Volleyball Preview: Blue Devils open at home with Bethel

Live Video | WIAC Weekly Release

THIS WEEK'S GAMES: It's the home opener for UW-Stout (4-4, 0-0 WIAC) as the Blue Devils host MIAC opponent Bethel University (7-2, 0-1 MIAC), , Friday, Sept. 15 at 7 p.m. . The Blue Devils are coming off a four-set win at UW-Superior Tuesday night, while Bethel lost their MIAC opener, 3-2, to St. Mary's University, a team that had blanked the Blue Devils in the season-opening tournament at St. Mary's. Stout will be at the UW-River Falls Invitational, Saturday, Sept. 16 to face the College of St. Benedict (1-4, 0-0 MIAC) and the University of St. Thomas (7-1, 0-0 MIAC). The Blue Devils will open the WIAC schedule Wednesday, Sept. 20 when they host UW-Platteville.

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

BLUE DEVILS LAST TIME OUT: The Blue Devils defeated Lawrence University and Benedictine University, 3-0, at the UW-Oshkosh Pizza Hut Classic, Sept. 8, then lost 3-0 to Concordia-Wisconsin, Sept. 9. Stout defeated UW-Superior, 3-1, Sept. 12 in Superior.  | Story and Stats

THE BLUE DEVILS IN 2017: The stats from this year, at this point in time, are turned around a little bit from last season, but both middle hitters Kennedy Strain and Ashley Pratt lead the Blue Devils. Strain, who led the team in blocks last year, is the team's leader in kills, averaging 2.76 per set. Pratt, who led the team last year in kills, has 60 kills and is averaging 2.14 kills. She is the team's leader in blocks, averaging 0.68. Kylie Hoff, who last season saw action in nine sets has already played in 10 sets and has tallied 22 kills on the season, averaging 2.20 kills per contest. | 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 BETHEL UNIVERSITY:  Kristin Stern leads the Royals at the net, averaging 3.29 kills per set, and leads the team defensively with 24 block assists. Tina Hoppe, Brooke Olstad, Maria Clafin and Karin Canakes are all averging 2.0 kills or more. The Royals opened the season with five consecutive wins and were receiving votes in the AVCA Top 25 poll. .  | Statistics

BETHEL LAST TIME OUT: Bethel came out with a 25-20 victory in the opening set over St. Mary's Tuesday, but the Cardinals quickly tallied the equalizer with a 25-13 win in the second frame.  The pivotal third set looked to be going Bethel's way as the Royals led 20-17 and 21-19, but St. Mary's went on a 5-0 run and went on to capture the 25-23 triumph. Bethel forced a decisive fifth set with a 25-20 fourth set win. The Royals led 4-1 early and 12-10 late, but the Cardinals closed out the match with a 5-1 run, which proved to be the difference in the end. Brooke Olstad had a career-high 14 kills, to go along with 12 digs, three block assists, and a .263 hitting percentage. Kristin Stern and Karin Canakes each had nine kills and a combined 10 block assists. Maria Claflin finished with seven kills. | Story and Statistics

LAST TIME THEY MET: The Royals defeated Stout, 25-20, 25-15, 25-20, last September at the UW-Eau Claire Invitational. Ashley Pratt led Stout against Bethel with nine kills on 19 attacks with no errors, hitting .474. Pratt and Rayna Figueroa each had three block assists. Figueroa played in one set. As a team, Stout had 24 kills and finished with 19 assists.  | Story and Statistics



A LOOK AT ST. BENEDICT:  Back to lead St. Benedict is senior setter Megan Pekarek, who finished second in the MIAC in assists and assists per set last season. She earned All-MIAC and All-Region Honorable Mention honors, and eclipsed the 2,000-assist milestone in the team's final game of the season. Lauren Mathews is back to lead CSB's hitters after earning All-MIAC honors as a sophomore, and junior Liz Schultz looks to improve on her 237 kills last year. Anchoring the defense is sophomore libero Haley LaValle, who finished eighth in the MIAC with 482 digs as a first year.  | Statistics

BLAZERS LAST TIME OUT:  Liz Schultz finished with a team-high 13 kills for CSB, which hit just .096 Sept. 8 as the Blazers lost a 3-0 non-conference contest to Augsburg University. Weiss added nine kills for CSB. Megan Pekarek finished with 25 assists and 11 digs, and Haley LaValle led the team with 14 digs. Morgan Holthaus also added 12 digs. Schultz also had four block assists and Madison Weiss finished with three. St. Benedict opens the MIAC season Sept. 13 at St. Catherine. | Story and Statistics

LAST TIME THEY MET:  The Blue Devils lost, 3-0, to the College of St. Benedict in the second day of the 2015 UW-Eau Claire Sandy Schumacher Invitational. The teams meet twice this year, Sept. 16 at the UW-River Falls Tournament and again Oct. 7 at the UW-Eau Claire Sandy Schumacher Invitational. | Story and Statistics



A LOOK AT ST. THOMAS: The Tommies are off to a 7-1 start, with their only loss coming in the season opener, a 3-0 set back to Pacific Lutheran University at the Puget Sound Premiere. The Tommies received votes in the AVCA preseason poll and are coming off a season where they advanced to the NCAA Division III tournament. They are picked to finish fourth in the MIAC this season.  | Statistics

ST. THOMAS LAST TIME OUT:  The Tommies took 3-0 wins over St. Scholastica, the University of Northwestern and UW-La Crosse, plus a 3-1 win over UW-Eau Claire, all at the Augsburg Invitational, Sept. 8-9. The Tommies open their MIAC season Wednesday, Sept. 13 at Concordia-Moorhead.  | Story and Statistics

LAST TIME THEY MET: The Tommies defeated Stout, 3-1, last September at the UW-Eau Claire Invitational. Ashley Pratt and Olivia Jung both recorded 11 kills against the Tommies, and Kennedy Strain added 10 kills, three solo blocks and an assisted block. Setter Jessica DuVal had a season-high seven kills and recorded 27 assists. The Tommies Whitney Lloyd had 15 kills. | Story and Statistics



UW-STOUT COACH LAURA EVANS: Coach Laura Evans (55-46) 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 VOLLEYBALL ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Offensive: Kennedy Strain, Jr, Elk River, Minn; Defensive: none

AWARDS: 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 open the WIAC schedule when the host UW-Platteville, Wednesday, Sept. 20 at 7 p.m., then head to Naperville, Ill, to participate in the WIAC/CCIW Crossover at North Central College, Sept. 22-23. Stout will mee CCIW teams Augustana College, North Park University and Elmhurst College.