Mavericks Ready for Trip to North Dakota State
Oct 1, 2015 | Volleyball
This Weekend
The Omaha volleyball team hits the road for a single match this weekend, traveling to North Dakota State on Saturday, Oct. 3. The match is set for 7 p.m. at Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse in Fargo, N.D., and links to live stats and video will be available on OMavs.com.
Quick Hits
•Senior libero Kimberly Bailey entered the top 10 in school history for career digs last weekend, as her 54 digs between two matches moved her up to ninth on the list with 1,257 over the last three-plus seasons.
•Sophomore setter Sydney O'Shaughnessy had a team-leading 19 double-doubles in her freshman campaign. Through 15 matches this season, she leads the squad again with nine double-doubles.
•O'Shaughnessy ranks second in the Summit League for total assists (586), while senior middle blocker Megan Schmale is second for total blocks (78), block assists (70) and blocks per set (1.30).
•Omaha leads the Summit League in digs per set (16.43) and total digs (986), as well as second for block assists (217).
•True freshmen Jessica Plake, Gessica Gdowski and Kayla Torson have been the only Maverick newcomers to see the court through the first 15 matches.
•For the first time in four years, Omaha is eligible for postseason play. As part of its reclassification to Division I, the Mavericks were unable to quality for the Summit League Tournament or NCAA Tournament from 2011 to 2015.
•UNO's six seniors on the roster mark the most since 2009.
•Wollak's 1,287 attacks in 2014 represented the fourth-highest single-season total in school history. Schmale's 134 assisted blocks were the eighth-most of any Maverick in a single season.
•Omaha was picked to finish sixth in the 2015 Summit League Preseason Poll, its highest place in the poll since joining the conference in 2012.
•UNO registered six sweeps last season, including a standout win over Tennessee. The Mavericks have two so far in 2015 -- a season-opening 3-0 win over Seton Hall and another over Bradley.
Scouting the North Dakota State Bison
North Dakota State brings a record of 10-6 (1-2 Summit League) into the weekend after dropping a 3-0 midweek decision at Denver on Tuesday. Head coach Kari Thompson is in her sixth year at NDSU, holding a career record of 79-74.
Omaha leads the all-time series with North Dakota State, 40-38. The Bison won the last meeting 3-1 on Oct. 24, 2014 in Fargo, N.D. UNO's last win in the series came at home, 3-1, on Oct. 3, 2014.
Last Time Out: Mavericks Rally for 3-1 Win Over South Dakota
Omaha continued its strong start to conference play last Saturday with a 3-1 victory over South Dakota at Sapp Fieldhouse. The win marked the first time in the Division I era the Mavericks have started league play with two consecutive wins.
Omaha was led by sophomore outside hitter Mackenzie Horkey, who mustered her second double-double of the weekend and her fourth of the season. The Jordan, Minn., native had a career-best 18 kills on .333 hitting and 13 digs. Sophomore setter Sydney O'Shaughnessy (51 assists/20 digs) and senior outside hitter Kelley Wollak (14 kills/11 digs) also had double-double performances, with O'Shaughnessy adding three blocks. Wollak's double-double was her seventh of the season, while O'Shaughnessy's was her team-leading ninth.
Senior middle blocker Megan Schmale added 12 kills with five digs and a match-high six blocks for the night, while senior rightside hitter Michaela Schimmer rounded it out with 11 kills in addition to five digs and four blocks. Senior libero Kimberly Bailey had another outstanding defensive effort, totaling 26 digs.
Bailey Moves Into Top 10 for Career Digs
Senior libero Kimberly Bailey totaled 54 digs over two matches last weekend, putting her in the top 10 in school history for career digs. The Lincoln, Neb., native is now ninth on the list with 1,257 digs over the last three-plus seasons. Bailey also ranks fourth in the Summit League this season for total digs (241) and digs per set (4.02), and she owns five performances with 20 or more digs in a match.
Mavericks Making Their Mark Nationally
Omaha officially ranks among the top 35 nationally in four categories, coming in at 17th for team attacks per set (37.65), 29th for total digs (986) and total attacks (2,259) and 35th for digs per set (16.43). Individually, senior middle blocker Megan Schmale is eighth in the country for total blocks (78) this season.
Wollak Joins 1,000 Kill Club
On Sept. 11, senior outside hitter Kelley Wollak became the 19th player in program history -- and the first in the Division I era -- to pass the 1,000 career kills milestone. She hit No. 1,000 just two plays into the third set against SIUE.
Omaha last added players to the 1,000 Kill Club in 2009, when Kelli Goeser (2006-09) finished her career with 1,058 and Ellen Thommes (2006-09) closed with 1,282.
Wollak has now compiled 1,083 kills in just over three seasons and needs 199 to enter the top in school history. Last weekend, she moved up to sixth on the chart for career attacks and is now just behind Amy Gradoville (1987-90), who had 3,547.
Schmale Surges Into Career Top 10 for Block Assists
Senior middle blocker Megan Schmale entered the top 10 in school history for career block assists earlier this season. After adding 13 assisted blocks over two matches in the opening weekend of league play, Schmale has 384 in just over three years. She now ranks seventh on the list, having passed former Maverick player and current volunteer assistant coach Tanya Cate (1994-97), who had 351. Schmale's next target is Lori Schutte (1984-87) in sixth place with 385.
O'Shaughnessy, Wollak, Schmale Collect All-Tournament Honors
Sophomore setter Sydney O'Shaughnessy was named to the CMU Chippewa Challenge all-tournament team, UNO's -- last regular-season tournament on the schedule -- having averaged 9.00 assists, 1.83 digs and 0.67 blocks per set over the three matches. The Omaha native helped the Mavericks to a 3-2 win over Evansville, posting 46 assists, six digs and six blocks.
Senior outside hitter Kelley Wollak was previously named to the all-tournament teams for the UNLV Invitational, Omaha Classic and UMKC Kangaroo Klassic. Senior middle blocker Amy Taylor joined her on the Kangaroo Klassic all-tournament list, while senior middle blocker Megan Schmale also earned all-tournament honors for the Omaha Classic.
What Makes Up the Mavericks
•Omaha returns 11 letterwinners from the 2014 season, including seven in the starting lineup: libero Kimberly Bailey, middle blockers Diane Banderas and Megan Schmale, setter/rightside hitter Michaela Schimmer, setter Sydney O'Shaughnessy and outside hitters Kelley Wollak and Mackenzie Horkey.
•UNO returns 98 percent of its total offensive production from last season, as this year's returners accounted for 1,470 of the Mavericks' 1,495 kills.
•The Mavs also return 98 percent of their total blocking production from last year, with the returners credited for 287.5 out of 292.5 stops.
•Omaha lost four letterwinners from the 2014 squad in graduated seniors Jessy Schroedter and Rachelle Kruml, along with defensive specialists Marisa Moseman and Aftyn Johnson.
•Wollak is UNO's top returning hitter, having averaged 3.24 kills per set last year. At the net, Amanda Conlin had a team-high 1.16 blocks per set, and Schmale had 1.14 blocks per set.
•O'Shaughnessy and Horkey were both named to the Summit League All-Freshmen team at the end of 2014.
•The Mavericks are made up of four freshmen, three sophomores, two juniors and six seniors.
•Schmale was Omaha's first Division I all-conference pick in 2013, earning All-Summit honorable mention status. She led the conference in blocking and ranked in the top 100 nationally for blocks per set. Schmale also earned Academic All-Summit accolades, which she repeated in 2014.
Shires Guides Mavericks as Winningest Coach in School History
Head coach Rose Shires is the all-time winningest coach in 45 years of UNO volleyball history. In her 26th year at the helm of the Maverick program, Shires owns a career record of 463-338 (.578), 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 25th season with UNO, assistant coach Elena Pietro, in her first year, and volunteer assistant coach Tanya Cate, who is in her sixth year on the Maverick staff.
Mixed Schedule Takes Mavericks Around the Nation
Omaha's 2015 schedule includes 20 matches against 21 different opponents, and the team will play in 10 states across the country. UNO will square off with opponents from 10 different conferences, with three from the Missouri Valley, two from the Mountain West and once each from the American Athletic, BIG EAST, Big West, Big Sky, MAC, OVC, Southland and the WAC. Three foes -- Seton Hall, Central Florida and Denver -- were 2014 NCAA Tournament qualifiers.
Entering 2015, the Mavericks had never faced five of their 2015 opponents: Seton Hall, UNLV, Central Arkansas, Central Florida and San Jose State. Omaha currently holds a combined all-time record of 202-139-1 over all teams on the slate this season.
Freshman Foursome
The Mavericks have welcomed four true freshmen to the roster this season: defensive specialist Jessica Plake (Kansas City, Kan.), rightside hitter Meagen Roth (Lincoln, Neb.) and outside hitters Kayla Torson (Cedar Rapids, Iowa) and Gessica Gdowski (Fremont, Neb.).
Plake was a two-time all-state selection at Bishop Miege High School, where she helped the Stags to three state championships. Torson was a three-time all-state player at Xavier High School. Roth, a product of Lincoln Southeast High School, twice earned All-Nebraska honors and was part of three consecutive district championship teams, while Gdowski was a three-time all-state honorable mention pick at Fremont High School.
Through the first month of play, Plake, Gdowski and Torson have seen playing time. At the CMU Chippewa Challenge, Gdowski finished just shy of a double-double with season highs of nine kills and 11 digs vs. Evansville. In the same match, Plake posted a season-best 20 digs.
No Longer the Newcomers
In 2015-16, Omaha is in its first year as a Division I institution with full Summit League and NCAA postseason eligibility. The Mavericks competed the last four seasons as a reclassifying Division I school, and they officially joined the Summit League in 2012. During the reclassification period, UNO was ineligible for the league tournament and NCAA postseason play, but played a full regular-season conference schedule in its last three transitional years.
Next Up
The Mavericks return to action next weekend with two road matches, first visiting Oral Roberts on Friday, Oct. 9, then heading to Denver on Sunday, Oct. 11. Links to live stats and video will be available on OMavs.com.
The Omaha volleyball team hits the road for a single match this weekend, traveling to North Dakota State on Saturday, Oct. 3. The match is set for 7 p.m. at Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse in Fargo, N.D., and links to live stats and video will be available on OMavs.com.
Quick Hits
•Senior libero Kimberly Bailey entered the top 10 in school history for career digs last weekend, as her 54 digs between two matches moved her up to ninth on the list with 1,257 over the last three-plus seasons.
•Sophomore setter Sydney O'Shaughnessy had a team-leading 19 double-doubles in her freshman campaign. Through 15 matches this season, she leads the squad again with nine double-doubles.
•O'Shaughnessy ranks second in the Summit League for total assists (586), while senior middle blocker Megan Schmale is second for total blocks (78), block assists (70) and blocks per set (1.30).
•Omaha leads the Summit League in digs per set (16.43) and total digs (986), as well as second for block assists (217).
•True freshmen Jessica Plake, Gessica Gdowski and Kayla Torson have been the only Maverick newcomers to see the court through the first 15 matches.
•For the first time in four years, Omaha is eligible for postseason play. As part of its reclassification to Division I, the Mavericks were unable to quality for the Summit League Tournament or NCAA Tournament from 2011 to 2015.
•UNO's six seniors on the roster mark the most since 2009.
•Wollak's 1,287 attacks in 2014 represented the fourth-highest single-season total in school history. Schmale's 134 assisted blocks were the eighth-most of any Maverick in a single season.
•Omaha was picked to finish sixth in the 2015 Summit League Preseason Poll, its highest place in the poll since joining the conference in 2012.
•UNO registered six sweeps last season, including a standout win over Tennessee. The Mavericks have two so far in 2015 -- a season-opening 3-0 win over Seton Hall and another over Bradley.
Scouting the North Dakota State Bison
North Dakota State brings a record of 10-6 (1-2 Summit League) into the weekend after dropping a 3-0 midweek decision at Denver on Tuesday. Head coach Kari Thompson is in her sixth year at NDSU, holding a career record of 79-74.
Omaha leads the all-time series with North Dakota State, 40-38. The Bison won the last meeting 3-1 on Oct. 24, 2014 in Fargo, N.D. UNO's last win in the series came at home, 3-1, on Oct. 3, 2014.
Last Time Out: Mavericks Rally for 3-1 Win Over South Dakota
Omaha continued its strong start to conference play last Saturday with a 3-1 victory over South Dakota at Sapp Fieldhouse. The win marked the first time in the Division I era the Mavericks have started league play with two consecutive wins.
Omaha was led by sophomore outside hitter Mackenzie Horkey, who mustered her second double-double of the weekend and her fourth of the season. The Jordan, Minn., native had a career-best 18 kills on .333 hitting and 13 digs. Sophomore setter Sydney O'Shaughnessy (51 assists/20 digs) and senior outside hitter Kelley Wollak (14 kills/11 digs) also had double-double performances, with O'Shaughnessy adding three blocks. Wollak's double-double was her seventh of the season, while O'Shaughnessy's was her team-leading ninth.
Senior middle blocker Megan Schmale added 12 kills with five digs and a match-high six blocks for the night, while senior rightside hitter Michaela Schimmer rounded it out with 11 kills in addition to five digs and four blocks. Senior libero Kimberly Bailey had another outstanding defensive effort, totaling 26 digs.
Bailey Moves Into Top 10 for Career Digs
Senior libero Kimberly Bailey totaled 54 digs over two matches last weekend, putting her in the top 10 in school history for career digs. The Lincoln, Neb., native is now ninth on the list with 1,257 digs over the last three-plus seasons. Bailey also ranks fourth in the Summit League this season for total digs (241) and digs per set (4.02), and she owns five performances with 20 or more digs in a match.
Mavericks Making Their Mark Nationally
Omaha officially ranks among the top 35 nationally in four categories, coming in at 17th for team attacks per set (37.65), 29th for total digs (986) and total attacks (2,259) and 35th for digs per set (16.43). Individually, senior middle blocker Megan Schmale is eighth in the country for total blocks (78) this season.
Wollak Joins 1,000 Kill Club
On Sept. 11, senior outside hitter Kelley Wollak became the 19th player in program history -- and the first in the Division I era -- to pass the 1,000 career kills milestone. She hit No. 1,000 just two plays into the third set against SIUE.
Omaha last added players to the 1,000 Kill Club in 2009, when Kelli Goeser (2006-09) finished her career with 1,058 and Ellen Thommes (2006-09) closed with 1,282.
Wollak has now compiled 1,083 kills in just over three seasons and needs 199 to enter the top in school history. Last weekend, she moved up to sixth on the chart for career attacks and is now just behind Amy Gradoville (1987-90), who had 3,547.
Schmale Surges Into Career Top 10 for Block Assists
Senior middle blocker Megan Schmale entered the top 10 in school history for career block assists earlier this season. After adding 13 assisted blocks over two matches in the opening weekend of league play, Schmale has 384 in just over three years. She now ranks seventh on the list, having passed former Maverick player and current volunteer assistant coach Tanya Cate (1994-97), who had 351. Schmale's next target is Lori Schutte (1984-87) in sixth place with 385.
O'Shaughnessy, Wollak, Schmale Collect All-Tournament Honors
Sophomore setter Sydney O'Shaughnessy was named to the CMU Chippewa Challenge all-tournament team, UNO's -- last regular-season tournament on the schedule -- having averaged 9.00 assists, 1.83 digs and 0.67 blocks per set over the three matches. The Omaha native helped the Mavericks to a 3-2 win over Evansville, posting 46 assists, six digs and six blocks.
Senior outside hitter Kelley Wollak was previously named to the all-tournament teams for the UNLV Invitational, Omaha Classic and UMKC Kangaroo Klassic. Senior middle blocker Amy Taylor joined her on the Kangaroo Klassic all-tournament list, while senior middle blocker Megan Schmale also earned all-tournament honors for the Omaha Classic.
What Makes Up the Mavericks
•Omaha returns 11 letterwinners from the 2014 season, including seven in the starting lineup: libero Kimberly Bailey, middle blockers Diane Banderas and Megan Schmale, setter/rightside hitter Michaela Schimmer, setter Sydney O'Shaughnessy and outside hitters Kelley Wollak and Mackenzie Horkey.
•UNO returns 98 percent of its total offensive production from last season, as this year's returners accounted for 1,470 of the Mavericks' 1,495 kills.
•The Mavs also return 98 percent of their total blocking production from last year, with the returners credited for 287.5 out of 292.5 stops.
•Omaha lost four letterwinners from the 2014 squad in graduated seniors Jessy Schroedter and Rachelle Kruml, along with defensive specialists Marisa Moseman and Aftyn Johnson.
•Wollak is UNO's top returning hitter, having averaged 3.24 kills per set last year. At the net, Amanda Conlin had a team-high 1.16 blocks per set, and Schmale had 1.14 blocks per set.
•O'Shaughnessy and Horkey were both named to the Summit League All-Freshmen team at the end of 2014.
•The Mavericks are made up of four freshmen, three sophomores, two juniors and six seniors.
•Schmale was Omaha's first Division I all-conference pick in 2013, earning All-Summit honorable mention status. She led the conference in blocking and ranked in the top 100 nationally for blocks per set. Schmale also earned Academic All-Summit accolades, which she repeated in 2014.
Shires Guides Mavericks as Winningest Coach in School History
Head coach Rose Shires is the all-time winningest coach in 45 years of UNO volleyball history. In her 26th year at the helm of the Maverick program, Shires owns a career record of 463-338 (.578), 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 25th season with UNO, assistant coach Elena Pietro, in her first year, and volunteer assistant coach Tanya Cate, who is in her sixth year on the Maverick staff.
Mixed Schedule Takes Mavericks Around the Nation
Omaha's 2015 schedule includes 20 matches against 21 different opponents, and the team will play in 10 states across the country. UNO will square off with opponents from 10 different conferences, with three from the Missouri Valley, two from the Mountain West and once each from the American Athletic, BIG EAST, Big West, Big Sky, MAC, OVC, Southland and the WAC. Three foes -- Seton Hall, Central Florida and Denver -- were 2014 NCAA Tournament qualifiers.
Entering 2015, the Mavericks had never faced five of their 2015 opponents: Seton Hall, UNLV, Central Arkansas, Central Florida and San Jose State. Omaha currently holds a combined all-time record of 202-139-1 over all teams on the slate this season.
Freshman Foursome
The Mavericks have welcomed four true freshmen to the roster this season: defensive specialist Jessica Plake (Kansas City, Kan.), rightside hitter Meagen Roth (Lincoln, Neb.) and outside hitters Kayla Torson (Cedar Rapids, Iowa) and Gessica Gdowski (Fremont, Neb.).
Plake was a two-time all-state selection at Bishop Miege High School, where she helped the Stags to three state championships. Torson was a three-time all-state player at Xavier High School. Roth, a product of Lincoln Southeast High School, twice earned All-Nebraska honors and was part of three consecutive district championship teams, while Gdowski was a three-time all-state honorable mention pick at Fremont High School.
Through the first month of play, Plake, Gdowski and Torson have seen playing time. At the CMU Chippewa Challenge, Gdowski finished just shy of a double-double with season highs of nine kills and 11 digs vs. Evansville. In the same match, Plake posted a season-best 20 digs.
No Longer the Newcomers
In 2015-16, Omaha is in its first year as a Division I institution with full Summit League and NCAA postseason eligibility. The Mavericks competed the last four seasons as a reclassifying Division I school, and they officially joined the Summit League in 2012. During the reclassification period, UNO was ineligible for the league tournament and NCAA postseason play, but played a full regular-season conference schedule in its last three transitional years.
Next Up
The Mavericks return to action next weekend with two road matches, first visiting Oral Roberts on Friday, Oct. 9, then heading to Denver on Sunday, Oct. 11. Links to live stats and video will be available on OMavs.com.
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