This week in Volleyball

[thebluehatman]

Re: This week in Volleyball

http://www3.sdstate.edu/Athletics/Ne...cfm?Id=46,5522

A pair of outside hitters have signed national letters of intent, indicating they will enroll at South Dakota State University next fall and compete for the Jackrabbit volleyball program.

Signing recently were:
• Annie Adams, 6-3, Crosby, Minn. (Crosby-Ironton High School); and
• Ashley Kathol, 6-1, Omaha, Neb. (Skutt Catholic High School).

"These two players will have the opportunity to make an impact for the 2007 squad," SDSU head coach Andrew Palileo said. "They will provide size and length as we continue to progress in the Division I ranks. Both players are great people and students, which is very important to our program of producing great student-athletes."

Adams earned all-conference and all-area honors, as well as player of the year honors from the Brainerd Daily Dispatch, during the 2006 season at Crosby-Ironton High School. She also was an all-conference and all-area selection in basketball last season.

"Annie has the combination of size, strength and athleticism," Palileo said. "Her ability to get off the floor, along with her length, will provide us with power on the outside and also will make her a force blocking."

Kathol earned all-conference honors this season and has been nominated for all-state honors after helping lead Skutt Catholic to the Nebraska District 3-B championship and a berth in the state tournament. Kathol has gained further playing experience during the summer months with Club X-Treme, a two-time Junior Olympic national qualifier. A two-time academic all-conference honoree, Kathol is a member of the National Honor Society.

"Ashley is a lefty who will bring depth on the right side," Palileo said. "Ashley will bring size, power and athleticism to an already athletic team. She has played at a high club level, which will make her transition to Division I volleyball quicker."

South Dakota State finished the 2006 season with a 22-12 overall record. The Jackrabbits will begin play in the Mid-Continent Conference in the 2007 season.

[thebluehatman]

Re: This week in Volleyball

Northwestern senior middle hitter Amy Clemensen signed a national letter of intent last year to attend South Dakota State and play volleyball. She will join former Wildcat teammate Diedra Artz with the Jackrabbits. Artz is getting playing time this season as a freshman at SDSU. Northwestern senior Alyssa Fischbach has signed to play basketball at Wayne State.

http://www.aberdeennews.com/mld/aber...eennews_sports

Another decent signing for Andrew and his staff.

[SUPERBUNNY]

Re: This week in Volleyball

I got to watch her play a couple of weeks ago because my niece and her team had to play Northwestern. She was very impressive and from a solid high school program! Appeared to be about 6'2" and very athletic.

Good get for Coach Palileo!

SUPERBUNNY

[thebluehatman]

Re: This week in Volleyball

Last Thursday I took off on a journey with the SDSU volleyball team as they traveled up to Fargo to play in the National Independent Tournament.  Before going any further, I must thank Coach Andrew Palileo and his staff for allowing me tag along on this trip.  The trip started out with meeting in the football stadium parking lot and leaving in two twelve passenger vans and a car.
The trip to Fargo took about two and a half hours and the atmosphere in the van I rode in was relaxed for the most part.  A few of the girls including redshirt freshman Elise In’t Veld napped, some watched movies, and some studied.  I took the opportunity after the break at the Summit exit on the interstate to get out my laptop and do some work and played a little Tiger Woods 2004.  As our van got closer to the Old Fieldhouse in Fargo our first destination, the girls serenaded us with their version of Tim McGraw’s Live Like You Were Dying as it was on the radio.
The Old Fieldhouse best described as a version of SDSU’s DePuy Hall.  It has an interesting smell of urine or something of the like to it, very dark, in my opinion is somewhat decrepit, and past its usefulness.  The girls got in practice gear, and some gathered around sophomore Rachel Dahl to smell her practice uniform, which apparently had an interesting smell to it from what I could tell.  After an hour, the Providence Friars team shuffled us from the Fieldhouse.  The girls were really wound up after practice.  I asked if they were normally like this after practice and they responded no, they are only like this because it is the end of the season.
We departed to the hotel where during our journey the girls serenaded us once again.  The Best Western Doublewood Inn was our humble adobe, after checking in we headed back out to the local Wendy’s just down the road.  Once there, we were greeted by some questionable service and a long wait for food.  After the half hour wait on food, sophomore Emily Rooney provided some entertainment by questioning one of the great NDSU students working there.
Friday morning was a bit chilly by the looks of looking out the hotel room window.  At about 9:30, I headed out over to the Fieldhouse.  I was soon encircled with many parents of the volleyball players.  The parents are a close group and travel well.  I really have enjoyed cheering with them.  The women won their first match handily.  Afterwards, the parents and I went to this good Mexican place called Paradiso.  I must say I was impressed with the food quality.  The conversation among the parents was entertaining and I learned a lot about the players and their families.
The afternoon brought relaxation and rest for the evening.  A short trip to the Fieldhouse with senior Minette Ridenour’s family and interesting conversation about sports and my background and we were ready for the second round of action on the day.  The rest of the evening was spent watching the end of an exciting game featuring IPFW and NDSU future Mid-Con opponents.  The match went five sets with IPFW winning a squeaker of a game.  Next up the Jackrabbits took on Utah Valley State.  They started out slow and finished the first match solid.  Their momentum did not carry and soon after they were down two games to zero.  The girls started the third game out solid but could not keep up the pace soon falling to the Utah Valley State team, setting up the final game of the season against NDSU.  The stats did not lie; the girls could not pull out a win.  After the game, the parents and I hit up the Green Mill for some food and beverages.
Saturday brought another cold morning check out time was 11 AM.  After a short trip, we arrived at Qdoba Mexican grill for brunch.  This was followed by a trip to the West Acres Mall.  This was the first time the girls had to do some bonding with their parents on the trip.  After an hour of looking around and having some fun, it was back to the hotel to do some studying and watch some film in preparation for the game against NDSU.  During the study table and film session, I listened to the SDSU football game, watched a NASCAR race, and kept up to date with the NDSU football game all at the same time.  About an hour and a half later, we were in the vans again.
The ride over to the Fieldhouse before the game was an entertaining one to say the least.  Singing and laughter filled the van I was riding in.  The girls were in high spirits, and I must admit my hope for an awesome night was flying high.  Before the game the girls did a lot of dancing to get pumped up.  After about a four-minute session of dancing and goofing around it was business time.  Unfortunately, after the first game business was not good.  After a four match set, SDSU finished the tournament as the fourth place team.  There was one bright spot on the court this weekend as junior Kristina Martin was named to the All Tournament team.  An off court bright spot came when Elise In’t Veld, Emily Rooney, junior Mackenzie Osadchuk, and junior Amy Anderson received awards for Division One Independent Academic All-Americans.

[thebluehatman]

Re: This week in Volleyball

(part 2)

After the game, I had a chance to converse with incoming freshman Annie Adams who will come to SDSU next year from northern Minnesota.  Annie will be an impressive outside hitter, she is 6’3” with a 28” vertical at the moment.  The rest of the evening was spent watching the championship match.  During which the girls took time to do some more dancing when play was stopped.  Sophomore Justine Olsen broke out her dance shoes and did her version of what can only be described as an Irish dance of some sort.  Sophomore Laura Slagter and freshman Amanda Polzin did a little head banging during some harder rock songs.  After losing a tough match, the girls still were upbeat.  
The end of the trip was near as we grabbed our food and hopped aboard the vans to return home to Brookings.  Once again, the girls surrounded us with their singing, before they all went quite for the last two hours of the trip.  Overall, this trip was an interesting experience for me to have.  This team loses two stalwart seniors in Kristie Klusaw and Minette Ridenour, who both had solid careers as Jackrabbits.  The team brings back many good weapons to challenge for a possible run at the Mid-Con title.  Girls, thank you for a year of fun memories, I look forward to seeing what you can make happen next year.

[thebluehatman]

Four Jackrabbits earn all-Independent honors

Four South Dakota State University volleyball players, including first-team selection Kristina Martin, have been honored on the 2006 Division I All-Independent Volleyball Team.

Martin, a junior right-side hitter from Hubertus, Wis., was a repeat selection to the first team. She led the Jackrabbits with 446 kills (3.78 kpg) and a .308 hitting percentage, ranking fourth among independent players in both categories. An all-tournament selection five times during the 2006 season, Martin reached double figures for kills in 28 of 34 matches, including a single-match record during the rally scoring era with 33 kills in a four-game victory at Montana State on Oct. 31.

Honored on the second team for the second consecutive year were senior setter Kristie Klusaw and junior middle hitter Amy Anderson. Klusaw, a native of Bellevue, Neb., finished second among independent players with 1,333 set assists (11.90 apg). She finished her career third on the Jackrabbit career set assists chart with 4,138.

A Huron native, Anderson led the team in blocking for the second consecutive season with 135 total blocks (1.15 bpg), a total that ranked fourth among independent players. She also finished second on the team with 365 kills (3.12 kpg) and a .307 hitting percentage, figures which ranked in the top 10 for independent players.

Also honored for the second consecutive season as an honorable mention selection was junior libero Samantha Pearson. The Chaska, Minn., native tallied team highs with 50 service aces (.43 sapg) and 575 digs (4.91 dpg), totals both in the top four among independent players. Pearson also topped the 1,000 mark for career digs during the 2006 season.

South Dakota State, coached by Andrew Palileo, finished the 2006 season with a 22-12 overall record. The Jackrabbits will join the Mid-Continent Conference in the 2007 season.

http://www3.sdstate.edu/Athletics/Ne...cfm?Id=46,5545 Congrats Girls