Volleyball Preview: At Augsburg, then to Northland Invite

Live Stats at Augsburg | Live Video at Augsburg | Northland College Tournament

THIS WEEK'S GAMES: The Blue Devils (3-1, 0-0 WIAC) put their early three game winning streak on the line when they travel to Augsburg College (2-2, 0-0 MIAC), Wednesday, Sept. 7. Stout will be at the Northland College Invitational Sept. 9-10 where they will face UW-Superior (0-4, 0-0 UMAC), Finlandia University (1-4), Knox College (0-4, 0-0 MWC) and host Northland College (1-3, 0-0 UMAC).

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

BLUE DEVILS LAST TIME OUT: The Blue Devils' last opponent was Augsburg, who they downed 3-0 in the final game of the University of Northwestern Invitational Sept. 3. The Blue Devils opened the season with a 3-2 loss to Loras College in the first game of the Northwestern Invite, then ran off the next three matches, downing Westminster College, 3-1, St. Scholastica, 3-0, and Augsburg. Setter Jessica DuVal and middle blocker Kennedy Strain were named to the all-tournament team. | Story and Stats


A LOOK AT STOUT: UW-Stout returns their top two hitters and blockers to lead a small group of returners into the 2016 season. The Blue Devils return six players to the roster - one senior, two juniors and three sophomores - including both starting middle hitters from last season. All-WIAC honorable mention pick Ashley Pratt (Jr, Lakeville) led the team in kills last season at 2.59 per set and was the team's leader in total blocks with 109 as a sophomore. Pratt recorded 18 solo blocks and 91 block assists. Kennedy Strain (So, Elk River, Minn) had a strong freshman season, securing the middle opposite Pratt, finishing with 2.14 kills per set and led the team in solo blocks with 29. Strain finished with 106 total blocks. Beginning her third year as the Blue Devil head coach, Laura Evans will look to Pratt and Strain to anchor the team in the middle. Olivia Jung (Andover, Minn), the lone senior on the team, will play either outside or on the right side. Jung saw limited action last season, playing in 43 sets, but still finished sixth on the team in total blocks with 23. Junior Becky Bradshaw (Oak Lawn, Ill) returns at outside hitter and she too saw limited action last year, but when she is on the court, she is capable of playing front and back row and averaged 1.83 kills per set. Outside hitter Steph Cannon will need to recover from an injury and is not expected to be back for the season after playing in 118 sets last year. Sophomore setter Emily Bialka (Cottage Grove, Minn) gained valuable experience after playing in 139 of 141 possible sets last year. Bialka was part of a two-setter system - Stout played three different offenses throughout the year - for much of last season and led the team in assists with 742 (5.34), ranking eighth in the WIAC. Bialka can also get off the ground. She put down 50 kills and recorded 36 total blocks, fourth on the team. Defensive specialist Carissa Hilgers played in 73 sets last season and returns. Defensive specialist Hallie Locher comes in as a junior after transferring from UW-La Crosse, where she played for two seasons. Last season, Locher played in 88 sets for the Eagles, averaging 2.33 digs and tallied 14 service aces. The Blue Devils will look to a large freshman class to fill needs. The recruiting class includes three setters who will compete with Bialka. "Our incoming setters coming in can, and will need to, compete at a high level," Evans said. The coaching staff will need to concentrate on fundamentals early in the preseason "With so many new kids, we will need to focus on the ball control piece," Evans said. "Our serve, receive and defense will be key." | 2015 Stats


A LOOK AT AUGSBURG COLLEGE: By a quirk in the schedule, the Blue Devils and the Auggies will meet in back-to-back matches. The teams met in the final match at the University of Northwestern Tournament where Stout picked up a 3-0 win. The Auggies, after finishing 19-9 overall, 5-6 in league play, are picked to finish fifth this season in the MIAC. The Auggies gradutated three-time All-American Ashley Peper, but return All-American setter Courtney Lemke, who is currently sixth in the school history with 1920 career assists. | 2015 Stats

AUGGIES LAST TIME OUT: Augsburg opened its season with a 2-2 performance at the University of Northwestern-St. Paul Labor Day Tournament on Friday and Saturday. Augsburg posted vicotries over the College of St. Scholastica and Loras College while falling to Coe College and the University of Wisconsin Stout. Augsburg's Macey Terhell was named to the All-Tournament team for her outstanding performance. | Story and Statistics

THE LAST TIME STOUT AND AUGSBURG MET: Jessica DuVal had 27 assists and Ashley Pratt ran her season streak to four with matches of 11 kills or more as the Blue Devils topped the Auggies, 3-0. Stout took the first game, 25-21, then kept the Auggies in the middle teens with wins of 25-16, 25-17. DuVal finished with six kills. Kennedy Strain had a solo block, three assisted blocks and seven kills. Last season, Stout had a chance to force a fifth and deciding set, but 25th ranked Augsburg College stormed back from a four point fourth set deficit and went on to defeat the Blue Devils, 3-1, in Stout's home opener last September | Story and Statistics


A LOOK AT UW-SUPERIOR: TSuperior sophomore setter Emily VerWay has earned the honor of being the first Upper Midwest Athletic Conference Setter of the Week in 2016, the league announced Monday. VerWay, the conference's defending Rookie of the Year, averaged a league-high 9.62 assists per set on the weekend as the Yellowjackets competed at the Bethel University Invitational on Friday and Saturday afternoon in St. Paul. UW-Superior averaged 11.46 kills per game and hit .123 on the weekend in four matches. VerWay had four service aces, five kills, and one block assist and also averaged 2.0 digs per set. VerWay's teammate Brylee Colligan was named to the Bethel Invitational's All-Tournament Team on Sunday afternoon.r. | Statistics

YELLOWJACKETS LAST TIME OUT: Superior left the Bethel tournament without a win, falling on the final day to Nebraska Wesleyan and Willamette University by identical 3-0scores. Superior plays Carleton and St. Olaf before heading up to Ashland. | Story and Statistics

THE LAST TIME STOUT AND SUPERIOR MET: The Blue Devls and the Yellowjackets have not met since Superior left the WIAC and their last meeting was Oct. 15, 2014 as UW-Stout found themselves on the bad end of a loss and a lopsided third set score, but played well enough to take a five set match over a spunky UW-Superior team. | Story and Statistics


A LOOK AT FINLANDIA UNIVERSITY: Finlandia's season last year came to an end in Atlanta, Georgia as the Lions fell 3-0 (25-15, 25-21, 25-16) to Agnes Scott College in the Great South Athletic Conference tournament semifinals. The Lions finished with a 16-18 record, and for the third year in a row showed marked improvement against the year before. The Lions went 6-26 in 2013 and 13-28 in 2014. | Statistics

LIONS LAST TIME OUT: Finlandia University volleyball team wrapped up finished up the Saint Mary's U. Sugar Loaf Classic, Saturday at Gostomski Fieldhouse. The Lions lost 3-1 (25-13, 20-25, 25-17, 25-9) to St. Norbert (1-2) and 3-0 (25-8, 25-12, 25-14) to #15 Wisconsin-Stevens Point (4-0)..Finlandia defeated Mount Mary, 3-0, Monday for their first win of the season. | Story and Statistics

THE LAST TIME STOUT AND FINLANDIA MET: There is no record that the teams have ever met since 1991. | Story and Statistics


A LOOK AT KNOX COLLEGE: The Knox College volleyball team posted their most wins since 1995 and look to keep moving up the conference rankings. In the preseason coaches' poll the team was picked to finish sixth in the Midwest Conference this season. Despite season ending injuries and illnesses, the 2015 team posted the most single season wins since 1995 and defeated conference rival Lake Forest for the first time in school history. Additionally, Rose Griffin was named to the All-Conference team and five 2015 rostered athletes earned MWC All-Academic honors. | Statistics

PRAIRIE FIRE LAST TIME OUT: The Prairie Fire volleyball team lost to Webster and Adrian on September 3 to complete the Baden Invite at WashU. Knox dropped their first set against Webster 13-25, but rebounded in the second two sets to fall 20-25 in each. The first set was close until Webster scored 10 of the last 11 points. The second set was back and forth, but after a 15-15 tie the Gorloks took control. The third set was close until the end, but Webster scored the last three points to secure the set and the match. Knox will meet Eureka College and Iowa Wesleyan before heading up to the Northland Invite | Story and Statistics

THE LAST TIME STOUT AND KNOX MET: There is no record that the teams have ever met since 1991. | Story and Statistics


A LOOK AT NORTHLAND COLLEGE: The Lumberjills are coming off a season where they finished 5-16 overall, 1-7 in UMAC play and have been picked to finish seventh in a preseason poll. The Lumberjills return libero Jasmine Gomez, who led the UMAC last season in digs with 5.33 per set. Camille Eastburn returns after averaging 2.49 kills per set. | Statistics

LUMBERJILLS LAST TIME OUT: At day two of the Ponoma Pitzer Tournament in Pomona, Calif. the LumberJills played Rhodes College and the University of Redlands. In game one Northland lost by scores 15-25, 21-25 and 20-25. Northland was lead offensively by Kaela Huber and Bethany Best who had nine kills each, Caitlyn Severson had a great night as well with six kills and six digs. Hannah Hitchcock had 23 assists in the match. | Story and Statistics

THE LAST TIME STOUT AND NORTHLAND MET: A week after winning a pair of five set matches in a single day, the UW-Stout volleyball team made short work of the second day opponents at the Macalester Invitational, downing both Northland College and host Macalester College in straight sets. The Blue Devils easily cruised past Northland College, 25-14, 25-9, 25-6. | Story and Statistics


TEAM CAPTAINS: Captains for the 2016 season are yet to be named.

UW-STOUT COACH LAURA EVANS: Coach Laura Evans (39-29) is in her third year as the Blue Devil coach. In her first season, the Blue Devils posted 20 wins, the first 20-win season since 2004. 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 posted a 20-10 overall record during the 2014 season, finishing with 20 wins for the first time since the 2004 season and finished fourth in league play, again their best finish since the 2004 season. But the Blue Devils picked up the competitive level of their schedule in 2015 and finished at 16-18 overall...Stout was picked to finish sixth in the WIAC in a preseason poll conducted by conference coaches and sports information directors.

AWARDS: Setter Jessica DuVal and middle hitter Kennedy Strain were selected to the University of Northwestern all-tournament team, Sept. 3...2015 Awards: Ashley Pratt earned all-conference honorable mention honors...Payton Schultz was selected to the All-Tournament team at the Coe College Mabel Lee Invitational...Ashley Pratt was selected UW-Eau Claire Sandy Schumacher Memorial Tournament all-tournament team, Oct. 17...Molly Brion was selected to the UW-Whitewater all-tournament team, Sept. 26...Ashley Pratt was selected to the Loras College Invitational all-tournament team...Ashley Pratt was selected as the UW-Stout/Northwestern Mutual Athlete of the Week, Sept. 8...Carly Troudt and Ashley Pratt were named to the Pacific Coast Classic all-tournament team.

DOWN THE ROAD: The Blue Devils will be at the University of Northwestern, Wednesday, Sept. 14, then will be at the second half of the Sandy Schumacher Fall Invitational at UW-Eau Claire, Saturday, Sept 17 to face MIAC foes St. Thomas and Bethel University.