2003 WIAC Women's Volleyball Preview

2003 WIAC Women's Volleyball Preview

Madison, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-River Falls, which claimed a share of the league title last season, is favored to win the 2003 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) women's volleyball championship, according to the league's sports information directors.

The Falcons shared last year's title with UW-Whitewater and received five first-place votes in this year's league poll. UW-River Falls has recorded at least 23 wins in nine of 11 seasons under head coach Patti Ford, including three conference championships.

UW-Whitewater claimed the NCAA Division III national championship last season and received three first-place votes in the conference poll. The Warhawks are expected to finish second in the nine-team league battle and look to make their 12th-straight NCAA Division III Tournament appearance.

UW-Stout received the remaining first-place vote in the league poll and is pegged to finish third.

Following is a brief preview of each WIAC women's volleyball team, listed in alphabetical order.

UW-Eau Claire (24-11, 5-3 WIAC)

With a strong core of experienced players returning for the 2003 season, UW-Eau Claire will look to improve on its fourth-place finish in the league standings from last year.

Heading the list of returning players is All-Midwest Region First Team performer senior Brooke Wozniak, who finished third in the league with a .328 hitting percentage, fourth with 3.82 kills per game and 12th with 0.85 blocks per contest. Wozniak is joined by junior Becca Carstensen, who finished seventh in the conference with 1.03 blocks per game. She also set a Blugold single-season record with 96 block assists. Sophomore Jenny Wolter also returns and will see time at middle hitter.

Looking to step up big in 2003 are senior outside hitter Annie Kabat, junior outside hitter Lindsay Anderson and sophomore outside hitter Molly Menard. Anderson totaled 54 digs, 21 kills and 11 aces in 46 games last season. Kabat finished 2002 with 138 kills and 125 digs in 58 games for the Blugolds, while Menard added 195 kills.

Other key players returning include juniors Missy Malvitz and Jessica Menzel and sophomore Amy Olson. Malvitz is a back row specialist who accumulated 170 digs in 85 games, while Menzel saw limited action last season for the Blugolds and will compete for time at setter. Olson was team's top rookie a year ago and will likely see time in the back row and as a setter. Menzel and Olson will look to fill the setter role left by Andrea Hemple, who earned All-WIAC Honorable Mention honors a year ago.

UW-La Crosse (25-10, 4-4)

UW-La Crosse head coach Sheila Perkins welcomes back six letterwinners and four starters from last year's squad and will rely on the experience of three seniors in 2003.

Senior Elissa Hansen leads the senior trio and returns at rightside player after earning All-WIAC First Team honors in 2002. She ranked fifth in the league with 3.70 kills per game a year ago and played in a career-high 35 matches. Hansen ranks 12th on the school's all-time kills list with 771.

Seniors Rachel Ask and Annalee Erdmann are back at outside hitter. Ask saw action in a career-high 35 matches last season, finishing second on the team in blocks (59), third in digs (447), fourth in kills (257) and fifth in aces (34). A 2001 All-WIAC Defensive Team selection, Ask ranks 12th in career digs at UW-La Crosse with 924. Erdmann was selected to the All-WIAC Honorable Mention Team a year ago after ranking second in the conference with 4.60 digs per game and 15th with 2.78 kills per contest. She ranks third on the school's all-time digs list with 1,304.

Juniors Rachel Kreuser (middle hitter), Krista Braun (rightside), Laura Wagner (outside hitter) and Megan Nankee (middle hitter) all return in 2003. Kreuser is ready to step into a starting position in the middle, while Braun, Wagner and Nankee saw limited playing time last year. Lindsey Johnson (outside hitter), a transfer from South Dakota State University, will add depth to the outside with her attacking abilities.

Sophomores Tanya Foldy (setter) and Jenny Randall (libero) gained valuable playing experience last season. Foldy ranked second in the league with 12.09 assists per game, while her 1,403 assists ranked fifth in single-season school history. Randall was selected to the All-WIAC Defensive Team after finishing eighth in the conference with 3.95 digs per game. Sophomore Ashley Pierce (middle hitter) improved tremendously in the off-season and looks to fill a middle hitter position vacated by graduation.

UW-Oshkosh (20-16, 4-4)

After registering 20-plus wins for the ninth time in 10 seasons a year ago, UW-Oshkosh is armed and ready to enjoy another successful campaign in 2003 under head coach Marty Petersen, who enters her 21st season at the helm of the Titans with a 589-354 mark. The Titans return six letterwinners to the 2003 team.

Last year, competing without a senior on its roster, UW-Oshkosh played extremely well during the second half of the season as they won 11 of their last 15 matches.

Leading the returnees is senior leftside hitter Amanda Delgadillo, who earned All-WIAC First Team honors after totaling 554 digs, 531 kills, 168 assists, 68 service aces and 47 blocks in 129 games. Her average of 4.12 kills per game a year ago led the WIAC. Delgadillo compiled 28 kills, the sixth-highest total in UW-Oshkosh history, in a five-game loss to UW-Eau Claire.

In addition to Delgadillo, other key returning contributors to the Titans this season are junior middle blocker/rightside hitter Mary Jo Chart, sophomore middle blocker/rightside hitter Tina Hegemann, junior middle blocker Amber Petersen, senior libero Jackie Regester and sophomore leftside hitter Kaylan Tolfa. Delgadillo and Petersen started all 36 matches for UW-Oshkosh last season, while Regester started 32, Hegemann 28 and Chart 10.

UW-Oshkosh welcomes eight newcomers to the roster this season, including sophomore setter Ashley Fischer and freshman leftside hitter Sarah Schott. Fischer is a transfer from NCAA Division II University of Minnesota-Duluth, while Schott is back with the Titans after receiving a medical red-shirt a year ago. The list of true freshmen include setter Lisa Beck, a fourth-team all-state selection last fall as a senior at Kimberly High School.

UW-Platteville (11-22, 0-8)

The bad news for the UW-Platteville volleyball team was their record in 2002. The good news, however, is that last year's team consisted almost entirely of sophomores seeing their first action.

With a year of experience under their belts, the Pioneers look to return to the level of excellence set by veteran coach Deb Schulman. In 15 years, Schulman has led the Pioneers to a 362-201 record and at least 20 wins 11 times. Last season was just the third losing mark in her tenure.

Leading the Pioneers' charge back towards prominence is junior setter Joanna Carlson, who earned All-WIAC Honorable Mention honors after recording 10.35 assists per game and a team-high 51 aces. She will be setting to fellow juniors Andrea Coffman, who had a team-high 346 kills; Rachel Schueller, who hit at a .246 clip with 90 blocks; Caitlin Smith, who had 196 kills in 83 games; and Anna White, who recorded 115 kills in 62 games.

Junior Pam Pustina played in 111 games in the back row, serving at a 90-percent efficiency, while Katie Joestgen, who also served at 90 percent, and libero Tracy Kuehne, who had 471 digs, are the lone seniors for the Pioneers.

UW-River Falls (31-8, 7-1)

The 2003 Falcon volleyball team has several players back in an effort to repeat as WIAC champions and reach the NCAA Division III Tournament for the fourth time in the last six seasons.

Leading the list of returnees is senior hitter Melissa Tvrdik, who was named to the All-America Second Team after leading the league with a .345 hitting percentage and adding 135 digs, 133 total blocks and 49 aces. Joining Tvrdik is All-WIAC First Team performer senior Krystle Brune, who finished second on the team with 407 kills and added a .236 hitting percentage and 63 total blocks.

Junior hitter Nina Petersen earned All-WIAC Honorable Mention accolades after accumulating 289 kills, 104 total blocks and 92 digs, while senior Jennifer Braun earned All-WIAC All-Defensive Team honors after ranking third in the conference with 545 digs.

Also returning is senior Molly Schock who led the league with 0.59 aces per game and added 255 digs and 232 assists. Senior Sarah Halvorson is back after posting 298 digs, 44 kills and 33 aces during the 2002 campaign.

Returning setters include seniors Erin Oberholtzer and Amy Lundberg. Oberholtzer led the Falcons with 1,204 assists a year ago, while Lundberg compiled 173 assists.

UW-Stevens Point (8-26, 2-6)

There won't be many familiar faces on this year's version of UW-Stevens Point volleyball team as just six players return from last year's squad.

Junior Nichole Stahovich returns to lead the offense after pacing the team at 2.56 kills per game a year ago. Also, seniors Kim Palmiteer and Karie Zellner are both solid defensive players who saw extensive playing time the past two seasons.

Other returnees for the Pointers are sophomores Kelli Rydeen, Melissa Weber and Kim Gilbank, who all played backup roles a year ago. Junior middle hitter Jessica Parker also returns after appearing in 66 games in 2001 and red-shirting last year.

UW-Stout (31-6, 6-2)

UW-Stout is coming off their best finish since 1994 and the table looks set again for another strong year.

The Blue Devils return nearly their entire starting line-up, led by senior Brooke Viegut, an All-Midwest Region Honorable Mention choice, who was UW-Stout's leading hitter with 3.86 kills per game and their leading defensive player with 531 digs, only three short of the school single-season record.

Viegut is flanked sophomore Tanille Zenner, who was named the AVCA National Freshman of the Year. She also garnered All-America Third Team recognition after setting a school record with 107 block assists and posting a hitting percentage of .343 with 3.56 kills per contest and 160 total blocks (1.28 blocks per contest). Junior Lindsay Mensink returns at the other middle spot where she averaged 0.83 blocks per game and pounded out 2.65 kills per contest.

Last year's libero, junior Erin Heger, may be called upon to take over the setter spot that was vacated when Laura Bogenschutz opted not to return to school. As the libero, Heger was a backrow specialist who earned All-WIAC Defensive Team honors with 469 digs. Senior Gretchen Schroer finished the 2002 campaign with a 2.58 kills per game average. The Blue Devils also return senior Katie Wagie, junior Scooter Aspen and sophomores Jill Krause and Rachel Lindbo.

UW-Superior (6-24, 1-7)

Lynne Deadrick enters her first season as head coach of the Yellowjackets after spending the last 11 years as the head coach at Vermillion Community College (MN).

Deadrick will look to a returning core which includes junior leftside hitter Kim Dunbar, who earned All-WIAC Honorable Mention honors after averaging 2.55 kills and 2.25 digs per game a year ago.

Other key returnees include senior middle hitter Jackie Rafter and senior setter Abby Glawe. Rafter averaged 1.53 kills and 1.02 blocks per game last season, while Glawe averaged 8.66 assists per contest. Outside hitter Molly Ray returns for her sophomore season after averaging 1.75 kills and 1.38 digs per game in 2002, while sophomore middle hitter Katie O'Hara averaged 1.64 kills and 1.12 blocks per game.

Senior outside hitter Danielle Price and sophomore outside hitters Alyssa Eggebrecht and Amanda Jo Lind should provide depth for UW-Superior during the 2003 campaign.

The Yellowjackets will also bring in 10 freshmen this season along with a pair of transfers. Amanda Avaikainen comes from Mesabi Range Community College, while Michelle Miskowitz previously attended Rainy River Community College.

UW-Whitewater (36-4, 7-1)

Going into last season, UW-Whitewater had to replace two All-Americans from a team that finished second in the NCAA Division III championship. This fall, after winning the national title, the Warhawks have to replace three All-Americans, among six players, from that championship team. But don't underestimate the group head coach Kris Russell has assembled for 2003. Russell enters her 23rd season with the Warhawks and owns a 750-215 record.

UW-Whitewater's success this year will be determined by how well players fit into new roles on the team. Senior Megan Kay, who started every match last year, will be asked to step out of the shadows and assume a leadership role after ranking fifth in the conference with a .290 hitting percentage a year ago and adding 296 kills, 130 total blocks, 117 digs and 30 aces.

Rightside hitter Abbie Mueller returns after registering 232 kills, 107 assists and 39 aces last season and also has experience as a setter. Michelle Stanislawski played behind All-American Kristin Dettman at setter the last two years and also was UW-Whitewater's libero last year and compiled 415 digs.

Kim Fruit, Haley Ondricka, Alison Miller and Jenny Schaible will all be asked to step up from the reserve roles they played on the championship teams.

Middle blocker Stephanie Johnson sat out last season after transferring from UW-Superior and Jackie Sanchez, also a middle blocker, transferred from Division I Texas-Pan American. Monica Jesionowski (leftside hitter/setter), Jamie Konrath (rightside hitter), Katie Pocius (leftside hitter), Amanda Redmann (middle blocker) and Julie Suhr (middle blocker) bided their time as red-shirts last year.

2003 Preseason Predictions (Voted on by WIAC Sports Information Directors)

1. River Falls (5)
2. Whitewater (3)
3. Stout (1)
4. Eau Claire
5. La Crosse
6. Oshkosh
7 (tied). Platteville
7 (tied). Stevens Point
9. Superior

( )--First-place votes

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