9/30/14: Dutch sweep Wartburg, improve to 14-6

CCIW
• #10 Elmhurst 3, Augustana 1 EC outhit AC .313 to .084.
• #21 Millikin 3, North Park 0 MU’s Audrey Krajec hit 17-4-30.
• Wheaton 3, North Central 1 WC’s Shelby Knowles had 16 kills.

IIAC
• Central 3, Wartburg 0 CC’s Dzenita Bahtic had 25 digs.

NACC
• Benedictine 3, Alverno 2 Set 5 ended 15-13; BU’s Emily Chitwood had 16 kills.
• Marian 3, Wisconsin Lutheran 0 MU’s Jessica Roberts hit 16-4-30.
• Concordia Wisconsin 3, Lakeland 1 CUW’s Ashley Jehlicka had 18 kills, 15 assists, 14 digs, 4 blocks.
• Concordia Chicago 3, Rockford 1 CUC’s Kaylyn Anderson had 26 kills, 13 digs.

MWC
• Lake Forest 3, Beloit 0 LFC othit BC .309 to .025.
• Illinois College 3, Knox 2 Set 5 ended 17-15; IC’s Lisa Lowry had 12 kills, 18 assists, 16 digs.

SLIAC
• Greenville 3, Principia 0 GC’s Allyson Mitchell hit 12-0-27.
• Westminster 3, MacMurray 0 WC’s Lexi Collier hit 12-3-19.
• Eureka 3, Blackburn 2 Set 5 ended 17-15; EC’s Michaela Balducci had 20 kills, 12 digs.

GPAC
• #22 Nebraska Wesleyan 3, Concordia (Neb.) 1 NWU’s Katelyn Walsh hit 16-1-29.

Nonconference
• Edgewood 3, Carroll 1 EC’s Jordan Winkler had 24 kills, 20 digs.
• Concordia-Moorhead 3, Valley City St. 0 CCM’s Korbyn Ross had 11 kills.
• Clarke 3, Iowa Wesleyan 0 CU is NAIA.

Top 25 upset watch
• #1 Hope 3, St. Mary’s (Ind.) 0
• #2 Cal Lutheran 3, Chapman 0
• #5 Calvin 3, Olivet 0
• #6 Wittenberg 3, Kenyon 0
• #7 Mount Union 3, Hiram 0
• #9 Christopher Newport 3, Salisbury 2
• #17 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 3, Occidental 1

-Ricky Nelson

2014 AVCA Week 5 poll: Lady Reds, Titans enter top 25

The top nine teams remained the same in the AVCA Week 5 poll. Unanimous No. 1 Hope is still followed by Cal Lutheran, Emory, Washington-St. Louis and Calvin.

No. 10 Elmhurst reentered the top 10 for the first time since the final 2013 poll.

No. 23 Carthage and No. 25 UW Oshkosh are back in the top 25, taking the places of No. 20 DePauw and No. 22 Coe. Carthage was in the top 25 for three polls last season. UW Oshkosh had not been ranked since 2010 but is still ninth all-time with 146 poll appearances.

Other Central and Midwest teams in this week’s top 25: No. 13 St. Thomas; No. 15 UW-Stevens Point; No. 17 Saint Benedict; No. 21 Millikin; No. 22 Nebraska Wesleyan; No. 24 Augsburg.

Central and Midwest teams receiving votes this week: Coe; Wartburg; UW-Whitewater; Cornell; Chicago.

I have the same top 10 teams if only a different order. I don’t have many problems this week except NWU and Carthage being far too low, but that could be a common refrain from here on out.

-Ricky Nelson

CSB’s Kockelman named AVCA Player of the Week

Saint Benedict senior setter Taya Kockelman was named the AVCA National Player of the Week for matches ending Sept. 29.

Kockelman totaled 87 assists (14.5 per set) in two sweeps, including 44 to go along with eight kills and 11 digs against Augsburg.

-Ricky Nelson

9/29/14: It’s just another idle Monday

No Central, Midwest or top 25 matches today. See you Tuesday.

-Ricky Nelson

Ricky Nelson’s 2014 Week 5 top 10

The AVCA poll comes out on Tuesday.

My rank, (my Wk 4 rank, AVCA Wk 4 rank), record, key results last week
1 (1, 1). Hope 15-0 W: DeSales; Messiah; Marymount (Va.). 
2 (2, 3). Emory 18-2 W: Maryville (Tenn).
3 (3, 2). Cal Lutheran 15-1 W: Claremont-Mudd-Scripps. 
4 (4, 4). Washington-St. Louis 17-2 W: None. 
5 (6, 8). Juniata 15-2 W: Susquehanna. 
6 (7, 6). Wittenberg 11-3 W: Bluffton; Ohio Wesleyan. 
7 (8, 5). Calvin 14-3 W: Alma.
8 (9, 11). Elmhurst 16-2 W: Cornell. 
9 (NR, 7). Mount Union 16-1 W: DePauw; Geneva; Defiance.
10 (10, 9). Christopher Newport 16-1 W: Virginia Wesleyan; Averett.
Dropped out: No. 5 Nebraska Wesleyan 10-3.
For what it’s worth, NWU is my #11, Carthage is #12.

My top 5 matches of the week:
10/4 #12 UW-Stevens Point vs. Carthage
10/4 #22 Coe vs. #24 Augsburg
10/4 #21 Nebraska Wesleyan vs. #9 Christopher Newport
10/4 #21 Nebraska Wesleyan vs. #10 Colorado College
10/5 #4 Washington-St. Louis vs. Chicago

Standout Stats are updated and, in case you missed it, we have a Last Team Standing.

The FAQ page is as updated as it can be because I’m not seeing a 2014 Pre-Championship Manual. If we were going to get one, I assume it would be up by now. What we do have are pools and bid breakdowns.

-Ricky Nelson

9/28/14: Tartans add another W over a ranked team

Top 25 upset watch
• #3 Emory 3, Sewanee 0
• #3 Emory 3, Oglethorpe 1
• #10 Colorado College 3, Texas Lutheran 0
• #10 Colorado College 3, Schreiner 0
• #16 Trinity (Texas) 3, Centenary (La.) 0
• #16 Trinity (Texas) 3, Austin 2
• #20 DePauw 3, Wooster 0
• Carnegie Mellon 3, #20 DePauw 0

-Ricky Nelson

9/27/14: IIAC beats NACC, 23-9, in Crossover Challenge

Chicago Classic
#25 Millikin, Cornell, Chicago, Carthage, Augustana, Concordia Chicago, Kalamazoo
Chicago 3, Concordia Chicago 0; Augustana 3, Kalamazoo 1; Cornell 3, Augustana 1; Carthage 3, Kalamazoo 0; #25 Millikin 3, Cornell 1; Carthage 3, Concordia Chicago 0; #25 Millikin 3, Chicago 2.

IIAC–NACC Challenge
#22 Coe, Wartburg, Loras, Buena Vista, Luther, Simpson, Dubuque, Central, Dominican, Edgewood, Concordia Wisconsin, Aurora, Lakeland, Benedictine, Marian, Wisconsin Lutheran
Buena Vista 3, Wisconsin Lutheran 1; Central 3, Aurora 0; Central 3, Wisconsin Lutheran 2; Concordia Wisconsin 3, Dubuque 0; Dubuque 3, Marian 0; Concordia Wisconsin 3, Simpson 0; Buena Vista 3, Marian 0; Aurora 3, Simpson 2; Edgewood 3, Loras 2; Dominican 3, Luther 0; Wartburg 3, Benedictine 0; #22 Coe 3, Lakeland 0; Loras 3, Dominican 1; Edgewood 3, Luther 1; Wartburg 3, Lakeland 0; #22 Coe 3, Benedictine 0.

Finlandia Invite
Maranatha, Alverno, Finlandia, Mount Mary, Grace Bible
Alverno 3, Finlandia 0; Maranatha 3, Mount Mary 0; Alverno 3, Mount Mary 0; Maranatha 3, Alverno 1; Maranatha 3, Finlandia 0.

Illinois Tech Tri
Illinois Tech, Trine, Earlham
Trine 3, Illinois Tech 0; Earlham 3, Illinois Tech 1.

Lincoln Christian Tri
Monmouth, Missouri Baptist, Lincoln Christian
Lincoln Christian 3, Monmouth 0; Missouri Baptist 3, Monmouth 1.

WIAC
• #12 UW-Stevens Point 3, UW-Superior 0 UWSP outhit UWSup .300 to .067.
• UW-River Falls 3, UW-Platteville 0 UWRF’s Lisa Keppers hit 7-1-13 with 5 blocks.
• UW-La Crosse 3, UW-Eau Claire 2 Set 5 ended 15-13; UWL’s Stephanie Henk had 17 kills.

MIAC
• #17 St. Thomas 3, Gustavus 1 UST’s Taylor Lewis had 17 kills.
• #18 Saint Benedict 3, St. Catherine 0 CSB had 51 kills.
• Saint Mary’s 3, Macalester 0 SMU outhit MC .330 to .080.
• Hamline 3, St. Olaf 0 HU’s Jena Meyer had 14 kills.
• Bethel 3, Concordia-Moorhead 0 BU outhit CCM .309 to .144.

UMAC
• Martin Luther 3, Crown 0 MLC’s Kira Grev had 11 kills.
• Minnesota Morris 3, Bethany Lutheran 0 UMM’s Emily Auch had 11 kills.
• Northwestern 3, St. Scholastica 2 Set 5 ended 16-14; UNW’s Lizzy Jonas had 60 assists, 12 digs.
• North Central 3, Northland 0 NCU had 14 blocks.

SLIAC
• Westminster 3, Webster 0 WC snaps 22-match losing streak to WU.
• Fontbonne 3, MacMurray 0 FU’s Kersten McDonough had 15 kills.
• Principia 3, Blackburn 0 PC’s Tess Rountree hit 15-1-23.
• Webster 3, Spalding 1
• Principia 3, MacMurray 1 PC’s Tess Rountree had 20 kills, 17 digs.
• Fontbonne 3, Blackburn 0 FU’s Kersten McDonough had 13 kills.
• Greenville 3, Spalding 1
• Greenville 3, Westminster 1 GC’s Nicole Schaefer had 18 kills.

GPAC
• Briar Cliff 3, #21 Nebraska Wesleyan 2 Set 5 ended 15-11; BCU (13-4) is NAIA.

Nonconference
• UW-Whitewater 3, Wheaton 0 UWW had 11.5 blocks.

Top 25 upset watch
• #1 Hope 3, Messiah 0
• #1 Hope 3, DeSales 0
• #2 Cal Lutheran 3, Redlands 0
• #6 Wittenberg 3, Transylvania 0
• #6 Wittenberg 3, Bluffton 0
• #7 Mount Union 3, #20 DePauw 1
• #7 Mount Union 3, Defiance 0
• #8 Juniata 3, Elizabethtown 0
• #8 Juniata 3, Moravian 0
• #10 Colorado College 3, #16 Trinity (Texas) 2
• Southwestern 3, #10 Colorado College 0
• Linfield 3, #13 Pacific Lutheran 2
• #14 Eastern 3, Widener 0
• Haverford 3, #14 Eastern 2
• #16 Trinity (Texas) 3, Dallas 2
• #19 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 3, Pomona-Pitzer 1
• Geneva 3, #20 DePauw 2
• #23 Mary Hardin-Baylor 3, Texas Dallas 1

-Ricky Nelson

9/26/14: Stars upend #22 Kohawks

We have a Last Team Standing.

Chicago Classic
#11 Elmhurst, #25 Millikin, Cornell, Chicago, Carthage, Augustana, Concordia Chicago, Kalamazoo
#11 Elmhurst 3, Kalamazoo 1; Augustana 3, Concordia Chicago 0; Chicago 3, Augustana 0; #25 Millikin 3, Kalamazoo 0; #25 Millikin 3, Concordia Chicago 0; Carthage 3, Cornell 0; #11 Elmhurst 3, Cornell 0; Carthage 3, Chicago 2.

IIAC–NACC Challenge
#22 Coe, Wartburg, Loras, Buena Vista, Luther, Simpson, Dubuque, Central, Dominican, Edgewood, Concordia Wisconsin, Aurora, Lakeland, Benedictine, Marian, Wisconsin Lutheran
Loras 3, Benedictine 0; Luther 3, Lakeland 0; Simpson 3, Wisconsin Lutheran 0; Wartburg 3, Edgewood 0; Central 3, Marian 1; Aurora 3, Dubuque 0; Dominican 3, #22 Coe 2; Loras 3, Lakeland 0; Buena Vista 3, Concordia Wisconsin 1; Dubuque 3, Wisconsin Lutheran 0; Simpson 3, Marian 1; Concordia Wisconsin 3, Central 0; Luther 3, Benedictine 1; Wartburg 3, Dominican 0; Buena Vista 3, Aurora 0; #22 Coe 3, Edgewood 1.

Finlandia Invite
Finlandia, Mount Mary, Grace Bible
Finlandia 3, Mount Mary 1; Grace Bible 3, Mount Mary 0; Finlandia 3, Grace Bible 1.

WIAC
• UW-Whitewater 3, UW Oshkosh 0 UWW outhit UWO .301 to .115.
• UW-River Falls 3, UW-La Crosse 1 UWRF’s Katie Duff, Brianna Muetzel had 14 kills apiece.
• UW-Stout 3, UW-Platteville 1 UWS’s Karley Wiensch had 47 assists, 10 digs.
• UW-Eau Claire 3, UW-Superior 0 UWEC’s Alexis Wong had 11 kills.

MIAC
• #24 Augsburg 3, Carleton 2 Set 5 ended 15-10; AC’s Ashley Peper had 31 kills, 14 digs.

UMAC
• Minnesota Morris 3, Martin Luther 0 UMM’s Emily Auch had 17 kills.
• St. Scholastica 3, North Central 0 CSS outhit NCU .409 to .024.
• Bethany Lutheran 3, Crown 0 BLC’s Emily Franzen had 40 assists, 9 digs, 3 kills, 2 aces.
• Northwestern 3, Northland 0 UNW outhit NC .500 to .056.

MWC
• Carroll 3, Beloit 0 CU’s Kelly Sloyan hit 13-2-26.

SLIAC
• Spalding 3, Fontbonne 1 SU’s Elisa Burkman hit 22-2-45.

GPAC
• Dordt 3, #21 Nebraska Wesleyan 0 DC is #13 NAIA.

Nonconference
• Lake Forest 3, Trinity International 0 LFC’s Paige Jespersen had 11 kills, 10 digs.
• Iowa Wesleyan 3, AIB Business 1

Top 25 upset watch
• #1 Hope 3, Rowan 0
• #1 Hope 3, Marymount (Va.) 0
• #2 Cal Lutheran 3, #19 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 0
• #3 Emory 3, Agnes Scott 0
• #3 Emory 3, Maryville (Tenn.) 0
• #9 Christopher Newport 3, Averett 0
• #13 Pacific Lutheran 3, George Fox 0
• #14 Eastern 3, Salisbury 0
• #23 Mary Hardin-Baylor 3, Texas Tyler 0

-Ricky Nelson

9/25/14: NPU wins 6th straight

Nonconference
• North Park 3, Moody Bible 0 NPU’s Monalisa Fasavalu had 14 kills, 10 digs.

-Ricky Nelson

UNW’s Bellefeuille a Woman of the Year finalist

Former Northwestern All-America setter Krista Bellefeuille (Stoltz) is one of nine finalists for the NCAA Woman of the Year award. Bellefeuille is the only volleyball player among the finalists.

The nine finalists — three from each of the NCAA’s divisions — will be honored, and the winner will be announced, at a ceremony on Oct. 19 in Indianapolis.

NCAA release
Northwestern release

-Ricky Nelson