Volleyball coaches unanimously select Northwestern to defend title
2013 UMAC Volleyball Coaches’ Poll
1. 49 Points – University of Northwestern (Minn.) (7 First Place Votes)
2. 40 Points – University of Minnesota Morris (1)
3. 37 Points – Martin Luther College
4. 34 Points – College of St. Scholastica
5. 24 Points - Bethany Lutheran College
T-6. 14 Points – North Central University (Minn.)
T-6. 14 Points - Northland College
8. 12 Points – Crown College
ST. PAUL -- Winner of at least a share of five of the last six Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) regular season championships, the University of Northwestern is the unanimous favorite to win the league title again in 2013 according to a poll of the UMAC coaches. After sharing the conference trophy with St. Scholastica in 2011 the Eagles claimed the hardware outright in 2012 and will look to repeat last year’s performance this season.
1. University of Northwestern Eagles
2012 Overall Record: 27-9
2012 UMAC Record: 13-1
2012 UMAC Finish: 1st
Starters Returning: 4
Starters Lost: 3
The Northwestern volleyball team reached new heights in 2012, earning its first NCAA Tournament win in three tries in consecutive years after claiming at least a share of its fifth UMAC title in six years. But with the bulk of its roster coming back, the Eagles are hardly satisfied with the new status quo, and will be looking to take the program even farther entering the 2013 campaign. UNW welcomes back a pair of American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-Americans and four of its five All-UMAC First Team members for the upcoming season. Returning setter Krista Stoltz became the first Northwestern player to win AVCA Second Team All-American honors after tallying 1,424 assists (11.39 per set) and leading the Eagles to a .237 team attacking percentage in 2012. One of Stoltz’s primary targets last year was then-freshman Kendra Korporal, who was named the AVCA Central Region Rookie of the Year in addition to being an All-American Honorable Mention winner. Korporal averaged 3.93 kills per set and a .262 personal attacking rate last season, adding 3.26 digs per set on defense.
Lexi Bertsch, the 2012 UMAC Co-Defensive Player of the Year is also back for UNW. Bertsch contributed 4.8 digs per set to go with a .953 receiving percentage a year ago. UMAC All-Conference winners Lizzy Potratz (2.77 kills per set, .196 hitting percentage) and Cari Miller (2.12, .254) will return to the court as well. Newcomers Hallie Mueth and Shanay Gonder are two players that could immediately make an impact on head coach Beth Wilmeth’s team. Mueth, who has two years of eligibility remaining, was an all-region outside hitter at Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) while Gonder, an incoming freshman, was an All-Mississippi Valley Conference selection at Washington High School in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
2. University of Minnesota Morris Cougars
2012 Overall Record: 21-10
2012 UMAC Record: 10-4
2012 UMAC Finish: T-3rd
Starters Returning: 5
Starters Lost: 2
The 2013 Cougars are coming off a 20 win season, their first ever for head coach Chad Braegelmann. The Cougars will return three all-conference players from a season ago in first-team All-UMAC selections libero Caylie Clark and outside hitter Emily Auch and honorable mention outside hitter Abby Tietz. Clark was also named 2012 Co-Defensive Player of the Year after finishing the 2012 campaign with 547 digs and averaging 5.31 digs per set. The Cougars also return setters Brooke Decker and Mandy Allman and middle blocker Hannah Knott to their roster this season.
The majority of the offense is back for the Cougars in 2013 including their top two performers from a season ago in Auch and Tietz. Hannah Knott could also add some depth to the Cougar offensive attack this season. Auch, Clark, Allman and Decker all had over 25 service aces in 2012. Clark and Knott will lead the Cougar defense in 2013. Last season Clark led the team in digs while Knott led the team in total blocks averaging 1.58 blocks per set. Auch, Decker, Allman will all contribute to the defensive effort that held opponents to just .154 hitting percentage last season.
3. Martin Luther College Knights
2012 Overall Record: 16-12
2012 UMAC Record: 10-4
2012 UMAC Finish: T-3rd
Starters Returning: 5
Starters Lost: 2
The Martin Luther volleyball team has high hopes heading into the 2013 season after a 16-12 season in 2012 in which the Knights tied for third place in the final UMAC standings with a record of 10-4 in league play.
Two-time First Team All-UMAC performer Rebecca Engelbrecht returns for her senior season at outside hitter. Engelbrecht ranks seventh all-time at MLC with 895 kills for her career, and has two of the top eight single-season totals in program history (her 377 kills in 2012 rank sixth). Junior setter Miranda Maasz also returns after being named First Team All-UMAC in 2012. Massz finished second in the UMAC with 947 assists and an average of 9.57 assists per set, and already ranks third on the school’s all-time list for career assists after only two seasons. Junior Heather Danell and sophomore Leah Nass figure to lead the group of hitters in support of Engelbrecht, with both having the versatility to play outside or in the middle. The back row will be led by juniors Alex Anthon and MacCartney Mendolla, who each have starting experience over the past two seasons. Anthon finished third on the team in 2012 with 249 digs. She has played a number of roles in her first two seasons with the team, but could get the first crack at libero this year after getting experience at the position in several matches towards the end of last season. Mendolla finished second on the team with 28 service aces in 2012, and also contributed with 188 digs.
4. College of St. Scholastica Saints
2012 Overall Record: 17-13
2012 UMAC Record: 11-3
2012 UMAC Finish: 2nd
Starters Returning: 3
Starters Lost: 3
The St. Scholastica volleyball team finished second in the league in the regular season and advanced to the UMAC Tournament championship match for the fifth straight year in 2012. For the Saints to re-claim the conference and make its second NCAA Tournament, they will have to find a way to replace an All-American. Last season, CSS was led by senior Anna Zyvoloski, who was named the UMAC Player of the Year for the second straight season and earned second team American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-American status. That is the highest NCAA honor ever bestowed in program history. The Saints also lost honorable mention all-conference right side hitter Taylor Tyllia and libero Jenny Kienzle.
The Saints will return just four players that played at least 80 sets last season. Leading the returnees will be sophomore outside hitter Kortney Morrin, who was an honorable mention All-UMAC selection in her first season in a CSS uniform last year. Morrin finished second on the team with 186 kills and was third in points (195.5). CSS will also return junior setter Erika Birkeland. Birkeland finished third in the league with 901 assists. Senior Kayla Horbacz will also be back after accumulating 100 kills for the first time in her career last season. Sophomore Danielle Benusa and junior Tannyr Heyl will look to maintain the back row for the Saints, while Coach Dana Moore will look to get more out of sophomores Jen Hortness and Gloria Ohaju up front. Coach Moore will also be looking for some of her first-year players, including UW-Superior junior transfer Emily Cole, to come in and make an instant impact this season.
5. Bethany Lutheran College Vikings
2012 Overall Record: 6-22
2012 UMAC Record: 5-9
2012 UMAC Finish: T-5th
Starters Returning: 5
Starters Lost: 2
Change is the name of the game for Bethany volleyball in 2013. Nearly half of the players on the roster are newcomers and there is a newcomer in charge of leading the revamped squad. Head coach John Olmanson begins his first season at the helm of the Vikings in hopes of bettering their six-win total from a season ago.
Despite all of the turnover, the seven returners (all juniors) will bring stability and leadership. The top returners include Amanna Berthusen who led all outside hitters in kills last season. Kasslin Swenson was a six-rotation player who finished second on the team in kills, had 160 digs, and 16 service aces. Leading the team in assists was Emily Franzen with 527 and contributed with 27 service aces. Jessi Jurries led the way with 353 digs. Two of the newcomers expected to contribute immediately are Miranda Krenske and Lyric Pruitte. Krenske is a transfer from St. Catherine and had 144 kills her freshman year at the MIAC school. Pruitte's 232 kills in 2012 had her ranked in the top 20 among Minnesota high school hitters. The Vikings will look for a mix of returners and newcomers to build a competitive squad in 2013.
T-6. North Central University Rams
2012 Overall Record: 2-25
2012 UMAC Record: 1-13
2012 UMAC Finish: T-7th
Starters Returning: 5
Starters Lost: 2
Under the leadership of a strong core of returners, the North Central women’s volleyball team looks to continue building in its second year in the UMAC. In 2012, the Rams finished 1-13 (2-25 overall) but are only losing two seniors heading into the 2013 season. Five starters return to head coach Stephanie Schmidt’s squad, and a large group of newcomers will add considerable depth and talent to the roster.
Sophomores Jamie High and Sarah Trickey ranked second and third on the team, respectively, in kills/set in 2012 both return for the Rams this season. Trickey will bring extra offensive power to the outside this year, while High—whose primary strength is blocking (31 total blocks and .49/set in 19 matches in 2012)—will move to a middle blocker role. Junior libero Veronica Parks also returns this year, and while a defensive role was new to her in 2012, she will bring an added level of experience and confidence to the back row heading into this season.
The Rams are also excited to welcome true freshman Elissa Pheneger (Roseville, Minn./Concordia Academy) to the 2013 squad. Pheneger brings high-level experience to the setter position, having led the Beacons’ offense for the past several years. She will likely bring immediate leadership to the team, and Schmidt expects to see NCU run a quicker and more efficient offense under Pheneger’s direction. Another former Beacon looks to help the Rams this year, as sophomore Abby Osmundson returns to the floor after a three-year hiatus. Osmundson will assist in the Rams’ attack, and brings several years of playing and coaching experience to add extra depth and knowledge to a young but talented roster.
T-6. Northland College LumberJills
2012 Overall Record: 9-21
2012 UMAC Record: 5-9
2012 UMAC Finish: T-5th
Starters Returning: 2
Starters Lost: 4
Northland College Volleyball is looking to build upon its growing success from last season and take strides to make an impact in the UMAC this season. With loosing five players to graduation, two of them being Honorable Mention All-Conference (setter Megan Zynd and outside hitter Gabby Jukkala), first year coach Kim Falkenhagen realizes that the team is young but is looking forward to working with the talent she has.
Returning starters are junior middle blocker Tayler Viegut and sophomore outside hitter Cassie Baumgarten. Viegut played in 29 out of the 30 matches last season and led the team in kills/set with 2.05 and total blocks with 37. Baumgarten played in all 30 matches last season as libero and was second on the team in digs/set with 2.79 and overall digs (285). Other returning players are sophomore setter Kelsey Bodart, sophomore defensive specialist Savannah Swanson sophomore outside hitter Sierra Earley. Northland will be bringing in 5 new faces this year and all of the new comers are expected to make an instant impact on the program and may be heavily relied upon on the court. After finishing the 2012 season 5-9 in conference and 9-21 overall and 5th in conference, the Northland LumberJills are looking to push ahead and continue to fight for the UMAC conference playoffs in 2013.
8. Crown College Storm
2012 Overall Record: 3-27
2012 UMAC Record: 1-13
2012 UMAC Finish: T-7th
Starters Returning: 4
Starters Lost: 2
The Crown volleyball program looks to move forward this year under first year head coach Joy Johnston. Johnston is a 2006 graduate of Bethel University and played for the Royals from 2002-2005. She has enjoyed a coaching career at the club and high school level and is excited to make the transition back to the college game.
Returning for coach Johnston will be defensive specialists Kristen Stombough and Sam Brueggeman and young hitters Hannah Ogborn and Katie Herrmann. The team will also return All-Conference performer Shelby Morimoto (Vischer) who did not play last season.
Coach Johnston is also welcoming a host of athletic newcomers and should add some depth at each position, but will be relying on a competitive practice environment to re-shape Crown Volleyball.
UMAC teams will begin their seasons with non-conference competition on August 30. Conference matches begin the weekend of September 20-21 as eight teams battle for the UMAC Championship trophy. An automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament will be on the line again for the winner of the UMAC Tournament. Semifinals are scheduled for November 6 with the championship game taking place on November 9.