'Roos Will Hit The Road To Face Summit League Foes IUPUI, Western Illinois
9/17/2009 10:30:00 AM | Volleyball
This Week - The UMKC volleyball team (4-7, 0-2) will travel to Indianapolis, Ind., and Macomb, Ill., to take on IUPUI (8-2, 1-0) and Western Illinois (3-8, 0-1) in Summit League action. The 'Roos will take on the Jaguars Friday at 6 p.m. in The Jungle, then turn around and face the Leathernecks at 7 p.m. on Saturday.
Follow The 'Roos Online - All UMKC volleyball matches can be heard online at www.umkckangaroos.com during the 2009 season with all home matches being video streamed. The "Voice of UMKC Volleyball" T.J. Jackson, who is in his fourth season with the program, will provide all the play-by-play commentary for the Kangaroos. Check out Roo Vision for more details. You can also follow live stats for the 'Roos online at www.umkckangaroos.com.
Last Matches - The UMKC volleyball dropped a non-conference match, 3-0, to Drake on Tuesday night. The 'Roos fell 25-15, 25-20, 25-13, while getting eight kills and a .312 hitting percentage from freshman Emily Lucas. Sophomore Kelsey Knoche and junior Kayla Riggs notched 14 and 10 digs, respectively, while sophomore Erin Wellwood added 18 assists.
Block Party - Jamie Hagerman posted her career-high, the team's season-high, and a tie for The Summit League season-high in blocks last weekend, as the senior registered nine blocks against IPFW. Hagerman's previous career high was six, which she had done four times, including this season at Sacred Heart. The six blocks was also tied for the team's previous high. On the season, Hagerman has notched 25 total blocks, including nine solos, putting her second on the team.
A Time To Kill - Sophomores Kelsey Knoche and Elizabeth Beck each recorded their season-high in kills last weekend against IPFW. Knoche set her mark with 17 kills, while Beck recorded 14. Knoche's mark is also her career-high. Beck set her career high in 2008 when she had 18 against IUPUI.
Career Highs - Several Kangaroos set career highs over the past week, led by sophomore Nicole Kerkman's 20-dig effort against Oakland, while sophomore Kelsey Knoche, not only set her career high in kills last week, but also registered a career-high in digs, finishing with 23 against Oakland. Junior Kayla Riggs also tallied her career-high in digs with 12 against IPFW, while freshman Ella Meier put up six assists against Oakland. Hagerman's nine blocks also make the list of career marks set last week.
League Leaders - UMKC is at the top of several Summit League statistical categories. The 'Roos lead the league in blocks with 90, 20 more than second place South Dakota State, and average 2.25 per set. Meanwhile, the Kangaroos are first in the league in overall digs with 675, but second to IUPUI in digs per set with a 16.88 average.
Three Set Attackers - In the Kangaroos' Sept. 5 match against Holy Cross, the team set The Summit League season high for kills in a three-set match with 52, while also posting the fifth highest hitting percentage in three set matches with a mark of .355 (52-14-107). In the match, the 'Roos got double-digit kill totals from Kelsey Knoche, Elizabeth Beck, and Christiana McQuin, as the trio finished with 16, 10, and 10 kills respectively.
Summit League Match Leaders - The UMKC volleyball team sits at or near the top of several Summit League match leader categories, including aces, blocks, and digs. In its Aug. 29 match at Indiana State, the team got 13 aces in three sets to tie Southern Utah for the high water mark in the league this season. The Thunderbirds. however, needed five sets to set the mark, while the 'Roos tied it in only three sets. The team's 16 blocks against Sacred Heart is also tied for the league's match high with South Dakota State, while the team's 87 digs against Oakland is the second most in The Summit League this season.
Setting-Up The Offense - Sophomore Erin Wellwood has reached double digit assists in all 11 matches for the Kangaroos this season, while eclipsing the 20 assist mark six times, including four of her last five matches. For the season, the setter is averaging 5.57 assists per set with a season high of 28 assits against IPFW on Sept. 12. Wellwood has led the team in assists in 10 of the 'Roos 11 matches.
A Balanced Attack - The Kangaroos have six different players with 40 or more kills so far this season. As a team, the Kangaroos have totaled 485 kills, led by Kelsey Knoche's 131, Christiana McQuin's 73, Ella Meier's 72, and Jamie Hagerman's 66. Also topping the 40 kill mark are sophomore Brittany Fossier's 43 and Elizabeth Beck's 42. The six players have combined for 427 kills which accounts for nearly 90 percent of the team's totals.
Defensive Minded - The Kangaroos have opened the 2009 season with outstanding defensive play. The team has out-blocked its opponents 90-62, led by sophomore Christiana McQuin and senior Jamie Hagerman, as the duo has combined for 57 blocks. In the back row, the squad has five players with 80 or more digs, led by Nicole Kerkman's 158 and Kelsey Knoche's 142.
Avoiding The Sophomore Slump - The UMKC sophomores have dominated the stat categories in 2009. Combined, Elizabeth Beck, Brittany Fossier, Nicole Kerkman, Kelsey Knoche, Christiana McQuin, and Erin Wellwood have totaled 290 of 485 kills, 250 of 446 assists, 52 of 62 aces, 74 blocks, and 436 of 675 digs. Knoche leads the way in kills with 131, Wellwood in assists with 223, McQuin in aces and blocks with 15 and 30, and Kerkman in digs with 158.
All-Tournament Recognition - Sophomore outside hitter and Lee's Summit native Kelsey Knoche earned all-tournament recognition for her performance in the Best Western Sycamore Classic and the Sacred Heart Invitational, while freshman Ella Meier joined her as an all-tournament selection at the Sacred Heart Invitational.
Knoche finished the two tournaments with a combined 85 kills, 86 digs, 16 blocks, eight aces, and five double-doubles. Meier, meanwhile, garnered her Sacred Heart Invitational All-Tournament selection by producing 29 kills, seven assists, 32 digs, and 10 blocks, while hitting at a .324 clip.
Putting Up a Fight - The UMKC volleyball team lost to No. 23 Kansas State, 3-1, in front of 1,790 fans at the Ahearn Field House on Tuesday Sept. 1, falling by scores of 25-13, 16-25, 25-14 and 25-16. It is just the fourth time in school history and the first time since 1993 that the 'Roos have take a set from the Wildcats. It is also the second straight year that UMKC has taken a set from a Big 12 school, as it won a set at Kansas last season.
In The Record Books - Sophomore Christiana McQuin currently sits seventh in the Kangaroo record books with a .246 hitting percentage. McQuin sits in her position after posting a .263 hitting percentage during the 2008 season and hitting .203 thus far in 2009. McQuin's .263 mark was good for sixth in The Summit League in 2008, and helped the Wellington, Kan., native to be named to the Summit League All-Freshmen team, one of only four UMKC volleyball players to earn the recognition.
Season in Review - UMKC finished the 2008 season with a 12-20 overall record and a Summit League mark of 5-11, which put them into a tie for sixth in the conference. The season was highlighted by comeback wins at conference foe IUPUI and against Drake in a match at Swinney Recreation Center. The team will look to again improve on their record as it increased its win total by seven matches last season going from five wins in 2007 to 12 wins in 2008.
AVCA Academic Honor - The Kangaroos received the AVCA Academic Team Award for the third straight year in 2008. In order to receive the honor, the team must carry a 3.30 grade point average on a 4.0 scale. UMKC has received the honor a total of seven times.
The Opponents - The UMKC volleyball team will enter its second weekend of Summit League play this weekend when it hits the road to face IUPUI on Friday and Western Illinois on Saturday. The Jaguars are off to their best start in school history, but dropped their last match, 3-0, to Ball State on Tuesday. For the season, the team has been led by seniors Rachel Holmes and Danielle Goodnight, as each player has been named The Summit League Player of the Week this season. Holmes, who has totaled 72 kills, a .244 hitting percentage, 21 assists, and 132 digs, is the league's reigning Defensive Player of the Week. Goodnight, meanwhile, has posted 359 assists, 99 digs, and 34 kills with a .308 hitting percentage. Sophomore Kalyse Reimbold leads the team in kills with 114 and sophomore Shari Bernhardt is tops in digs with 159.
Western Illinois started the season with four straight losses, but picked up its third win of the season on Tuesday with a 3-2 win over Bradley. Setter Ellen Miller has paced the Leathernecks this year, as the junior has amassed 381 assists, 100 digs, 30 kills, and 10 aces. Sophomores Allison Gilbert and Cait Egan top the team in kills, totaling 110 and 105, respectively, with Egan leading the team with 30 blocks. In the back row, senior Elise Crnjak and freshman Bridget Murphy have recorded 125 and 97 digs, to go along with Miller's 100.
Series Records - Friday's match-up will be the 24th meeting between the Kangaroos and the Jaguars, with IUPUI holding a 15-8 lead in the series. In 2008, the teams split their games, with each winning on the other's home floor. The match at IUPUI featured a comeback win from the 'Roos after they fell behind 0-2. The meeting with Western Illinois will be the 29th match-up between the two teams, with the Kangaroos trailing 9-19 in the series. The 'Roos and the Leathernecks split the series last year, as each team held form by winning on their home courts.
Follow The 'Roos Online - All UMKC volleyball matches can be heard online at www.umkckangaroos.com during the 2009 season with all home matches being video streamed. The "Voice of UMKC Volleyball" T.J. Jackson, who is in his fourth season with the program, will provide all the play-by-play commentary for the Kangaroos. Check out Roo Vision for more details. You can also follow live stats for the 'Roos online at www.umkckangaroos.com.
Last Matches - The UMKC volleyball dropped a non-conference match, 3-0, to Drake on Tuesday night. The 'Roos fell 25-15, 25-20, 25-13, while getting eight kills and a .312 hitting percentage from freshman Emily Lucas. Sophomore Kelsey Knoche and junior Kayla Riggs notched 14 and 10 digs, respectively, while sophomore Erin Wellwood added 18 assists.
Block Party - Jamie Hagerman posted her career-high, the team's season-high, and a tie for The Summit League season-high in blocks last weekend, as the senior registered nine blocks against IPFW. Hagerman's previous career high was six, which she had done four times, including this season at Sacred Heart. The six blocks was also tied for the team's previous high. On the season, Hagerman has notched 25 total blocks, including nine solos, putting her second on the team.
A Time To Kill - Sophomores Kelsey Knoche and Elizabeth Beck each recorded their season-high in kills last weekend against IPFW. Knoche set her mark with 17 kills, while Beck recorded 14. Knoche's mark is also her career-high. Beck set her career high in 2008 when she had 18 against IUPUI.
Career Highs - Several Kangaroos set career highs over the past week, led by sophomore Nicole Kerkman's 20-dig effort against Oakland, while sophomore Kelsey Knoche, not only set her career high in kills last week, but also registered a career-high in digs, finishing with 23 against Oakland. Junior Kayla Riggs also tallied her career-high in digs with 12 against IPFW, while freshman Ella Meier put up six assists against Oakland. Hagerman's nine blocks also make the list of career marks set last week.
League Leaders - UMKC is at the top of several Summit League statistical categories. The 'Roos lead the league in blocks with 90, 20 more than second place South Dakota State, and average 2.25 per set. Meanwhile, the Kangaroos are first in the league in overall digs with 675, but second to IUPUI in digs per set with a 16.88 average.
Three Set Attackers - In the Kangaroos' Sept. 5 match against Holy Cross, the team set The Summit League season high for kills in a three-set match with 52, while also posting the fifth highest hitting percentage in three set matches with a mark of .355 (52-14-107). In the match, the 'Roos got double-digit kill totals from Kelsey Knoche, Elizabeth Beck, and Christiana McQuin, as the trio finished with 16, 10, and 10 kills respectively.
Summit League Match Leaders - The UMKC volleyball team sits at or near the top of several Summit League match leader categories, including aces, blocks, and digs. In its Aug. 29 match at Indiana State, the team got 13 aces in three sets to tie Southern Utah for the high water mark in the league this season. The Thunderbirds. however, needed five sets to set the mark, while the 'Roos tied it in only three sets. The team's 16 blocks against Sacred Heart is also tied for the league's match high with South Dakota State, while the team's 87 digs against Oakland is the second most in The Summit League this season.
Setting-Up The Offense - Sophomore Erin Wellwood has reached double digit assists in all 11 matches for the Kangaroos this season, while eclipsing the 20 assist mark six times, including four of her last five matches. For the season, the setter is averaging 5.57 assists per set with a season high of 28 assits against IPFW on Sept. 12. Wellwood has led the team in assists in 10 of the 'Roos 11 matches.
A Balanced Attack - The Kangaroos have six different players with 40 or more kills so far this season. As a team, the Kangaroos have totaled 485 kills, led by Kelsey Knoche's 131, Christiana McQuin's 73, Ella Meier's 72, and Jamie Hagerman's 66. Also topping the 40 kill mark are sophomore Brittany Fossier's 43 and Elizabeth Beck's 42. The six players have combined for 427 kills which accounts for nearly 90 percent of the team's totals.
Defensive Minded - The Kangaroos have opened the 2009 season with outstanding defensive play. The team has out-blocked its opponents 90-62, led by sophomore Christiana McQuin and senior Jamie Hagerman, as the duo has combined for 57 blocks. In the back row, the squad has five players with 80 or more digs, led by Nicole Kerkman's 158 and Kelsey Knoche's 142.
Avoiding The Sophomore Slump - The UMKC sophomores have dominated the stat categories in 2009. Combined, Elizabeth Beck, Brittany Fossier, Nicole Kerkman, Kelsey Knoche, Christiana McQuin, and Erin Wellwood have totaled 290 of 485 kills, 250 of 446 assists, 52 of 62 aces, 74 blocks, and 436 of 675 digs. Knoche leads the way in kills with 131, Wellwood in assists with 223, McQuin in aces and blocks with 15 and 30, and Kerkman in digs with 158.
All-Tournament Recognition - Sophomore outside hitter and Lee's Summit native Kelsey Knoche earned all-tournament recognition for her performance in the Best Western Sycamore Classic and the Sacred Heart Invitational, while freshman Ella Meier joined her as an all-tournament selection at the Sacred Heart Invitational.
Knoche finished the two tournaments with a combined 85 kills, 86 digs, 16 blocks, eight aces, and five double-doubles. Meier, meanwhile, garnered her Sacred Heart Invitational All-Tournament selection by producing 29 kills, seven assists, 32 digs, and 10 blocks, while hitting at a .324 clip.
Putting Up a Fight - The UMKC volleyball team lost to No. 23 Kansas State, 3-1, in front of 1,790 fans at the Ahearn Field House on Tuesday Sept. 1, falling by scores of 25-13, 16-25, 25-14 and 25-16. It is just the fourth time in school history and the first time since 1993 that the 'Roos have take a set from the Wildcats. It is also the second straight year that UMKC has taken a set from a Big 12 school, as it won a set at Kansas last season.
In The Record Books - Sophomore Christiana McQuin currently sits seventh in the Kangaroo record books with a .246 hitting percentage. McQuin sits in her position after posting a .263 hitting percentage during the 2008 season and hitting .203 thus far in 2009. McQuin's .263 mark was good for sixth in The Summit League in 2008, and helped the Wellington, Kan., native to be named to the Summit League All-Freshmen team, one of only four UMKC volleyball players to earn the recognition.
Season in Review - UMKC finished the 2008 season with a 12-20 overall record and a Summit League mark of 5-11, which put them into a tie for sixth in the conference. The season was highlighted by comeback wins at conference foe IUPUI and against Drake in a match at Swinney Recreation Center. The team will look to again improve on their record as it increased its win total by seven matches last season going from five wins in 2007 to 12 wins in 2008.
AVCA Academic Honor - The Kangaroos received the AVCA Academic Team Award for the third straight year in 2008. In order to receive the honor, the team must carry a 3.30 grade point average on a 4.0 scale. UMKC has received the honor a total of seven times.
The Opponents - The UMKC volleyball team will enter its second weekend of Summit League play this weekend when it hits the road to face IUPUI on Friday and Western Illinois on Saturday. The Jaguars are off to their best start in school history, but dropped their last match, 3-0, to Ball State on Tuesday. For the season, the team has been led by seniors Rachel Holmes and Danielle Goodnight, as each player has been named The Summit League Player of the Week this season. Holmes, who has totaled 72 kills, a .244 hitting percentage, 21 assists, and 132 digs, is the league's reigning Defensive Player of the Week. Goodnight, meanwhile, has posted 359 assists, 99 digs, and 34 kills with a .308 hitting percentage. Sophomore Kalyse Reimbold leads the team in kills with 114 and sophomore Shari Bernhardt is tops in digs with 159.
Western Illinois started the season with four straight losses, but picked up its third win of the season on Tuesday with a 3-2 win over Bradley. Setter Ellen Miller has paced the Leathernecks this year, as the junior has amassed 381 assists, 100 digs, 30 kills, and 10 aces. Sophomores Allison Gilbert and Cait Egan top the team in kills, totaling 110 and 105, respectively, with Egan leading the team with 30 blocks. In the back row, senior Elise Crnjak and freshman Bridget Murphy have recorded 125 and 97 digs, to go along with Miller's 100.
Series Records - Friday's match-up will be the 24th meeting between the Kangaroos and the Jaguars, with IUPUI holding a 15-8 lead in the series. In 2008, the teams split their games, with each winning on the other's home floor. The match at IUPUI featured a comeback win from the 'Roos after they fell behind 0-2. The meeting with Western Illinois will be the 29th match-up between the two teams, with the Kangaroos trailing 9-19 in the series. The 'Roos and the Leathernecks split the series last year, as each team held form by winning on their home courts.
Players Mentioned
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