31 August 2000
CONTACT: Stew Salowitz, 309-556-3206Veteran Volleyball Titans Aim for Improvement
BLOOMINGTON, Ill. A year of seasoning and 11 returning letterwinners gives Illinois Wesleyan University volleyball coach Kim Nelson-Brown reason for optimism this fall.
The Titans, looking to improve on last fall's 18-18 record, open their season against Marian (Wis.) at 3 p.m. Friday (Sept. 1) at the Elmhurst Tournament.
The Titans' .500 mark last year was a bit misleading, considering that all 18 losses came to teams that were regionally ranked at one time or another during the season and 10 of the losses were at the hands of nationally-ranked teams.
"We have some players who got valuable experience last year and who worked very hard last spring to improve," said Nelson-Brown, who begins her fifth season with a 92-57 mark.
Among the returning starters is sophomore setter Tiffany Hamblin, who shared the team's "Most Valuable Player" honor last fall. Hamblin (Bloomington HS) led IWU with 1,364 set assists, the third best single-season total in IWU history, while finishing second with 420 digs and 42 service aces. An honorable mention all-College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin choice, she also registered 112 kills and had a team-high .277 hitting percentage.
Also returning are outside hitters Dana Stinson and Kara Swigart. Stinson, a senior from New Lenox (Lincoln-Way HS), was third on the team with 256 kills, led the team with 46 service aces, and was an honorable mention all-CCIW player.
Swigart, a sophomore from Minier (Stanford Olympia HS), was second on the team with 394 kills and had 388 defensive digs.
Competing with Stinson and Swigart for right side and outside hitting playing time are juniors Elizabeth Niemann (Paxton, Paxton-Buckley-Loda HS) and Carolyn Nugent (Buffalo Grove, Stevenson HS).
"Niemann has been doing a great job so far this fall on both the right side and as an outside hitter," said Nelson-Brown. "With some competition at these positions, we should be able to vary our players for a strong attack."
Senior Amy Gregory (Pekin HS), who Nelson-Brown says has been the team's strongest hitter, is the team's middle hitter. Gregory led last year's team with 87 total blocks, was fourth with 243 kills and led the front-line players with a .197 hitting percentage.
Senior Lena Meiss (Eureka HS) and sophomores Molly Jo Ehlert (Winchester HS) and Julia Socke (Chicago, Resurrection HS) are other middle hitters who will see playing time.
Meiss had 149 kills, a .189 hitting percentage, and was second on last year's team with 56 total blocks.
Senior Maggie Erlenbaugh (Chicago, Regina Dominican HS), junior Jennifer Matczak (Naperville, Central HS) and sophomore Taryn Borendame (Wheaton, North HS) are vying for defensive positions. Erlenbaugh, a three-time winner of the team's "Most Inspirational Player" honor, played 120 games in 35 matches and had 361 digs.
Matczak played in 84 games and had 219 digs while Borendame saw action in 68 games as a freshman and added 115 digs.
Among the freshmen, Brette Bower (Palatine HS) and Kathy Mason (Galesburg HS) could help give relief to Hamblin at the setter position.
It's been a busy preseason for the players and particularly for Nelson-Brown, who gave birth to a son, McCade, on Aug. 15. "I know the players are anxious to start going against competition other than their teammates," she said. "We're looking forward to a really solid season."
For the first time, Illinois Wesleyan will also field a nine-game, three-tournament junior varsity volleyball schedule this fall.