Detweiler Digs New Record

Currently with 824 digs, senior volleyball player Ryan Detweiler broke the EMU all-career digs record on Thursday, February 1, 2007 against Warner Southern. Coming into this year Detweiler needed 82 digs to beat the previous record of 772 held by Shaun Hackman, who played between 1996 and 1999.

"The career dig record is a privilege and an honor for me to have but as a defensive player you don't get to make the standout kills, the awesome goals, or game winning shots, so you have to take pride in what you do."

He views his dig record not as an accomplishment for the glorification of himself, but for the betterment of the team. He commented, "a good dig is just a better opportunity for the team to execute well." It is his job to pass well, and if he can do that then he is helping the team.

It was not public knowledge that Detweiler was only 6 digs away from breaking the record going into the Warner Southern game. He was personally keeping track along with Mike Zucconi ,the Sports Information Director. Detweiler did not want many people to know because "I didn't want the pressure, I just wanted to focus on the game."

Detweiler is honored to now hold the record for career digs, but he has other goals he wants to accomplish. His next goal, which he says is high but attainable is to set the record for average digs per game. The current holder is again Shaun Hackman with an average of 4.43 in 1999. Detweiler currently has a career dig per game average of 3.05.

Ryan, more commonly known as Rojo, plays the Defensive Specialist or Libero position on the court. He is the guy on the court wearing a different colored jersey. His job is to pass. He receives the spikes that the opposing team delivers, which is called a dig. As a Libero, Rojo cannot serve, spike or kill the ball, and he cannot jump and hit the ball at the same time. In volleyball a team can only substitute players 12 times within an individual game. A Libero does not count in those 12 substitutions.

Rojo's volleyball career started in his freshman year . During middle school he played soccer, basketball, and baseball. Upon entering high school he thought, "Let's try something new!" He picked up volleyball. From the beginning he has always been a defensive specialist. His senior year of high school the team went on to the state tournament for the first time in Christopher Dock history.

"For me, it is my goal to be the best that I could be at what I do, and that is dig balls."