THIS WEEK'S MATCHES: It's a light week with a big opponent as the Blue Devils (10-9, 1-2 WIAC) travel to UW-Eau Claire (13-4, 3-0 WIAC) Wednesday, Oct. 5, to take on the defending national champion Blugolds at 7 p.m.
THE BLUE DEVILS THIS YEAR: the Blue Devils have won six of their last nine matches and are 10-9 on the season. Sidney Hoverman is currently second in the WIAC in kills, averaging 4.01 kills a set, while Braun is averaging 2.25 Freshman Maja Anderson has stopped up on the serve, leading Stout with 28 service aces and averaging 0.48, good for sixth in the WIAC. | 2022 Statistics
LOOKING AT UW-STOUT: The Blue Devils return 10 letter winners from last year's squad and five starters from 2021. Top hitters Sidney Hoverman, a 2021 all-WIAC honorable mention selection, and Jessica Barr return. Hoverman averaged 3.53 kills per contest and Barr 2.22. Barr and McCayla Thompson were Stout's top blockers, with Thompson averaging 0.55 and Barr 0.53 blocks per set. The Blue Devils will be looking to replace leading setter Lexie Nelson, who provided 80 percent of the assists, averaging 8.21 assists, put down 1.55 kills, averaged 2.94 digs and 0.47 blocks. Staci Meyer and Terrah Moshier alternated at the libero position and were among the team leaders in digs. Meyer led the team with 3.30 digs per set and Moshier averaged 2.90 digs. Anna Hansen saw action in 91 sets and Caroline Braun saw action in 62 sets. After a two-year absence, middle hitter Lydia Kneubuehl returns. Kneubuehl earned WIAC honorable mention selection in 2019 when she averaged 0.74 blocks per set and 2.45 kills per set. | Statistics
BLUE DEVILS LAST TIME OUT: : The Blue Devils dispatched UW-Superior, 3-0, in a little over an hour, Sept. 27, in Stout's home opener, then lost 3-0 to UW-Platteville, Oct. 1. | Match Story and Stats
UW-EAU CLAIRE: The Blugolds are 13-4 on the year and 3-0 in WIAC play. As a team they are hitting .199 and averaging 12.9 kills a set. Arianna Barret leads the team with 3.3 kills a set and a.239 hitting percentage. Charlie Nelson averages 10.1 assists and 3.8 digs a set. Sheridan Dettmann averages 4.6 digs a set. | 2022 Statistics
THE BLUGOLDS LAST TIME OUT: The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire women's volleyball team was on the road competing at the Cornell Quadrangular. The Blugolds went 1-1 on the day falling to the Coe College Kohawks in three sets. Eau Claire then defeated the Cornell College Rams in four. The squad now moves to 13-4 on the year. | Story and Stats
LAST TIME THEY MET: UW-Stout tried to keep pace with nationally ranked UW-Eau Claire, but the Blue Devils lose in three sets on Oct. 20, 2021 at Johnson Fieldhouse. UW-Stout fell to 11th ranked UW-Eau Claire. Eau Claire took a hard fought first set 25-19, then pulled ahead in the second set, 25-15. Stout wasn't ready to back down, losing the third set by only a four-point margin, 25-21. | Story and Stats
THE SERIES: Since the 2000 season, Stout trails in the series 13-24. | History
CONFERENCE & NATIONAL POLLS: The Blue Devils were picked to finish eighth in the WIAC, according to a preseason poll by conference coaches and sports information directors. | 2021 WIAC Preseason Poll | AVCA Top 25 Poll
UW-STOUT COACH BEN STAUPE: Coach Ben Staupe (26-97) is in his first year as the Blue Devil head coach, coming to Stout after four seasons as the head coach at NCAA Division I Western Illinois University, which was preceded by eight seasons as the associate head coach at Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) member UW-Whitewater. Before joining the Whitewater staff, Staupe was the head coach at Rock Valley College, a junior college in Rockford, Ill. A UW-La Crosse graduate, Staupe also served a stint as an assistant coach at NAIA Viterbo University, as well as coaching club volleyball and high school volleyball.
BLUE DEVIL ATHLETES OF THE WEEK:
Week Five
Offensive athlete of the week: Jessica Barr, Sr, Bloomer, Wis.
Week Four
Offensive athlete of the week: Sidney Hoverman, Jr, St. Croix Falls, Wis.
Defensive player of the week: Terrah Moshier, Jr, Oakdale, Minn. (Tartan)
Week Three
Offensive athlete of the week: Sidney Hoverman, Jr, St. Croix Falls, Wis.
Defensive player of the week: Staci Meyer, Sr, Rice, Minn. (Sauk Rapids-Rice)
Week Two
Offensive athlete of the week: Sidney Hoverman, Jr, St. Croix Falls, Wis.
Defensive player of the week: Terrah Moshier, Jr, Oakdale, Minn. (Tartan)
Week One
Offensive athlete of the week: Sidney Hoverman, Jr, St. Croix Falls, Wis.
Defensive player of the week: Jessica Barr, Sr, Bloomer, Wis.
WIAC PRESEASON POLL: The Blue Devils were picked to finish eighth in a WIAC preseason poll conducted by league coaches and sports information directors.
AWARDS: 2022: Sidney Hoverman was selected to the Wartburg College All-Tournament team...Sidney Hoverman and Staci Meyer were selected to the UW-Eau Claire Sandy Schumacher Memorial all-tournament team...Sidney Hoverman was named the UW-Stout Athlete of the Week after leading Stout to a 4-1 overall record in the second week of the season...2021: Lexie Nelson and Sidney Hoverman were selected all-WIAC honorable mention...Lexie Nelson and Sidney Hoverman were selected to the all-tournament team at the UW-Oshkosh Polito's Invitational...Lexie Nelson and Jessica Barr were selected to the all-tournament team at the Grinnell College/Central College Invitational..
DOWN THE ROAD: Stout will host Macalester College, Tuesday, Oct. 11 at 7 p.m., then will entertain a couple of nationally ranked teams Saturday, Oct. 15, hosting UW-Whitewater at 1 p.m. and the University of Northwestern at 5 p.m.
