UMKC To Host IUPUI, Western Illinois In Volleyball Action
9/29/2010 12:34:00 PM | Volleyball
This Week
The UMKC volleyball team (5-11, 2-4) will return to its Summit League schedule this week when they welcome in IUPUI (3-13, 2-3) and Western Illinois (5-8, 2-3) to Kansas City. The 'Roos will take on the Jaguars at 7 p.m. on Thursday at the Swinney Recreation Center before hosting the Leathernecks at 7 p.m. on Saturday.
Follow The 'Roos Online
All UMKC volleyball home and select road matches can be heard online at www.UMKCKangaroos.com during the 2010 season with all home matches being video streamed. The “Voice of UMKC Volleyball” T.J. Jackson, who is in his fifth season with the program, will provide all the play-by-play commentary for the broadcast. Check out Roo Vision for more details. You can also follow live stats for the 'Roos online at www.UMKCKangaroos.com.
The Opponents
IUPUI enters the match with a 3-13 record overall and a 2-3 mark in The Summit League after picking up wins over league foes Centenary and Western Illinois and Big East opponent DePaul. Offensively, a trio of Jags have led the squad, as Lindsey Weber (149), Kalyse Reimbold (146) and Dana Gardner (109) have all eclipsed 100 kill mark. Setting up the offense is Alexis Meeks, as the freshman tops the team with 494 assists. Defensively, Shari Bernhardt (305), Weber (156) and Reimbold (145) are the top three diggers for IUPUI, while Jessie Phelps (35), Brittany Anglemyer (32), Gardner (27) and Reimbold (24) are the team's top blockers.
Western Illinois comes into the week with a 5-8 record overall and a 2-3 record in The Summit League with wins over IPFW and Centenary. Allison Gilbert leads the Leatherneck attack with 158 kills, while Cait Egan (112), Katie Hosteng (105) and Brooke Sittleburg (104) have also reached the 100 kill mark. Heather Smith leads the squad with 418 assists, while Bridget Murphy (151) and Ellen Miller (138) each have over 100 digs. At the net, Egan leads WIU with 37 blocks, while Hosteng has chipped in 27.
Series Record
Thursday's meeting between UMKC and IUPUI will be the 26th between the two schools with the Jaguars holding a 16-9 advantage in the series. Last season, the two squads split their matches with IUPUI winning 3-1 in Indianapolis and UMKC winning 3-2 in Kansas City after trailing 0-2 in the match. Saturday's match with Western Illinois, meanwhile, will be the 31st between the two programs with the Leathernecks holding a 20-10 lead in the series. Last year, Western Illinois won 3-1 in Macomb, while the 'Roos took the match at the SRC, 3-0.
Last Time Out
The 'Roos dropped a 3-2 match at Kansas State (8-7, 2-2) on Tuesday night at the Ahern Field House. Kelsey Knoche led the way for the 'Roos with 15 kills, 20 digs, two aces and two blocks, while Brittney Robers added a career-high 11 kills, six digs, three blocks and a .409 hitting percentage. Elizabeth Beck, meanwhile, finished with eight kills, eight digs, four assists, four blocks and an ace, while Christiana McQuin chipped in six kills and a team-high seven blocks. Erin Wellwood, meanwhile, registered a team-high 20 assists, while Ella Meier added 17. Defensively, Nicole Kerkman notched 15 digs, while the 'Roos finished with 13 blocks as a team.
Rickert Named Interim Head Coach
Joan Rickert was named the Interim Head Coach for the UMKC volleyball program on Sept. 16, 2010. Rickert, who is in her fourth year with the 'Roos, served as the associate head coach prior to being elevated to the interim head coach. During her first three years at UMKC, Rickert served as an assistant coach.
During the 2009 season, Rickert helped lead the Kangaroos to a 15-16 overall record. The 15 victories were the third most in school history, while the 10 league wins tied for the most all-time. Additionally, Rickert coached Christiana McQuin and Jamie Hagerman to the all-Summit League Second team and Hagerman to The Summit League all-Tournament Team.
Williams Named Summit League Defensive Player of the Week
Demetria Williams was named The Summit League Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 27 after posting a UMKC five-set record and Summit League season-high 12 blocks against IPFW. The junior added four blocks against Oakland on Friday to give her 16 total blocks for the week with a 2.00 blocks per set average. In the match with the 'Dons, Williams also registered 14 kills, giving her the first double-double of her career. The middle hitter has led the squad in blocks in three of the past four matches to give her a total of 31 blocks for the season.
Coming on Strong
Kelsey Knoche has picked up her game in the 'Roos' last five matches, as the junior has a team-leading 57 kills and 11 services aces over the stretch, while registering the second most digs with 64. The Lee's Summit native has also produced three double-doubles, led the squad in kills three times and finished with 10 or more digs four times in that time period. Christiana McQuin, meanwhile, has a team-high .313 hitting percentage with 47 kills and 20 blocks over that same stretch.
Battling with the Wildcats
Sept. 28 match-up with Kansas State featured the 'Roos best performance in 21 meetings against the perennial national power Wildcats. In the match, UMKC took two sets for the first time ever against the team that has landed 13 players on the all-Big 12 First Team, five on the AVCA all-American team and finished in top-25 of the ACVA Coaches' Poll seven times since 2001, while notching 13 blocks against the Wildcats.
Blocking the 'Dons
In the match at IPFW on Sept. 25, UMKC finished with a Summit League season-high 17 blocks. Leading the way at the net for the 'Roos was junior Demetria Williams who registered 12 blocks, a new UMKC record for blocks in a five-set match. Elizabeth Beck, meanwhile, finished with seven blocks, a new career-high, while Kelsey Knoche (4), Ella Meier (4), Christiana McQuin (3), Ella Meier (4) and Brittney Robers (1) all were in on the action.
Saturday Ballers
Thus far in the 2010 season, UMKC has loved playing on Saturdays and loathed playing on Fridays. On Saturdays, the 'Roos have a 5-2 record compared to an 0-5 record in matches on Friday.
Louisiana Dominance
This season, UMKC has had its two best matches of the season against teams from Louisiana. In the matches with Grambling State (Grambling, La.) and Centenary (Shreveport, La.), the 'Roos have combined to win 6-1, while finishing with nearly twice as many kills (98-50), assists (90-46), aces (23-7) and blocks (18.5-7). In the two matches, Kelsey Knoche has a team-high 20 kills, while Ella Meier and Holly Schmidt have added 30 and 29 assists, respectively.
Getting It Down
In the match with Centenary, the UMKC volleyball team turned in a complete and dominant performance with a 3-0 win over the Ladies. Most impressively in the match, the 'Roos out-hit Centenary .425-.011, committing only four errors in the match, while four players finished with four or more kills and no errors.
Kerkman Named Summit League Defensive Player of the Week
Junior Nicole Kerkman was named The Summit League Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 13 after posting a career-high 27 digs against North Dakota State on Sept. 11. The junior added 16 digs against both Drake on Sept. 7 and South Dakota State on Sept. 10 to give her 59 total digs for the week with a 5.36 digs per set average. The honor is the first of the libero's career, while the Omaha, Neb., native becomes the fifth current member of the UMKC junior class to be recognized with the honor, joining teammates Brittany Fossier, Kelsey Knoche, Christiana McQuin and Elizabeth Beck.
Streaking 'Roos
Two 'Roos are in the midst of impressive steaks, led by Ella Meier, as the sophomore has reached the double figure mark in assists in 11 of her last 12 matches, while Nicole Kerkman has recorded 10 or more digs in 10 of the last 12 matches. Meier, in fact, has recorded 20 or more assists in seven of the last 12 matches, while reaching double figures in all but two matches the entire season and setting her career-high with 42 assists against South Dakota State. Kerkman, meanwhile, has reached double-digit digs in 12 matches, with a career-high 27 against North Dakota State.
Aces Up
Kelsey Knoche and Elizabeth Beck have each recorded a team-high four aces in one match this season. Beck registered her four aces in the match with Grambling, while recording no service errors. Knoche, meanwhile, matched her teammate's feat with four aces against Centenary, but had two service errors.
Out-Play to Win
When the 'Roos out-kill, out-hit and out-assist their opponent they have a good shot at winning the match, as the squad holds a 5-0 record when they out-hit the opposition, a 4-0 record when they out-kill them and a 4-1 record when they finish with more assists than their opponent. In the five wins, the team has out-killed their opponents 216-154, out-hit their opponents .248-.052 and out-assisted them 200-148.
Beck Named To Arkansas Invitational and Hampton Inn & Suites Northern Colorado Volleyball Classic All-Tournament Teams
Junior Elizabeth Beck was named to the Arkansas Invitational all-Tournament team after posting team-highs of 38 kills and six service aces in the three matches, while also notching 30 digs, six assists and four blocks with a .252 hitting percentage. Beck was also selected to the Hampton Inn & Suites Northern Colorado Volleyball Classic all-Tournament team after leading the team with 52 kills and a .308 hitting percentage, while finishing with 20 digs and nine blocks.
New Career-Highs
Several 'Roos have already set new career-highs this season, led by Emily Lucas. Lucas, in her sophomore season, notched 13 kills against Grambling, besting her previous high of 10, while also recording six blocks against Georgia. Ella Meier's 42 assists against South Dakota State and seven blocks against Fairfield were also a new high, while Elizabeth Beck's 18 kills against Georgia, four aces against Grambling and seven blocks against IPFW set new personal bests. Brittney Robers' 11 kills and .409 hitting percentage against Kansas State and her eight digs and Holly Schmidt's .750 hitting percentage against the Tigers, meanwhile, were also career-highs. Also registering career-high this season for the 'Roos are Nicole Kerkman in digs (27), Chloe Jarema in kills (nine), hitting percentage (.333), Christiana McQuin in hitting percentage (.643) and digs (11) and Demetria Williams in kills (14), hitting percentage (.727) and blocks (12).
Double-Doubles
This season, juniors Elizabeth Beck and Kelsey Knoche have combined for nine of the 'Roos 12 double-doubles. Against Arkansas, Knoche registered 10 kills and 17 digs for her 18th career double-double, while Beck finished with 11 kills and 12 digs against Stamford, 15 kills and 10 digs against Grambling and 10 kills and 14 digs against Oral Roberts for her third, fourth and fifth career double-doubles. Knoche, meanwhile, picked up her 19th career double-double with 14 kills and 10 digs against Fairfield and her 20th with 10 kills and 10 digs at North Dakota State. The Lee's Summit native added three more in the matches with Oral Roberts, Centenary and Kansas State. Also registering double-doubles for the squad this season are Ella Meier, Erin Wellwood and Demetria Williams.
Summit League Individual Leaders
Junior Elizabeth Beck leads a group of four 'Roos among The Summit League stat leaders, as the outside hitter sits seventh in the league with 2.75 kills per set. Ella Meier, meanwhile, is ninth in assists (5.55), while Nicole Kerkman is sixth in digs (3.74) and Kelsey Knoche is sixth in aces (.32).
Summit League Team Leaders
UMKC sits in the top half of four categories in The Summit League, including leading the league with 2.14 blocks per set. The 'Roos also sit third in the league in opponent hitting percentage (.191), while sitting fourth in aces (1.31) and fifth in digs (15.26).
Summit League Individual Match Highs
Demetria Williams leads the squad on the Summit League's match high ranking, as the junior recorded a Summit League season-high 12 blocks against IPFW. Christiana McQuin (8 & 7), Ella Meier (7) Elizabeth Beck (7) and Emily Lucas (6), also make the rankings as the trio sits fifth and 10th, 10th, 10th and 17th in blocks for all matches, while McQuin and Meier's totals are first and second in blocks for a three-set match. Lucas' hitting percentage against Grambling State (.435), meanwhile, is ranked 19th in the league, while Beck's 18 kills against Georgia are the 19th most in the league this season and her four aces against Grambling State are tied for ninth best. Nicole Kerkman's 27 digs against North Dakota State, meanwhile, rank ninth in the league, while Knoche's four aces against Centenary is tied for ninth.
Summit League Team Match Highs
The 'Roos sit among the league ranking as a team in several categories, including amassing the first, third, sixth, 13th and 20th highest totals in the league with 17 blocks in the match with IPFW, 15 blocks against Fairfield, 13 blocks against Kansas State, 11.5 against Centenary and 10.5 against Georgia. The 'Roos also sit second with their .425 hitting percentage and fifth with 11 aces against Centenary and fifth with their 87 digs against IPFW. The 12 aces, 60 kills, and .303 hitting percentage against Grambling State are third, 14th, and 17th, respectively.
NCAA Statistical Rankings
As a team, the UMKC volleyball team ranks in the top-250 in six categories among the NCAA statistical rankings, including 101st in digs per set (15.32), 114th in blocks per set (2.09), 132th in aces per set (1.36), 216th in hitting percentage (.170), 238th in kills (11.28) and 244th in assists (10.26). Individually, Nicole Kerkman is 191st in digs per set (3.89).
UMKC Career Records
Christiana McQuin leads a quartet of UMKC juniors who have already etched their names into the UMKC career record books with two more years of eligibility left, as the Wellington, Kan., native ranks fourth with 235 block assists and sixth all-time with a .252 hitting percentage. Nicole Kerkman and Kelsey Knoche each rank among the top-10 in digs per set, with Kerkman sitting third with a mark of 3.43 digs per set and Knoche sixth at 3.10 digs per set. Knoche also sits fifth all-time at 8.86 attacks per set and eighth all-time with 2.73 kills per set. Erin Wellwood, meanwhile, ranks seventh all-time in assists, as the setter as registered 1,242 in over two seasons in the Blue and Gold.
'Roos Picked Third In Summit League Preseason Poll
The 'Roos were picked to finish third in The Summit League preseason poll. UMKC, who returns five starters from its 2009 squad, finished with 54 points in a voting of a league's 10 head coaches. North Dakota State was the unanimous vote as the preseason favorite for the second straight season, earning nine first place votes and finishing with 81 points. 2009 Summit League Tournament champion IPFW earned the final first place tally and finished second with 64 points. Oakland was fourth, behind UMKC, with 53 points, followed by South Dakota State (49), IUPUI (47), Oral Roberts (39), Southern Utah (35), Western Illinois (19) and Centenary (9).
Captains Schmidt and Knoche
Senior Holly Schmidt and junior Kelsey Knoche were chosen as captains for the 2010 squad. Schmidt, who is entering her fourth season in the Blue and Gold, has played all over the court in her three seasons, including serving as one of the team's two setters in 2009, amassing 446 assists. Knoche, meanwhile, enters her second season at UMKC after transferring from the University of Memphis. Last year, the junior registered a team-high 312 kills, while finishing second on the team with 355 digs.
Looking To Take The Next Step in Year Two
The UMKC roster will feature three sophomores who will be looking to take a big step forward in year 2 of their careers at UMKC. Ella Meier, Emily Lucas and Brittney Robers combined for 20 starts a season ago and will be heavily relied on again this season as all three will see significant playing time and at least one will be in the starting lineup during this weekend's action.
In 2009, Meier registered her first career double-double with 13 kills and 14 digs against Iona en route to being named to Sacred Heart Invitational all-Tournament team, while picking up her second against Oakland with 12 kills and 16 digs. Lucas and Robers, meanwhile, each notched their best games against Holy Cross where Lucas finished with a career-high 10 kills and Robers a career-high 12 assists.
Last Season
The UMKC volleyball team had one of its best seasons in 2009, finishing the year with a 15-16 overall record and a 10-8 mark and fourth place finish in The Summit League. The 15-16 record was the second highest winning percentage in school history, while also being only the third time in school history that the team has reached the 15 win mark. The fourth place finish was good enough to put the 'Roos in The Summit League Tournament for the first time since 2003. The 10 league wins tied the school record for the most league wins in a season, while the squad's 7-3 mark in home matches was the best in school history. During the season, UMKC also swept Oral Roberts for the first time ever, snapping a 34-match losing streak and giving the 'Roos only their third and fourth wins over the Golden Eagles, while also taking their first set from Kansas State since 1993.
Adams Joins the Coaching Staff
Heather Adams joined the UMKC volleyball program as an assistant coach after serving as an assistant coach at Brush Middle School in Brush, Colo. Before her time at Brush, Adams worked as the junior varsity head coach and assistant varsity coach at Clear Creek High School in Idaho Springs, Colo. Adams played collegiate volleyball at Western State College of Colorado in Gunnison, Colo., for five seasons, where she served as the team captain during her senior year. The middle hitter closed out her career as a Mountaineer by being named First Team all-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference and Second Team all-Region honors. This came on the heels of earning second team all-conference honors as a junior.
Second Team All-League Honorees
2009 marked the first time since Vanessa Portela earned First Team all-Summit League honors in 2005, that the 'Roos put a player on either the first or second all-league teams, as last year both Jamie Hagerman and Christiana McQuin were selected as Second Team all-Summit League honorees. Last season also marked the first time since 2003 that two 'Roos were honored in the same season, as Lindsey Zerr was named First Team all-Mid-Con and Sara Foster was named Second Team all-Mid-Con that year. Hagerman, meanwhile, was also named to The Summit League all-Tournament team, marking the first time UMKC has had a representative since Noe Perreira was honored in 2002.
NCAA Public Recognition Award
The UMKC volleyball team was one of 841 Division I sports teams to receive NCAA Public Recognition Awards for their exceptional work in the classroom as part of the organization's Academic Performance Program. The awards are handed out annually to teams scoring in the top-10 percent in each sport with their APRs. High-performing teams receiving public recognition awards this year posted APR scores ranging from 978 to a perfect 1,000. The number of teams in some sports may exceed 10 percent depending on how many achieved perfect scores. The most recent APRs are multi-year rates based on scores from the 2005-06, 2006-07, 2007-08 and 2008-09 academic year.
'Roos in The Classroom
Last season, 11 'Roos were named to The Summit League Academic all-Conference team, including current 'Roos Elizabeth Beck, Brittany Fossier, Nicole Kerkman, Kelsey Knoche, Christina McCarthy, Christiana McQuin, Ella Meier and Erin Wellwood. In order to be named to academic all-League team, each student-athlete must post a GPA of 3.0 or higher in the semester in which they compete. Additionally, three 'Roos were named distinguished scholars for posting a GPA above 3.6, including Beck.
Meanwhile, five current player and six total were named to the Commissioner's List of Academic Excellence, including McCarthy, Beck, Fossier, Kerkman and Wellwood, for posting a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better.
The UMKC volleyball team (5-11, 2-4) will return to its Summit League schedule this week when they welcome in IUPUI (3-13, 2-3) and Western Illinois (5-8, 2-3) to Kansas City. The 'Roos will take on the Jaguars at 7 p.m. on Thursday at the Swinney Recreation Center before hosting the Leathernecks at 7 p.m. on Saturday.
Follow The 'Roos Online
All UMKC volleyball home and select road matches can be heard online at www.UMKCKangaroos.com during the 2010 season with all home matches being video streamed. The “Voice of UMKC Volleyball” T.J. Jackson, who is in his fifth season with the program, will provide all the play-by-play commentary for the broadcast. Check out Roo Vision for more details. You can also follow live stats for the 'Roos online at www.UMKCKangaroos.com.
The Opponents
IUPUI enters the match with a 3-13 record overall and a 2-3 mark in The Summit League after picking up wins over league foes Centenary and Western Illinois and Big East opponent DePaul. Offensively, a trio of Jags have led the squad, as Lindsey Weber (149), Kalyse Reimbold (146) and Dana Gardner (109) have all eclipsed 100 kill mark. Setting up the offense is Alexis Meeks, as the freshman tops the team with 494 assists. Defensively, Shari Bernhardt (305), Weber (156) and Reimbold (145) are the top three diggers for IUPUI, while Jessie Phelps (35), Brittany Anglemyer (32), Gardner (27) and Reimbold (24) are the team's top blockers.
Western Illinois comes into the week with a 5-8 record overall and a 2-3 record in The Summit League with wins over IPFW and Centenary. Allison Gilbert leads the Leatherneck attack with 158 kills, while Cait Egan (112), Katie Hosteng (105) and Brooke Sittleburg (104) have also reached the 100 kill mark. Heather Smith leads the squad with 418 assists, while Bridget Murphy (151) and Ellen Miller (138) each have over 100 digs. At the net, Egan leads WIU with 37 blocks, while Hosteng has chipped in 27.
Series Record
Thursday's meeting between UMKC and IUPUI will be the 26th between the two schools with the Jaguars holding a 16-9 advantage in the series. Last season, the two squads split their matches with IUPUI winning 3-1 in Indianapolis and UMKC winning 3-2 in Kansas City after trailing 0-2 in the match. Saturday's match with Western Illinois, meanwhile, will be the 31st between the two programs with the Leathernecks holding a 20-10 lead in the series. Last year, Western Illinois won 3-1 in Macomb, while the 'Roos took the match at the SRC, 3-0.
Last Time Out
The 'Roos dropped a 3-2 match at Kansas State (8-7, 2-2) on Tuesday night at the Ahern Field House. Kelsey Knoche led the way for the 'Roos with 15 kills, 20 digs, two aces and two blocks, while Brittney Robers added a career-high 11 kills, six digs, three blocks and a .409 hitting percentage. Elizabeth Beck, meanwhile, finished with eight kills, eight digs, four assists, four blocks and an ace, while Christiana McQuin chipped in six kills and a team-high seven blocks. Erin Wellwood, meanwhile, registered a team-high 20 assists, while Ella Meier added 17. Defensively, Nicole Kerkman notched 15 digs, while the 'Roos finished with 13 blocks as a team.
Rickert Named Interim Head Coach
Joan Rickert was named the Interim Head Coach for the UMKC volleyball program on Sept. 16, 2010. Rickert, who is in her fourth year with the 'Roos, served as the associate head coach prior to being elevated to the interim head coach. During her first three years at UMKC, Rickert served as an assistant coach.
During the 2009 season, Rickert helped lead the Kangaroos to a 15-16 overall record. The 15 victories were the third most in school history, while the 10 league wins tied for the most all-time. Additionally, Rickert coached Christiana McQuin and Jamie Hagerman to the all-Summit League Second team and Hagerman to The Summit League all-Tournament Team.
Williams Named Summit League Defensive Player of the Week
Demetria Williams was named The Summit League Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 27 after posting a UMKC five-set record and Summit League season-high 12 blocks against IPFW. The junior added four blocks against Oakland on Friday to give her 16 total blocks for the week with a 2.00 blocks per set average. In the match with the 'Dons, Williams also registered 14 kills, giving her the first double-double of her career. The middle hitter has led the squad in blocks in three of the past four matches to give her a total of 31 blocks for the season.
Coming on Strong
Kelsey Knoche has picked up her game in the 'Roos' last five matches, as the junior has a team-leading 57 kills and 11 services aces over the stretch, while registering the second most digs with 64. The Lee's Summit native has also produced three double-doubles, led the squad in kills three times and finished with 10 or more digs four times in that time period. Christiana McQuin, meanwhile, has a team-high .313 hitting percentage with 47 kills and 20 blocks over that same stretch.
Battling with the Wildcats
Sept. 28 match-up with Kansas State featured the 'Roos best performance in 21 meetings against the perennial national power Wildcats. In the match, UMKC took two sets for the first time ever against the team that has landed 13 players on the all-Big 12 First Team, five on the AVCA all-American team and finished in top-25 of the ACVA Coaches' Poll seven times since 2001, while notching 13 blocks against the Wildcats.
Blocking the 'Dons
In the match at IPFW on Sept. 25, UMKC finished with a Summit League season-high 17 blocks. Leading the way at the net for the 'Roos was junior Demetria Williams who registered 12 blocks, a new UMKC record for blocks in a five-set match. Elizabeth Beck, meanwhile, finished with seven blocks, a new career-high, while Kelsey Knoche (4), Ella Meier (4), Christiana McQuin (3), Ella Meier (4) and Brittney Robers (1) all were in on the action.
Saturday Ballers
Thus far in the 2010 season, UMKC has loved playing on Saturdays and loathed playing on Fridays. On Saturdays, the 'Roos have a 5-2 record compared to an 0-5 record in matches on Friday.
Louisiana Dominance
This season, UMKC has had its two best matches of the season against teams from Louisiana. In the matches with Grambling State (Grambling, La.) and Centenary (Shreveport, La.), the 'Roos have combined to win 6-1, while finishing with nearly twice as many kills (98-50), assists (90-46), aces (23-7) and blocks (18.5-7). In the two matches, Kelsey Knoche has a team-high 20 kills, while Ella Meier and Holly Schmidt have added 30 and 29 assists, respectively.
Getting It Down
In the match with Centenary, the UMKC volleyball team turned in a complete and dominant performance with a 3-0 win over the Ladies. Most impressively in the match, the 'Roos out-hit Centenary .425-.011, committing only four errors in the match, while four players finished with four or more kills and no errors.
Kerkman Named Summit League Defensive Player of the Week
Junior Nicole Kerkman was named The Summit League Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 13 after posting a career-high 27 digs against North Dakota State on Sept. 11. The junior added 16 digs against both Drake on Sept. 7 and South Dakota State on Sept. 10 to give her 59 total digs for the week with a 5.36 digs per set average. The honor is the first of the libero's career, while the Omaha, Neb., native becomes the fifth current member of the UMKC junior class to be recognized with the honor, joining teammates Brittany Fossier, Kelsey Knoche, Christiana McQuin and Elizabeth Beck.
Streaking 'Roos
Two 'Roos are in the midst of impressive steaks, led by Ella Meier, as the sophomore has reached the double figure mark in assists in 11 of her last 12 matches, while Nicole Kerkman has recorded 10 or more digs in 10 of the last 12 matches. Meier, in fact, has recorded 20 or more assists in seven of the last 12 matches, while reaching double figures in all but two matches the entire season and setting her career-high with 42 assists against South Dakota State. Kerkman, meanwhile, has reached double-digit digs in 12 matches, with a career-high 27 against North Dakota State.
Aces Up
Kelsey Knoche and Elizabeth Beck have each recorded a team-high four aces in one match this season. Beck registered her four aces in the match with Grambling, while recording no service errors. Knoche, meanwhile, matched her teammate's feat with four aces against Centenary, but had two service errors.
Out-Play to Win
When the 'Roos out-kill, out-hit and out-assist their opponent they have a good shot at winning the match, as the squad holds a 5-0 record when they out-hit the opposition, a 4-0 record when they out-kill them and a 4-1 record when they finish with more assists than their opponent. In the five wins, the team has out-killed their opponents 216-154, out-hit their opponents .248-.052 and out-assisted them 200-148.
Beck Named To Arkansas Invitational and Hampton Inn & Suites Northern Colorado Volleyball Classic All-Tournament Teams
Junior Elizabeth Beck was named to the Arkansas Invitational all-Tournament team after posting team-highs of 38 kills and six service aces in the three matches, while also notching 30 digs, six assists and four blocks with a .252 hitting percentage. Beck was also selected to the Hampton Inn & Suites Northern Colorado Volleyball Classic all-Tournament team after leading the team with 52 kills and a .308 hitting percentage, while finishing with 20 digs and nine blocks.
New Career-Highs
Several 'Roos have already set new career-highs this season, led by Emily Lucas. Lucas, in her sophomore season, notched 13 kills against Grambling, besting her previous high of 10, while also recording six blocks against Georgia. Ella Meier's 42 assists against South Dakota State and seven blocks against Fairfield were also a new high, while Elizabeth Beck's 18 kills against Georgia, four aces against Grambling and seven blocks against IPFW set new personal bests. Brittney Robers' 11 kills and .409 hitting percentage against Kansas State and her eight digs and Holly Schmidt's .750 hitting percentage against the Tigers, meanwhile, were also career-highs. Also registering career-high this season for the 'Roos are Nicole Kerkman in digs (27), Chloe Jarema in kills (nine), hitting percentage (.333), Christiana McQuin in hitting percentage (.643) and digs (11) and Demetria Williams in kills (14), hitting percentage (.727) and blocks (12).
Double-Doubles
This season, juniors Elizabeth Beck and Kelsey Knoche have combined for nine of the 'Roos 12 double-doubles. Against Arkansas, Knoche registered 10 kills and 17 digs for her 18th career double-double, while Beck finished with 11 kills and 12 digs against Stamford, 15 kills and 10 digs against Grambling and 10 kills and 14 digs against Oral Roberts for her third, fourth and fifth career double-doubles. Knoche, meanwhile, picked up her 19th career double-double with 14 kills and 10 digs against Fairfield and her 20th with 10 kills and 10 digs at North Dakota State. The Lee's Summit native added three more in the matches with Oral Roberts, Centenary and Kansas State. Also registering double-doubles for the squad this season are Ella Meier, Erin Wellwood and Demetria Williams.
Summit League Individual Leaders
Junior Elizabeth Beck leads a group of four 'Roos among The Summit League stat leaders, as the outside hitter sits seventh in the league with 2.75 kills per set. Ella Meier, meanwhile, is ninth in assists (5.55), while Nicole Kerkman is sixth in digs (3.74) and Kelsey Knoche is sixth in aces (.32).
Summit League Team Leaders
UMKC sits in the top half of four categories in The Summit League, including leading the league with 2.14 blocks per set. The 'Roos also sit third in the league in opponent hitting percentage (.191), while sitting fourth in aces (1.31) and fifth in digs (15.26).
Summit League Individual Match Highs
Demetria Williams leads the squad on the Summit League's match high ranking, as the junior recorded a Summit League season-high 12 blocks against IPFW. Christiana McQuin (8 & 7), Ella Meier (7) Elizabeth Beck (7) and Emily Lucas (6), also make the rankings as the trio sits fifth and 10th, 10th, 10th and 17th in blocks for all matches, while McQuin and Meier's totals are first and second in blocks for a three-set match. Lucas' hitting percentage against Grambling State (.435), meanwhile, is ranked 19th in the league, while Beck's 18 kills against Georgia are the 19th most in the league this season and her four aces against Grambling State are tied for ninth best. Nicole Kerkman's 27 digs against North Dakota State, meanwhile, rank ninth in the league, while Knoche's four aces against Centenary is tied for ninth.
Summit League Team Match Highs
The 'Roos sit among the league ranking as a team in several categories, including amassing the first, third, sixth, 13th and 20th highest totals in the league with 17 blocks in the match with IPFW, 15 blocks against Fairfield, 13 blocks against Kansas State, 11.5 against Centenary and 10.5 against Georgia. The 'Roos also sit second with their .425 hitting percentage and fifth with 11 aces against Centenary and fifth with their 87 digs against IPFW. The 12 aces, 60 kills, and .303 hitting percentage against Grambling State are third, 14th, and 17th, respectively.
NCAA Statistical Rankings
As a team, the UMKC volleyball team ranks in the top-250 in six categories among the NCAA statistical rankings, including 101st in digs per set (15.32), 114th in blocks per set (2.09), 132th in aces per set (1.36), 216th in hitting percentage (.170), 238th in kills (11.28) and 244th in assists (10.26). Individually, Nicole Kerkman is 191st in digs per set (3.89).
UMKC Career Records
Christiana McQuin leads a quartet of UMKC juniors who have already etched their names into the UMKC career record books with two more years of eligibility left, as the Wellington, Kan., native ranks fourth with 235 block assists and sixth all-time with a .252 hitting percentage. Nicole Kerkman and Kelsey Knoche each rank among the top-10 in digs per set, with Kerkman sitting third with a mark of 3.43 digs per set and Knoche sixth at 3.10 digs per set. Knoche also sits fifth all-time at 8.86 attacks per set and eighth all-time with 2.73 kills per set. Erin Wellwood, meanwhile, ranks seventh all-time in assists, as the setter as registered 1,242 in over two seasons in the Blue and Gold.
'Roos Picked Third In Summit League Preseason Poll
The 'Roos were picked to finish third in The Summit League preseason poll. UMKC, who returns five starters from its 2009 squad, finished with 54 points in a voting of a league's 10 head coaches. North Dakota State was the unanimous vote as the preseason favorite for the second straight season, earning nine first place votes and finishing with 81 points. 2009 Summit League Tournament champion IPFW earned the final first place tally and finished second with 64 points. Oakland was fourth, behind UMKC, with 53 points, followed by South Dakota State (49), IUPUI (47), Oral Roberts (39), Southern Utah (35), Western Illinois (19) and Centenary (9).
Captains Schmidt and Knoche
Senior Holly Schmidt and junior Kelsey Knoche were chosen as captains for the 2010 squad. Schmidt, who is entering her fourth season in the Blue and Gold, has played all over the court in her three seasons, including serving as one of the team's two setters in 2009, amassing 446 assists. Knoche, meanwhile, enters her second season at UMKC after transferring from the University of Memphis. Last year, the junior registered a team-high 312 kills, while finishing second on the team with 355 digs.
Looking To Take The Next Step in Year Two
The UMKC roster will feature three sophomores who will be looking to take a big step forward in year 2 of their careers at UMKC. Ella Meier, Emily Lucas and Brittney Robers combined for 20 starts a season ago and will be heavily relied on again this season as all three will see significant playing time and at least one will be in the starting lineup during this weekend's action.
In 2009, Meier registered her first career double-double with 13 kills and 14 digs against Iona en route to being named to Sacred Heart Invitational all-Tournament team, while picking up her second against Oakland with 12 kills and 16 digs. Lucas and Robers, meanwhile, each notched their best games against Holy Cross where Lucas finished with a career-high 10 kills and Robers a career-high 12 assists.
Last Season
The UMKC volleyball team had one of its best seasons in 2009, finishing the year with a 15-16 overall record and a 10-8 mark and fourth place finish in The Summit League. The 15-16 record was the second highest winning percentage in school history, while also being only the third time in school history that the team has reached the 15 win mark. The fourth place finish was good enough to put the 'Roos in The Summit League Tournament for the first time since 2003. The 10 league wins tied the school record for the most league wins in a season, while the squad's 7-3 mark in home matches was the best in school history. During the season, UMKC also swept Oral Roberts for the first time ever, snapping a 34-match losing streak and giving the 'Roos only their third and fourth wins over the Golden Eagles, while also taking their first set from Kansas State since 1993.
Adams Joins the Coaching Staff
Heather Adams joined the UMKC volleyball program as an assistant coach after serving as an assistant coach at Brush Middle School in Brush, Colo. Before her time at Brush, Adams worked as the junior varsity head coach and assistant varsity coach at Clear Creek High School in Idaho Springs, Colo. Adams played collegiate volleyball at Western State College of Colorado in Gunnison, Colo., for five seasons, where she served as the team captain during her senior year. The middle hitter closed out her career as a Mountaineer by being named First Team all-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference and Second Team all-Region honors. This came on the heels of earning second team all-conference honors as a junior.
Second Team All-League Honorees
2009 marked the first time since Vanessa Portela earned First Team all-Summit League honors in 2005, that the 'Roos put a player on either the first or second all-league teams, as last year both Jamie Hagerman and Christiana McQuin were selected as Second Team all-Summit League honorees. Last season also marked the first time since 2003 that two 'Roos were honored in the same season, as Lindsey Zerr was named First Team all-Mid-Con and Sara Foster was named Second Team all-Mid-Con that year. Hagerman, meanwhile, was also named to The Summit League all-Tournament team, marking the first time UMKC has had a representative since Noe Perreira was honored in 2002.
NCAA Public Recognition Award
The UMKC volleyball team was one of 841 Division I sports teams to receive NCAA Public Recognition Awards for their exceptional work in the classroom as part of the organization's Academic Performance Program. The awards are handed out annually to teams scoring in the top-10 percent in each sport with their APRs. High-performing teams receiving public recognition awards this year posted APR scores ranging from 978 to a perfect 1,000. The number of teams in some sports may exceed 10 percent depending on how many achieved perfect scores. The most recent APRs are multi-year rates based on scores from the 2005-06, 2006-07, 2007-08 and 2008-09 academic year.
'Roos in The Classroom
Last season, 11 'Roos were named to The Summit League Academic all-Conference team, including current 'Roos Elizabeth Beck, Brittany Fossier, Nicole Kerkman, Kelsey Knoche, Christina McCarthy, Christiana McQuin, Ella Meier and Erin Wellwood. In order to be named to academic all-League team, each student-athlete must post a GPA of 3.0 or higher in the semester in which they compete. Additionally, three 'Roos were named distinguished scholars for posting a GPA above 3.6, including Beck.
Meanwhile, five current player and six total were named to the Commissioner's List of Academic Excellence, including McCarthy, Beck, Fossier, Kerkman and Wellwood, for posting a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better.
Players Mentioned
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/ VolleyballVolleyball Highlights vs. Southern Illinois
Friday, September 05
Volleyball Highlights vs. Eastern Michigan
Saturday, August 30
Volleyball Highlights vs. Radford
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Volleyball Highlights vs. Marshall
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