Volleyball Preview: Schedule at River Falls tournament has changed

Live Video vs. UW-Superior

UW-RIVER FALL TOURNAMENT: The Blue Devils are scheduled to compete at the UW-River Falls Tournament this weekend, but there have been major changes in the schedule. What was originally a two-day tournament is now a one-day tournament with the Friday games canceled. Stout will now play two matches on Saturday, Bethel University at noon and UW-River Falls at 2 p.m.

THIS WEEK'S GAMES: The Blue Devils (16-7, 2-2 WIAC) will host UW-Superior (8-18, 1-3 WIAC), Wednesday, Oct. 15 at 7 p.m., then will travel to the UW-River Falls Invitational to face Gustavus Adolphus (9-10, 4-2 MIAC) and Central College, (15-6, 2-1 IIAC) Friday, Oct. 17 and Luther College (12-12, 1-3 IIAC) and Bethel University, (14-6, 4-2 MIAC) Saturday, Oct. 18. This will mark the final time the Blue Devils and the Yellowjackets will meet in conference play. Superior is leaving the WIAC for the UMAC starting next season. After this weekend, it is only conference matches. The Stout/Superior match is designated as a "Play for a Cause" match and the cause will be Lymphoma and Breast Cancer Awareness Night. All of the monies raised tonight will go to the American Cancer Society. Mayo Clinic Health System and UW-Stout College Against Cancer will be providing educational materials.

ON-LINE: All home Blue Devil matches are available in a live video stream.

BLUE DEVILS LAST TIME OUT: A night after dropping a 3-1 decision at UW-Whitewater, the Blue Devils swept UW-Oshkosh for the second time in a week, this time at Oshkosh. Laura Reiter put down 14 kills to lead the way and Morgan Denny had eight kills, a solo block and two block assists. Later in the day, the Blue Devils emptied the bench in a 3-0 win over Illinois Tech. | Story and Stats

A LOOK AT STOUT: With 16 wins, the Blue Devils have exceeded their win totals from the last two years and have put together more wins in a single season since the 2005 season. Morgan Denny is having a solid season, averaging 3.12 kills per set, ranking fifth in the WIAC and is averaging 0.95 blocks per set, ranking fifth in the league. Denny ranks sixth in the league in hitting percentage (.281). Denny has delivered double digit kills in 15 matches and has at least one solo block in 19 matches and currently has 944 total kills. Laura Reiter has contributed 2.63 kills. Setter Karley Wiensch ranks fifth in the WIAC in assists with 9.58 per set and eighth in service aces with 0.28. Nicole Bradford is averaging 4.33 digs per set, good for sixth in the league and is ninth in servce aces with 0.76. Molly Brion is 12th in the WIAC in digs with 3.33. Freshman Ashley Pratt has also chipped in, with 2.15 per set, and is fifth in the WIAC in hitting percentage (.293). Stout was picked to finish eighth in the conference, according to a WIAC preseason poll. | 2014 Stats | 2013 Stats

A LOOK AT UW-SUPERIOR: Superior picked up their first league win of the season, a 3-2 win at UW-La Crosse, Oct. 10, with Stephanie Bandelin putting down 23 kills in the contest and Leah Nightengale adding 11. The next afternoon, the Yellowjackets lost 3-2 at UW-Platteville, but Bandelin kept swinging away, tallying 21 kills. Nightengale had nine kills. The Yellowjackets are powered by Bandelin, who is leading the way with 3.53 kills per set, good for third in the WIAC. Keely Deadrick is averaging 9.09 assists per set. | 2014 Stats

THE LAST TIME STOUT AND UW-SUPERIOR MET: Trailing 2-0 after the first two sets, UW-Stout rallied back to tie the match, but came up just short to UW-Superior Oct. 2, 2013. The Yellowjackets captured the first two sets, 25-19, 25-21, but Stout came back to take the next two sets, 25-23, 25-16, before Superior took the match with a 15-11 finale. Laura Reiter finished with16 kills, while Morgan Denny added 13. The Yellowjackets' Kitty Tynen led all players with 19 kills. Jessica Zimmerman had 16 kills. | Story and Stats

A LOOK AT THE TEAMS AT THE UW-RIVER FALLS INVITE: UW-Stout will face Gustavus Adolphus and Central College, Friday, Oct. 17 and Luther College and Bethel University, Saturday, Oct. 18. Stout defeated Luther College, 3-1, Oct. 4 and lost to Bethel University, 3-0, Sept. 12. | Gustavus Stats | Central Stats | Luther Stats | Bethel Stats

TEAM CAPTAINS: Captains for the 2014 season are Morgan Denny, Nicole Bradford, Laura Reiter and Molly Brion

UW-STOUT COACH LAURA EVANS: Coach Laura Evans (16-7) is in her first year as the Blue Devil coach, replacing Jill Jolliff, who completed 21 seasons as the program's head coach, the longest tenure of any UW-Stout volleyball coach. Evans, the former Laura Hegerle, played her college volleyball at Southwest State University in Marshall, Minn. She has been an assistant coach at Colorado Christian, Augsburg College and Luther College.

QUICK HITS: The Blue Devils are coming off their second consecutive 15-win season...preseason camp was very competitive, with nearly 30 potential players in before the roster was trimmed to 18...Stout will face Carleton and Macalester colleges on both their first and second days of competion. The Blue Devils open with the pair at the St. Olaf Tournament this weekend, then also open the Macalester Tournament with the same teams, Friday, Sept. 5...Stout has only one home date in September (Friday, Sept. 26 vs. UW-Platteville in the conference opener)...and four home dates in October...Stout faces eight of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) teams at some point this fall, and face Carleton, Macalester, and Bethel twice. The only WIAC school the Blue Devils are scheduled to meet twice is UW-Oshkosh, but a trip to the WIAC Tournament will change that.

AWARDS: Nicole Bradford was the UW-Stout/Northwestern Mutual Athlete of hte Week after Stout went 3-1 from Oct. 6-11...Morgan Denny was the UW-Stout/Northwestern Mutual Athlete of the Week after her performance at the St. Kate's Invitational, Sept. 19-20...Morgan Denny and Karley Wiensch were named to the St. Kate's Invitational all-tournament team, Sept. 20...Morgan Denny was named to the Macalester College all-tournament team, Sept. 6...Kaylee Jacobs was selected to the all-tournament team at the St. Olaf/Carleton Invitational, Aug. 29...Karley Wiensch was an honorable mention selection to the 2013 All-WIAC Volleyball team...Morgan Denny earned Academic All-District honors...the entire 2013 squad was honored by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) with the Team Academic Award for the fourth time in five years....

DOWN THE ROAD: The Blue Devils will travel to UW-Stevens Point, Wednesday, Oct. 22. Stout will close out the regular season at UW-Eau Claire, Wednesday, Oct. 29 and will host UW-La Crosse, Friday, Oct. 31.