Bowling Green State University Athletics
Volleyball Opens Season At Miami Invitational
August 30, 2004 | Volleyball
Aug. 30, 2004
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio -
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The Bowling Green State University volleyball team will begin the 2004 season with a bang, as they open at the Miami Invitational on September 3-4 in Miami, Florida. Squaring off with the Falcons will be #19 Illinois on Friday at 2:30 p.m., followed by Saturday matches with Miami at noon and Rice at 4:00 p.m. Click here to find out how head coach Denise Van De Walle sees the season breaking down.
CLOSING A CHAPTER
After compiling a 63-29 record between 1999-2001 and winning back-to-back East Division Championships in 2000 and 2001, the Falcons are once again ready to battle for a place among the conference leaders.
After a strong spring season the Falcons of head coach Denise Van De Walle have closed the books on the previous two seasons and are ready to get BGSU back to the top. "We are tired of losing," said the head coach. "The last two seasons have been very draining and demanding on all of us. We have closed the chapter on that book. We have moved on. We truly expect to get BG back to the top in 2004."
Van De Walle and assistant coach Mark Hardaway have a difficult task in front of them for the 2004 season, and will have to find a way to replace seven members from the 2003 squad. Gone from last season are Susie Norris, Samantha Rennau, Nadia Bedricky, Sara Sikorski, Bridget Beers, Dana Chapman and Libby Voshell. But Van De Walle used the small returning class to get everyone a lot of touches during spring practice as well as build team chemistry.
"We had such a small squad, that the six returning players had so many contacts and repetitions on the ball. The whole goal of the spring was to become better individually, and that's what we did," said Van De Walle. "When you are working with that small of a team, you have several goals. Because we had some team issues last year, it was very important that the team chemistry become very good, and it did. Right now, I would have to say one of our strengths is great team chemistry."
Even with the loss of so many players from the 2003 squad the head coach sees a lot of talent in the returning six players. "The returning players are very solid," said Van De Walle. "I don't think we are weak in a position. We have a senior setter in Amber, two senior middles in Mel and Taylor. Gothke played all the time her freshman year and set a school record as a libero. Corrie Mills got a lot of playing time this spring and Manser improved tremendously."
The 2003 team is coming off a 12-19 record and finished 4-12 in the MAC, but Van De Walle seems optimistic.
"Of course it was disappointing," said the head coach. "You never want to end a year with a losing season, but I'm looking forward now, because of how we performed during the spring season. We had great team practices and chemistry. It was a 180-degree change from last fall. "So now, when I look forward to this fall I am very optimistic on how we'll be. We have a great group of six returning players. They are all very talented and hard working, and with the addition of five incoming freshmen and a transfer, we should be very athletic, very strong and very deep."
THE SENIORS
The 2004 senior class consists of four-year letterwinner Melissa Mohr, and two three-year letterwinners that transferred from St. Clair County CC for the start of the 2002 season, in Amber Mareski and Taylor Twite.
This senior class will be counted on to supply much of the offensive firepower throughout the 2004 season, but also will be asked to be the team leaders as well.
The strongest, and arguably deepest position this season should be the middle. Twite will team with Mohr to make for a formidable 1-2 punch all season long for the Brown and Orange in the middle of the court. Combined, the two seniors recorded 800 kills (5.90 per game) and 221 blocks (1.87 per game) last season.
Twite, a native of Lapeer, Michigan, will supply a majority of the offense for the Falcons after recording a team-high 460 kills and 3.83 kills per game as a junior last season. The 6-1 middle hitter also earned All-MAC Honorable Mention after ranking seventh in hitting percentage with a .297 and kills in a season with 460, as well as sixth in points with 4.39 per game.
"Taylor had an unbelievable year in 2003," said Van De Walle. "I was very pleased for her that the coaches in the conference recognized her talent by awarding her an All-MAC award last year. Taylor is strong, physical and hits a heavy ball. If we can just keep her knee healthy I think she is going to have a great senior season. Talking to her in the spring, I know that she is excited for her senior season and will be looked upon as a leader on the floor. She also knows that due to her junior year, she will now be in everyone's scouting report, but I feel she is ready for that type of challenge."
Mohr returns for her fourth season in the Brown and Orange after recording her best season as a Falcon in 2003. The Millersburg, Ohio, native established career-bests in ten separate categories, most notably kills (240), kills per game (2.07), blocks (120) and blocks per game (1.03).
"Last year was the first time she was on the floor all the time, and she did a great job at it," said Van De Walle. "Right now she is better then all last fall put together. She is a smaller middle for our conference, but Mel is probably the fastest middle in the MAC. She is known for her one-foot take off. She does that better then any player I have ever coached. With how hard she has worked out in the spring in the weight room, people are going to take note of Mel. With how fast she is and how hard she is hitting the ball now that her shoulder is healed, she will be a big presence on the court."
Mareski, after sharing time with Sara Sikorski the last two seasons at setter, should have free rein all season, and could put up some scary numbers. As a part time starter in 2003 (started only 15 of 30 matches), the St. Clair, Michigan native posted 1,061 assists and 9.39 assists per game, both team highs. With another 1,000+ assist season she could climb as high as third all-time in the BGSU record books. The senior setter also can pitch in with some surprising kills throughout a match. The 85 kills last season ranked sixth on the team and recorded at least five kills on five separate occasions. Her head coach also visualizes her as a team leader.
"This will be Amber's third year as a setter for us," said the head coach. "I think with her size and ability to lead the team she should have a great year. Senior setters should step up and lead their team. I believe Amber will do just that."
THE JUNIORS
After spending her first two seasons as the only player in her class, Emily Manser will be joined by transfer Ashlei Nofzinger. Manser, enters her third year with the Brown and Orange. The 5-11, left-side hitter has produced on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball. Her freshman season she recorded 115 kills and was second on the team with 306 digs. Though her numbers were down her sophomore season she still managed 82 kills and 99 digs, to continue her double threat.
"I know Manser did not have the sophomore year that she wanted," said Van De Walle. "She came in as a freshman, got some playing time right away and did a fine job, and then did not get on the floor as much as she would have liked in 2003. However, with all the playing time that she received in the spring, she is ready to be on the floor again. She has worked out extremely hard this summer and has told me she plans to be on the floor. Manser is a very good jumper, she hits a heavy ball and is a great passer. She is going to have to fill the shoes of Susie and Nadia, who were two of the best ball control players in the conference."
Nofzinger joins the BGSU program after transferring from Loyola-Chicago. The junior from Holland, Ohio earned Horizon League Player of the Week on Nov. 8 after two magnificent performances, compiling 33 kills and 25 digs in two matches. "I coached Ashlei four years ago when I was coaching the Ohio Valley Region High Performance Team," said Van De Walle. "She was on this team that competed at the Colorado Springs Cup, where we went undefeated until the championship match. She is a great person, strong athlete that jumps well and hits hard. So, I have at least coached her and like her work ethic. She will bring DI experience to the table right away."
THE SOPHOMORES
Going into the 2003 season Van De Walle expected Chrissy Gothke to be red-shirted due to the fact that BGSU already had two established setters in Mareski and Sikorski. But due to her hustle and quick feet, the Whitehouse, Ohio, native found a position on the floor that suited her game quite well. Playing nearly every match as the libero it was impossible to keep Gothke off the court. She set a new school record with 497 digs, surpassing the old mark of 462 set by Susie Norris in 2000, also her freshman season. She averaged 4.11 digs per game, good enough for second-best in school history, as well as recorded double-figure digs in 23 of 31 matches. She even had a stretch of five matches where she recorded more then 20 digs in each match, despite none of those matches going five sets.
"Chrissy is very talented," said the head coach. "We can put her in almost any role that we want, except middle. Chrissy is the type of player that will do whatever we ask of her. She was our most versatile athlete."
THE FRESHMEN
Van De Walle will have an incoming class of five freshmen on the 2004 roster in Kendra Halm, Maggie Karges, Madeline Means, Elizabeth Simon and Stephanie Swiger. Corrie Mills, a red-shirt freshman, makes six Falcons on the 2004 roster that have no prior experience on the floor in the Brown and Orange. Mills, a native of Elgin, Ill., will battle for playing time on the right side, as well as the middle after a successful spring performance.
"Corrie is a good blocker. She did a great job in the spring on the right side. For her not to play at all last season and still get the most improved award says a lot about her. The only drawback for her is the lack of experience of being on the floor for a competitive match."
With two senior middle-hitters in Mohr and Twite, the middle will be a very crowded position this year, and could limit the amount of playing time for both Halm and Swiger in 2004. Halm, a native of Bucyrus, Ohio, is a 5-11 middle-hitter that has very high aspirations from her head coach.
"Kendra has improved from when she committed to Bowling Green in the fall to where she is now. She has made tremendous strides," said Van De Walle. "She reminds me a lot of Tammy Schiller, who ended up being conference Player of the Year twice."
Swiger, a 6-0 native of Findlay, Ohio will also be searching for playing time in the middle.
"What I think about first and foremost is an intense competitor," said Van De Walle. "That's what stands out when I think of Swiger. She hates to lose and brings that intensity to the floor every time she plays. That intensity drives her to be good everyday. It will be fun to coach Steph."
With the departure of Susie Norris and Samantha Rennau, the left side of the court is up for grabs with only Manser and incoming freshmen Karges and Means as possible replacements. Karges a 5-10 native of Jolliet, Ill., who will be counted on to use her tremendous ball handling skills to earn time in her opening season with the Falcons.
"Maggie is the ideal left-side hitter," said Van De Walle. "She has great ball control, and is probably one of the best passers in the 2004 class. She is technically sound in her passing ability. She has been in the Sports Performance program for two years, one of the best clubs in the country as far as technical training. Her platform skills are awesome."
Means should join Mills along the right side in hopes of replacing the departed Nadia Bedricky, but the head coach could see Means playing several positions throughout the year.
"Madeline is a strong, physical, gifted athlete," said the head coach. "She is a very good jumper and a hard hitter. Madeline can play a lot of positions on the floor. She is that gifted of an athlete that she can probably do it all."
Simon, a native of Bowling Green, will have some big shoes to fill, as she will play libero this season. Last year, the then freshman, Chrissy Gothke, played almost the entire season at the libero position and set a school record for digs (497).
"I think it is a really neat thing to have her in our program, being from Bowling Green," said Van De Walle. "Elizabeth has very good passing and defensive skills. She is fast at everything she does and has a great serve. She is the ideal libero."
THE SCHEDULE/THE MAC
The Falcons begin the 2004 campaign with three weekend tournaments, with one non-conference opponent squeezed into the mix. BGSU begins the season at The Miami Invitational (Sept. 3-4), where the Brown and Orange also face Illinois and Rice.
"Opening up at the Miami Invitational, we are jumping right in," said Van De Walle. "All three teams are coming off tremendous seasons in 2003, and we don't think they have lost much. I really wanted to see what we could do against some tough competition. These are the three toughest teams of our non conference schedule."
Then, BGSU will open Anderson Arena with a match versus Cleveland State on Sept. 8, before traveling to Morgantown, West Virginia, for the West Virginia Invitational, hosted by WVU on Sept 11-12. Also competing that weekend are Robert Morris, High Point and Delaware State.
"This will be a very competitive tournament," said the head coach. "Playing four matches in those two days should be very good for us. I would like to think that we could do very well in it."
The final tune-up before the start of the Mid-American Conference competition will be a two-day tournament hosted by Wright State in Dayton, Ohio (Sept 17-18). The Falcons will square off with Wright State, Wake Forest and Morehead State.
BGSU begins MAC action with a bang on Sept. 24 when they play host to arch-rival Toledo, and will play home-and-home sets vs. the West Division foes Western Michigan, Central Michigan, Northern Illinois and the before mentioned Toledo.
The Falcons will play single matches against each of the other eight MAC schools hosting Ohio, Eastern Michigan, Marshall and Buffalo, while traveling to Miami, Ball State, Kent State and Akron.
Following the conclusion of the MAC regular season, the Mid-American Conference Tournament will be hosted by Bowling Green in Anderson Arena from November 19-21.
"I'm just really pleased to be hosting the MAC Tournament," said Van De Walle. "I think it is a great honor.
Of course the players know we are hosting it, and they want to be a part of it. It is going to be our goal all year to make sure we are one of the top eight teams. That will be quite an accomplishment for us because of where we finished last year. It's definitely a goal."
FINAL THOUGHTS
Even with the loss of seven members from the 2003 squad, the Falcons return five players that saw extended playing time throughout last season.
"Our expectations, if I want to go on the high side, are to be one of the eight teams in the MAC Tournament here at BG," said Van De Walle. "That is not an impossible goal, but when I think of the conference from top to bottom this is a bad year to lose six. We are going to be the new kid on the block, and sometimes that is not a bad thing. Hopefully our new players will come in excited and wanting to make an impact, because when you lose that many seniors there are open positions ready to be grabbed."
"I am very optimistic that we will be a better team than we were the past two years. The team chemistry and morale should be extremely high and we will have a very competitive volleyball team on the floor. It should remind our fans of teams of the past. That's our goal. We want BG volleyball back on top."
