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UWM Volleyball Team Head Coach Susie Johnson Talks About The Seniors Lauren Hintze, Maddie Sueppel, Jena Berg, Natalie Schmitting
MILWAUKEE - Four seniors are set to make their final regular season home appearance for the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee volleyball team this weekend.
Jena Berg, Lauren Hintze, Natalie Schmitting and Maddie Sueppel have all followed different paths to their Saturday Senior Night celebration. Sueppel has actually been at Milwaukee for five seasons after redshirting her first year. Schmitting and Hintze were both walk-ons when their careers starting four years ago. And, Berg has been at UWM three years after transferring from Tennessee.
The group will be honored prior to Saturday night's match against UIC.
Jena Berg Jena Berg was a stellar addition to the Panther program when she transferred from Tennessee in 2008 and has excelled in every area since then. She played as an outside hitter last season before transitioning to setter much of this season.
In the process, she has piled up stats in every category, entering this weekend with over 500 kills, 800 assists, 100 blocks and nearly 700 digs. She has collected 27 double-figure kill outings, 34 double-figure dig efforts and 31 double doubles. She also had a triple-double earlier this season.
Last season, Berg was recognized as an All-Horizon League performer, and this season was named to the all-tournament team at IPFW and the league's offensive player of the week in late September.
Off the court, Berg has compiled a 3.487 grade-point average as a health sciences major. She has also been on the Dean's List and the Horizon League honor roll.
Lauren Hintze Lauren Hintze has gone from walk-on to scholarship player and from a role as a serving specialist into a regular on the floor in the back row over her four years in Milwaukee.
Entering this weekend, she has played in 95 matches and has totaled 715 digs. She has 33 double-figure dig outings and has collected 20 or more digs in a match twice. She has also excelled on the serve, tallying 85 career service aces. That includes three matches with four or more aces.
Off the court, Hintze has a 3.714 grade-point average as a biology major. She has regularly been on the Dean's List and the league honor roll.
Natalie Schmitting Natalie Schmitting has been a force in the front row for all four of her years in a Panther uniform. In fact, she has never been out of the lineup since setting foot on campus as a freshman, playing in 119 consecutive matches.
She became UWM's all-time blocks leader earlier this season and then passed 500 blocks in her career this past weekend. Schmitting will likely become the first-ever UWM player to lead her team in blocking four times. She is also just two kills shy of 1,000 for her career and has compiled 43 double-figure kill efforts while hitting better than .500 in 14 matches.
Schmitting was named an all-Horizon League performer in 2007 and to the league's all-tournament team last season. She has also won a league weekly award twice and has been named to the all-tournament team at a pair of regular season tournaments.
Off the court, Schmitting is an art major who has a 3.40 grade-point average. She is also a regular on the Dean's List and the league honor roll.
Maddie Sueppel While injuries have sidelined Maddie Sueppel at both the beginning and end of her career, she has made countless contributions to the Panther program.
Sueppel earned all-newcomer honors as a redshirt freshman and then was an all-league honoree and league tournament most valuable player as a sophomore. Last season, she earned league all-tournament honors, and she has also twice been an all-tournament performer following regular season events.
Her career has included 46 double figure kill efforts and a memorable 19-block performance against Marquette last season.
Off the court, Maddie has been a regular on the Horizon League Honor Roll and UWM's Dean's List while compiling a 3.69 grade-point average as marketing major. She was also named to the Horizon League Volleyball All-Academic Team in 2009.
Pepperdine Women’s Volleyball Team Cruises to Shut-Out Victory Inside Firestone Fieldhouse MALIBU, Calif. – After suffering a pair of losses last week, the Pepperdine women’s volleyball team came back with a vengeance and shut out Santa Clara, 3-0 (25-15, 25-15, 25-12). The Waves nearly led the entire match and improved to 15-7 and 6-2 in West Coast Conference action. The Broncos fall to 12-10 and 3-5 in the league. Pepperdine revealed few weaknesses this evening inside the Firestone Fieldhouse, outplaying Santa Clara on both offense and defense. The Waves not only hit an unstoppable .360 attack percentage (48-12-100), but accounted for half the SCU’s attack errors with 10.0 team blocks. Brittney Clark (San Jose, Calif./Presentation HS) accounted for five blocks to lead the home team. The Broncos managed 20 kills, but were hindered by just as many attack errors to finish the night hitting .000. Kaleigh Durket produced the most offense with six kills. On the Wave side of the floor, it was Emily Cook (Murrieta, Calif./Murrieta HS) and Lilla Frederick (Huntington Beach, Calif./Cornelia Connelly HS) who charged the offensive assault. Cook finished the match with a floor-best 13 kills, while Frederick added 11. Frederick boosted her point total with three aces and four blocks. In addition to five blocks, Clark nailed down eight kills on 11 attempts and zero errors for a .727 success rate. But behind every good offense is a solid defense. Pepperdine’s passing was spot-on all night, with Stevi Robinson (Hermosa Beach, Calif./Mira Costa) preventing a match-high 17 Bronco attacks from hitting the floor. Those passes went to setter Kellie Woolever (Long Beach, Calif./Woodrow Wilson HS), who dished 37 assists on the evening. Not much went wrong for the Waves in the first frame, as the jumped out to 5-0 lead to prompt and early timeout from the away squad. The stoppage did little to deter Pepperdine, as they continued to be aggressive at the net and build upon its lead. They ended the frame with 17 kills on a .536 clip, compared to just seven put aways out of Santa Clara. Fredrick led the way with a 6-for-8 effort. The Waves experience their only deficit of the match in the opening points of the second stanza, when the Broncos took a 4-2 lead. The advantage was quickly erased, however, with kills from Cook and Victoria Adelhelm (Rancho Santa Fe, Calif./Santa Fe Christian HS), and a pair of block assists courtesy of Adelhelm and Frederick. The home team continued to swing its way to 12 kills in the set to win 25-15, and take a 2-0 match lead heading into the locker room. The momentum continued to roll in the Wave’s favor, as they scored seven points to open the third set. The Broncos struggled to establish any offensive rhythm and were able to post just six kills, compared to Pepperdine’s 19. Cook nailed down the final kill to put the 25th and match-clinching point on the board for the Waves. With the win, Pepperdine is 5-1 inside the Firestone Fieldhouse this season. The home swing continues on Saturday, Oct. 30, when the Waves welcome San Francisco to the Malibu campus. The first time the squads faced each other this season resulted in a 3-0 victory for Pepperdine. Match time is set for 1 p.m. Noting the Waves: This was the 1,108 match in Pepperdine women's volleyball history ... With the win the Waves are 692-414-2 all time and 283-71 in WCC play ... Nina Matthies has tallied 525 wins as the head coach of the Waves ... This was the 59th meeting between Pepperdine and Santa Clara… The Waves lead the series 34-25 and have won the last three-straight contest … Stevi Robinson now has 1,233 career digs to rank fourth in the Pepperdine record books and is just 13 digs out of third place … Lilla Frederick has eclipsed double-digit kill totals in four of last five matches and has tallied at least one ace in four consecutive contests … With four blocks this evening, Frederick now boasts 100 career returns … Kim Hill has recorded a block in all 22 matches this season. -Pepperdine-
McNeese State Volleyball: Cowgirls Defeat Southeastern La. In Straight Sets
LAKE CHARLES-- McNeese State's volleyball team won its third consecutive match here Thursday night with a three set victory over Southeastern La. (25-14, 25-16, 25-18) to improve to 11-15 overall and 5-6 in league play. The Cowgirls wasted no time in winning their third straight match and fourth out of their last five matches. McNeese took the lead in all three sets and never looked back as they went on to hand Southeastern La. their 10th SLC loss. The Lions fell to 10-18 overall and 1-10 in league play. It was the Cowgirls' "Dig Pink" night and the Cowgirls picked 44 digs on the night with three players collecting 10 or more. Libero Katie Kennedy led all players with a match high 11 and Becky Bekelja and Whitney Ellisor were credited with 10 apiece. Priscilla Massengale led all players with a match high 11 kills and Bekelja dished out a match high 33. Nicole Bowden led all players with a .533 hitting percent with nine kills in 15 attempts and one hitting error. The Cowgirls recorded eight service aces with only two service errors. McNeese will conclude its home schedule in a 2 p.m. match against Nicholls on Saturday. The Cowgirls will conclude the regular season with four road matches.
San Diego State Volleyball Team Defeats Wyoming, 3-1
FINAL SCORE San Diego state def. Wyoming, 3-1 (25-23, 23-25, 25-16, 25-18) RECORDS San Diego State: 12-11 (5-4 MWC) Wyoming: 19-5 (4-5 MWC) HIGHLIGHTS San Diego State avenged a three-set loss in Laramie early in the season by defeating Wyoming Thursday night in Peterson Gym. SDSU was led by as pair of freshman in Summer Nash and Raegan Shelton. Nash collected a career-high 15 kills and hit .429 while Shelton recorded 14 kills along with four blocks and a pair of digs while hitting .414. Another freshman setter Johnna Fouch, notched her ninth double-double of the season with 43 assists and 10 digs. NEXT FOR SDSU San Diego State will host 14th-ranked Colorado State on Saturday, Oct. 30, at 7:00 p.m. in Peterson Gym
Kansas City, Mo. -- The UMKC volleyball (8-17, 5-8) team dropped its match on Thursday night to North Dakota State (14-9, 11-3), 3-1, at the Swinney Recreation Center. Leading the 'Roos in the match were juniors Kelsey Knoche (11 kills and 21 digs) and Elizabeth Beck (12 kills and 13 digs), as each recorded double-doubles.
In the first set, the Bison took the first lead of the match, taking the set 25-23. The 'Roos were in control late, holding a four point advantage at 20-16, but NDSU would close out the set on a 9-3 run to go up 1-0 in the match.
UMKC would battle back though and even the match up at one game apiece with a 25-22 second set victory. The 'Roos took control of the set with a 3-0 run halfway through the set to push its lead to five at 15-10. The Bison would close to within two at 20-18, but the two squads would trade points the rest of the set and the match would be tied heading to intermission.
In the third set, the 'Roos gained an early 6-3 lead, but NDSU would quickly recapture the advantage and build a five point cushion in the set. UMKC would tie the set at 18, but would eventually fall 25-20.
North Dakota State would go on to close the match out with a 25-20 fourth set victory. In the set, the Bison would jump out to a 4-1 lead. UMKC closed to within one late at 19-18, but could not complete the comeback.
In the match, Ella Meier and Erin Wellwood led the team with 20 assists each, while Nicole Kerkman and Kayla Riggs added 14 and 13 digs, respectively. Christiana McQuin, meanwhile, added nine kills, seven digs and two blocks, while Meier and Jarema chipped in six kill each.
The Blue and Gold will be back in action again on Saturday when they host South Dakota State at the SRC.
Iowa State Cyclones Volleyball Team Comes Up Big Against Kansas State
MANHATTAN, Kan. – The No. 12 Cyclones (16-4, 9-3 Big 12) beat Kansas State (9-14, 3-9) in straight sets (25-14, 30-28, 25-15) on Wednesday in front of a crowd of 2,531 at the Ahearn Field House. In a match in which outside hitter Victoria Henson hit only .121 and had fewer than 10 kills (nine) for the first time since the 2009 season, the rest of the Cyclones stepped up and got the job done. For the fifth-straight match, sophomore Jamie Straube hit over .400, going nine for 18 with one error against the Wildcats for a .444 hitting percentage. Two Cyclones collected double-doubles in Manhattan as Alison Landwehr extended her streak to four straight double-doubles with 37 assists and 10 digs. Carly Jenson posted her ninth double-double of the season with a team-high 10 kills and 10 digs. Freshman Tenisha Matlock recorded a career-high seven kills and hit .462 overall in her second consecutive start for the Cyclones. The Iowa State defense continued to look good against Kansas State. The Cyclones had nine and a half blocks for the match and out-dug their opponents 68-51 while allowing Kansas State to connect on only .032 of its attack attempts. Dominating the Wildcats in set one, the Cyclones hit .378 while collecting three and a half blocks and holding Kansas State to -.026 hitting. A much closer set ensued in the second set as Iowa State trailed early but bounced back and winning the tight set after both teams saw multiple match points. The Cyclones are back in action on Saturday night in Lincoln, Neb. where they will face the No. 2 Cornhuskers at 7:30 p.m.
Crucial Weekend Awaits Indiana University Volleyball Team
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Winners of five of their last six matches and part of a five-team tie for fourth place in the Big Ten Conference, the IU Volleyball squad embarks on a crucial road trip this weekend.
Indiana heads to Happy Valley for a rematch with the three-time defending national champion No. 9 Nittany Lions of Penn State (17-4, 7-3) Friday night. Indiana notched a 3-1 victory over PSU earlier this season inside University Gym. The Hoosiers then jump over to Columbus to take on the Ohio State Buckeyes (17-6, 5-5) in a Saturday night showdown.
• Indiana received 33 votes in this week’s Top-25 poll, slotting them 30th nationally • Indiana moved up to No. 28 in the latest RPI
The Penn State match has been moved up to a 6:30 pm start and will be streamed live on BigTenNetwork.com and will be re-aired on the Big Ten Network Monday, Nov. 1 at 2 pm. Saturday is a 7 pm start. Log on to IUHoosiers.com for a free, live broadcast of both matches.
Samford Volleyball Team Falls To Chattanooga, 3-1 --- Bulldogs can’t stave off Lady Moc comeback, drop first match to UTC in 11 years --- Oct. 27, 2010 BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ---- The Samford volleyball team dropped its first match to Chattanooga since 1999 in a four-set battle at the Pete Hanna Center Wednesday night. The loss evened the score in the Southern Rail Rivalry, but a soccer win at Chattanooga at the same time retained the rivalry lead for Samford. The Bulldogs (11-14, 5-6 SoCon) won the first set, 25-18, but Chattanooga (10-17, 5-6 SoCon) won the next three (26-24, 25-22, 25-21) to take the match win. The second set win for the Lady Mocs broke an 18-set win streak in the series for the Bulldogs that stretched back to 2007. Lauren Hutchinson led the Bulldogs with a career-high 18 kills while also hitting .394 and posting three block assists, a solo block, a dig and an assist. Katie Murphy tallied 13 kills and a team-high .429 hitting percentage while also knocking down three block assists and two solo blocks. Elizabeth Neisler posted 15 kills, two block assists and a dig while also hitting .209 on the night. Casey Garvey dished out 49 assists and just missed a double-double with nine digs. She also posted two block assists, a kill and an assist. Alexis Bauer led the back row with 21 digs while also grabbing an assist and serving up an ace. Samantha Bland followed with a season-high 16 digs. Allie Bettinger had 12 digs and six kills while Hillary Fountain added 10 digs, three assists and an ace. Lyndsey Holt posted three kills, five digs and a block assist while Taylor Palmer added two kills, two digs and a block assist. Heather Parman and Meagan Ernd led Chattanooga with 16 and 13 kills, respectively. Parman added 11 digs for a double-double while also posting a block assist and an ace. Ernd had three digs and two block assists. Courtney Barnes led the Lady Mocs in blocks with seven block assists and a solo block. She also added four kills, four digs and an assist. Bailee Chastain led the offense with 35 assists and also posted 11 digs and five block assists while Paula Passmore led the back row with 16 digs. The Bulldogs will round out their five-match homestand this weekend when they play host to UNC Greensboro Saturday and Elon Sunday. Both matches start at 2 p.m. in the Pete Hanna Center. Chattanooga 3, Samford 1 Each team traded errors to start the first set but Samford eventually gained the lead after fighting through several tied scores. With the score tied at eight, the Bulldogs took a definitive lead on a kill by Hutchinson. Two Lady Moc errors followed and Chattanooga wanted a timeout. Samford piled on the pressure after the break and went on a 7-1 run to take a nine-point lead, capped off by two kills by Hutchinson and an ace by Bland. Chattanooga called another timeout and put together their own 6-2 run to cut the lead to five. Samford called a timeout and the Lady Mocs came back with a kill by Ernd to get within four. However, Samford scored four straight to reach set point on a kill by Murphy, a block by Murphy and Palmer and a Chattanooga error. The Lady Mocs held the Bulldogs at set point twice but Samford won the set, 25-18, on a Lady Moc error. Samford scored the first two points of the second set on Chattanooga errors and then went on a 6-3 run to take an 8-5 lead. Chattanooga called a timeout and came back to cut the lead to three before Samford called its own timeout. With the Bulldogs leading 12-9, Samford came out of the break with a kill by Hutchinson. However, the Lady Mocs fired back and tied the score at 15, causing Samford to call its second timeout. Chattanooga took over the lead, even leading by as much as four points but Samford fought back and went on a 4-0 run with the help of two UTC errors, a kill by Murphy and a block by Neisler and Murphy to tie the score at 21. Chattanooga called a timeout and both teams fought through two tied scores. Chattanooga reached match point on an error by Neisler but Palmer answered back with a kill to hold them off. However, with a kill and an ace, Chattanooga won the second set, 26-24. The Lady Mocs took a quick 2-0 lead again in the third set but Samford fought back and finally took a two-point lead on three straight kills by Hutchinson, Bettinger and Holt. The teams fought through nine ties while the lead changed back-and-forth from three points for Chattanooga to two points for Samford. However, Chattanooga eventually took the lead back on back-to-back errors by the Bulldogs. Samford called the first timeout of the set, but UTC came right back with a 3-1 run to reach match point at 24-21. Samford called another timeout and came back to hold the Lady Mocs off with a kill by Hutchinson, but UTC answered right back and won the third set, 25-22. Chattanooga jumped out to a quick lead in the final set with the help of a 5-0 run. Samford called a timeout and answered back with its own 5-0 run to tie the score due to kills by Neisler and Hutchinson, an ace by Garvey and Lady Moc error. The score was tied five more times before Samford took a 14-11 lead on kills by Murphy and Hutchinson and several UTC errors. Chattanooga called a timeout and roared back to take the lead by one point. Samford then called a timeout and tried to fight back, but Chattanooga forged ahead and took a five-point lead. The Lady Mocs had match point at 24-19, but Samford held them off twice with a kill by Neisler and an error by Parman. However, Chattanooga called a timeout and came right back to win the final set, 25-21. *** SAMFORD BULLDOGS ***
Southern Miss volleyball Team: Eagles Head to Memphis, UAB HATTIESBURG, Miss. - The Southern Miss volleyball team looks to extend its winning streak with trips to Memphis and UAB this weekend. The Golden Eagles face the Tigers on Friday, Oct. 29 at 7 p.m., followed by a meeting with the Blazers on Sunday, Oct. 31 at 1 p.m. Fans can follow the Golden Eagles online this weekend courtesy of live stats and live streaming provided by Southern Miss All Access at Southernmiss.com. The Golden Eagles improved to 13-9 and 6-5 in conference play last Sunday with a 3-0 (25-15, 25-16, 25-21) victory against East Carolina. Southern Miss climbed into fifth in the Conference USA standings. Against the Pirates, Southern Miss attacked at a .260 rate, while holding East Carolina to .102. Southern Miss is averaging 13.93 kills per set, 13.13 assists per set, 1.09 aces per set, 16.38 digs per set and 1.79 blocks per set on the year. Redshirt junior Ashley Mell leads the team with a 4.53 kills per set average, while junior setter Kelsea Seymour paces the Golden Eagles with 11.29 assists per set. Junior Lisa Knecht averages 4.74 digs per set. Memphis currently sits at 4-6 in conference play with a 13-9 overall record. The Tigers have won two of their last four matches, including wins against Houston (3-2), and UTEP (3-1). The Tigers lost their last match, 3-0, to UCF on Sunday. Altrese Hawkins leads Memphis with 3.86 kills per set with Hajnalka Molnar guides the Tigers with 7.36 assists per set and Christine Bach averages 3.84 digs per set. Southern Miss and Memphis have met 36 times prior to Friday's match with Memphis leading the series 22-14. This is the first meeting between the two schools this season. UAB currently is tied for 10th in C-USA with Marshall. The two squads are 3-7 in league play. The Blazers snapped on a two-match losing streak with a victory against UTEP, 3-1. Sam Serley and Jordan McDonald average 2.93 and 2.80 kills per set, respectively. Heather Thomas leads the team with 5.29 digs per set while Alison Woods paces the team with 7.43 assists per set. This is the first meeting between the two teams this season. Southern Miss is 17-18 all-time vs. the Blazers. The Golden Eagles remain on the road on Friday, Nov. 5 for an 8 p.m. re-match with UTEP. Southern Miss also travels to UCF on Sunday, Nov. 7. The squads meet at 12 p.m. (CT).
Penn State Women’s Volleyball Team: No. 9 Nittany Lions Welcome Indiana, Purdue to Rec Hall
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa., Oct. 28, 2010 – The No. 9 Penn State women’s volleyball team is back in action at Rec Hall this weekend with matches against Big Ten foes Indiana and Purdue. The Nittany Lions take on Indiana at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 29 and hosts the Boilermakers on Saturday, Oct. 30 at 5 p.m. Live stats will be available for all matches via a link at GoPSUsports.com and Friday’s match with Indiana will be streamed live on BigTenNetwork.com. For Friday's match with Indiana, fans are encouraged to come dressed in their Halloween costumes for a Costume Contest. The Penn State men's and women's gymnastics teams will select their top seven favorite costumes and the crowd will decide the winner.
The "Rally in the Valley" football pep rally will follow the 6:30 p.m. Penn State-Indiana women's volleyball match. The first 5,500 fans who either remain at the volleyball match or arrive at Rec Hall will be admitted. The rally will feature Coach Joe Paterno the Penn State football team, Penn State cheerleaders, Lionettes dance team, the Blue Band, and the Nittany Lion. T-shirts will be given away at the pep rally.
Nittany Lion Preview The three-time defending national champion Penn State women's volleyball team hosts Indiana and Purdue this weekend at Rec Hall. The Nittany Lions improved to 17-4 overall with a 7-3 record in league play with a 3-0 sweep at Northwestern on Saturday, Oct. 23. So far this season, three Nittany Lions are averaging 2.79 kills per set or more, including senior Blair Brown who leads the team with 3.73 kills per set.
Freshman Deja McClendon is not far behind with 3.52 kills per set and senior Arielle Wilson is averaging 2.79 kills per set. Sophomore Kristin Carpenter has been the primary setter this season, averaging 10.68 assists per set. She has guided three of her primary hitters to a .303 hitting percentage or better. Senior libero Alyssa D'Errico has a team-high 3.94 digs per set, while there are three middle hitters averaging at least 1.24 blocks per set including Wilson (1.24 bps), senior Fatima Balza (1.24 bps) and freshman Katie Slay (1.39 bps). Penn State vs. Indiana The Nittany Lions are 40-1 all-time against the Hoosiers dating back to 1982. Indiana won its first match against Penn State in its program history on Oct. 9 when the Hoosiers defeated the Nittany Lions, 3-1, in Bloomington. The match marked only the sixth time in series history a match went beyond three sets. Scouting the Hoosiers The Hoosiers are 17-5 overall with a 5-5 record in league play in 2010. Indiana is 1-4 on the road in conference play, with its single road win coming in a 3-0 sweep at Wisconsin. The Hoosiers other Big Ten wins came against Ohio State, PSU, Michigan and Michigan State. Indiana ranks third in the Big Ten in blocks per set (2.63) and aces per set (1.41). Penn State vs. Purdue The Nittany Lions own a 43-6 record against the Boilermakers dating back to 1981. Earlier this season, Purdue defeated the Nittany Lions 3-2 for its first win against Penn State since 1987. Prior to the setback, Penn State had won 42 consecutive matches against the Boilermakers. Scouting the Boilermakers The Boilermakers are 14-7 overall with a 5-5 record in conference play so far this season. Purdue is 1-4 against nationally-ranked teams, with its sole win coming against the Nittany Lions. In the Big Ten, Purdue has wins against Indiana, Iowa, PSU, Ohio State and Michigan State. The Boilermakers are 2-4 on the road in league play. The Boilermakers rank in the top five in the conference in digs per set (15.00) and blocks (2.63). Penn State Recap The Nittany Lions earned a convincing 3-0 sweep of Northwestern on Saturday, Oct. 23 in Welsh-Ryan Arena. Brown and McClendon led the team with 12 kills apiece, while Wilson had 10 kills. Balza led the team in hitting with six kills in seven errorless attempts for a .857 hitting percentage. Carpenter dished out 40 assists and D’Errico led the team with 18 digs. Balza had a match-high six total blocks and Brown finished the night with five, including two solo.
What’s Next? The Nittany Lions are back on the road at Michigan and Michigan State Nov. 5-6. Penn State faces the Wolverines on Friday, Nov. 5 at 7 p.m. and takes on the Spartans a day later at 6:30 p.m. For more information on the Penn State women’s volleyball team, please visit GoPSUsports.com. The Penn State women’s volleyball 2010 season is presented by Rockvale Outlets and The Outlets at Hershey.
University of Miami Hurricanes Volleyball Team Begins Four-Match Road Slate at Virginia, Virginia Tech
Miami set to begin the second half of its ACC slate on the road. CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The University of Miami volleyball team gets back to the road for the first two of a four-match road stretch to begin the second half of its Atlantic Coast Conference schedule, beginning this weekend in the “Commonwealth State” at the University of Virginia (Oct. 29) and Virginia Tech (Oct. 30). The match against Virginia is scheduled for 7 p.m., while the Virginia Tech match begins at 6 p.m. UM (16-6, 6-5 ACC) enters the weekend road swing winners in four of the last five matches. The lone loss during that stretch occurred last Friday at home to Duke in a five-set fashion. The ‘Canes took their last two road matches at Maryland and Boston College two weeks ago, and took down both opponents for this weekend earlier on the year in Coral Gables. As a team, the ‘Canes lead the conference in assists, thanks mostly to the play of redshirt junior setter Katie Gallagher with a league second-best 827 assists. UM also ranks atop the league in kills, holding 1,179 on the year—using junior outside hitter Lane Carico for a majority of those kills with a team-leading 291, placing her third in the league in that category. The ‘Canes are ranked second in the league for hitting percentage (.259); service aces (111); and digs (17.16 per set). Carico has collected a team-leading 17 double-doubles on the year, including seven consecutive entering the weekend. Fellow junior outside hitter Christine Williamson is behind Carico with 240 kills (2.96 per set), and hits at a .281 clip for the ‘Canes. The libero position is held by freshman Ryan Shaffer with a team-leading 325 (4.17 per set), and Carico follows with an even 300 (3.66 per set). Shaffer joins Cassie Loessberg and Jamie Grass as the only other players in UM history to stake 30-plus digs in a single match, picking up 32 versus Duke on Fri., Oct. 22. After returning from the state of Virginia, Miami takes to the road again next weekend to face Clemson (Nov. 5) and Georgia Tech (Nov. 6) in what has traditionally been a tough road trip for the ‘Canes. For more information on the University of Miami volleyball team, please log on to www.hurricanesports.com. Once there, you will find up-to-date news, stats and information regarding the Hurricanes volleyball program. You can also keep up-to-date with all UM Athletics via twitter at Twitter.com/HurricaneSports. Quick Hits on Virginia... The Virginia Cavaliers, coming off a loss in their last match to UNC, look to rebound when they play Miami at home on Fri., Oct. 29, in another ACC tilt. The Cavs have struggled this season, sitting near the bottom of the ACC standings with just a 4-7 league mark, and holding a 10-11 record overall. Virginia enters Friday’s match-up having lost three of its last four matches. The Cavaliers are led by junior Simon Asque, who is second in the ACC with 321 kills and 28 aces, and second on the team with 153 digs. Sophomore Jessica O’Shoney sits second on the team with 170 kills, and ranks fifth in the conference with a .357 hitting percentage. Beth Wildermuth, another sophomore, leads the team with 664 assists—well enough for eighth in the ACC. As a freshman, libero Emily Rottman leads the team with 229 digs. Series against the Cavaliers... With the University of Miami taking two out of the last three meetings in the series, UM has cut into the Virginia lead, 7-5. Miami won this year’s first meeting in Coral Gables by a 3-1 count. In this series, the Hurricanes have lost tough matches in Charlottesville over the last two years, with the 2008 loss possibly being a reason for the ‘Canes not being invited to the 2008 NCAA Tournament. Quick Hits on Virginia Tech... Virginia Tech enters the weekend stretch against the Seminoles and Hurricanes surging, having won four out of their last five matches, including a three-set sweep at NC State in its last contest. Virginia Tech is 5-6 in ACC play, and 14-7 overall, placing the Hokies in the middle of the pack in the ACC standings. A couple of Hokies won weekly awards last week, with senior Felicia Willoughby taking home ACC Player of the Week honors, and freshman Victoria Hamsher earning ACC Freshman of the Week accolades—the first time a Hokie has ever won that honor. Sophomore outside hitter Cara Baarendse leads the team with 244 kills, and senior Felicia Willoughby sits second on the team in that category with 220. Junior Erin Leaser leads the team and is fourth in the league overall in that stat column with 836 assists. No one else on the team has more than 36. The players with the two most digs are senior Amy Wengrenovich with 209, and sophomore Morgan O’Neill with 197. Series against the Hokies... Miami leads the all-time series against the Hokies with a 10-5 edge in the series that began with both teams as former members of the BIG EAST Conference. The ‘Canes have claimed the last two meetings between the two teams, including a 3-0 decision in Coral Gables earlier this season. Overall, Miami has won five of the last seven matches against the Hokies. Home Is Where the Hits Are… In 11 matches at home on the year for Miami, the Hurricanes are out-hitting their counterparts by almost a full .100 clip. UM hits .300 at home on the year (using an 8-3 record), while limiting opponents to just .205. On the road, the ‘Canes are hitting just .193, while the opposition hits at a .181 count.
SYCAMORES HIT THE ROAD IN SEARCH OF SECOND VALLEY WIN OF SEASON
Indiana State Volleyball Team To Play at Creighton Friday, Drake Saturday in MVC matchups
TERRE HAUTE, IND. – Indiana State is still looking for their 10th victory of the season and will continue that quest on the road this weekend as they visit the Creighton Bluejays (13-8, 8-3 MVC) on Friday and Drake (20-6, 5-6 MVC) on Saturday. The Sycamores lost to both teams on the home court four weeks ago during the first half of the 2010 MVC season SCOUTING INDIANA STATE – The Sycamores are 9-15 on the season and 1-10 in the conference heading into Friday’s game in Omaha, Neb., against the Creighton Bluejays. Indiana State posted an 8-5 record in non-conference play but dropped their first eight games in the Valley before defeating Bradley on Oct. 16. The nine victories are the most for Indiana State in a season since the 2004 campaign when ISU won 12 games. The Indiana State attack is being led by sophomore Morgan Dall who is averaging 4.08 kills per set (kps) overall and 3.95 kps in Valley action. Dall ranks 35th nationally (out of 250 players ranked) and leads the Valley in kills per set for the season and is ranked fourth in kills per set in MVC games. Junior Stacey Qualizza is averaging 2.17 kps for all games and 2.53 kps in Valley contests while junior Ana Maira Charun is at 2.06 kps overall and 1.83 in MVC games. Junior Shelbi Fouty has been the primary setter for the Sycamores since freshman Loni Mackinson’s season was ended with a knee injury against Chicago State. The two shared setter duties throughout the non-conference schedule. Fouty is averaging 5.77 assists per set (aps) for the season but has really come on in Valley action and is averaging 10.47 aps in MVC games. Mackinson was averaging 7.58 aps before her injury. Junior Kiya James has been leading the defense with 4.10 digs per set (dps) for the season and 3.42 dps in Valley games. She has received support from Dall (2.75 dps) and Fouty (2.34 dps) throughout the season with freshman Monique Morris stepping up during Valley games at 2.32 dips. SCOUTING CREIGHTON – The Bluejays are 13-8 overall and 8-3 in the conference after splitting action on the road last weekend. Creighton opened last weekend with a 3-0 (25-12, 25-19, 25-11) win at Bradley but then lost at #14 Northern Iowa 3-0 (25-27, 25-27, 19-25) on Saturday. Senior right side hitter Alicia Runge is leading the Creighton offense with 3.85 kps overall and 3.29 kps in Valley action. Senior right side hitter Allie Oelke has 2.52 kps overall and 2.51 kps in MVC play while junior middle blocker Laurel Sanford is averaging 2.28 kps overall and 2.55 during conference action. Sophomore setter Megan Bober is leading the team in assists with 10.06 aps overall and 10.22 aps in the MVC. The defense is being keyed by freshman Julianne Mandolfo at 4.30 dps overall and 5.85 dps in Valley play. Sanford had 10 kills and 11 blocks (three solo and eight assists) in the Bluejays 3-0 (25-22, 25-10, 25-7) win over Indiana State on Oct. 2 while Bober had nine kills and 22 assists. Oelke had 12 digs. SCOUTING DRAKE – The Bulldogs are 20-6 overall but just 5-6 in the Missouri Valley Conference heading into Friday night’s home game against the Illinois State Redbirds. Drake played three games last week, stepping outside the conference on Oct. 19 to defeat South Dakota State 3-2 (20-25, 24-26, 25-19, 25-18, 15-11) at home, losing at #14 Northern Iowa 1-3 (20-25, 25-16, 21-25, 13-25) on Friday, and then winning 3-1 (25-13, 25-20, 25-27, 25-22) over Bradley on Saturday. Senior outside hitter Angela Bys is leading the offense with 3.74 kps overall and 3.75 kps in MVC games while sophomore middle blocker Emily Heffernen is averaging 2.15 kps in all games and 2.36 kps in Valley contests. Junior setter Caitlin Johnson is averaging 6.45 aps in all game and 6.68 aps in the MVC while senior setter Susan Clausen is averaging 4.15 aps overall and 4.22 in the Valley. Senior defensive specialist Alana Wittenburg keys the defense with 5.71 dps overall and 5.80 dps in the Valley while two players pace play at the net with junior middle blocker Michelle Reidy averaging 0.98 blocks per set (bps) overall and 0.86 dps in the Valley, and sophomore middle blocker Emily Heffernen averaging 0.90 bps overall and 0.95 in MVC action. Bys had 20 kills in Drake’s 3-1 (25-20, 25-23, 24-26, 25-15) win over Indiana State on Oct. 1 while junior outside hitter Mikayla Sims and sophomore outside hitter Whitney Westrum adding 10 each. Johnson and Clausen had 22 assists each while junior defensive specialist Erika Price had 16 digs and Wittenburg 15. SERIES NOTES: CREIGHTON BLUEJAYS – Indiana State has not defeated the Bluejays since 2004 when the Sycamores posted a 3-1 win on the home court. ISU has lost 11 straight to Creighton and trail the series 9-25. Indiana State has not won in Omaha, Neb., since 2003 when Indiana State posted a 3-2 victory over Creighton. Since then, ISU has lost six straight on the road to the Bluejays including a 0-3 setback a year ago. DRAKE BULLDOGS – One of the closest series for Indiana State is with the Bulldogs. Indiana State has lost two straight to Drake and trail the series 22-25 which includes a 1-3 loss on the home court earlier this season. ISU has lost five straight in Des Moines, Iowa, where the Sycamores are 10-13, including a 1-3 setback a year ago. The last home win against Drake came last year (3-0) with the last win on the road coming in 2004 (3-0). LOOKING BACK AT LAST WEEK: The Sycamores hosted a pair of Missouri Valley Conference opponents last weekend, losing 0-3 (15-25, 14-25, 17-25) to Wichita State on Friday and then falling 0-3 (21-25, 16-25, 19-25) to Missouri State on Saturday. No Indiana State player reached double-digits in kills against Wichita State on Friday although sophomore Morgan Dall had eight, junior Ana Maira Charun seven and junior Stacy Qualizza six. Junior Shelbi Fouty had 24 assists on the night while freshman Monique Morris led the defense with 10 digs. Indiana State finished with just 28 kills in 106 attempts and a .085 hitting percentage while committing 32 total errors (19 attack errors). Wichita State connected on 45 of 102 attempts and finished with a .373 hitting percentage. The Shockers had just 18 total errors (seven attack errors). Sophomore Morgan Dall led the ISU offense against Missouri State with 12 kills while junior Ana Maira Charun added nine, and junior Stacy Qualizza eight. Junior Shelbi Fouty had 37 assists on the night while Fouty, Dall, and freshman Monique Morris had eight digs each. Indiana State finished with 43 kills in 108 attacks with 21 errors for a .176 hitting percentage while the Bears had 43 kills in 93 attempts with nine errors for a .366 hitting percentage. FOLLOWING THE SYCAMORES: Live stats for the Creighton game can be found at: http://www.bcsstats.com/broadcast/stats.html?id=143 Live stats for the Drake game can be found at: http://www.godrakebulldogs.com/liveStats/liveStats.dbml Live stats for all Indiana State home games can be found at the official Sycamore web site (www.gosycamores.com). HEAD COACH TRACI DAHL: Traci Dahl is in her third year as the Sycamore coach. Dahl is 24-62 as the ISU coach including this year’s 9-15 record. The third year coach is looking for her first win against Creighton (0-5) and her second win against Drake (1-4) this weekend. DALL NATIONALLY RANKED Indiana State sophomore Morgan Dall remains one of the top hitters in the nation as the Aviston, Ill., native is ranked 35th nationally in kills per set (4.08). The sophomore also ranks 52nd in the nation in points per set (4.44). A total of 250 are ranked nationally. Dall leads the Missouri Valley Conference in kills per set for all games (4.08) and is currently tied for third in Valley contests (3.95). She is second in total kills for the season with 355 and is fourth in Valley contests with 150. The sophomore needs 34 kills to break into the top 10 of single season kills for Indiana State. Julie Meshberger, who had 389 kills during the 1994 season, is currently 10th. Dall did move into the top 10 of single season total attempts with 1,079 this season. Dall moved past Jodilynne Stoker who had 1,033 attempts during the 2009 season. She is just 32 attempts short of moving past Cheryl Berg, who had 1,111 during the 2001 season. JAMES DIGGING WAY UP Indiana State junior Kiya James has been moving up the ladder in Indiana State career digs this season. The Indianapolis, Ind., native has 1,065 career digs which places her sixth on the all-time ISU list. She trails Stacy Stanton (1991-1994) by just 26 digs. James has 357 digs this season and ranks 153rd in the nation (eighth in the Valley) in digs per set (4.10). She is just 53 digs short of making it into the top 10 of single season digs. Lindsay Rust is currently 10th with 410 digs in the 1997 season. FOUTY ASSISTING ISU EFFORT Indiana State junior Shelbi Fouty ranks fifth in assists for Missouri Valley Conference games at 10.47 assists per set. The 5’-11” setter established a career high with 57 assists at Southern Illinois on Oct. 8. She also had 54 assists at Missouri State and recorded 53 against Drake this season. OPPONENTS IN THE RANKINGS Northern Iowa moved up to 13th in this week’s American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) nationally. UNI is 20-2 on the season and totaled 730 points.
17th-Ranked Dayton Flyers’ Volleyball Team Pair Of Rematches Include Hosting Xavier And Traveling To George Washington
Xavier at No. 17 Dayton – Friday, Oct. 29 – Dayton, Ohio – Frericks Center – 7 p.m. ET Live Coverage: Stats, Audio, Video (DaytonFlyers.com)
Promotions: Chalk Talk with Head Coach Kelly Sheffield, 5:15 p.m. in Frericks #201-B; Pack the House Challenge with a special appearance from the UD Marching Band; Player autographs after match.
No. 17 Dayton at George Washington – Sunday, Oct. 31 – Washington, D.C. – Charles E. Smith Center – 1 p.m. ET Live Coverage: Stats, Blog (DaytonFlyers.com)
Noting the Flyers (18-3, 9-0) The league-leading, 17th-ranked Flyers are on a 13-match winning streak after defeating George Washington and Charlotte at home last weekend in straight sets ... Dayton leads the A-10 in four categories – hitting percentage (.241), opponent hitting percentage (.121), blocks per set (3.03), and digs per set (17.54) ... Nationally, the Flyers rank third in blocks per set, and 15th in digs per set, while Senior Lindsay Fletemier ranks second in the nation in blocks per set (1.61) ... Head Coach Kelly Sheffield recently won his 200th career match on Sept. 17 against Santa Clara at the Notre Dame Invitational ... The Flyers have been ranked in the AVCA Top-25 for 13 consecutive weeks.
About Xavier (14-7, 7-2) The Musketeers are led by first-year Head Coach Mike Johnson and come into the weekend ranked second in the Atlantic 10 Conference with a 7-2 record ... Xavier has won six of the last seven matches, including a loss to Dayton at home on Oct. 15 ... XU leads the A-10 in all the categories that UD does not: kills per set (13.40), assists per set (12.63) and aces per set (1.57) ... Senior outside hitter Shannon Voors leads the Musketeers with 3.61 kills per set on a .221 hitting percentage ... Junior Kathryn Traut is XU’s go-to middle with a team-high 360 swings and a .308 hitting percentage ... Senior setter Claire Paszkiewicz has a conference-leading 11.31 assists per set and paces XU in total aces with 25 ... Sophomore middle Alex Smith, who has a team-best .354 hitting percentage, has not played for nine straight matches.
The Series: Dayton leads, 40-23. The last three meetings between the two local rivals have gone to five sets. On Oct. 15 of this season, all five sets were decided by two points with Dayton coming out on top, 25-27, 25-23, 25-27, 26-24, 15-13 ... Last season the Musketeers handed UD its only loss during the conference season, which forced the Flyers to eventually share the regular season title with Saint Louis ... Both teams protected home court last season ... In front of a season-high 2,072 fans at the Frericks Center on Sept. 25, 2009, the Flyers defeated the Musketeers 3-2 despite putting up an inferior hitting percentage, .158 to XU’s .245 ... Later in the season, Xavier upset UD in five sets at the Cintas Center (10/30/09) with its branded fast-paced offense which out-gained UD in kills, 65-50 ... This season the rivalry adds a new chapter as Xavier’s new Head Coach Mike Johnson will face the Flyers for the first time ... UD Head Coach Kelly Sheffield holds a 4-1 all-time record against the Musketeers.
About George Washington (17-7, 6-1) George Washington will face the Flyers for the second time in two weeks on Sunday in Washington, D.C. ... The Cononials have won eight of the last 11 matches, including a five-match winning streak prior to dropping matches against Dayton and Xavier last weekend ... Sophomore outside hitter Lauren Whyte leads the A-10 in kills per set (4.07) and points per set (4.52) ... GW is right behind UD in conference hitting percentage, ranking second with a .224 attack rate ... Senior middle Katie Zulandt leads the team and ranks fourth in the A-10 in hitting percentage (.351), while freshman right side MacKenzie Kvitle is fifth in the conference with a .341 percentage ... GW has the fourth-highest RPI in the conference, ranked 87th this week ... Head Coach Jojit Coronel, a California product, is in his 11th season with the Colonials and won the A-10 Tournament in 2000 ... Seven of the 16 GW players are from California.
The Series: Dayton leads, 21-9. Last weekend Dayton used one of the most prolific three-set offensive matches of the season to stop George Washington’s winning streak at five ... The Flyers set a season-high .427 hitting percentage and out-gained the Colonials in kills, 53-to-30 ... Three Flyers notched 11 kills on the night, led by senior middle blocker Lindsay Fletemier’s .611 hitting percentage and five blocks.
A-10’s Leaders Converge On The Frericks Center Dayton (9-0) and Xavier (7-2) not only stand alone in first and second in the Atlantic 10 Conference standings, each team leads the conference in every statistical category, respectively ... Dayton leads the league in hitting percentage (.241), opponent hitting percentage (.121), blocks per set (3.03), and digs per set (17.54) ... Xavier leads the conference in the remaining categories, including assists per set (12.63), kills per set (13.40), and service aces per set (1.57).
Defense Wins Championships Dayton is the only team in the country to rank in the top 20 in both blocks and digs ... Among 327 NCAA Division I volleyball programs, the Flyers rank third in blocks per set (3.03) and 15th in digs per set (17.54) ... UD has two players who average 1.00 or more blocks per set and nearly four players averaging 3.00 digs per set (Jessica Yanz with 2.96 d/s) ... Senior middles Lindsay Fletemier (1.61 b/s) and Becky Novacek (1.23 b/s) rank first and second in the A-10 in blocks per set, respectively ... Sophomore libero Paige Vargas (4.11 d/s) and senior outside hitter Amanda Cowdrey (3.76 d/s) are the only teammates in the A-10 to rank in the top eight in digs per set ... UD leads the conference in opponent hitting percentage (.121) and has held foes to a hitting percentage under .100 in nine matches.
Inside The Winning Streak Dayton is currently on a 13-match winning streak – the sixth-longest in the nation ... During the streak, the Flyers have held opponents to a .087 hitting percentage while recording a .266 hitting percentage of its own ... UD’s recent improvement in serving is evident with 65 service aces and just 61 service errors, averaging 1.44 aces per set ... Dayton is averaging 3.2 blocks per set, compared to opponents’ 1.1 blocks per set ... Four players are hitting over .300 and four players have 100 or more kills in 13 matches ... Lindsay Fletemier is UD’s out-right leader in numbers with 158.5 points, 1.54 blocks per set, .463 hitting percentage with 126 kills and just 13 attacking errors (one per match) ... Amanda Cowdrey (4.11) and Paige Vargas (4.19) are each averaging more than four digs per set ... 10 matches have been decided in three sets (including all four at home).
Rising In The Polls Dayton moved up one spot to No. 17 in the AVCA Top-25 on Monday ... With 526 points, the Flyers received the most points during its current 13 consecutive weeks in the poll, dating back to last season ... The highest Dayton volleyball has been ranked in the AVCA Top-25 is No. 12 during the week of Oct. 15, 2007 ... The NCAA RPI debuted Dayton at No. 12 and still has UD at No. 12 this week ... The Flyers have played four teams in the RPI top 10, including a win over sixth-ranked Northern Iowa ... Dayton has its highest ranking of the season in other national polls, RichKern.com places the Flyers at No. 15 and Volleyball Magazine puts UD at No. 16.
Fletemier Moving Up More than mid-way through her fourth season in the Red and Blue, two-time All-American Lindsay Fletemier is approaching a handful of career records at Dayton ... Fletemier is currently second on the career block-assists list with 443 ... Fletemier entered the year fourth on the all-time block-assist list with 336 and has passed Sheila Kreim (1994-97) and Katie Ferriell (1998-01) this season ... Fletemier holds the second-best career hitting percentage with an improved .369 rate through 21 matches this season ... Fletemier also entered the season second in hitting percentage behind Faye Barhorst (2003-06) ... The Garden City, Mich., also broke into UD’s career kills list this season, currently in fourth with 1,407 ... Last weekend number nine passed Sierra Ashley (1997-00) for fourth place; the number to catch is Cathy Wojciechowski’s (1990-93) all-time record of 1,645 kills.
Fletemier ranks second in NCAA Division I in blocks per set (1.61) ... She has had at least one block in 69 consecutive matches played and holds a comfortable A-10 lead in blocks with 113.0 total ... Last season Fletemier finished the season ranked 35th in the nation in blocks per set (1.25) and 11th in hitting percentage (.389), gaining Third Team AVCA All-America honors ... Teammate and fellow senior Becky Novacek currently leads the A-10 in blocks per set during conference play with 1.54 – 43.0 total.
Academic Success The newest NCAA Graduate Success Rate (GSR) numbers were released on Tuesday and Dayton volleyball reported a perfect score of 100 percent of all student-athletes who started playing volleyball for UD in 2003 having graduated ... Flyer volleyball was also recognized for the third straight season with the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic Award ... Finishing the season No. 25 in the AVCA poll, UD is one of just three nationally-ranked teams to earn the award this season (Oregon, Stanford) ... The Flyers reported a 3.37 team GPA in the 2009-10 school year ... UD volleyball also scored a perfect single-year APR score (1000) in 2008-09, which was released in the Spring by the NCAA.
Accurate Acers Freshman Allyson Morey leads the Atlantic 10 in aces per set (0.35) during conference play (third overall) going into the weekend ... Morey, who leads the team in sets played coming off the bench, has 25 aces and just eight service errors ... Senior Amanda Cowdrey averages 0.28 aces per set with 21 aces and 15 service errors ... As a team the Flyers hold the third-best service aces-to-errors ratio in the conference with total of 85 aces and 103 errors ... Duquesne (88:77) has the only positive ratio in the A-10, followed by George Washington (123:145) in second ... Sophomore Rachel Krabacher ranks fourth in the A-10 in aces per set (0.37) during conference play.
2010 NCAA Volleyball Regional Tickets Available Dayton will be one of four hosts during the 2010 NCAA Tournament Regionals on Dec. 10-11 at the University of Dayton Arena ... Tickets are now available for purchase by visiting the UD Arena Ticket Office or by phone at 937-229-4433 ... Other Regional sites include Austin (Texas), Seattle (Washington), and University Park (Penn State) ... The National Semifinals and Final will be held at Kansas City’s Sprint Center ... The Flyers hosted Charlotte in UD Arena on Oct. 23 as a precursor to the Regional – the NCAA requires the host school to play at least one home match at the Regional site during the regular season.
Dayton Atlantic 10 Players of the Week Jessica Yanz, Senior, S Oct. 26 – Offensive Player of the Week Led UD to a combined .336 hitting percentage with 75 assists in a pair of 3-0 victories over George Washington and Charlotte ... Outgained its opponents in kills 100-60 ... Tied a three-set season-high of 40 assists against George Washington, while propelling UD to a team season-best .427 hitting percentage ... Added four kills (.667 attack percentage) and eight digs versus the Colonials ... Closed out the weekend with her 11th double-double of the season with 35 assists and 11 digs in three sets against Charlotte, while registering four blocks.
Lindsay Fletemier, Senior, MB Sept. 28 – Offensive Player of the Week Second consecutive Offensive POW honor ... 2.75 kills per set on a .457 hitting percentage on the weekend against Saint Louis and Duquesne ... Six blocks, 12 kills, no attacking errors, and a .545 hitting percentage in a five-set win at SLU ... 10 kills, .375 hitting percentage, six blocks, 16 points in a three-set win at Duquesne.
Sept. 21 – Offensive Player of the Week MVP of the Notre Dame Invitational with 37 kills and 22 blocks in the Flyers’ three wins over Santa Clara, Delaware and Notre Dame ... Only recorded five attacking errors in 68 swings for a .471 hitting percentage ... In five-sets with Santa Clara, recorded her first double-double of the season with 17 kills and 11 blocks ... 13 kills, no attacking errors and six blocks to help sweep Delaware ... Seven kills and five blocks to sweep host Notre Dame.
Sept. 7 – Defensive Player of the Week Diet Coke Classic (Minnesota) All-Tournament Team selection after totaling 20 blocks and 28 kills in three matches ... Registered nine blocks to hold No. 22 Northern Iowa to a .166 hitting percentage in a five-set victory ... Helped hold Baylor to a .096 hitting percentage in the Flyers’ four-set win with six blocks and nine kills ... Tallied 11 kills and five blocks against No. 8 Minnesota.
Amanda Cowdrey, Senior, OH Sept. 28 – Defensive Player of the Week Earned her first Atlantic 10 weekly award after averaging 6.00 digs per set and totaling 48 in two matches ... Cowdrey tied her career-high of 27 digs in a five-set win over Saint Louis on Sept. 24 ... Added 12 kills and three blocks against the Billikens, helping the Flyers defeat SLU for the first time on the road since 2007 ... Cowdrey went on to record a three-set team season-high of 21 digs in a 3-0 sweep of Duquesne ... Behind Cowdrey’s defensive efforts, Dayton limited Saint Louis and Duquesne to mere .166 and .055 hitting percentages, respectively.
Sheffield Wins 200th Career Match Head Coach Kelly Sheffield won his 200th career match at the Notre Dame Invitational against Santa Clara on Sept. 17 ... Sheffield began the season with 193 wins and now holds a 206-99 record in his 10th season as a head coach ... In his third year at UD, Sheffield became the quickest head coach in program history to reach 50 wins in the modern scheduling format, going 51-17 in his first two seasons ... Sheffield spent seven years building the program at Albany, compiling 142 wins and three NCAA Tournament appearances ... Sheffield and wife Cathy recently gave birth to their first child, Alexa Grace, on Sept. 28, 2010.
Conference Season Success In the past seven years, Dayton holds a 75-11 Atlantic 10 record without losing more than two conference matches in a season ... In that stretch UD has won five regular season crowns, five tournament titles, and made six trips to the NCAA Tournament ... The Flyers only remaining non-conference opponent is Ohio in the final regular season match of the season on Nov. 26 – after the A-10 Tournament ... The Flyers hold a 22-6 mark in non-conference matches since last season.
Top 25 Tour Dayton has faced four top 25 opponents – including three in the top 10 – during its non-conference slate ... The Ameritas Players Challenge featured three teams ranked in the AVCA Top-25: No. 3 Illinois, No. 7 Nebraska and No. 20 Dayton ... The Diet Coke Classic in Minneapolis, Minn., also featured three ranked teams: No. 8 Minnesota, No. 20 Dayton, and No. 22 Northern Iowa ... The Flyers hold a 1-3 record against ranked opponents this season, defeating Northern Iowa on Sept. 3.
Novacek a Finalist for the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award Senior Becky Novacek was selected as one of thirty NCAA women’s volleyball student-athletes to be a candidate for the first-ever Lowe’s Senior CLASS (Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School)Award for volleyball ... To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence – community, classroom, character and competition ... Novacek is a 2009 First Team Atlantic 10 All-Conference selection ... The accounting major has earned Dayton’s Presidential Scholarship and has been listed on the Atlantic 10 Commissioner’s Honor Roll while helping UD to five A-10 regular season and tournament titles, three-straight NCAA Tournament appearances, and two 30-win seasons.
In Memoriam: Kacie Hausfeld A number 14 patch is adorned on the Flyers’ jerseys this season in memoriam of late teammate Kacie Hausfeld who tragically passed away last spring in a plane crash with her father, Tom ... Hausfeld, known her leadership and influential personality, would have been a senior ... For three seasons she excelled in the program as a setter, starting in the last two with 7.00 assists per set and 51 aces ... Kacie is survived by her mother Lori and sister Ali.
Returning Champs – Predicted Champs With five starters returning from last season’s Atlantic 10 Championship team UD has been picked to win the A-10 title again in 2010 ... The Flyers were the regular season co-champs with Saint Louis, and the tournament champs after edging SLU in five sets at the Frericks Center ... The Flyers return two all-conference selections Lindsay Fletemier and Becky Novacek, A-10 Tournament MVP Amanda Cowdrey, and All-Rookie Team selection Rachel Krabacher ... Additionally, the Flyers add highly-touted recruit and Nebraska transfer Jessica Yanz to the setter position.
