Kangaroos Shoot To Make Two Then Three Straight Against UNO, USD
10/18/2011 3:23:00 PM | Volleyball
The Opponents
Nebraska-Omaha enters the contest with a 4-21 record overall with their most recent wins coming over Dallas Baptist and Central Oklahoma. The future Summit League member is led offensively by Natalie Ebke's 289 kills, while Abby Sorensen (188), Lizzy Mach (180) and Brittany Hanssen (163) have each topped 150 kills on the season. Setting up the offense is Emily Myers who leads the team with 842 assists, while Angie Reicks (387), Ebke (279), Myers (229) and Amy Roberts (215) have each recorded more than 200 digs this season.
South Dakota, meanwhile, enters the week with a 12-12 record overall and a 5-6 mark in their first year of Summit League play. This season, two Coyotes have been honored as The Summit League Offensive Player of the Week, including Kendall Kritenbrink, who leads the squad with 317 kills and Tori Kroll, who tops the team with 833 assists. Defensively, Carol Logato's 349 digs are a team-high, while Riley Haug has amassed 262.
Series Record
This will be the second meeting of the season between the 'Roos and both the Mavs and the Coyotes. Earlier this season, UMKC downed UNO, 3-2, to even the overall series at one match apiece, while USD defeated the Kangaroos, 3-0, to even the series at 1-1.
Last Week
On Sunday, the 'Roos picked up their first Summit League win of the season with a 3-1 win over Southern Utah at the Swinney Recreation Center. In the match, three 'Roos finished with 10 or more kills, including senior Kelsey Knoche (17), senior Elizabeth Beck (13) and junior Emily Lucas (10).
On Friday, UMKC dropped its Summit League match, 3-1, to Oral Roberts. Junior setter Ella Meier led the 'Roos with 34 assists, nine digs and four blocks, while Lucas registered a team-high 13 kills and senior Nicole Kerkman finished with a game-high 28 digs.
Think PINK
The 'Roos will be hosting their annual Dig for the Cure Think Pink Volleyball match on Saturday when they take on South Dakota. There will be a pregame reception in the SRC lobby from 5:30-6:45 with tickets available for $10. The cost includes a ticket to the game, light hors d'oeuvres and a Think Pink, Think Cynthia gift. Pink volleyball cutouts will also be available for attendees to honor loved ones with my writing their name and hanging them on the wall. Attendees also have the opportunity to pledge an amount per dig by the 'Roos with all proceeds going to the Cynthia Joy Gabel Memorial Scholarship fund.
Spreading It Around
The 2011 UMKC volleyball team has featured a balanced line-up to this point in the season. Through 21 matches, the squad has had seven different players lead the team in blocks, six in aces, four in kills and digs, three in attacks and two in assists.
Setting The Mark
With her four block performance against IUPUI, UMKC senior Christiana McQuin became the 'Roos all-time leader in block assists with 342, passing Lindsey Zerr. The Wellington, Kan., native also sits sixth in school history with a .250 hitting percentage and eighth with 55 solo blocks.
Senior Nicole Kerkman, meanwhile, passed Mandy Tipton for the all-time digs record and now has 1,418 digs. The Omaha, Neb., native, also sits second in school history with a mark of 3.68 digs per set. Fellow senior Kelsey Knoche ranks fifth in digs per set (3.07) and eighth in kills per set (2.67) while Erin Wellwood sits fifth in assists (1,366) and Brittany Fossier sits ninth in block assists (218).
Senior Power
The 2011-12 senior class consists of seven different student-athletes whose years in the Blue & Gold span from one to four years. In their combined 22 seasons, Elizabeth Beck, Nicole Kerkman, Kelsey Knoche, Christiana McQuin, Kara Thomas, Erin Wellwood and Demetria Williams have combined for 1,966 sets played over 563 matches, while amassing 2,652 kills, 1,751 assists, 327 service aces, 3,862 digs, 100 solo blocks, 745 block assists, 845 total blocks and a .175 hitting percentage.
Five 'Roos Honored As All-Tournament Performers
Five different 'Roos were honored this preseason as all-tournament performers, led by senior Nicole Kerkman who was named to the Black Knights Invitational and Kangaroo Klassic all-Tournament Teams. Teammates Emily Lucas and Christiana McQuin garnered honors at the Black Knights Invitational and Kangaroo Klassic, respectively, while Kelsey Knoche and Chloe Jarema earned all-tournament honors at the Radford Tournament.
First Tournament Sweep Since 2002
With its three game sweep and tournament title at the Radford Tournament on Sept. 2-3, the UMKC volleyball team captured its first 3-0 tournament performance since the Southern Illinois Tournament in 2002. That year, the 'Roos defeated Murray State, 3-1, Central Michigan, 3-1 and host Southern Illinois 3-2.
Players of the Week
The UMKC roster currently features six players who have claimed Summit League Player of the Week honors. Plano, Texas, native Brittany Fossier was the first to be honored, winning Defensive Player of the Week honors on Sept. 15, 2008, during her freshman season. During their sophomore campaigns, Kelsey Knoche (10/26/09) and Elizabeth Beck (11/16/09) were each named Offensive Player of the Week, while Christiana McQuin (11/9/09) garnered Defensive Player of the Week honors. Last season, meanwhile, Nicole Kerkman (9/13/10) and Demetria Williams (9/27/10) each earned the Defensive Player of the Week award.
Last Season
In 2010, the 'Roos finished the campaign with a 9-21 record overall and a 6-12 mark in Summit League play, finishing eighth in the league. Offensively, the 'Roos were led by a trio of then juniors, including Elizabeth Beck (294 k), Kelsey Knoche (293 k) and Christiana McQuin (240 k), while then sophomore Ella Meier finished with a team-high 590 assists. Defensively, six Kangaroos recorded over 150 digs, led by Nicole Kerkman's 396 and Knoche's 360. At the net, McQuin (112 b) and Demetria Williams (81 b) were the squad's top two blockers.
Head Coach Christi Posey
Christi Posey was named the new head coach of the Kangaroo volleyball program on Feb. 14, 2011, after spending the past eleven seasons as the top assistant and recruiting coordinator at the University of Kansas. Prior to heading to Lawrence, Posey served as the head volleyball coach at Blue Valley Northwest High School in Overland Park, Kan., from 1993 to 2000. During that time, Posey led the Huskies to KSHSAA state tournaments in each of her eight season, winning the state championships in 1996 and 1997, while finishing third three times. While coaching the Huskies, she was named the 1997 Coach of the Year by the Kansas Volleyball Association and Kansas Sport Magazine after leading her team to a perfect 44-0 record, including a second-straight KSHSAA state championship and the 1996 Coach of the Year by Kansas Sport Magazine and Sports Connection after guiding her team to a 41-3 record and the state championship.
'Roos in The Classroom
Last season, eight 'Roos were named to The Summit League Academic all-Conference team, including current 'Roos Elizabeth Beck, Nicole Kerkman, Kelsey Knoche, Christiana McQuin, Ella Meier, Brittney Robers 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, five 'Roos were named distinguished scholars for posting a GPA above 3.6, including Beck.
Meanwhile, seven current player and eight total were named to the Commissioner's List of Academic Excellence, including Beck, Kerkman, Knoche, McQuin, Meier, Kara Thomas and Wellwood, for posting a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better.
- 2011 UMKC Volleyball -
