Mavericks Set for Billiken Invitational
Sep 13, 2016 | Volleyball
This Weekend
The Omaha volleyball team hits the road this weekend for its final regular-season tournament of the season, playing three matches at the Billiken Invitational, Sept. 16-17, at Chaifetz Pavilion in St. Louis, Mo. On Friday, the Mavericks open with Illinois at 4:30 p.m. followed by Saturday matches with host Saint Louis at Noon and Murray State 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 47 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.
•O'Shaughnessy, senior outside hitter Elise Brown and sophomore outside hitter Kayla Torson were selected as Omaha's 2016 team captains.
Scouting the Illinois Fighting Illini
Illinois enters the weekend with a record of 4-4 (0-0 Big Ten) after picking up a 3-0 win over Saint Mary's last Saturday at Oregon's Nike Invitational. Jacqueline Quade leads the Fighting Illini with 2.94 kills per set, while Ali Bastianelli averages 1.74 blocks per set, which ranks second in the Big Ten.
Head coach Kevin Hambly is in his eighth season at UI and owns a career record of 165-76.
Illinois leads the all-time series with Omaha, 1-0. The two teams last met on Sept. 8, 1989, with the Illini winning 3-0 in Champaign, Ill.
Scouting the Saint Louis Billikens
Saint Louis enters the week with a record of 2-8 (0-0 Atlantic 10) after closing Bluegrass Battle with a 3-0 loss at host Kentucky last Saturday, and the Billikens visit Austin Peay Tuesday before returning home for this weekend's tournament. Leading hitter Danielle Rygelski has conference-leading 5.33 kills per set this season.
Head coach Kent Miller is in his sixth season with the Billikens and carries a career record of 81-70.
SLU leads the all-time series with Omaha, 2-0-1. The two programs last squared off on Sept. 12, 2014 in St. Louis, with the Billikens winning 3-0.
Scouting the Murray State Racers
Murray State enters the weekend with a record of 4-5 (0-0 OVC) after last Friday's 3-1 loss at Butler. Scottie Ingram ranks second in the OVC with 4.71 kills per set, and Courtney Radle's 10.00 assists per set lead the league.
Head coach David Schwepker is in his 19th season at MSU with a record of 267-257 and a career mark of 280-332 over 22 years.
Saturday marks the first meeting all-time between Omaha and Murray State.
Last Time Out: Cornell Drops Mavericks 3-1 at Kangaroo Klassic
Omaha closed its weekend at the UMKC Kangaroo Klassic last Saturday, falling 3-1 to Cornell at Swinney Recreation Center.
Junior Sydney O'Shaughnessy notched her team-leading fourth double-double of the season with a match-best 35 assists and 14 digs alongside three kills and two blocks.
Redshirt freshman Meagen Roth put up a match-high 13 kills with eight digs, and freshman Hannah Angeli added 11 kills, eight digs and a team-best four blocks. Defensively, freshman Ashley Smith led the way with 16 digs.
O'Shaughnessy, Horkey Garner All-Tournament Recognition
Junior setter Sydney O'Shaughnessy was named to the UMKC Kangaroo Klassic All-Tournament last weekend after averaging 7.73 assists, 2.82 digs and 0.45 blocks per set over three matches.
O'Shaughnessy was previously named to the UND Classic All-Tournament Team for her performance in the opening weekend of play. She averaged a team-high 7.50 assists per set, as well as 2.50 digs per set, and registered at least 20 assists in every match.
Junior outside hitter Mackenzie Horkey was also named to the Omaha Classic All-Tournament Team on Sept. 3. Over two matches played, she averaged a team-leading 4.71 kills with 2.86 digs per set and finished with a career-high 27 kills on .453 hitting with 14 digs and two blocks vs. Ball State.
Mavericks Making Their Mark Nationally
Omaha ranks among the top 20 nationally in four categories: fourth for attacks per set (38.93), eighth for total attacks (1,596), ninth for total digs (702) and 18th for digs per set (17.12). Individually, freshman libero Ashley Smith is 32nd for total digs (181).
League Leaders
As a team, Omaha is first in the Summit League in total attacks (1,596) and total digs (702), marking its second straight year as the league's leader for both categories. Additionally, freshman libero Ashley Smith paces all league players in digs (181).
O'Shaughnessy Races Into Top 10 Assists List
Junior setter Sydney O'Shaughnessy etched her name into the UNO record books near the end of the 2015 season. Eleven matches into her junior year, she ranks ninth in school history for career assists, having amassed 2,549 since joining the program in 2014. The Omaha native most recently passed Katie Agnew (2004-07), who had 2,359, and currently sits behind Darla Melcher (1986-87), who totaled 2,628.
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.
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.
O'Shaughnessy and sophomore outside hitter Kayla Torson each have a team-leading four double-doubles this season, followed by two apiece for redshirt freshman rightside hitter Meagen Roth and freshman setter Hannah Angeli and one for junior outside hitter Mackenzie Horkey.
Torson Takes On Starting Role
Sophomore outside hitter Kayla Torson stepped into a starting role at the UND Classic and has started all 11 matches this season. The Cedar Rapids, Iowa, native has led the Mavericks in kills in five matches and owns a team-high four double-doubles, including a career-best effort with 18 kills and 22 digs vs. Abilene Christian on Sept. 2.
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.
In her debut season, Roth is third on the team with 2.68 kills per set and has added 2.05 digs per set as well. During the Omaha Classic, she tallied two double-doubles, including her first with career highs of 15 kills and 19 digs vs. Ball State.
Angeli on the Attack
Freshman setter Hannah Angeli has made five straight starts since Sept. 3, first starting as a setter vs. Drake, then filling a hitting role in the last four. The Maplewood, Minn., native had double-digit kill performances twice last weekend at the UMKC Kangaroo Klassic, tallying 10 vs. Bradley and a season-high 11 vs. Cornell. Angeli also had a season-high four blocks against the Big Red.
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.
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 220-157-2 over all teams on the slate this season.
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 477-352 (.575), 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.
Up Next
Omaha opens Summit League play on Friday, Sept. 23, hosting Fort Wayne at 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 this weekend for its final regular-season tournament of the season, playing three matches at the Billiken Invitational, Sept. 16-17, at Chaifetz Pavilion in St. Louis, Mo. On Friday, the Mavericks open with Illinois at 4:30 p.m. followed by Saturday matches with host Saint Louis at Noon and Murray State 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 47 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.
•O'Shaughnessy, senior outside hitter Elise Brown and sophomore outside hitter Kayla Torson were selected as Omaha's 2016 team captains.
Scouting the Illinois Fighting Illini
Illinois enters the weekend with a record of 4-4 (0-0 Big Ten) after picking up a 3-0 win over Saint Mary's last Saturday at Oregon's Nike Invitational. Jacqueline Quade leads the Fighting Illini with 2.94 kills per set, while Ali Bastianelli averages 1.74 blocks per set, which ranks second in the Big Ten.
Head coach Kevin Hambly is in his eighth season at UI and owns a career record of 165-76.
Illinois leads the all-time series with Omaha, 1-0. The two teams last met on Sept. 8, 1989, with the Illini winning 3-0 in Champaign, Ill.
Scouting the Saint Louis Billikens
Saint Louis enters the week with a record of 2-8 (0-0 Atlantic 10) after closing Bluegrass Battle with a 3-0 loss at host Kentucky last Saturday, and the Billikens visit Austin Peay Tuesday before returning home for this weekend's tournament. Leading hitter Danielle Rygelski has conference-leading 5.33 kills per set this season.
Head coach Kent Miller is in his sixth season with the Billikens and carries a career record of 81-70.
SLU leads the all-time series with Omaha, 2-0-1. The two programs last squared off on Sept. 12, 2014 in St. Louis, with the Billikens winning 3-0.
Scouting the Murray State Racers
Murray State enters the weekend with a record of 4-5 (0-0 OVC) after last Friday's 3-1 loss at Butler. Scottie Ingram ranks second in the OVC with 4.71 kills per set, and Courtney Radle's 10.00 assists per set lead the league.
Head coach David Schwepker is in his 19th season at MSU with a record of 267-257 and a career mark of 280-332 over 22 years.
Saturday marks the first meeting all-time between Omaha and Murray State.
Last Time Out: Cornell Drops Mavericks 3-1 at Kangaroo Klassic
Omaha closed its weekend at the UMKC Kangaroo Klassic last Saturday, falling 3-1 to Cornell at Swinney Recreation Center.
Junior Sydney O'Shaughnessy notched her team-leading fourth double-double of the season with a match-best 35 assists and 14 digs alongside three kills and two blocks.
Redshirt freshman Meagen Roth put up a match-high 13 kills with eight digs, and freshman Hannah Angeli added 11 kills, eight digs and a team-best four blocks. Defensively, freshman Ashley Smith led the way with 16 digs.
O'Shaughnessy, Horkey Garner All-Tournament Recognition
Junior setter Sydney O'Shaughnessy was named to the UMKC Kangaroo Klassic All-Tournament last weekend after averaging 7.73 assists, 2.82 digs and 0.45 blocks per set over three matches.
O'Shaughnessy was previously named to the UND Classic All-Tournament Team for her performance in the opening weekend of play. She averaged a team-high 7.50 assists per set, as well as 2.50 digs per set, and registered at least 20 assists in every match.
Junior outside hitter Mackenzie Horkey was also named to the Omaha Classic All-Tournament Team on Sept. 3. Over two matches played, she averaged a team-leading 4.71 kills with 2.86 digs per set and finished with a career-high 27 kills on .453 hitting with 14 digs and two blocks vs. Ball State.
Mavericks Making Their Mark Nationally
Omaha ranks among the top 20 nationally in four categories: fourth for attacks per set (38.93), eighth for total attacks (1,596), ninth for total digs (702) and 18th for digs per set (17.12). Individually, freshman libero Ashley Smith is 32nd for total digs (181).
League Leaders
As a team, Omaha is first in the Summit League in total attacks (1,596) and total digs (702), marking its second straight year as the league's leader for both categories. Additionally, freshman libero Ashley Smith paces all league players in digs (181).
O'Shaughnessy Races Into Top 10 Assists List
Junior setter Sydney O'Shaughnessy etched her name into the UNO record books near the end of the 2015 season. Eleven matches into her junior year, she ranks ninth in school history for career assists, having amassed 2,549 since joining the program in 2014. The Omaha native most recently passed Katie Agnew (2004-07), who had 2,359, and currently sits behind Darla Melcher (1986-87), who totaled 2,628.
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.
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.
O'Shaughnessy and sophomore outside hitter Kayla Torson each have a team-leading four double-doubles this season, followed by two apiece for redshirt freshman rightside hitter Meagen Roth and freshman setter Hannah Angeli and one for junior outside hitter Mackenzie Horkey.
Torson Takes On Starting Role
Sophomore outside hitter Kayla Torson stepped into a starting role at the UND Classic and has started all 11 matches this season. The Cedar Rapids, Iowa, native has led the Mavericks in kills in five matches and owns a team-high four double-doubles, including a career-best effort with 18 kills and 22 digs vs. Abilene Christian on Sept. 2.
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.
In her debut season, Roth is third on the team with 2.68 kills per set and has added 2.05 digs per set as well. During the Omaha Classic, she tallied two double-doubles, including her first with career highs of 15 kills and 19 digs vs. Ball State.
Angeli on the Attack
Freshman setter Hannah Angeli has made five straight starts since Sept. 3, first starting as a setter vs. Drake, then filling a hitting role in the last four. The Maplewood, Minn., native had double-digit kill performances twice last weekend at the UMKC Kangaroo Klassic, tallying 10 vs. Bradley and a season-high 11 vs. Cornell. Angeli also had a season-high four blocks against the Big Red.
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.
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 220-157-2 over all teams on the slate this season.
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 477-352 (.575), 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.
Up Next
Omaha opens Summit League play on Friday, Sept. 23, hosting Fort Wayne at Baxter Arena at 7 p.m. Links to live stats, audio and video will be available on OMavs.com.
Players Mentioned
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