2011 Washington-St. Louis Regional Guide

Also see the Concordia-Moorhead Regional Guide and the Calvin Regional Guide

5 To Watch
Senior middle hitter Lauren Budde, Washington-St. Louis
Senior outside hitter Michelle Madeja, Carthage
Sophomore middle hitter Megan Reynolds, Elmhurst
Junior libero Samantha Brown, Chicago
Senior outside hitter Sofia Sanchez, UW-Whitewater

Random Factoid
Programs in this regional have won 14 of the 30 national titles in history (Washington-St. Louis 10, Wisconsin-Whitewater two, Elmhurst two). Bonus factoid: those three programs have lost more national championship matches (eight – UW-Whitewater’s four, Washington’s three, Elmhurst’s one) than the rest of the tournament field combined has won (four – Juniata’s two, Emory’s one, Calvin’s one).

Predicted Washington-St. Louis Regional final
Washington-St. Louis over Elmhurst

Predictions For the Other Regionals
Concordia-Moorhead Regional: Concordia-Moorhead over St. Thomas
Calvin Regional: Wittenberg over Calvin
Cal Lutheran Regional: Southwestern over Occidental
Eastern Regional: Eastern over Mount Union
Clarkson Regional: Cortland over Middlebury
Springfield Regional: Bowdoin over Tufts
Christopher Newport Regional: Emory over Christopher Newport

Printable National Bracket
Interactive National Bracket
Digital D-III Volleyball Championship program

The Schedule at the WU Field House in St. Louis, Mo.
NOV 11 (times central)
12:30 p.m. #3 Elmhurst (30-5) vs. #6 Cornell (28-5)
3:00 p.m. #2 Carthage (30-6) vs. #7 Edgewood (21-13)
5:30 p.m. #4 Chicago (29-5) vs. #5 UW-Whitewater (26-7)
8:00 p.m. #1 Washington-St. Louis (32-1) vs. #8 Webster (19-12)
NOV 12
3:30 p.m. #2 Carthage (31-6) vs. #3 Elmhurst (31-5)
6:00 p.m. #1 Washington-St. Louis (33-1) vs. #4 Chicago (30-5)
NOV 13
4:00 p.m. #1 Washington-St. Louis (34-1) vs. #2 Carthage (32-6)

WASHINGTON-ST. LOUIS REGIONAL TEAM CAPSULES

No. 1 seed Washington University-St. Louis (32-1, No. 1 in Central Region, No. 2 AVCA)
Location: St. Louis, Mo.
Nickname: Bears
Colors: Red, green
Enrollment: 5,997
Founded: 1853
Key Wins: Texas-Dallas (3-2), Rose-Hulman (3-0), Carthage (3-0), UW-Whitewater (3-0), Christopher Newport (3-0), Juniata (3-0), Colorado (3-0), Concordia-Moorhead (3-0), New York Univ. (3-0), Millikin (3-0), Chicago (3-1)(3-0), Case Western Reserve (3-1), Rochester (3-0), Webster (3-0), Eastern (3-0), Emory (3-2)
Losses: Emory (2-3)
All-Conference Players (UAA): Senior MH Lauren Budde (Player of the Year), junior L Kelly Pang (1st), junior S Marilee Fisher (1st), junior OH Drew Hargrave (2nd), sophomore OH Meghan Byrne (2nd), Coaching Staff of the Year

Team Leaders
Kills: Lauren Budde 411, Meghan Byrne 270, Drew Hargrave 247
Blocks: L. Budde 87, Kaia Schwartz 77, Megan Odenthal 30
Assists: Marilee Fisher 1054, M. Odenthal 140, Kelly Pang 38
Digs: K. Pang 498, L. Budde 287, Tricia Brandt 285
Aces: L. Budde 52, M. Fisher 41, T. Brandt 36

No. 2 seed Carthage College (30-6, No. 1 in Midwest Region, No. 9 AVCA)
Location: Kenosha, Wis.
Nickname: Lady Reds
Colors: Red, white, black
Enrollment: 2,500
Founded: 1847
Key Wins: Saint Benedict (3-0)(3-0), UW-Eau Claire (3-1), Concordia-Moorhead (3-1), UW-Whitewater (3-0)(3-1), Southwestern (3-0), St. Thomas (3-0), Wheaton-IL (3-2)(3-1), Chicago (3-2), Elmhurst (3-1)(3-2), Millikin (3-0), Hope (3-0)
Losses: Christopher Newport (1-3), Washington-St. Louis (0-3), Elmhurst (2-3), UW-Platteville (0-3), Calvin (0-3), Wittenberg (0-3)
All-Conference Players (CCIW): Senior OH Michelle Madeja (Player of the Year), senior S Drewann Pancratz (1st), senior OH Lauren Dembkowski (1st), senior MB Cindy Cavanagh (1st), junior L Izzy Shaindlin (HM)

Team Leaders
Kills: Michelle Madeja 447, Lauren Dembkowski 364, Cindy Cavanagh 282
Blocks: C. Cavanagh 103, Jordan Burkholder 86, L. Dembkowski 58
Assists: Drewann Pancratz 1163, Hannah Cahoon 86, Izzy Shaindlin 55
Digs: I. Shaindlin 587, L. Dembkowski 469, M. Madeja 366
Aces: L. Dembkowski 33, I. Shaindlin 29, C. Cavanagh 23

No. 3 seed Elmhurst College (30-5, No. 2 in Midwest Region, No. 16 AVCA)
Location: Elmhurst, Ill.
Nickname: Bluejays
Colors: Blue, white
Enrollment: 2,400
Founded: 1871
Key Wins: UW-Stevens Point (3-0), UW-Eau Claire (3-1), UW-Whitewater (3-0), Cornell (3-1), UW-Platteville (3-0)(3-0), Carthage (3-2), Wheaton-IL (3-0), Chicago (3-1), Edgewood (3-0), Millikin (3-2)
Losses: Chicago (1-3), Millikin (1-3), Carthage (1-3)(2-3), UW Oshkosh (1-3)
All-Conference Players (CCIW): Sophomore MH Megan Reynolds (1st), junior L Perrie Morgan (1st), freshman OH Sam Szarmach (2nd), junior OH Antonéya Veasy Smith (HM), junior S Erin Thill (HM)

Team Leaders
Kills: Megan Reynolds 396, Antoneya Veasy Smith 284, Sam Szarmach 273
Blocks: M. Reynolds 151, Kaitlyn Wilks 106, Taylor Rasmussen 59
Assists: Erin Thill 959, Katie Rueffer 376, Perrie Morgan 26
Digs: P. Morgan 641, Marci Novak 296, Hannah Lessen 270
Aces: E. Thill 37, S. Szarmach 36, P. Morgan 21

No. 4 seed University of Chicago (29-5, No. 3 in Midwest Region, No. 15 AVCA)
Location: Chicago, Ill.
Nickname: Maroons
Colors: Maroon, white
Enrollment: 5,134
Founded: 1890
Key Wins: Elmhurst (3-1), Bethel (3-2), Millikin (3-1), Case Western Reserve (3-2)(3-2), Rochester (3-0)(3-0), Wheaton-IL (3-1)(3-1), New York Univ. (3-0), UW-Platteville (3-0)
Losses: Carthage (2-3), Emory (2-3), Washington-St. Louis (1-3)(0-3), Elmhurst (1-3)
All-Conference Players (UAA): Junior MB Katie Trela (1st), junior L Samantha Brown (2nd), sophomore S Nikki DelZenero (2nd), junior MB Caroline Brander (2nd), senior OH Isis Smalls (HM)

Team Leaders
Kills: Isis Smalls 316, Morgan Clark 250, Caroline Brander 247
Blocks: Katie Trela 122, C. Brander 101, I. Smalls 77
Assists: Nikki DelZenero 1303, Colleen Belak 40, Samantha Brown 17
Digs: S. Brown 668, C. Belak 372, Eirene Kim 346
Aces: S. Brown 39, N. DelZenero 33, C. Belak 32

No. 5 seed Wisconsin-Whitewater (26-7, No. 5 in Midwest Region, No. 21 AVCA)
Location: Whitewater, Wis.
Nickname: Warhawks
Colors: Purple, white
Enrollment: 11,500
Founded: 1868
Key Wins: Wheaton-IL (3-1)(3-1), St. Norbert (3-2), UW-Eau Claire (3-0)(3-2), Wittenberg (3-0), UW-Stevens Point (3-1)
Losses: Christopher Newport (0-3), Washington-St. Louis (0-3), Carthage (0-3)(1-3), UW-Stevens Point (0-3), Elmhurst (0-3), North Central-IL (1-3)
All-Conference Players (WIAC): Senior OH Sofia Sanchez (1st), sophomore S Heidi Buss (HM), freshman MH Alivia Holman (HM)

Team Leaders
Kills: Sofia Sanchez 389, Leanna Lillge 314, Alivia Holman 195
Blocks: Ariel Johnston 76, A. Holman 65, Ariel Feiertag 52
Assists: Heidi Buss 984, Kim Frei 287, Kelli Trautmann 46
Digs: K. Trautmann 500, Kelsey Nobilio 473, Alyssa Bauer 399
Aces: K. Trautmann 42, S. Sanchez 32, H. Buss 31

No. 6 seed Cornell College (28-5, No. 7 in Central Region, NR AVCA)
Location: Mount Vernon, Iowa
Nickname: Rams
Colors: Purple, white
Enrollment: 1,197
Founded: 1853
Key Wins: UW-Eau Claire (3-2), UW-Platteville (3-1), Coe (3-1)
Losses: Coe (1-3), Wartburg (0-3), St. Thomas (1-3), Simpson (2-3), Elmhurst (1-3)
All-Conference Players (IIAC): Sophomore OH Kathleen O’Connor (Player of the Year), freshman MH Taylor Dicus (1st), freshman L Kylea Weber (2nd), freshman setter Sabrina Hargis (HM)

Team Leaders
Kills: Kathleen O’Connor 442, Taylor Dicus 354, Katie Sickelka 206
Blocks: T. Dicus 149, Kirtley Hitt 65, K. Sickelka 60
Assists: Sabrina Hargis 982, Kelsey Gaillot 209, Kylea Weber 44
Digs: K. Weber 548, K. O’Connor 319, Kayla Gaines 262
Aces: K. O’Connor 53, S. Hargis 36, K. Gaillot 36

No. 7 seed Edgewood College (21-13, NR in Midwest Region, NR AVCA)
Location: Madison, Wis.
Nickname: Eagles
Colors: Red, black, white
Enrollment: 2,400
Founded: 1927
Key Wins: (None)
Losses: Mayville St. (2-3), George Fox (0-3), Dubuque (2-3), Central (0-3), Loras (1-3), UW-Platteville (0-3), Wisconsin Lutheran (0-3), Dominican (2-3), Benedictine (1-3), Clarke (0-3), UW-Stevens Point (1-3), North Central-IL (1-3), Elmhurst (0-3)
All-Conference Players (NAC): Junior OH Mallory Palmer (1st), sophomore S Lindsey Swansby (1st), senior MH Kristin Manske (HM)

Team Leaders
Kills: Mallory Palmer 492, Jessica Martin 317, Kristin Manske 179
Blocks: K. Manske 81, M. Palmer 57, Lindsey Swansby 54
Assists: L. Swansby 1226, Rachel Thomsen 86, M. Palmer 24
Digs: Sam Himmelspach 406, M. Palmer 392, L. Swansby 356
Aces: Laura Sweeney 50, K. Manske 33, two tied with 32

No. 8 seed Webster University (19-12, NR in Central Region, NR AVCA)
Location: St. Louis, Mo.
Nickname: Gorloks
Colors: Midnight blue, gold
Enrollment: 4,048
Founded: 1915
Key Wins: (None)
Losses: Coe (0-3), Benedictine (2-3), Illinois Wesleyan (0-3), Greenville (2-3), Spalding (1-3), Chapman (0-3), UC Santa Cruz (2-3), York (0-3), Colorado (0-3), Washington-St. Louis (0-3), Wartburg (1-3), Augustana (2-3)
All-Conference Players (SLIAC): Freshman outside Jenny Howard (1st), freshman MH Emily Ratkewicz (2nd), freshman OH Jordan Vehlewald (2nd), senior MH Caroline Kargus (2nd), senior OH Gretchen Rieger (HM), freshman S Allie O’Toole (HM), HC Merry Graf (co-Coach of the Year)

Team Leaders
Kills: Jenny Howard 252, Jordan Vehlewald 229, Emily Ratkewicz 158
Blocks: E. Ratkewicz 107, Caroline Kargus 95, J. Howard 29
Assists: Allie O’Toole 540, Sami Murray 200, Jessa Maier 189
Digs: Liz Abraham 382, J. Vehlewald 289, J. Howard 277
Aces: A. O’Toole 26, J. Vehlewald 19, L. Abraham 18

-Ricky Nelson