone by notice.

Those same terminator swings barley draw a second glimpse at Penn State where a collection of powerful hitters possess the talent to put a ball down in the blink of an eye.

Some of the best matches in the country take place at Penn State practices.

“You have to play at a very high level all the time,” says Dorton, the five-time Big Ten Conference Freshman of the Week. “If you come in slacking at practice, there’s always someone who’s ready to take your spot.”

Dorton thrives when challenged. Her fiery demeanor amps up another notch under pressure.

“Darcy came in and she was tougher than I thought she would be in some situations,” Penn State coach Russ Rose says. “We recruited Darcy on a) her skills and b) her court demeanor. She’s got a good crazy side to her. She’s not afraid to compete, and we’re looking for kids who want to compete.”

Dorton still tightens her fists and lets out a piercing scream after a crucial point, though those come fewer and farther between at Penn State. The Nittany Lions enter their match today against Purdue with only four lost sets to their credit. Penn State lost only two sets in 38 matches the previous season and own a staggering 91-match win streak.

For Penn State, the success of this season hinges on winning a third consecutive national championship.

“Anything less than that,” Dorton says, “isn’t meeting our goals.”