Volleyball – Page 17 – North Platte Post Archive

Big Ten Announces 2013 Postseason Volleyball Honors

Posted on December 3, 2013

ROSEMONT, Ill. – The Big Ten announced its postseason volleyball awards on Tuesday, with student-athletes from four schools earning recognition following the conclusion of the 2013 regular season. Nebraska’s Kelsey Robinson has been named the Big Ten Player of the Year by a vote of the conference’s coaches, while Michigan State’s Kori Moster and Wisconsin’s Lauren Carlini were tabbed Defensive Player and Freshman of the Year, respectively. Penn State’s Micha Hancock earned Setter of the Year honors, while Nittany Lion head coach Russ Rose was tabbed Coach of the Year by Big Ten coaches and media.

Robinson led the Big Ten in kills (4.69) and points (5.41) per set during the conference season, helping Nebraska to the No. 8 overall seed in the NCAA Championship. The Husker senior also hit at a .349 clip on 765 total attempts. Robinson becomes the first Nebraska player to win the Player of the Year award.

Moster averaged 4.65 digs per set this season en route to being tabbed the top defensive player in the conference for the second year in a row. The Spartan junior is the only Michigan State player to have earned Defensive Player of the Year honors and just the second student-athlete to collect multiple defensive accolades, joining Minnesota’s Paula Gentil who won three straight from 2002-04.

Hancock takes home her second consecutive Big Ten Setter of the Year award. The Penn State junior led the Big Ten in assists (11.47) and service aces (.52) per set in conference play. Hancock was named Big Ten Setter of the Week five times this season.

Carlini is the third Badger to be named Freshman of the Year and the first since Claudia Rodriguez in 2000. The setter paced the Wisconsin offense, averaging 10.87 assists per set. She has also accumulated a team-high 19 double-doubles this season.

Rose earns top billing among the conference’s coaches and media for the second consecutive year after guiding Penn State to a 28-2 overall record and a 19-1 mark in Big Ten play en route to its 10^th conference title in the last 11 years. The Nittany Lions also earned the No. 2 overall seed in the NCAA Championship. Rose’s award from the coaches marks his 12^th all-time and sixth in the last seven years, while his honor from the media is his eighth in the last nine years.

Fourteen Big Ten players were tabbed All-Big Ten by the conference’s coaches, with eight making the team via unanimous vote. Joining Robinson as unanimous All-Big Ten selections are Illinois’ Jocelynn Birks, Michigan State’s Lauren Wicinski, Minnesota’s Tori Dixon and Ashley Wittman, and Penn State’s Deja McClendon, Katie Slay and Ariel Scott. Rounding out the All-Conference Team are Michigan’s Jennifer Cross, Nebraska’s Kadie Rolfzen, Northwestern’s Stephanie Holthus, Penn State’s Hancock, Purdue’s Val Nichol and Wisconsin’s Carlini.

Carlini was unanimously voted to the All-Freshman Team, along with Nebraska’s Rolfzen. Michigan’s Abby Cole, Michigan State’s Chloe Reinig, Minnesota’s Hannah Tapp, Ohio State’s Taylor Sandbothe and Wisconsin’s Haleigh Nelson also appeared on the seven-player team.

The Big Ten also recognized 12 Sportsmanship Award honorees. The student-athletes chosen are individuals who have distinguished themselves through sportsmanship and ethical behavior. These student-athletes must also be in good academic standing and have demonstrated good citizenship outside of the sports-competition setting.

The complete list of All-Big Ten honorees, individual award winners and Sportsmanship Award Honorees can be found below.

ALL-BIG TEN

JOCELYNN BIRKS, So., OH, ILL

Jennifer Cross, Sr., MB, MICH

LAUREN WICINSKI, Sr., OH, MSU

TORI DIXON, Sr., MH, MINN

ASHLEY WITTMAN, Sr., OH, MINN

KELSEY ROBINSON, Sr., OH, NEB

Kadie Rolfzen, Fr., OH, NEB

Stephanie Holthus, Sr., OH, NU

DEJA McCLENDON, Sr., OH, PSU

Micha Hancock, Jr., S, PSU

KATIE SLAY, Sr., MB, PSU

ARIEL SCOTT, Sr., OH, PSU

Val Nichol, Jr., OH/S, PUR

Lauren Carlini, Fr., S., WIS

Honorable Mention

Liz McMahon, Jr., OPP, ILL

Alexis Mathews, Sr., MB, MSU

Kori Moster, Jr., LIB, MSU

Mary Pollmiller, Jr., S, NEB

Kaitlyn Leary, Sr., OH, OSU

Carly Cramer, Sr., LIB, PUR

ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM

Abby Cole, RS, MICH

Chloe Reinig, OH, MSU

Hannah Tapp, MB, MINN

KADIE ROLFZEN, OH, NEB

Taylor Sandbothe, MB, OSU

LAUREN CARLINI, S, WIS

Haleigh Nelson, MB, WIS

Unanimous selections in CAPS

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Kelsey Robinson, NEB

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Kori Moster, MSU

SETTER OF THE YEAR

Micha Hancock, PSU

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR

Lauren Carlini, WIS

COACH OF THE YEAR (COACHES AND MEDIA)

Russ Rose, PSU

SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD HONOREES

Courtney Abrahamovich, ILL

Jade Henderson, IND

Alli O’Deen, IOWA

Brittany Lee, MICH

Kristen Kelsay, MSU

Daly Santana, MINN

Morgan Broekhuis, NEB

Katie Dutchman, NU

Andrea Kacsits, OSU

Maggie Harding, PSU

Katie Griffin, PUR

Annemarie Hickey, WIS

Huskers Picked to Host NCAA First and Second Rounds

Posted on December 1, 2013

Lincoln, Neb. – The Nebraska volleyball team will spend the opening weekend of the postseason at home for the 10th straight season as the Bob Devaney Sports Center was chosen as one of 16 sites for the NCAA first and second-round play next weekend. The Huskers will be making their 32nd NCAA Tournament appearance and they will go in as the No. 8 overall seed among the 64 teams.

Play will start on Friday, Dec. 6 when the Oregon Ducks (19-11) of the Pac-12 Conference will take on the Miami Hurricanes (19-11) of the Atlantic Coast Conference at 4:30 p.m. Nebraska (23-6) will then take the court during Friday’s second match and will face the Fairfield Stags (19-12), who recently won their second consecutive Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Championship title. The Huskers’ match will start at 7 p.m. or 30 minutes after the conclusion of the first match.

The second round will take place on Saturday, Dec. 7 at 7 p.m., as Friday’s winners will compete for the right to move on to the Lincoln Regional the following weekend. The winner out of Lincoln will take on either San Diego, UC Santa Barbara, New Mexico State or Arizona, who will all be playing in San Diego, Calif.

Tickets for the first and second rounds in Lincoln will go on sale on Monday morning at 8 a.m. They will be available on Huskers.com, by calling the NU Ticket Office at 800-8-BIGRED or visiting the NU Athletic Ticket Office in person. All-session ticket prices are set at $34 (reserved A and B sections) and $30 (C section) and include the two first-round games, as well as the second-round matchup between the first-round winners.

Nebraska has never faced Fairfield. The Huskers Miami have met once, with Nebraska leading the all-time series at 1-0. The Huskers lead the all-time series with Oregon 2-1, but the Ducks ended NU’s NCAA Tournament at the Omaha Regional in 2012.

The 2013 season marks the 29th time that Lincoln has played host to first and second round competition. Last season, Nebraska hosted the first and second rounds at the NU Coliseum, where the Huskers swept UMES in the first round and Northern Iowa in the second round.

Nebraska holds a 23-6 record in 2013 and finished second in the Big Ten Conference. The Huskers are 86-28 (.754) in 31 previous NCAA Tournament appearances, ranking second among NCAA schools in both wins and winning percentage. Nebraska was one of eight Big Ten schools to qualify for the tournament.

NCAA First and Second Round Schedule
First Round – Friday, Dec. 6
4:30 p.m. | Oregon vs. Miami
7 p.m.* | Fairfield vs. Nebraska
*or 30 minutes following the conclusion of the 4:30 p.m. match

Second Round – Saturday, Dec. 7
7 p.m. | First Round Winners

2013 DI WVB Bracket is available here: http://www.ncaa.com/interactive-bracket/volleyball-women/d1/2013

Huskers Drop 3-1 Decision to No. 2 Penn State

Posted on December 1, 2013

Lincoln, Neb. – The No. 10 Nebraska volleyball team (23-6, 16-4) fell to the No. 2 Penn State Nittany Lions 3-1 (25-22, 23-25, 24-26, 24-26) on Saturday evening at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. In front of a season-high 8,561 fans, the Huskers honored seniors Morgan Broekhuis, Kelsey Robinson and Hayley Thramer in the regular-season finale.

Amber Rolfzen produced a career-high-tying 16 kills for the Huskers, adding 15 digs and hitting at a clip of .389. Kadie Rolfzen notched 12 kills and a match-high 18 digs, while Kelsey Robinson had 14 kills and five blocks. Mary Pollmiller dished out 46 assists on the night, while Cecilia Hall posted seven blocks.

Nebraska hit .246 for the match, while Penn State hit .255. Nebraska out-blocked the Nittany Lions 12.5-11 and out-dug PSU 55-53.

The Huskers took a 5-1 lead to start the first set, while a kill from Meghan Haggerty put NU up 10-6. PSU tied the set at 12-12, but NU took a 15-13 lead at the first media timeout. Robinson came through with two huge kills to help the Huskers to a 20-15 advantage and force Penn State to call a timeout. The Nittany Lions responded with three straight points, cutting into NU’s lead at 20-18. Nebraska held on as a kill from Robinson sealed the 25-22 first-set win.

Robinson tallied five kills in the first set, while Kadie Rolfzen had three kills. Pollmiller dished out 10 assists as the Huskers hit .241. Penn State hit .235 for the set, while NU out-blocked PSU 4.5-2.

Penn State took a 3-0 lead early in the second set, but the Huskers came back to tie the set with a double-block from Hall and Amber Rolfzen. The Nittany Lions used a 4-0 run to take a 7-4 lead and then stretched their advantage to 16-13. Nebraska clawed back, as Amber Rolfzen and Hall teamed up for a block to tie the set at 19-19 and force Penn State to call a timeout. The Huskers forced Penn State to three set points, but PSU held on to win the second set 25-23.

Robinson notched five kills in the second set, while Amber Rolfzen had four kills. Nebraska hit .333 for the set, while Penn State hit .370.

Two big plays from Pollmiller opened the third set as the Huskers took a 10-6 lead following an ace. Hall and Robinson propelled the Huskers to a 14-8 lead, but Penn State surged ahead to cut into NU’s lead at 16-13. A double-block from Melanie Keil and Robinson made it 23-20, NU, while Nebraska then came back to tie the set at 24-24 on a kill from Keil. Penn State came out on top in the third set, winning 26-24.

Amber Rolfzen notched five kills in the third set, while Kadie Rolfzen had four kills. Nebraska hit .286 in the set as Penn State hit .275. PSU out-blocked NU 3-2.

Penn State came out hot in the fourth set, but the Huskers inched back on a 3-0 run to tie the set at 5-5. Penn State responded with a 3-0 run to go up 10-7 and force Nebraska to call a timeout. A kill from Amber Rolfzen tied the set at 12-12, as she then gave NU its first lead of the set at 14-13. The Huskers and Nittany Lions traded points as a kill from Pollmiller tied the set at 16-16, while Kadie Rolfzen put NU up 20-19. Back-to-back double-blocks from Keil and Amber Rolfzen put NU up 23-20, but Penn State fought back to win the final set 26-24.

Amber Rolfzen had five kills in the fourth set, while Kadie Rolfzen notched three kills. Nebraska hit .135 for the set, as Penn State hit .175.

The Huskers will now wait until Sunday at 8:30 p.m. when the 2013 NCAA Tournament field is announced live on ESPNU.

Huskers Host Penn State for Senior Night

Posted on November 29, 2013

The No. 10 Nebraska volleyball team will welcome the No. 2 Penn State Nittany Lions to the Devaney Center on Saturday, Nov. 30. The Huskers will take on the Nittany Lions at 7:30 p.m. Nebraska’s match with Penn State will air nationally on the Big Ten Network and will also be available on BTN2Go. Nebraska will also honor seniors Morgan Broekhuis, Hayley Thramer and Kelsey Robinson following the match with PSU.

Fans can listen to all of the action on the 25-station Husker Sports Network, including B107.3 FM in Lincoln and The Wolf 93.3 FM in Omaha. Fans outside the state will also be able to catch the live audio feed for free on Huskers.com.

The match with Penn State marks the 22nd meeting between the two schools as Nebraska has a 13-8 advantage in the all-time series. The last time the two teams met, Nebraska defeated Penn State 3-2 in Lincoln.

PENN STATE at NEBRASKA

Date: Saturday, Nov. 30

Time: 7:30 p.m.

Location: Lincoln, Neb.

Arena: Devaney Center

Live Stats: Huskers.com

TV: BTN
Online Video: BTN2Go

Radio: Husker Sports Network, Huskers.com

Huskers Take Down Hawkeyes in Straight Sets

Posted on November 27, 2013

Iowa City, Iowa- The No. 10 Nebraska volleyball team (23-5, 16-3) swept the Iowa Hawkeyes 3-0 (25-16, 25-18, 25-18) on Wednesday evening at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The Huskers produced a solid night from the service line with a season-high 11 aces.

Kelsey Robinson led Nebraska on the night with 13 kills, 10 digs and four aces. She also hit at a clip of .320. Kadie Rolfzen tallied nine kills and a match-high 11 digs, while Melanie Keil notched six kills and zero errors for a .500 hitting percentage. Mary Pollmiller handed out 29 assists on the night, while Meghan Haggerty led NU at the net with four blocks and Alexa Ethridge also added four aces.

The Huskers hit .240 for the set, while Iowa hit .134. The Huskers out-blocked the Hawkeyes 7-5 and out-dug Iowa 41-31.

Aces set the Huskers apart early in the first set as Nebraska took an 11-8 lead. NU stretched its lead to 15-10 after a kill from Robinson and a hitting error on the Hawkeyes, as Iowa then called a timeout. Back-to-back kills gave the Huskers an 18-12 advantage, but Iowa cut into NU’s lead at 20-18. Nebraska came back to hold on to win the first set 25-16.

Robinson led Nebraska in the first set with four kills, while Amber Rolfzen, Kadie Rolfzen and Keil all had two kills. The Huskers hit .138 for the set and had four aces, while Iowa hit .065.

Errors by the Huskers mounted up early in the second set as Iowa took a 9-6 lead. A 4-0 run from the Huskers gave NU the lead at 15-14 after a kill from Robinson. A block from Robinson made it 19-16, NU, as the Huskers use a 4-0 run to push ahead and win the second set 25-18.

Robinson tallied seven kills in the second set, while Kadie Rolfzen had four. Nebraska hit .321 for the set, while Iowa hit .250. NU out-blocked the Hawkeyes 2-0.

Kadie Rolfzen helped the Huskers to a 6-4 lead in the third set, as Haggerty put NU up 10-6. Robinson distanced the Huskers at 17-11, while a 4-0 run closed out the set for the Huskers at 25-18.

Robinson and Kadie Rolfzen both had five kills in the final set. Nebraska hit .256 and held Iowa to a .128 hitting clip

The Huskers return home on Saturday, Nov. 30 as Nebraska will host the Penn State Nittany Lions for senior night. The match is slated for 7:30 p.m., and will air on the Big Ten Network.

Penn State Claims Big Ten Volleyball Championship

Posted on November 27, 2013

ROSEMONT, Ill. – With its 3-0 win over Ohio State on Wednesday night, Penn State earned the outright 2013 Big Ten Volleyball Championship. The Nittany Lions had clinched at least a share of the title last Saturday. The crown marks the 10^th in the last 11 years and 16^th overall. Penn State improves to 18-1 in Big Ten play and 27-2 overall and has earned the conference’s automatic berth to the NCAA Championship.

The Nittany Lions won by a score of 25-12 in the first set, following with a 25-14 win in Set 2 and a 25-8 victory to clinch the match in the third set. Deja McClendon led the Nittany Lions with 11 kills, while Micha Hancock notched 14 digs and Katie Slay tallied seven blocks to lead the team.

The final matches of the 2013 regular season will be held this weekend, with the 2013 NCAA Championship field set to be announced on Sunday, Dec. 1. The 2013 NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship selection show is scheduled to air at 9:30 p.m. ET on ESPNU.

Huskers Take on Iowa in Iowa City

Posted on November 26, 2013

The No. 10 Nebraska volleyball team will be on the road this week as the Huskers travel to take on Iowa in Iowa City. The Huskers will take on the Hawkeyes on Wednesday, Nov. 27 at 7 p.m. Nebraska’s match with Iowa will be streamed online on the Big Ten Digital Network with a subscription.

The match with Iowa marks the 18th meeting between the two schools as Nebraska has a 17-0 advantage in the all-time series. The Huskers swept Iowa 3-0 when the two teams played in Lincoln, on Oct. 23.

NEBRASKA at IOWA

Date: Wednesday, Nov. 27

Time: 7 p.m.

Location: Iowa City, Iowa

Arena: Carver-Hawkeye Arena

Live Stats: HawkeyeSports.com
Online Video: Big Ten Digital Network (subscription)

Radio: Husker Sports Network, Huskers.com

Huskers Topple Hoosiers in 3-0 Sweep

Posted on November 23, 2013

Bloomington, Ind.- The No. 6 Nebraska volleyball team (22-5, 15-3) made quick work of the Indiana Hoosiers on Saturday night, sweeping IU 3-0 (25-22, 25-21, 25-11).

Kelsey Robinson led Nebraska offensively with 15 kills on 29 swings for a hitting clip of .448. Kadie Rolfzen notched seven kills, while Amber Rolfzen and Melanie Keil both had five kills. Mary Pollmiller handed out 31 assists on the night, Meghan Haggerty posted seven blocks and Justine Wong-Orantes posted a match-high 12 digs.

Nebraska hit a season-high .418 for the match, while Indiana was held to a .111 hitting clip. The Huskers only recorded six hitting errors in the match, with zero coming in the final set. Nebraska out-dug the Hoosiers 37-32 and out-blocked IU 15-4.

The Huskers and Hoosiers came out fighting point-for-point in the first set as the two teams tied at 12-12 and forced Nebraska to use a timeout. A double-block from Robinson and Keil distanced the Huskers at 15-12, while a kill from Robinson and an error by IU put NU up 22-20. Indiana pushed Nebraska to three set points, but the Huskers closed out the Hoosiers in the first set, winning 25-22.

Robinson notched five kills in the first set, while Kadie Rolfzen had four. Pollmiller handed out 11 assists as the Huskers hit .414 as a team. Indiana hit .176 and NU out-blocked the Hoosiers 5-2.

The scrappy play continued in the second set as the Hoosiers went up 10-6 and Nebraska called a timeout. Indiana stretched its lead to 16-11, but the Huskers clawed back at 18-17, IU, as a result of an Indiana error. A double-block from Keil and Morgan Broekhuis gave the Huskers their first lead of the set at 20-19, as NU completed the second-set comeback with a 25-21 win.

Robinson notched five kills in the second set, while Keil had two kills of her own. Nebraska hit .233 for the set, as Indiana hit .136. Both teams had 16 digs, while NU out-blocked IU 5-2.

Nebraska jumped out to a 7-1 lead in the third set as Robinson and Amber Rolfzen both recorded kills. A kill from Kadie Rolfzen, followed by an ace from Robinson put NU up 14-7. A 3-0 run gave Nebraska an 18-9 advantage and NU did not look back as the Huskers won the third set 25-11.

Robinson posted five kills in the final set. Nebraska hit .700 and didn’t have a hitting error in the set. Indiana hit .000.

Nebraska hits the road again this week as the Huskers will travel to take on the Iowa Hawkeyes on Wednesday, Nov. 27.

Huskers Suffer 3-0 Defeat at Purdue

Posted on November 22, 2013

West Lafayette, Ind. – The No. 6 Nebraska volleyball team (21-5, 14-3) dropped a 3-0 (24-26, 21-25, 16-25) decision to the No. 25 Purdue Boilermakers on Friday night at Holloway Gymnasium.

The Boilermakers handed the Huskers their third conference defeat of the season and the second in the 2013 series with NU. The last time the Huskers were swept on the road was at Purdue on Nov. 12, 2011.

Kadie Rolfzen tallied 12 kills on the night, while Kelsey Robinson had 11 kills and a team-high 10 digs. Nebraska hit .136 for the match and tallied only six team blocks. Purdue hit .302 on the night and notched 11 blocks. The Boilermakers out-dug NU 44-32.

Amber Rolfzen put the Huskers up 7-5 early in the first set, while back-to-back errors by the Boilermakers put NU ahead 13-10. Two kills from Kadie Rolfzen made it 20-16, Nebraska, but Purdue went on a 5-0 run to take a 21-20 lead. Kadie Rolfzen gave NU the lead again at 23-22, but the Boilermakers would not let up and went on to win the first set 26-24.

Kadie Rolfzen notched eight kills in the first set, while the Huskers hit .333 as a team. Purdue hit .400 and out-blocked NU 4-1.

The two teams came out battling in the second set as Kelly Hunter came in to serve an ace and tie the set at 7-7. Two consecutive kills from Robinson made it 16-14, Nebraska, and forced Purdue to use a timeout. The Boilermakers strung together another 3-0 run to go up 20-17, as the Huskers went on a 3-0 run of their own to cut into the Boilermaker lead at 23-21. Purdue responded out of a timeout and won the set 25-21.

Kadie Rolfzen had four kills in the second set, while Robinson notched three kills. Nebraska hit .100, while Purdue hit .375. Both teams notched two blocks each.

Melanie Keil saw some action early in the third set and notched two double-stuff blocks to help Nebraska to a 6-4 lead. Purdue strung together a 4-0 run to go up 16-10 and then stretched its lead to 19-11 as the Huskers called a timeout. Nebraska would be unable to build any momentum as the Huskers dropped the third set 25-16.

Robinson posted four kills in the final set, but the Huskers hit -.047. Purdue hit .152 and out-blocked NU 5-3.

Nebraska returns to action tomorrow evening as the Huskers travel to take on the Indiana Hoosiers at 6 p.m. CT.

SPVA 2013 Volleyball All-Conference Team

Posted on November 22, 2013November 22, 2013

The South Platte Valley Athletic Conference announced its 2013 volleyball All-Conference team Friday morning.

The Hershey Lady Panthers led the way with two players making the first team and one making the second team. Senior Maegan Hiatt and junior Brooke Munsen are first team with senior Maddie Seamann on the second team.

Maxwell and Sutherland each had a player on the first team and second team with the Lady Sailors also represented on the honorable mention list. Maxwell sophomore Josie Cox is first team after leading the Lady Wildcats with 220 kills and 88 blocks. Her senior teammate Anna Crane is on the second team, finishing the year with 301 digs to lead the team and she added 180 kills.

Suthlerand is represented by three seniors. Jalyne Schuster is on the first team, Sam Staggs is second team and Kelsey Dillenburg made the honorable mention list.

St. Pat’s had Brittany Lawrence make the first team and Alli Skala on the honorable mention list. Lawrence, the Creighton bound senior, led the Lady Irish with 358 kills and 241 blocks.

The full list of those that made the SPVA All-Conference team can be seen by clicking on the link below.

2013 SPVA Volleyball All Conference