Live Video StreamTHIS WEEK'S GAMES: The Blue Devils (10-5, 0-0 WIAC) will open the WIAC schedule when they will host
UW-Platteville (5-10, 0-1 WIAC), Friday, Sept. 26 at 7 p.m. The Pioneers opened their conference schedule Wednesday night with a 3-1 loss to UW-Whitewater in Platteville. During the evening, UW-Stout will honor the 2004 UW-Stout volleyball team that won the WIAC Tournament championship and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. This Blue Devil team produced two All-Americans and three first team all-WIAC selections. The team still holds school records in kills, attack attempts, assisted blocks and winning percentage - the team went 31-5 overall and were the second seed in the conference tournament.
ON-LINE: All home Blue Devil matches are available in a
live video stream. There is no charge to watch a standard definition broadcast. To upgrade to a high definition broadcast is $6.95.
BLUE DEVILS LAST TIME OUT: The Blue Devils ran off four straight wins at the St. Kate's Invitational, downing Hamline, 3-2, St. Olaf, 3-0, Grinnell College, 3-0, and St. Catherine, 3-2.
Morgan Denny and
Karley Wiensch were named to the all-tournament team. |
vs. Hamline/St. Olaf Story and Stats |
vs. Grinnell/St. Catherine Story and Stats A LOOK AT STOUT: Morgan Denny is having the best season of her collegiate career, averaging 3.29 kills per set, ranking third in the WIAC and is averaging 0.89 blocks per set, ranking fifth in the league. Denny ranks sixth in the league in hitting percentage (.292). Setter
Karley Wiensch ranks fifth in assists with 9.27 per set and 13th in service aces with 0.30.
Nicole Bradford is averaging 4.20 digs per set, good fo reighth in the league and is 12th in servce aces with 0.31.
Molly Brion is 12th in the WIAC in digs with 3.42....The Blue Devils return three seniors to the squad - setter
Karley Wiensch, middle hitter
Morgan Denny, and defensive specialist
Nicole Bradford. Both Wiensch and Denny have started or seen considerable action since their freshmen seasons. Junior hitter
Laura Reiter led the Blue Devils years in the attack, averaging 3.00 kills per set. Denny was just behind with 2.35 kills and led the team in blocks for the third consecutive season, averaging 0.83 total blocks per set. Wiensch handled the majority of the setting, averaging 9.46 assists per contest. Wiensch was the team leader in service aces with 33 and Bradford had 25. Bradford led the team in digs with 3.41. Stout returns eight players from last year's squad, and brings 10 new faces to the roster. Stout was picked to finish eighth, according to a WIAC preseason poll. |
2014 Stats |
2013 StatsHONORING THE 2004 TEAM: The Blue Devils will honor the 2004 UW-Stout volleyball team that won the WIAC Tournament championship and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. This Blue Devil team produced two All-Americans and three first team all-WIAC selections. The team still holds school records in kills, attack attempts, assisted blocks and winning percentage - the team went 31-5 overall and were the second seed in the conference tournament.
A LOOK AT UW-PLATTEVILLE: The Pioneers have taken on some tough foes aver the last week, facing four teams that either are, or have been ranked in the top 25 of the AVCA Top 25 poll. In addition to dropping a 3-1 decision to UW-Whitewater on Wednesday, the Pioneers lost to then seventh ranked Washington University of St. Louis and 13th ranked Elmhurst College. Throw in Millikin, which was still receiving votes, and few teams had a tougher strength of schedule during that run. The Pioneers are led by Allison Jenson with 2.48 kills per set, followed by Merritt Johnson (2.19) and Lidia Frias (2.22). Lias is tops on the team in blocks (0.95), followed by Lauren Grady (0.73). Allie Carter leads the team in assists (7.14), followed by Katie O'Malley (5.10). Platteville's home opener on Wednesday wasn't as welcoming as the Pioneers would have liked, falling to UW-Whitewater, 3-1 (25-18, 25-19, 22-15, 25-19), in Williams Fieldhouse. Freshman Allison Jensen led the Pioneers with 14 kills and also tallied three blocks. Junior Lauren Grady recorded 11 kills with a stellar .435 hitting percentage, while sophomore Lidia Frias registered 10 kills. The Pioneers held their own at the net with 14 blocks to UWW's 9. UW-Platteville's 14 service errors washed out the solid play at the net.Five service errors in the first set crippled the Pioneers from making any run, as the Warhawks took the set, 25-18. |
2014 StatsTHE LAST TIME THEY MET: UW-Stout and UW-Platteville traded sets throughout the afternoon with the Pioneers topping the Blue Devils in five sets Oct. 26, 2013, 3-2. Platteville took the contest, 25-11, 18-25, 25-12, 17-25, 15-10 and did so defensively at the net. The Pioneers recorded two solo blocks, but combined for 30 assisted blocks for the afternoon.
Laura Reiter was the only Blue Devil to record ouble digit kills, finishing with 10.
Emily Crew finished with nine and
Rachel Tschumperlin eight. The Pioneers; Stephanie Kirchner led all players with 18 kills. Jennifer Schmidt contributed 14 and Leeann Mizgalski 11. Lidia Frias had eight assisted blocks and Kirchner had seven.
TEAM CAPTAINS: Captains for the 2014 season are
Morgan Denny,
Nicole Bradford,
Laura Reiter and
Molly BrionUW-STOUT COACH LAURA EVANS: Coach
Laura Evans (10-5) 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: 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 host UW-River Falls, Wednesday, Oct. 1 at 7 p.m., then will travel to UW-La Crosse where they will meet UW-Oshkosh and Luther College, both non-conference contests. Stout returns home Tuesday, Oct. 7 for a non-conference contest against St. Scholastica at 7 p.m.
