Volleyball Preview: Stout to play at Morris Tuesday

 WIAC Weekly Release | Morris Live Stats | Morris Live Video | Bethel Live Stats | Bethel Live Video

THIS WEEK'S MATCHES: The Blue Devils (4-3, 0-0 WIAC) will participate in their first dual of the season when they head across the state of Minnesota to meet Minnesota-Morris (3-6) Tuesday, Sept. 11 at 7 p.m. The Blue Devils will participate in the Bethel University Tournament, Sept. 14-15, meeting Luther College, Friday, Sept. 14 at 7 p.m. On Saturday, Sept. 15, Stout will meet St. Olaf College at 11 a.m. and host Bethel at 1 p.m.  

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

PARKING: Parking on the UW-Stout campus is restricted during the business week. For games in Johnson Fieldhouse during the week, please plan to park in Lot 29. Do not park in Lot 4, which is a reserved lot for students that live in the residence halls.

BLUE DEVILS LAST TIME OUT: The Blue Devils vs. def. Martin Luther College, 3-0, then lost by identical 3-2 scores to Wisconsin Lutheran and St. Norbert at the UW-Oshkosh Pizza Hut Classic, Sept. 7-8.  


A LOOK AT STOUT: The Blue Devils return all-conference picks Kennedy Strain and Steph Cannon, who both garnered honorable mention honors. Strain, a senior middle hitter,, led the Blue Devils in kills, averaging 2.82 kills per set, tallying 302 total, and ranks 10th in the WIAC in kills per set. She ranks eighth in the conference in hitting percentage, hitting at a .255 clip. On the block, Strain finished with 23 solo blocks and 49 block assists for 79 total She averaged 0.67 per set. Eighteen times this season, Strain finished with double-digit kills, with a season-high 20 in a 3-2 win over Minnesota-Morris. After sitting out the 2016 season, Cannon, a junior, made the switch from hitter to back-row specialist, wearing the libero shirt for the majority of games and was chosen to the all-conference team as a libero. Cannon, who was also selected to the all-defensive team, finished the year with 548 digs, a mark that is fifth on the UW-Stout all-time singles seasons list. Cannon ranked fourth in the WIAC in digs, averaging 4.98 per set. Cannon threatened the school single match digs record, recording 44 digs against Minnesota-Morris. The school record is 48. Cannon 11 times exceeded 20 digs in a single match and four times had 30 or more digs.The Blue Devils return senior Emily Bialka, who switched from setter to hitter last season. Jessica DuVal returns after two years as the starting setter. Amber Ripley made an impression as a freshman hitter. | Complete 2018 Season Preview


THE BLUE DEVILS IN 2018: Kennedy Strain is currently seventh in the WIAC in kills, averaging 2.90 per set. Strain is fourth in the WIAC in hitting percentage  at .268. Playing in a 6-2, Jessica DuVal is ranked fourth in the WIAC in assists with 6.13 per set. DuVal is among the top 20 in service acesSteph Cannon is fourth in digs in the WIAC, averaging 5.03. | Statistics

MILESTONE MARKERS LOOMING: Kennedy Strain currently has 908 career kills. Jessica DuVal has 1974 career assists. Steph Cannon has 1040 career digs.


MINNESOTA-MORRIS: The Minnesota Morris volleyball team has finished second to Northwestern for four seasons in a row in the final Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) standings. In the UMAC Volleyball Preseason Coaches' Poll announced Wednesday, the Cougars are picked to finish behind the Eagles again. Northwestern received seven first place votes while the Cougars took the other two. Joe Sussenguth begins his first year as the Cougars' coach after 12 years as the head coach at Ridgewater College, a two-year college in Willmar, Minn. | Statistics

UM-MORRIS LAST TIME OUT:  The Cougars are scheduled to play four matches at the Colorado College Spike It Up Classic the weekend before they are scheduled to host the Blue Devils, losing all four games.  | Game Story and Statistics

LAST TIME THE COUGARS AND BLUE DEVILS MET: It was the "Night of the Long Rallies" for the UW-Stout and Minnesota-Morris volleyball teams, but it was the Blue Devils that had the key rally - sparked by senior Ashley Pratt on Senior Night - to down the Cougars, 25-22, 20-25, 20-25, 25-23, 15-11, Oct. 20, 2017, at Johnson Fieldhouse.  | Game Story and Statistics

THE SERIES: The Cougars hold a 9-7 lead in the series since 1991.


BETHEL INVITATIONAL OPPONENTS: The Blue Devils will face Luther College, St. Olaf College and Bethel University. 

BETHEL INVITATIONAL OPPONENTS: UW-Stout has not met Martin Luther College on the volleyball court since the 1994 season....there is no record that Stout and Wisconsin Lutheran College have met on the volleyball course since 1991...St. Norbert and UW-Stout have not met since Sept. 25, 2010, at the UW-Platteville Invitational, with the Green Knights prevailing, 3-1. That match snapped a Stout six-game winning streak over St. Norbert College.


CONFERENCE & NATIONAL POLLS: The Blue Devils were picked to finish sixth in a preseason poll conducted by league coaches and sports information directors. UW-Whitewater is projected to finish first, UW-Eau Claire second, UW-Oshkosh third, UW-La Crosse fourth, UW-Stevens Point fifth, UW-Stout sixth, UW-Platteville seventh and UW-River Falls eighth. | 2018 WIAC Preseason Poll | AVCA Top 25 Poll

UW-STOUT COACH MANDY TRAUTMANN: Coach Mandy Trautmann (4-3) is in her first season as the head coach of the Blue Devils. Trautmann took over the Blue Devils after a season as an assistant coach. Prior to coming to Stout, Trautmann was the team captain for UW-Oshkosh in 2015, a season the Titans captured the WIAC regular season championship.  Trautmann was a two-time first team all-WIAC selection in 2014 and 2015, and an honorable mention choice in 2013. She was named to the all-WIAC defensive team in 2013, 2014 and 2015.

QUICK HITS: The Blue Devils have two seniors, six juniors, four sophomores and seven freshmen on the 2018 roster...the team is made up of 13 players from Minnesota, four from Wisconsin and one each from Iowa and Illiniois...assistant coach Pam Schroeder begins her 15th season with the Blue Devils, matching hockey assistant coach Greg Slupe as the longest current assistant coaching tenure with a Stout program...

BLUE DEVIL ATHLETES OF THE WEEK: Week Two: Offensive athlete of the week: Jessica DuVal, Jr, Logan, Iowa (Harlan Community); Defensive athlete of the week: Steph Cannon, Jr, Mora, Minn.

AWARDS: 2018: Jessica DuVal was selected to the UW-Oshkosh Pizza Hut all-tournament team...Kennedy Strain was selected to the Oregon Trail  all-tournament team...2017: Kennedy Strain and Steph Cannon were selected All-WIAC honorable mention...Steph Cannon was selected as the UW-Stout/Toppers Athlete of the Week, Oct. 16, after averaging 5.25 kills in a 2-1 week that saw the Blue Devils come up just points from upsetting nationally ranked UW-Whitewater...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.

THE BLUE DEVILS IN 2017:  Junior middle hitter Kennedy Strain leads the Blue Devils, and is averaging a team-best 2.84 kills per set, 10th in the WIAC, and has put down 23 solo blocks along with 49 block assists for 72 total blocks.  Strain had a season-best 20 kills against Minn-Morris. Freshman Amber Ripley is averaging 2.33 kills, and fellow freshman Emili Cain is averaging 2.03 kills. Ashley Pratt is averaging 2.25 kills, getting 16 against Minn-Morris. Setter Jessica DuVal is fourth in the WIAC in assists with 8.87, and had a career-best 55 vs. Morris. Steph Cannon is averaging 4.99 digs per set, good for fourth in the WIAC. Cannon recorded a career-best 44 digs against Morris, four short of the school individual match record.  | Statistics

DOWN THE ROAD:  The Blue Devils the conference portion of the schedule when they compete at UW-Platteville, Tuesday, Sept. 18 at 7 p.m. Stout then travels to Bethel University, Friday, Sept. 21 before beginning a four-meet homestand.