UNO Hosts Omaha Marriott Classic This Weekend
Sep 4, 2013 | Volleyball
This Weekend
The Omaha volleyball team makes its home debut this weekend, hosting the Omaha Marriott Classic, Sept. 6-7, at Sapp Fieldhouse. The four-team, two-day tournament includes six matches over Friday and Saturday. UNO opens with SIUE on Friday at 6 p.m., then faces Southern Utah at 11 a.m. and Bradley at 5 p.m. on Saturday. Links to live stats, audio and video will be available on OMavs.com, and Jon Green will have the call of all three Omaha matches.
Home Sweet Home: The Omaha Marriott Classic
Omaha's 2013 schedule includes 10 home dates at Sapp Fieldhouse, including the return of a home tournament this weekend. 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 on Friday and Saturday with Bradley, SIUE and Southern Utah.
Fans are encouraged to park in Lots T and U, which are the lower two levels of the East Garage on campus.
Friday, Sept. 6
Southern Utah vs. SIUE -- Noon
Bradley vs. Southern Utah -- 4 p.m.
Omaha vs. SIUE -- 6 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 7
Omaha vs. Southern Utah – 11 a.m.
SIUE vs. Bradley – 1 p.m.
Omaha vs. Bradley – 5 p.m.
Scouting the SIUE Cougars
SIUE enters Friday with a record of 0-3 (0-0 OVC) after hosting last weekend's SIUE Cougar Classic in Edwardsville, Ill. The Cougars went five sets in a close 3-2 loss to Indiana State, followed by 3-0 losses to Akron and Auburn. This weekend, SIUE faces Southern Utah at Noon and Omaha at 6 p.m. on Friday, then Bradley at 1 p.m. on Saturday.
The Cougars went 9-18 in 2012 with a record of 5-11 in Ohio Valley Conference play, and they were picked fourth in the West Division in the 2013 OVC Preseason Coaches Poll. Head coach Leah Johnson (Missouri State, 2004) is in her third year at SIUE with a career mark of 22-40.
The all-time series between SIUE and Omaha is tied at 1-1. The two teams last faced each other at the 2005 UNO Classic, with the Cougars taking a 3-2 win.
Scouting the Southern Utah Thunderbirds
Southern Utah enters Friday with a record of 0-3 (0-0 Big Sky) after last weekend's South Alabama Tournament. The Thunderbirds fell 3-0 to Georgia Southern and South Alabama, followed by a 3-1 loss to Tennessee State. This weekend, SUU faces SIUE at Noon and Bradley at 4 p.m. on Friday, then Omaha at 11 a.m. on Saturday.
The Thunderbirds went 12-20 in 2012 with a record of 8-12 in Big Sky Conference play. They were picked ninth in the league's preseason coaches poll released last month. Head coach Debby Baker (Utah State, 1994) is in her fifth year at Southern Utah with a career mark of 47-78.
This weekend marks the first meeting all-time between Omaha and Southern Utah.
Scouting the Bradley Braves
Bradley enters the weekend with a record of 2-1 (0-0 MVC). The Braves opened with a 3-1 win over Western Illinois at the CEFCU Classic, followed by a sweep of Maryland-Eastern Shore and a 3-1 loss to UT Martin. This weekend, Bradley faces Southern Utah at 4 p.m. on Friday, then SIUE at 1 p.m. and Omaha at 5 p.m. on Saturday.
In 2012, BU posted an overall record of 9-20 with a mark of 3-15 in Missouri Valley Conference play. Head coach Jenny Maurer (Washington-St. Louis, 1999) is in her third year at Bradley with a record of 63-108 and a career tally of 63-108.
BU leads the all-time series vs. Omaha, 2-1. The two teams last met in 2011 in Peoria, Ill., with the Braves winning 3-1 and 3-0.
Quick Hits
•Last weekend, Omaha outblocked its three opponents 25.5 to 13.
•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.
•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 436-291. 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.
•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.
Schmale Named to Marriott Houston Westchase Classic All-Tournament Team
Sophomore middle blocker Megan Schmale had an outstanding weekend at the season-opening Marriott Houston Westchase Classic, averaging 1.80 kills and 1.20 blocks per set to earn a spot on the all-tournament team. On Friday, the Mavericks opened with a 3-1 win over Houston Baptist, and Schmale totaled a career-high 12 kills on .600 hitting (12-for-20) with no errors. She also had a match-best seven blocks against the Huskies.
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.
This season, the Mavericks rank in the top five in multiple categories: first in digs per set (16.40), second in blocks per set (2.55), third in block assists (49) and fourth in total blocks (26). Individually, Megan Schmale is second with 1.20 blocks per set and fourth with 12 block assists, and Kimberly Bailey comes in second with 4.70 digs per set and fifth with 47 total digs.
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.
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 436-291 (.600), 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 have welcomed 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.
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. 13-14, traveling to the Southeastern Louisiana Tournament in Hammond, La. The Mavericks open with Louisiana Tech at 11 a.m. on Friday, followed by a 5 p.m. match against host Southeastern Louisiana that evening. On Saturday, UNO takes on Stetson at 9 a.m. and Southern at 3 p.m. Links to live stats will be available on OMavs.com.
The Omaha volleyball team makes its home debut this weekend, hosting the Omaha Marriott Classic, Sept. 6-7, at Sapp Fieldhouse. The four-team, two-day tournament includes six matches over Friday and Saturday. UNO opens with SIUE on Friday at 6 p.m., then faces Southern Utah at 11 a.m. and Bradley at 5 p.m. on Saturday. Links to live stats, audio and video will be available on OMavs.com, and Jon Green will have the call of all three Omaha matches.
Home Sweet Home: The Omaha Marriott Classic
Omaha's 2013 schedule includes 10 home dates at Sapp Fieldhouse, including the return of a home tournament this weekend. 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 on Friday and Saturday with Bradley, SIUE and Southern Utah.
Fans are encouraged to park in Lots T and U, which are the lower two levels of the East Garage on campus.
Friday, Sept. 6
Southern Utah vs. SIUE -- Noon
Bradley vs. Southern Utah -- 4 p.m.
Omaha vs. SIUE -- 6 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 7
Omaha vs. Southern Utah – 11 a.m.
SIUE vs. Bradley – 1 p.m.
Omaha vs. Bradley – 5 p.m.
Scouting the SIUE Cougars
SIUE enters Friday with a record of 0-3 (0-0 OVC) after hosting last weekend's SIUE Cougar Classic in Edwardsville, Ill. The Cougars went five sets in a close 3-2 loss to Indiana State, followed by 3-0 losses to Akron and Auburn. This weekend, SIUE faces Southern Utah at Noon and Omaha at 6 p.m. on Friday, then Bradley at 1 p.m. on Saturday.
The Cougars went 9-18 in 2012 with a record of 5-11 in Ohio Valley Conference play, and they were picked fourth in the West Division in the 2013 OVC Preseason Coaches Poll. Head coach Leah Johnson (Missouri State, 2004) is in her third year at SIUE with a career mark of 22-40.
The all-time series between SIUE and Omaha is tied at 1-1. The two teams last faced each other at the 2005 UNO Classic, with the Cougars taking a 3-2 win.
Scouting the Southern Utah Thunderbirds
Southern Utah enters Friday with a record of 0-3 (0-0 Big Sky) after last weekend's South Alabama Tournament. The Thunderbirds fell 3-0 to Georgia Southern and South Alabama, followed by a 3-1 loss to Tennessee State. This weekend, SUU faces SIUE at Noon and Bradley at 4 p.m. on Friday, then Omaha at 11 a.m. on Saturday.
The Thunderbirds went 12-20 in 2012 with a record of 8-12 in Big Sky Conference play. They were picked ninth in the league's preseason coaches poll released last month. Head coach Debby Baker (Utah State, 1994) is in her fifth year at Southern Utah with a career mark of 47-78.
This weekend marks the first meeting all-time between Omaha and Southern Utah.
Scouting the Bradley Braves
Bradley enters the weekend with a record of 2-1 (0-0 MVC). The Braves opened with a 3-1 win over Western Illinois at the CEFCU Classic, followed by a sweep of Maryland-Eastern Shore and a 3-1 loss to UT Martin. This weekend, Bradley faces Southern Utah at 4 p.m. on Friday, then SIUE at 1 p.m. and Omaha at 5 p.m. on Saturday.
In 2012, BU posted an overall record of 9-20 with a mark of 3-15 in Missouri Valley Conference play. Head coach Jenny Maurer (Washington-St. Louis, 1999) is in her third year at Bradley with a record of 63-108 and a career tally of 63-108.
BU leads the all-time series vs. Omaha, 2-1. The two teams last met in 2011 in Peoria, Ill., with the Braves winning 3-1 and 3-0.
Quick Hits
•Last weekend, Omaha outblocked its three opponents 25.5 to 13.
•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.
•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 436-291. 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.
•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.
Schmale Named to Marriott Houston Westchase Classic All-Tournament Team
Sophomore middle blocker Megan Schmale had an outstanding weekend at the season-opening Marriott Houston Westchase Classic, averaging 1.80 kills and 1.20 blocks per set to earn a spot on the all-tournament team. On Friday, the Mavericks opened with a 3-1 win over Houston Baptist, and Schmale totaled a career-high 12 kills on .600 hitting (12-for-20) with no errors. She also had a match-best seven blocks against the Huskies.
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.
This season, the Mavericks rank in the top five in multiple categories: first in digs per set (16.40), second in blocks per set (2.55), third in block assists (49) and fourth in total blocks (26). Individually, Megan Schmale is second with 1.20 blocks per set and fourth with 12 block assists, and Kimberly Bailey comes in second with 4.70 digs per set and fifth with 47 total digs.
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.
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 436-291 (.600), 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 have welcomed 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.
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. 13-14, traveling to the Southeastern Louisiana Tournament in Hammond, La. The Mavericks open with Louisiana Tech at 11 a.m. on Friday, followed by a 5 p.m. match against host Southeastern Louisiana that evening. On Saturday, UNO takes on Stetson at 9 a.m. and Southern at 3 p.m. Links to live stats will be available on OMavs.com.
Players Mentioned
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