Omaha Opens 2016 Season at UND Classic
Aug 25, 2016 | Volleyball
This Weekend
The Omaha volleyball team hits the road for three matches this weekend at the four-team UND Classic, Aug. 26-27, at the Betty Englestad Sioux Center in Grand Forks, N.D. The Mavericks open with host UND Friday at 7 p.m., followed by two matches Saturday against UC Davis at 9 a.m. and Ole Miss at 4:30 p.m. Links to live stats and video, as available, will be listed on OMavs.com.
Quick Hits
•Omaha was picked to finish sixth in the 2016 Summit League Preseason Poll. UNO finished as runner-up at the Summit League Championship last November, finishing a game shy of an NCAA Tournament berth.
•Omaha's seven true freshmen on the 2016 roster are the most since 2011.
•Junior setter Sydney O'Shaughnessy had a team-leading 19 double-doubles in her freshman campaign and led the squad again with 24 more as a sophomore. Her 43 career double-doubles are the most of any active Maverick.
•O'Shaughnessy is the Mavericks' sole returning All-Summit player from last season, as they also lost all-league performers Megan Schmale and Kimberly Bailey.
•Omaha returns seven letterwinners, including three starters in O'Shaughnessy, junior outside hitter Mackenzie Horkey and sophomore outside hitter Gessica Gdowski.
•UNO lost six seniors from the 2015 squad to graduation.
•Omaha was 8-5 in three-set matches, 7-3 in four-set matches and 4-5 in five-set matches last season.
•The Mavericks achieved the 1,000th win in program history last year with a 3-0 sweep at Oral Roberts on Oct. 9, 2015. All-time, Omaha is 1,010-570-7.
Scouting the North Dakota Fighting Hawks
North Dakota finished the 2015 season with a 21-13 overall record and a 9-7 mark in Big Sky play. The Fighting Hawks tied for third in the Big Sky but were eliminated in the first round of last year's conference tournament in a 3-2 setback vs. Idaho. UND was picked third in the Big Sky Preseason Coaches' Poll released earlier this month, receiving two first-place votes. It returns a pair of All-Big Sky Second Team selections in middle hitters Chelsea Moser and Faith Dooley.
Head coach Mark Pryor is in his third season at North Dakota with a record of 47-22 and a career mark of 112-116 over eight years of coaching.
Omaha leads the all-time series with UND, 44-12. The two teams last met on Sept. 4, 2015 at the Omaha Classic, with the Mavericks picking up a 3-1 victory.
Scouting the UC Davis Aggies
UC Davis capped the 2015 season with a 15-15 overall record and a 10-6 mark in Big West play, good for fourth place in the conference standings. This season, the Aggies were picked fifth in the 2016 Big West Preseason Coaches' Poll. Outside hitter Kendall Walbrecht returns after earning All-Big West honors as a junior, recording 288 kills and 95 blocks last season.
Head coach Dan Conners is in his third season at UC Davis with a career record of 30-29.
UCD leads the all-time series with Omaha, 2-1. The two squads last met on Sept. 9, 2015 in Omaha, with the Aggies securing a 3-2 win.
Scouting the Ole Miss Rebels
Ole Miss finished seventh in the SEC last season, going 22-11 overall and 8-10 in conference play. The Rebels return nine letterwinners, including four starters, and were picked to finish 12th in the preseason SEC Coaches' Poll. Rightside hitter Kathryn Cather returns after being selected to the SEC All-Freshman Team in 2015.
Head coach Steven McRoberts is in his third year at Ole Miss, carrying a record of 44-21 at the school and a career mark of 518-184 as he enters his 20th season of coaching.
Saturday marks the first meeting all-time between Omaha and Ole Miss.
Last Time Out: Denver Stuns Mavs 3-2 in League Championship Match
Omaha saw its 2-0 match lead whittled away by Denver in the championship match of the Summit League Tournament on Nov. 22, 2015, as the Pioneers rallied to send UNO home with a 3-2 (28-26, 25-23, 20-25, 18-25, 10-15) loss at Hamilton Gymnasium. The Mavericks finished an incredible run in their first Division I conference postseason appearance with a record of 19-13, while DU advanced to the NCAA Tournament with the conference's automatic bid.
Setter Sydney O'Shaughnessy tallied her 24th double-double of the year with 55 assists and 17 digs, as well as two blocks and two kills. The effort also marked her ninth performance with 50 or more assists in a match. Additionally, outside hitter Mackenzie Horkey put together her 13th double-double, tying her career highs with 18 kills and 19 digs.
Middle blocker Megan Schmale added 16 kills with a match-high five blocks and an ace, and middle blocker Amy Taylor had 11 kills on .500 hitting with three more blocks. Rightside hitter Michaela Schimmer was the fourth Maverick with a double-figure kill effort, posting 10 along with two stops at the net.
Defensively, libero Kimberly Bailey shined with a team-leading 27 digs, and defensive specialist Jessica Plake added 12 more. Outside hitter Gessica Gdowski also had a career-high 14 digs with eight kills and three blocks.
As a team, Omaha outblocked Denver 8.0 to 7.5, while the Pioneers outhit the Mavericks .236 to .168.
O'Shaughnessy Races Into Top 10 Assists List
Setter Sydney O'Shaughnessy etched her name into the UNO record books near the end of the 2015 season. Entering her junior year, she ranks 10th in school history for career assists, having amassed 2,211 since joining the program in 2014. The Omaha native passed former Maverick Cheri Pribyl (1995-98), who had 1,768, and currently sits behind Katie Agnew (2004-07), who totaled 2,359.
O'Shaughnessy averaged 10.25 assists per set last season, becoming the first Maverick to average over 10.0 per set since Emily Myers in 2009.
Mavericks Making Their Mark Nationally
In 2015, Omaha ranked among the top 25 nationally in four categories, coming in at 10th for total digs (2,177), 11th for digs per set (17.56), 19th for total attacks (4,676) and 22nd for attacks per set (37.71).
Individually, middle blocker Megan Schmale was 19th in the country for total blocks (159) and 36th for blocks per set (1.28), and setter Sydney O'Shaughnessy was 34th for total assists (1,271).
Double-Double Tracker
The Mavericks owned a combined 47 double-doubles last season, led by 24 from setter Sydney O'Shaughnessy. She was the first Maverick in 13 years to register 20 or more double-doubles in a single season, as the last to achieve the feat was Amy McLeay, who had 20 in 2003.
Outside hitter Mackenzie Horkey also had 13 double-doubles in 2015, while senior outside hitter Kelley Wollak had eight and senior rightside hitter Michaela Schimmer had two.
League Leaders
Omaha led the Summit League in digs (2,177), digs per set (17.56) and total attacks (4,676) and also ranks second in kills (1,641), assists (1,529) and block assists (478) and third for blocks per set (2.19), total blocks (271), total aces (148), aces per set (1.27), assists per set (12.33) and kills per set (13.23).
Setter Sydney O'Shaughnessy topped the league in assists (1,271) and was third in assists per set (10.25) and aces (36). Former Maverick libero Kimberly Bailey was third for digs (556), and former middle blocker Megan Schmale was the league leader for total blocks (159), block assists (146) and blocks per set (1.28) and third for hitting percentage (.336).
Summit League Success
Omaha went 12-4 in Summit League play in 2015, tying for second in the regular-season league standings. It marked the Mavericks' highest number of wins in conference play since going 12-8 in MIAA action in 2008.
What Makes Up the Mavericks
•Omaha returns seven letterwinners from the 2015 season, including three from the starting lineup: setter Sydney O'Shaughnessy and outside hitters Mackenzie Horkey and Gessica Gdowski.
•UNO returns 32 percent of its total offensive production from last season, as this year's returners accounted for 520 of the Mavericks' 1,641 kills.
•The Mavs also return 50 percent of their total blocking production from last year, with the returners credited for 135 out of 271 stops.
•Horkey is UNO's top returning hitter, having averaged 2.54 kills per set last year.
•O'Shaughnessy was recognized with an All-Summit award at the end of 2015, while Gdowski was named to the Summit League All-Freshmen Team.
•The Mavericks are made up of seven freshmen, one redshirt freshman, two sophomores, three juniors and two seniors.
•Omaha's roster includes five players from Nebraska, four from Minnesota, four from Iowa and one apiece from Illinois and Arizona.
Roth at the Ready
Redshirt freshman rightside hitter Meagen Roth is ready to see the court this season after redshirting in 2015. A product of Lincoln Southeast, she was previously a three-year letterwinner and a two-time All-Nebraska selection for the Knights. Roth also helped her team to three consecutive state tournament appearances and three straight district championships.
2016 Slate Takes Mavericks Around the Nation
Omaha's 2016 schedule includes 30 matches against 22 different opponents, and the team will play in eight states across the country. UNO will square off with opponents from 12 other conferences, with three from the Missouri Valley and one apiece from the Atlantic 10, Big 12, Big Sky, Big Ten, Big West, Ivy League, MAC, Ohio Valley, SEC, Southland and WAC. Four opponents -- Denver, Illinois, Iowa State and Northern Iowa -- played in the 2015 NCAA Tournament.
Entering 2016, the Mavericks have never faced four of their opponents: Ole Miss, Ball State, Cornell and Murray State. UNO holds a combined all-time record of 218-148-2 over all teams on the slate this season.
Super Seven
The Mavericks have welcomed seven true freshmen to the roster this season, the most since 2011: defensive specialists Ashley Smith (Iowa City, Iowa) and Olivia Spanton (Savage, Minn.), setter Hannah Angeli (Maplewood, Minn.), outside hitter Chloe Dousette (St. Paul, Minn.), middle hitter Daria Taylor (Rock Island, Ill.), middle blocker Ellie Brown (Holdrege, Neb.) and rightside hitter Macy Anderson (Cedar Rapids, Iowa).
Smith was a four-time all-conference selection at Iowa City High School, while Taylor was a two-time all-conference pick at Rock Island High School. Anderson picked up all-conference honors twice at Kennedy High School, and Brown was a two-time all-conference selection and an all-state honorable mention awardee at Holdrege High School.
The Mavericks' three newcomers from Minnesota -- Angeli, Dousette and Spanton -- come with sterling resumes as well, highlighted by their Northern Lights club program traveling to Italy to play in an international tournament earlier in 2016. In addition, Angeli was a two-time first-team all-state pick and a four-time all-conference honoree at Hill-Murray School, while Dousette won three all-conference and two all-section awards at Cretin-Derham Hall, and Spanton earned two all-conference nods at Prior Lake High School.
Academic Accolades
Omaha earned the American Volleyball Coaches Association Team Academic Award for the 17th straight year, the AVCA announced in July. As a team, the Mavericks recorded a 3.75 GPA during the 2015-16 academic year to garner the annual honor.
UNO's academic effort was highlighted by 12 volleyball student-athletes making the Dean's List or Chancellor's List and four who held 4.0 GPAs for the academic year. The 2015-16 year marked both the 17th straight and 20th overall time the team earned the AVCA's annual award.
Shires Guides Mavericks as Winningest Coach in School History
Head coach Rose Shires is the all-time winningest coach in 46 years of UNO volleyball history. In her 27th year at the helm of the Maverick program, Shires owns a career record of 475-343 (.581), 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 26th season, assistant coach Elena Pietro, in her second year, and volunteer assistant coach Tyler Yanez, who is in his first year on the Maverick staff.
Schmale Signs Professionally With Haro Rioja Voley
Former Omaha standout Megan Schmale is headed overseas to play professionally after signing a contract with Haro Rioja Voley in Haro, Spain. Haro Rioja Voley plays in the Superliga Femenina de Voleibol, Spain's top volleyball league.
Schmale, a middle blocker from Murdock, Neb., was a four-year starter in the Omaha program from 2012 to 2015. She earned All-Summit recognition after leading the Summit League in total blocks (159), block assists (146) and blocks per set (1.28) last season and was also third in the conference for hitting percentage (.336). Schmale capped her Maverick career as Omaha's all-time leader for career block assists (460), breaking a 27-year-old school record in the final week of the 2015 regular season.
Schmale will join her professional club in early September. She graduated with her bachelor's degree in elementary education from UNO in May 2016.
Summit League Preseason Poll Announced
Omaha was picked to finish sixth in the 2016 Summit League Preseason Coaches' Poll, the conference office released Aug. 18. Defending league champion Denver was selected as the league's favorite after collecting eight first-place votes and 64 total points. North Dakota State finished second with 52 points, while IUPUI claimed the final first-place tally and placed third (48). With 44 points, Oral Roberts came in fourth, with South Dakota (39) in fifth and Omaha (27) in sixth. Fort Wayne (24), South Dakota State (17) and Western Illinois (nine) rounded out the poll.
Setter Sydney O'Shaughnessy was also included on the Summit League's Players to Watch list after earning All-Summit honors in 2015 and ranking third in the league with 10.25 assists per set and 36 service aces.
Home Sweet Home Advantage
The 2016 season will see Omaha play 13 home contests, including eight conference tilts. UNO will play at two venues, with nine matches at Baxter Arena and four matches at Sapp Fieldhouse.
UNO has increased its number of home wins in each of the last four seasons, going from one in 2012 to two in 2013, five in 2014 and seven in 2015.
No Longer the Newcomers
In 2016-17, Omaha is in its second year as a Division I institution with full Summit League and NCAA postseason eligibility. The Mavericks competed as a reclassifying Division I school from 2011-14, 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 final three transitional years before assuming full eligibility in 2015-16.
Up Next
Omaha returns to action with its home opener on Thursday, Sept. 1, welcoming Iowa State to Baxter Arena at 7 p.m. Links to live stats, audio and video will be available on OMavs.com.
The Omaha volleyball team hits the road for three matches this weekend at the four-team UND Classic, Aug. 26-27, at the Betty Englestad Sioux Center in Grand Forks, N.D. The Mavericks open with host UND Friday at 7 p.m., followed by two matches Saturday against UC Davis at 9 a.m. and Ole Miss at 4:30 p.m. Links to live stats and video, as available, will be listed on OMavs.com.
Quick Hits
•Omaha was picked to finish sixth in the 2016 Summit League Preseason Poll. UNO finished as runner-up at the Summit League Championship last November, finishing a game shy of an NCAA Tournament berth.
•Omaha's seven true freshmen on the 2016 roster are the most since 2011.
•Junior setter Sydney O'Shaughnessy had a team-leading 19 double-doubles in her freshman campaign and led the squad again with 24 more as a sophomore. Her 43 career double-doubles are the most of any active Maverick.
•O'Shaughnessy is the Mavericks' sole returning All-Summit player from last season, as they also lost all-league performers Megan Schmale and Kimberly Bailey.
•Omaha returns seven letterwinners, including three starters in O'Shaughnessy, junior outside hitter Mackenzie Horkey and sophomore outside hitter Gessica Gdowski.
•UNO lost six seniors from the 2015 squad to graduation.
•Omaha was 8-5 in three-set matches, 7-3 in four-set matches and 4-5 in five-set matches last season.
•The Mavericks achieved the 1,000th win in program history last year with a 3-0 sweep at Oral Roberts on Oct. 9, 2015. All-time, Omaha is 1,010-570-7.
Scouting the North Dakota Fighting Hawks
North Dakota finished the 2015 season with a 21-13 overall record and a 9-7 mark in Big Sky play. The Fighting Hawks tied for third in the Big Sky but were eliminated in the first round of last year's conference tournament in a 3-2 setback vs. Idaho. UND was picked third in the Big Sky Preseason Coaches' Poll released earlier this month, receiving two first-place votes. It returns a pair of All-Big Sky Second Team selections in middle hitters Chelsea Moser and Faith Dooley.
Head coach Mark Pryor is in his third season at North Dakota with a record of 47-22 and a career mark of 112-116 over eight years of coaching.
Omaha leads the all-time series with UND, 44-12. The two teams last met on Sept. 4, 2015 at the Omaha Classic, with the Mavericks picking up a 3-1 victory.
Scouting the UC Davis Aggies
UC Davis capped the 2015 season with a 15-15 overall record and a 10-6 mark in Big West play, good for fourth place in the conference standings. This season, the Aggies were picked fifth in the 2016 Big West Preseason Coaches' Poll. Outside hitter Kendall Walbrecht returns after earning All-Big West honors as a junior, recording 288 kills and 95 blocks last season.
Head coach Dan Conners is in his third season at UC Davis with a career record of 30-29.
UCD leads the all-time series with Omaha, 2-1. The two squads last met on Sept. 9, 2015 in Omaha, with the Aggies securing a 3-2 win.
Scouting the Ole Miss Rebels
Ole Miss finished seventh in the SEC last season, going 22-11 overall and 8-10 in conference play. The Rebels return nine letterwinners, including four starters, and were picked to finish 12th in the preseason SEC Coaches' Poll. Rightside hitter Kathryn Cather returns after being selected to the SEC All-Freshman Team in 2015.
Head coach Steven McRoberts is in his third year at Ole Miss, carrying a record of 44-21 at the school and a career mark of 518-184 as he enters his 20th season of coaching.
Saturday marks the first meeting all-time between Omaha and Ole Miss.
Last Time Out: Denver Stuns Mavs 3-2 in League Championship Match
Omaha saw its 2-0 match lead whittled away by Denver in the championship match of the Summit League Tournament on Nov. 22, 2015, as the Pioneers rallied to send UNO home with a 3-2 (28-26, 25-23, 20-25, 18-25, 10-15) loss at Hamilton Gymnasium. The Mavericks finished an incredible run in their first Division I conference postseason appearance with a record of 19-13, while DU advanced to the NCAA Tournament with the conference's automatic bid.
Setter Sydney O'Shaughnessy tallied her 24th double-double of the year with 55 assists and 17 digs, as well as two blocks and two kills. The effort also marked her ninth performance with 50 or more assists in a match. Additionally, outside hitter Mackenzie Horkey put together her 13th double-double, tying her career highs with 18 kills and 19 digs.
Middle blocker Megan Schmale added 16 kills with a match-high five blocks and an ace, and middle blocker Amy Taylor had 11 kills on .500 hitting with three more blocks. Rightside hitter Michaela Schimmer was the fourth Maverick with a double-figure kill effort, posting 10 along with two stops at the net.
Defensively, libero Kimberly Bailey shined with a team-leading 27 digs, and defensive specialist Jessica Plake added 12 more. Outside hitter Gessica Gdowski also had a career-high 14 digs with eight kills and three blocks.
As a team, Omaha outblocked Denver 8.0 to 7.5, while the Pioneers outhit the Mavericks .236 to .168.
O'Shaughnessy Races Into Top 10 Assists List
Setter Sydney O'Shaughnessy etched her name into the UNO record books near the end of the 2015 season. Entering her junior year, she ranks 10th in school history for career assists, having amassed 2,211 since joining the program in 2014. The Omaha native passed former Maverick Cheri Pribyl (1995-98), who had 1,768, and currently sits behind Katie Agnew (2004-07), who totaled 2,359.
O'Shaughnessy averaged 10.25 assists per set last season, becoming the first Maverick to average over 10.0 per set since Emily Myers in 2009.
Mavericks Making Their Mark Nationally
In 2015, Omaha ranked among the top 25 nationally in four categories, coming in at 10th for total digs (2,177), 11th for digs per set (17.56), 19th for total attacks (4,676) and 22nd for attacks per set (37.71).
Individually, middle blocker Megan Schmale was 19th in the country for total blocks (159) and 36th for blocks per set (1.28), and setter Sydney O'Shaughnessy was 34th for total assists (1,271).
Double-Double Tracker
The Mavericks owned a combined 47 double-doubles last season, led by 24 from setter Sydney O'Shaughnessy. She was the first Maverick in 13 years to register 20 or more double-doubles in a single season, as the last to achieve the feat was Amy McLeay, who had 20 in 2003.
Outside hitter Mackenzie Horkey also had 13 double-doubles in 2015, while senior outside hitter Kelley Wollak had eight and senior rightside hitter Michaela Schimmer had two.
League Leaders
Omaha led the Summit League in digs (2,177), digs per set (17.56) and total attacks (4,676) and also ranks second in kills (1,641), assists (1,529) and block assists (478) and third for blocks per set (2.19), total blocks (271), total aces (148), aces per set (1.27), assists per set (12.33) and kills per set (13.23).
Setter Sydney O'Shaughnessy topped the league in assists (1,271) and was third in assists per set (10.25) and aces (36). Former Maverick libero Kimberly Bailey was third for digs (556), and former middle blocker Megan Schmale was the league leader for total blocks (159), block assists (146) and blocks per set (1.28) and third for hitting percentage (.336).
Summit League Success
Omaha went 12-4 in Summit League play in 2015, tying for second in the regular-season league standings. It marked the Mavericks' highest number of wins in conference play since going 12-8 in MIAA action in 2008.
What Makes Up the Mavericks
•Omaha returns seven letterwinners from the 2015 season, including three from the starting lineup: setter Sydney O'Shaughnessy and outside hitters Mackenzie Horkey and Gessica Gdowski.
•UNO returns 32 percent of its total offensive production from last season, as this year's returners accounted for 520 of the Mavericks' 1,641 kills.
•The Mavs also return 50 percent of their total blocking production from last year, with the returners credited for 135 out of 271 stops.
•Horkey is UNO's top returning hitter, having averaged 2.54 kills per set last year.
•O'Shaughnessy was recognized with an All-Summit award at the end of 2015, while Gdowski was named to the Summit League All-Freshmen Team.
•The Mavericks are made up of seven freshmen, one redshirt freshman, two sophomores, three juniors and two seniors.
•Omaha's roster includes five players from Nebraska, four from Minnesota, four from Iowa and one apiece from Illinois and Arizona.
Roth at the Ready
Redshirt freshman rightside hitter Meagen Roth is ready to see the court this season after redshirting in 2015. A product of Lincoln Southeast, she was previously a three-year letterwinner and a two-time All-Nebraska selection for the Knights. Roth also helped her team to three consecutive state tournament appearances and three straight district championships.
2016 Slate Takes Mavericks Around the Nation
Omaha's 2016 schedule includes 30 matches against 22 different opponents, and the team will play in eight states across the country. UNO will square off with opponents from 12 other conferences, with three from the Missouri Valley and one apiece from the Atlantic 10, Big 12, Big Sky, Big Ten, Big West, Ivy League, MAC, Ohio Valley, SEC, Southland and WAC. Four opponents -- Denver, Illinois, Iowa State and Northern Iowa -- played in the 2015 NCAA Tournament.
Entering 2016, the Mavericks have never faced four of their opponents: Ole Miss, Ball State, Cornell and Murray State. UNO holds a combined all-time record of 218-148-2 over all teams on the slate this season.
Super Seven
The Mavericks have welcomed seven true freshmen to the roster this season, the most since 2011: defensive specialists Ashley Smith (Iowa City, Iowa) and Olivia Spanton (Savage, Minn.), setter Hannah Angeli (Maplewood, Minn.), outside hitter Chloe Dousette (St. Paul, Minn.), middle hitter Daria Taylor (Rock Island, Ill.), middle blocker Ellie Brown (Holdrege, Neb.) and rightside hitter Macy Anderson (Cedar Rapids, Iowa).
Smith was a four-time all-conference selection at Iowa City High School, while Taylor was a two-time all-conference pick at Rock Island High School. Anderson picked up all-conference honors twice at Kennedy High School, and Brown was a two-time all-conference selection and an all-state honorable mention awardee at Holdrege High School.
The Mavericks' three newcomers from Minnesota -- Angeli, Dousette and Spanton -- come with sterling resumes as well, highlighted by their Northern Lights club program traveling to Italy to play in an international tournament earlier in 2016. In addition, Angeli was a two-time first-team all-state pick and a four-time all-conference honoree at Hill-Murray School, while Dousette won three all-conference and two all-section awards at Cretin-Derham Hall, and Spanton earned two all-conference nods at Prior Lake High School.
Academic Accolades
Omaha earned the American Volleyball Coaches Association Team Academic Award for the 17th straight year, the AVCA announced in July. As a team, the Mavericks recorded a 3.75 GPA during the 2015-16 academic year to garner the annual honor.
UNO's academic effort was highlighted by 12 volleyball student-athletes making the Dean's List or Chancellor's List and four who held 4.0 GPAs for the academic year. The 2015-16 year marked both the 17th straight and 20th overall time the team earned the AVCA's annual award.
Shires Guides Mavericks as Winningest Coach in School History
Head coach Rose Shires is the all-time winningest coach in 46 years of UNO volleyball history. In her 27th year at the helm of the Maverick program, Shires owns a career record of 475-343 (.581), 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 26th season, assistant coach Elena Pietro, in her second year, and volunteer assistant coach Tyler Yanez, who is in his first year on the Maverick staff.
Schmale Signs Professionally With Haro Rioja Voley
Former Omaha standout Megan Schmale is headed overseas to play professionally after signing a contract with Haro Rioja Voley in Haro, Spain. Haro Rioja Voley plays in the Superliga Femenina de Voleibol, Spain's top volleyball league.
Schmale, a middle blocker from Murdock, Neb., was a four-year starter in the Omaha program from 2012 to 2015. She earned All-Summit recognition after leading the Summit League in total blocks (159), block assists (146) and blocks per set (1.28) last season and was also third in the conference for hitting percentage (.336). Schmale capped her Maverick career as Omaha's all-time leader for career block assists (460), breaking a 27-year-old school record in the final week of the 2015 regular season.
Schmale will join her professional club in early September. She graduated with her bachelor's degree in elementary education from UNO in May 2016.
Summit League Preseason Poll Announced
Omaha was picked to finish sixth in the 2016 Summit League Preseason Coaches' Poll, the conference office released Aug. 18. Defending league champion Denver was selected as the league's favorite after collecting eight first-place votes and 64 total points. North Dakota State finished second with 52 points, while IUPUI claimed the final first-place tally and placed third (48). With 44 points, Oral Roberts came in fourth, with South Dakota (39) in fifth and Omaha (27) in sixth. Fort Wayne (24), South Dakota State (17) and Western Illinois (nine) rounded out the poll.
Setter Sydney O'Shaughnessy was also included on the Summit League's Players to Watch list after earning All-Summit honors in 2015 and ranking third in the league with 10.25 assists per set and 36 service aces.
Home Sweet Home Advantage
The 2016 season will see Omaha play 13 home contests, including eight conference tilts. UNO will play at two venues, with nine matches at Baxter Arena and four matches at Sapp Fieldhouse.
UNO has increased its number of home wins in each of the last four seasons, going from one in 2012 to two in 2013, five in 2014 and seven in 2015.
No Longer the Newcomers
In 2016-17, Omaha is in its second year as a Division I institution with full Summit League and NCAA postseason eligibility. The Mavericks competed as a reclassifying Division I school from 2011-14, 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 final three transitional years before assuming full eligibility in 2015-16.
Up Next
Omaha returns to action with its home opener on Thursday, Sept. 1, welcoming Iowa State to Baxter Arena at 7 p.m. Links to live stats, audio and video will be available on OMavs.com.
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