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WIAC Weekly Release
THIS WEEK'S MATCHES: The Blue Devils (6-15, 1-2 WIAC) will host
UW-River Falls (15-9, 0-3 WIAC), Wednesday, Oct. 11 at 7 p.m. The Blue Devils host ninth-ranked
UW-Whitewater (14-3, 3-0 WIAC), Friday, Oct. 13 at 7 p.m., then will travel to
Hamline University (3-19, 0-6 MIAC), Saturday, Oct. 14 for a 10:30 a.m. contest with the Pipers. Former Blue Devil Maggie Meixl is the Pipers' head coach.
ON-LINE: All home Blue Devil matches are available in a
live video stream.
BLUE DEVILS LAST TIME OUT: The Blue Devils snapped an eight match losing streak when they swept past St. Scholastica, Saturday at the UW-Eau Claire Sandy Schumacher Memorial Invitational. The Blue Devils went 1-2 in the tournament, but
Kennedy Strain was selected to the all-tournament team by averaging 3.2 kills per set. Strain had 13 kills against St. Scholastica. Earlier in the week, Strain put down a season-best 16 kills in a loss to Augsburg University. |
Story and Stats
THE BLUE DEVILS IN 2017: Junior middle hitter
Kennedy Strain has stepped up the last several matches, and is averaging a team-best 2.82 kills per game and has put down 21 solo blocks along with 29 block assists for 50 total blocks. Over the last four matches, Strain has averaged 3.69 kills per set. Strain is currently ranked ninth in the WIAC in kills.
Amber Ripley is averaging 2.26 kills per set and
Ashley Pratt is averaging 2.14 kills. Setter
Jessica DuVal is fifth in the WIAC in assists with 8.53.
Steph Cannon is averaging 4.63 digs per set, good for fifth in the WIAC. |
Statistics
A LOOK AT STOUT: The Blue Devils return strength up the middle by returning middle blockers
Ashley Pratt and
Kennedy Strain, both WIAC honorable mention selections last season. Pratt, a two-time All-WIAC honorable mention pick, has been at or towards the top of Stout's hitting game throughout her career, lasting year leading the team in both hitting percentage (.264) and kills (3.41). Pratt ranked seventh in the WIAC in hitting percentage and was fourth in kills. For her career, Pratt is averaging 2.75 kills per contest and hitting at a .268 clip. Pratt has played in 91 matches, tallying play in 335 sets. Opposite Pratt, Strain is the team's top returning blocker and trailed only Pratt in kills. Strain averaged 0.83 blocks last year, ranking 10th in the league, but topped all league players with 28 solo blocks. Strain also led the conference as a freshman in solo blocks with 29, ranking seventh in total blocks (0.85) in her rookie year.
Emily Bialka contributed to the Blue Devils last season while moving to a different role. As a freshman, Bialka was one of the two setters in the Blue Devils' 6-2 offense. Bialka played a few sets last season as the setter, but was moved to the right side hitter position. Bialka finished by averaging 1.0 kills per contest and still managed to contribute just short of one assist per contest (0.80). Bialka trailed only Strain in blocks per set, averaging 0.59.
Jessica DuVal secured the setter position last season as a freshman, and finished the season ranking sixth in the WIAC in assists, averaging 8.26 per contest. DuVal played in 105 sets last year, tops of any returning players. DuVal recorded 2.83 digs per set, the best of any returning players.
Carissa Hilgers returns to the back row where she played in 99 of 107 possible sets and averaging 1.79 digs per set. Hilgers served up 19 service aces, second on the team, and the best of any returners. Following a good freshman season,
Steph Cannon was forced to sit out the entire 2016 season due to injury. But Cannon returns in 2017 as an outside hitter. During her freshman year, Cannon averaged just shy of a kill per set, tallying 0.99 kills, seeing action in 118 of 141 sets. Cannon was second on the team in digs with 2.89 digs per set.
A LOOK AT UW-RIVER FALLS: The Falcons are getting 2.67 kills from Amara Meyer, 11th in the WIAC. Meyer and Hannah Robb rank seventh and eighth, respectively, in service aces, with Robb dropping in 0.35 and Meyer 0.32. Karlie Niesen is among the conference leaders in blocks, averaging 0.89 with five solo and a league-best 75 assisted blocks. Robb is third in the league in digs with 4.95. The Falcons started off the season 14-5, but have gone 1-4 the last five matches. |
Statistics
FALCONS LAST TIME OUT: The Falcons went 1-2 at the UW-Eau Claire Invitational, downing Augsburg University, 3-1, but falling to nationally ranked Millikin and St. Scholastica. Hannah Striggow led the Falcon offense with 15 kills and eight digs against the Auggies. Dakotah Poitra had eight kills, three serving aces and 12 digs. Amara Meyer also had five blocks. Poitra was named to the all-tournament team. |
Story and Statistics
LAST TIME THEY MET: Ashley Pratt finished with 11 kills as UW-Stout defeated UW-River Falls in the conference opener for the second consecutive season, this time taking a 3-0 win over the Falcons Sept. 21, 2016, in River Falls. The Blue Devils defeated the Falcons, 25-13, 25-18, 25-22.
Olivia Jung added eight kills for the Blue Devils (8-5, 1-0 WIAC). Freshman
Elle Hagstrom chipped in six kills and
Kennedy Strain put down four kills along with five assisted blocks. Amara Meyer led the Falcons with eight kills, while Hannah Striggow finished with six kills. Dakotah Poitra had two solo blocks and Raven Klein had one solo block and three assisted blocks. |
Story and Statistics
A LOOK AT UW-WHITEWATER: After finishing in three-way tie for first place last season, the Warhawks were picked to win the conference in a preseason poll. The Warhawks are currently ranked ninth in the latest AVCA poll. Whitewater has captured three of the last six regular-season titles and consecutive tournament crowns. Two of three of Whitewater's losses have come to Top 10 ranked teams. Sydney Racky leads the team with 3.10 kills per set. Courtney Wegner has 2.90 kills, Amanda Spera 2.43 and Rachel Butterfield 2.21. As a team, the Warhawks lead the league in hitting percentage (.234) and setter Elizabeth Niestrom is able to take advantage of that consistency and leads the WIAC in assists with 10.90. McKenzie Evers is the conference leader in service aces with 0.45. |
Statistics
WARHAWKS LAST TIME OUT: The Warhawks are scheduled to host UW-Platteville Tuesday. The team is coming off a 3-2 win over Augustana College, Oct. 5, dropping the first two sets before storming back to capture the match. Whitewater has won seven matches in a row. Their last loss came at the Trinity, Texas, Invitational where they lost to now fifth ranked Southwestern, Texas, University. |
Story and Statistics
LAST TIME THEY MET: Despite recording almost half as many kills as their opponent, UW-Stout was able to stay relatively close to 12th ranked UW-Whitewater, but he Warhawks still tripped up the Blue Devils 3-0 at Russell Court Oct. 7, 2016. The Blue Devils were able to put down only 26 total kills compared to 47 for the Warhawks. The Warhawks did commit 22 attack errors to Stout's 15. Stout recorded a hitting percentage of .080, while Whitewater hit at a .174 pace. But the Warhawks made up for several of those points at the serving line, slicing in seven service aces to Stout's two. The Warhawks won the match 25-19, 25-21, 25-18. Stout has not beaten Whitewater since Oct. 8, 1994, a span of 31 matches. |
Story and Statistics
A LOOK AT HAMLINE: Former Blue Devil Maggie Meixl, a first team all-WIAC selection, is the Pipers' head coach and is in her first year at the helm. Meixl played at Stout from 2005-08 and was a middle hitter. The Pipers have had their woes this season, and have not won since early September when they downed Crown College, 3-0. Cass Bittle leads the Pipers with 2.42 kills |
Statistics
PIPERS LAST TIME OUT: The Pipers are scheduled to be at Carleton College Wednesday in a MIAC matchup. Morgen Coleman had a busy, productive Saturday. The sophomore was busy at both sides of the court for the Pipers in a pair of matches against Wis-La Crosse and host team Wartburg. The North Branch, Minn. native had 17 kills, 15 assists, 14 digs and two service aces for Hamline which lost both matches by 3-0 scores. |
Story and Statistics
LAST TIME THEY MET: After dropping the first two sets, UW-Stout stormed back to defeat Hamline University, 3-2, at the St. Catherine University Invitational Sept. 19, 2014. The Blue Devils went on to down St. Olaf, 3-0, in the late game. |
Story and Statistics
UW-STOUT COACH LAURA EVANS: Coach
Laura Evans (57-57) is in her fourth 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.
BLUE DEVIL ATHLETES OF THE WEEK: Offensive:
Kennedy Strain, Jr, Elk River, Minn.;
AWARDS: Kennedy Strain was selected to the UW-Eau Claire Sandy Schumacher Memorial all-tournament team, Oct. 7...
Steph Cannon was selected to the UW-River Falls Invitational all-tournament team, Sept. 16...
Kennedy Strain was selected to the UW-Oshkosh Pizza Hut Classic all-tournament team, Sept. 9..
2016: The Blue Devil team earned the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic Award...Libero
Anna Panning was selected as the UW-Stout/DIgiCopy Athlete of the Week, Oct. 25...Defensive specialist
Anna Panning was selected to the WIAC/CCIW Crossover all-tournament team, Sept. 25...Middle hitter
Ashley Pratt was selected as the UW-Stout/DigiCopy Athlete of the Week, Sept. 13...Middle hitter
Kennedy Strain was named to the Northland College all-tournament team, Sept. 10...Setter
Jessica DuVal and middle hitter
Ashley Pratt were selected to the University of Northwestern all-tournament team, Sept. 3.
DOWN THE ROAD: Stout will be at Gustavus Adolphus Tuesday, Oct. 17 before closing the home portion of the schedule Friday, Oct. 20 when they host Minnesota-Morris.
