Volleyball Preview, Part 7: UW-Milwaukee
Aug. 23, 2006
The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee women's volleyball team knows it will once again have a big target on its back when the 2006 Horizon League season begins in September.
After all, the Panthers have won the last three Horizon League regular season titles and have posted a 105-13 record in regular season league matches since 1997.
But, UWM seems ready to do all it can in living up to, and even exceeding, those expectations. In each of the last three seasons, the Panthers have entered the league tournament as the top seed before bowing out and missing the NCAA Tournament. So, while not at all taking a league title for granted, the Panthers have even bigger things on their minds in 2006.
"I think our team knows that they should do well in the Horizon League, but I think they are hoping to look beyond the league," UWM head coach Kathy Litzau said. "This group wants to be one of the best teams in the region and then compete against the best teams in the country. I think this spring helped give us the vision that it is possible.
Spring Season Serves As Springboard
UWM's spring season was a successful one, as the 10 returning players on the roster faced a highly-competitive schedule and showed great improvement over the month-plus they played together.
The two biggest spring highlights came on the final two weekends of the schedule. In their own tournament, the Panthers beat Northwestern, UIC, UW-Green Bay and a team of UWM alums to claim the unofficial tournament title. Then, the next weekend in Aurora, Ill., UWM knocked off Dayton, Marquette and Iowa while falling in tight matches to Big Ten powers Minnesota and Purdue. Plus, before those two tournaments, the Panthers pushed Wisconsin to four games on its home floor.
"It was a defining time over the last two weeks of the spring, and we were extremely successful," Litzau said. "A lot of the matches were very competitive and we came up big down the stretch. And, in the matches we lost to Purdue and Minnesota, they had to step up and win those matches - we did not back down. It is always nice to beat conference opponents and rivals, but we also got the chance to show we could compete against the best teams in the Big Ten. A lot of people will say it is just the spring, but everyone is still competing and we fared very well."
Veteran Middles Show The Way
While there will be plenty of competition for playing time in 2006, two of UWM's most veteran players seem likely to be on the court much of the season. All-Horizon League honoree Cheryl Hegemann and AVCA honorable mention all-region performer Sarah Moore both return after starting all of last season in the middle.
Hegemann starts the season on pace to become UWM's all-time leader in blocks while also looking to pass 1,000 career kills. She also emerged as a stellar back-row player a season ago, tallying a career-best 281 digs and 12 double-doubles. Hegemann is also one of the most experienced players in the Horizon League, having played in 84 matches over the first three seasons of her career.
Moore, meanwhile, set career bests for kills (296), blocks (131) and hitting percentage (.285) in 2005. She emerged as one of UWM's most consistent offensive performers, reaching double figures in kills 15 times. Moore should also crack the top three on UWM's all-time blocks list by the end of the season.
"We're really in good shape with Cheryl and Sarah in the middle," Litzau said. "Cheryl has been playing since her freshman year and Sarah has played in nearly every match over the last two years, so they have plenty of experience. This will be the fastest our middles have ever been and that will be a great benefit to our offensive attack. They have also worked a lot on their block and it has really gotten to be very good."
Depth Leaves Litzau With Plenty Of Options
There figures to be some intense battles for playing time on the outside during preseason practice and the non-league slate.
Melissa David, Monica Ferguson and Kelley Olson lead the list of candidates for one outside spot, while Jamie Gabrielsen and Nicole Vilter both shined on the right side in the spring season.
"Things have definitely gotten very competitive and a lot of people are stepping up," Litzau said. "We have a lot of options on the outside, and all of those options have improved from last fall until now. It was a really good spring for everyone. I've always thought of the spring as a chance to train in position, but also step in to other spots. It helps everyone's experience and we really get the chance to see people blossom."
David might have the inside track for a starting spot, having played the best volleyball of her career down the stretch in 2005. She played in all but one match last year, tallying career bests in kills (225) and blocks (48). She collected 138 of her 225 kills in league play, including a 21-kill outing in a win at Wright State in October.
Gabrielsen, meanwhile, excelled as a libero during her freshman season before moving outside as a sophomore. She has battled knee troubles throughout her career and missed 11 matches last season because of the injury. Ferguson, the fourth senior on this year's team, set career-bests last season for kills (59) and digs (22) while starting three matches.
Felsing Sets The Table
Junior Leanne Felsing appears to be the odds-on favorite to take over the setter role from Melissa Lange, who graduated after earning All-Horizon League honors in each of the past two seasons. Felsing was UWM's main setter during the spring campaign and excelled in that role.
Last fall, Felsing split setting duties with Lange during non-league play before playing exclusively on the outside during league competition. She had 395 assists and set a school record with six triple-doubles. Felsing is the definition of an all-around player, with the junior on pace to finish in the school's top 10 for kills, digs and assists by the end of her career.
Freshman Kellye Zaporski, a highly-touted high school prospect, should provide competition for Felsing this fall and looks to be in line to take over the setting duties in future seasons.
"Leanne did a very nice job this spring," Litzau said. "She is very athletic, she has good size and she has excellent court awareness. She really has a lot of potential in the setting position. Kellye is one of the best setter recruits we have ever signed. She is not as big as Leanne but she has a lot of the same skills and I think her abilities will create some competition at that position."
Back Row Defense In Good Hands
UWM also finds itself loaded in the back row, with reigning Horizon League Co-Newcomer of the Year Becky Peters leading the list of defensive specialists. Peters set a single-season UWM record for digs last season. She is joined by junior Breit Nelson, who has played in a defensive specialist role for the past two seasons. Plus, UWM will add freshman Lauren Felsing for the fall, giving Litzau plenty of options in the back row.
"Our backcourt defense should be very good. Becky obviously proved herself and it is her position to lose. But Lauren Felsing is a great defensive player. Plus, Breit played well this spring," Litzau said. "I can definitely see us having two or three defensive specialists see time on the floor. I am really excited about how good we can be defensively, and that in turn will help our passing and our offense."
Peters' 2005 season was one for the record books, as she tallied a school record 517 digs. She reached double figures in digs in every match of the year and collected 41 digs in a five-game win over George Washington in September.
One Other Fresh Face
The other new addition to the roster this fall will be freshman middle hitter Maddie Sueppel. With Hegemann and Moore ahead of Sueppel on the list of middles, it would seem unlikely she would crack the rotation this season. But, Litzau seems to think she'll find a way to get Sueppel - a standout on the club scene who missed her senior season of high school with a knee injury - on the floor.
"Maddie is the one true hitter in our recruiting class, but she is a middle where it would seem like we are set," Litzau said. "Yet, she is one of the best middles we have ever recruited. I've always had the philosophy of putting our best six or seven players on the floor, and there will be a lot of competition in the battle for getting on the floor regularly."
No Shortage Of Challenges
A home match with Wisconsin and six contests against NCAA Tournament teams highlight the 2006 schedule. In addition to Wisconsin, which reached the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament and finished 10th in the final American Volleyball Coaches' Association poll, the Panthers will also play at Louisville, which won 31 matches, reached the Sweet 16 and finished 11th in the final AVCA poll.
Plus, UWM will participate in tournaments hosted by Illinois of the Big Ten and Alabama of the SEC, while also squaring off with mid-major volleyball standouts Winthrop (28-6 in 2005), Ball State (21-10) and Oral Roberts (22-11). The contest with Wisconsin is Saturday, Sept. 9, in the final match of the Panther Invitational.
"We can really make a mark with the schedule we have assembled this year," Litzau said. "A lot of times you do the scheduling in advance, and you are kind of projecting what your team is going to be like. I was a little nervous in making this schedule, but this team can handle it. In fact, after watching us play this spring, I think it is a perfect schedule for this team. We will be challenged at every turn, and that will help make this team better."
Story provided by UW-Milwaukee Office of Sports Information
