Midwest Conference Office 300 Seward St., Ripon, WI 54971; Phone: (920) 748-8157; Fax: (920) 748-8158

Chris Graham Matt Troha Commissioner www.midwestconference.org Sports Information Director [email protected] [email protected] --Nov. 1, 2006-- Midwest Conference Top-Seeded Beloit In Search Of First-Ever NCAA Appearance RIPON, WIS. -- While many of the teams descending on Beloit, Wis., for the 2006 Midwest Conference Volleyball Tournament on Friday and Sat- urday, November 3-4 can be considered “regulars” in the MWC title mix, this year’s tourney contains some drastic changes at the top. Beloit, whose lone conference loss this season came to Lake Forest in five games, won its second MWC Championship in school history en route to earning the top seed and hosting duties for the event. Beth Pier’s Lake Forest (14-14, 6-3) squad enters in search of its first The Bucs posted an 8-1 mark in league play this season under first- NCAA Tournament appearance since 2003 and is led by 6-0 junior year head coach Jami Strinz, sweeping five of those matches in three middle hitter Nicole Baich, who ranks in the top ten in the conference games. Carroll head coach Annie Glieber has pulled off one of the great in kills (378), blocks (130) and hitting percentage (.288). Senior middle turnarounds in conference history in her second season at the helm, lead- blocker Janelle Balcerzak (336 kills, 60 blocks) teams with Baich for a ing the Lady Pioneers to a 6-3 record and the No. 2 seed in the tourney. strong one-two punch at the net, while senior setter Kendra Casey (1,035 Carroll finished last season 3-27 overall, including an 0-9 mark in MWC assists, 199 digs) gives the Foresters another experienced veteran. play. Third-seeded College and No. 4 seed Lake Forest represent the South Division, while St. Norbert and Monmouth, who met in last The two-time defending MWC champs remain dangerous even as a No. 5 year’s title match, enter as the fifth and sixth seeds, respectively. The win- seed, as St. Norbert (22-11, 6-3) head coach Lori Sadewater returns the ner of the 2006 MWC Tournament receives the conference’s automatic 2005 MWC Player of the Year in senior outside hitter Crystal McClure berth to the NCAA Tournament. (297 kills, 132 blocks) and an All-MWC second teamer in sophomore middle/outside hitter Joanna Mamayek (348 kills, 190 blocks). Junior Beloit (19-8, 8-1 MWC) depends on a balanced offensive attack, led by setter Abby Scher leads the team in assists (637), while junior middle hit- senior middle hitters Katelynn Rynders (313 kills) and Katie McCool ter Kate Meehan (293 kills, 100 blocks) gives the Green Knight offense (301 kills), that features six players with at least 100 kills on the season. another option. Senior setter Katie Algrem leads the conference with 1,122 assists this season, while senior libero Kera Maure tops the league rankings with Monmouth (17-15, 6-3) entered last year’s MWC tourney as the South 829 digs. Senior outside hitter Megan Maure (208 kills, 356 digs) can Division champion, but even as the sixth seed in 2006 Kari Shimmin’s pick up the Bucs on offense or defense, while the 6-3 McCool also ranks Scots return most of the lineup that fell a game short of an MWC title a fifth in the MWC with 109 blocks this year. year ago. Junior middle hitter Kendra James (339 kills, 115 blocks, 80 digs) excels in every facet of the game and junior setter Colleen Wilkin Carroll (14-19, 6-3) freshman setter Nikole Bohn (807 assists) will look (1,044 assists) will look to keep her involved on offense. Sophomore to continue to spread the ball around offensively, as four Lady Pioneers Crystal Myers (549 digs) gives Monmouth a solid defensive presence at enter with at least 200 kills on the year and a fifth is five kills short of the libero position. reaching that mark. Junior middle hitter Alysha Schertz (110 blocks, 237 kills) ranks first on the team in blocks and is second in kills, while junior outside hitter Ashli Ligocki (271 kills, 210 digs) and junior middle hitter --2006 MWC Volleyball Tournament Schedule-- Cara Sronce (195 kills, 79 blocks) have both put together solid seasons. *All contests at ’s Flood Arena

Illinois College (15-17, 6-3) sophomore Angela Siebers (360 kills, 89 Friday, November 3 - Quarter/Semifinals blocks, 57 service aces) enters as the conference leader in kills per game Match 1 - #3 vs. #6 Monmouth 4 p.m. (3.53) and senior setter Megan Trimpe (1,084 assists), the programs Match 2 - #4 Lake Forest vs. #5 St. Norbert 4 p.m. Match 3 - Winner of Match 1 vs. #2 Carroll 7 p.m. all-time leader in assists, will be sure to give her plenty of opportunities. Match 4 - Winner of Match 2 vs. #1 Beloit 7 p.m. Sophomore outside/middle hitter Katie Miller (235 kills, 123 digs) gives Jennifer Saylor’s squad another offensive option, while senior libero Saturday, November 4 - Championship Match Toni Brooks (483 digs) is very solid on the defensive side. Winner of Match 3 vs. Winner of Match 4 1 p.m.