Volleyball Preview, Part 4: UW-Green Bay
Aug. 18, 2006
With four starters as well as its record-breaking libero returning, the 2006 University of Wisconsin-Green Bay volleyball team welcomes back a solid nucleus from last year's squad. Throw a talented group of newcomers into the mix and the Phoenix has plenty of reason to be optimistic this season.
With nine of the 13 individuals on the roster being either a freshman or sophomore and only one senior, the UW-Green Bay lineup will be relatively young. However, if the Phoenix can come togther and mature quickly, it could find itself right in the mix of the Horizon League race.
SETTER
Junior southpaw Betty Slinger returns for her second straight year as UW-Green Bay's starting setter after being just one of two sophomores to be named to the All-Horizon League team a year ago. Her average of 12.04 assists per game paced the league and helped Jackie Rosen rank first with an average of 4.61 kills per contest.
"Betty really made a lot of progress in the spring in terms of her demeanor on the court, running her offense and how she handled her teammates," Phoenix head coach Debbie Kirch said. "She made huge strides in those areas, so we're very excited about having her return."
The addition sophomore Rochelle Meulemans, a transfer from DePaul, will allow the Phoenix the opportunity to have versatility at the position and offer teams different looks.
"Rochelle gives us someone who has started in the Big East and got a lot of playing experience last year," said Kirch. "I think that she and Betty will be able to feed off of one another and create a partnership at the position."
Sophomore Megan Elfering, who appeared in all 112 games last season on the back row, could also help run the offense if needed.
MIDDLE BLOCKER
The Phoenix returns a pair of experienced veterans who are prepared to break through and give the team strength up the middle.
Sophomore Abby Bergsma ranked second on the team with 97 blocks a year ago, and a solid spring has given reason to be optimistic about the strides she continues to make in her game.
"It is amazing how much progress Abby has made in the past year," Kirch said. "She really became a go-to player during the spring."
A right-side hitter each of her first two seasons, junior Leah Steinbauer is expected to move inside and has shown signs of making it a smooth transition.
"After playing on the right side the past two years, Leah has become very efficient in the middle," said Kirch. "She has adapted to the position very quickly."
Freshman Lynsey Thiel will push for playing time right out of the gates after earning valuable experience playing for the highly successful Milwaukee Sting club team.
"Lynsey has great lateral speed," Kirch said. "She has the potential to become a great blocker, give us a solid core of middles and make it one of our strongest positions."
RIGHT SIDE HITTER
The ability to move Steinbauer into the middle is due to the potential of left-handed freshman Hillary Kirking.
"You never know how the transition from high school to college is going to go, but I really liked what I saw from Hillary at the end of the club season," Kirch said. "Having a left-hander on the right side will be very important."
The Sparta, Wis., native was a first-team All-Mississippi Valley Conference selection each of her final two high school seasons.
Steinbauer's experience on the right side will provide depth to the position, as she can return to the spot she played each of her first two years if needed.
OUTSIDE HITTER
One area where the Phoenix will need someone to step up is at the outside hitter where All-Horizon League selection Jackie Rosen has exhausted her eligibility. Junior Liesl Tesch will be counted on to help pick up the slack, coming back as the team's top returner in kills after posting 252 a year ago.
"One of Liesl's strengths is that she loves to play volleyball," said Kirch. "She's got the on-court experience, but we'll need her to change her role as far as her contributions now that Jackie is gone."
Freshman Holly Visser may be able to step right in and contribute following a stellar high school career that saw her Waupun High squad earn four straight Wisconsin Division 2 state championships.
"Holly has got about as much championship experience as you can get," Kirch said. "She's used to being a part of a very intense program that played against the top competition in the state every weekend."
Sarah Rauen, the team's lone senior, was the Phoenix's starting libero last season, but could help on the outside after playing there during the spring.
Another freshman, Patty Lawlor, is an individual who Kirch feels has the athleticism to contribute as the season goes along after making the move from the middle.
DEFENSIVE SPECIALIST
UW-Green Bay welcomes back a strong defensive trio in Rauen, Elfering and Chelsea Lyga. Rauen's average of 4.62 digs per game last season was the highest single-season total in school history, while Elfering appeared in all 112 games and Lyga played in 108 as freshmen in 2005. Together, the threesome racked up 965 digs a year ago.
"The three of them really work well together and hold each other to a high standard," Kirch said. "They have an idea that they are the defensive ball-control core of our team. They really work together to make sure that our passing, serve receive and defense are at the highest level they can be."
Freshman Veronica Slawson, a Waukesha, Wis., native, could also work her way in the mix, especially if Rauen is needed to play on the outside.
THE SCHEDULE
With a number of newcomers expected to contribute, the Phoenix has set up a schedule that Kirch feels will get progressively more and more difficult leading up to the Horizon League season.
"I really like our schedule as far as our preseason tournaments are concerned, who we play from week to week and the fact that we're at home the second weekend so that we don't have three straight weekends on the road," Kirch said.
After opening the season with a tournament at Central Michigan, UW-Green Bay opens the home season with the annual AmeriHost Classic. Following a pair of matches at IUPUI, the Phoenix concludes the tournament portion of the season with a tough test at East Carolina. The challenging field includes the host Pirates as well as fellow Conference USA opponent and 2005 league champion Marshall which received votes in the AVCA Top 25 Preseason Poll.
Horizon League play opens up for UW-Green Bay Sept. 22 and 23 when it hosts Cleveland State and Youngstown State, respectively.
The Phoenix faces a pair of Big East opponents once again sprinkled in during conference play, traveling to Marquette while playing host to DePaul. A Sunday afternoon tilt at IPFW, which went 24-6 last season, is scheduled for Oct. 29.
"Having three non-conference matches spread out throughout is nice because it gives us the opportunity to try some different things with the lineup against a non-conference opponent," said Kirch.
This year's Horizon League tournament is slated for Nov. 17-19 and will be hosted by Wright State in Dayton, Ohio.
Story provided by UW-Green Bay Office of Sports Information
