2009 UW Oshkosh Regional Guide

ALSO SEE THE WASHINGTON REGIONAL GUIDE AND THE HOPE REGIONAL GUIDE.

5 To Watch:
MB Jacque Ray, UW Oshkosh
S Emily Foster, St. Thomas
OH Caitlin Hogan, UW-Whitewater
OH Emma Jaynes, Saint Benedict
OH Kim Smisek, St. Olaf

Random Factoid:
The top six seeds are all in the top 26 nationally in kills per set.

Predicted UW Oshkosh Regional final:
Being an Oshkosh grad, I once again abstain this year.

Predictions for the other regionals:
Washington Regional: Carthage over Washington
Hope Regional: Hope over Ohio Northern
Juniata Regional: Juniata over Eastern
Tufts Regional: UMass Boston over Clarkson
NYU Regional: NYU over New Paltz
Southwestern Regional: Southwestern over Emory
Redlands Regional: La Verne over Colorado College
Printable National Bracket
Interactive National Bracket

The Schedule (at Kolf Sports Center, Oshkosh, Wis.):
Nov. 12
12:30 p.m. #3 UW-Whitewater (31-6) vs. #6 St. Thomas (24-7)
3:00 p.m. #2 Saint Benedict (26-5) vs. #7 Luther (25-11)
5:30 p.m. #4 UW-Eau Claire (30-7) vs. #5 St. Olaf (27-4)
8:00 p.m. #1 UW Oshkosh (35-2) vs. #8 St. Norbert (24-9)
Nov. 13
4:30 p.m. #6 St. Thomas (25-7) vs. #7 Luther (26-11)
7:00 p.m. #1 UW Oshkosh (36-2) vs. #4 UW-Eau Claire (31-7)
Nov. 14
7:00 p.m. #1 UW Oshkosh (37-2) vs. #6 St. Thomas (26-7)

OSHKOSH REGIONAL TEAM CAPSULES

No. 1 seed UW Oshkosh (35-2, No. 1 in Midwest Region, No. T2 AVCA)
Location: Oshkosh, Wis.
Nickname: Titans
Key wins: Nebraska Wesleyan (3-2), St. Norbert (3-1)(3-1), UW-Whitewater (3-1), Simpson (3-0), UW-Eau Claire (3-1), Eastern (3-2), St. Thomas (3-2), UW-Platteville (3-0)(3-2), Wittenberg (3-0), Trinity, TX (3-0), Juniata (3-2)
Losses: UW-Whitewater (1-3), UW-Eau Claire (2-3)
All-conference players (WIAC): Senior MB Jacque Ray (Player of the Year), junior L Christina Cahoon (1st, All-Defense), senior OH Katie Beining (1st), senior S Katelyn Vara (1st), head coach Brian Schaefer (Coach of the Year)

Team Leaders
Kills: Jacque Ray 387, Katie Beining 321, Aleisha Bagin 297
Blocks: J. Ray 150, Katelyn Vara 63, Larissa Krumplitsch 56
Assists: K. Vara 1285, Morgan Liebetrau 125, K. Beining 65
Digs: Christina Cahoon 792, Andrea Smith 368, Brittney Cote 342
Aces: C. Cahoon 41, K. Beining 41, A. Smith 33

No. 2 seed Saint Benedict (26-5, No. 4 in Central Region, No. 15 AVCA)
Location: St. Joseph, Minn.
Nickname: Blazers
Key wins: Simpson (3-0)(3-1), UW-Eau Claire (3-0), St. Thomas (3-1), St. Olaf (3-0)(3-0)
Losses: Pacific Lutheran (0-3), Puget Sound (1-3), Simpson (2-3), St. Thomas (2-3), Saint Mary’s, MN (2-3)
All-conference players (MIAC): Senior S Beth Hanson (1st), senior OH Emma Jaynes (1st), junior RS Kayli Schumacher (1st), head coach Michelle Blaeser (Co-Coach of the Year)

Team Leaders
Kills: Emma Jaynes 315, Calleigh Brown 290, Kayli Schumacher 271
Blocks: Candace Bartels 100, C. Brown 82, K. Schumacher 75
Assists: Beth Hanson 1112, Amber Wortz 73, K. Schumacher 39
Digs: E. Jaynes 400, Andrea Millerbernd 318, A. Wortz 294
Aces: A. Wortz 54, A. Millerbernd 31, Chelsie Sobieck 26

No. 3 seed UW-Whitewater (31-6, No. 3 in Midwest Region, No. 7 AVCA)
Location: Whitewater, Wis.
Nickname: Warhawks
Key wins: Pacific Lutheran (3-1), Chapman (3-1), Ohio Northern (3-2), Carthage (3-0), Heidelberg (3-2), UW-Platteville (3-1)(3-0), NYU (3-0), UW-Eau Claire (3-0)(3-0), St. Norbert (3-0), Lakeland (3-0), Simpson (3-1)
Losses: UW-Eau Claire (1-3), Washington (1-3), UW-River Falls (1-3), UW Oshkosh (1-3), La Verne (1-3), Carthage (2-3)
All-conference players (WIAC): Junior OH Caitlin Hogan (1st), sophomore OH Keri Klotzbuecher (1st), senior MB Melissa Zuleger (1st), senior S Alyse Karls (HM), sophomore L Alyssa Bauer (All-Defense)

Team Leaders
Kills: Caitlin Hogan 359, Keri Klotzbuecher 319, Melissa Zuleger 310
Blocks: Katy Krajnak 108, C. Hogan 103, M. Zuleger 100
Assists: Alyse Karls 1302, Christina DeGroot 98, C. Hogan 67
Digs: Alyssa Bauer 683, K. Klotzbuecher 400, A. Karls 320
Aces: C. Hogan 64, K. Klotzbuecher 31, Sofia Sanchez 29

No. 4 seed UW-Eau Claire (30-7, No. 6 Midwest Region, No. 16 AVCA)
Location: Eau Claire, Wis.
Nickname: Blugolds
Key wins: UW-Whitewater (3-1), Lakeland (3-0), UW Oshkosh (3-2)
Losses: Saint Benedict (0-3), UW-Platteville (0-3), UW Oshkosh (1-3), Lawrence (0-3), UW-Whitewater (0-3)(0-3), Viterbo (1-3)
All-conference players (WIAC): Senior RS Kristen Moore (1st), junior MH Danielle Lucia (HM), junior OH Rachel Ver Voort (HM), junior OH Emily Zupon (HM)

Team Leaders
Kills: Emily Zupon 290, Danielle Lucia 232, Kristen Moore 223
Blocks: Liz Amici 113, D. Lucia 94, K. Moore 75
Assists: Emily Neave 824, Amanda Lessner 471, K. Moore 32
Digs: Blair Murphy 378, Lindsey Smith 333, Rachel Ver Voort 263
Aces: R. Ver Voort 29, B. Murphy 26, L. Smith 24

No. 5 seed St. Olaf (27-4, No. 5 in Central Region, No. 20 AVCA)
Location: Northfield, Minn.
Nickname: Oles
Key wins: Saint Mary’s, MN (3-1)(3-0), Luther (3-1)(3-2), St. Thomas (3-2)
Losses: Viterbo (1-3), St. Thomas (1-3), Saint Benedict (0-3)(0-3)
All-conference players (MIAC): Junior S Kelly Prunty (1st), junior OH Kim Smisek (1st)

Team Leaders
Kills: Kim Smisek 522, Katie Wolfram 248, Paige Olson 233
Blocks: P. Olson 109, Maddy Kreykes 52, Kelly Prunty 42
Assists: K. Prunty 1227, K. Smisek 46, Alyssa Williams 29
Digs: A. Williams 483, K. Smisek 278, K. Prunty 156
Aces: K. Prunty 57, Kristin Boyum 27, P. Olson 25

No. 6 seed St. Thomas (24-7, No. 3 in Central Region, No. 14 AVCA)
Location: St. Paul, Minn.
Nickname: Tommies
Key wins: Carthage (3-2), Lakeland (3-1), La Verne (3-0), St. Olaf (3-1), Saint Benedict (3-2), Saint Mary’s, MN (3-0)
Losses: UW Oshkosh (2-3), Saint Benedict (1-3), Central (1-3), Simpson (2-3), Washington (2-3), Juniata (2-3), St. Olaf (2-3)
All-conference players (MIAC): Junior S Emily Foster (Player of the Year), senior OH Kyley Crotty (1st), junior MB Jill Osborne (1st)

Team Leaders
Kills: Kyley Crotty 348, Jill Osborne 295, Tori Jones 260
Blocks: T. Jones 85, Emily Foster 63, J. Osbourne 52
Assists: E. Foster 1269, Kaitlin Wachter 47, Molly Staton 20
Digs: K. Wachter 703, K. Crotty 552, E. Foster 340
Aces: Katie Bonine 29, K. Crotty 28, M. Staton 27

No. 7 seed Luther (25-11, No. 8 in Central Region, NR AVCA)
Location: Decorah, Iowa
Nickname: Norse
Key wins: UW-Platteville (3-1), Simpson (3-2)
Losses: St. Catherine (0-3), Saint Mary’s, MN (0-3)(0-3), Loras (1-3), St. Olaf (1-3)(2-3), Central (0-3), Bethel (0-3), Carthage (1-3), Eastern (1-3), Wartburg (2-3)
All-conference players (IIAC): Sophomore OH Emily Cory (1st), sophomore MH Taylor Skoglund (2nd), senior L Grayce Hamlin (HM), head coach Jane Gibbs (Coach of the Year)

Team Leaders
Kills: Emily Cory 471, Tiffany Kruse 350, Taylor Skoglund 343
Blocks: Felicia Bridgers 95, E. Cory 74, two tied with 69
Assists: Taylor Hjerleid 844, Amanda Dietel 347, Molly Morrissey 136
Digs: Grayce Hamlin 633, T. Kruse 410, Lindsey Weaver 364
Aces: Emily Ellson 51, G. Hamlin 36, two tied with 31

No. 8 seed St. Norbert (24-9, NR in Midwest Region, NR AVCA)
Location: De Pere, Wis.
Nickname: Green Knights
Key wins: Lakeland (3-0)
Losses: Lake Forest (1-3), Millikin (2-3), Elmhurst (0-3), UW Oshkosh (1-3)(1-3), UW-Platteville (0-3), Simpson (0-3), UW-Whitewater (0-3), Central (0-3)
All-conference players (MWC): Senior OH Sam Jungbluth (1st), senior S Laura Ayello (2nd), junior MB Sarah Sulentic (2nd)

Team Leaders
Kills: Lauren Meehan 266, Sam Jungbluth 265, Sarah Sulentic 247
Blocks: Danielle Remy 103, S. Sulentic 97, S. Jungbluth 45
Assists: Laura Ayello 875, Amy Perszyk 217, S. Jungbluth 57
Digs: Catherine Guido 529, A. Perszyk 333, L. Ayello 267
Aces: C. Guido 32, Mary Kate Manion 25, A. Perszyk 24

-Ricky Nelson