Wartburg Tapped by Volleyball Coaches to Take 2011 IIAC Title

Buena Vista returns three starters and six letterwinners from last year’s 11-21 team that finished eighth in the Conference with a 1-7 record. The Beavers will be led by senior outside hitter Lacie Drennan, an honorable mention all-league pick, posted a team-high .249 attack percentatge and ranked second on the team with 286 kills and 24 aces. She also had 210 digs and 53 blocks. Another asset up the middle will be senior middle blocker Kacie Woodley. Woodley ranked second on the team in blocks (0.72 per set) and fourth in kills (180). She also had 114 digs, a .114 attack percentage, and 17 service aces. Senior defensive specialist Kelsey Essick played in 100 of 116 sets last season, compiling two kills, eight assists, nine service aces, and 183 digs.

Buena Vista head coach Heather Noll says, "It should be another nail-biting year in the Iowa Conference! We are excited to continue the building of our program at Buena Vista! We have a good core of key returners this season as well as some impact players coming in. We look forward to the IIAC battle this year!”

Central returns five starters plus the libero and 10 letterwinners from last season’s 20-13 team that tied for third in the IIAC with a 5-3 record. Senior libero/defensive specialist Chelsea Grieger, a three-year starter and a two-time all-league pick, returns after leading the league in digs for the second consecutive season (5.87 per set). She finished with 669 overall for the year and also turned in a team-high 33 service aces. Senior middle hitter Kiley Meyers earned all-IIAC honorable mention honors after leading the team with 241 kills, 123 blocks, and a .307 attack percentage. She also posted a .280 attack percentage in league play, good for sixth in the league. Senior setter Maggie Snyder is also back after ranking fifth in the league in assists (8.33 per set) in 2010. Snyder finished with 979 overall while adding 363 assists, good for second on the team. Also returning with significant varsity experience are outside hitters Amy Golly and Tess Reinig and right-side hitter Caitlin Kouba. Kouba (207), Reinig (202), and Golly (176) ranked 3-4-5 on the team in kills, while Golly ranked second on the team with 22 aces. Kouba ranked fourth on the team in digs with 257, followed by Golly (227) and Reinig (178).

Central head coach Kent Clayberg says, “We have a large group but we have a very clear vision of the team, players and coaches we want to be. We’re a unified group with everyone pulling in the same direction. We’re looking forward to a very fun year.”

“The conference race should be good theatre,” continued Clayberg. “Most are returning the bulk of their starting lineups in what was a very balanced league a year ago. This conference has very talented coaches across the board and some talented athletes on every roster. It’ll be good volleyball every night.”

Coe returns four starters and six letterwinners from last season’s 19-14 team that finished seventh in the Conference with a 3-5 mark. Junior setter Emily Ryan, a second team all-league pick last season, returns to direct the Kohawk offense. Ryan posted a team-high 1081 assists and 299 digs in 2010. Her averages of 9.32 assists and 3.13 digs per set in league play ranked second and tenth, respectively.

On the receiving end of Ryan’s passes will be Coe’s top two offensive threats from last season in seniors Kaitlin McClimon and Molly Steffens. McClimon, a middle blocker who received all-IIAC honorable mention last season, led the team with 373 kills, a .263 attack percentage, and 78 blocks. She ranked seventh in the IIAC in kills with a 3.06 kill-per-set average. Steffens, an outside hitter who earned second team all-IIAC honors in 2009, was second on the team in kills with 350 and in digs with 369. She ranked fifth in the conference in kills last season, averaging 3.16 per set.

Defensively, junior libero Brittany Shickell totaled 524 digs to lead the team, ranking third in the league with a 4.90 dig-per-set average.

Coe head coach DeAnn Woodin says, “As the level of play continues to rise in the IIAC, the Kohawks are looking forward to another competitive season!  Every team will be prepared and games will be intense, so fans can count on watching the fun rivalries and enjoying some exciting atmospheres.  With great leadership, more experience, and fresh talent coming in, we are excited to battle each week with our opponents.”

Cornell returns three starters and six letterwinners from last season’s 17-17 team that finished second in the Conference with a 6-2 record. The Rams will need to replace first team all-conference setter Hannah Boehmer, but two-time IIAC Coach of the Year Jeff Meeker will have sophomore outside hitter Kathleen O’Connor at his disposal. O’Connor, the 2010 Iowa Conference Freshman of the Year, led the team with 433 kills and 42 aces and ranked second with 360 digs. In league play, she ranked second in kills (4.25 per set) and aces (0.44 per set) and fifth in attack percentage (.286). Senior libero Kayla Gaines ranked sixth in the league in digs, averaging 3.85 per set. Gaines finished with 393 digs overall. Senior outside hitter Sam Pedersen ranked second on the team with 277 kills, third in digs with 345, and fourth in service aces with 25. Kirtley Hitt, a senior right-side hitter, ranked fourth on the team in kills with 210 and third in blocks with 65.

Cornell head coach Jeff Meeker says, “We are excited about our team and competing for an Iowa Conference championship in 2011. We have a great group returning players complimented by a talented incoming class and we can’t wait to get into the gym. I expect to see the Iowa Conference take a step forward this fall with nine solid teams that will produce some outstanding volleyball.”

Dubuque returns six starters and ten letterwinners from last season’s 6-26 team that finished ninth in the Conference with an 0-9 record. The Spartans return virtually everyone as they look to make the upward climb up the Iowa Conference ladder. Junior outside hitter Lauren McKissick could prove to be a catalyst for UD after ranking third in the IIAC last season in kills (3.28 per set). She finished the year as the team leader in kills with 422 while also contributing 204 digs, 49 total blocks, and 23 service aces. Senior libero Kristin Mortensen, a 2009 honorable mention all-IIAC pick, ranked fifth in the league in digs (4.38 per set), totaling a team-high 606 for the season. She also led the team with 35 service aces. Senior right-side hitter Carly Green, honorable mention all-league in 2008, led the IIAC in attack percentage (.325) but was limited to action in only 17 of 32 matches. She finished with 138 kills, 36 digs, and 35 blocks. Sophomore setter Lindsay Ellinor ranked seventh in the league in aces (0.34 per set) and ninth in assists (6.31 per set). Facilitating the Spartan offense, Ellinor finished with a team-high 814 assists and tied for second on the team with 236 digs.

Dubuque head coach April Elsbernd says, "Dubuque Volleyball is looking forward to another competitive year in the Iowa Conference, losing only one starter from the 2010 team. We have added depth in both our numbers and our talent with a solid group of incoming freshmen. Our core returners are ready to be strong leaders and will play an important role in how our season develops. It will be another exciting year in the conference as every program improves; and as a group, we look to gain more respect in the region."

Loras returns four starters and nine letterwinners from last season’s 26-9 team that won the program’s second IIAC title in the last three years. While both 2010 IIAC MVP Kate Russell and two-time first team all-league pick Brittney Westermeyer are gone, the Duhawks return a pair of second team all-conference selections in senior setter Julie Rogers and junior outside hitter Regan Riley. Riley ranked seventh in the IIAC in digs, averaging 3.48 per set. She also led the team in digs (446), ranked second in aces (36) and third in kills (294). Rogers, who ranked third in the league in service aces (0.41 per set) and sixth in assists (7.76 per set), posted team-highs in both assists (987) and service aces (41) and ranked fifth in digs (284). Junior outside hitter Kenzie Goedken ranked fourth on the team in kills (266) and sixth in digs (221) while adding 43 blocks. Senior setter Kaity Frost added 281 assists, 145 digs, and 27 blocks.

Loras head coach Teresa Kehe says, “The Duhawks are looking forward to the challenges that lie ahead as we compete in the always exciting Iowa Conference.  At Loras, we will have a nice blend of veterans and newcomers who will be focused on raising the bar both in the classroom and on the court. Each night we play should prove to be fun, exciting, and very competitive!”

Luther returns five starters and nine letterwinners from last season’s 17-17 team that finished sixth in the Conference with a 4-4 mark. Sophomore outside hitter Hannah Walker, a first team all-conference pick, led the team with 431 kills, and a .202 attack percentage. She also ranked second on the team in blocks with 85 and fourth in digs with 188. Walker led the Iowa Conference with a 4.33 kill-per-set average. Senior libero Lindsey Weaver, named all-IIAC honorable mention in 2010, posted a team-high 567 digs. She averaged 4.97 per set in league play to rank second in the league.

Sophomore defensive specialist Blair Butler ranked third on the team with 195 digs and tied for fourth in service aces with 13. Junior middle blocker Sophia Brown played in only 24 of 34 matches last year but still ranked fourth on the team with 70 blocks. She also added 87 kills, 11 aces and 30 digs.

Luther head coach Danielle Kohut says, "I am very excited to start my first season at Luther College as the head volleyball coach. The Iowa Conference is a very competitive league and my expectations for the Norse are to be highly competitive and to expect great things out of themselves. However, every game is going to be a battle and our team is going to have to be extremely prepared when they step into the gym."

Simpson returns four starters and 12 letterwinners from last season’s 17-17 team that tied for third place in the league with a 5-3 mark. The Storm graduated two All-Iowa Conference players from last year’s squad but returns a third in senior middle hitter Megan Dunlavy, a 2010 first team all-conference pick. Dunlavy led the team with 344 kills, a .273 attack percentage and 55 blocks, and ranked third with 34 service aces.

Senior setter Ashley Padget ranked second on the team with 530 assists, adding 108 digs, 20 service aces, and 20 kills. She averaged 0.37 aces and 7.47 assists per set in league play to rank fifth and seventh, respectively. Outside hitter Stephanie Keller posted 111 digs and 81 kills in 19 matches last season. Junior outside hitter McKaylie Croghan and senior outside hitter Blaiqe Allshouse are both two-year letterwinners. Croghan ranked third on the team in kills with 197 and was second in aces (35) and digs (214). Allshouse ranked fourth on the team with 133 kills.

Simpson head coach Lana Smith says, “We are looking forward to another exciting and competitive season in the IIAC. We know we will need to be ready each week and improve each match as we prepare for the conference tournament. 2011 will be another exciting year with lots of talented players and teams in the Iowa Conference. The Storm is looking forward to the challenges and opportunities in the next few months.”

Wartburg returns all six starters and 15 letterwinners from last season’s 24-16 team that tied for third in the Conference with a 5-3 record, won the IIAC Tournament as a No. 3 seed and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Division III Volleyball Championship. The Knights, who led the league in opponent hitting percentage (.116) and assists (11.00 per set) and ranked second in attack percentage (.208), will be led by junior outside hitter Britlyn Sieck, a two-time all-league selection and a 2010 all-region honorable mention. Sieck was Wartburg’s top hitter a year ago with 453 kills, ranking ninth in the league after averaging 3.03 per set in IIAC play. She added 177 digs, 54 blocks, and 32 service aces. Younger sister Ramey, a sophomore setter/right-side hitter, was a second-team selection last season. She led the team with 725 assists, ranked third in digs (303), fourth in service aces (38) and fifth in kills (193) and blocks (61). Sieck ranked third in the league in hitting percentage (.294).

Senior outside hitter/middle hitter Kamille Van Natta, an honorable mention all-league pick in 2010, led the team in digs (44) and service aces (43), ranked second in kills (392) and third in blocks (77). Sophomore middle hitter Kelly Niemann was the team’s top blocker last season with 108, adding 231 kills, 39 service aces, and 106 digs. She averaged 0.34 service aces per set in league play to rank ninth. Senior middle blocker Sofie Swift, a 2009 second team all-IIAC pick, saw limited time last season, posting 43 kills, 15 digs, and 30 total blocks.

Wartburg head coach Jennifer Walker says, “Every year, we coaches say the same thing – The IIAC is anybody’s game. The winner will be determined on a night-to-night basis. It doesn’t matter who you are playing or how they finished the week before, you better be ready at game time. Well, it’s true again this year. I like the fact that our young team last year got the experience of post-season play, but that was last year. Hopefully, this year we can build off of that and use our tough weekend tournament schedules to get ourselves prepared for our weekly IIAC games. One thing is for sure, it’s going to be an exciting September and October for volleyball in the IIAC – as always.”