Volleyball players have reported for fall training camp at Dawson Community College, kicking off the second season for the program.

Eight players have started the two-a-day practices and weightlifting routine, and head coach John Marble said a ninth player was expected to arrive from Oklahoma on Friday. Paperwork for a tenth player also was expected by the end of the week. "It's great to be back in the gym," Marble said Wednesday.

Fans will have their first chance to meet members of the Dawson Community College 2009 volleyball team at a community-wide spaghetti dinner Saturday, Aug. 22. Activity begins at 5:30 p.m. in the lobby of the Toepke Center on the DCC campus, where players will be available to greet the public and sign autographs.

Dinner will be served by the players and there will be giveaways throughout the evening. Cost is $5 per person or $20 per family at the door.

Dawson Community College has signed its eighth player for the fall volleyball season with training camp just two weeks away.

Roundup High School graduate Ashley Eslinger has committed to play for the Lady Bucs.

"I'm excited that Ashley is joining the Buccaneer program," said Coach John Marble.

"It's great to have another MT kid playing ball for us." Standing at 5'5", Eslinger will roster as an outside hitter and defensive specialist for the Bucs.

 Dawson Community College’s new assistant volleyball coach says he was born to play volleyball. “I don’t know where the passion came from, it just came,” said Jesse Wesley, who started last week as an assistant to coach John Marble. “It’s just something I’ve always loved ever since I saw people playing on the beach.”

Dawson Community College volleyball has signed a new setter from France to play for the Lady Buccaneers this fall.

Myriam Lebied-Julien will be coming to DCC from Riom, France, and said she is thrilled for the chance to play volleyball, a passion of hers for eight years, abroad.

"It's a big opportunity to play and study in a college," she said.

"In France, it's difficult to reconcile both." Coach John Marble said Lebied-Julien, who stands at 5'8", will be an asset for the team.

 Dawson Community College volleyball has added a setters’ specialty camp to its summer offerings.

Setters’ camp is set for July 13 and 14 from 4:30-6:30 p.m. at the DCC Toepke Center. Both middle school and high school age players are encouraged to participate, sharpening their skills in a setter-focused environment. “Setting camp is a great opportunity to spend time focused on setting,” said John Marble, DCC volleyball coach. Cost is $25.

Dawson Community College’s volleyball team has been nominated for a national academic award based on a team GPA that includes three 4.0s.

Coach John Marble said the team earned a collective 3.42 in the classroom last semester, putting them in contention for the National Junior College Athletic Association’s academic team of the year award.

“It puts us solidly as a premiere team academically in the nation amongst all junior colleges,” he said, adding that the team’s GPA speaks well of players’ character.

An all-state blocker from Sidney High School has signed on to play volleyball this fall for Dawson Community College.

Kirsten Nunn, who graduated from Lambert High School after transferring mid-way through her senior year in 2008, has experience both as a middle and right side hitter and said she expects to play right side for the Lady Buccaneers.

She said she is excited to join the team. “I want to play for Dawson as a way to help pay for school and for the love of the game,” she said.

Tryouts for the Dawson Community College volleyball team brought several aspiring players on campus Monday for their chance to earn a spot on the Lady Buccaneers’ roster.

Coach John Marble said it was a fun day in the gym.

“It was great to be in the gym with a wonderful group of athletes and playing volleyball,” he said. “I appreciate the players that came and played today.”

Students from Wolf Point, Ballantine and Jordan participated, and Marble said he saw some good potential.

Dawson Community College volleyball coach John Marble’s recruiting efforts continue to pay off with the commitment of a fourth freshman for the fall squad.

Garfield County District High School Senior Alyson Murnion signed with the Lady Buccaneers this week.

“Aly is a natural athlete with tons of untapped potential,” Marble said.

Murnion is a 5-10 middle hitter with Class C all-conference honors in both 2007 and 2008.