Lewis University Athletics

2011



Leigh Barea

Nov. 30, 2011

Happy Belated Thanksgiving everyone! I hope everyone had a great time with family and friends, and that everyone ate way too much like I did.

Thanksgiving really got me thinking about how thankful I am for my Lewis Flyers volleyball family. We have an amazing set of coaches that are so passionate at helping every single person on the team to achieve their potential. My teammates are the best teammates I have ever had! We are such a unique group of girls who all sincerely care for each other. We are all each other’s biggest fans and want each girl to succeed even if they are playing the same position. Each girl has their own special role on the team. The great thing is, everyone completely accepts their special role on the team. I am so thankful for every teammate of mine but now that the season is over, I am extremely thankful for our seniors, Katie Crawford, Hannah Koeneman, Kelly McConkey, and Danielle Mount. Each of them left a mark on the Lewis volleyball program and will be missed like crazy next year.

I do wish we were still in the Neil Carey practicing every single day preparing for the next team we were about to take down, but that’s just not the case. I cannot wait to get into the gym and start working together as a team to improve and grow together. I know everyone is determined to reach our goal of winning regionals and a national championship. The hard work we put in now, and all through spring, is what is needed to achieve that goal.

GO FLYERS!

Leigh Barea #15

Danielle Mount

Nov. 22, 2011

 It is easy to say that this weekend did not go as planned.  We can beat ourselves up over the game and replay it in our heads a thousand times but it is in the past. What we can do is remember how we were able to go to regionals in the first place. The season started out pretty rocky. We were trying to get a lineup that worked and find chemistry on the court. It took a little while but when it clicked we were golden. The team worked incredibly hard at practices to get back to playing “Lewis Volleyball.” The coaches also worked hard to find new drills and team building exercises to help the team improve. Our family and friends were also a great support sticking with us and cheering us on from the stands. Through all the hard work we were able to beat every team in the conference at least once, redeeming every conference loss at the beginning of the season with a win at the end. A 25-7 record is one to be proud of.

I consider myself very lucky to have been a member of the Lewis Women’s Volleyball Team. The program has had amazing success over the past five years and I can only guess that the success will continue to grow. It is a surreal feeling that the season and my career here at Lewis are over. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Lorelee for making my career here at Lewis a successful one. She is an amazing coach who is extremely smart and passionate about the game. I know she will have an extraordinary career as a head coach. I would also like to thank all of the wonderful girls that I have had the privilege of playing with over the years. You all are amazing volleyball players as well as friends. Also, thanks to all of our fans for all of the support; we could not have done it without you.

“If you want a happy ending, that depends, of course, on where you stop your story.” -  Orson Welles

Lewis’ story did not end this year at regionals, it was just another chapter on the way to a National Championship. Good luck next year, I know you all will do great!

Love,

Danielle



Alexis Davito

Nov. 8, 2011

This weekend was huge for us as a team and I think we all came together and did our part whether it was being a starter or being a supporter on the bench.  Having the gym packed both days was a huge advantage to us as well.  After winning Friday, we all felt really good and were super pumped to play Indy especially after we heard Parkside had taken them to five.  We went into the Indy match super pumped and played awesome. Kelly and Amy played impeccable defense and everyone else played a good match as well.  Even though we dropped a set and were not able to host conference it was still a great team win.  Not being able to host conference may be just what we need and will actually benefit the team greatly.  Now we get a week to prepare and go into the weekend very excited and ready to compete.




Hannah Koeneman

Oct. 24, 2011

What a great weekend!!!  This was one of the toughest weekends we have had this season.  Leaving Thursday morning for Kentucky was just the start.  After our six plus hours of driving, we made it to our first match at Kentucky State.  This was a great match where coach was able to put everyone in and show how successful we are with whoever is on the court.  It was a great team win in three games.
 
Friday night we showed up at our ever growing rival, 12^th ranked NKU.  We were only their second conference loss earlier in the season, so they were ready for revenge.  We had a very slow start in the beginning of the match losing the first two games 25-20 and 25-8.  This of course did not settle well with us.  The team rallied together and came back to win the next three games 26-24, 27-25, and 15-13.  The fifth game ended with a huge block from Jen Krumwiede and Danielle Mount. It was AWESOME!!  The entire match had everyone on edge, and it turned out to be an amazing victory for the Flyers.
 
After coming off such an intense game against NKU, the team traveled to Bellarmine University.  This match proved to be a little bit of a challenge, but we pulled out a four game win against them.
We ended the weekend 3-0 and I along with the rest of the team am beyond proud of our victories.  It was tough traveling that far and having three games in a row, but we pulled through and are even stronger now because of it.  The team shows that even when the odds are against us, we use it as fire and fight for every last point until the victory is ours.
 
We are now 10-3 in conference and quickly moving back up in the conference rankings.  This has been one exciting and unpredictable season, I can’t wait to see how it all pans out!
 
Love Your Lewis Flyers,
Hannah Koeneman #9



Vivian Pritz

Oct. 10, 2011

Hello Fellow Flyers!
 
It was a great weekend to be a part of the Lewis volleyball family! We swept University Illinois Springfield and Quincy!  Playing Springfield on Saturday was awesome because every single one of our players got to play, having a big team like ours can get a little challenging at times but we always manage to come together as a team and pull out the win. The icing on the cake was also beating Quincy in three.
 
We have been turning it up a notch during our practices this week, learning that happy medium between having good focus and letting our zany and fun personalities show.  We have grown so much as a team already but we keep pushing ourselves and making strides to get even better!
 
This upcoming month is an important one; having the crossover next weekend and mostly being on the road is going to be tough, but that won’t slow us down.  We are here to fight and will never, ever give up.
Please keep following and watching us grow as a team!
Vivian Pritz #12



Amy Choi

Oct. 5, 2011

We swept UMSL in three games! This weekend was very rewarding for us. After a week’s worth of hard, focused practices, we set our sights on a new goal: to beat the teams on the other side of the conference. On Saturday we played Maryville after a very long bus ride. Despite the hours we spent sitting and sleeping on the way there, when it was time to play, we were ready. Everyone played in the Maryville match, and it was awesome to see different players on the court working with each other and communicating well. I think Saturday’s match really showed that we are unlike most other teams – we help each other and push each other, no matter who is on the court. And every day at practice, we strive to be better and work hard so that when it is time to play in a match, we execute. This especially showed because we made quick work of Maryville in just three games.

Sunday, we played UMSL and swept them in three as well! I think this match really shows how far we have come from the beginning of the season. When we were in mental ruts, we pushed through and fought hard to earn our points back. We had some great team chemistry and only had six hitting errors! It was definitely a team effort of a good passing, perfect setting, smart and aggressive hitting, and scrappy covering. The UMSL game is another step closer to improving our record in conference and winning it all.

Love your Lewis Flyers,
Amy Choi #2





Colleen Mitros

Sept. 26, 2011

Dear Diary,

WE’RE BACK! Our regular season did not start exactly how we anticipated. 3 out of our first 4 Conference matches ended in a loss. This does not leave the team feeling hopeful or in high spirits. However, the words “give up” or “impossible” never crossed any of our minds. We have not put ourselves in the most ideal situation, but with the players and coaches we have this year we will find our way to success. We are not taking the path that most Lewis women’s volleyball teams have taken. In previous years, teams would lose only a match or two or even go undefeated in regular season. Even though we are not undefeated, that’s okay. We are not striving for perfection, but rather excellence. It is not about being perfect from beginning to end; it’s about learning and growing along the way. Our team has definitely grown already. I think we are starting to prove how talented we are after the wins we pulled out this weekend, against two very good teams, Bellarmine and 12th ranked NKU. We are not a team who will back down in the face of adversity. When things did not go our way, we do not continue going through the motions. We make the conscious decision to answer back, to work harder than ever, to hold each other accountable and to push each other to be better than what is expected. We have been standing and are still standing in the face of adversity and I have no doubt that we will persevere. What’s important is not how we started, but how we plan to finish. This team of Flyers intends to finish on top.

Colleen Mitros #8



Jillian Carlberg

Sept. 21, 2011

Dear Diary,
The past two weeks have been a very trying time for our team. Luckily we have passionate teammates and coaches that are willing to work that much harder to improve the areas in which we are lacking or not performing our best. This is the time we need to stick together as a team and prove to ourselves, our coaches, and our fans that we can be, and are, a strong team.

On the coaching side of things, Rudi is the newest member to our Lewis family. She is our wonderful new graduate assistant. Rudi brings a focus of toughness and a calm level-head to the team. She is quick with meaningful advice and has a great eye for the game. I think her knowledge and experience will be very helpful this season. It is always good to have a new eye on our game to point out what isn’t working well and what is working well.

As for academics, we’re just now getting into our fourth week of classes and everyone is finally falling into a routine of school and volleyball. We started study hall this past week and many girls had their first tests. With classes taking up more time and thought, we have to work extra hard to focus on volleyball for the few hours a day we have in the gym.

I personally am getting very excited and busy with my classes and workload. Being a junior, I am finally taking mainly major courses. This is giving me an extra little boost to perform well. It is always easier to focus more on the subjects you love. Since I am a graphic design major, this is my time to work on portfolio-worthy work. Building a portfolio is one of, if not the biggest part of being a designer. I spend all the time I can outside of volleyball working on projects and coming up with new ideas. Hopefully by the end of this semester I will have a couple more strong pieces to add to my growing collection of work.

See you at our games this weekend!
#13 Jillian Carlberg




Jenni Mueller

Sept. 12, 2011

Hello Flyer Fans!
After returning from Florida last week we spent this past week getting back into the swing of school and volleyball and preparing for our home opening weekend.

On our first full day back we had our first team themed practice of the year, with the theme of “Christmas in September.” We all enjoyed getting dressed up in our own fun ways in our own Christmas clothes for practice. Friday was our first home game, opening up the season on our brand new gym floor. Unfortunately we lost a tough 5 game match to Southern Indiana but have a lot to learn and grow from this unexpected lost. Saturday we came back and defeated Kentucky Wesleyan in 3 games, also getting everyone into this match. Saturday night we defeated St. Francis in a 3 game match, finally getting the feeling of a Flyer Volleyball win we have all been waiting for.

Next week we are on the road again traveling to Wisconsin Parkside on Tuesday and Indianapolis and St. Joe’s next weekend. We are ready for a tough focused week of practice in order to prepare for these matches ahead. We are excited for our season to continue and to keep growing as a team.
Love Your Lewis Flyers,
Jenni Mueller #10




Carly Perschnick

Sept. 6, 2011

The Flyers are back from Florida and getting into full swing.
Hello all,

This last week has been very exciting for us. We traveled to Tampa, Florida for a tournament and went 3-1. I feel like we played very well for our first tournament and to the fact we had about 4-5 different lineups. But being on the court isn’t the only thing we were doing in Florida (duhhh). One day a couple of us decided to go canoeing, which turned out to be a lot of fun seeing jumping fish, alligator heads, and dolphin fins. We went to some amazing places to eat like Bella’s Italian and Go Go’s Greek. Our last day, we all went to Clearwater Beach where we rode the waves, while Hannah and Faith went jet skiing in the ocean!!!

Now we are all back to our normal schedule with classes and practice, getting ready for our home opener vs. Southern Indy, a team who we cannot overlook, and will be a great game to start off our regular season. Come out and support the flyers and BLACK THE PLACE OUT!!

Thanks and Love,
YOUR LEWIS FLYERS!
By: Carly Perschnick #14



Katie Fuerst

Sept. 6, 2011

We are back to our lovely home of Lewis after a great first tournament at Tampa. This week was our first time actually connecting with each other off the court and for most it was their first time connecting on the court.

When we were at Tampa all 18 girls were able to see the court for a game or two and with that being said the team this year is very well rounded and super excited for the season. With the success this weekend we defeated Eckerd in 4 games, Colorado Christian in 3 games and Tiffin in 3 games. Our one loss came from Tampa University, (No. 4 in the nation) it was a tough loss because in game one we hung in there with them giving us hope we could win. After the match we discussed what there is to learn and grow from this as a team being ranked No. 15 compared to a No. 4. We grew from that game and defeated Tiffin which was a very important match. With them being in our region it gives us a higher ranking for our regional rakings later in the season.

Of course there is always room for improvement and from this tournament our volleyball team will be more prepared and can grow from the mistakes made and keep succeeding with what we did right. This week coming up on Friday we have our first home match against Southern Indian and I know all the girls are geeked up for it. Our team is growing and learning from each other each day, which can make a very well rounded successful team for our future. We all couldn't be more excited to get the season rolling!

Love your Lewis Flyer,
#4 Katie Fuerst



Kim Vertin

Aug. 29, 2011

Hello Flyer fans!

So today is officially the last day of preseason and as sad as we all are to see it go we are all extremely anxious and excited for out upcoming season. As a Flyer and part of our team here at Lewis we all have had to work especially hard this preseason to get into great shape and improve on our strength and our skills.

This preseason was not only filled with hard work but also a ton of fun. We went to the dunes and had a scavenger hunt and climbed some huge sand dunes and we also went to some local beach courts and had sand workouts there as well.

Yesterday we played at the Dunes volleyball club in Indiana and scrimmaged some good competition. It was nice to get out of our gyms and play other teams. We played pretty well and walked away from the scrimmage with even more excitement for our trip to Florida on Tuesday. :)

Being a freshman last year it was hard to be away from home and I struggled with that but this year I found myself feeling at home the whole time. This preseason has flown by and now we are all extremely excited to get on the court and compete for not only another GLVC title but a regional and national championship as well. Come out this year and support your Lewis Flyers and help cheer us on to victory!

Kim Vertin #6



Katie Crawford

Aug. 23, 2011

The 2011 Lewis University Women’s Volleyball Preseason has officially started! I can’t believe that everyone is back already for another year! It is less than two short weeks until our first big tournament in Florida, but we will be ready! We have been preparing with practices twice a day, pool workouts, sand workouts, weights and conditioning, not including the infamous Dunes Trip.

Last Thursday, the Flyers took a trip to the Michigan sand dunes for team bonding, some competition and, of course, a workout. Each year we come to the dunes to go on a little scavenger hunt. We have to find all of the coaches, who are stationed at various dunes throughout the area. At these stations we have to accomplish certain tasks like have a two-minute dance party, play leapfrog, or take jumping pictures. The dunes trip is always fun and helps to really get to know the team better.

The Flyers don’t need a scavenger hunt to make things fun. We create the fun at practice, when we travel, or even on the bench. We are going to need this fun and light atmosphere to make it through this tough preseason as a team. We have more coaches than ever before, which means more eyes to make us better. Not only do we have more coaches, but each coach has become more demanding to help us achieve our bigger and better goals. We even added Athletic Edge to preseason training this year. The conditioning from Athletic Edge is tough, but will help us down the road to the national championship!

We won’t let anything hold us back! In fact, it all gets better from here! We just got to move back into our newly renovated and air conditioned gym! It’s ready in time for our first home match of the season on September 9th!

Love,

Katie Crawford #17




2010

Player Diary - Kelly McConkey

Aug. 23, 2010

Dear Readers,

You should be pleased to know that we have officially survived the first week of preseason!! Being able to say that feels amazing, but as a senior it is sort of a bitter sweet feeling. This past week there are many things we have done. One major activity we all made it through was our annual preseason trip to the dunes. Every year we take a trip to the dunes where we are split up into teams, this year there were four teams of five and we were sent on a scavenger hunt. Each one of our three coaches is stationed somewhere and it is our goal to make a trip to each one of them. In past years once we got to a coach there was a puzzle or riddle we had to solve but this year we mixed it up a little bit. At each station we had to perform different tasks and capture a picture of each thing. For example, one of the things we had to do was get a picture of our group doing different volleyball plays or of our group at the bottom of a dune doing different things. Along with finding all the coaches we had to walk the beach and take pictures of different people we found, a few things we were looking for were celebrity look alikes and a man with a mustache. The dunes is always something that really pushes our limits and gives us a good work out while also helping us team bond and have fun. At times it's really hard but after the fact we all look back and know how much fun we had. It is always nice to get a change of scenery and be out of the gym for a little while. Another thing we did this week was have a team barbeque.

On Saturday the entire team came over to my house where we got to hang out and have lunch together. Although preseason is a time where we put a lot of focus on volleyball and building our skills, we also do our best to get to know one another on a personal level and have fun. I really look forward to this upcoming year and am super excited to see what our team can do. We have many new faces on the team and are still able to keep the great team chemistry we have always had. Team chemistry is something we have always prided ourselves in and is very important to us.

Kelly #5

Player Diary - Nikki Maes

Aug. 31, 2010

DONE! We have survived our last week of preseason and are now going to be starting school. Doubles of practice is over and now we will begin training once a day and getting ready for the season. This past week we went to Four Lakes where we practiced in the sand doing agilitys, plyos, and volleyball drills. Not only is there sand, but there is a huge hill as well that we as a team have to run up. Luckily it seemed that it wasn't completely horrible and everyone enjoyed being able to walk down backwards and that being the last time we have to do that. Also we scrimmaged against Indiana Weslyn, they were a great team and allowed us to get on the court and build some team chemistry for the following season.

This past week I decided that I was only going to focus on one position, libero. I have been going back and forth between outside and libero and have come to conclusion that it would be best for the team if I were to stick in the back row. My height is a disadvantage for the front row, so to make up for not being able to hit over a girl that is 6'2'' I decided that my attribute will be to cover a tip that has been blocked by her instead of being blocked by her. Not only that but we also performed our group projects. It was amazing to get together with the team and coaches and laugh hysterically. Everyone was so creative and looked like they enjoyed getting together with their groups.

We have been working extremely hard these past two weeks and as a team we have already progressed and grown. Everyone seems eager to get ready for the season, myself as well. This week we will be traveling to our preseason tournament in Florida where we will face some challenging teams. But if we can play together like we laugh together than I can't see team chemistry being a big issue.

I can't wait for this season or for Florida!

Time for practice to get ready for this big season!

GO LEWIS FLYERS!!!!

Nikki Maes #6

 

Player Diary - Rachel Ruedi

Sept. 9, 2010

Hello Flyer Followers!

It's been a great start for our volleyball team! We just returned home from a very successful tournament at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida. The tournament was full of great competition. We played five matches in a span of three days which is tough to do mentally and physically for any team. Fortunately, thanks to the conditioning and team bonding that we did during pre season, your Lewis Flyers made it out of the tournament with a spotless record, and the tournament MVP! (Lauren Seliga).

Even though we were the only nationally ranked team this weekend at the Lynn tournament, the competition that we faced was very challenging and very good. At any given point, in any of the matches we played, the girls on the other side of the net were either taller, stronger, quicker and/or smarter. Having this successful of a weekend was not a cakewalk. The teams that we played were all very good and we were pushed mentally and physically. We lost sets in 3 of our matches, and actually had to fight back from a 2-0 deficit against the home team, Lynn University. The last time that our team has won a 5 set match after losing the first two sets was back when I was a sophomore in 2008 against the University of Missouri St. Louis. That's a huge accomplishment in itself, especially against Lynn, who is a very good team and had the crowd on their side with home court advantage.

Now as I sit here and write this, I'm actually in the process of packing for our next tournament. We leave for Denver tomorrow for some high quality volleyball this weekend. Most of the teams that we will play are ranked top 25 in the nation. Not only is this good experience for us, but it will also show just how well we can respond in pressure situations. Our first game of the tournament is this Friday against the number 2 team in the country, Tampa. We have been working very hard in practice, and scouting their team to make sure that we can grasp just how well they play, so that we can play to the best of our ability as well. Everyday in practice, we all make it a goal to push ourselves and to bring energy in drills and scrimmages so that we can get ready for this huge tournament.

I hope that everyone who is reading this has a chance to come out and watch us this year. We have a new class full of freshman and transfers who are stepping in right away and making a huge difference for our team. Also we have our veterans to the squad who bring experience and knowledge to the game. We should be a lot of fun to watch this season. So put on a red t-shirt, bring the family, and cheer on your number 14 ranked Lewis Flyers soon!!

Rachel Ruedi #15

Player Diary - Katie Lindsey

Oct. 5, 2010

The season is well under way and with the exception of two games we have been doing an awesome job! I really think this year's team has sooooo much potential it's just going to come down to how bad do we want it! Thursday night's theme practice was crazy shirts and I thought we had a good practice! I felt we had the most communication and we all worked really hard! I heard on the bus yesterday Mary saying that even if she is having a bad day just being around the team makes her forgot all the bad things and be happy. I totally agree with that! I love this team soo much and love how we all support each other! Im so glad I'm a part of this amazing team! Love you girls! Keep working hard! :)

Katie Lindsey #12

 

Player Diary - Jen Krumwiede

Oct. 6, 2010

The season has been going well so far. Beating Indy was definitely the highlight! Now we just have to stay focused and after the loss against UMSL we REALLY got to stay focused. Hopefully everything will go our way and we will be able to host conference at our place. Practices are getting tougher, but that is good because we are improving. Just got to keep pushing each other and beat NKU and Bellarmine this weekend!

Jen Krumwiede #19

 

Player Diary - Hannah Koeneman

Oct. 8, 2010

Hello Flyer Fans!

Well this past week was quite interesting to say the least. After a week of practice we packed up for our first long bus trip to St. Louis. Friday we played UMSL, who is showing to be a very strong team in the conference this year. Unfortunately we lost to them in three games. This was our first lost of the regular season, so it really hit us hard. We spent a lot of time talking about what to fix, and how to get a new fire for the rest of the season. We came out Saturday and played Lewis volleyball again against Missouri S&T. This was a great game. We won in three, and coach was able to get a lot of players in the game. It was a great match to see. We were all anxious to get back in the gym and start improving. The loss we had this past weekend really pushed us as a team to get better and work on all the little things so that does not happen again. We are now ranked 11th in the nation, and are working on moving back up. We have two matches at home this weekend against NKU and Bellarmine that are going to push us again. These will of course be great games to watch!

As our team goes:

Lauren Seliga has taken on a whole new role on the team this year and is playing fantastic.

Rachel Ruedi is every bit of the all-American that she is.

Adria Phillips is digging up balls like it's her job.

Kelly McConkey has brought a great attitude and energy to push the team this year.

Danielle Mount destroys anyone in her path.

Colleen Mitros is the hardest worker in America. People better watch out next year.

Katie Crawford has hands like butta.

Faith Watson has really shown how to unleash on the ball this year.

Hannah Koeneman has made her junior class proud by being a stud. (love Faith :))

Mary Carroll has energy better than Barney the purple dinosaur, which has helped the team tremendously.

Jill Carlberg is a blocking machine.

Nikki Maes has done a tremendous job overcoming dead leg and is faster than a jaguar.

Jen Krumwiede has been a great addition to the outside this year.

Carly Perschnick is the Great Wall of China.

Vivian Pritz is working hard this year and does a great job of pushing the team.

Kim Vertin is looking at being the next Misty May.

Jess Wiltjer never stops smiling even during acceleration or circle of death. (two worst drills EVER) :)

Amy Choi is as agile as a worm. Freshman of the year material. :)

Katie Lindsey has a hammer as an arm.

So, as you can see we have a huge team full of all stars. Everyone pushes in practice to get better, and to make their team mates better. We are so excited to come out the rest of this season and show everyone what we are made of.

Go FLYERS!!!

Hannah Koeneman #9

Player Diary - Katie Crawford

Oct. 11, 2010

This week is Fall Break at Lewis University. It is the first time anyone can remember being home during the break. Usually we travel, but it is nice to have the extra time to relax and to prepare for our matches. We played Northern Kentucky University (NKU) on Friday and Bellarmine University on Saturday. We won both and it was great to see the team play like the Lewis team I have always remembered. We bounced back stronger than ever after the previous weekend. If we keep showing our resiliency like we did this weekend, we can really go far this season.

This team is always about having fun. We play better when we do so. We added blocking and defensive movement to our warmups against NKU and Bellarmine. It allowed us to get moving and really show the kind of goofy, and silly team that we are. The energy we brought to warmups this weekend facilitated that same kind of atmosphere in the game, and when we have this energy we are unstoppable.

The wins this weekend put us and University of Missouri- St. Louis (UMSL) at the top of the conference. This is a good place to be going into the GLVC/GLIAC Crossover this upcoming weekend. We are going to need to have fun and focused practices this week, since these matches are important in our regional and national rankings. We will be playing some good competition, and need all your support! This year the Crossover is only in Aurora at the Great Lakes Center, so come cheer on your Lewis Flyers!

Katie Crawford #17

 

Player Diary - Danielle Mount

Oct. 27, 2010

This past week was a good week for Lewis Women's Volleyball. We had 3 matches in a row this past weekend and went 3-0. The games allowed the majority of the team to get playing time, which is always nice when being on a team with 18 girls. We had a fun bus ride going down and coming back from Kentucky and Southern Indiana. The trip was especially fun because we stopped on the way back so coach could buy us ice cream!!! There's nothing like a bus full of hungry girls to scare the people working at Dairy Queen...

This past Tuesday we played Wisconsin Parkside and beat them in 4! The Parkside team has grown exponentially over the past years to become a very competitive team in our conference. They were very scrappy picking up crazy balls with one arm saves. They were also a monster block having 6 foot girls all across the front row. However, we came out on top by playing our game and not allowing them to come back after we got a lead.

The upcoming game against Maryville is going to be a fun one. Not only are we having a Halloween costume contest but it is also Senior Night!!! Come out and support our seniors during the last regular season home game of their colligate careers! As always Friday night, 7pm, Neil Carey Arena.

Danielle Mount #18

Player Diary - Colleen Mitros

Nov. 8, 2010

Going into this past weekend our team knew the outcome of our Rockhurst match would have a direct effect on where the GLVC Conference Tournament would be held. The match went to five games with both teams fighting to the end. Lewis won the fifth game 15-6 and that night secured the right to host the conference tournament this weekend. On Saturday we played Drury and won in three, clinching the regular season title of Conference Champions. This is my third season playing for Lewis Women's Volleyball Team and I know nothing different than the conference tournament being played on our gym floor.

It recently dawned on me that this is by no means an easy task to accomplish and is something that should make us all feel very proud. I believe we are so successful year after year because the expectations have been set. We push each other every day to strive for excellence, we have great leadership from our coaching staff, and we have wonderful support from our school and our fans. More importantly we know we need to have respect for ourselves and respect for all those teams we encounter throughout our season. We maintain a great balance of having fun and working hard, which makes it a blessing to be a flyer!

Colleen Mitros #8

Player Diary - Jessica Wiltjer

Nov. 8, 2010

Hey Lewis Followers!

So this weekend we took away two wins against Rockhurst and Drury claiming our conference title! This means we get to host the conference tournament next weekend. Our game on Friday vs Rockhurst was a nail biter as it went to 5 games. But we won the 5th game 15-6, I think it was because we brought the energy. I think that is what this team is all about....energy. We are a team that knows how to have fun by being crazy and not caring what others think. For example on Saturday vs Drury there was no music playing. So instead of it being silent we all just broke out into song, singing at the top of our lungs.

I am a freshman this year and I am so glad I chose Lewis to go to school and to play volleyball. The team was welcoming and made me feel at home. At first it was difficult but they all told me it would get better. They were right because it did. Practices are very productive and are a ton of fun. On Thursdays we have theme practice where we dress up as something silly. This past Thursday we had morning practice from 6-8 so we decided to make it pajama day which was nice because we didn't have to change when we woke up. =) I have been told this year that we have a very deep team. In practice at the end we have the starters vs. the non starters andIi feel it is pretty close competition. The non starters push the starters a lot so they can get better. We have 4 seniors that are leaving this year and they are going to be missed a lot, but I feel they are teaching the younger players a lot so the team can continue to be successful in the future. Come cheer us on this weekend in our tournament!

Jessica Wiltjer #16

Player Diary - Amy Choi

Nov. 16, 2010

WE DID IT!!!! The 2010 GLVC Conference Volleyball Champions is LEWIS UNIVERSITY! This weekend has been completely amazing. In the past couple of weeks, our team has really come together realizing that our season is soon coming to an end. We have worked so hard all season long and all the time and effort we put into this season is finally paying off. I could not be any more proud to be a part of the Lewis Volleyball team.

Our first match on Friday was against Drury. We beat them in three, which was good for us because we kept our focus throughout the entire game. Saturday we ended up playing UMSL for a place in the championship. The entire team was psyched to play them, being the only conference team we lost to during the season. Although we lost the first game, we came back and won the next three games to win the match. This was great for us because we got to redeem ourselves and show everyone that we deserved to host conference in our gym.

The championship was against Indianapolis. This entire weekend couldn't have been a better match up for us. As a freshman, I wasn't part of the team last year when Indianapolis beat Lewis for the conference championship. But I knew how much everyone wanted this win, not only to be conference champions but also to get sweet revenge for what happened last year. When the match started, we were all ready to leave everything on the court, and that is what we did. The stands were packed and both teams brought so much energy to the court. Although we did drop the second game to Indianapolis, the first, third, and fourth games we managed to win. The moment we got the last point, everyone was ecstatic. People were hugging and jumping and crying. I've never felt closer with our team and I really think we are peaking now, at the end of our season, rather than in the middle or the beginning of the season. With that said, we should be able to go into regionals with confidence and a mindset that we can beat these teams and we can go all the way. We just have to trust each other and believe that we can win.

I am so proud to be a part of this team and I could not be more proud of the girls on this team. I'm thankful for all the players being supportive of one another and being accepting of one another. I know at a lot of schools, being on a team with 18 other girls will without a doubt lead to conflicts and drama on the team - not here. We are all very different, from where we're from to what our personality is like, but we all get along and hold each other up, no matter who it is.

Love, Amy Choi #2

PS. Rachel Ruedi won GLVC's Player of the Year award, and our coach Lorelee Smith won GLVC's Coach of the Year award!!!! They both truly, truly, truly deserve it :) GO FLYERS!

Player Diary - Jillian Carlberg

Nov. 24, 2010

Hey Everyone,

So this is probably the WORST timing I could have had for my diary entry, but someone's got to do it... So the season is officially over. Looking back on the past couple of weeks we have made amazing strides as a team, practices were intense and focused, and it all paid off at the conference tournament where we took first! I think I speak for everyone when I say it felt absolutely amazing to grasp that title. Hard work had paid off and we get rings! (who doesn't want that?) Unfortunately, we didn't gain the same feeling from regionals. We played our hearts out against UMSL and swept them in our first round, but semi-finals were not so sweet. We came out a little less excited than usual, and you could feel a different energy on the court. While we busted Grand Valley's you-know-what in the second game, it wasn't enough to pull us out of the 2 to 1 detriment we had made for ourselves. The fourth game went to Grand Valley and our season ended right there in Hillsdale, MI. I can't say that it was a total disappointment though. While losing and fall season being done for this year stinks, we still had fun as a team and enjoyed our time together. That is one great thing about our team is that everyone knows how to have fun together.

I wish we were still practicing and had the victory of regionals under our belt for the first time ever in Lewis history, but the reality of it is, simply, we don't. Instead, we have to take that burning desire and bring it to spring season and next fall where we will work even harder to come back and give it another fighting shot.

Probably one of the saddest things about our season being over is all the seniors leaving. Rachel, Kelly, Lauren, and Adria were all HUGE parts of our team and will be HUGELY missed.

RACHEL is an energetic, happy, enthusiastic person that can always make you laugh. Her leadership on and off the court always drives me to be better and try harder. She knows how to take criticism and transfer it into better play. Being the setter on a team, with a coach as a former setter, puts a lot of pressure on your shoulders. I think Rachel takes that pressure graciously and sets a great example for others to follow. I'm going to miss her "big sets" :)

KELLY is another guaranteed smile on the court. She has the drive for everyone to get better and knows how to come to practice and games ready to play great and lift everyone's spirits. She is always willing to have a good time with her teammates and does an awesome job of making a role for herself on our team. She is a great go-to for getting aces and digs and it will require big feet to fill her shoes.

LAUREN is the one of the best examples of a team player. She really stepped into her role as captain this year and led the team by example. She may be our "warm-up nazi" but it is all for the better of the team. She is someone to look to for advice about the game and even life. She works hard in the classroom and on the court to be smarter and better than she already is. I'm going to miss her pump-up cheers and easy-going attitude when things don't necessarily go her way.

ADRIA is the smartest player I have ever played with and will be majorly missed. Her coaching experience and playing experienced helped our team so much this year. She stepped into her role as captain and showed everyone how to expect a lot out of your teammates and even more out of yourself. If I ever had anything I needed help or advice about, I know I can go to AIDS. I know I speak for everyone when I say I can't wait to go to her wedding this summer!

I will miss all our seniors and want to thank them for helping make another great season of Lewis Volleyball!

Jillian #13

Player Diary - Kim Vertin

Nov. 30, 2010

Hello Flyer fans,

Happy belated Thanksgiving! Hopefully everyone had a wonderful time with their families and friends back at home and got to spend their time with everyone they are truly thankful for.

One thing I can honestly say is I am thankful to be a part of such a great volleyball program here at LU. My first collegiate volleyball season was extremely fun, exciting and interesting to say the least. Our team is incredibly talented, guided by some amazing seniors and leaders of all ages. One of the greatest things is that everyone contributes something on our team, whether they be our go-to hitter on any given day or the loudest person on our mile-long bench, everyone brings something to the table. And our team is so much fun! We have a unique `identity' as our assistant coach Andy (Coleslaw) would say, which is very true. Everyone has so much unique energy which makes our games extremely fun to watch.

At the beginning of the season, I made the decision to red-shirt. It's been hard not getting to play once but it definitely was a wise decision for me. All season I was strongly encouraged to watch our senior outside, Lauren Seliga, and try to learn from her and transfer that into my play. This year watching Lauren has really just amazed me, not only is she a smart player offensively, but her defense is AMAZING! She is a great court leader and she and the rest of our seniors will be extremely missed by everyone.

Sadly our loss last weekend to Grand Valley has ended our season and our time with our wonderful seniors, but all of our returnees are extremely anxious for this spring. I know that all the red-shirts are anxiously awaiting the ability to compete again and through the few hard losses we've had this season it gives us fire and motivation to take what we've learned into spring. We have many talented returnees and it will be very fun given the chance to play again!

As for now I hope everyone has a very fun and safe holiday season!

Go Flyers

Kim Vertin #4

2009

Player Diary - Stephanie Sagat

Aug. 17, 2009

This is my final preseason letter I will be writing, and I am pretty sad about it. On the other hand, I am very excited about what this season is going to offer. Even though we are only one week into our preseason practices, I can already feel that this team is positively different. I know I was previously apart of teams that won conferences, and made it to the national tournament... But now I feel as though this season and team are going to be ten times better (which pretty much means we are going to be unstoppable). I believe that this is my favorite preseason so far. During all the practices everyone has been pushing 100% or more. By having this strong mentality to push this hard from the beginning will help through out the season. Everyone is excited for challenges during hard practices which shows that this team is very competitive, and will never give up through out the year.

Our team has a wide variety of players on it for each position, and every single girl is an amazing athlete. This is definitely going to give our team depth for the entire season. There is a variety of possibilities our team can offer which will be hard for opposing teams to play against. Besides knowing that my team mates are spectacular volleyball players, I feel like I have been playing with them for a lifetime; even the freshmen! This characteristic will help our team gel so well this year. Furthermore, I really enjoy being with these girls off the court. You would think I would get annoyed with them, but I definitely have 18 best friends.

I know I will be upset when this season comes to an end, but the tears that I will shed will only come when we win the national tournament in December. :)

Love, Sagat #2

 2009

Player Diary - Colleen Mitros

Aug. 25, 2009

- Every since I was little, I have always dreamed of winning a National Championship. I have always known that only a very small percentile of volleyball players are lucky enough to have that experience. To me, winning a National Championship would be the most important moment in my volleyball career. Recently, however, my perspective has changed.

It does not matter to me anymore if my team and I are crowned National Champions in December because what is important is how we trained and what are attitudes are like up to that point. As a unit, we, Lewis Women's Volleyball are one of the hardest working teams on and off the court. I have been on no other team where I've felt more a part of a family. We always consult with one another before any team decision is made. We are one of the few teams where every single player gets along with one another and that is an exceptional feat to accomplish considering with have a roster of 19 players. Every single girl puts in the extra time and effort to make herself a better volleyball player for the well being of the entire squad. Our team is one of the few teams that can balance having a great time on the court, while still staying focused on the task at hand.

Another rare quality our team possesses is we have more than one or two true leaders on our team. We have leaders who lead by example, through their actions and we have leaders who lead authoritatively, with their words. Everyone of our leaders has different characteristics, but they all are essential to our teams success. All 19 players, 3 coaches, and fans play a key role in what makes Lewis Volleyball such an awesome legacy to be a part of. I would never want to trade the chemistry of my team for any National Title. It is a privilege and a blessing to call myself a Flyer.

I feel as if I have already won the Championship.

Love, Colleen #8

Player Diary - Sara deBuhr

Sept. 2, 2009

Being a senior on this team is hard to believe. We have gone through so many different things throughout the three years I have been at Lewis University. However, I don't think I have ever had this amazing of a team. Our team is truly one of a kind and I wouldn't want it any other way. Our large roster of 19 girls has enabled us to have an increasing amount of different strengths which I believe will allow us to be the best team out there and achieve our ultimate goal of a National Championship!

Our preseason was the best I have been part of since I have been at Lewis. I think that our team all came in ready to go and wanting to achieve our overall goal. Our first tournament was in Florida and we finished our first weekend of games with a winning record of three wins and one loss. We have another preseason tournament in Denver, Colorado this coming weekend. Our team is looking forward to another trip this coming weekend. We have some tough competition but we are all confident we will do well there.

Lewis University is starting to make a mark and this year is going to be no different. We have the talent to have great success and great success is what the team is striving for this year! Go Flyers!

Love,

Sara deBuhr # 13

Player Diary - Faith Watson

Sept. 8, 2009

Only having two years at Lewis so far, I can tell you that it is more than I ever imagined. We are a team of 19 teammates as well as friends. The chemistry we have is unbeatable and is definitely something that is going to help us go far this year. When I play with all of the girls I feel like I have known them and played with them all my life. Although we have only had two tournaments this year, I think who ever has seen us can agree that we are like no other team. The chemistry, the intensity, and the excitement are some things that can't be matched, not just on the court but also on the bench.

This past Thursday we left with 14 of our 19 players to go to Denver for the biggest tournament we will play until the National Tournament. Leaving five great players behind we knew we were going to have to pull a lot of weight, especially with five less girls on the bench. (If you haven't seen the bench cheer you should watch, because we have the best bench around :)). It felt like leaving part of our family behind, but it was something that we had to do. So, just as expected, we pulled through and did amazing. The first game we played the number 3 ranked team in the nation (West Texas A&M), and took it to 5 games. Although we lost, I think every single one of us realized how good we were and how far we can go this season. We followed that with another loss to Central Missouri, who ended up taking 2nd in the tournament. We finished up the tournament with two sweeps in a row, and are now back at Lewis on Wednesday and then Friday and Saturday for the Flyer Festival.

If you haven't been able to get out to a game in a while, or want to see what volleyball is really about, I suggest watching us. If we go as far as we know we can, we can and will make volleyball history at Lewis University this year. :) Hope to see you soon!!

Faith Watson #11

Player Diary - Rachel Ruedi

Sept. 18, 2009

Let me tell you what, Lewis Women's Volleyball is off to a great start and we're only progressing further into greatness. This past weekend we came off an UNDEFEATED home tournament winning our own Flyer Festival. We had the wonderful opportunity to host some of the greats in DII women's volleyball and we came out on top. It was a great weekend for our team and our fans. Lewis finished with some big and exciting wins for our fans. Plus, everyone got playing time this past week and the funny thing about it is that everyone did really well. Our bench is overwhelmingly deep and if I were other coaches for other teams, I'd be nervous about that statistic.

Starting this year, I was incredibly excited to be a setter for this profound team that we have. There is no better feeling than dishing the ball out to a teammate who's on fire and them pounding the ball down. I knew coming into this season that our team is special. Not only because we have this great depth to our team with amazing hitters and defensive players, but because we all sincerely enjoy playing together. If you've ever been on a sports team, you may be aware that it's almost "unnatural" to be on a team who all genuinely enjoy being on the court together, let alone be amazing at what you do.

I love Lewis Women's volleyball. Everything about all 19 of the girls and our three coaches exudes "team". I've never felt the camaraderie that our team possesses prior to playing here. If you've ever had the opportunity to watch us play a match live, you've probably witnessed the chemistry that we have with one another. Whether it is from the loudest player on the bench firing up our crowd and our team, our coaches calling plays and strategizing or any one of our 6 on the court, everyone plays with heart at Lewis. Our team has the biggest heart I've ever come across in my extensive playing history and I'm lucky to be playing with all of them.

If you're a fan of volleyball or are just looking for something to do on weekends, make sure that you're checking out our playing schedule. You may have a chance to witness history, so come on out to our games. Trust me, we'll make it worth your outing.

#15 Rachel Ruedi `11

 

Player Diary - Katie Crawford

Sept. 22, 2009

This past weekend was the first time we traveled on our huge bus together this season. Even though traveling for hours can be a drag, and seem to never end, when you travel with the Lewis Volleyball team the time flys by. Some of the things that happen on the bus include sleeping, of course, movies, and living up the personality of the Lewis Volleyball team. One other thing that happens on the bus, something that many people overlook, is homework. Grades are really important to me, as well as, the rest of the team. You can tell when people are focusing on homework because the bus becomes really silent, and quiet is not a word you associate with our team. We even implemented a mandatory study hall on Thursday to ensure we finished all our homework before our first late practice and the exciting weekend ahead. It is something really unique about our team; we are successful both on the court and in the classroom.

Free to concentrate on our biggest rival, University of Indianapolis, it was no wonder that we swept them! It was a really thrilling game to watch and to play in. Indy is one of our biggest rivals, so winning this game meant a lot. You could feel the adrenaline pumping in everyone. Despite the overwhelming majority of Indy fans at the game, they couldn't stop the excitement coming from both the court and the bench. It is amazing the things that can happen when everyone's heart is in the game.

We also had another conference game on Saturday against St. Joseph College. Unfortunately, last year we lost to them. So naturally, we had a huge grudge against them and it showed in the match. We beat them 25- 11 in the first game. With this mindset, we were unstoppable. A lot of the bench saw some play time as well and still won. This demonstrates not only the depth of our bench, but the great chemistry we have with each other. No matter who plays, we still are able to win and play well together. After this match, we are now undefeated in the GLVC Conference!

Rounding out this weekend, we participated in a parade through Romeoville. All of the sports teams from Lewis participated, in addition to, other high school and grade school sports teams and organizations. Since Lewis can sometimes be considered its own community, it is nice to see that we are also part of the community of Romeoville.

After beating Indy, who was nationally ranked Number 9, you can now say hello to your Number 13 Lewis Flyers!

Katie Crawford #17

Player Diary - Kelly McConkey

Sept. 30, 2009

Oh another awesome week of being a Lewis Flyer, there aren't any complaints especially since I have the honor of being on such a great volleyball team. This past week we showed what it's like to take care of business. After three matches we came out with three wins and it's awesome. Being undefeated in conference so far is a great accomplishment and I hope we can keep it up from here on out. This weekend was our first trip to our new opponent in Springfield, Illinois. We came out with a win with a lot of different people getting the opportunity to play. I personally got a little more experience as a libero in a couple games this weekend and it was so fun. Being able to play with so many different people is a great feeling. This point has been stressed a lot with our team this year and I don't think it could hurt to do it again, but being out on the court and getting to play with a variety of different people that can all deliver is great. Some teams may have the luxury of having 6 or 7 good starting players, but we have 19 GREAT volleyball players!!

After redshirting last year and not having a lot of experience in the back row I have felt more than welcome by everyone on the team this year. It has been a big transition for me to go from being an outside hitter to a defensive specialist but I have had nothing but good experiences.

I can already see that this team has so much potential for the year and it is such an awesome thing to be able to set high goals for ourselves that are truly attainable. The year has just begun but I see us going nowhere but up. This year has been a transition for us all now that we only have games on weekends, but I think it will be good for us. It gives us the whole week to prepare for our games on the weekends. This weekend we host University of Missouri St. Louis, and Missouri S&T. They are both big conference matches that we are focusing on to get two more wins to add to our undefeated conference record. I hope everyone can make it out to support us, that fans are truly what keep us going!!

Go Flyers!!

-Kelly #5

 

Player Diary - Hannah Koeneman

Oct. 6, 2009

Oh boy oh boy!! This season just keeps getting better and better! The Lewis Flyer volleyball team has had a strong start this season with being undefeated in conference, and steadily moving up in the national rankings. So far this season we have had three players of the week, which may be a record for us, and I know with the way things are going there will be many more to join that list.

We spent this past week preparing for an ever increasing rival, UMSL. This team last year did not respect us the least bit at our cross-over tournament, so we were ready to bring the heat! Friday was the Lewis homecoming, so we were fortunate to have a ton of fans to come out for this big game. The bleachers were packed with tons of people. It just brought the energy level up even more than usual. We came out strong in the first game beating UMSL 25-14. They weren't going down without a fight though. UMSL ended up taking us to 5 games. In the fifth game we easily came out on top. In the end we proved to be the better team, and once again showed them whose boss. Saturday we then played Missouri S&T. This match was another great match to see. Coach was able to make a lot of subs so that many people got to play. Winning in 3 was also a great accomplishment after having such a long match the night before.

It has been so fun being a part of this team this year. We have so much chemistry, and I am confident in anyone to go out and be an asset on the court. We have not come across a team yet that has as much depth as we do on our team. If you have not gotten a chance to see us play yet, you are missing out! Each match we play, we improve as a team, and it just gets more and more exciting being a part of this success.

Every week we show our opponents the talent we have, how a great team can play.....oh and win J The best part is that we are all doing it because of the love we have for the game. We work hard, and have a blast doing it! Hope to see you at a future game!!

YAH FLYERS!!

#9 Hannah Koeneman

Player Diary - Nikki Maes

Oct. 23, 2009

Thank God I am feeling better because last week was not my week. I unfortunately got strep throat that turned into tonsillitis in which did not allow me to go to Kentucky for the weekend. It was really hard sitting at home wondering how the team was preparing for the games while I sat on the couch helpless not being able to support my teammates. I felt terrible for not being there but everyone's reassurance that they just wanted me to get better really made things easier that I wasn't going to attend.

I was so excited and happy to hear that they swept Bellarmine in three and defeated NKU, a great team, in four. I was so proud of the Lewis flyers! Whenever I tell others what team I am on, I always brag about our rankings and how excited I am to be on the greatest team with the best chemistry.

Now that I am healthy and ready to get back on the court we have a huge week coming up to prepare for mentally and physically. One of our biggest tournaments the Crossover is coming up and to have a chance at hosting Regional's we need to take the whole thing. I know that with our team's stability we can defeat the crossover 3-0 if we put our minds to it.

Our next themed practice that is coming up is 80's style. As a team we have to dress in 80's apparel for practice but instead of being in our home gym we will be at the Crossover site practicing in front of all the other teams in the tournament. I know this will have no effect on us, as we will walk in there like nobody's watching and just do our thing.

YAYYYYY! We took the whole tournament beating Michigan Tech, Grand Valley, and Ferris State; very successful teams that are highly ranked in their region. But those teams didn't stand a chance against us as we went through the tournament untouchable. The compliments we received from every team we played truly made me thrilled inside to be a member of the team. We cheered for our the other regional teams and showed everyone our good sportsmanship; and by doing so we received some cheers back. This was our 18th win in a row!! We tied with the record from last year and are going to practice hard this week to beat it!! We have two home game matches this week and I know that I am ready to see a 19th win and I am sure everyone else feels the same way.

GO LEWIS!!!!
Nikki Maes #6

 

Player Diary - Kim Richards

Oct. 23, 2009

We just came back from a very long but successful weekend at the GLVC/GLIAC Crossover. The Crossover gave us a chance to play other teams in our region besides just from our conference.

We got to have a crazy 80's themed practice before the tournament, too. The girls were decked out in leggings, sweatbands, scrunchies and side-ponies. We got a couple of confused stares, but we didn't mind, because we had a lot of fun with it. It's doing silly and crazy things like that that makes our team so unique and special.

Our first day we played Michigan Tech and Grand Valley State, and the last day we played Ferris State. Beating Grand Valley was pretty cool since they had ended our season twice in the last 3 years and it definitely felt good to get some sort of revenge. It was the first time Lewis has beat Grand Valley since 1997. All teams proposed certain challenges for us, but we fought and worked extremely hard as a team to earn an undefeated record at the tournament, proving we deserve our ranking as #1 in the region. We were extremely grateful for the always supporting fans who traveled to watch us play and cheer us on. We have the greatest parents and fans ever, and they are always behind us 100% and we are so lucky and can't say thank you enough.

The games were extremely exciting and we played together as a team with high energy and drive. It showed how strong our team really is and helps to make us more confident and motivated for the rest of the season. All together this Crossover was a lot more successful for the GLVC then last year. We fell short only 3 matches with a final tally of the GLIAC winning 24 matches and the GLVC winning 21. This year we really tried to support one another in the GLVC and the final results show how talented and strong our conference has become. Right now our team is just focused on staying on the path we're on and continuing to work hard and better ourselves so we're prepared for the challenges that may lie ahead. Hope to see you at the games!

Go Flyers! Kim Richards #12

 

Player Diary - Mary Carroll

Nov. 3, 2009

Just another great week of our season has gone by, and I once again could not be happier to be a Flyer. Every day I am so grateful for the 18 other girls that have become sisters to me. When I see these girls racing to class on campus, we are 19 separate individuals, but the second we step onto the court we become one team. With our schoolwork becoming more and more overwhelming, we look towards one another for support. This past week was extra hectic, with a weekday match and midterms. All of us had a lot on our mind, but we still managed to walk away with two wins for the week. We played WI-Parkside for the second time this season this week and it was quite the match. We walked into a gym packed full of excitement when we traveled to Parkside on Tuesday. Parkside played a great game, taking us to five sets, but we were able to walk away with the win. From the players on the court to the last girl standing on the bench, every team member felt the adrenaline of this match. After this match we re-focused for the rest of the season, finding what would make us even more successful. On Halloween we traveled to St Louis to play Maryville. We swept Maryville to kept our perfect record in the GLVC.

With all of the hard work that is put into the season we make sure to have fun while doing it. We've developed themed Thursday practices, and in light of Halloween, this past Thursday's theme was Halloween Costumes. I dressed as Superman and my roommate, Nikki Maes, dressed as Spiderman. As us superheroes were warming up for practice, I looked around to see a pumpkin, a nun, a football player, a fairy and even a shark playing volleyball. When I thought practice couldn't get better, in walks our coach. David Heller as a Transformer, Dan Laure as a hillbilly and Lorelee Smith with a pregnant belly. The gym was filled with laughter as we tried to focus ourselves for practice. To any stranger to the gym, we looked ridiculous but to us, it was just another normal Thursday practice.

This coming week is very crucial for us Flyers. Friday we play Drury and Saturday we play Rockhurst. These our are final two conference matches and if we can clinch a win, we gain the right to host the GLVC tournament. Friday's game will be televised again! It is an amazing honor to know we have worked hard enough for our matches to be televised. Friday is also Senior night, so lets get a big crowd to honor our six AMAZING seniors! Try to make it out to a match this weekend, I promise you won't be disappointed.

OH, and say hello to your newly ranked No. 11 Lewis Flyers!

#3 Mary Carroll

 

Player Diary - Ashlee Lindish

Nov. 24, 2009

For the past few years, being a part of this team has really changed me as a person. Along with tough workouts, practices, and team bonding, a family was built. I'm sure there are multiple teams who say they are like a family, but this Flyer squad truly grew together. The chemistry shared between the players and coaches is something that no other team can grasp. Family is being together. It is being successful when struck with adversity. It is sharing passion. It is a group of individuals who were meant to be together in order to be successful. It is having each others backs no matter what the situation is. The Lewis Women's Volleyball team of 2009 is a family.

Although it would have been ideal to continue our efforts post season, things did not end in our favor. While a cloud of defeat is still with us, a sense of pride is still existent. There have been many things that this team, in particular, has accomplished. Multiple individuals broke records or recorded a season high, the team made history, and our Coach was named Coach of the Year. It was great to have so many achievements, but these would not exist without the help from the team.

As a Senior, it was definitely very difficult to end the season with a loss in the sweet sixteen. The best thing I could get from it is knowing I ended my volleyball career playing my hardest. Another positive is that I have developed great friendships that will last a lifetime. The experiences shared with each individual on the team will never be forgotten. We've laughed and cried together, and will continue to remember the times we shared. I hope the underclassman can look up to the six seniors and find it within their hearts to continue the tradition of Lewis Volleyball. Thank you to everyone who came out to support us this year and hope you continue to show your support. Fly on flyers!

Ashlee Lindish #4

 

2008

Player Diary - Justina Begemann

Aug. 19, 2008

- Hey there! Welcome to the brand new 2008 season of Lewis women's volleyball!! My name is Justina Begemann, a senior this year playing as a right side hitter and proudly wearing the number 3 jersey. This is my second season at Lewis and I am SO EXCITED for this year!

We started our workouts on the 11th of August and are now halfway thru preseason! This week has flown by but not without strenuous triumphs in each practice. Our squad is working very hard to reach a new level of goals and improve on our last season. We've had some tough practices including workouts and drills in the sand, which in case you've never played on sand; it is incredibly harder than indoors! With nearly our entire starting line-up back on the floor, Coach Smith has recruited some amazing players that are proving to have the heart and hustle of a Lewis Flyer!!

As most of you may know, we were picked to finish 2nd in the east section of our conference.. This came as both a surprise and disappointment to some considering we have proven ourselves to this conference with back-to-back conference championships the last two years. Even more surprising is that last year we upset a team to claim three of their four losses and now they hold the 1st place slot. Not to fret though, our enthusiastic team sees this as nothing but fuel for the fire. We are working hard every day to demonstrate that we are the best in this conference and we will strive to win it all once again.

Other than practicing, eating and sleeping, the team has spent what time is left getting to know each other better and bonding to be the close family each of you come and enjoy watching play. This team's success comes not only from the talent and work ethic each individual has, but also from the friendships, trust, and bonds we create off of the court.

Well, that is all I have for you this week but you can expect another update next week describing the end of preseason. I hope to see you all at our opening games in a couple weeks so we can show you just how hard we have been working. Justina Begemann #3, Senior

Player Diary - Katie Crawford

Aug. 26, 2008

- We just finished the 2008-2009 preseason! As a freshman, I did not know what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised to be a part of such a hardworking, talented, and fun group of girls. I can feel not only myself, but the whole team improving each day.

I think we have something different than most teams. The team has so much fun and works well together. In addition to the little team building activities before practice, we all went to "Tower Hill" in the Michigan sand dunes this past week. It was hard climbing up and down the sand dunes, but it was so much fun! We were split into groups and had to run around the sand dunes to find the coaches and players that were scattered throughout the dunes. Once we all got there we had to answer puzzles before we could go on to the next coach. This trip helped bring together an already close team even closer.

This week we also were assigned groups to build boats from items we borrowed from the gym or from the cafeteria. The object was to have your boat hold the most amount of pennies. My group took a Gatorade jug, a cafeteria tray and two plastic bottles to make our "Jugtanic." Our boat tipped over the minute we set it in the water. It was ok though because our group won the "Most Creative" award.

We also had a scrimmage this week against another school. It was nice to compare us to competition other than ourselves. This scrimmage combined with our hard work in the gym, and all of the team building activities put us in a good position for our first tournament in California! I am so excited because I have not been there since I was little. I also love traveling with the team and not to mention the good competition. We have to play nationally ranked teams, (Lewis being #15!), but it is nothing that we cannot handle.

Player Diary - Jackie Eichorst

Sept. 8, 2008

Flyer Fans,

For the first time this past weekend, we traveled to San Bernardino California for our pre-season tournament! Here we played teams that we have never played before including; Concordia St. Paul ranked number 1in the nation, UC San Bernardino ranked 4th in the nation, UC San Diego ranked 22nd in the nation, and Shippensburg.

As a brand new team from last year, we came out with a BANG! All 18 members of our team had excitement I have never seen before. Our first game of the season vs. Shippensburg was our first W of the season. Nice job girls! From then on we knew it would just get harder. The other teams put us through a battle never experienced. Rather than upsetting us, they gave us insight to be the best we can be. A learning experience and team chemistry is what developed from this tournament.

Since we started pre-season we have worked extremely hard to get to the point we want to be. From now on, I believe we will push ourselves to further limits than we ever have before. We are a fighting team that earns what is deserved, and a fight is what we put up in California! I am extremely proud of our Lewis Flyers! Team chemistry is the key factor we have to win!

So come out and support your Lewis Volleyball Team!

Jackie Eichorst, Senior #1

Player Diary - Hannah Koeneman

Sept. 9, 2008

- This weekend we hosted a tournament here at Lewis. There were lots of teams who came to our tournament, the Flyer Festival. It was so much fun! Being a freshman this year, I didn't know what to expect from this weekend. We played two matches on Friday and two matches on Saturday. To say the least.... We dominated!

I have such a blast being on this team. There is so much energy, and everyone has the mentality of always wanting to be the best team we can be. We went 4-0, and we were one of only two teams that went undefeated at the tournament this weekend. This also means that we are undefeated at home. That is something that everyone here is very proud of. Practice has been going very well, and we are becoming a closer and better team each and every day. It is so exciting to see the progress we are making.

Now that we have done so well these past two days, we will be heading out on Tuesday to play Wisconsin Parkside. This will be our first conference match of the season, and I can't wait! Parkside is supposed to be a little more of a challenge this year, but I believe we won't have any problems with them.

Everyone has been doing their job to contribute to our successful team. On our team it's not just about those who start and who play a lot, everyone is a very important part to the team, and we would not be who we are without everyone. I believe that this is what is going to make us just as successful if not more as the past two years. This weekend gave us a great taste of what we can do!

If you haven't seen us play yet, you should definitely come to a match. You will not be disappointed!

Hannah Koeneman

Player Diary - Lauren Hatter

Sept. 16, 2008

Our week started out on Tuesday with a trip to Wisconsin-Parkside for our first conference match. We started off a little slow, but as usual, we all picked up our excitement and enthusiasm, and pulled off another `W' in three games. This game was a prime example of how essential our non starters are. Every girl on our team has a tremendous role whether they are playing in games, injured, or red-shirting, and for me to always hear them cheering us on, or listening to their advice on what they see from off the court, pushes me physically and mentally to defeat our opponent.

Along with beating Parkside, Friday and Saturday brought us more competition from Bellarmine and Northern Kentucky. Scouting Bellarmine really aided in our success Friday night. We all were mentally prepared on what to expect from their line-up, and when switches were made, we were able to adjust. Though we lost the second game, it was obvious to us and the coaching staff that we just had a bad game, and we shook it off and dominated the rest of the match.

Beating Northern Kentucky in three games was in my opinion, our greatest achievement this week. We know them for their fast offense and stud hitters, but that proved to be their weakness playing us. Every person on our team is equally talented in their own unique way, and that is what keeps us winning. We play together and never have to worry that if one person isn't on that day, we might lose that game, because there is always someone that can be substituted in and make a positive impact on the team's performance.

This is my fourth year playing for Lewis Volleyball and I could not be more proud of all our accomplishments. Thanks to my teammates, coaches, family, friends, and fans, we will continue to strive towards the top!!

Lauren Hatter #6

Player Diary - Stephanie Sagat

Sept. 29, 2008

-

We are officially half way through the season; yet, it seems like it just began. This past weekend, we played against Drury and Rockhurst. We won both games, and they were a lot of fun to play in. No matter if you are playing in a game or are cheering, and helping out on the bench, everyone has a role that helps our team become victorious. If any one of our players were taken away, we definitely would not be as successful as we are. Recently, everyone on the team gets their time to shine on the court, and if a new player comes in to the game to play, it is like they have been playing the whole time.

 

I am so thankful for being on such a close- knit team for the past three years. I feel as though the team keeps getting tighter every single week. We do this by making team goals (and individual goals) at the beginning of the year, which keeps us all on the same page for our entire season. Our coaching staff is another huge part of our family –ness. They are like the parents of our team that keep us together. Before every game, we have a scouting report done by one of the coaches which really helps us play to our best potential. Besides always playing volleyball at practice, we do team bonding activities. These activities help mold our team, and help us get to know each other better. Outside of the court, we always hang out together, and have the same friends. I believe this is the best asset about our team because we know everyone on our team on a whole different level. When I got my one- thousandth kill this past weekend, my teammates made signs, decorated the bus, gave me a card, a volleyball, and gag gifts. I absolutely loved everything they did for me, and I did not expect any of it! It made me appreciate my team even more because they put their own time and effort into making this accomplishment even more recognizable in my life.

 

Based on everything our team has done this year so far, I believe that we will keep on being awesome through out the season, and I cannot wait to see how far we will go this year!

Player Diary - Kim Richards

Oct. 16, 2008

- This season has been just flying past. We just had a very exciting fall break this weekend. We had three games in a row. Our first game was against Quincy. Fortunately our entire men's and women's soccer team was there to support us and cheer us on! Their energy was amazing and they definitely pumped us up!! We are so lucky to have such awesome supporters.

Then we drove to Missouri to play S&T and UMSL. While there we stopped at one of our players homes for a pre-game meal. The food was amazing, and it made us feel like we were home as well, even though we were hours away. Our team has great chemistry on and off the court, and our pre-game meal was definitely spent full of laughs.

Then we drove on to UMSL for a very tough game. We lost the first two games and fought back to win the match!! The game was so exciting and kept everyone on the edge of their seats! It was great to see how strong our team was and our determination to beat the odds and end with a win. Next day we were on to our final match. We were definitely exhausted mentally and physically after such a draining match, but you wouldn't have been able tell because we came out with fire, energy and excitement. It was inspiring to see us fight past our tired bodies and stay focused to get the job done and win. The entire weekend was a great success. We got to work on some things while trying new things as well. Players that came off the bench played amazing and did awesome jobs. It's so cool how talented everyone on the team is, and if anyone gets thrown into the game they are calm and confident and take control and play well!

After this weekend we continue our winning streak and are now have won 17 matches in a row. We have a lot of hard matches coming up and it's going to be extremely tough to keep us such a rare streak, but we're ready for the challenge!!

#12 Kim Richards

Player Diary - Sara deBuhr

Oct. 19, 2008

- Now being a junior on the Lewis University Volleyball team I think that I have a good respect for what our program is all about. However, I think coming into this year I wasn't sure what to expect. Our team is still slightly young and I was worried our incoming players would struggle with learning what our team is all about however our team bonded and formed together to make an even stronger team that I could have imagined.

Our season couldn't be more exciting. It's flying by as we go from one game to the next it seems like. Even with our slight let down this past weekend at the GLVC-GLIAC Crossover Tournament one can't be too upset with how our season has panned out. Our season has been one of great triumphs; we set a new school record with 18 wins and have had some major wins throughout the season.

Our team is such a tight net group which enables us to get through the defects like last weekend and move on and make our team even better. I'm really looking forward to our next couple of games. We have our game in support of breast cancer and a tournament this weekend and then a couple big games against St. Joe and Indy coming up the following weekend. We are getting into the end of the season and I'm looking forward to and optimistic about winning our third straight conference title.

Sara deBuhr #13

 

Player Diary - Ashlee Lindish

Oct. 27, 2008

- Hi Everyone!

My name is Ashlee Lindish and I am currently a Sophomore on the Lewis Women's volleyball team. I am a libero but recently had surgery, therefore am unable to play. As hard as it has been to watch instead of play, it has been a great experience, and our journey this season is still going strong. We are at a very exciting point of our season. Right now, our record is 24-5 and it is bound to grow. It is obvious how much hard work our team has done. From the beginning of the season until now, there has been so much improvement. Not only physically, but mentally as well. It has taken a lot of work to get where we are today and there is still more work to be done! We are headed in a great direction!

We have six matches before the beginning of the conference tournament. With the goal of hosting in our heads, it is going to be nothing but a fight. Nothing will be handed to us and we are more than willing to work hard in order to achieve that goal. We have a couple of really great matches coming and we plan to be in top mental shape. We have been incorporating a number of pressure drills at practice to help us prepare mentally and you can see how it has helped us retain our focus at this point of our season.

We have a big week this week, with matches including St. Joe and Indianapolis. We know we have a target on our back and must use all of that pressure and turn it into energy. We have the determination and drive to win these matches and are looking forward to the matches, but are focusing each day at a time on skills we need to improve on to be successful with these matches. Come cheer us on, as we feed off of the crowd's energy!! Come see your Flyers on a journey to success!

#4 Ashlee Lindish

Player Diary - LaKeita Jones

Nov. 10, 2008

- For those who were concerned about the Lewis Women's Volleyball team hosting conference or not, you can stop worrying. Fear not Flyer fans . . . . Because we are!!! Yes, you heard right! Lewis University Women's Volleyball team will be hosting the conference tournament this weekend in Romeoville, IL.

This accomplishment did not come easy for us. NO one gave us the number one seed. Even when we were ranked number one in the conference last year, Lewis somehow obtained the second seed to start this season off. With all of our success, there are still individuals who thrive off witnessing our downfall. Knowing this, our team still strives to reach higher heights. Even when all the odds are against us, united we shall stand. It is with this very mentality that we touch the untouchable.

As a junior transfer, I am well aware of what a team can do when their backs are against the wall. I played at the NJCAA collegiate level, and I am very knowledgeable at experiencing triumph over strategic and tragic expectations from fallen opponents. The group of women that make up the volleyball team here at Lewis are an awesome combination of talent, dedication, and strong work ethics. When we all come together as one, impossible is nothing.

La Keita A. Jones #19

 

Player Diary - Danielle Mount

Nov. 18, 2008

I love being a member of the Lewis women's volleyball team. Sunday afternoon we won our third straight conference championship!!! It was insane. We were the defending conference champs playing on our home court with our AMAZING fans cheering us on. USI had some huge upsets in the tournament to get to the final, they had nothing to loose. But we came out on fire and played Lewis Volleyball. We left nothing on the court and played like there was no ball we couldn't get to.  Our girls were all over the court playing scrappy and letting nothing fall. Our senior libero, Lauren Hatter, played flawless in her last home game having 31 digs in a three game match, something that is very hard to do in any match. Everyone was on fire during the game at one time or another. When USI started to focus on one of our hitters, we would just set someone else.  The players feed off of the crowd's energy and the crowd feed off of the players' energy. Our bench was cheering every point of the game, as they always do.  The atmosphere in Neil Cary Area was unbelievable. We have to thank everyone for coming out and supporting us this year. Our fans had a lot to do with us having a perfect home record this year. We can not thank them enough. 

Even though the conference tournament is over, we still have a lot more of volleyball to play.  This weekend we are in the regional tournament. Last year we made it to the last round. This year we are looking to do better and make it to the elite eight.  Our team has worked hard all season long and is ready to prove how good we really are.  We are playing NKU in the first round. It is going to be a tough game, but we are just going to play our game and leave nothing on the court. After that it is time to prove that the GLVC is better than the GLIAC. Watch out Grand Valley, we're coming for ya.

 

-Danielle Mount

Player Diary - Faith Watson

Dec. 15, 2008

We are done with season now, and are finally done with finals. It is halfway through December and I cannot believe how fast everything went. I can remember being out in the sand training just like it was yesterday. All the hard work we put into the season was well worth it, although I think our time was too short. The season was so fun and filled with many bonding experiences that made our team so close. I have never seen as close as a team as we are and it is amazing. The bonding activities we do are awesome and bring us so much closer together. The trust we have off the court contributes to our trust in one another on the court.

Now that season is over I am looking forward to spring season. I do not know what to expect, but I know it will be a lot of work with a lot of rewards. I am so excited to see the improvements in everyone this spring, and to start the practices and tournaments again. Break is a month long, and it is going to be so weird to not play with the team for this long. It is almost like they are my family at school and I can't wait to see them when we get back so we can get back on the court!!

Faith Watson #10

 

2007

Player Diary - Jackie Eichorst

Thoughts on the upcoming season

Aug. 23, 2007

It's official! Preseason volleyball has begun. August 6th was the first day for the new 2007 team to show what we had. For a first scrimmage, I can honestly say we look pretty good!! The first two weeks flew by so fast. Coach Lorelee Smith had a great idea by mixing it up a little bit. We had team practice, individual or group drills, plyos, weight lifting, and not to mention playing sand volleyball every so often to make us better. There is never a dull moment.

So far we don't have any serious or major injuries to treat... just a couple sore legs that ice can take care of. Before we play our first game against University of St. Francis on August 28th, we are playing in the Eckerd College preseason tournament in St. Petersburg, Florida! This should be the time where the team can get to know each other to the fullest.

It is the start of my senior year here at Lewis and my second year playing. I hope to inspire everyone on the team and wish the very best for all of us of the 2007, outgoing, and extremely talented women's volleyball team. Conference Champs 07?

Go Flyers!

Jackie Eichorst

 

 2007

Player Diary - Stephanie Sagat

Thoughts on the preseason

Aug. 24, 2007

Three weeks of preseason have passed and I thought that it was going to be a very hard, grueling couple of weeks. Despise my thoughts, this preseason has been the best yet. Before each of our practices, our whole team does an ice breaker or energizer to start the day off positively. By having an ice breaker at the beginning of the day, it helps put one in a better attitude for harder practices to come.

All of our practices have been set up almost perfectly. On the days of our double practices, the morning workouts were primarily set up for each separate position. For example, since I am an outside hitter, I would practice on hitting different shots, while the defensive specialists would work on digging hard driven balls from each of their back row positions. Evening practices would be based around the team as a whole. We would do scrimmage- like drills, and basically practice what we learned earlier that day.

Besides actually practicing with volleyballs, our team would work out in the gym, weight room, pool, and also at a couple of sand volleyball courts. In the gym and sand courts we did most of the same agility work outs; some differences were the location of the work outs and the distinctive areas on our bodies these exercises affected. Pool work outs mainly targeted our legs but also touched on the arms and core of our bodies.

By exercising in these distinct environments, it helped many physical aspects of our bodies. Our vertical jumps increased, we became quicker on the court, and it made us stronger as a whole. Now that I am packing my clothes, volleyball gear, and swim suit for Florida, I now know that our team is going to be the team to beat at the Eckerd College Volleyball Tournament.

Player Diary - Ashlee Lindish

Three weeks into the season

Sept. 10, 2007

After three weeks of competition, we have really come together as a team. We have experienced what it felt like to be on a winning streak. Our heads were held high, and we felt as if we had accomplished so many things. These matches allowed each of us to work on our individual roles and see the areas where improvement we need. There is still time, and in this time, great strides will be taken.

There is great chemistry on our team. Each member has their own personality and it really makes the team so unique. It has been the best experience I have had at Lewis thus far. Each day at practice, we come ready to work. Strong work ethic is encouraged and shines when we do competitive drills; everyone wants the ball. The drive, heart, and integrity are always key components to our practices. At practice, everyone is always doing something. When the middles are working on arm swings, the liberos do not just sit around. We will be on the next court working on digging line or cross court. There is not one individual who gets the most attention at practice. The team is looked at as whole, not a group of individuals wanting the spotlight to be on themselves.

I am truly looking forward to see what the future has in store for us. We will be facing great competition and we will really be challenged. I know all of our hard work will show through at tight, exhausting matches. We have worked so hard and will continue to do so. Everyone is encouraging; there is not one person who will let someone give up. Our team really has something. There is never a day I dread going to practice. I look forward to going to practice each day.

 

Player Diary - Kelly McConkey

Fun on and off the court

Sept. 25, 2007

This past week was a full week of practice but we seemed to put a little fun into it. On Friday we had our own little volleyball fashion show. All of us split into groups of three or four and our objective was to make an outfit to wear in our fashion show of paper bags clothes. We were supplied with big paper bags and some construction paper. Over the last few weeks we have been working on them and doing our best to make our best design. Finally on Friday before practice we all got together and the coaches made a runway for us to walk on. One person from each group had to model their teams outfit while someone else explained what they were wearing. We had many different styles or clothing modeled and it was overall just a lot of fun. We all spent most of the time laughing at what each group had done. This was just one way our team likes to have fun and just overall have a good time with each other.

As far as the volleyball part goes, things are going well. We can all see that we are a team that likes to work together no matter what. This past weekend when we played Kentucky Wesleyan it really showed. During the three game match it didn't matter who was on the court. There were a few different lineups we played where many different players got in. I like it when everyone gets to play in a match because everyone deserves to get playing time. Being on the court is always fun no matter who you're with because everyone is comfortable with each other.

Player Diary - Lauren Seliga

Life on the road

Oct. 1, 2007

This weekend we played Rockhurst and Drury and they were both really fun games. We traveled for five hours the first night on the way to Drury and had an amazing home-cooked meal at Sara's house. Her mom even had little cakes that had Lewis written on them that were very cute. The next day we drove another two hours to play Drury. The first game we killed them 30 to 20 and it seemed like it would be an easy match, but the second game was much closer and they made it much harder for us to put down balls by picking up their defense. The third game we were behind in the beginning but stayed with them the whole game. In the end it was a close win in the third game 31-29. Overall it was a fun game against a good team who adjusted well. That night we went to Olive Garden and had another amazing dinner.

Our bigger challenge of the week was next in our game against Rockhurst on Saturday. The first and second games we lost because we weren't clicking well. After the first two games we finally got our act together and beat them the third game and didn't look back from there. Everything was on in the last three games, our defense was amazing and working harder than ever and Kim was unstoppable at the net with over ten kills in one game! It must have been really disappointing for Rockhurst to lose after winning the first two games. Saturday was a great win for the Flyers and it showed that we don't just give up on anything. In my opinion it was one of the most fun weekends of the season despite spending 18 hours on the bus.

Player Diary - Sylvia Ciezak

Thoughts on a tough loss at SIUE

Oct. 9, 2007

This weekend was a bit of a disappointing weekend in that we did beat Southern Indiana on Friday night, we lost to SIUE on Saturday afternoon. In both games there were things that we did well and there are things that we know we need to work on. We knew coming into the weekend that we had great competition ahead of us and that especially SIUE was going to come out with a passion to beat us because last year we beat them in the conference championship.

The Friday night match against Southern Indiana went well and we beat them in three. We played with our energy and came out on top. I thought we came prepared and knew who to look out for and who to shut down. Though we did get two less blocks then Southern Indiana we picked it up on the offensive side and hit .266 while we kept them at .119. Overall, it was a good win for us but we knew we had to get refocused for the next days match.

The game against SIUE was definitely the more difficult of our two games this weekend and I feel like we did our best to get prepared for the match. We knew that their setter often attacked the ball and that they had some big hitters so we picked up our blocking and got our season high of 14 blocks. The first game of the match we came out with our high energy that we are known for and then as the match continued, when we got down a run of points, we let that energy level go down. I thought we did a good job coming back even if we got behind a couple points but didn't get enough of a lead the next three games to push ahead and win. It was definitely a very frustrating loss and as a team we know what we have to continue to work on and we'll just come out stronger because of it. I know that we look forward to seeing them in the conference tournament.

Player Diary - Kim Richards

Oct. 29, 2007

This weekend was a very exciting weekend for us! We had a match on Friday against St. Joseph's College, which we won in three. That game was a lot of fun because a lot of the girls got to show their impressive skills! Rachel got to set in the match and did an amazing job. All the players that stepped out onto the court did a great job and no matter who was playing we still executed. Our team is lucky enough to have such a talented bench and everyone on the team is extremely skilled.

Before we headed to our next match we stopped at Lauren Hatter's house for some delicious food. Hanging out with the girls is always a blast; we get along so well and have such a great time together. After we filled up, we headed to our next match at University of Indianapolis.

This was a big match because previously in the season they had beaten us in our home gym. This was a chance for us to go to their school and beat them in theirs! All the girls were looking forward to the game and couldn't wait to show them how much we've improved. We knew it would be a hard match because they had an impressive 25 match-winning streak and were ranked No. 17 in the nation.

We came out and just did our thing. I've never been on such a team that just has so much fun playing and cheering! I love how we play with so much fire and attitude. Anyone who is on the bench cheers so loud and brings so much to the game. Everyone supports the team in any way they can. Our energy filled the gym and we swept them in three games! Our team has something special, and I know we can do great things, as long as we keep playing with heart and having fun. We can be unstoppable and do anything. The Indy game just proves this.

It's so sad to think that our season is winding down. Every match to come is really important because a loss can affect our ranking, and then may consequently hurt our chances of going to the National Tournament. The Conference Tournament is creeping up really soon and it's going to be so much fun fighting to be Conference Champions again this year. I can't believe how fast this season has flown by and I am so proud of how successful our team has been! This has been the most amazing experience and a lot of fun along the way. It's so sad to think that our last home games are this weekend! Saturday is Senior Night, and I can't imagine the team without these three amazing girls, Jackie, Andrea, and Sylvia. They have been such a big part of the team and I know everyone is going to miss all of them so much! I can't wait to honor them this Friday.

 

Player Diary - Sara deBuhr

Nov. 7, 2007

Big wins and stat breakers have been the key points of the Lewis women's volleyball season so far. Two weekends ago we beat the 1st place team in our conference, it was such a great high for our team to win that game. We went into this past weekend with great hopes and such an upbeat attitude. After the games we were still there if not even higher. For me personally I played my best match Saturday against NKU so that feeling of success as a team as well as a player is so amazing that no one can recreate.

Lewis volleyball has broken some huge records this season! We broke the best winning record which is now 27 games since the rally scoring era. Not only did we break that record we also now have Lewis's highest winning percentage which is at .897. It is an exciting season so far and we hope it will continue to go as well as we hope. We are off to the conference tournament this weekend and are competing against University of Missouri St. Louis.

 

Player Diary - Andrea Morrone

Nov. 26, 2007

Now that we have had a week to recover from injuries and the Regional loss, I think our team is really starting to see how far we have come this season. We all wanted to win that Regional Championship game so badly and I think we deserved it more than any other team out there. As a senior, I can say that I feel blessed to have had this my last volleyball season of my career. Not only did we win almost all of our games, we had the time of our lives as we did it! Our team displayed what it really means to be a team. We had so much energy playing the game as well as on the bench. Each member of the coaching staff provided positive characteristics that helped guide the team to all of our victories.

One of the best memories that will stick out in my memory forever would have to be sweeping University of Indy for the second time in a row for the Conference Championship. The second we put that last ball down for the game winning kill, I felt the biggest feeling of happiness and excitement. Wining the GLVC championship is an honor in itself but beating the home team 3-0 made the experience even more memorable. As I graduate in May, I am so proud to say that I was a part of the success Lewis Women's Volleyball experienced in their 2007 season.

 

Player Diary - Danielle Mount

Dec. 3, 2007

To start out I just want to say what an amazing season we have had. We had the most wins in a season since 1981. Not only did we win conference these past two years in a row, but also we made it to the regional finals, the furthest any team has been in the past six years. This is such a great accomplishment for the program. Not only did we go far but also we had a blast doing it!!! One of the best memories from this year had to be when we swept Indy for the second time in their home gym for the Conference Tournament. That was such an amazing game!!

With the success of the program the past two years, we all have a taste of success. We are hungry for more. Although we are losing three great seniors, I believe that the team will be able to keep up our performance and keep winning. When we lost against Grand Valley for the regional championship, we all were disappointed. The whole team can learn from that game. You could not ask for a better teammates and coaches.