Men's Volleyball News - 2008-09

Schweitzer to Play Volleyball at SAU in 2009-10

June 15, 2009

Warren Township senior David Schweitzer is joined by his parents Jill and Dave and Coach Gleeson as he signs his National Letter of Intent to become a Fighting Bee during a signing ceremony at St. Ambrose.

The St. Ambrose Men’s Volleyball Coaching Staff is proud to announce the signing of David Schweitzer from Gurnee, Ill.

Schweitzer, a 6-0 setter, was a Daily Herald Lake County All-Area and North Suburban All-Conference selection. The senior captain was a two-time selection for the all-academic team and has been on the varsity squad since his sophomore year. Outside of volleyball, Schweitzer was a member of the WTHS Presidents Council and he also attended the North Suburban Leadership Conference. Schweitzer plays for Net Force VBC.

“I can see David having a great career at St. Ambrose. He possesses all the characteristics needed to become a phenomenal setter. I know Coach Kramer (SAU assistant coach) will do a great job training David to learn our system,” said Coach Gleeson about Schweitzer.

St. Ambrose will host the 2010 NAIA Tachikara National Invitational Tournament, April 22-24.

Charlie Brown to Play Volleyball for the Bees

June 3, 2009

Stoneman Douglas senior Charlie Brown signs his National Letter of Intent to become a Fighting Bee at Stoneman Douglas High School during a signing ceremony.

Head Coach Bill Gleeson is proud to announce the signing of Charlie Brown from Coral Springs, Fla.

A four-year varsity starter at Douglas High School, Brown became the first recruit outside of Illinois to commit to the St. Ambrose Men’s Volleyball Program this year. Brown, a 6-4 outside and a three-year captain, led his high school team to a stunning 23-3 record high senior campaign and was a senior all-star participant. Outside of volleyball, Brown graduated with honors earning a cumulative 3.875 GPA. Brown plays for Ocean Bay Volleyball Club and will be competing in the 2009 Junior Olympics in Atlanta, Ga., this summer.

“Signing Charlie was a great accomplishment. Not only are we getting a great all-around volleyball player but we are getting a recruit outside of the Midwest. Boys volleyball in Florida is very strong and I think it is an untapped recruiting area,” said Coach Gleeson about the signing of Brown. “Charlie is going to be a wonderful addition to the roster next year; I can’t wait to get him in the gym. I just hope he can adapt to the cold winter weather.”

St. Ambrose will host the 2010 NAIA Tachikara National Invitational Tournament, April 22-24.

Andrasco Latest to Commit to St. Ambrose

June 3, 2009

Brother Rice senior Pat Andrasco (center) is joined by his parents, Jerry and Sheila, along with Brother Rice head coach Brother Paul Ickes and St. Ambrose head coach Bill Gleeson, as Andrasco signs his National Letter of Intent to become a Fighting Bee.

St. Ambrose head men's volleyball coach Bill Gleeson returned to his Alma Mater to sign another recruit to the 2010 roster at a signing ceremony at Brother Rice High School in Chicago, Ill.

Pat Andrasco (Chicago, Ill.), a 6-6 outside hitter, became the most recent member of the St. Ambrose Men’s Volleyball Program. Pat was selected by the Chicago Sun-Times as one of the top 50 boy’s volleyball players in Illinois. The senior captain was a second team all-state and first team all-conference selection. Andrasco plays for Ultimate Volleyball Club and will be competing in the 2009 Junior Olympics in Atlanta, Ga., this summer.

“I am excited to be getting such a quality player from my Alma Mater. I know Pat has been well coached in both high school and club and will make an impact right from the start. We have had a long list of talented players coming from Brother Rice and Pat will continue that trend,” said Coach Gleeson about Andrasco.

With the addition of Andrasco, Coach Bill Gleeson has now has successfully recruited four players from the Top 50 in the State of Illinois as chosen by the Chicago Sun-Times. Gleeson talked about his recruiting class, “This recruiting class is shaping up to be the best in our 10-year history. I recruit to win championships and this class will definitely help us get closer to a national championship!”

St. Ambrose will host the 2010 NAIA Tachikara National Invitational Tournament, April 22-24.

Kats and Bisiules Sign to Attend SAU

June 2, 2009

Pictured above, from left to right: Andrew Kats and John Bisiules, both from St. Rita High School, sign their National Letters of Intent to play for St. Ambrose next year.

St. Ambrose head men's volleyball coach Bill Gleeson signed two more recruits for the 2010 roster at a signing ceremony at St. Rita High School.

Teammates, Andrew Kats (Chicago, Ill.) and John Bisiules (Burbank, Ill.) become the newest members of the St. Ambrose Men’s Volleyball Program. Kats, a 6-4 middle hitter, has been a varsity starter for the last two years. He was also selected to the 2009 Richards Invite All-Tournament team and plays for Ultimate Volleyball Club.

Bisiules, a 6-4 right-side hitter, was selected by the Chicago Sun-Times as one of the top 50 boy’s volleyball players in Illinois. Bisiules was an All-Conference selection as a junior and All-Tournament selection in the Marist, Richards, and Best of Illinois tournaments so far his senior year. He has also been able to stay on the honor roll all four years of high school.

As teammates they have led their high school team to their first ever Chicago Catholic League Championship. They currently have a 23-9 record and are considered as one of the top 10 teams in Illinois.

“I am looking forward to working with Andy and John next year. They both have great natural athletic ability and will be right in the hunt for a varsity spot. Andy brings some quickness to the middle position and John brings a great jumping ability to the right side position,” said Coach Gleeson about the two recruits.

St. Ambrose will host the 2010 NAIA Tachikara National Invitational Tournament, April 22-24.

SAU Signs Four Recruits for 2010 Season

April 17, 2009

Pictured above, from left to right: Miguel Calvillo (Naperville North HS),Ryan Kristensen (Naperville North HS), Victor Lei (Naperville Central HS) and Dan Dierking (Naperville Central HS) sign their letters of intent at a signing ceremony at Naperville North High School.

St. Ambrose head men's volleyball coach Bill Gleeson signed four recruits for the 2010 season at a signing ceremony at Naperville North High School on Tuesday, April 14.

Dan Dierking (Naperville, Ill., Naperville Central High School), Victor Lei (Naperville, Ill., Naperville Central High School), Miguel Calvillo (Naperville, Ill., Naperville North High School) and Ryan Kristensen (Naperville, Ill., Naperville North High School) had all signed their National Letter of Intents to play at St. Ambrose.

Dierking, a 6-5 outside hitter, was selected by the Chicago Sun-Times as one of the top 50 boys volleyball players in Illinois. Dierking has been on the varsity roster since his sophomore year. He has been on the Academic All-Conference team all four years and was chosen as captain during both his junior and senior years. Dierking was named the MVP of the Palos Point series, which featured some of the top boys' volleyball clubs in the Midwest. Dierking plays club volleyball for Sports Performance.

Lei, a 6-1 setter and high school teammate of Dierking, was also selected by the Chicago Sun-Times as one of the top 50 boys volleyball players in Illinois. Lei is a four-year varsity starter and a DuPage Valley All-Conference selection. Along with Dierking, Victor was selected as captain in his junior and senior years. Lei has been on the Honor Roll and selected as Academic All-Conference all four years. He was also awarded Outstanding Academic Achievement for his sophomore and junior years. Recently, Lei was selected to the “Best of Illinios” high school volleyball All-Tournament team. Victor plays club volleyball for Sports Performance.

Calvillo, a 5-10 libero, has been a varsity starter all four years. Calvillo was named MVP of the varsity team as a freshman for Plainfield Central. He was an Academic All-Conference recipient and has been on the honor roll for four years. Calvillo was named captain for his club team, Sports Performance.

Kristensen, a 6-0 setter/libero, has been on varsity for two years. Kristensen has been on the honor roll and was on the Academic All-Conference team his junior year. He was also selected this year as captain of his high school team. Kristensen plays club volleyball for Sports Performance.

“I think this group of players exemplifies what a student-athlete truly is. All four of these guys are academic all-conference and have been on the honor roll their entire lives. On top of that, they are exceptional volleyball players and best friends. I can’t say enough about each one of these players. They all bring something different to the table. Dan brings his height and power. Victor brings his leadership and knowledge. Miguel brings his intensity and magical defense. Ryan brings his positive attitude and great work-ethic,” said Coach Gleeson after the signing.

St. Ambrose will host the 2010 NAIA Tachikara National Invitational Tournament, April 22-24.

Bees' Season Ends in Conference Championship Match

April 5, 2009

St. Ambrose saw its season come to a close in the Mid-America Men's Volleyball Intercollegiate Conference East championship match. The Bees dropped a tough five-set match to Cardinal Stritch to end the season with a 19-16 record.

SAU entered the conference tournament as the second seed. After a first-round bye, the Bees opened tournament play with a 3-1 victory over Missouri Baptist in the semifinals. Set scores were 30-23, 25-30, 30-23, 32-30.

But the Bees season ended the next day. Despite winning the first and third sets, SAU could not hold on and lost 30-26, 25-30, 30-28, 24-30, 13-15.

SAU Drops Senior Night Match to Quincy

March 19, 2009

Quincy University spoiled Senior Night by defeating St. Ambrose 3-1 in the Bees' 2009 home finale Thursday night. Scores were 31-29, 25-30, 30-26, 30-24 as SAU dropped to 16-13 overall.

The Bees led much of the first set, but Quincy rolled off five straight points to grab a 20-19 lead. Trailing 29-26, St. Ambrose won three straight to save three set points before the Hawks won back-to-back points to take the opening set.

SAU evened things at 1-1 by winning the second set. Four straight points late in the set gave the Bees the win. But St. Ambrose was unable to maintain the momentum and dropped the final two sets to lose the match.

Kyle Warrenfeltz led all players with 14 kills. Ryan Schneider (11), Sean Wagner (10) and Mike Westendorf (10) each reached double figures in kills.

Bill Kramer had a team-high 31 assists and Mike Harrington finished with 16. Warrenfeltz finished with 7 block assists as SAU finished with 12 total blocks as a team.

Twelve seniors were recognized before their final home match - Kyle Bolinder, Michael Chipman, Brian Danielson, Chris Ernest, Harrington, Chris Koch, Kramer, Zak Krumlinde, Grant Lehmann, Wagner, Warrenfeltz and Westendorf.

Thanks to the contributions of these seniors, the SAU men's volleyball program has developed a winning tradition and gained national attention.

Some of their successes include:
- two consecutive trips to the NAIA National Invitational Tournament - 2007, 2008
- highest winning percentage for any senior group - .556 (70-56)
- third-place team finish in the 2008 NAIA National Championship
- most wins in a season - 29
- first ever regular season conference championship - 2008
- first ever conference tournament championship - 2008
- 41 consecutive weeks in the NAIA top 10

Bees Move to 7-1 in Conference Play

March 18, 2009

Ryan Schneider and Mike Westendorf each finished with 12 kills to lead St. Ambrose to a four-set victory at Clarke Wednesday night. After dropping the first set 30-25, the Bees won the next three 34-32, 30-24, 30-25. SAU is 16-12 overall and 7-1 in the Mid-America Men's Volleyball Intercollegiate Conference.

The win snapped a four-match losing streak as the Bees dropped their final four matches on their Spring Break trip, including two matches to top-ranked California Baptist and one match to #4 Hope International.

Zak Krumlinde and Kyle Warrenfeltz each added 10 kills. Chris Ernest finished with 9 kills and Hayden Grove had 8. Bill Kramer and Peter Netisingha shared the team lead with 26 assists each. Grant Lehmann led the team with 19 digs.

St. Ambrose will close the home portion of its schedule Thursday night against Quincy on Senior Night.

SAU Handles Hannibal-LaGrange 3-0

March 5, 2009

St. Ambrose had little problem defeating Hannibal-LaGrange, taking the match in three sets 30-20, 30-22, 30-22 Thursday night in Lee Lohman Arena. The Bees improved to 14-8 overall this season.

Sixteen different Bees saw action in the win. Kyle Warrenfeltz had a match-high 8 kills. Ryan Schneider finished with 7 kills, and Scott Manthei, Zak Krumlinde and Dan Dowjotas each added 6. Chris Ernest (5), Sean Wagner (4), Scott Paulson (4) and Hayden Grove (4) contributed to the balanced attack.

Bill Kramer led SAU with 23 assists and Peter Netisingha finished with 13. The Bees finished with 12 total blocks as a team, led by 6 blocks, including two solos, from Paulson. Schneider assisted on 5 blocks.

St. Ambrose will next play five matches in Arizona and California as part of the team's Spring Break trip.

Bees Finish 2-2 at Park Tournament

Feb. 28, 2009

St. Ambrose finished 2-2 at the 2009 Homewood Suites Invitational hosted by Park University on Friday and Saturday. The Bees defeated Graceland and Missouri Valley, and dropped matches to Park and Lindenwood in moving to 13-8 this season.

SAU opened with a three-set sweep of Graceland, taking the match 30-26, 30-27, 30-25. Later Friday, St. Ambrose lost to host and sixth-ranked Park in five sets. The Bees grabbed a 2-1 lead but could not close out the Pirates. Set scores were 30-17, 26-30, 22-30, 30-20, 15-10 in favor of Park.

Saturday, the Bees bounced back and avenged a loss from last weekend by defeating Missouri Valley 30-27, 23-30, 30-21, 30-26. The two-day tournament ended with a loss to #2 Lindenwood 30-27, 30-14, 28-30, 30-16.

Zak Krumlinde finished with a team-best 41 kills over the four matches. Mike Westendorf had 31 kills, Dan Dowjotas added 26 and Kyle Warrenfeltz finished with 21. Bill Kramer led the Bees with 110 assists while Peter Netisingha added 55.

St. Ambrose will host Hannibal LaGrange Thursday at 7 p.m. before heading to Arizona and California for the annual Spring Break trip March 7-15.

SAU Defeats Hannibal LaGrange

Feb. 24, 2009

Ryan Schneider finished with 12 kills and Zak Krumlinde added 10 as St. Ambrose defeated Hannibal LaGrange in four sets Tuesday night. The Bees are 11-6 overall.

SAU dropped the first set, which saw Hannibal LaGrange roll off 11 straight points at one point, 30-24. But the Bees responded by winning the final three sets by identical scores of 30-18.

St. Ambrose jumped to early leads in each of the final sets. The Bees raced in front 11-6 in the second set, 10-4 in the third and 9-3 in the fourth.

Scott Paulson finished with 9 kills and Scott Manthei and Dan Dowjotas each had 8 as 17 different SAU players saw playing time. As a team, the Bees finished with a .426 attack percentage. Bill Kramer had a match-best 39 assists and Mike Harrington chipped in with 13.

SAU will compete in a two-day tournament hosted by Park on Friday and Saturday.

Bees Split Two Matches at Home Triangular

Feb. 21, 2009

St. Ambrose swept Moody Bible in three sets before falling to Missouri Valley in four sets in a home triangular at Lee Lohman Arena Saturday afternoon. The Bees are 10-6 overall.

St. Ambrose opened play with a 30-12, 30-17, 30-12 victory over Moody Bible. Sean Wagner finished with a team-high seven kills. Scott Manthei, Grant Lehmann and Hayden Grove each added six. Mike Harrington recorded a match-high 18 assists and Peter Netisingha added 14.

SAU was surprised by Missouri Valley in four sets in the final match of the day. Missouri Valley won 30-25, 25-30, 30-23, 30-23. Dan Dowjotas was the lone Bee with double figures in kills. He finished with 16. Mike Westendorf had nine and Wagner finished with eight. Bill Kramer had a match-best 44 assists.

In the day's other match, Missouri Valley defeated Moody Bible 30-15, 30-18, 30-12.

The Bees will visit Hannibal LaGrange Tuesday at 7 p.m.

Kramer, Bolinder Set Career Records

Feb. 20, 2009

Two St. Ambrose University men's volleyball career records have recently been broken this season. Senior Bill Kramer set the all-time assist mark and fellow senior Kyle Bolinder established the career dig record.

Through the team's first 14 matches in 2009, Kramer, from Mokena, Ill., has 3,090 career assists. He broke the previous record held by 2006 SAU graduate Kevin Lenart. Kramer also holds the single-season mark with 1,256 assists, which he set last season.

Bolinder from Lake in the Hills, Ill., has come up with 751 digs in his four seasons with the Bees. The reigning MAMVIC East Conference Libero of the Year set a school record with a staggering 430 digs in 2008.

Bees Fall at Lewis

Feb. 20, 2009

St. Ambrose lost 3-1 at Lewis, an NCAA Division I men's volleyball program, Friday night. Set scores were 30-22, 29-31, 30-17, 30-25. The Bees are 9-5 overall.

Zak Krumlinde led all players with 25 kills. He finished with only two attack errors and had a .500 attack percentage. Dan Dowjotas added 11 kills. Bill Kramer finished with 55 assists in the loss.

St. Ambrose will host Moody Bible Institute and Missouri Valley in a triangular Saturday beginning at 1 p.m.

SAU Sweeps Missouri Baptist

Feb. 13, 2009

St. Ambrose dominated Missouri Baptist, sweeping the Spartans in three sets Friday night in Lee Lohman Arena. Scores were 30-23, 30-16, 30-22. The Bees are 9-4 overall and 5-1 in the Mid-America Men's Volleyball Intercollegiate Conference.

SAU lost the first four points of the match but took control soon after. With the first set tied 21-21, the Bees won nine of the final 11 points to grab a 1-0 lead.

St. Ambrose raced to leads of 10-5 in the second set and 10-6 in the third set in closing out Missouri Baptist (2-7, 1-2 MAMVIC) in straight sets.

Dan Dowjotas led all players with 12 kills. Kyle Warrenfeltz finished with 10, Zak Krumlinde had nine and Ryan Schneider added five. Bill Kramer had a team-high 31 assists. Kramer, Warrenfeltz, Schneider and Mike Westendorf each had three total blocks as the Bees finished with 12 as a team.

St. Ambrose will have a week off before visiting Lewis next Friday for a match beginning at 7 p.m.

Bees Defeat #3 Cardinal Stritch

Feb. 11, 2009

After dropping the first set, St. Ambrose bounced back to defeat #3 Cardinal Stritch 3-1 Wednesday night in Lee Lohman Arena. Set scores were 30-32, 30-19, 30-18, 30-27. SAU, ranked seventh nationally, is 8-4 overall and 4-1 in the Mid-America Men's Volleyball Intercollegiate Conference.

The Bees led for much of the first set, including a late 26-22 lead, and had match points at 29-28 and 30-29 before Cardinal Stritch (6-3, 2-2 MAMVIC) rallied for the 32-30 win.

SAU dominated the second and third sets and took early control of the fourth. The lead was 19-13 before the Wolves rolled off six straight points to tie the set at 19-19. The Bees rebuilt a 28-25 lead but after two straight Cardinal Stritch points, back-to-back attacking errors by the Wolves handed SAU the set and the match.

Zak Krumlinde led all players with 16 kills. Kyle Warrenfeltz (12), Mike Westendorf (10) and Dan Dowjotas (10) each finished with double-digit kills. Bill Kramer had a match-best 49 assists.

The Bees finished with 14 total blocks, led by six from Westendorf. Scott Paulson added five.

SAU will host Missouri Baptist Friday at 7 p.m.

SAU Finishes 2-3 at Lindenwood Tournament

Feb. 7, 2009

St. Ambrose was only able to win two of its five matches at a tournament hosted by Lindenwood on Friday and Saturday. The Bees started hot, defeating Graceland 3-1 (32-30, 27-30, 30-19, 31-29) and Warner University 3-2 (30-16, 30-24, 27-30, 24-30, 15-13), but faltered late, dropping all three matches on Saturday.

SAU fell to host Lindenwood 3-2 (21-30, 30-28, 32-30, 20-30, 7-15), lost 3-1 to Johnson & Wales (26-30, 30-17, 27-30, 22-30) and dropped a rematch with Warner 3-0 (25-30, 26-30, 27-30).

Zak Krumlinde led the Bees with 60 total kills over the weekend. Kyle Warrenfeltz finished with 50. Dan Dowjotas (33) and Scott Paulson (31) each had more than 30 kills. Bill Kramer had a team-high 169 assists over the five matches.

St. Ambrose is 7-4 overall and 3-1 in the Mid-America Men's Volleyball Intercollegiate Conference. The Bees, ranked seventh in the latest national poll, will host #3 Cardinal Stritch Wednesday at 7 p.m.

Bees Rally for 3-2 Win Over Clarke

Feb. 4, 2009

After spotting Clarke the first two sets, St. Ambrose rallied for a 3-2 victory in Lee Lohman Arena Wednesday night. Set scores were 26-30, 24-30, 30-28, 30-25, 15-12. SAU is 5-1 overall and 2-0 in the Mid-America Men's Volleyball Intercollegiate Conference.

The Bees started slowly in dropping the first two sets and were on the ropes in the third set. Clarke (5-3, 1-1 MAMVIC) raced to a 5-1 lead and appeared on the verge of a sweep. SAU rallied to take an 18-15 lead before Clarke regained a 25-22 advantage. The Bees won eight of the final 11 points to avoid the sweep and move to a fourth set.

After a quick start in the fourth set, SAU again found itself behind late in the set. Clarke took a 21-19 lead but St. Ambrose won four straight points to grab the lead and held on to force a decisive fifth set.

With the final set tied 8-8, the Bees claimed four of the next five points to take control and eventually closed the match.

Sean Wagner and Zak Krumlinde led SAU with 20 kills each. Mike Westendorf (15), Kyle Warrenfeltz (11) and Ryan Schneider (10) reached double digits in kills. Bill Kramer finished with a match-high 68 assists.

St. Ambrose will compete in a tournament hosted by Lindenwood Friday and Saturday.

Fall 2008 Athletic Director Honor Roll Announced

Feb. 4, 2009

St. Ambrose Athletic Director Ray Shovlain announced today members of the Fall 2008 Athletic Director Honor Roll. To be eligible for the award, student-athletes must have had a minimum 3.0 grade-point average in the fall semester.

There were 306 total Fighting Bee student-athletes named to the honor roll. Of the group, 138 had GPAs between 3.0-3.49, 131 had GPAs between 3.5-3.99 and 37 had 4.0 GPAs.

Men’s Volleyball
Kyle Bolinder
Matthew Brahm
Brian Danielson
Christopher Ernest
Hayden Grove
Michael Harrington
William Kramer
Zakary Krumlinde
Grant Lehmann
Peter Netisingha
Michael Neuner
Brett Panfil
Ryan Piper
Joseph Sponseller
Sean Wagner

Bees Land NAIA National Tournaments

Jan. 31, 2009

St. Ambrose has been selected to host the 2010 and 2011 NAIA Men’s Volleyball National Invitational Tournaments.

The 2010 tournament will be April 22-24 and the 2011 tournament will be April 14-16.

“Hosting the 2010 and 2011 NAIA National Invitational Tournament is a huge step for the St. Ambrose men’s volleyball program,” said SAU head coach Bill Gleeson. “This demonstrates the commitment and trust St. Ambrose has invested in our program. We will work diligently to make the National Tournament a great success. I have communicated to the team about this enormous achievement and they are thrilled to have the National Tournament on our home court.”

This will be the second and third times SAU has hosted the tournament. The Bees did previously in 2003 when the team made its first appearance in the draw with a fifth-place finish.

St. Ambrose has appeared in two straight national tournaments, taking fifth in 2007 and third last year when the Bees lost to eventual champion Park in the semifinals.

SAU women’s volleyball coach Bruce Billingsley was the tournament director for the first three NAIA Men’s Volleyball National Invitational Tournaments.

Previous hosts and champions
2009 hosted by Park (Parkville, Mo.)
Apr. 16-18

2008 hosted by Park (Parkville, Mo.)
Park def. Cal Baptist

2007 hosted by Cal Baptist (Riverside, Calif.)
Cal Baptist def. Park

2006 hosted by Cal Baptist (Riverside, Calif.)
Cal Baptist def. Lindenwood

2005 hosted by Lindenwood (St. Charles, Mo.)
Cal Baptist def. Lindenwood

2004 hosted by Newman (Wichita, Kan.)
Cal Baptist def. Newman

2003 hosted by St. Ambrose (Davenport, Iowa)
Park def. Missouri Baptist

2002 hosted by Lindenwood (St. Charles, Mo.)
William Woods def. Lindenwood

2001 hosted by Trinity International (Deerfield, Ill.)
Cal Baptist def. Marycrest

2000 hosted by Park (Kansas City, Mo.)
Columbia def. Cal Baptist

1999 hosted by Marycrest (Davenport, Iowa)
Cal Baptist def. Columbia College

St. Ambrose Finishes 1-1 at Home Triangular

Jan. 31, 2009

St. Ambrose defeated a top NCAA Division III school before falling to the top-ranked NAIA team in the country at the SAU Triangular Saturday. The Bees defeated Carthage 3-0 before falling to #1 Park 3-1. SAU, ranked third in the country, is 4-1 overall this season.

Zak Krumlinde and Dan Dowjotas led SAU with 12 kills in the 30-25, 30-22, 30-20 win over Carthage. Kyle Warrenfeltz finished with 11. The Bees trailed early in the first set before winning 10 of the final 15 points to get the win. SAU grabbed early leads in the final two sets and pulled away at the end. Bill Kramer had a match-best 34 assists. SAU finished with a .432 hitting percentage.

St. Ambrose gave defending National Champion Park all they could handle before falling 35-33, 30-18, 28-30, 30-26. The Bees led most of the first set, including at 23-19. SAU had two set points but could not convert either one. Park finally closed out the set on its fourth set point.

After Park rolled through the second set, St. Ambrose came back strong in the third, taking it 30-22. After trailing in the early going, SAU rallied and took a 25-24 lead, but Park won six of the final seven points to claim the match.

Krumlinde again paced the Bees with 17 kills. Warrenfeltz and Ryan Schneider each finished with 11. Kramer had 54 assists.

Park also swept Carthage 3-0 (30-28, 30-26, 30-25) in the triangular's other match.

St. Ambrose 3, Missouri Valley 0 (30-22, 30-28, 30-24)

Jan. 25, 2009

Another balanced attack saw five players finish with at least seven kills as St. Ambrose moved to 3-0 with a 3-0 victory at Missouri Valley. Set scores were 30-22, 30-28, 30-24.

Sean Wagner and Zak Krumlinde led the Bees with eight kills each. Kyle Warrenfeltz, Hayden Grove and Ryan Schneider each added seven kills. Scott Paulson and Grant Lehmann each had four. As a team, St. Ambrose finished with a .388 hitting percentage.

Bill Kramer (18) and Peter Netisingha (16) combined for 34 of the team's 37 assists. Paulson led the Bees with seven total blocks.

The Bees will play their first home matches of the season Saturday. SAU will host Carthage at 12 p.m. and Park at 5 p.m.

St. Ambrose 3, Moody Bible 0 (30-11, 30-19, 30-7)

Jan. 21, 2009

St. Ambrose finished with an amazing .548 hitting percentage in defeating Moody Bible in straight sets by scores of 30-11, 30-19, 30-7. The Bees are 2-0 overall and 1-0 in the Mid-America Men's Volleyball Intercollegiate Conference.

Dan Dowjotas led the way with nine kills against one attack error and Hayden Grove finished with seven kills and a single hitting error. Chris Ernest and Scott Paulson each added five kills. Mike Harrington (17) and Peter Netisingha (14) led the team in assists. Paulson finished with a team-high four blocks, while Ryan Schneider and Scott Manthei were each credited with three total blocks.

St. Ambrose will visit Missouri Valley Sunday at 4 p.m.

St. Ambrose 3, Quincy 1 (30-18, 30-27, 22-30, 30-22)

Jan. 18, 2009

St. Ambrose opened its 2009 season with a victory at Quincy. The Bees took the win 30-18, 30-27, 22-30, 30-22.

Zak Krumlinde led a balanced attack with a team-high 15 kills. Sean Wagner finished with 14, Kyle Warrenfeltz had 13 and Ryan Schneider added 11. Bill Kramer had a match-high 52 assists.

The Bees will visit Moody Bible on Wednesday for a 7 p.m. match.

Men's Volleyball Team Ready for 2009 Season

Jan. 15, 2009

It was a record-breaking season for the St. Ambrose men’s volleyball team in 2008. The Bees won a program-best 29 matches, won the Mid-America Men’s Volleyball Intercollegiate Conference (MAMVIC) East Division regular season and tournament titles, and reached the national semifinals after qualifying for the NAIA National Tournament for the second consecutive season.

With the roster nearly intact and a lofty #3 ranking in the 2009 preseason poll, St. Ambrose won’t sneak up on anyone this year. But reigning MAMVIC East Division Coach of the Year Bill Gleeson expects the Bees to continue to play the same way.

“We will continue to take one game at a time and play like each game is our last,” said the Bees’ third-year head coach. “I think that attitude will get us to where we would like to be at the end of the season.”

As SAU opens its season Sunday afternoon at Quincy, its first of 24 regular-season matches on the road, Gleeson realizes how his team plays outside of Lee Lohman Arena will dictate the group’s success.

“We need to play well on the road,” said Gleeson. “Conference and Nationals are away too. We have to be able to go into an opponent’s environment and make it our own. That will be a major goal for us this season.”

Fortunately for Gleeson, he has three senior captains to lead the way.

Bill Kramer, a third-year captain, will be the cornerstone of the Bees’ offense. He enters the 2009 season just 453 assists shy of the SAU career assist mark currently held by 2006 graduate Kevin Lenart. Last season, Kramer set the single season school record with 1,256 assists.

“Bill does a great job of mixing up our offense,” said Gleeson. “He is a very smart setter and makes great setting decisions.”

Zak Krumlinde, in his first year as a captain, is coming off a great junior campaign. A transfer from Lewis University, Krumlinde earned all-conference honors as an outside hitter after setting the SAU record for kills in a season with 389. He was also an academic all-conference selection.

“Zak brings a lot to the table. He is truly a complete player,” said Gleeson. “Zak excels at all aspects of the game; from serving to passing, Zak can do it all. We will rely heavily on his leadership this year and I know Zak is up to the test.”

The final captain, Kyle Bolinder, is coming off a record-breaking season himself. Bolinder earned MAMVIC East Conference Libero of the Year honors after setting a school record with a staggering 430 digs last year. He needs only 39 digs to become SAU’s career leader.

“Kyle will be our primary defensive weapon again this year,” said Gleeson. “Last year, our defense, led by Kyle, did a wonderful job of wearing down the opposing team’s attack with our scrappy play. We will look for even more production out of Kyle this year.”

Along with the three captains, the rest of the Bees roster from a year ago returns mostly intact.

“It’s wonderful because I have worked with them for so many seasons now, all we have to do is tweak the little things which will make us even better than last year,” said Gleeson of his experienced team. “They also know what I am looking for, which lets us work on more technical aspects of the game.”

The only player not returning from last season is Joe Bara, a first team all-conference pick who graduated last year.

“Joe was an exceptional player, but we lost him late in the season with an injury and were still able to win the regular season and conference tournament without him,” said Gleeson. “With that being said, we shouldn’t have any issues replacing Joe this year. Ryan Schneider stepped up last year and we expect him to do the same this year. We also brought in conference transfer Scott Paulson to help solidify our middle attack.”

Along with the season-opening match at Quincy at 1 p.m. on January 18, St. Ambrose will open the season with three straight road matches. The home opener will be January 31, when St. Ambrose hosts Carthage at 12 p.m. and Park at 5 p.m. Park, the defending National Champions and pre-season top-ranked team, ended SAU’s run in the national semifinals last year.

Throughout the season, the Bees will face each of the other nine teams ranked in the preseason top-10 at least once.

St. Ambrose will look to defend its MAMVIC championship at the conference tournament on April 3-4 at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, Ill. The NAIA National Invitational will wrap up the season April 16-18 in Parkville, Mo.