Gophers Wins in Regular Season Finale

#1 posting 11.30.2008
your daily dose of girls volleyball news & information

BIG 10 RESULTS
Minnesota beat Michigan State in four with a margin of 16 points. Kyla Roehrig had 14.5 points for Minnesota. Lauren Gibbemeyer (Cretin-Derham Hall) had 13 points for the Gophers. Becca Zlabis had 17.5 points for MSU.

#15 Illinois swept Northwestern with a margin of 24 points. Laura DeBruhler and Kylie McCulley had 17.5 points for Illinois. Chelsy Hyser had 14.5 points for NW. Naomi Johnson (Bloomington Kennedy) played, but did not score for the Wildcats.

Indiana beat Ohio State in four. Strangely enough the margin was zero. Ashley Benson had 20 points for Indiana. Katie Dull and Kristin Dozier each had 16 points for OSU. Susan Halverson (Apple Valley) had 8 digs and 1 point for the Buckeyes.

Penn State swept Michigan with a margin of 22 points. Megan Hodge had 18.5 points for PSU. Alex Hunt had 10 points for Michigan.

Purdue beat Wisconsin in five. The Badgers had a 1 point advantage on the day. Stephanie Lynch had 24.5 points for Purdue. Brittney Dolgner had 20.5 points for Wisconsin. Nikki Klingsporn (Tartan) had 31 assists and 1 point for the Badgers.

Next up: more College news

Penn State's Nailbiter, UNI Takes Creighton

#1 posting 11.29.2008
your daily dose of girls volleyball news & information

COLLEGE REPORTS
D1
BIG TEN
#1 Penn State swept Ohio State with a margin of 20 points. The final set was 30-28, the tightest set for PSU this season. Arielle Wilson had 14 points for PSU. Katie Dull had 17 points of OSU. Susan Halverson (Apple Valley) had 3 digs for the Buckeyes.

#16 Illinois swept Wisconsin with a margin of 18 points in Madison. Laura DeBruhler had 20 points for Illinois. Caity Dupont had 11 points for Wisconsin. Nikki Klingsporn (Tartan) had 19 assists and 1 point for the Badgers.

#18 Purdue beat Northwestern in five with a margin of 1 point. Purdue led 2-1. Danita Merlau had 22.5 points for Purdue. Brittani Gray had 22 points for NW. Naomi Johnson (Bloomington Kennedy) had 1 point for the Wildcats.

#20 Michigan swept Indiana with a margin of 14 points. Juliana Paz had 14 points for Michigan. Taylor Wittmer had 12 points for Indiana.

Michigan State beat Iowa in four with a margin of 5 points. Becca Zlabis had 18 points for MSU. Catherine Smale had 19.5 points for the Hawkeyes.

The Gophers are at Michigan State today.

ACC: Virginia beat Virginia Tech in five. The point margin was zero. Virginia led 2-0. Marlow Bruneau (Lakeville) had 20 assists and 5 points for Virginia.

North Carolina won the ACC title with a sweep over NC State. The margin was 30 points. Brianna Eskola (Columbia Heights) had 16 digs for the Tar Heels and in the process set the ACC career digs record.

BIG EAST: Cincinnati swept UAB with a margin of 18 points. Kelsey Brandl (Lakeville North) had 6 points for Cincy.
Western Michigan swept Marquette with a margin of 32 points. Leslie Bielski (Chaska) and Tiara Russell (Osseo) had 9 and 3.5 points for Marquette.

BIG SKY: Eastern Washington swept Weber State with a margin of 16 points. Jackson County Central's Leah Burmeister and Brittney Bisaillon had 7 and 6 points for WS.

Earlier in the day WS beat Montana in five with a margin of 1 point. Montana led 2-1. Jackson County Central's Leah Burmeister and Brittney Bisaillon had 19.5 and 14.5 points for WS

MID AMERICAN: Ohio swept Dayton with a margin of 16 points. Amanda Andersen (Centennial) had 6 points for Ohio.

MISSOURI VALLEY: Northern Iowa beat Creighton in five with a margin of 5 points. UNI led 2-0. Heather Sampson (Champlin Park) had a career high 27 kills on her way to 30.5 points for UNI. Jessica Houts (Bloomington Kennedy) and Allie Oelke (Chaska) had 18 and 16 points for the Bluejays.

PAC 10: Washington State beat Arizona State in four with a margin of 9 points. Emily Rooney (Red Wing) had 16 points for WSU.

WEST COAST: Pacific beat Portland in four with a margin of 6 points. Jennifer Sheedy (Totino-Grace) had 15 points for Portland.

AWARDS
Fairfield's Karlie Urbaniak (Mabel-Canton) and Siena's April London (Woodbury) have been named to the Metro Atlantic All Academic team.

London was named setter of the year and made the MAAC First team. Urbaniak was named to the second team.

The NJCAA D3 has released their All American list
On the first team:
Breanna Chamernick of Hibbing CC
Jordan Noska of Anoka-Ramsey CC
Ashley King of Rochester CTC
Stephanie Tillman of Ridgewater CC
Leah Miller of Ridgewater CC

HIGH SCHOOL
Courtney Fautsch of Chisago Lakes was named North Suburban Player of the Year. From the Chisago County Press.

OBITUARY
Here is more on the Stina Leiseth of YME and her tragic accident. Funeral services for Leiseth will be at 2 p.m. Monday at the Granite Falls High School Gymnasium. Burial will be at the Granite Falls City Cemetery. Visitation will be from 3-5 p.m. Sunday at the Granite Falls High School Gymnasium. From the Marshall Independent.

Next up: Tomorrow

Gophers Escape Hawkeyes

#2 posting 11.27.2008
your daily dose of girls volleyball news & information

D1 REPORTS
BIG 10: #12 Minnesota beat Iowa in five. The Hawkeyes had a 4 point margin for the night. The Gophers led 2-1. Hailey Cowles (Eden Prairie) had 19 points for the Gophers.
A few years ago Iowa came to Minnesota on Thanksgiving Wednesday. There were NO time outs (none, nada, zero) taken in the Gophers sweep that night. The only match where I never saw a time out.

Indiana is at Michigan and Ohio State.

Michigan State hosts Iowa and Minnesota.

Illinois faces Wisconsin and Northwestern.

BIG 12: Iowa State swept #13 Kansas State with a margin of 23 points. Diane Kieger (Mounds View) had 8.5 points for ISU.

METRO ATLANTIC: Siena is headed to the NCAA tournament after their win over Fairfield. April London (Woodbury) had 35 assists and 6.5 points for the Saints.

SEC: #14 Florida beat South Carolina in five with a margin of 11 points. USC led 2-1. Bridget Denson-Dorman (Hopkins) had 39 assists and 2 points for USC.

SUMMIT: North Dakota State is Thankful to be back home. From the Fargo Forum.

WEST COAST: Portland's Jennifer Sheedy (Totino-Grace) was named to the honorable mention list in the West Coast Conference.

SIGNINGS
Evansville has signed 2 players
5-11 OH Hannah Wilson of St. Joseph’s Academy, IL
5-11 Jessica Knackmuhs of Edwards County, IL

Weber State has signed 4 players
5-9 setter Caitin Penrod of Ogden, Utah
6-0 OH Bethany Wray of West Haven, Utah
5-11 MB Emily Jones of Rigby, Idaho
6-1 OH Briana Wilms of Swift Current, Saskatchewan, Canada

BEACH
Former Gopher Nicole Branagh received the FIVB most improved player on the international circuit award.

HIGH PERFORMANCE
USA Volleyball will host its Sixth Annual High Performance Coaches Clinic Jan. 22-24, 2009, at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Cost is $400.

Next up: later today with a review of the high school season.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Ryan All Area, Nelson All Conference

#1 posting 11.26.2008
your daily dose of girls volleyball news & information

ALL AREA
The Red Wing Republican Eagle has released their all area first team and second team. Whitney Ryan of Kenyon-Wanamingo is their player of the year.

AWARDS
Frazee had ratings of 4.4 (fans), (coaches) and 4.25 (scorekeepers) in the MSHSL sportsmanship rankings. From the Frazee Forum.

BBE coach Kevin Weller was the 5A coach of the year. From the Sauk Centre Herald.

RANKINGS
Shakopee is #44 nationally in the MaxPreps rankings. Here are the Minnesota rankings.

D1 NEWS
BIG 10: Minnesota travels to Iowa tonight.

Purdue heads to Northwestern and Wisconsin.

Ohio State hosts Penn State and Indiana.

Michigan is at home with Indiana and Penn State.

Northwestern hosts Purdue and Illinois.

Penn State is at Ohio State and Michigan.

METRO ATLANTIC: Siena swept Fairfield on Monday in the Metro Atlantic championship. Karlie Urbaniak (Mabel-Canton) had 8.5 points and was named to the MAAC All Tournament team.

MISSOURI VALLEY: Creighton's Jessica Houts (Bloomington Kennedy) made the Missouri Valley Conference Scholar-Athlete First Team.

MOUNTAIN WEST: Colorado State's Tessa Nelson (Tracy-Milroy-Balaton) was named to the all conference team.

SUMMIT: North Dakota State will have an NCAA Volleyball Selection party on November 30.

D2
UM Duluth's Katie Gangelhoff (South St. Paul) and Sarah Wyffels (Marshall) were named to the North Central Region Second Team.

SIGNINGS
Marquette has signed 4 players
Danielle Carlson of Marshfield, WI
Anne Czarnecki of Pleasant Valley, IA
6-1 MH Carol Henney of Burlington Catholic Central, WI
6-2 MH Kelsey Mattai of White Bear Lake

Portland has signed 5-10 setter Madison Smith of Palos Verde, CA

Next up: tomorrow---the review of the high school season will be up later tomorrow.

Dieter Out

#2 posting 11.23.2008
your daily dose of girls volleyball news & information

BIG 10 RESULTS
#16 Illinois beat Michigan State in five with a margin of 6 points. MSU out earned Illinois 84 to 78. MSU also had 35 to 22 hitting errors. Laura DeBruhler had 21.5 points for Illinois. Vanessa King had 21.5 points for the Spartans.

#1 Penn State swept Wisconsin with a margin of 24 points. Megan Hodge had 17 points for PSU. Caity DuPont had 8 points for Wisconsin. Nikki Klingsporn (Tartan) had 16 assists for the Badgers.

#20 Michigan swept Iowa with a margin of 20 points. Juliana Paz had 13 points for Michigan. Catherine Smale had 12 points for the Hawkeyes.

Indiana beat Northwestern in four with a margin of 9 points. Erica Short had 24 points for Indiana. Brittani Gray had 16.5 points for NW. Naomi Johnson (Bloomington Kennedy) had 5.5 points for the Wildcats.

DIETER UPDATE
Brook Dieter went down in the second set Friday against Michigan with an ankle injury. She did not return and was taken for x-rays to see if there was a break involved. In the Minnesota Daily Summary--upon further review.

Next up: more d1 news

Gophers Down Wolverines

#1 posting 11.22.2008
your daily dose of girls volleyball news & information

BIG 10 RESULTS
#12 Minnesota beat #20 Michigan in four with a margin of 20 points. Kyla Roehrig had 18 points for the Gophers. Beth Karpiak had 13.5 points for Michigan.

Ohio State swept Iowa with a margin of 15 points. Katie Dull had 19 points for OSU. Susan Halverson (Apple Valley) had 5 digs and 2 points for the Buckeyes. Katie Kennedy had 10.5 points for Iowa.

Indiana beat Wisconsin in four with a margin of 7 points. Taylor Wittmer had 19.5 points for Indiana. Audra Jeffers had 19.5 points for Wisconsin. Nikki Klingsporn (Tartan) had 20 assists for the Badgers.

#1 Penn State swept Northwestern with a margin of 31 points. The Nittany Lions are outright Big 10 champs. Nicole Fawcett had 15 points for PSU. Brittani Gray had 8.5 points for NW. Naomi Johnson (Bloomington Kennedy) had 1.5 points for the Wildcats.

#18 Purdue swept Michigan State with a margin of 17 points. Danita Merlau had 12 points for Purdue. Becca Zlabis had 15 points for MSU.

Illinois signee Jessica Jendryk has been named to the Under Armour All American Team.

Next up: More College reports

Gophers Broom NW

#2 posting 11.16.2008
your daily dose of girls volleyball news & information

BIG 10 RESULTS
#15 Minnesota swept Northwestern with a margin of 38 points. Brook Dieter (Bloomington Kennedy) had 11.5 points for the Gophers. Naomi Johnson (Bloomington Kennedy and Ariel Baxterbeck each had 8.5 points for NW.

Illinois swept Indiana with a margin of 18 points. Laura DeBruhler had 17.5 points for Illinois. Erica Short had 14.5 points for the Hoosiers.

Michigan State beat Ohio State in four with a margin of 9 points. Vanessa King had 16.5 points for MSU. Katie Dull had 16 points for the Buckeyes. Susan Halverson (Apple Valley) had 8 digs for OSU.

#1 Penn State swept #18 Purdue with a margin of 19 points. With the win the Nittany Lions get a share of the Big 10 title. Nicole Fawcett had 15 points for PSU. Stephanie Lynch had 13.5 points for the Boilermakers.

next up: More D1 results

Gophers Hold Off Badgers; PSU #53

#2 posting 11.15.2008
your daily dose of girls volleyball news & information

BIG 10 RESULTS
#15 Minnesota beat Wisconsin in a dramatic five with a margin of 2 points. The Badgers led 2-1. The Gophers fought off five match points. Lauren Gibbemeyer (Cretin-Derham Hall) had 22.5 points for the Gophers. Brittney Dolgner had 28.5 points for Wisconsin. Nikki Klingsporn (Tartan) had 26 assists and 1 point for the Badgers.

Iowa beat Northwestern in five. NW led 2-1. NW had a 7 point advantage. Catherine Smale had 23 points for the Hawkeyes. Chelsy Hyser had 16.5 points for the Wildcats. Naomi Johnson (Bloomington Kennedy) added 10.5 points for NW.

#19 Michigan beat Michigan State in four with a margin of 17 points. Alex Hunt had 16.5 points for the Wolverines. Megan Schatzle and Vanessa King each had 15 points for MSU.

#1 Penn State swept Illinois with a margin of 22 points. The Illini lost the first set 25-23. PSU set a new NCAA D1 record with consecutive matches won (53). Megan Hodge had 17.5 points for PSU. Laura DeBruhler had 12 points for Illinois.

Purdue beat Indiana in five. Indiana had a 2 point advantage for the day. Danita Merlau and Carrie Gurnell each had 17 points for Purdue. Erica Short had 20 points for the Hoosiers.

MORE SIGNINGS
Purdue signed five players
6-0 setter Rachel Davis of Plainwell, MI
6-3 middle hitter Anna Drewry of San Antonio Clark, Texas
6-2 outside hitter Katie Griffin of Avon, Indiana
6-1 middle hitter/outside hitter Catherine Rebarchak of Mobile St. Paul's Episcopal, Alabama
6-1 outside hitter Ariel Turner of Mountain Vista, Colorado

Michigan State signed three players
6-1 OH Amy Dentlinger of Carroll Kuemper Catholic, IA
6-1 MB Elizabeth "Bizl" Egerer of Sheboygan Catholic
6-3 MB Alexis Mathews of Detroit Renaissance

Next up: more D1 news

2 More Verbals, Angner's Month, McCutcheon Honored

#3 posting 11.12.2008
your daily dose of girls volleyball news & information

TWO MORE VERBALS
Katelyn Horihan of Mabel-Canton is headed to Winona State.

Ann Zyvoloski of St. Cloud Cathedral is headed to UM Duluth.

COLLEGE REPORTS
BIG 10
Indiana Banters with Benson.

Iowa goes on the road to Northwestern and Wisconsin.

Purdue is holding a Pizza Bash on Wednesday.

#1 Penn State heads to #17 Illinois and #18 Purdue.

Northwestern hosts Iowa and Minnesota.

MORE D1
North Dakota is headed to Bryant this weekend for the National Transitions Tournament.

SUMMIT: South Dakota State's Mackenzie Angner (Cincinnati St. Ursula) has been named Summit Athlete of the Month for October.

D3
Carleton's Sarah Kunelius (Eagan) made the MIAC All Conference list.

The MIAC has released their all playoff team.

HIGH SCHOOL
Rochester Home School was 2nd in the Bronze II bracket at the national Home School Tournament. From the Rochester Post Bulletin.

BEACH
Former Gopher Nicole Branagh and Tyra Turner head to Sanya, China for the final FIVB Beach tournament.

McCUTCHEON HONORED
Anaheim will honor USA's men's volleyball coach Hugh McCutcheon as their man of the year.

Next up: tomorrow

Gophers Wins Fiver with Illinois

#2 posting 11.9.2008
your daily dose of girls volleyball news & information

BIG 10 SATURDAY RESULTS
#17 Minnesota beat #16 Illinois in five with a margin of 4 points. Lauren Gibbemeyer (Cretin-Derham Hall) had 21.5 points for the Gophers. Laura DeBruhler had 30 points for Illinois.

Ohio State swept Northwestern. Katie Dull had 20 points for the Buckeyes. Susan Halverson (Apple Valley) had 3 digs for OSU. Naomi Johnson (Bloomington Kennedy) was one of three Wildcats with 9 points.

#16 Purdue swept Iowa with a margin of 13 points. Stephanie Lynch had 13 points for Purdue. Catherine Smale had 11 points for the Hawkeyes.

#20 Michigan beat Wisconsin in four with a margin of 3 points. Alex Hunt had 20.5 points for Michigan. Brittney Dolgner had 18 points for the Badgers. Nikki Klingsporn (Tartan) had 29 assists and 2 points for Wisconsin. Janelle Gabrielson had a triple double for the Badgers in the loss.

Michigan State beat Indiana in four with a margin of 17 points. Vanessa King had 15 points for MSU. Ashley Benson had 16.5 points for Indiana.

Next up: More D1 news

Gophers Boil Purdue; PSU Sets Win Record

#2 posting 11.8.2008
your daily dose of girls volleyball news & information

BIG 10 FRIDAY RESULTS
#17 Minnesota swept #18 Purdue with a margin of 18 points. Lauren Gibbemeyer (Cretin-Derham Hall) had 13 points for the Gophers. Stephanie Lynch had 15 points for Purdue.

Wisconsin beat Ohio State in four. OSU actually had the point advantage with 2 points. Brittney Dolgner had 19.5 points for Wisconsin. Nikki Klingsporn (Tartan) had 26 assists and 3 points for the Badgers. Katie Dull had 24.5 points for OSU. Susan Halverson (Apple Valley) had 7 digs for the Buckeyes.

#16 Illinois beat Iowa in four with a margin of 14 points. Laura DeBruhler had 24.5 points for Illinois. Megan Schipper had 17 points for Iowa.

#20 Michigan swept Northwestern with a margin of 15 points. Megan Bower had 15 points for the Wolverines. Brittani Gray had 12.5 points for NW. Naomi Johnson (Bloomington Kennedy) added 5.5 for the Wildcats.

#1 Penn State swept Michigan State with a margin of 26 points. The Nittany Lions have tied an NCAA record for consecutive match wins with 52. Megan Hodge had 16 points for PSU. Becca Zlabis, Vineece Verdun, and Kyndra Abron each had 6 points for MSU.

ACADMICS
Emily Hiza and Kiley Fister of Iowa are on the ESPN Academic All District team.

Next up: D2 results

MIAC Awards

#2 posting 11.6.2008
your daily dose of girls volleyball news & information

COLLEGE REPORTS
BIG 10
#1 Penn State cooled off Indiana with a sweep. The Margin was 26 points. Christa Harmatto had 13.5 points for PSU. Erica Short had 10.5 points for the Hoosiers. One of the faces in the Big 10 belongs to Ashley Benson.

#18 Purdue travels to #17 Minnesota and Iowa this weekend.

MORE D1
ACC: Virginia hosts North Carolina and NC State.

BIG 12: Iowa State swept Texas Tech with a margin of 16 points. Diane Kieger (Mounds View) had 13.5 points for ISU.

BIG EAST: Cincinnati travels to West Virginia and Pittsburgh.

CUSA: Marshall hosts Central Florida and Southern Miss.

SOUTHERN: Furman swept Wofford with a margin of 24 points. Pamela Gehrke (Eastview) had 2 digs for the Paladins.

SUMMIT: South Dakota State hosts Oakland and IPFW.

WEST COAST: Portland travels to St. Mary's and #22 Santa Clara this weekend.

D2
Southwest MN State is looking to make a run for the national title. From the Marshall Independent.

D3
MIAC
The MIAC have released their All Conference team. St. Thomas' Katie McCaffrey (Fort Collins, CO) was named MVP.
Gustavus' Emily Klein (Red Wing) was named Defensive Player of the Year. From the Red Wing Republican Eagle.
Two other Gustavus players made the MIAC list.
Concordia Moorhead's Jenna Green (DGF) was rookie of the year.
St. Thomas' Thanh Pham was named coach of the year.

The MIAC semifinals will be today.
St. Mary's is at Gustavus
St. Olaf is at St. Thomas.

UMAC
Northwestern, MN's setter Hillary Slagter (Central Christian) is a part of the Eagles success. From the West Central Tribune.

COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Four Ridgewater players made the 12 team All Region team. From the West Central Tribune.

BEACH
Former Gopher Nicole Branagh will partner with Tyra Turner in a Beach tournament in Thailand.

PAT POWERS CLINIC
Here is a quick reminder about a clinic Olympic Gold Medalist, Pat Powers will be doing on November 22-23 at The Ralia Sports Center.

As always, coaches are more than welcome to attend free of charge.
Where: Ralia Sports Center
When: Saturday & Sunday, November 22-23. Saturday 9AM-4PM & Sunday 9AM-2PM
Ages: Girls & Boys ages 12-18 & Adults
Registration fee: $140
Experience: Novice through advanced.
Players are divided up on three courts one hour into the event. Generally speaking, we have one court of 12-13 year olds, one court of 14-16 year olds and one court of advanced girls, boys and adults.
Why is this clinic the best? The "over-correction" teaching method combined with "Survivor" has the advantage of skill development while you are playing. These advanced skills are downloaded into the motor memory through massive repetition while the player is competing in a non-intimidating environment.
******We have about 20 spots left for this event

Next up: Later today. Much Later. I will be at the State Tournament today.

St. Mary's & St. Olaf Pull MIAC Upsets

#2 posting 11.5.2008
your daily dose of girls volleyball news & information

COLLEGE REPORTS
BIG 10
#1 Penn State hosts hot Indiana today.

#16 Illinois heads to Iowa and Minnesota.

#20 Michigan takes on Northwestern and Wisconsin.

Ohio State host Wisconsin and Northwestern.

Northwestern travels to Michigan and Ohio State.

MORE D1
BIG 12: Iowa State travels to Texas Tech today.

MID AMERICAN: Ohio play Miami OH and Bowling Green this weekend.

MOUNTAIN WEST: Colorado State travels to New Mexico and TCU.

SUMMIT: North Dakota State wants the top seed. From the Fargo Forum.

NON CON: George Washington swept Morgan State. Abby Syverson had 7 points for GW.

Weber State swept Utah Valley with a margin of 8 points. Jackson County Central's Leah Burmeister and Brittney Bisaillon had 16.5 and 10.5 points for WS.

D2
NORTHERN SUN
#1 Concordia St. Paul beat UM Duluth in four with a margin 12 points. Whitney Meierotto (Washburn,WI) had 21.5. April Hansen (BBE) had 26 points for UMD.

UM Duluth's April Hansen (Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa) is making an impact for the Bulldogs. From the West Central Tribune.

St. Cloud State beat Bemidji State in four with a margin of 13 points. Ashley Shields (Whitefish Bay, WI) and Kayla Tschida (Upsala) each had 18 points. Melissa McNeely (Lakeville South) had 14.5 for BSU.

D3
MIAC TOURNAMENT
Quarterfinals
#6 seed St. Mary's toppled #3 St. Benedict in a fiver. St. Ben's had a 12 point advantage for the night. Jessica Larson (Pine Island) had 15 points for St. Mary's. Chelsie Sobieck (Forest Lake) had 23 points for St. Ben's.

St. Olaf stopped #15 Concordia Moorhead in five with a margin of 13 points. Kim Smisek (Northfield) had 24 points for St. O. Jenna Green (DGF) and Abby Scheel (Hillcrest Lutheran) had 15 points each for CM.
Now the Cobbers have to wait to see if they make the D3 Tournament. From the Fargo Forum.

UMAC TOURNAMENT
Semifinals
Northwestern, MN swept Martin Luther with a margin of 29 points. Kathryne Engel (West Lutheran) had 16 points for NW. Jamie Eternick (Waterloo, WI) had 9 points for ML.

St. Scholastica swept Bethany Lutheran with a margin of 28 points. Dustie Richardson (Greenway) had 11.5 points for CSS. Eva Voss (MN Valley Lutheran) had 12 points for BL.

WIAC TOURNAMENT
Quarterfinals
Eau Claire swept Stout with a margin of 26 points. Katie Fox (Chippewa Falls, WI) had 8 points for EC. Maggie Meixl (Mankato West) had 8.5 points for Stout.

#11 Whitewater swept Platteville with a margin of 29 points. Melissa Zuleger (Little Chute) had 10.5 points for Whitewater. Melissa Hillebrand had 8 points for Platteville.

LaCrosse swept River Falls with a margin of 18 points. Amber Schoonover had 13 points for LC. Kelsey Scheele (Mayer Lutheran) had 11 points for RF.

Oshkosh swept Superior with a margin of 16 points. Jacque Ray (Richland Center, WI) had 13.5 points for Oshkosh. Brittany Jarvis (Esko) had 10 points for Superior.

IAAC
Central beat Buena Vista in four with a margin of 12 points. Michelle Ripperger had 16 points for Central. Kelli Luitjens (Worthington) had 14 points for BV.

Next up: tomorrow unless news breaks

Unkind Road for Gophers

#2 posting 11.3.2008
your daily dose of girls volleyball news & information

COLLEGE REPORTS
D1
BIG TEN: The road has not been kind to the Gophers (1-3) in the last four matches. From the Minnesota Daily.

ACC: North Carolina swept Maryland with a margin of 15 points. Brianna Eskola (Columbia Heights) had 21 digs for UNC.

BIG EAST: Cincinnati swept Georgetown with a margin of 15 points. Kelsey Brandl (Lakeville North) had 2 points for the Bearcats.
Marquette beat Notre Dame in five. The margin was zero points. Tiara Russell (Osseo) and Leslie Bielski (Chaska) had 14.5 and 7.5 points for Marquette.

CUSA: UAB beat Marshall in four with a margin of 11 points. Megan Carlson (Andover) had 27 digs and 1 point for Marshall.

PAC 10: #5 Stanford swept Washington State with a margin of 22 points. Emily Rooney (Red Wing) had 8.5 points for WSU.

SEC: South Carolina beat Mississippi in four with a margin of 11 points. Bridget Denson-Dorman (Hopkins) had 50 assists and 11 digs and 4.5 points for USC.

SOUTHERN: Davidson swept Samford with a margin of 14 points. Brittany Narr (Minnehaha) did not score for Davidson.
The College of Charletson beat Furman in five with a margin of 5 points. Pamela Gehrke (Eastview) had 2 digs for Furman.

COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Ridgewater beat Madison Area Tech in four with a margin of 13 points to win the Region 13A title. Ridgewater moves on to the NJCAA D3 Tournament in Rochester starting on November 14. From the West Central Tribune.

Next up: later today with a look back at last weeks section action---9 matches

Hoosiers Stun Gophers in Five, Penn State 1000

#4 posting 11.2.2008
your daily dose of girls volleyball news & information

BIG 10 RESULTS
Indiana upset #13 Minnesota in five with a margin of 3 points. The Hoosiers have won four in a row. Erica Short had 25.5 points for Indiana. Brook Dieter (Bloomington Kennedy had 20.5 points for the Gophers.

#1 Penn State beat Iowa in a sweep with a margin of 31 points. It was Penn State's 1000th win for the program. Only five other schools have 1000+ wins. Nicole Fawcett had 17.5 points for PSU. Megan Schipper had 11.5 points for the Hawkeyes.

#20 Purdue beat #18 Michigan in five with a margin of 12 points. Stephanie Lynch had 25.5 points for Purdue. The Wolverines led 2-0. Beth Karpiak had 15.5 points for Michigan.

Northwestern swept Michigan State with a margin of 11 points. Sabel Moffett and Brittani Gray had 11 points for NW. Naomi Johnson (Bloomington Kennedy) added 4.5 points for the Wildcats. Mischelle Nelson had 9 points for MSU.

Illinois beat Ohio State in four. Michelle Bartsch had 18.5 points for Illinois. Katie Dull had 19.5 points for OSU. Susan Halverson (Apple Valley) had 5 digs and 1 point for the Buckeyes.

Also to come today the other D1 results, D2 results and D3 results, high school seeds. Plus the rest of the stories on the 4A and 4AA championships.

Some Tricks, Some Treats in the Big 10

#1 posting 11.1.2008
your daily dose of girls volleyball news & information

BIG 10 RESULTS
#1 Penn State swept #13 Minnesota with a margin of 22 points. PSU keeps it's unblemished set streak alive ---69 sets, 23 matches. PSU has 999 wins for their program. Tonight they play Iowa to reach 1000. Nicole Fawcett had 13.5 points for PSU. Lauren Gibbemeyer (Cretin-Derham Hall) had 9 points for the Gophers.

#17 Illinois beat #18 Michigan in five with a margin of 7 points. Michigan led 2-1. Michelle Bartsch had 27 points for the Illini. Megan Bower had 19.5 points for the Wolverines.

Indiana beat Iowa in five with a margin of 13 points. Iowa led 2-0. The Hoosiers took the final set 16-14. Erica Short and Ashley Benson each had 28 points for Indiana. Catherine Smale had 17 points for the Hawkeyes.

Michigan State "spooked" #25 Wisconsin in five with a margin of 5 points. Kyndra Abron had 22.5 points for the Spartans. Brittney Dolgner had 19 points for Wisconsin. Nikki Klingsporn (Tartan) had 47 assists and 12 digs for the Badgers.

Purdue swept Ohio State with a margin of 17 points. Denita Merlau had 16 points for Purdue. Katie Dull had 15.5 points for the Buckeyes. Susan Halverson (Apple Valley) had 2 digs for OSU.

Next up: More D1 action

St. Thomas MIAC Champs

#2 posting 10.30.2008
your daily dose of girls volleyball news & information

COLLEGE REPORTS
BIG 10
#25 Wisconsin swept Northwestern. Brittany Dolgner had 15.5 points for the Badgers. Nikki Klingsporn (Tartan) had 34 assists and 3 points for Wisconsin. Brittani Gray had 11 points for the Wildcats. Naomi Johnson (Bloomington Kennedy) added 4 more.

The Gophers' Rachel Hartmann is Off Topic. From the Minnesota Daily.

Michigan State is on the road to Wisconsin and Northwestern this weekend.

Indiana hosts Iowa and Minnesota.

Ohio State is at #20 Purdue and #17 Illinois.

Illinois junior Ashley Edinger needs 29 digs to break the Illini record. Edinger was the defensive player of the week in the Big 10.

MORE D1
ACC: Virginia heads to Clemson and Georgia Tech.

BIG 12: Iowa State beat Baylor in four with a margin of 7 points. ISU has moved into 4th place in the Big 12. Diane Kieger (Mounds View) had 12.5 points for the Cyclones.

CUSA: Marshall heads to Memphis and UAB.

SEC: South Carolina hosts a Halloween party before the Arkansas match Friday.

D2
Augustana is 5th in the North Central rankings.

D3
MIAC
#6 St. Thomas beat #25 St. Benedict in four with a margin of 5 points to claim the MIAC championship. Katie McCaffrey (Fort Collins, CO) had 24 points for St. T. Emma Jaynes (Hibbing) had 16.5 points for St. Ben's.

Augsburg beat St. Catherine in five with a margin of 14 points. Barbara Simmons (Mpls South) had 15.5 points for Augsburg. Megan Ahlbrecht (GFW) had 15 points for St. Kate's.

Concordia Moorhead swept Bethel with a margin of 12 points. The second set was a marathon at 38-36. Jenna Green (DGF) had 22 points for CM. Chelsea Falck (Abundant Life, WI) had 13.5 points for Bethel.

Gustavus beat Macalester in five with a margin of 15 points. Four of the sets were decided by two points. The 5th set was a 21-19 marathon. Gustavus trailed 2-1. Nicki Ainsworth (Eden Prairie) had 22 points for Gustavus. Sonia Muzikarova (Gymnazium Bilikova, Bratislava, Slovakia) had 33.5 points for Mac.

St. Olaf beat Hamline in four with a margin of 22 points. With the win St. O will get into the MIAC playoffs. Jessica Levin (Cedar Rapids Xavier) had 21 points for St. Olaf. Amanda Booth (Champlin Park) had 14 points for the Pipers.

St. Mary's swept Carelton with a margin of 26 points. Carleton was eliminated from the MIAC post season with the loss. Amy Kujak (River Falls, WI) had 14.5 points for St. Mary's. Kyla Walter (Aspen, CO) had 9 points for Carleton.

IIAC
On Tuesday Coe beat Buena Vista in a sweep with a margin of 17 points. Kelli Luitjens (Worthington) had 9.5 points for BV.

A COUPLE MORE HIGH SCHOOL ITEMS
Brittany Looker of Rochester Mayo was named the KAAL Athlete of the Week (plus video).

The finals of three AAA sections take place tonight: 4, 6, and 7.
There is a lot of action in AA and A with subsection finals at stake. The best bet at Redwood Valley with Marshall vs Jackson County Central.

Next up: Later today with

Luiz Adjusting to Minnesota

#4 posting 10.29.2008
your daily dose of girls volleyball news & information

COLLEGE REPORTS
BIG TEN
The Gophers' Brazilian Pamela Luiz is adjusting to life at Minnesota. From the Minnesota Daily.

Penn State's Nicole Fawcett is finishing strong.

Indiana's Ashley Benson is the cvu.com national player of the week.

#18 Michigan faces #17 Illinois and #20 Purdue on the road.

#17 Illinois hosts #18 Michigan and Ohio State this weekend.

Iowa travels to Ohio State and #1 Penn State.

#1 Penn State hosts #13 Minnesota and Iowa.

#20 Purdue hosts Ohio State and #18 Michigan.

#25 Wisconsin hosts Northwestern tonight.

MORE D1
BIG 12: Iowa State hosts Baylor tonight.

MID AMERICAN: Ohio visits Akron and Buffalo.

WEST COAST: Portland hosts #15 San Diego and #22 San Francisco.

NON CON: George Washington beat Howard in four with a margin of 13 points. Abby Syverson (Mpls Southwest) had 11.5 points for GW.

COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Deveny Moore of Fergus Falls was named to the MCAC all Tournament Team. From the Fergus Falls Daily Journal.

BEACH VOLLEYBALL
The Beach Volleyball tour will come to Minnesota on January 29. Beach ....January???? The event will be at the Target Center. From the SW Scoreboard.

Next up: later today

College News

#2 posting 10.28.2008
your daily dose of girls volleyball news & information

COLLEGE REPORTS
BIG 10
Illinois' Ashley Edinger was named defensive player of the week yesterday.

D1
POLL: Colorado State is now #14.

PAC 10: Washington State travels to California and Stanford.

SUMMIT: First place North Dakota State travels to Western Illinois and IUPUI. South Dakota State has the same trip with IUPUI first and Western Illinois second.

NON CON: North Dakota travels to South Dakota on Saturday.

Portland beat Cal State Bakersfield in four with a margin of 15 points. Jennifer Sheedy (Totino-Grace) had 10.5 points for Portland.

D2
Augustana falls to #22 in the D2 poll.

Next up: later today with out & abouts.

Pioske's 1000; Lakeville North #1

#2 posting 10.27.2008
your daily dose of girls volleyball news & information

PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Kaia Korynta of Climax-Fisher has been named AVCA/MaxPreps Player of the week for Minnesota.

#1
The Minnesota coaches poll is over, but the MaxPreps poll keeps on going. #1 today is Lakeville North with Shakopee #2.

MILESTONES
Kara Pioske of Waconia got her 1000th kill in the first set of Waconia's match against Hutchinson Friday night. From the Hutchinson Leader.

LATE RESULTS
I reported on Stillwater's win over North St. Paul last Friday. Here is the Stillwater Gazette with their version of the events.

AA
1 East: Chatfield and St. Charles went five for the third time this season with the Gophers prevailing. From the Rochester Post Bulletin.

Blue Earth swept St. Peter last Thursday in 2AA West action. From the Faribault County Register.

A
1 East: Mabel-Canton dodged LeRoy-Ostrander in five on Saturday. From the Rochester Post Bulletin.
Deer River swept Littlefork-Big Falls in 7A West action on Friday. From the International Falls Daily Journal.

D1
Ann Arbor is not a friendly site for Gophers. From the Minnesota Daily.

Minnesota falls to #13 in the latest D1 poll. Wisconsin lands at #25.

Indiana's Ashley Benson was named offensive player of the week in the Big 10. Ashley Edinger of Illinois was named defensive player of the week.

Penn State has 48 consecutive wins.

D2 NEWS
MSU Mankato travels to Bemidji State and UM Duluth this weekend.

COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Fergus Falls is the consolation champion in the MCAC State Tournament. From the Fergus Falls Daily Journal.

Next up: tomorrow morning