30 August 1999
CONTACT: Stew Salowitz, 309-556-3206
 
 

IWU Volleyball Has Mixture of Old and New

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — While six letterwinners return for the Illinois Wesleyan volleyball team, head coach Kim Nelson-Brown will count heavily on the contributions of nine newcomers if her team is to advance to the NCAA Division III tournament for the third straight season.

The Titans, who were 21-17 last fall, open their season Wednesday (Sept. 1) with a 7 p.m. home match against Eureka.

Leading the returning players is 5-foot-9 senior outside hitter Kellie Schmidt (Elkhart, Mt. Pulaski HS). A first team all-College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin selection last fall, Schmidt led IWU in kills (491) for the third straight year and set a school single-season record with 556 digs. With one season left in her career, she is already IWU’s all-time leader in digs with 1,280 and ranks 12th in blocks (155), and sixth in both kills (1,210) and service aces (157).

"Kellie is stronger and smarter as a player, seeing holes and blocks better than in the past, making her more of an offensive threat," said Nelson-Brown.

Other returning starters include junior co-captain Dana Stinson (New Lenox, Lincoln-Way HS) and junior defensive specialist Maggie Erlenbaugh (Chicago, Regina Dominican HS). Stinson, a 5-foot-10 outside hitter, was the squad’s "Most Improved Player" last year as she finished fourth on the team with 258 kills and second in digs (369) and service aces (43).

"As co-captains, Dana and Kellie have been great about setting an example for the newcomers and other players on the team in the weight room, in the classroom, and on court," Nelson-Brown said.

Erlenbaugh, IWU’s "Most Inspirational Player" the past two seasons, played in all 38 matches last fall and finished third on the team with 327 digs.

Other key returnees include junior defensive specialist Kristy Ralston (Normal, U High), who played in 35 of 38 matches last year, and sophomore Elizabeth Niemann (Paxton, Paxton-Buckley-Loda HS), who led IWU with 852 set assists and was fifth with 277 defensive digs.

"All of our returning players came back in great shape, which helps eliminate some of the conditioning part of the preseason and allows us to start with coaching and teaching," said Nelson-Brown, who has seven freshmen and two junior college transfers to indoctrinate.

"The newcomers will definitely find playing time, but right now we’re still mixing up lineups and we might not have a set lineup until October," she said. "We have more depth to this team than those in the past and lots of talented people who can play different positions, which is a nice option."

Juniors Amy Gregory (Pekin HS) and Lena Meiss (Eureka HS) have come from the successful Illinois Central College program, while freshmen Tiffany Hamblin (Bloomington HS) and Kara Swigart (Minier, Stanford Olympia HS) add a local flavor to the squad.

"Amy and Lena have the benefit of college experience and understand the quickened pace and expectations," Nelson-Brown said. "Tiffany and Kara have the advantage of playing local club volleyball under (IWU assistant) Larry Perez, training in basically the same system we use here."

Nelson-Brown says that all the other freshmen — Taryn Borendame (Wheaton, North HS), Molly Jo Ehlert (Winchester HS), Amber Mason (Bel Air, Md., Fallston HS), Julia Socke (Chicago, Resurrection HS), and Erin Wujek (Troy Grove, Mendota HS) — have outstanding club experience. "They are used to playing and training year-round, so their adjustment to the college game has been a rapid one. I’ve seen bright spots from all of them."

The Titans face a typically grueling schedule. During a weekend tournament in September in St. Louis, IWU will face Central College (Iowa) and Juniata, who finished first and third in last year’s Division III tournament, and host Washington U., the Division III champions from 1991 to 1996. IWU is in a tournament in Elmhurst this weekend that features the defending CCIW champion Bluejays and regional powers Wisconsin-Stevens Point and Wisconsin-Oshkosh.

NO.   NAME                POS.     HT.   YR.   HOMETOWN (HIGH SCHOOL)

15    Taryn Borendame     OH/DS    5-7   Fr.   Wheaton (North HS)
5     Molly Jo Ehlert     MH       5-10  Fr.   Winchester (HS)
3 **  Maggie Erlenbaugh   DS       5-7   Jr.   Chicago (Regina Dominican HS)
14    Amy Gregory         OH       6-0   Jr.   Pekin (HS)/Ill. Central College
11    Tiffany Hamblin     S        5-7   Fr.   Bloomington (HS)
17    Amber Mason         OH       5-5   Fr.   Bel Air, Md. (Fallston HS)
9 *   Jennifer Matczak    OH       5-9   So.   Naperville (Central HS)
8     Lena Meiss          MH       5-10  Jr.   Eureka (HS)/Ill. Central College
4 *   Elizabeth Niemann   S/OH     5-8   So.   Paxton (Paxton-Buckley-Loda HS)
6 **  Kristy Ralston      DS       5-6   Jr.   Normal (U High)
2 *** Kellie Schmidt #    OH       5-9   Sr.   Elkhart (Mt. Pulaski HS)
10    Julia Socke         MH       5-10  Fr.   Chicago (Resurrection HS)
7 **  Dana Stinson #      OH       5-9   Jr.   New Lenox (Lincoln-Way HS)
16    Kara Swigart        OH       5-10  Fr.   Minier (Stanford Olympia HS)
12    Erin Wujek          MH/S     5-10  Fr.   Troy Grove (Mendota HS)

*--Indicates letters won. #--Indicates co-captains.
 
 

September 1      EUREKA 7 p.m.
September 3-4    at Elmhurst Tournament
September 10-11  ILLINOIS WESLEYAN CLASSIC

*-Indicates CCIW match.