Mavericks Close Homestand With UC Davis
Sep 8, 2015 | Volleyball
This Week
The Omaha volleyball team closes its four-match homestand this Wednesday, Sept. 9, welcoming UC Davis to Sapp Fieldhouse at 7 p.m. Links to live stats and live video will be available on OMavs.com, with commentary provided by Jon Green.
Quick Hits
•Sophomore setter Sydney O'Shaughnessy had a team-leading 19 double-doubles in her freshman campaign. Through six matches this season, she leads the squad again with four double-doubles.
•UNO leads the Summit League in total aces (37), aces per set (1.61) and digs per set (16.04).
•On Saturday, Omaha posted 12 service aces to Drake's five. It marked UNO's highest team ace total since registering 12 against Oakland on Oct. 6, 2012.
•True freshmen Jessica Plake and Gessica Gdowski made their career debuts at the UNLV Invitational, and Gdowski earned her first career start last weekend vs. UCF.
•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.
•Senior outside hitter Kelley Wollak's 1,287 attacks in 2014 represented the fourth-highest single-season total in school history. Senior middle blocker Megan 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 one so far in 2015 -- a season-opening 3-0 win over Seton Hall.
Scouting the UC Davis Aggies
UC Davis enters the week with a record of 2-4 (0-0 Big West) after last weekend's George Washington Invitational, where the Aggies swept Radford and Princeton and fell 3-2 to host GWU. UCD is led by Kaylin Squyres' 4.30 kills per set. Head coach Dan Conners is in his second year with the Aggies, and he holds a career record of 17-18.
The all-time series between Omaha and UC Davis is tied at 1-1. The two schools last played on Sept 6, 1997, when UNO picked up a 3-0 sweep at the Grand Canyon Tournament.
Schmale Surges Into Career Top 10 for Block Assists
Last weekend, senior middle blocker Megan Schmale entered the top 10 in school history for career block assists. With 337 in just over three years, she is now ninth on the list, just behind Krista Niezwaag (1997-2000), who had 340.
Wollak, Schmale Collect All-Tournament Honors
Senior outside hitter Kelley Wollak and senior middle blocker Megan Schmale were both named to last weekend's Omaha Classic all-tournament team. Wollak averaged 3.42 kills and 3.08 digs per set, while Schmale had 3.08 kills, 1.42 digs and 1.50 blocks per set.
Wollak was previously named to the UNLV Invitational all-tournament team after the opening weekend of the season.
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 458-334 (.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 2014, the Mavericks have 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 197-135-1 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 two weeks of play, Plake and Gdowski have both seen playing time, and Gdowski has made one start.
Summit League Preseason Poll Announced
Omaha was picked to finish sixth in the 2015 Summit League Preseason Poll released by the conference office on Aug. 20. The poll was determined by a vote of the league's head coaches.
Defending league champion Denver was tabbed as the league favorite after collecting seven first-place votes. IUPUI came in second, and North Dakota State was third. Oral Roberts was picked fourth, and South Dakota followed in fifth. Omaha tied for sixth with Fort Wayne, while South Dakota State and Western Illinois rounded out the poll in eighth and ninth, respectively.
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 this weekend at the UMKC Kangaroo Klassic. They open Friday, Sept. 11 with SIUE at 11 a.m. and Bradley at 4:30 p.m., followed by the finale with host UMKC at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 12. Links to live stats will be available on OMavs.com.
The Omaha volleyball team closes its four-match homestand this Wednesday, Sept. 9, welcoming UC Davis to Sapp Fieldhouse at 7 p.m. Links to live stats and live video will be available on OMavs.com, with commentary provided by Jon Green.
Quick Hits
•Sophomore setter Sydney O'Shaughnessy had a team-leading 19 double-doubles in her freshman campaign. Through six matches this season, she leads the squad again with four double-doubles.
•UNO leads the Summit League in total aces (37), aces per set (1.61) and digs per set (16.04).
•On Saturday, Omaha posted 12 service aces to Drake's five. It marked UNO's highest team ace total since registering 12 against Oakland on Oct. 6, 2012.
•True freshmen Jessica Plake and Gessica Gdowski made their career debuts at the UNLV Invitational, and Gdowski earned her first career start last weekend vs. UCF.
•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.
•Senior outside hitter Kelley Wollak's 1,287 attacks in 2014 represented the fourth-highest single-season total in school history. Senior middle blocker Megan 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 one so far in 2015 -- a season-opening 3-0 win over Seton Hall.
Scouting the UC Davis Aggies
UC Davis enters the week with a record of 2-4 (0-0 Big West) after last weekend's George Washington Invitational, where the Aggies swept Radford and Princeton and fell 3-2 to host GWU. UCD is led by Kaylin Squyres' 4.30 kills per set. Head coach Dan Conners is in his second year with the Aggies, and he holds a career record of 17-18.
The all-time series between Omaha and UC Davis is tied at 1-1. The two schools last played on Sept 6, 1997, when UNO picked up a 3-0 sweep at the Grand Canyon Tournament.
Schmale Surges Into Career Top 10 for Block Assists
Last weekend, senior middle blocker Megan Schmale entered the top 10 in school history for career block assists. With 337 in just over three years, she is now ninth on the list, just behind Krista Niezwaag (1997-2000), who had 340.
Wollak, Schmale Collect All-Tournament Honors
Senior outside hitter Kelley Wollak and senior middle blocker Megan Schmale were both named to last weekend's Omaha Classic all-tournament team. Wollak averaged 3.42 kills and 3.08 digs per set, while Schmale had 3.08 kills, 1.42 digs and 1.50 blocks per set.
Wollak was previously named to the UNLV Invitational all-tournament team after the opening weekend of the season.
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 458-334 (.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 2014, the Mavericks have 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 197-135-1 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 two weeks of play, Plake and Gdowski have both seen playing time, and Gdowski has made one start.
Summit League Preseason Poll Announced
Omaha was picked to finish sixth in the 2015 Summit League Preseason Poll released by the conference office on Aug. 20. The poll was determined by a vote of the league's head coaches.
Defending league champion Denver was tabbed as the league favorite after collecting seven first-place votes. IUPUI came in second, and North Dakota State was third. Oral Roberts was picked fourth, and South Dakota followed in fifth. Omaha tied for sixth with Fort Wayne, while South Dakota State and Western Illinois rounded out the poll in eighth and ninth, respectively.
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 this weekend at the UMKC Kangaroo Klassic. They open Friday, Sept. 11 with SIUE at 11 a.m. and Bradley at 4:30 p.m., followed by the finale with host UMKC at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 12. Links to live stats will be available on OMavs.com.
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