St. Ambrose University | Men's Volleyball News

Justin Morris (Tinley Park, Ill.) is a 6-2 outside hitter from Lincoln-Way North High School. Justin was a two-year all-conference player and first team all-area his senior year. Justin recorded 258 kills and 113 digs his senior year while leading his team to a 23-12 record. The three-year varsity member was named to the all-tournament team at the Marist Invitational. Justin was a scholar athlete at Lincoln Way North his senior year. Justin has played club for Chicago Volleyball Club the last three years.
Nick Lynch (St. Charles, Mo.) is a 5-11 setter from Francis Howell High School. Nick was a two time all-conference selection and four-time all-academic team recipient. As a sophomore, Nick helped his team to a fifth-place finish at the Missouri State Playoffs. The two-time captain also plays club for St. Louis High Performance VBC and will be competing this summer in Minneapolis for Junior Nationals.
Jamie Schnittker (Arlington Heights, Ill.) is a 6-5 pin hitter from Buffalo Grove High School. Jamie was a three-year varsity player and helped lead his team to the state tournament twice. As a sophomore, his team placed third at the Illinois State Tournament. During his senior year, Jamie was an all-conference recipient, third team All-Lakeshore, and Daily Hearld All-Area Special Mention. This summer, he will be competing at Junior Nationals in Minneapolis with Pipeline Volleyball Club.
Alex Bielesch (Chicago, Ill.) is a 6-2 pin hitter from Notre Dame College Prep. The two-year varsity starter was named captain, MVP, and all-conference during his senior campaign. Alex led his team in kills and service aces. He has been playing club volleyball for D1 Chicago since his sophomore year.
Sean Blackwood (Manhattan, Ill.) is a 6-5 pin hitter from Lincoln-Way Central High School.
Nick Siegmeier (Lakewood, Ill.) is a 6-9 middle hitter/opposite hitter from Crystal Lake Central High School.
Chris Scudder (Elmhurst, Ill.) is a 6-2 pin hitter from York High School.
Brad Widdel (Woodridge, Ill.) is a 6-4 opposite hitter from Downers Grove South High School.
Corey Grove (Tinley Park, Ill.) is a 5-11 libero transfer from Lewis University.

Gleeson Named AVCA NAIA Men's National Coach of the Year

After leading his team to its best season in school history, St. Ambrose head coach Bill Gleeson was named the 2011 American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) NAIA Men's National Coach of the Year today.

Gleeson guided the Bees to a 30-win season and a second-place finish at the NAIA National Invitational Tournament. The 30 wins and runner-up finish were both program bests. Along the way, St. Ambrose won the Mid-America Men's Volleyball Intercollegiate Conference (MAMVIC) East Conference regular season and tournament championships.

The fifth-year head coach helped a young team featuring only two seniors win 24 of its last 27 matches, including separate 10- and 12-match winning streaks, and at one point climb as high as #2 in the national rankings.

At the National Tournament hosted by SAU, the Bees knocked off #2 Lindenwood in the semifinals before falling to top-ranked California Baptist in front of a tournament single-match record 2,317 fans.

This year, Gleeson coached two All-Americans in Dan Dowjotas and Kyle Schwetz, the MAMVIC East Conference Player of the Year (Dowjotas), the conference's Setter of the Year (Michael Neuner), and the conference's Freshman of the Year (David Suwada). In doing so, Gleeson was tabbed as the league's Coach of the Year.

In his five years at the helm, Gleeson has won 121 matches with the Bees. He has taken four of his five teams to the National Tournament, adding third-place showings in 2008 and 2010 to his runner-up finish this year.

The AVCA will formally present the award to Gleeson at the 2011 jostens Coaches Honors Luncheon in San Antonio, Texas, on December 15. The luncheon is held in conjunction with the 2011 AVCA Annual Convention.

Dowjotas, Schwetz Named AVCA All-Americans

Dan Dowjotas (left) and Kyle Schwetz (right) were named to the second annual NAIA Men's Volleyball All-American Team as announced by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA). The two had earlier been recognized as first team all-conference selections.

St. Ambrose joined California Baptist (three) as the only schools with multiple All-Americans on the 10-member team.

Dowjotas, from Westmont, Ill., was one of three players to be named a men's volleyball All-American for the second straight year.

The 6-3 junior outside hitter led St. Ambrose with 495 kills, an average of four per set, and finished with a .279 attack percentage. He was also second on the team in digs with 194 and finished third on the Bees with 70 total blocks (including 18 solo blocks) and 16 service aces.

Earlier, Dowjotas was named the Mid-America Men's Volleyball Intercollegiate Conference (MAMVIC) Eastern Conference Player of the Year.

Schwetz, from Carol Stream, Ill., led St. Ambrose with 112 total blocks, including 17 solo blocks. He was second with 231 kills and 22 service aces. The 6-5 sophomore middle hitter finished the year with a .399 attack percentage.

The pair helped St. Ambrose to a 30-6 record, MAMVIC East Conference regular season and tournament championships, and a second-place showing at the NAIA National Invitational Tournament, the program's best ever showing.

St. Ambrose Falls to California Baptist in Finals

In front of a tournament record 2,317 fans, California Baptist won the 2011 NAIA National Invitational Tournament by defeating St. Ambrose 3-0 in the championship match. Set scores were 25-14, 25-22, 25-18.

The runner-up finish was the best ever showing for the SAU men's volleyball team.

Top-ranked California Baptist quieted the energetic crowd by scoring the first three points of the match en route to grabbing a quick 9-3 lead in the first set. The Bees could never get back into the set and fell 25-14.

SAU was again forced to rally in the second set. The Lancers led 21-18 late before the Bees won four out of five points behind two kills from Dan Dowjotas to tie the set at 22-22. But California Baptist regrouped and won three straight points to close out the set 25-22.

The third set followed a similar pattern as the Lancers pulled ahead 14-8. SAU got back into the set with four straight points on two service aces from Hayden Grove and kills from Grove and Dan Dierking but the Bees never got closer than two points the rest of the way.

Dowjotas led St. Ambrose with eight kills and Hayden Grove finished with seven. Michael Neuner led the team with 22 assists.

Bees Get Rematch with California Baptist in Title Match

In front of another large crowd, St. Ambrose outlasted Lindenwood 3-2 in a semifinal match of the 2011 NAIA Men's Volleyball National Invitational Tournament. SAU will get a rematch with California Baptist in the championship match. The Lancers defeated the Bees in pool play 3-1 Thursday.

But in Friday's semifinal, the Bees and Lions battled through five competitive sets. SAU came out victorious 25-22, 23-25, 25-19, 19-25, 15-13.

SAU actually trailed in the opening set 20-19 before rolling off five straight points, highlighted by two kills from Hayden Grove (pictured right), to take a 24-20 lead en route to pulling out the set 25-22.

Lindenwood led 24-20 late in the second before the Bees rallied with three straight points. A Dan Dowjotas kill pulled St. Ambrose to within 24-23 before the Lions closed out the set to knot the match at 1-1.

SAU used an 8-1 run midway through the third set to turn a 13-11 lead into a 21-12 advantage. Grove had two kills and Dowjotas and Kyle Condon (pictured right) each had one during the spurt. From there, the Bees coasted to the 25-19 win.

Lindenwood returned the favor in the fourth, winning five straight points midway through the set to pull away for the 25-19 win to even the match at two sets apiece.

Like the rest of the match, the fifth set went back and forth. SAU led 5-2 early before Lindenwood rallied to grab an 8-7 lead. Dowjotas put down back-to-back kills to push St. Ambrose in front 12-10 and the Bees were able to maintain the lead from there. At 14-13, Grove ended the match with his 23rd kill of the night to send SAU into the title match.

Dowjotas followed Grove with 17 kills and Condon added 12. Michael Neuner had a match-best 53 assists. Kyle Schwetz was credit with seven blocks and David Suwada was involved with six as part of SAU's 14 total team blocks.

SAU Earns Semifinal Berth after Win over Johnson & Wales

After a hard-fought loss to top seed California Baptist Thursday night, St. Ambrose bounced back and earned a spot in the semifinals of the 2011 NAIA Men's Volleyball National Invitational Tournament after closing pool play with a 3-0 sweep of Johnson & Wales.

The Bees led virtually the entire way in the 25-23, 25-18, 25-13 win. SAU will now face #2 seed Lindenwood in a semifinal beginning at 7 p.m. California Baptist will face Park in the 4 p.m. semifinal.

Dan Dowjotas (14) and Kyle Schwetz (10) each had double-digit kills for the Bees against Johnson & Wales. David Suwada (pictured right) had seven and Hayden Grove and Kyle Condon each had six. Condon also had a team-best eight digs.

Michael Neuner led St. Ambrose with 32 assists and Ryan Piper chipped in with six.

Bees Stretch California Baptist to Four Sets

In front of more than 1,200 fans, St. Ambrose pushed top-ranked California Baptist to four sets in a pool play match at the 2011 NAIA Men's Volleyball National Invitational Tournament, before falling 3-1. Set scores were 25-18, 25-20, 23-25, 29-27 in favor of the Lancers.

After dropping the first two sets, the Bees came out strong in the third. Back-to-back kills from Joe Sponseller (pictured right) gave SAU a 4-1 lead and the lead grew to 9-3 after consecutive kills from Dan Dowjotas.

California Baptist got to within 23-22 and 24-23 late but the Bees were able to hold off the Lancers. Kyle Condon put down a kill on set point to send the match to a fourth set.

There, the two teams went back and forth. The Lancers led 23-21 before a Kyle Schwetz kill and an CBU attack error knotted the set at 23-23. The Bees fought off three match points before finally earning a set point at 27-26. But California Baptist responded with three straight points to close out the match.

Dowjotas led the Bees with 12 kills. Hayden Grove had nine, Condon added seven and Schwetz finished with five. Michael Neuner led the team with 30 assists and Miguel Calvillo led the way with 12 digs.

The Bees will need a win over Johnson & Wales in the final pool play match Friday to advance to the tournament semifinals. California Baptist already earned one of the semifinal bids by winning Pool A with a 2-0 record.

Dowjotas Named NAIA Player of the Week

Dan Dowjotas (pictured right) was named the NAIA Men's Volleyball Player of the Week after leading St. Ambrose to the MAMVIC East Conference Tournament championship last week.

The junior outside hitter averaged 5.875 kills over three matches and had a hitting percentage of .316. He also did a tremendous job on the defensive side, averaging 2.25 digs per set.

In a 3-0 semifinal win over Moody Bible, Dowjotas finished with 29 kills and only nine attack errors for a .323 hitting percentage. He added 11 digs and five total blocks.

Dowjotas came back with a match-best 18 kills and a .306 hitting percentage in a 3-0 win over Warner in the championship match. He also recorded seven digs.

Dowjotas and the Bees will next host the NAIA National Invitational Tournament April 14-16.

Bees Win MAMVIC East Conference Tournament

St. Ambrose followed up its regular season championship by adding the MAMVIC East Conference Tournament championship. The Bees defeated Clarke in the semifinals and Warner in the title match Saturday. SAU is now 28-4 overall.

Semifinals - St. Ambrose 3, Clarke 2 - Box score

St. Ambrose and Clarke went to the limit for the third time this season, and for the second time SAU came out victorious. The Bees defeated the Crusaders 25-22, 23-25, 27-29, 27-25, 15-11 to advance to the tournament championship match.

Each of the first four sets went down to the wire. After SAU and Clarke split the first two sets, the Crusaders took a 2-1 lead after converting on their fourth set point. In the fourth with the teams tied at 21-21, the teams proceeded to alternate points until SAU reached its second straight point at 26-25. Michael Neuner came up with a service ace to win the set and force a decisive fifth set.

The fifth set was knotted at 8-8 before the Bees won four straight points, two coming on kills from Dan Dowjotas (pictured right), to take a 12-8 lead. That was the break the Bees needed as SAU closed out the match 15-11.

Dowjotas led the way with 19 kills while Kyle Condon added 15. Kyle Schwetz narrowly missed double digits, finishing with nine kills. Neuner had a team-best 54 assists.

Championship - St. Ambrose 3, Warner 0 - Box score

The championship match wasn't nearly the nail biter the semifinal match was as the Bees defeated Warner 25-22, 25-21, 25-21.

SAU carried its momentum from its previous win by jumping to a 7-1 lead in the first set against Warner. The Royals closed to within 22-21 late before the Bees ended the set by winning three of the final four points. St. Ambrose held a slim lead throughout much of the second set before winning the final three points to claim the set 25-21 on a Dowjotas kill. The third set was a similar story as SAU led only 22-21 late before taking the final three points and the tournament title.

Dowjotas again led the Bees with 18 kills. Hayden Grove added 13. Neuner (pictured right) had a match-best 32 assists.

St. Ambrose will next prepare to host the NAIA National Invitational Tournament April 14-16. The three-day event will feature the top six teams in the country.

SAU Receives Several MAMVIC East Conference Awards

After winning the MAMVIC East Conference regular season and tournament championships, St. Ambrose was honored with several conference awards.

Academic All-Conference: Matt Brahm, Miguel Calvillo, Dan Dierking, Michael Neuner, Ryan Piper, Joe Sponseller

Bees Advance to MAMVIC Semifinals after Sweeping Moody Bible

George Langheld (pictured right) had 12 kills to help lead top-seed St. Ambrose to a 3-0 win over Moody Bible in a first-round match of the MAMVIC East Conference Tournament hosted by Siena Heights. The Bees (26-4) will next face fourth-seed Clarke in a semifinal at 10 a.m. Saturday.

Langheld finished with only two attack errors in the 25-17, 25-9, 25-12 win. Dan Dierking added 10 kills against only two attack errors. Jon Hamm was next on the team with five kills.

SAU actually trailed 7-4 and 11-10 in the first set. With the set even at 14-14, the Bees outscored Moody Bible 11-3 the rest of the way. Dierking had three kills in the late spurt.

St. Ambrose really wasn't threatened the rest of the way. The Bees jumped out to a 12-4 lead in the second set and led 15-7 early in the third to cruise to the win.

SAU will now face a Clarke team that handed the Bees their only conference loss of the season. The two teams split their two regular season meetings with each home team claiming a 3-2 win.

Warner will face Cardinal Stritch in the other semifinal at 12 p.m. with the two winners facing off for the championship at 2 p.m. Saturday.

SAU to Open Conference Tournament with Moody Bible

Top-seed St. Ambrose will open the 2011 MAMVIC East Conference Tournament against eight-seed Moody Bible at 10 a.m. Friday, April 1, as the two-day tournament hosted by Siena Heights gets underway in Adrian, Mich.

The Bees are 2-0 this season against Moody Bible, with both wins coming in straight sets. SAU won at home 25-12, 25-16, 25-17 on Jan. 26 before winning in Chicago, Ill., 25-14, 25-13, 25-11 on Feb. 19.

A win would move the Bees into the semifinals against the winner of the Clarke-Saint Xavier match. The semifinals begin at 10 a.m. Saturday.

Bees Close Regular Season with Sweep of Saint Xavier

St. Ambrose closed the regular season by picking up a 3-0 win at Saint Xavier. Set scores were 25-23, 25-23, 25-20. The Bees head into post-season play 25-4 overall and as the regular season champs of the MAMVIC East Conference with a 13-1 league mark.

SAU had to battle back from a 20-16 deficit in the opening set. Four straight points, two coming on kills from Hayden Grove (pictured right) and Ken Ropiak, knotted the set at 20-20. The Bees took the lead for good at 23-22 on another Ropiak kill before closing out the set 25-23.

The Bees had a 23-19 lead after winning three straight points late in the second set. Saint Xavier (7-18, 6-8 MAMVIC) battled back to tie the set at 23-23 with four consecutive points of their own. But back-to-back kills from Matt Brahm and Ropiak gave the Bees the set and a 2-0 lead.

The Bees raced out to an 11-4 lead in the second set. Saint Xavier got to within a point at 16-15 before SAU pulled away for the 25-20 win.

Dan Dowjotas led St. Ambrose with nine kills while Grove finished with seven. Kyle Schwetz, Kyle Condon and Ropiak each added six and Joe Sponseller and Brahm each had four. Michael Neuner finished with a match-high 36 assists and Miguel Calvillo led the team with 12 digs.

The Bees will next enter the MAMVIC East Conference Tournament as the top seed. The two-day tournament hosted by Siena Heights in Adrian, Mich., begins April 1. Then SAU will host the NAIA National Invitational Tournament April 14-16 in Lee Lohman Arena.

SAU Sweeps Missouri Baptist on Senior Night

It wasn't easy but St. Ambrose closed the home portion of the regular season with a 3-0 win over Missouri Baptist. Set scores were 25-21, 25-19, 29-27 as the Bees improve to 24-4 overall.

SAU had to rally in each of the three sets before posting its eighth straight win. In the first set, the deficit was 18-16 before the Bees rolled off five straight points, the last coming thanks to a block from Scott Manthei (pictured right) and Kyle Schwetz, to take a 21-18 lead. Missouri Baptist (7-18) closed to within 22-21 before the Bees closed out the set with three straight points.

St. Ambrose found itself in a big hole early in the second set. The Spartans led 8-3 early and held a 19-17 edge late. But the Bees closed out the set with eight straight points. Schwetz and Dan Dowjotas each had two kills during the late run.

The Bees led much of the early going in the third set and had a match point at 24-23. After failing to close out the match, SAU had to fight off three Spartan match points, the last coming at 27-26. Ken Ropiak's kill gave the Bees their third straight point to close out the set 29-27.

Dowjotas led the Bees with 13 kills. Ropiak finished with eight, Schwetz had seven and Joe Sponseller added five. Michael Neuner led the team with 26 assists. Miguel Calvillo (eight) and Kyle Condon (seven) paced the team in digs.

Prior to the match, St. Ambrose honored Condon (pictured right) and Manthei, the two seniors on the roster playing their final regular-season home match.

The Bees will close out the regular season at Saint Xavier Wednesday at 7 p.m. before competing in the MAMVIC East Conference Tournament April 1-2 at Siena Heights in Adrian, Mich.

Bees Post Big Win over Park

St. Ambrose won its seventh straight match by defeating #5 Park 3-1 Saturday afternoon at Clarke University in Dubuque, Iowa. The win, SAU's first over Park in three meetings this season, moves the Bees to 23-4 overall.

SAU, ranked third nationally, lost the first set before rallying for the 21-25, 25-23, 25-23, 25-21 win.

Ken Ropiak (13 kills) and Dan Dowjotas (12) combined for 25 kills in the win. Ropiak (pictured right) finished with only two attack errors for a .611 hitting percentage. Joe Sponseller finished with seven kills and Kyle Schwetz added six.

Michael Neuner led the Bees with 35 assists and Miguel Calvillo led the team with six digs. Scott Manthei was involved in five of SAU's 10 total team blocks and Schwetz was a part of four.

The Bees will close the home portion of the regular season Tuesday against Missouri Baptist. The Senior Night match will begin at 7 p.m.

SAU Wins Second Straight Conference Crown

Dan Dowjotas (pictured right) had a match-high 21 kills to lead #3 St. Ambrose to a 3-2 win over #9 Clarke to give SAU its second straight MAMVIC East regular season conference championship. Set scores were 25-16, 18-25, 20-25, 25-21, 15-10. The Bees improve to 22-4 overall and 12-1 in the conference and have won back-to-back conference crowns for the first time in program history.

After cruising through the first set, SAU dropped the next two and found itself down 13-9 in the fourth. The Bees eventually evened the set at 13-13 and took the lead for good at 20-19 on a Hayden Grove kill. Leading 22-21, St. Ambrose won the final three points, the last two on solo blocks from Dowjotas and Joe Sponseller, to knot the match at 2-2.

The Bees carried the momentum into the fifth set, taking an early 3-1 lead. Four straight points pushed the lead to 7-2. Ken Ropiak ended the match with a kill on match point.

Kyle Schwetz was second on the team with eight kills and Matt Brahm finished with five. Michael Neuner had a team-high 40 assists and shared team-high honors of 11 kills with Miguel Calvillo.

St. Ambrose Goes 3-0 on Spring Break Trip to Colorado

St. Ambrose swept all three of its matches in Colorado on the team's annual Spring Break trip. The Bees improved to 21-4 overall following a win over Graceland and two victories over Johnson & Wales.

St. Ambrose 3, Graceland 0 - Box score

SAU started its trip off right, defeating Graceland 25-15, 25-18, 25-23. Dan Dowjotas led the Bees with 11 kills and Matt Brahm finished with seven. Michael Neuner had a team-best 25 assists. Miguel Calvillo (pictured right) finished with five digs.

St. Ambrose 3, Johnson & Wales 1 - Box score
Dan Dowjotas recorded a match-best 20 kills to help St. Ambrose defeat Johnson & Wales 25-18, 21-25, 25-17, 25-17. Kyle Schwetz had nine kills and Matt Brahm and David Suwada each added seven. Michael Neuner led all players with 44 assists. Miguel Calvillo led the Bees with eight digs. Suwada was involved in nine of SAU's 11 total team blocks.

St. Ambrose 3, Johnson & Wales 2 - Box score
After dropping the first two sets, SAU rebounded to close the trip with a 23-25, 21-25, 25-20, 25-22, 15-11 win over Johnson & Wales. Dan Dowjotas put down 20 kills for the second straight day against Johnson & Wales. Joe Sponseller (12) and Kyle Schwetz (10) each finished with double-digit kills. Michael Neuner again paced the Bees with 49 assists. Dowjotas also led the team with 14 digs while Miguel Calvillo added eight.

The Bees, winners of five straight, will return home to host Clarke at 7 p.m. on March 23. The game will also be broadcast on SAUtv.

Bees Sweep Robert Morris

Hayden Grove (pictured right) finished with seven kills to lead St. Ambrose to a 3-0 sweep of Robert Morris. The Bees are 18-4 overall and 11-1 in the MAMVIC following the 25-10, 25-16, 25-20 win.

Kyle Condon and David Suwada each recorded four kills while Kyle Schwetz, Dan Dowjotas and Ken Ropiak each had three. Michael Neuner led all players with 21 assists. Miguel Calvillo had a team-high seven digs.

The Bees will next travel to Denver, Colo., to play three matches beginning on March 13.

SAU Wins 5-of-6 at Fighting Bee Classic

St. Ambrose won five of its six matches, including all three MAMVIC matches, at its own Fighting Bee Classic over the weekend. SAU defeated Missouri Valley, Siena Heights twice, Warner and Graceland and lost a five-setter to Park. The Bees are now 17-4 overall and 10-1 in the MAMVIC.

St. Ambrose 3, Missouri Valley 0 - Box score

St. Ambrose had little trouble in its opener, defeating Missouri Valley 25-12, 25-20, 25-15, behind 13 kills from Dan Dowjotas. The only difficulty came in the second set as Missouri Valley led 16-14 after winning five straight points. But the Bees won 3-of-4 points to tie the set at 17-17 and later followed with three straight points to take the lead for good at 20-18. Matt Brahm (pictured right) finished with seven kills, Kyle Schwetz recorded six and Joe Sponseller had five. Michael Neuner led all players with 25 assists.

St. Ambrose 3, Siena Heights 1 - Box score
A balanced attack helped St. Ambrose knock off Siena Heights 25-12, 25-19, 23-25, 25-16 in the first of two conference matches between the schools over the weekend. Dan Dierking led the team with nine kills, Dan Dowjotas and Ken Ropiak each had eight, Matt Brahm finished with six and David Suwada added five. Michael Neuner had a match-best 40 assists. Ropiak also led the Bees, involved in eight of the team's 16 total blocks.

St. Ambrose 3, Warner 2 - Box score
St. Ambrose escaped with a 25-27, 25-21, 25-16, 21-25, 15-13 conference win over Warner to close tournament play Friday. In the fifth set, he Bees were down 3-0 and 4-1 before rallying to tie the set at 6-6. With the score knotted at 13-13, Dan Dowjotas and David Suwada came up with back-to-back kills to close out the win. Dowjotas led all players with 19 kills. Kyle Schwetz had nine, Suwada and Joe Sponseller each had eight and Matt Brahm finished with seven. Michael Neuner led everyone with 45 assists. Miguel Calvillo led the Bees with 14 digs.

St. Ambrose 3, Graceland 1 - Box score

Dan Dowjotas came up with 17 kills to help SAU open Saturday's play with a 25-17, 25-21, 19-25, 25-21 win over Graceland. Joe Sponseller had nine kills, Matt Brahm finished with seven and Kyle Schwetz recorded five. Michael Neuner (pictured right) again led the Bees with 38 assists and Miguel Calvillo finished with a match-best 13 digs.

Park 3, St. Ambrose 2 - Box score
The Bees won the first two sets but were unable to hang on and lost its only match of the tournament. Park prevailed 21-25, 22-25, 25-21, 25-22, 15-12. SAU appeared poised to sweep Park, taking a 14-11 lead on a Dan Dowjotas kill midway through the third set, but Park came up with four straight points en route to taking the set 25-21. The fourth set was even at 18-18 before Park again won four consecutive points to close it out 25-22. Park continued its strong play into the fifth set, grabbing a 6-2 lead. St. Ambrose battled back to within a point at 6-5 and 7-6 before Park extended its lead to 10-6. Once again SAU pulled to as close as a point at 12-11 and 13-12 before Park closed out the match 15-12. Dowjotas led the Bees with 14 kills and Matt Brahm had 12. Michael Neuner recorded 46 of the team's 51 assists in the loss.

St. Ambrose 3, Siena Heights 0 - Box score
SAU closed the tournament by knocking off Siena Heights 25-16, 27-25, 25-19 in another MAMVIC match. Siena Heights had two set points in the second at 24-23 and 25-24 but each time the Bees responded. Dan Dierking's kill tied the set at 25-25 before a David Suwada ace handed the Bees a set point. Another Dierking kill ended the second set before the Bees completed the sweep a set later. Kyle Condon led St. Ambrose with 10 kills. Scott Manthei had eight, Dierking finished with six and Suwada and Hayden Grove each added five. Michael Neuner (21) and Ryan Piper (13) combined for 34 of the team's 35 assists.

February 25th Matches Cancelled Due to Weather

St. Ambrose's two matches in Chicago, originally scheduled for Friday, Feb. 25, have been cancelled due to weather.

The Bees were slated to face Siena Heights and Saint Xavier in a pair of conference matches. Now SAU will visit Saint Xavier at 7 p.m. on March 30. The match with Siena Heights has not yet been rescheduled.

Gleeson Receives 2011 Thirty Under 30 Award

St. Ambrose head men's volleyball coach Bill Gleeson (pictured right) was recently honored as a recipient of the 2011 Thirty Under 30 Award from the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA).

The award, created in 2009, honors up-and-coming coaching talent at all levels of volleyball. To qualify, candidates had to be younger than 30 years old in 2010.

Gleeson, in his fifth season at the helm of the SAU men's volleyball team, recently won his 100th career match. He has compiled a 103-48 (.682) record through matches of Feb. 23. His 2011 team is currently 12-3 overall and 7-1 in the conference.

The Oak Lawn, Ill., native has guided the Bees to three of the last four NAIA National Tournaments, with the team finishing as high as third place in both 2008 and 2010.

Gleeson, a two-time MAMVIC East Coach of the Year, has coached two NAIA All-Americans and 15 all-conference performers.

After graduating from St. Ambrose with degrees in Management and General Business, Gleeson got his coaching start as an assistant with both the men's and women's volleyball programs. He became the head men's coach in 2007.

Gleeson is the second St. Ambrose volleyball coach to receive the honor. Last year, former women's associate head coach Jim Finn won the award.

St. Ambrose Outlasts Missouri Baptist in Five Sets

Behind 20 kills from Dan Dowjotas (pictured right) and 18 from Matt Brahm, St. Ambrose picked up a five-set win at Missouri Baptist Wednesday night. The Bees are 12-3 overall following the 24-26, 25-20, 25-19, 20-25, 15-7 win.

Kyle Schwetz added nine kills and Joe Sponseller finished with seven to support Dowjotas and Brahm. Michael Neuner had a match-high 46 assists. Miguel Calvillo led the team with 11 digs. David Suwada had eight block assists as SAU totaled 13 team blocks.

St. Ambrose will travel to Chicago, Ill., to face Siena Heights (6 p.m.) and Saint Xavier (8 p.m.) Friday night before returning home to host the Fighting Bee Classic March 4-5.

Bees Earn Pair of Conference Wins in Chicago

St. Ambrose improved to 11-3 overall and 7-1 in the MAMVIC following a pair of conference wins in Chicago. The Bees defeated both Moody Bible and Robert Morris by 3-0 scores.

A balanced attack helped SAU get past Moody Bible 25-14, 25-13, 25-11. Scott Manthei (pictured right) and Dan Dierking each had eight kills, George Langheld and David Suwada each finished with six, and Kyle Condon and Ken Ropiak each recorded five. Ryan Piper (18) and Michael Neuner (15) combined for 33 of the team's 35 assists.

Kyle Schwetz came up with a team-high 12 kills as the Bees defeated Robert Morris 25-19, 25-14, 25-20. Dan Dowjotas finished with eight kills, Matt Brahm had seven and Joe Sponseller chipped in with five. Neuner led the team with 31 assists. Piper added nine. Miguel Calvillo registered a team-leading 11 defensive digs.

St. Ambrose, winner of five straight matches, will visit Missouri Baptist Wednesday at 7 p.m.

Gleeson Wins 100th as SAU Stops Cardinal Stritch 3-1

Head coach Bill Gleeson (pictured right) won his 100th career match at St. Ambrose as the Bees defeated Cardinal Stritch 3-1 Friday night. SAU is 9-3 overall and 5-1 in the MAMVIC following the 26-28, 25-22, 26-24, 25-17 win.

SAU fought off three set points before dropping the first set 28-26. With the second set tied at 19-19, the Bees won three straight points, two coming on solo blocks from Kyle Schwetz and Dan Dowjotas. Joe Sponseller tied the match at 1-1 with a kill on set point.

Cardinal Stritch (7-9, 4-3 MAMVIC) started quickly in the third set, taking a 4-1 lead. The Wolves maintained a 15-12 lead before Matt Brahm put down two kills as part of a four-point SAU spurt to give the Bees a 16-15 edge. The teams remained close the rest of the way until Sponseller and Brahm came up with back-to-back kills to end the set.

Sponseller's kill gave St. Ambrose an 8-7 lead in the fourth set and the Bees never relinquished the lead the rest of the way. Hayden Grove ended the match with his six kill of the night.

Dowjotas led the team with 17 kills and 10 digs. Brahm and Sponseller each finished with 11 kills. Michael Neuner had a team-best 46 assists. David Suwada was a part of seven of the team's 14.5 total blocks.

In just his fifth year at the helm, Gleeson has now compiled a 100-48 career mark with the Bees. He has led the team to three of the last four NAIA National Tournaments, finishing third in both 2008 and 2010 and fifth in 2007.

Gleeson and the Bees will next face Moody Bible and Robert Morris in Chicago Saturday.

Bees Pick Up Another Conference Win

Behind 10 kills from Matt Brahm and David Suwada (pictured right), #6 St. Ambrose defeated Saint Xavier 3-1 Wednesday night in Lee Lohman Arena. Set scores were 25-8, 27-25, 22-25, 25-17. SAU improves to 8-3 overall and 4-1 in the MAMVIC.

The Bees came out fast, taking a 12-4 lead in the first set thanks to four quick kills from Brahm. SAU later rolled off five straight points to take a 17-5 lead before closing out the opening set 25-8 on a Joe Sponseller kill.

St. Ambrose trailed much of the way in the second set, down five points early and down 16-12 midway through the set. Suwada and Michael Neuner put down back-to-back kills to even the set at 18-18. On the team's third set point, Suwada got another kill to end the set 27-25.

The third set was close throughout. The Bees led as late as 21-20 before Saint Xavier (3-7, 3-1 MAMVIC) broke a 22-22 tie by winning the final three points.

SAU used a 7-1 run midway through the fourth set to break a 9-9 tie and take a 16-10 lead. Suwada had two kills while Hayden Grove, Scott Manthei and Dan Dowjotas were each credited with a kill during the run. Dowjotas ended the match with his ninth kill of the night.

Neuner led all players with 39 assists and Brahm finished with a team-best 10 digs.

The Bees will visit Cardinal Stritch Friday night before battling Moody Bible and Robert Morris Saturday in Chicago.

St. Ambrose Wins at Graceland

Dan Dowjotas (pictured right) came up with 16 kills to help St. Ambrose defeat Graceland 3-1 Saturday afternoon. Scores were 20-25, 25-18, 25-18, 25-13 as the win moved the Bees to 7-3 overall.

Kyle Schwetz was second on the team with nine kills while Joe Sponseller and Matt Brahm each finished with eight. Michael Neuner led the team with 42 assists and Miguel Calvillo had a team-high 12 digs. SAU came up with 14 total team blocks, led by nine from Schwetz and seven from Dowjotas.

For the first time in almost three weeks, St. Ambrose will play a home match. The Bees will welcome Saint Xavier to Lee Lohman Arena Wednesday at 7 p.m.

SAU Falls at Conference Foe Clarke

Clarke�s hitters Alex Wilharm and Travis Gabehart had a combined 33 kills and 18 digs as the Crusaders defeated St. Ambrose 3-2, giving the Fighting Bees their first MAMVIC conference lose. Set scores were 19-25, 25-20, 27-25, 20-25, 15-10.

After splitting the first two sets, the Bees had two set points in the third at 24-22 and another at 25-24 but could not convert before the Crusaders closed it out 27-25.

SAU forced a decisive fifth set and let as late in 8-7 in the fifth before Clarke (6-6, 3-3 MAMVIC) won six straight points en route to closing out the match.

The Fighting Bees have won five times in the last seven meetings against Clarke (6-6, 3-3). Ambrose drops to 6-3 overall and 3-1 in league play. The Fighting Bees will try to revenge this loss against the Crusaders on March 23 at Lee Lohman Arena.

Dan Dowjotas led the team with 25 kills. Hayden Grove had a solid night with 10 kills, six digs and four blocks. Michael Neuner led the team with 49 assists while Kyle Schwetz (pictured right) had a team-high seven blocks to go along with 13 kills.

Bees Finish 3-2 at Lindenwood Tournament

St. Ambrose won three of its five matches at a two-day tournament hosted by Lindenwood over the weekend. The Bees defeated Hannibal-LaGrange, Warner and Hope International and lost to Park and Lindenwood. Both losses came in five sets. SAU is now 6-2 overall and 3-0 in the Eastern Conference of the MAMVIC.

St. Ambrose 3, Hannibal-LaGrange 1 - Box score

Dan Dowjotas led the way with 19 kills as St. Ambrose opened the two-day tournament with a 3-1 win over Hannibal-LaGrange. After dropping the first set 25-23, the Bees stormed back to take the next three by scores of 25-22, 25-22, 25-19. Hayden Grove also reached double digits in kills with 10. Michael Neuner (pictured right) had 37 assists and Miguel Calvillo led the team with seven digs.

Park 3, St. Ambrose 2 - Box score
Digging out of a 2-0 hole was too much for St. Ambrose against Park. The Bees were down two sets (25-19, 25-20) but rallied to take the next two by scores of 25-19 and 25-22. The comeback came up short as SAU fell in the fifth set 15-12. Matt Brahm had team-high honors with 13 kills and Kyle Schwetz finished with 10. Michael Neuner again led the way with 37 assists. Miguel Calvillo (17) and Brahm (13) reached double figures in digs.

St. Ambrose 3, Warner 0 - Box score

In its only conference match of the tournament, St. Ambrose swept Warner by scores of 28-26, 25-20, 25-20 to open play Saturday. Dan Dowjotas led the Bees with 16 kills and Joe Sponseller put down seven. Michael Neuner had 30 assists while Miguel Calvillo (pictured right) finished with a team-high 12 digs.

St. Ambrose 3, Hope International 2 - Box score
For the second time in the tournament, SAU found itself down 2-0. This time, however, the Bees came all the way back for the 3-2 win. Set scores were 25-27, 22-25, 25-22, 25-16, 15-13 in favor of SAU. Dan Dowjotas led three Bees with double-digit kills with 19. Matt Brahm finished with 14 and Joe Sponseller added 11. Michael Neuner led St. Ambrose with 49 assists. Miguel Calvillo and Brahm each had 11 assists in the win.

Lindenwood 3, St. Ambrose 2 - Box score
SAU found itself in a familiar position, trailing 2-0. For the third time in four matches, the Bees rallied to force a decisive fifth set but the team came up short against host Lindenwood by scores of 14-25, 18-25, 25-23, 25-17, 9-15. Dan Dowjotas and Kyle Schwetz each finished with a team-best 12 kills. Hayden Grove added 11 in a losing effort. Michael Neuner was credited with 44 assists. Matt Brahm led the Bees with 12 digs while also chipping in with nine kills.

Bees Beat Cardinal Stritch in Top-10 Showdown

Hayden Grove (pictured right) finished with 17 kills and Dan Dowjotas added 16 as #3 St. Ambrose defeated #9 Cardinal Stritch 3-1 Thursday night. The Bees are 3-0 overall and 2-0 in league play following the 25-22, 21-25, 25-19, 25-18 win.

Trailing 8-7 in the first set, SAU won six straight points, the last coming on a Kyle Schwetz kill, to take a 13-8 lead. CSU (1-4, 1-2 MAMVIC) tied the set at 17-17 before the Bees responded with three straight points behind two kills from Dan Dierking to grab a 20-17 lead. The Bees closed out the set 25-22 on a Dowjotas kill.

The second set was tied 17-17 before Cardinal Stritch reeled off four straight points before taking the set 25-21.

The Bees wasted little time to take control of the third set, racing to a 4-0 lead with Schwetz putting down two early kills. SAU gradually pulled away before claiming the third 25-19.

Schwetz added nine kills, Ken Ropiak added eight and Dierking had seven in the win. Michael Neuner had a match-high 47 assists.

The Bees will next compete in the Lindenwood Tournament Feb. 4-5 in St. Charles, Mo.

SAU Begins MAMVIC Play with Sweep of Moody Bible

St. Ambrose wasted little time in improving to 2-0 with a three-set sweep of Moody Bible Wednesday night. The Bees won 25-12, 25-16, 25-17 in their first home match of the season.

Matt Brahm (pictured right) served SAU to a 6-0 lead in the first set and the Bees never looked back. St. Ambrose led by at least four points the rest of the opening set.

Moody Bible (0-2) came out strong in the second set, leading as late as 9-8. But SAU ran off five straight points, highlighted by kills from Brahm and Dan Dowjotas to grab a 13-9 lead. St. Ambrose closed out the set by winning the final three points, two coming on kills from Dowjotas.

Bees Open 2011 Season with Five-Set Win

St. Ambrose started the 2011 season with a thrilling five-set win at Hannibal-LaGrange Friday night. Set scores were 25-23, 19-25, 25-21, 18-25, 15-11.

Dan Dowjotas (pictured right) led the Bees with 23 kills. Kyle Schwetz had 11 and Hayden Grove and Ken Ropiak each finished with nine. Michael Neuner had a team-best 51 assists while Miguel Calvillo added a team-high 11 digs.

After hosting an alumni game Saturday, SAU will open the home portion of its regular season schedule by hosting Moody Bible Wednesday at 7 p.m. Thursday, the Bees will host Cardinal Stritch at 7 p.m.

St. Ambrose Releases 2011 Schedule and Roster

Head men's volleyball coach Bill Gleeson announced his 2011 roster and released his 2011 schedule today.

The Bees return 11 of the 14 players from last season's varsity roster, including 2010 all-American Dan Dowjotas and Hayden Grove, who was named to the all-tournament team at the NAIA National Invitational Tournament.

Dowjotas, a junior outside hitter, led the 2010 team with 471 kills and 267 digs, while Grove, a junior right-side hitter, was second on the team with 321 kills. The team also returns junior setter Michael Neuner (team-best 1160 assists) and sophomore libero Miguel Calvillo (second on team with 242 digs), who both played significant roles last year.

Eight freshmen on the roster will also be asked to contribute to a team that finished 26-7 overall last year and was just two points away from competing in the 2010 National Championship match.

The 2011 schedule is highlighted again by hosting the NAIA National Tournament April 14-16. Last year, California Baptist defeated Missouri Baptist in the championship match after the Bees dropped a five-setter to Missouri Baptist in the national semifinals in front of a tournament record 1,044 fans.

The season gets underway Jan. 22 when SAU visits Hannibal-LaGrange at 3 p.m. The home opener is just four days later when the Bees host conference foe Moody Bible in Lee Lohman arena at 7 p.m. on Jan. 26.

Men's Volleyball News - 2010-11

Bees Announce 2012 Recruiting Class