Kangaroos Set To Open 2011 Campaign At The Black Knights Invitational
8/25/2011 10:50:00 AM | Volleyball
(Kansas City, Mo.) -- The UMKC volleyball team (0-0, 0-0) will kick-off its 2011 season under new Head Coach Christi Posey this weekend at the Black Knights Invitational in West Point, N.Y. On Friday, the 'Roos will open with a pair of contest, starting with Bryant at 2:30 p.m. and followed by host Army at 6 p.m. On Saturday, the Kangaroos will close out the tournament at 2 p.m. against Hartford. You can follow live stats for the 'Roos online at www.UMKCKangaroos.com.
The Opponents
Last season, Bryant finished with an 18-17 record overall and a 5-11 mark in the Northeast Conference, with the 18 wins marking the most victories in the school's Division I era. This season, the Bulldogs were selected to finish in sixth spot in the NEC's preseason coaches poll with senior middle blocker Maria Scocca (308 kills, 120 blocks) and senior Jazmin Stoner (285 kills, 207 digs) leading the way.
In 2010, Army finished 18-14 overall and 11-3 in the Patriot League, good enough for a second place finish and a spot in the Patriot League semifinals. The Black Knights return 14 letterwinners and four starters, including outside hitter Ariana Mankus (3.21 k/s, 3.01 d/s, 2009 Patriot League Player and Rookie of the Year), rightside Francine Vasquez (2.44 k/s, 2.60 d/s, 2010 First Team all-Patriot League) and middle blocker Megan Wilton (2.18 k/s, 0.81 b/s, 2010 Patriot League Rookie of the Year), while the squad will look to replace setter Karyn Powell (2010 Patriot League Setter of the Year) and Brittany Jensen (2010 Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year).
Hartford is coming off an 8-21 season overall with a 3-9 mark in the America East Conference. This season, the Hawks return six starters and their libero, including junior outside hitter Kam Nethersole (325 kills, 218 digs), senior middle hitter Michelle Cordell (242 kills, 188 digs) and senior libero Danielle Etta (347 digs).
Series Record
This will be the first meeting for the 'Roos with each of the three schools.
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.
30 Career Double-Doubles
In the match against North Dakota State on Oct. 28, 2010, senior Kelsey Knoche notched her 30th career double-double in just her second season with the Blue and Gold. On the season, the Lee's Summit, Mo., native posted a team-high 15 double-doubles after recording 17 in 2009, giving her 32 for her career. Fellow senior Erin Wellwood is second on the active double-double list with 22, including four in 2010, while Elizabeth Beck and Ella Meier are next on the list with 10 and eight, respectively. Junior Brittany Fossier, senior Christiana McQuin and senior Demetria Williams, meanwhile, each have one.
1,000 Digs
Nicole Kerkman became the sixth player in UMKC history to record over 1,000 career digs when the Omaha, Neb., native registered 22 on Oct. 16, 2010 against IUPUI. Entering her final season, the senior is fifth on the charts with 1,063 digs, placing her in the club featuring UMKC career-digs leader Mandy Tipton (1,336), Angela Melka (1,239), Katie Keating (1,217), Jana Lacer (1,206) and Julie Mohrfeld (1,049).
Creeping Up the UMKC Career Records
Christiana McQuin leads a quartet of UMKC senior who are steadily rising up the UMKC career record books as they enter their final season of competition, as the Wellington, Kan., native ranks third with 277 block assists, fifth all-time with a .255 hitting percentage and 10th all-time with 44 solo blocks. Nicole Kerkman and Kelsey Knoche each rank among the top-10 in digs per set, with Kerkman sitting second with a mark of 3.52 digs per set and Knoche sixth at 3.16 digs per set. Kerkman has also moved into fifth place all-time with 1,063 career digs, while Knoche sits fifth all-time at 8.85 attacks per set and eighth all-time with 2.68 kills per set. Erin Wellwood, meanwhile, is fifth all-time in assists, as the setter as registered 1,353 in over two seasons in the Blue and Gold.
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.
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. At Kansas, Posey worked with the team's setters and defensive specialist and oversaw the development of many impressive Jayhawks, including 2010 team members Melissa Manda and Nicole Tate.
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 1999 Johnson County Volleyball Coach of the Year by the Kansas City Star, 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.
The Opponents
Last season, Bryant finished with an 18-17 record overall and a 5-11 mark in the Northeast Conference, with the 18 wins marking the most victories in the school's Division I era. This season, the Bulldogs were selected to finish in sixth spot in the NEC's preseason coaches poll with senior middle blocker Maria Scocca (308 kills, 120 blocks) and senior Jazmin Stoner (285 kills, 207 digs) leading the way.
In 2010, Army finished 18-14 overall and 11-3 in the Patriot League, good enough for a second place finish and a spot in the Patriot League semifinals. The Black Knights return 14 letterwinners and four starters, including outside hitter Ariana Mankus (3.21 k/s, 3.01 d/s, 2009 Patriot League Player and Rookie of the Year), rightside Francine Vasquez (2.44 k/s, 2.60 d/s, 2010 First Team all-Patriot League) and middle blocker Megan Wilton (2.18 k/s, 0.81 b/s, 2010 Patriot League Rookie of the Year), while the squad will look to replace setter Karyn Powell (2010 Patriot League Setter of the Year) and Brittany Jensen (2010 Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year).
Hartford is coming off an 8-21 season overall with a 3-9 mark in the America East Conference. This season, the Hawks return six starters and their libero, including junior outside hitter Kam Nethersole (325 kills, 218 digs), senior middle hitter Michelle Cordell (242 kills, 188 digs) and senior libero Danielle Etta (347 digs).
Series Record
This will be the first meeting for the 'Roos with each of the three schools.
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.
30 Career Double-Doubles
In the match against North Dakota State on Oct. 28, 2010, senior Kelsey Knoche notched her 30th career double-double in just her second season with the Blue and Gold. On the season, the Lee's Summit, Mo., native posted a team-high 15 double-doubles after recording 17 in 2009, giving her 32 for her career. Fellow senior Erin Wellwood is second on the active double-double list with 22, including four in 2010, while Elizabeth Beck and Ella Meier are next on the list with 10 and eight, respectively. Junior Brittany Fossier, senior Christiana McQuin and senior Demetria Williams, meanwhile, each have one.
1,000 Digs
Nicole Kerkman became the sixth player in UMKC history to record over 1,000 career digs when the Omaha, Neb., native registered 22 on Oct. 16, 2010 against IUPUI. Entering her final season, the senior is fifth on the charts with 1,063 digs, placing her in the club featuring UMKC career-digs leader Mandy Tipton (1,336), Angela Melka (1,239), Katie Keating (1,217), Jana Lacer (1,206) and Julie Mohrfeld (1,049).
Creeping Up the UMKC Career Records
Christiana McQuin leads a quartet of UMKC senior who are steadily rising up the UMKC career record books as they enter their final season of competition, as the Wellington, Kan., native ranks third with 277 block assists, fifth all-time with a .255 hitting percentage and 10th all-time with 44 solo blocks. Nicole Kerkman and Kelsey Knoche each rank among the top-10 in digs per set, with Kerkman sitting second with a mark of 3.52 digs per set and Knoche sixth at 3.16 digs per set. Kerkman has also moved into fifth place all-time with 1,063 career digs, while Knoche sits fifth all-time at 8.85 attacks per set and eighth all-time with 2.68 kills per set. Erin Wellwood, meanwhile, is fifth all-time in assists, as the setter as registered 1,353 in over two seasons in the Blue and Gold.
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.
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. At Kansas, Posey worked with the team's setters and defensive specialist and oversaw the development of many impressive Jayhawks, including 2010 team members Melissa Manda and Nicole Tate.
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 1999 Johnson County Volleyball Coach of the Year by the Kansas City Star, 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.
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's BasketballOH
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LIBERO/DS
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