Volleyball Voices

Sternard, Groth Earn Horizon League Volleyball Player of the Week Honors

Sternard, Groth Earn Horizon League Volleyball Player of the Week Honors

 

INDIANAPOLIS -- UIC sophomore middle hitter Sara Sternard (Claredon Hills, Ill.) has been named the Horizon League Offensive Player of the Week while Green Bay senior libero Brittany Groth (Oak Creek, Wis.) earned Defensive Player of the Week honors.

 

 

It is the first weekly award of the season for Sternard and the third for Groth, who was also honored for the weeks of Aug. 27 and Sept. 24.

 

Sternard was key in UIC’s 3-2 win over in-city rival Loyola, locking up the No. 2 seed for the Flames in this weekend’s Horizon League tournament. The sophomore totaled 13 kills and led the match with a career-high .684 hitting percentage, besting her previous career mark by over 80 points. She made noise defensively as well, leading the match with eight total blocks.

 

Groth, meanwhile, had a match-high 27 digs on Friday night at Wright State, setting a new school record with 1,836 career digs. She also broke her own school record for digs in a season by totaling 22 on Saturday night in Valparaiso.

 

For the career milestone, Groth surpassed the 1,789 posted by Megan Elfering from 2005-08. She had set the season record last season with 659 before breaking her own mark over the weekend.

 

Both Sternard and Groth will return to action this weekend as UIC and Green Bay compete in the Horizon League Tournament hosted by No. 1 ranked Cleveland State.

 

Other Top Performers of the Week

 

MaryKate Imrie, UIC (Jr., S) - Imrie helped drive UIC’s win over Loyola with a match-high 56 assists while also contributing three kills, six digs and two block assists.

 

Lyndsay Zabkowicz, Green Bay (Jr., OH) - Zabkowicz led the Pheonix with 22 kills in two matches over the weekend and added an assist, an ace, 15 digs and three block assists.

 

Mary Dent, Valparaiso (Sr., OH) - In two home matches during her senior weekend, Dent led the Crusaders with 21 kills with two digs and two total blocks as Valpo swept Green Bay and Milwaukee.

 

Ellen Vanden Berg, Valparaiso (Jr., MH) - Vanden Berg totaled 12 blocks in the two sweeps and now has 137 on the season, which ranks as the sixth-highest single season total in school history. She also added 13 kills and two digs.

 

Kara Koch, Cleveland State (Sr., OH) - Koch posted her 15th double-double of the season with 18 kills and 12 digs against Youngstown State, adding an ace and two block assists. She became the fifth Viking to record both 1,000 career kills and 1,000 career digs.

 

Amanda Medvetz, Cleveland State (Sr., L) - Medvetz posted a team-high 14 digs in the sweep of Youngstown State, marking her 25th match of the season with double-digits digs.

 

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Horizon League Volleyball - Victor and Egler Named Volleyball Players of the Week

Horizon League Volleyball - Victor and Egler Named Volleyball Players of the Week

 

 

INDIANAPOLIS -- Valparaiso sophomore Kelsey Victor has been named Horizon League Volleyball Offensive Player of the Week, while Youngstown State sophomore Alexis Egler was named Defensive Player of the Week honors for the period of Oct. 29-Nov. 4.

Victor, from Logansport, Ind., hit .469 (36-6-64) for the weekend as Valparaiso split its two matches in Northeast Ohio. She had a career-high 15 kills on a .433 hitting percentage in the Crusaders 3-1 win over Youngstown State on Friday night. Less than 24 hours later, Victor reset her career-high as she recorded 21 kills, with an attack percentage of .500, in Valpo’s 3-2 loss to Cleveland State. The Valparaiso sophomore also contributed five blocks in each match.

The Crusaders (18-11, 8-4) play their final two home matches of the season this weekend as they host Green Bay (14-12, 5-7) on Saturday and Milwaukee (8-18, 3-9) on Sunday. 

Egler, a native of Clarkston, Mich., averaged 4.71 digs per set and 0.71 blocks per set last weekend for the Penguins. From her outside hitter position, Egler had 19 digs and three blocks against Valparaiso on Friday and added 14 digs and two blocks in YSU’s sweep of Wright State on Saturday. She also had 17 kills in helping Youngstown State split their two matches.

 

Youngstown State (15-12, 5-8) plays its final match of the regular season on Thursday at regular season champion Cleveland State (20-6, 12-1).

Other Top Performers for the Week:

Brittany Brown, Loyola (Fr., S) - Brown recorded Loyola’s first triple-double in nearly seven years with 10 kills, 29 assists and 10 digs in Loyola’s 3-1 win over Milwaukee. It was the first time Loyola has swept the season series against Milwaukee since the 1996 season.

 

MaryKate Imrie, UIC (Jr., S) - Imrie posted back-to-back double-doubles last week for the Flames. She had 53 assists and 11 digs in UIC’s 3-1 win over Milwaukee and had 44 assists and 16 digs the next day in UIC’s 3-1 win over Green Bay.

 

Kara Koch, Cleveland State (Sr., OH) - Koch posted double-doubles in both matches last weekend. She had 17 kills and 12 digs against Wright State and 18 kills and 15 digs versus Valparaiso. Cleveland State wrapped up the outright regular season title this past weekend.

 

Lyndsay Zabkowicz, Green Bay (Jr., OH) - Zabkowicz led the Phoenix with 13 kills in GB’s sweep of Loyola on Friday. She tied her career-high with 22 kills versus UIC on Saturday.

Missy Hundelt, Youngstown State (Jr., RS) - Hundelt averaged 5.0 kills and 3.43 digs per set last weekend for Youngstown State. She had 20 kills and 13 digs in YSU’s four-set loss to Valparaiso and had 15 kills and 11 digs in the Penguins sweep of Wright State.

 

Brittany Groth, Green Bay (Sr., L) - Groth had a match-high 20 digs in Green Bay’s sweep of Loyola on Friday. She registered 28 digs against UIC on Saturday.

 

Ally Beck, Cleveland State (So., DS) - Beck had double-digit digs in both matches last week for Cleveland State. She recorded a career-high 12 digs against Valparaiso on Saturday.

 

Maggie Strus, UIC (So., DS) - Strus had 40 digs over the weekend in helping lead the Flames to two road victories. She led all players with 23 digs in UIC’s four-set win over Green Bay.

Taylor Root, Valparaiso (Sr., L - Root had 31 digs in Valpo’s four-set win over Youngstown State and added 33 more in the Crusaders’ five-set loss to Cleveland State. She now ranks sixth in NCAA history in career digs.

 

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Horizon League Volleyball - Hundelt and Kinane Named Volleyball Players of the Week

Horizon League Volleyball - Hundelt and Kinane Named Volleyball Players of the Week

Hundelt and Kinane Named Volleyball Players of the Week 

 

INDIANAPOLIS -- Youngstown State junior Missy Hundelt has been named Horizon League Volleyball Offensive Player of the Week, while Crusader senior Taylor Root and Milwaukee junior Rachel Neuberger shared Defensive Player of the Week honors for the period of Oct. 15-21.

Hundelt, from St. Louis, Mo., recorded two double-doubles and scored more than 20 points in helping the Penguins split their two matches over the weekend. She had 19 kills, 20 digs and five blocks in YSU’s 3-2 loss to Green Bay. On Saturday, Hundelt had a match-high17 kills, on a .438 hitting percentage, 13 digs, three blocks and two service aces in the Penguins’ 3-1 win over Milwaukee.

Hundelt and her Youngstown State (13-10, 3-6) teammates head to Chicago this coming weekend for two matches. The Penguins face Loyola (15-7, 7-2) on Friday and UIC (13-11, 6-3) on Saturday.

Kinane, from Batavia, Ill., averaged 6.5 digs per set in helping Loyola win two five-set matches last weekend. Kinane had a career-high 35 digs at Wright State on Saturday, one shy of the Loyola school record. She posted 30 digs in LU’s win over Valparaiso on Friday. For the season, Kinane ranks third in the conference with an average of 5.19 digs/set.

The Ramblers play two home matches this week, hosting Youngstown State on Friday and first place Cleveland State (16-6, 8-1) on Saturday.

Other Top Performers for the Week:

Heidi Splinter, Wright State (Jr., OH) - Splinter had a career-high 24 kills in WSU’s 3-2 loss to Loyola. She also had 18 digs in the match and six block assists. She had 15 kills in the Raiders loss to UIC.

 

Maggie Hannon, Cleveland State (So., MH) - Hannon posted 16 kills in 28 chances last weekend of the Vikings. She hit .714 (10-0-14) in CSU’s 3-0 sweep of Milwaukee. She also recorded a match-high seven blocks against the Panthers. She had six kills and three blocks in the Vikings sweep of Green Bay on Saturday.

 

Carmen Leitermann, Green Bay (Sr., MB) - Leitermann became Green Bay’s career solo block leader after recording two this past weekend and now has 99 for her career. She led the team with 17 kills, hitting .300, and had seven blocks total in GB’s 3-2 win at Youngstown State.

Aubrey Sniegowski, UIC (Sr., OH) - Sniegowski had 24 kills and posted a .370 hitting percentage over the weekend for the Flames. She had 10 kills and hit .429 in the UIC win over Wright State. She led all players with 14 kills and led the Flames with a .333 hitting percentage in UIC’s four-set loss at Valparaiso.

 

Ellen Vanden Berg, Valparaiso (Jr., MH) - Vanden Berg posted a career-high 11 blocks in both Crusader matches over the weekend. Vanden Berg’s 11 rejections in Valpo’s 3-2 loss to Loyola, tied for the second-most in a five-set match in program history. Her 11 blocks in the Crusaders 3-1 win over UIC are the fifth-most in a four-set match all-time at Valpo. She posted two of the top-15 blocking matches in program history over the two match last weekend.  She is also the only player in the program to reach the mark since the move to 25-point rally scoring.

 

Katie Glassmeyer (Fr., L) - Glassmeyer finished the weekend with 49 digs in eight sets for an average of 6.1 digs/set. She had 21 digs in three sets against UIC and 28 digs in five sets versus Loyola.

 

Amanda Medvetz, Cleveland State (Sr., L) - Medvetz averaged 4.50 digs per set over the weekend. She tallied match-high 16 against Milwaukee and had 11 versus Green Bay.

 

Brittany Groth, Green Bay (Sr., L) - Groth led the Phoenix with 22 digs at Youngstown State and 25 digs at Cleveland State. She leads the HL with an average of 6.16 digs per set.

 

Nicole Allgood, UIC (Sr., MH) - Allgood posted 29 digs last weekend, 14 versus Wright State and 15 against Valparaiso.

Erika West, Youngstown State (Jr., L) - West averaged 4.44 digs per set as YSU split two matches last weekend. She posted a season-high 25 digs versus Green Bay and posted a match-high 15 digs against Milwaukee.

Eytchison, Root Named Horizon League Volleyball Players of the Week #volleyball #collegevolleyball

Eytchison, Root Named Horizon League Volleyball Players of the Week

 

INDIANAPOLIS -- Loyola senior Anna Eytchison has been named Horizon League Volleyball Offensive Player of the Week, while Valparaiso senior Taylor Root has earned Defensive Player of the Week honors for the period of Sept. 24-30

Eytchison, from Columbia, Ill., earned her second Offensive Player of the Week nod of the season after helping lead Loyola to two road victories last weekend. On Friday, the senior had 20 kills on a .410 hitting percentage, while also contributing five blocks, in the Ramblers sweep of Cleveland State. She followed up her performance on Saturday with 22 kills, hitting .364, and also added 10 digs in Loyola’s 3-1 win over Youngstown State.

For the weekend, Eytchison had 42 kills (6.00 kills per set) and a .386 hitting percentage.

The Ramblers (11-6, 3-1) are back in action this weekend when they host Milwaukee (7-9, 2-1) on Friday and Green Bay (9-7, 1-2) on Saturday.

Root, from Jenison, Mich., averaged 6.44 digs per set last weekend for Valparaiso. She had 27 digs in Valpo’s four-set loss to South Dakota State on Thursday. During the match, Root broke Valparaiso’s career digs record and now ranks among top-25 in NCAA history. On Friday, Root had 31 digs as the Crusaders came back from a 2-0 deficit to defeat Wright State, 3-2.

 

Valparaiso (10-8, 2-1) hosts Cleveland State (11-6, 3-1) on Friday and Youngstown State (11-7, 1-3) On Saturday.

Other Top Performers for the Week:

Julie Kolinske, Milwaukee (So., OH) - Kolinske tied her collegiate-high with 22 kills on Friday to lead the Panthers to a five-set win over Green Bay. She hit .360 in the win, adding six digs and three blocks.

Missy Hundelt, Youngstown State (Jr., RS) - Hundelt posted 34 kills and had an attack percent of .329 last weekend for the Penguins. She had 23 kills - against just one error - while adding 15 digs in YSU’s five-set win over UIC.

Carmen Leitermann, Green Bay (Sr., MB) - Leitermann had 15 kills, seven blocks and seven digs in GB’s comeback win over DePaul last week. She added 17 more kills on a .417 hitting percentage against Milwaukee.

Kara Koch, Cleveland State (Sr., OH) - Koch had 30 kills in the Vikings’ two matches last weekend and now ranks third all-time at CSU with 1,375 kills. She had 20 kills and 14 digs against UIC to post her eighth double-double of the season.

 

Jenna Cavanaugh, Youngstown State (Jr., MB) - Cavanaugh tied a school-record with 13 blocks vs. UIC. The 13 block assists were the most by a Horizon League player since Maddie Sueppel had 17 in 2009.

Anna Bartz, Milwaukee (Sr., L) - Bartz had a match-high 26 digs in UWM’s five-set win over Green Bay. It was the fourth match this season Bartz had 20+-digs.

 

Brittany Groth, Green Bay (Sr., L) - Groth led the Phoenix with 61 digs last week. She moved into second on the school’s all-time dig list with 38 digs at DePaul.

 

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Horizon League Volleyball Players Koch, Groth Named Volleyball Players of the Week #collegevolleyball

Horizon League Volleyball Players Koch, Groth Named Volleyball Players of the Week

 

INDIANAPOLIS -- Cleveland State senior Kara Koch has been named Horizon League Volleyball Offensive Player of the Week, while Green Bay senior Brittany Groth has earned Defensive Player of the Week honors for the period of Sept. 17-23.

Koch, from West Salem, Ohio, earned her second Offensive Player of the Week nod of the season after recording two double-doubles last week for Cleveland State. She started the weekend with a 19-kill, 24-dig performance in CSU’s 3-1 win over Green Bay. She had 17 kills and 10 digs in the Vikings’ 3-0 win over Milwaukee on Saturday. Cleveland State’s win on Saturday night snapped the Panthers’ 26-match conference winning streak.

The Vikings (10-5, 2-0) are back in action this weekend when they host Loyola (9-6, 1-1) on Friday and UIC (8-8, 2-0) on Saturday.

Groth, from Oak Creek Wis., averaged 6.9 digs per set last weekend for Green Bay. She had 31 digs in the Phoenix’s four-set loss to Cleveland State on Friday and 31 digs in GB’s five-set win over Youngstown State on Saturday. For the season, Groth’s average of 5.96 digs per set leads the Horizon League and ranks third in NCAA Division I.

 

The Phoenix (8-6, 1-1) play one match this week, traveling south to Milwaukee to face the Panthers (6-9, 1-1) on Friday night.

Other Top Performers for the Week:

Anna Eytchison, Loyola (Sr., OH) - Eytchison had 41 kills (5.12 per set) as the Ramblers split their first two conference matches of the season. She had a career-high 28 kills, hitting at a .510 clip (28-3-49) in Loyola’s four-set win over Wright State. Her 28 kills are the third-most in school history in the rally scoring era and tops since the change to the current 25-point format.

Leah Van Zeeland, Green Bay (Jr., RS) - Van Zeeland had a season-high 18 kills and career-highs in digs (21) and blocks (8) in Green Bay’s 3-2 win over Youngstown State on Saturday. She had 15 kills and 16 digs against Cleveland State on Friday.

 

MaryKate Imrie, UIC (Jr., S) - Imrie had two double-doubles last week in helping the Flames get off to a 2-0 conference start. She had 50 assists and 12 digs against Valparaiso and 55 assists and 15 digs versus Wright State.

Morgan Beil, Valparaiso (So., MH/RS) - Beil had a career-high 18 kills on a .417 hitting percentage in Valparaiso’s 3-1 win over Loyola on Saturday as the Crusaders evened their conference record at 1-1.

 

Jenna Cavanaugh, Youngstown State (Jr., MB) - Cavanaugh posted 25 kills and just three errors in 56 total attempts against Milwaukee and Green Bay last weekend. She had 19 kills against just two errors in 36 attempts (.472 hitting percentage) in YSU’s 3-2 loss to Green Bay on Saturday.

Julie Kolinske, Milwaukee (So., OH) - Kolinske averaged 4.57 kills and 3.43 digs in UWM’s first two League matches. She tallied 19 kills and 16 digs in UWM’s 3-1 win over Youngstown State on Friday. It was her 13th double-double of the season. She had 13 kills and eight digs in Milwaukee’s loss to Cleveland State on Saturday.

Maggie Strus, UIC (So., DS) - Strus averaged 5.88 digs per set in UIC”s two victories last week. She had a match-high 25 digs against Valparaiso and had 22 digs, also a match-high, versus Wright State.

 

Amanda Medvetz, Cleveland State (Sr., L) - Medvetz had 28 digs, her third 20+-dig match of the season, in the Vikings 3-1 at Green Bay. She had a team-leading 15 digs in CSU’s win over Milwaukee on Saturday.

 

Stephanie Kinane, Loyola (Fr., L) - Kinane averaged 5.38 digs per set for the Ramblers last weekend. She had 19 digs in Loyola’s win over Wright State and a match-high 24 digs in LU’s four-set loss to Valparaiso.

 

Ellen Vanden Berg, Valparaiso (Jr., MH) - Vanden Berg averaged more than a block a set this weekend for the Crusaders. She had seven blocks in four sets in Valpo’s win over Loyola on Saturday. She also posted 12 kills on a .417 hitting percentage against the Ramblers.

Alexis Egler, Youngstown State (So., OH) - Egler averaged a team-best 4.0 digs per set in Penguins’ two matches last week. She posted 14 digs at UWM and a career-best 22 digs at Green Bay. She also had 15 kills against the Phoenix on Saturday.

 

Horizon League Volleyball - Hundelt, Vanden Berg Named Volleyball Players of the Week

Horizon League Volleyball - Hundelt, Vanden Berg Named Volleyball Players of the Week

INDIANAPOLIS -- Youngstown State junior Missy Hundelt has been named Horizon League Volleyball Offensive Player of the Week, while Valparaiso junior Ellen Vanden Berg has earned Defensive Player of the Week honors for the period of Sept. 10-16.|

Hundelt, a native of St. Louis, Mo., had 43 kills and 43 digs last week in helping lead Youngstown State to a 2-1 mark at the Spartan Spiketacular in Greensboro, N.C. In two YSU wins on Saturday, she averaged 4.63 kills and 4.75 digs while attacking at a .365 clip. She had a career-high 21 digs and four blocks in the Penguins win over UNC-Wilmington. For the weekend, the rising junior averaged 3.91 kills and digs per set as she was named to the All-Tournament team. Hundelt was named to the All-Tournament team in all four tournaments YSU played in during the non-conference season.

Youngstown State (10-4) had the most wins by a Horizon League team in the non-conference season and its 10 wins are the most in the non-conference for the Penguins since the 1999 season. YSU beings conference play this week with a trip to Wisconsin to face preseason HL favorite Milwaukee (5-8) on Friday and Green Bay (7-5) on Saturday.

Vanden Berg, from Little Chute, Wis., had 13 blocks over the weekend in being named to the Hoosier Classic All-Tournament team and helping lead Valparaiso to the Hoosier Classic title. She had six blocks in Valparaiso’s win over host Indiana on Friday night and had six more in Valpo’s sweep of UT-Chattanooga on Saturday. She also had a team-high 14 kills on a .458 hitting percentage in the Crusaders win over Indiana. Her 13 blocks tied for the most by a Horizon League player (Libby Bresser of Loyola also had 13) this past weekend.

Valparaiso (8-6) enters conference play as winners of four of its last five contests. They open League with a trip to Chicago to play UIC (6-8) on Friday night and Loyola (8-5) on Saturday.

Other Top Performers for the Week:

Kara Koch, Cleveland State (Sr., OH) - Koch had 38 kills and 31 digs in two matches for the Vikings last week. She had her sixth 20+-kill match of the season in CSU’s five-set loss to West Virginia on Saturday, finishing with 23, while also recording a career-high 25 digs in the match. She now ranks fourth all-time on Cleveland State’s career kills list with 1,309.

Anna Eytchison (Sr., OH) - Eytchison had 45 kills (5.00 kps) and hit .376 for the weekend to lead Loyola to the Rambler Challenge title. She set a career-high with 22 kills (22-4-38, .474) vs. USC-Upstate and then tied the mark with 22 more kills and 13 digs against DePaul.

 

Kelsey Victor, Valparaiso (So., OH/MH) - Victor was named MVP of the Hoosier Classic after recording 25 kills on a .365 hitting percentage and leading Valpo to a 3-0 record and the Classic title. She had 10 kills and a .421 hitting percentage against Miami (Ohio) and eight kills on a .438 hitting percentage against UT-Chattanooga. She had at least three blocks in all four matches.

Julie Kolinske, Milwaukee  (So., OH) - Kolinske was a member of the All-Tournament team at the Marquette Invitational after averaging four kills and three digs per set in UWM’s three tournament matches.

Monica Anderson, Green Bay (Jr., OH) - Anderson had a team-high 41 kills to help the Phoenix to a 3-0 record and the Davidson Wildcat Classic championship last weekend. She had a career-high 22 kills in GB’s 3-2 title-clinching win over Davidson. She was named to the Wildcat Classic All-Tournament team.

Sara Sternard, UIC (So., MH) - Sternard posted a career-high 16 kills on a 560 hitting percentage in UIC’s win over Alabama A&M at the Tiger Invitational in Memphis. She finished the weekend with 38 kills.

 

Brittany Groth, Green Bay (Sr., L) - Groth had had 70 digs (6.4 digs per set) last weekend to help the Phoenix to the Davidson Wildcat Classic title.

Stephanie Kinane, Loyola (Fr., L) - Kinane averaged 5.18 digs per set as Loyola won the Rambler Challenge. She had 25 digs in the Ramblers 3-1 win over DePaul and 19 against USC-Upstate.

Maggie Strus, UIC (So., DS) - Strus had 97 digs in four matches this weekend for the Flames. She set a career-high with 35 digs against Belmont.

UWM Panthers Volleyball: Catching Up With Susie Johnson And Panther Volleyball

Video: Catching Up With Susie Johnson And Panther Volleyball
Preseason practice starts in less than a month

Video link - http://youtu.be/_NtcIWZQKuE

MILWAUKEE - The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee women's volleyball is less than one month away from the start of preseason practice and the Panthers are eager to get the 2012 season underway.

UWM won the Horizon League regular season and tournament titles a season ago, going a perfect 16-0 in league play and 25-5 overall. Honorable mention All-American Rachel Neuberger, league tournament most valuable player Elizabeth Egerer and region freshman of the year Kayla Price head the list of returnees for Milwaukee, which opens its regular season at the Duke Invitational in late August.

The Black and Gold Network caught up with head coach Susie Johnson during the team's youth camp this week to talk about the off-season and the upcoming 2012 campaign.

Defending League Champion UWM Panthers Volleyball Team Opens Preseason Practice

Defending League Champion UWM Panthers Volleyball Team Opens Preseason Practice




UWM brings back four starters and seven letterwinners

Story link - http://www.uwmpanthers.com/sports/w-volley/spec-rel/080812aaa.html

MILWAUKEE - The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee women's volleyball team has opened practice in preparation for the 2012 season.

The Panthers took the court at the UWM Pavilion this morning, beginning their quest for another league title and NCAA Tournament berth.

In all, the Panthers return seven letterwinners and four starters for head coach Susie Johnson, who has been named the Horizon League Coach of the Year four times in her first five seasons in charge of the program.

"It is exciting," Johnson said about the start of another season. "The team has been working really hard this summer and we're ready to get a lot accomplished over the next few weeks of the preseason."

While the Panthers will be looking to replace six seniors, UWM returns a number of key performers from last year's squad. Honorable mention All-American middle blocker Rachel Neuberger tops the list of returnees, while setter and Midwest Region Freshman of the Year Kayla Price also returns to direct the offense. Horizon League Tournament Most Valuable Player Elizabeth Egerer heads the group returning on the outside, while Anna Bartz and Taylor Golabowski are both back to lead in the back row.

Milwaukee will also work in a talented group of newcomers over the next few weeks.

"We'll work on getting the new players comfortable with how the offense and defense runs and growing our team chemistry," Johnson said. "A lot of our players have been playing this summer but they haven't all been playing together so it will be nice to get them all playing together again. It's nice because we do have a lot of returners back in key positions and then we're going to be able to fill all of the spots in and see where we're at from there."

When league play begins in September, the Panthers will put a 25-match league winning streak on the line. The Panthers have won 39 of their last 40 regular season league matches and 17-straight league matches away from home.

First, though, Milwaukee will face a difficult non-league schedule. The Panthers open their regular season in a little over two weeks, heading to Durham, NC, for the Duke Invitational. The event opens Fri. Aug. 24 with UWM facing Fairfield. Milwaukee then takes on William and Mary and the host Blue Devils the next day.

Horizon League Announces Updated Volleyball Schedule

Horizon League Announces Updated Volleyball Schedule
Panthers play five of final seven league matches away

Story link - http://www.uwmpanthers.com/sports/w-volley/spec-rel/061912aaa.html
Printable schedule attached

MILWAUKEE - The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee women's volleyball team will play five of its final seven league games away from home, according to the new 2012 schedule released by the Horizon League.

The new schedule became necessary when Butler announced it was leaving the league prior to the start of the 2012 season.

UWM will now start the league schedule with three-straight home games, including a Sept. 22 contest with Cleveland State in a rematch of last season's league tournament title clash. Milwaukee's first road trip of the season is a short one, sending the Panthers to Loyola (Oct. 5) and UIC (Oct. 6).

The second half of the season finds Milwaukee on the road consistently. UWM's lone league home matches over the final month of the season take place Nov. 2 and 3, when UIC and Loyola visit the Klotsche Center. The Panthers then close out the regular season at Valparaiso (Nov. 9) and Wright State (Nov. 10).

The new schedule also moves the league tournament back up one week ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday and brings all six qualifying schools to the regular season champion for the event. The tournament winner will be crowned Nov. 18.

The non-conference portion of the Panthers' schedule remains unchanged. Milwaukee opens its season Aug. 24 against Fairfield at the Duke Tournament.

UWM Panthers Volleyball Team Continues Spring Campaign With Win At Marquette Defense Shines

 

UWM Panthers Volleyball Team Continues Spring Campaign With Win At Marquette
Defense Shines

Story link - http://www.uwmpanthers.com/sports/w-volley/spec-rel/033012aaa.html

MILWAUKEE - The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee women's volleyball team continued its spring season with a win over Marquette Thursday night at the Al McGuire Center.

Official stats were not kept during the match, but UWM rallied to win the contest in five sets, winning the fifth, 15-13. The exhibition event, which also included a joint practice involving the two teams, pitted a pair of squads that played in the NCAA Tournament a season ago.

"It was a really good team effort," UWM head coach Susie Johnson said. "Everyone played and everyone contributed. We made progress, and that is exactly what we're looking for in the spring."

The Panthers have always been known for their defense and are looking to replace all-league libero Morgan Potter this fall. UWM looks to be in good hands, though, after the strong back-row performances Thursday.

"Our passing was really good and that stabilized us the entire match," Johnson said. "Anna (Bartz), Maisey (Mulvey) and Taylor (Golabowski) were all great in the back row and that is a really good thing to see as we look toward the fall."

The Panthers have two more spring events on the schedule. UWM will play at the Great Lakes Center Collegiate Spring Challenge in Aurora, Ill., April 14 before an event at UIC April 21. In the Great Lakes Center Tournament, the Panthers open group play with a match against national runner-up Illinois.

UWM Panthers Volleyball Team Gets 2012 Spring Season Underway

 

UWM Panthers Volleyball Team Gets 2012 Spring Season Underway
Match schedule runs through mid-April

Story link - http://www.uwmpanthers.com/sports/w-volley/spec-rel/032112aaa.html

MILWAUKEE - The spring season for the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee women's volleyball team is underway, with the Panthers eagerly preparing for the fall 2012 campaign.

Milwaukee is coming off an impressive 25-5 season in 2011, complete with a perfect 16-0 Horizon League record plus league regular season and tournament titles. UWM also claimed its ninth appearance in the NCAA Tournament, falling in a highly-competitive match against Iowa State.

Now, UWM looks to replace six seniors, including two-time Horizon League Player of the Year Kerri Schuh. But Milwaukee will actually return a veteran and experienced group in 2012, led by honorable mention All-American Rachel Neuberger and region freshman of the year Kayla Price.

This spring, the Panthers are focusing on a few key areas in putting themselves in good position for the fall.

"We need to make sure we can improve upon our ball control and find those people that are going to be able to be consistent at it in the fall," Johnson said as the Panthers look to replace all-league libero Morgan Potter in addition to the strong passing of Schuh. "We're also going to be looking for people to step forward and be leaders. With losing six seniors, it's a critical time to find our leaders and get them comfortable so they can smoothly transition into their roles this fall."

The Panthers got their spring season underway with a matchup against Wisconsin Friday. The teams practiced together and then played five sets, with the Panthers winning two. Three of the five frames were decided by two points. Elizabeth Egerer had 16 kills while Rachel Neuberger added 12 kills and seven blocks.

"We learned a lot in the practice and drills we did and then transitioned into a great match," Johnson said. "We competed really well against a Big Ten school and were still able to try different lineups. It is great for us in the spring to get to play against bigger people - players that jump higher and hit harder. It is good preparation for the fall and excellent experience to compete at that level."

The Panthers will continue to be tested over the rest of their spring schedule. UWM will play at Marquette later this month before playing a pair of weekends in Chicago. The Panthers will be at the Great Lakes Center Collegiate Spring Challenge in Aurora, Ill., April 7 before an event at UIC April 14.

"Facing off against Marquette will be great for us since they made the tournament and won in the first round. Our workouts with them are always productive," Johnson said. "Then the two tournaments in Illinois will give us a chance to see a number of teams from the Big Ten, Missouri Valley and Mid-American Conference. It's also good for us to have multiple matches in one day and allow us to try a number of combinations."

Keri Schuh Takes Her Talents Off The Court And Into Sports Photography

 

 

Schuh Takes Her Talents Off The Court And Into Sports Photography

 

Player of the year shooting at Panther athletic events

Video story - http://youtu.be/MGquslWW-Bg
Kerri Schuh photo gallery - http://uwmpanthers.cstv.com/view.gal?id=112752

MILWAUKEE - Horizon League Player of the Year Kerri Schuh has taken her talents off the volleyball court and onto the sideline.

Or more accurately the baseline, as Schuh has been shooting photos at men's basketball games and other events since the volleyball season ended in early December.

Schuh was a two-time All-America honoree on the volleyball court, having led the Panthers to a 25-5 record and the Horizon League regular season and league tournament titles this season. In fact, she is just the second two-time Division I Volleyball All-American in school history.

Schuh is also an art major who has already proven to have quite the ability and eye for sports photography. The Black and Gold Network talked to Schuh about her work as a photographer as she moved to turn pro in something other than sports.