UMKC To Take On UNO, South Dakota This Week
9/20/2011 11:43:00 AM | Volleyball
The Opponents
Nebraska-Omaha enters the week with a 2-10 record overall, picking up wins over California Baptist and MSU Moorhead. The future Summit League member is led in kills by Natalie Ebke (133) and Abby Sorensen (111), while Lizz Mach as added 92. Emily Myers' 420 assists are a team-high, while Angie Reicks (194), Ebke (137) and Amy Roberts (105) have all topped the 100 dig mark.
South Dakota enters the week with a 6-7 record overall and a 2-1 mark in Summit League play, picking up wins over Oral Roberts and Southern Utah last week. Kendall Kritenbrink leads teh Coyotes with 199 kills and was named Summit League Offensive Player of the Week on 9/19. Tori Kroll, meanwhile, has a team-high 446 assists, while Riley Haug (123) and Carol Logato (106) have each topped 100 digs.
Series Record
Nebraska-Omaha, meanwhile, holds a 1-0 advantage in ther series, while the 'Roos lead South Dakota, 1-0, after defeating the Coyotes 3-0 last season.
Nearing Records
Seniors Nicole Kerkman and Christiana McQuin are both approaching a top spot in the UMKC record books. Kerkman currently has 1,276 career digs, the second most in UMKC history, 60 behind leader Mandy Tipton. McQuin, meanwhile, has 316 block assists, the second most in school history an nine behind leader Lindsey Zerr.
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.
Summit League Leaders
The UMKC volleyball team sits atop The Summit League rankings in blocks, collecting 2.39 per set. Individually, Brittany Fossier is registering a league high 1.29 blocks per set.
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.
