Mavs Open Season at Houston Baptist Tournament
Aug 29, 2013 | Volleyball
This Weekend
The Omaha volleyball team kicks off the 2013 season this weekend, traveling to the Marriott Houston Westchase Classic, Aug. 30-31, in Houston, Texas. The weekend begins with a single match against host Houston Baptist on Friday at 7 p.m., followed by Saturday matches against UT-Pan American (Noon) and Louisiana (5 p.m.). Links to live stats will be available at OMavs.com.
Scouting the Houston Baptist Huskies
Houston Baptist hosts this weekend's season-opening tournament, facing UNO on Friday at 7 p.m. HBU follows with a 9:30 a.m. match against Louisiana and a 7:30 p.m. tilt with UT-Pan American on Saturday.
The Huskies went 20-11 last season with a record of 7-1 in league play to tie for first in the Great West Conference. They were picked sixth in the Southland Conference Preseason Coaches Poll released last week, and middle blocker Caiti Wenger was also selected for preseason All-Southland honors. Head coach Trent Herman (Fort Hays State, 1999) is in his fourth year at HBU with a career mark of 63-44 over three seasons.
Friday's contest between Houston Baptist and Omaha is the first in program history.
Scouting the UT-Pan American Broncs
UT-Pan American opens the season on Friday against Louisiana at 4:30 p.m., followed by Saturday matches against Omaha at Noon and Houston Baptist at 7:30 p.m.
The Broncs went 10-19 last season with a record of 3-5 in league play to finish sixth in the Great West Conference. Entering their first year as a member of the WAC, they were picked seventh league's preseason coaches poll released last week. Head coach Brian Yale (Bowling Green, 1998) is in his third year at UTPA with a career mark of 17-43.
Saturday's match between UTPA and Omaha is the first in program history.
Scouting the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
Louisiana opens its season on Friday against UT-Pan American at 4:30 p.m., followed by Saturday matches against Houston Baptist at Noon and Omaha at 4:30 p.m.
The Ragin' Cajuns went 16-16 last season with a record of 6-8 in Sun Belt play, and they were picked seventh league's preseason coaches poll released last week. Head coach Heather Mazeitis-Fontenot (Central Oklahoma, 1992) holds a record of 64-94 in five years at Louisiana and has a career mark of 140-236 over 12 years of coaching.
Saturday's match between ULL and Omaha is the first in program history.
Quick Hits
•The Mavericks are led by head coach Rose Shires, who is in her 24th year at the helm of the UNO program with a career record of 435-289. Shires is the winningest coach in program history.
•Omaha returns nine letterwinners from the 2012 season, including four starters in sophomores Bailey Baxter, Megan Schmale, Kelley Wollak and Michaela Schimmer.
•UNO returns 62 percent of its total offensive production from last season, as this year's returners accounted for 732 of the Mavericks' 1,183 kills.
•Omaha lost four letterwinners from the 2012 squad, most notably Natalie Ebke, who ranked 10th all-time for career digs and was the Mavs' leader in total kills (284) and kills per set (2.73). Amy Roberts, UNO's defensive specialist, also finished due to graduation and had a team-leading 4.19 digs per set in her final season.
•UNO's top returning hitter is sophomore Kelley Wollak, who averaged 2.64 kills per set, just behind Ebke. At the net, sophomore Megan Schmale returns after averaging 0.86 blocks per set in her freshman season.
•The Mavericks are primarily a young squad, with four freshmen, seven sophomores and two juniors making up the roster. Omaha has no seniors in 2013, and four members of the sophomore class were starters last season.
Triple Trouble
Sophomore Michaela Schimmer tallied three triple-doubles as a freshman in 2012, accounting for the last three triple-doubles in Maverick history. Prior to Schimmer, the last triple-double came from Krista Niezwaag in 1999.
Schimmer's first career triple-double came against Arkansas State with 16 kills, 15 assists and 22 digs. She followed with two in conference play: 12 kills, 22 assists and 16 digs against Western Illinois and 19 kills, 21 assists and 12 digs against South Dakota in the season finale.
League Leaders
In its first year of Summit League play in 2012, Omaha made its presence known with its strong serving. As a team, the Mavericks ranked first in the conference with 153 total service aces and 1.47 aces per set.
Individually, Bailey Baxter ranked second with 0.29 aces per set, fourth with 30 total aces and seventh with 6.22 assists per set. Kimberly Bailey was also among the top servers in the league, ranking fourth with 0.28 aces per set and fifth with 29 total aces.
2012-13 Squad Earns 14th Straight AVCA Academic Award
UNO earned the American Volleyball Coaches Association Team Academic Award for the 14th straight year, it was announced in July. As a team, the Mavericks recorded a 3.74 GPA during the 2012-13 academic year to garner the annual honor.
The award, which was initiated in 1992-93, honors collegiate and high school volleyball teams that have displayed excellence in the classroom during the school year by maintaining at least a 3.30 cumulative team GPA on a 4.0 scale or a 4.10 cumulative team GPA on a 5.0 scale. Omaha was among 130 Division I women's squads to meet the academic standards last year.
UNO's academic effort was highlighted by 13 volleyball student-athletes making the Dean's List or Chancellor's List and five who held 4.0 GPAs for the academic year. The 2012-13 year marks the 14th straight time the team has earned the AVCA's annual honor and its 17th overall award.
Shires Guides Mavericks as Winningest Coach in School History
Head coach Rose Shires is the all-time winningest coach in 43 years of UNO volleyball history. In her 24th year at the helm of the Maverick program, Shires owns a career record of 435-289 (.601), with the most wins of the five coaches who have served at Omaha.
The 1996 AVCA National Coach of the Year and a two-time conference coach of the year, Shires has enjoyed tremendous success as UNO's guide. The 1996 campaign saw her lead UNO to a national championship as well as its first North Central Conference championship since 1987, followed by an Elite Eight appearance in 1997. In NCAA Tournament play, Shires' squads have combined for 11 appearances and a 10-10 postseason mark.
Shires is assisted by associate head coach Karen Povondra, who is in her 23rd season with UNO, and assistant coach Tanya Cate, who is in her fourth year on the Maverick staff.
Fresh Faces
The Mavericks welcome four freshmen to the roster this season: middle blocker Kristy Wieser (Lincoln, Neb.), setter and rightside hitter Nicki Carson (Ord, Neb.), outside hitter Elise Brown (Des Moines, Iowa) and middle blocker Amanda Conlin (Glendale, Ariz.).
Wieser was an all-state selection at Lincoln Pius X, where she helped the Thunderbolts to the 2011 Class B state championship. Carson, also an in-state product, was a two-time all-state pick and led Ord to an appearance in the Class C-2 state championship match as a junior.
Brown was part of the first Dowling High School team in school history to qualify for the state tournament and was a two-time first-team all-conference honoree. Conlin also comes to Omaha with a host of awards: the 2012 AIA Division II Player of the Year and all-state honors, as well as three AIA Division I regional shot put championships. An accomplished track & field athlete, Conlin will also compete as a thrower for the UNO track & field program.
Home Sweet Home
Omaha's 2013 schedule includes 10 home dates at Sapp Fieldhouse, including the return of a home tournament in early September. The Mavericks have not hosted a tournament since the 2011 UNO Showcase, but this year's home slate will start with the 2013 Omaha Marriott Classic. The two-day tournament runs Sept. 6-7, with Bradley, SIUE and Southern Utah all visiting the fieldhouse for a total of six matches.
Mixed Schedule Takes Mavericks Around the Nation
Omaha's 2013 schedule includes 29 matches against 22 different opponents, and the team will play in 10 states across the country. UNO will square off with opponents from 12 different conferences.
Five foes were 2012 NCAA Tournament qualifiers: Fort Wayne, LIU Brooklyn, Miami (Fla.), Oklahoma and Tulsa. The Sooners were the only team to play more than one postseason match after defeating Arizona State, 3-2, to advance to the NCAA second round.
The Mavericks have never faced 11 of their 2013 opponents: Houston Baptist, UT-Pan American, Louisiana, SIUE, Southern Utah, Louisiana Tech, Southeastern Louisiana, Stetson, Southern, Oklahoma, Miami (Fla.) and LIU Brooklyn. Omaha holds a combined all-time record of 141-85 over all teams on the slate entering this season.
No Longer the Newcomers
Omaha is in its third year as a reclassifying Division I school in 2013-14 and its second as a member of the Summit League. In 2012, the Mavericks played their first full season as a member of the conference, picking up their first official Summit League win, 3-2 over Western Illinois.
UNO is ineligible for the league tournament and NCAA postseason play until 2015-16 but will play a full regular-season conference schedule through its transitional years.
Summit League Preseason Poll Announced
Omaha was picked to finish eighth in the Summit League Preseason Poll released by the conference office on Aug. 22. The poll was determined by a vote of the league's head coaches, media and media relations personnel.
Defending tournament champion Fort Wayne, received three first-place votes and tied with reigning regular season champion IUPUI, who earned four first-place tallies. The Mastodons won their second league crown in four years, while the Jaguars claimed their first outright regular season title and second overall a year ago.
League newcomer Denver was picked third and collected the final first-place vote. South Dakota finished fourth, while South Dakota State edged out North Dakota State by three points for fifth place. Rounding out the poll were Western Illinois and Omaha.
Next Up
Omaha returns to action Sept. 6-7, hosting the Omaha Marriott Classic at Sapp Fieldhouse. The Mavericks open the tournament with SIUE on Friday at 6 p.m., followed by Saturday matches against Southern Utah (11 a.m.) and Bradley (5 p.m.). Links to live stats, audio and video will be available on OMavs.com.
The Omaha volleyball team kicks off the 2013 season this weekend, traveling to the Marriott Houston Westchase Classic, Aug. 30-31, in Houston, Texas. The weekend begins with a single match against host Houston Baptist on Friday at 7 p.m., followed by Saturday matches against UT-Pan American (Noon) and Louisiana (5 p.m.). Links to live stats will be available at OMavs.com.
Scouting the Houston Baptist Huskies
Houston Baptist hosts this weekend's season-opening tournament, facing UNO on Friday at 7 p.m. HBU follows with a 9:30 a.m. match against Louisiana and a 7:30 p.m. tilt with UT-Pan American on Saturday.
The Huskies went 20-11 last season with a record of 7-1 in league play to tie for first in the Great West Conference. They were picked sixth in the Southland Conference Preseason Coaches Poll released last week, and middle blocker Caiti Wenger was also selected for preseason All-Southland honors. Head coach Trent Herman (Fort Hays State, 1999) is in his fourth year at HBU with a career mark of 63-44 over three seasons.
Friday's contest between Houston Baptist and Omaha is the first in program history.
Scouting the UT-Pan American Broncs
UT-Pan American opens the season on Friday against Louisiana at 4:30 p.m., followed by Saturday matches against Omaha at Noon and Houston Baptist at 7:30 p.m.
The Broncs went 10-19 last season with a record of 3-5 in league play to finish sixth in the Great West Conference. Entering their first year as a member of the WAC, they were picked seventh league's preseason coaches poll released last week. Head coach Brian Yale (Bowling Green, 1998) is in his third year at UTPA with a career mark of 17-43.
Saturday's match between UTPA and Omaha is the first in program history.
Scouting the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
Louisiana opens its season on Friday against UT-Pan American at 4:30 p.m., followed by Saturday matches against Houston Baptist at Noon and Omaha at 4:30 p.m.
The Ragin' Cajuns went 16-16 last season with a record of 6-8 in Sun Belt play, and they were picked seventh league's preseason coaches poll released last week. Head coach Heather Mazeitis-Fontenot (Central Oklahoma, 1992) holds a record of 64-94 in five years at Louisiana and has a career mark of 140-236 over 12 years of coaching.
Saturday's match between ULL and Omaha is the first in program history.
Quick Hits
•The Mavericks are led by head coach Rose Shires, who is in her 24th year at the helm of the UNO program with a career record of 435-289. Shires is the winningest coach in program history.
•Omaha returns nine letterwinners from the 2012 season, including four starters in sophomores Bailey Baxter, Megan Schmale, Kelley Wollak and Michaela Schimmer.
•UNO returns 62 percent of its total offensive production from last season, as this year's returners accounted for 732 of the Mavericks' 1,183 kills.
•Omaha lost four letterwinners from the 2012 squad, most notably Natalie Ebke, who ranked 10th all-time for career digs and was the Mavs' leader in total kills (284) and kills per set (2.73). Amy Roberts, UNO's defensive specialist, also finished due to graduation and had a team-leading 4.19 digs per set in her final season.
•UNO's top returning hitter is sophomore Kelley Wollak, who averaged 2.64 kills per set, just behind Ebke. At the net, sophomore Megan Schmale returns after averaging 0.86 blocks per set in her freshman season.
•The Mavericks are primarily a young squad, with four freshmen, seven sophomores and two juniors making up the roster. Omaha has no seniors in 2013, and four members of the sophomore class were starters last season.
Triple Trouble
Sophomore Michaela Schimmer tallied three triple-doubles as a freshman in 2012, accounting for the last three triple-doubles in Maverick history. Prior to Schimmer, the last triple-double came from Krista Niezwaag in 1999.
Schimmer's first career triple-double came against Arkansas State with 16 kills, 15 assists and 22 digs. She followed with two in conference play: 12 kills, 22 assists and 16 digs against Western Illinois and 19 kills, 21 assists and 12 digs against South Dakota in the season finale.
League Leaders
In its first year of Summit League play in 2012, Omaha made its presence known with its strong serving. As a team, the Mavericks ranked first in the conference with 153 total service aces and 1.47 aces per set.
Individually, Bailey Baxter ranked second with 0.29 aces per set, fourth with 30 total aces and seventh with 6.22 assists per set. Kimberly Bailey was also among the top servers in the league, ranking fourth with 0.28 aces per set and fifth with 29 total aces.
2012-13 Squad Earns 14th Straight AVCA Academic Award
UNO earned the American Volleyball Coaches Association Team Academic Award for the 14th straight year, it was announced in July. As a team, the Mavericks recorded a 3.74 GPA during the 2012-13 academic year to garner the annual honor.
The award, which was initiated in 1992-93, honors collegiate and high school volleyball teams that have displayed excellence in the classroom during the school year by maintaining at least a 3.30 cumulative team GPA on a 4.0 scale or a 4.10 cumulative team GPA on a 5.0 scale. Omaha was among 130 Division I women's squads to meet the academic standards last year.
UNO's academic effort was highlighted by 13 volleyball student-athletes making the Dean's List or Chancellor's List and five who held 4.0 GPAs for the academic year. The 2012-13 year marks the 14th straight time the team has earned the AVCA's annual honor and its 17th overall award.
Shires Guides Mavericks as Winningest Coach in School History
Head coach Rose Shires is the all-time winningest coach in 43 years of UNO volleyball history. In her 24th year at the helm of the Maverick program, Shires owns a career record of 435-289 (.601), with the most wins of the five coaches who have served at Omaha.
The 1996 AVCA National Coach of the Year and a two-time conference coach of the year, Shires has enjoyed tremendous success as UNO's guide. The 1996 campaign saw her lead UNO to a national championship as well as its first North Central Conference championship since 1987, followed by an Elite Eight appearance in 1997. In NCAA Tournament play, Shires' squads have combined for 11 appearances and a 10-10 postseason mark.
Shires is assisted by associate head coach Karen Povondra, who is in her 23rd season with UNO, and assistant coach Tanya Cate, who is in her fourth year on the Maverick staff.
Fresh Faces
The Mavericks welcome four freshmen to the roster this season: middle blocker Kristy Wieser (Lincoln, Neb.), setter and rightside hitter Nicki Carson (Ord, Neb.), outside hitter Elise Brown (Des Moines, Iowa) and middle blocker Amanda Conlin (Glendale, Ariz.).
Wieser was an all-state selection at Lincoln Pius X, where she helped the Thunderbolts to the 2011 Class B state championship. Carson, also an in-state product, was a two-time all-state pick and led Ord to an appearance in the Class C-2 state championship match as a junior.
Brown was part of the first Dowling High School team in school history to qualify for the state tournament and was a two-time first-team all-conference honoree. Conlin also comes to Omaha with a host of awards: the 2012 AIA Division II Player of the Year and all-state honors, as well as three AIA Division I regional shot put championships. An accomplished track & field athlete, Conlin will also compete as a thrower for the UNO track & field program.
Home Sweet Home
Omaha's 2013 schedule includes 10 home dates at Sapp Fieldhouse, including the return of a home tournament in early September. The Mavericks have not hosted a tournament since the 2011 UNO Showcase, but this year's home slate will start with the 2013 Omaha Marriott Classic. The two-day tournament runs Sept. 6-7, with Bradley, SIUE and Southern Utah all visiting the fieldhouse for a total of six matches.
Mixed Schedule Takes Mavericks Around the Nation
Omaha's 2013 schedule includes 29 matches against 22 different opponents, and the team will play in 10 states across the country. UNO will square off with opponents from 12 different conferences.
Five foes were 2012 NCAA Tournament qualifiers: Fort Wayne, LIU Brooklyn, Miami (Fla.), Oklahoma and Tulsa. The Sooners were the only team to play more than one postseason match after defeating Arizona State, 3-2, to advance to the NCAA second round.
The Mavericks have never faced 11 of their 2013 opponents: Houston Baptist, UT-Pan American, Louisiana, SIUE, Southern Utah, Louisiana Tech, Southeastern Louisiana, Stetson, Southern, Oklahoma, Miami (Fla.) and LIU Brooklyn. Omaha holds a combined all-time record of 141-85 over all teams on the slate entering this season.
No Longer the Newcomers
Omaha is in its third year as a reclassifying Division I school in 2013-14 and its second as a member of the Summit League. In 2012, the Mavericks played their first full season as a member of the conference, picking up their first official Summit League win, 3-2 over Western Illinois.
UNO is ineligible for the league tournament and NCAA postseason play until 2015-16 but will play a full regular-season conference schedule through its transitional years.
Summit League Preseason Poll Announced
Omaha was picked to finish eighth in the Summit League Preseason Poll released by the conference office on Aug. 22. The poll was determined by a vote of the league's head coaches, media and media relations personnel.
Defending tournament champion Fort Wayne, received three first-place votes and tied with reigning regular season champion IUPUI, who earned four first-place tallies. The Mastodons won their second league crown in four years, while the Jaguars claimed their first outright regular season title and second overall a year ago.
League newcomer Denver was picked third and collected the final first-place vote. South Dakota finished fourth, while South Dakota State edged out North Dakota State by three points for fifth place. Rounding out the poll were Western Illinois and Omaha.
Next Up
Omaha returns to action Sept. 6-7, hosting the Omaha Marriott Classic at Sapp Fieldhouse. The Mavericks open the tournament with SIUE on Friday at 6 p.m., followed by Saturday matches against Southern Utah (11 a.m.) and Bradley (5 p.m.). Links to live stats, audio and video will be available on OMavs.com.
Players Mentioned
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