Live Stats at St. Mary's Tournament
THIS WEEK'S GAMES: The Blue Devils (0-0, 0-0 WIAC) open the season by traveling to the St. Mary's University Sugar Loaf Invitational, Sept. 1-2 in Winona, Minn. The Blue Devils open the tourney by meeting
Carthage College at 4 p.m., followed by host
St. Mary's. Saturday, the Blue Devils will take on the
University of Chicago and
Central College. St. Mary's is planning to have live stats of all matches.
ON-LINE: All home Blue Devil matches are available in a
live video stream.
BLUE DEVILS LAST TIME OUT: The Blue Devils finished the 2016 season at 15-14 overall, 3-4 in the WIAC, earning the sixth seed in the WIAC Tournament. Their season came to an end in the first round of the tournament with a 3-0 loss at UW-Oshkosh. |
Story and Stats
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. |
Statistics
A LOOK AT CARTHAGE COLLEGE: Carthage College being picked to follow-up a fourth place finish in 2016, with another fourth place finish in 2017 in the CCIW. Now two years removed from the 2015 NCAA Division III Women's Volleyball Championship semifinal appearance, the Lady Reds return two key upperclassmen in 2017 as libero Luci Krenzke returns for her senior season, and junior setter Abigail McGowan who was named CoSIDA Academic All-District last year. |
Statistics
LAST TIME THEY MET: Carthage holds a 5-1 lead in the series, taking the teams' last meeting, 3-0, Sept. 25, 2015
A LOOK AT ST. MARY'S UNIVERSITY: The Cardinals made their fourth straight MIAC Playoff appearance in 2016, while their 24 overall wins marked the fourth straight season that Saint Mary's has won 20 or more matches. The 24 wins were the most since going 24-9 in 2013. Brandi Blattner closed out her sophomore year as the team- and conference-leader in kills (440) and kills-per-set (4.54). She recorded seven matches of 20 or more kills—including three matches of 28 or more kills. Brittney Hanson and Lillian Braun accounted for 1,082 of the team's 1,271 assists a year ago. Hanson finished with a career-high 546 during her junior campaign—including 16 matches of 20 or more assists—while Braun chipped in 482 helpers in her first year in a Cardinal uniform. |
Statistics
LAST TIME THEY MET: The Blue Devils hold a 17-7 lead in the series with the Cardinals. Stout won their last meeting, 3-1, Sept. 12, 2015.
A LOOK AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO: The Maroons wrapped up 2016 with an 18-11 overall mark and 8-2 finish in the UAA. Coach Sharon Dingman and her coaches earned the UAA Staff of the Year and the Maroons snagged the No. 1 seed heading into the league tournament. But after topping Brandeis in the opening round, two-straight losses to Top 25 teams Carnegie Mellon and Washington-St. Louis knocked UChicago out of the postseason tournament and potentially cost the squad a bid into the NCAA tournament. First-Team UAA and honorable mention all-region selection Sarah Muisenga (3.52 kills per set, 3.24 digs per set, 35 blocks) is back on right side for her junior season, joining sophomore outside and UAA co-Rookie of the Year Anabella Pinton (2.67 kills per set, 2.80 digs per set) as Chicago veterans at the net. Other key players with experience include junior outside Audrey Scrafford (3.54 kills per set, 31 blocks) and sophomore middle Madison Pearson (1.49 kills per set, 37 blocks), while the team looks forward to the return of sophomore middle Madeleine Bol, who is healthy after missing a year with injury. |
Statistics
LAST TIME THEY MET: The teams have met only once, that coming Sept. 26, 2015, with the Maroons grabbing a five-set win, at the UW-Whitewater Invitational.
A LOOK AT CENTRAL COLLEGE: Middle hitter Jenna Dille was named to the all-Iowa Conference team last season and leads the way for the Dutch.Dille finished second in the league in hitting percentage and blocks. In eight matches, she hit .371 (78-16-167) and her 30 total blocks equaled 0.97 per set. She racked up 13 kills in matches against Nebraska Wesleyan and Buena Vista and six blocks against Simpson and Nebraska Wesleyan. Central went 14-15 overall, 4-4 in the IIAC, finishing in a tie for fifth. The Dutch added three more conference wins than the 2015 squad. Jeanne Czipri is in her first year with the Dutch as head coach, but led Dominican University to two NCAA post season berths. Central is picked to finish sixth in the IIAC, according to a preseason poll. |
Statistics
LAST TIME THEY MET: Central holds a 3-0 lead in the series. The teams last met Oct. 24, 2008, with the Dutch recording a 3-1 decision.
TEAM CAPTAINS: Captains for the 2017 season are yet to be named.
UW-STOUT COACH LAURA EVANS: Coach
Laura Evans (51-42) 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.
AWARDS: 2016: As a team, the Blue Devils earned the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic AwardLibero
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 travel to the UW-Oshkosh Invitational to play three matches Sept. 8-9, facing Lawrence University, Benedictine University and Concordia-Wis.
