2009 Nationals Guide
5 To Watch:
S Steph Strauss, Juniata
L Christina Cahoon, UW Oshkosh
MH Erin Albers, Washington
S Andrea Helminiak, Hope
MB Emily Perkins, Colorado College
Random Factoid(s):
First-timers Hope, Colorado College, Tufts and Christopher Newport join UW Oshkosh and Trinity in their quests for a first national title. Washington (9) and Juniata (2) have combined to win 11 of the last 20 Walnut and Bronze trophies.
There will be 24 All-Americans at this year’s quarterfinals (Five on 1st-Team, four on 2nd-Team, four on 3rd-Team and 11 Honorable Mentions. See the Team Capsules below for those players).
Predicted National Championship match:
I think Washington will play some team in the final
The Schedule (at the Tony DeCarlo Varsity Center; University Heights, Ohio):
Nov. 19 (times eastern; since nationals isn’t reseeded, all ranks are AVCA)
12:30 p.m. #4 Washington (31-4) vs. #13 Colorado College (35-4)
3:00 p.m. #6 Hope (33-3) vs. RV Tufts (31-4)
5:30 p.m. #1 Juniata (34-3) vs. #18 Trinity (30-11)
8:00 p.m. #T2 UW Oshkosh (38-2) vs. RV Christopher Newport (36-6)
Nov. 20
4:30 p.m. #4 Washington (32-4) vs. #6 Hope (34-3)
7:00 p.m. #1 Juniata (35-3) vs. #2 UW Oshkosh (39-2)
Nov. 21
7:00 p.m. #1 Juniata (36-3) vs. #4 Washington (33-4)
WASHINGTON (34-4) WINS, 3-1
Printable Bracket
Interactive Bracket
NATIONAL QUARTERFINALS TEAM CAPSULES
Juniata (34-3, No. 1 in Mid-Atlantic Region, No. 1 AVCA)
Location: Huntingdon, Pa.
Nickname: Eagles
Colors: Blue and gold
All-time NCAA record: 85-33
Enrollment: 1,450
Founded: 1876
Key wins: Eastern (3-0)(3-1), Christopher Newport (3-0)(3-2), Emory (3-1), St. Thomas (3-2), La Verne (3-0), Haverford (3-0), Randolph-Macon (3-0), Salisbury (3-0), Trinity, TX (3-0), Wittenberg (3-1), Cabrini (3-0), Mount Union (3-1)
Losses: Washington (0-3), Princeton (1-3), UW Oshkosh (2-3)
All-Region players (Mid-Atlantic): Senior L Megan Sollenberger (1st-Team All-America), junior S Steph Strauss (2nd-Team All-America), sophomore OH Drew Barnhart (HM All-America), freshman MH Kelsey Fuller (Region Freshman of the Year, HM All-America), senior RS Paige Johnston (HM All-Region)
Team Leaders
Kills: Drew Barnhart 365, Kelsey Fuller 290, Paige Johnston 261
Blocks: Kristin Noetzel 64, P. Johnston 51, Steph Strauss 47
Assists: S. Strauss 1107, Alexa Ebert 225, Megan Sollenberger 88
Digs: Me. Sollenberger 658, S. Strauss 257, K. Fuller 254
Aces: D. Barnhart 39, Me. Sollenberger 35, S. Strauss 31
UW Oshkosh (38-2, No. 1 in Midwest Region, No. T2 AVCA)
Location: Oshkosh, Wis.
Nickname: Titans
Colors: Black, gold and white
All-time NCAA record: 24-15
Enrollment: 13,127
Founded: 1871
Key wins: Nebraska Wesleyan (3-2), St. Norbert (3-1)(3-1)(3-0), UW-Whitewater (3-1), Simpson (3-0), UW-Eau Claire (3-1)(3-1), Eastern (3-2), St. Thomas (3-2)(3-1), 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-Region players (Midwest): Senior MB Jacque Ray (1st-Team All-America), junior L Christina Cahoon (1st-Team All-America), senior OH Katie Beining (3rd-Team All-America), senior S Katelyn Vara (HM All-America), freshman OH Aleisha Bagin (Region Freshman of the Year, HM All-America), head coach Brian Schaefer (Region Coach of the Year)
Team Leaders
Kills: Jacque Ray 418, Katie Beining 358, Aleisha Bagin 322
Blocks: J. Ray 166, Katelyn Vara 74, Larissa Krumplitsch 56
Assists: K. Vara 1411, Morgan Liebetrau 128, K. Beining 75
Digs: Christina Cahoon 862, Andrea Smith 410, Brittney Cote 370
Aces: C. Cahoon 46, K. Beining 45, A. Smith 38
Washington (31-4, No. 1 in Central Region, No. 4 AVCA)
Location: St. Louis, Mo.
Nickname: Bears
Colors: Red and Green
All-time NCAA record: 82-14
Enrollment: 7,000
Founded: 1853
Key wins: Webster (3-0)(3-1), Pacific Lutheran (3-1), UW-Whitewater (3-1), Juniata (3-0), La Verne (3-0), St. Thomas (3-2), Emory (3-0), NYU (3-1)(3-0), Saint Mary’s, MN (3-1), Carthage (3-0)
Losses: Hope (1-3), Ohio Northern (0-3), Missouri-St. Louis (1-3), Emory (0-3)
All-Region players (Central): Freshman L Kelly Pang (1st-Team All-America, National Freshman of the Year), Senior MH Erin Albers (2nd-Team All-America), freshman S Marilee Fisher (2nd-Team All-America), head coach Rich Luenemann (Region Coach of the Year)
Team Leaders
Kills: Lauren Budde 393, Erin Albers 390, Kristen Thomas 314
Blocks: L. Budde 108, E. Albers 108, Marilee Fisher 48
Assists: M. Fisher 909, Meg Buker 258, Vicki Blood 155
Digs: Kelly Pang 637, L. Budde 425, Laura Brazeal 334
Aces: Tricia Brandt 39, L. Brazeal 36, K. Pang 34
Hope (33-3, No. 1 in Great Lakes Region, No. 6 AVCA)
Location: Holland, Mich.
Nickname: Flying Dutch
Colors: Orange and blue
All-time NCAA record: 7-6
Enrollment: 3,230
Founded: 1866
Key wins: Webster (3-0), Washington (3-1), Mount Union (3-2), Wittenberg (3-1), Calvin (3-0)(3-2)(3-0), Lakeland (3-0), Ohio Northern (3-1)
Losses: Ohio Northern (0-3), UW-Platteville (1-3), Calvin (1-3)
All-Region players (Great Lakes): Senior S Andrea Helminiak (3rd-Team All-America), sophomore MH Jacie Fiedler (HM All-America), junior MH Kara VandeGuchte (HM All-America), senior L Kristen Johnson (HM All-Region), junior OH Cassidy Bulthuis (HM All-Region)
Team Leaders
Kills: Jacie Fiedler 419, Cassidy Bulthuis 299, Kara VandeGuchte 292
Blocks: K. VandeGuchte 117, J. Fiedler 75, C. Bulthuis 56
Assists: Andrea Helminiak 1268, Greer Bratschie 117, C. Bulthuis 70
Digs: Kristen Johnson 613, Sara DeWeerdt 378, A. Helminiak 351
Aces: Traci Baker 40, C. Bulthuis 38, A. Helminiak 30
Colorado College (35-4, No. 1 in West Region, No. 13 AVCA)
Location: Colorado Springs, Colo.
Nickname: Tigers
Colors: Black and gold
All-time NCAA record: 9-18
Enrollment: 1,966
Founded: 1874
Key wins: Stevens (3-0), Puget Sound (3-0), Trinity, TX (3-1), Chapman (3-0)(3-0), Cal Lutheran (3-2), La Verne (3-2)
Losses: Colorado School of Mines (0-3), Trinity, TX (1-3), Southwestern (1-3)(1-3)
All-Region Players (West): Junior MB Emily Perkins (1st-Team All-America), sophomore S Amy Schornack (HM All-America), sophomore RS Meredith Ballard (HM All-America)
Team Leaders
Kills: Emily Perkins 442, Meredith Ballard 320, Sarah Schmoker 285
Blocks: E. Perkins 136, M. Ballard 68, Erika Pirotte 68
Assists: Amy Schornack 1002, Annie Bernacchi 197, Colleen Keresey 192
Digs: Laura Goldsmith 429, E. Perkins 426, E. Pirotte 367
Aces: L. Goldsmith 49, A. Schornack 38, two tied with 32
Trinity (Texas) (30-11, No. 6 in South Region, No. 18 AVCA)
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Nickname: Tigers
Colors: Maroon and white
All-time NCAA record: 26-17
Enrollment: 2,700
Founded: 1869
Key wins: Cal Lutheran (3-1), La Verne (3-0), Colorado College (3-1), Randolph-Macon (3-1), Emory (3-0), Southwestern (3-0)
Losses: Our Lady of the Lake (2-3), Texas-Dallas (1-3), Redlands (2-3), DePauw (0-3)(2-3), Southwestern (2-3)(1-3), Texas-Brownsville (0-3), Colorado College (1-3), Juniata (0-3), UW Oshkosh (0-3)
All-Region Players (South): Senior MB Aly Hazelwood (3rd-Team All-America), senior MB Ginger Haley (HM All-Region)
Team Leaders
Kills: Amy Mittlestaedt 416, Aly Hazelwood 324, Tayler Malloy 322
Blocks: A. Hazelwood 165, Ginger Haley 126, T. Malloy 85
Assists: Caiti Troyer 1496, T. Malloy 30, Alexis Edwards 27
Digs: C. Troyer 470, A. Edwards 449, Meredith Erwin 422
Aces: A. Hazelwood 52, A. Mittlestaedt 40, Emily Hilliard 38
Tufts (31-4, No. 1 in New England Region, RV AVCA)
Location: Medford, Mass.
Nickname: Jumbos
Colors: Brown and blue
All-time NCAA record: 6-3
Enrollment: 5,000
Founded: 1852
Key wins: Williams (3-0)(3-1)(3-0)(3-0), UMass Boston (3-2), Maine Maritime (3-0), Wellesley (3-0)
Losses: UMass Boston (2-3), Middlebury (1-3), Trinity, CT (2-3), Williams (0-3)
All-Region Players (New England): Senior S Dena Feiger (2nd-Team All-America), junior OH Caitlin Updike (HM All-America), junior OH Dawson Joyce-Mendive (HM All-Region), senior RS Brogie Helgeson (HM All-Region)
Team Leaders
Kills: Dawson Joyce-Mendive 431, Caitlin Updike 425, Brogie Helgeson 306
Blocks: Lexi Nicholas 56, Brittany Neff 51, Erica Lokken 40
Assists: Dena Feiger 1308, Audrey Kuan 61, Kendall Lord 52
Digs: A. Kuan 574, C. Updike 303, B. Helgeson 295
Aces: C. Updike 40, A. Kuan 31, Nancy Shrodes 25
Christopher Newport (36-6, No. 4 in South Region, RV AVCA)
Location: Newport News, Va.
Nickname: Captains
Colors: Royal blue and silver
All-time NCAA record: 4-6
Enrollment: 4,800
Founded: 1961
Key wins: Randolph-Macon (3-1), Salisbury (3-0)(3-2), Stevens (3-2), NYU (3-0)
Losses: Mary Washington (1-3), Emory (1-3), Juniata (0-3)(2-3), Washington and Lee (2-3), Salisbury (0-3)
All-Region Players (South): Junior MB Caitlyn Jansen (3rd-Team All-America), freshman OH Kara Elder (Region Freshman of the Year, HM All-America), freshman L Abby Hogge (HM All-America)
Team Leaders
Kills: Caitlyn Jansen 417, Kara Elder 390, Cory Harris 332
Blocks: Bailey Jensen 109, C. Jansen 66, Chelsea McClure 46
Assists: Jessie Heavenrich 923, Ryann Lowery 506, Alyssa Kidd 123
Digs: Abby Hogge 564, K. Elder 377, C. Harris 331
Aces: R. Lowery 76, C. McClure 57, K. Elder 52
-Ricky Nelson
DIII Women's Volleyball 
[…] • High five, Central Region committee. Three-for three on your rankings. • The Midwest Region committee and I didn’t agree on any of the three rankings. We agree on the top three and bottom two this time. Head-to-head matters little apparently. • Stevens has been No. 2 in all three rankings in the New York Region and looks to be in good shape for a Pool C bid. For good reason – the Ducks are a traditional New York power and have worthy numbers (30-5 in-region, .569 SOS). The odd thing is that Stevens didn’t even qualify for the four-team Empire 8 conference tournament. It’s not unprecedented for a team to get a Pool C without qualifying for its postseason tourney, but it’s rare enough to give it a mention. I know the Trinity (Conn.) baseball team got a Pool C a few years ago despite failing to make its conference tourney. Can anyone name another Pool C volleyball bid from past years that fits the Stevens situation? • It’s now nine hours later and the NCAA mileage site still does not allow me to access info. All I get is an authentication error. I’ve had trouble with it in the past during peak NCAA times. Such as these times to be honest. But it’s never been inaccessible at 7 a.m. on a Thursday. I think I know most mileage thresholds from Nebraska to Ohio, but I’d like to double-check my memory. Can I please access your public site, NCAA? Next time I’ll make a master copy of thresholds (500 miles for postseason, 200 for in-season) so we can have the info that informs the powers that be and the public. • I once again plan to provide Regional Guides for any regional that involves a Central or Midwest region team. I wish I could them all, but this is a one-man operation. I also plan to do a Nationals Guide like in the past. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, here are samples from last year: 2009 UW Oshkosh Regional Guide 2009 Washington Regional Guide 2009 Hope Regional Guide 2009 Nationals Guide […]
Rankings, postseason potpourri « D-III Women's Volleyball
November 4, 2010 at 6:55 am