Titan Volleyball Looks for Repeat of Successful Season

2 September 2004

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - With four starters and five other letterwinners returning, the Illinois Wesleyan volleyball team hopes to retain the conference regular season title they earned in 2003.

The Titans, who open the season in the Elmhurst Tournament Sept. 3-4, were 26-11 overall and 6-1 in winning the regular season phase of the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin last year before placing fourth in the league tournament.

IWU opens against No. 23-ranked Wisconsin-Oshkosh at 4 p.m. Fri., Sept. 3 and will also face No. 21 Elmhurst during the weekend tourney.

While head coach Kim Nelson-Brown has holes to fill in replacing the graduated Brette Bower and Beth Crowley, the 2003 CCIW “Player of the Year”, IWU’s front-line consists of three returning starters, including senior outside hitter Christine Konopasek (Chicago, Marian Catholic HS).

Konopasek was second on the 2003 team with 314 kills, fifth in digs (335) and fourth with 55 blocks. “It’s obvious that Christine worked hard during the off-season with her training and we’re expecting great things from her for her senior season,” said Nelson-Brown.

Junior Molly May (Mt. Prospect HS), a second team all-conference selection last year, and sophomore Nicole Walsh (Lemont HS) are middle blockers with experience. Last year May was third on the team with 277 kills and her 169 blocks was the second most in a single IWU season. Walsh had 270 kills with 119 blocks.

Junior outside hitter Natalie Quinton (Shirley, Sterling Newman HS) is a transfer from Division I Bradley and Nelson-Brown has been impressed by how she has stepped in and played well. “Natalie has a good intensity level and is very competitive player who wants to win,” said Nelson-Brown.

“We need to learn to be smarter hitters and, as we do, our defense and passing will continue to improve,” said Nelson-Brown, who begins her ninth year with a 183-117 overall record. “Our serving also needs to be more aggressive as we prepare for conference play.”

Freshman Jenna Passananti (Western Springs, LaGrange Lyons HS) has earned a spot as the team’s setter and senior co-captain Kristy White (Dubuque, Iowa, Wahlert HS) is also a setter who will play somewhere, according to Nelson-Brown.

“Kristy will be on the floor as a setter or a defensive specialist,” Nelson-Brown said of White, who got the team's “Most Inspirational Player” honor for the second straight year as she was fourth on the team with 403 digs and second in service aces (44) and set assists (167). “She plays with spirit and is a good leader.”

Vying for the right-side position is sophomore utility player Melissa Serritella (St. Charles, North HS) and freshman Deanna Mocchi (Wheeling, Buffalo Grove HS), while sophomore Jaclyn Verticchio (Jacksonville HS) and freshman Ashley Reed (Lemont HS) are competing for the libero role. Verticchio led the team with 514 defensive digs last season, the third most in an IWU single season.

A number of Titans have been shelved due to injury, including junior middle hitter Lindsay Clements (Mt. Pulaski HS) and sophomore outside hitter Crystal Dye (Springfield, Southeast HS), last season's “Most Improved Player.” Both have been cleared to play and will give veteran depth to the team as their timing and endurance return.

IWU is among those receiving votes in the preseason American Volleyball Coaches Association Division III poll and will face six teams ranked in the top 25 during the season. In addition to UW-Oshkosh and Elmhurst, others on the Titan schedule are No. 4-ranked LaVerne (Calif.), Wisconsin-Whitewater (11), Wisconsin-River Falls (14), and Simpson (19).

CONTACT: Stew Salowitz, 309-556-3206