Women's Volleyball News - 2008-09

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.

Women’s Volleyball
Lauren Aderman
Julie Bader
Genevieve Berent
Michelle Chalkey
Hannah Fischer
Emily Fullenkamp
Kaitlyn Gallagher
Sarah Glunz
Megan Gordon
Martha Grubisich
Kelly Karwath
Lauren Kramer
Danielle LaMantia
Katelyn Lilienthal
Ashley McSorley
Jillian Morrison
Aleksandra Ratajczak
Amy Royer
Maggie Rummells
Laura Sass
Brianna Saunders

Season ending poem

Dec. 15, 2008

Assistant coach Emily Russell said her goodbyes to the team at the fall sports banquet in her own unique way, by writing a poem.

I never thought it would go by so fast, though looking back it sure was a blast.
Volleyball girls came from near and from far, it was clear that these girls would be raising the bar.
Old players happily called to their friends, while new players tried to fit it with the trends.
Some girls were hesitant, some girls were not, but all would agree that gym was so hot.
You girls never thought that preseason would end, and when teammates fell down, a hand you would lend.
The team was chosen and all were excited, it didn’t take long ‘til all were united.
Goals were set and expectations were high, we won our first game and all let out a sigh.
It was not always easy, it was not always fun, but in the end, a championship was won.
I was lucky to have you all on the team; it made all my jobs so much easier it seemed.
Without even one of you, it would not be the same, you all proved to me your love for the game.
Lauren looked effortless making the sets, her rocket hard serve set her apart from the rest.
Emily was quiet but then opened her shell, her hits were unstoppable, and she sure did well.
Kramer’s great serve proved so hard to be passed, we knew that with her that most runs would last.
Martha would cheer and her yells would get loud, and in the back-row she would make us so proud.
Taylor could hit balls to the left and the right; her strong arm made each hit a pretty sight.
Jill kept us laughing trying to run in her boot, but next year watch out, she’ll be hitting the shoot.
Sarah was best at playing every position; she could get the job done in whatever condition.
Amy was awesome at hitting each shot, she is gonna go far with the skills that she’s got.
Molly’s trademark tip kept all teams on their toes, she is the best at that, everybody knows.
Hannah did nothing but give it her all, she ran and she hustled to get every ball.
Megan got comfortable calling the shot; it didn’t take long ‘til her sets were so hot.
Kait was the best one at hitting the “Q”, balls hit the ground and no one could dig you.
Megan blocked balls from the left and the right; she could put a ball down even when it was tight.
Katelyn scared girls when she showed them her arm, it’s surprising her hits didn’t cause girls more harm.
You girls are great and I will miss all your laughter, I’m excited to watch you play next year and after.
~ 2008 – Emily Russell

O'Shea Earns All-Midwest Region Honorable Mention

Dec. 8, 2008

Megan O'Shea earned American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) NAIA All-Midwest Region honorable mention today.

The junior middle hitter from Palos Heights, Ill., finished with 339 kills in helping St. Ambrose to a 26-17 overall record. O'Shea led the Bees with a .276 hitting percentage and was second on the team with 107 total blocks.

St. Ambrose won the Midwest Collegiate Conference regular season championship with a 6-2 league mark. The Bees reached the MCC Tournament championship game before falling to William Penn.

Aderman, O'Shea Named First Team All-Conference

Nov. 20, 2008

Lauren Aderman and Megan O'Shea were named first team all-conference, and Kait Gallagher and Amy Royer earned honorable mention as the Midwest Collegiate Conference handed out its post-season awards on Wednesday, Nov. 19.

Aderman, a junior setter from Chicago, Ill., led St. Ambrose with 1,023 digs and 68 service aces. She was third on the team with 320 digs.

O'Shea, a junior middle hitter from Palos Heights, Ill., had 339 kills and a team-best .276 hitting percentage. She was second with 107 total blocks.

Gallagher, a junior right-side hitter/outside hitter from Palatine, Ill., finished second on the Bees with 360 kills and was third with 72 total blocks.

Royer, a sophomore outside hitter from Mokena, Ill., led a balanced attack with 401 kills. She was second with 387 digs and fourth with 54 total blocks.

The four players helped a young SAU team with no seniors win the MCC regular season title. The Bees (26-17 overall, 6-2 MCC) ended the season with a loss in the MCC Tournament championship match.

The complete all-MCC team is available on the conference site.

Bees Fall in MCC Tournament Championship Match

Nov. 15, 2008

St. Ambrose grabbed an early lead, let it slip away, and could never recover in dropping the Midwest Collegiate Conference Tournament championship match to William Penn. The Bees rushed to a 15-8 lead in the first set and led 19-16 before William Penn rallied for a 25-22 win. The Lady Statesmen won the final two sets by identical 25-18 scores.

The Bees end the season 26-17 overall after earning a share of the MCC regular season championship. William Penn (26-14) wins the MCC Tournament and earns the automatic berth into the 2008 NAIA Volleyball National Championship.

As they have done all season, a young SAU team with no seniors on the roster relied on a balanced attack. Katelyn Lilienthal led the team with nine kills. Megan O'Shea and Kait Gallagher each finished with seven, Amy Royer had six and Emily Fullenkamp added five. Lauren Aderman had a team-high 18 assists while Megan Gordon chipped in with 11. Hannah Fischer had 17 digs.

SAU Advances to MCC Tournament Final

Nov. 12, 2008

Kait Gallagher led a balanced attack with 10 kills to help St. Ambrose sweep Ashford 3-0 in a Midwest Collegiate Conference Tournament semifinal match Wednesday night in Lee Lohman Arena. The Bees won 25-21, 25-19, 25-16 and will host the MCC Tournament championship match Saturday at 7 p.m.

St. Ambrose will battle William Penn for the MCC Tournament title and an automatic berth into the NAIA National Tournament. SAU defeated WPU 3-0 in the early part of the regular season.

Besides a slow start in the second set, where Ashford led 4-0 and 6-2, the Bees were in control for much of their semifinal match.

Amy Royer finished with nine kills while Katelyn Lilienthal and Megan O'Shea each added eight. Lauren Aderman had a match-high 29 assists and Megan Gordon finished with 10. Hannah Fischer led the Bees with 13 digs. O'Shea, Gallagher and Emily Fullenkamp each assisted with four blocks as SAU finished with eight total blocks as a team.

Bees Open MCC Tournament with 3-0 Win

Nov. 8, 2008

St. Ambrose opened the Midwest Collegiate Conference Tournament with a 3-0 win over Iowa Wesleyan Saturday afternoon. The Bees, the top seed in the tournament, will host a semifinal match Wednesday at 7 p.m. against Ashford, a 3-1 winner over Viterbo in another quarterfinal match Saturday.

After defeating IWC in five sets during the regular season, SAU (25-16 overall) swept the Tigers 25-22, 25-21, 25-23.

Katelyn Lilienthal led the Bees with 12 kills. Kait Gallagher finished with nine, Megan O'Shea and Amy Royer each had eight, and Emily Fullenkamp added seven. Lauren Aderman had a team-best 31 assists while Megan Gordon chipped in with 10. Hannah Fischer finished with a match-high 23 digs.

Video highlights of the match are available here, courtesy TV-11.

St. Ambrose Drops Final Match of Regular Season

Nov. 5, 2008

St. Ambrose closed the 2008 regular season with a 3-1 loss at Quincy University, an NCAA Division II opponent. Game scores were 28-26, 23-25, 27-25, 25-22. The Bees are 24-16 overall.

Amy Royer (14) and Emily Fullenkamp (10) each reached double figures in kills. Megan O'Shea and Kait Gallagher each had seven kills, Katelyn Lilienthal had six and Molly Byrnes finished with four. Lauren Aderman had 20 assists and Megan Gordon added 17. Lilienthal had a team-high 17 digs while Hannah Fischer finished with 14.

SAU will now host a Midwest Collegiate Conference Tournament quarterfinal match on Saturday at 1 p.m. The Bees will face either Iowa Wesleyan or Mount Mercy. The complete MCC Tournament bracket is available online.

SAU Earns Home-Court Advantage Throughout MCC Tournament

Nov. 4, 2008

Due to head-to-head victories over Waldorf and William Penn, St. Ambrose will have home-court advantage throughout the Midwest Collegiate Conference Tournament.

The Queen Bees, Warriors and Lady Statesmen shared the regular-season conference crown with matching 6-2 MCC records, but the Bees earned the tournament's top seed by virtue of a 3-0 win over William Penn and a 3-1 victory over Waldorf during the season.

St. Ambrose will host a quarterfinal match in Lee Lohman Arena on Saturday, Nov. 8, at 1 p.m. SAU will host the winner of the Iowa Wesleyan-Mount Mercy play-in match on Thursday, Nov. 6.

The MCC Tournament semifinals are scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 12, and the championship match is slated for Saturday, Nov. 15. Times for the final two rounds of the tournament have yet to be determined.

The complete tournament bracket is available on the MCC website.

Lilienthal Named MCC Player of the Week

Nov. 4, 2008

Four St. Ambrose student-athletes were named Midwest Collegiate Conference Players of the Week in their respective sports on Tuesday, Nov. 4.

Katelyn Lilienthal - MCC Volleyball Player of the Week
Lilienthal, a freshman outside hitter, led the Queen Bees to a 4-2 record last week. She finished with 60 kills, while making only nine attack errors, and 12 total blocks over the six matches. Lilienthal had 13 kills in a 3-0 win over Concordia (Wis.) and had 11 kills in victories over Saint Xavier and UW-River Falls. She reached double figures in digs in four matches and finished with five blocks against Saint Xavier.

Heading into the MCC Tournament which starts on Saturday, Lilienthal is third on the Bees with 322 kills this year.

Nikki Boland - MCC Women's Soccer Offensive Player of the Week
Boland, a freshman forward, scored three goals over two matches last week. Since coming back from injury, she has second in every game. Boland scored a goal in a 3-2 loss to #8 Trinity Christian College on Oct. 28 before notching a pair of goals in a 6-0 MCC Tournament quarterfinal victory over Iowa Wesleyan on Saturday.

Despite playing in only nine games this season, Boland is second on the team with five goals.

Krystina Schmitt - MCC Women's Soccer Defensive Player of the Week
Schmitt, a senior defender, had two tremendous performances last week. She led a defense that limited #8 Trinity Christian College to only three goals in a 3-2 loss on Oct. 28. Thanks to her efforts on Saturday, St. Ambrose was able to shut out Iowa Wesleyan 6-0 in a MCC Tournament quarterfinal match.

Offensively, Schmitt has one goal and four assists for the Queen Bees this season.

Greg Lehman - MCC Men's Soccer Offensive Player of the Week
Lehman, a senior forward, scored a pair of hat tricks to help the Bees go 2-0-1 last week. He tallied three goals in a 6-2 win over Trinity Christian College on Oct. 28. After St. Ambrose earned a 1-1 tie at Illinois-Springfield on Oct. 30, Lehman finished with three goals and an assist as the Bees opened the MCC Tournament with a 7-5 win over Clarke on Sunday.

This season, Lehman has scored 26 goals and added three assists while starting 17 matches.

Bees Win 3-of-4 at UW-Whitewater Tournament

Nov. 1, 2008

St. Ambrose won three of its four matches at the UW-Whitewater Tournament on Friday and Saturday. The Bees defeated UW-River Falls, Concordia (Wis.) and UW-Stevens Point before dropping their final match to Lakeland. SAU is 24-15 overall.

St. Ambrose 3, UW-River Falls 1 (25-23, 25-23, 22-25, 30-28)

Kait Gallagher finished with a team-best 14 kills to lead SAU to a win in the team's first match of the tournament. Katelyn Lilienthal added 11 kills while Megan O'Shea and Amy Royer each finished with nine. Lauren Aderman led the way with 23 assists. Megan Gordon had 10. Hannah Fischer finished with 21 digs and Aderman and Royer each added 11.

St. Ambrose 3, Concordia (Wis.) 0 (25-17, 33-31, 26-24)

Royer and Lilienthal had 14 and 13 kills, respectively, to lead St. Ambrose to a 3-0 win over Concordia (Wis.). O'Shea and Molly Byrnes each finished with five kills, Emily Fullenkamp had four and Gallagher had three. Aderman had a team-high 19 assists and Gordon finished with 10. Fischer paced the Bees with 16 digs.

St. Ambrose 3, UW-Stevens Point 1 (25-27, 25-13, 26-24, 25-22)

In a balanced attack, O'Shea, Gallagher and Fullenkamp each finished with nine kills as St. Ambrose got past UW-Stevens Point 3-1. Royer had eight and Lilienthal added seven. Aderman led SAU with 22 assists. Fischer (15), Royer (13) and Lilienthal (10) had the most digs. Gallagher and Fullenkamp each also finished with four blocks.

Lakeland 3, St. Ambrose 2 (27-25, 21-25, 17-25, 25-22, 15-6)

Royer finished with a team-best 13 kills as St. Ambrose dropped its final match of the tournament to Lakeland 3-1. Lilienthal and Gallagher each had nine kills while Byrnes finished with eight and O'Shea and Fullenkamp added six. Aderman finished with 26 assists and Gordon added 11. Fischer (30) and Royer (26) paced the team in digs. Gallagher was credited with five total blocks and O'Shea finished with four.

SAU Sweeps Saint Xavier

Oct. 30, 2008

Katelyn Lilienthal had a team-high 11 kills, and no attack errors, to help St. Ambrose defeat Saint Xavier 25-17, 25-17, 25-13 Thursday night. The Bees are 21-14 overall.

As a team, SAU finished with 32 kills and only four attack errors. Kait Gallagher finished with seven kills and Megan O'Shea added six. Lauren Aderman led the way with 16 assists while Megan Gordon finished with 10. Hannah Fischer had a team-best 10 digs.

The Bees will compete in a two-day tournament hosted by UW-Whitewater on Friday and Saturday.

Bees Fall in Five at Clarke

Oct. 28, 2008

St. Ambrose closed Midwest Collegiate Conference regular season play with a five-set loss at Clarke College on Tuesday night. Scores were 25-20, 17-25, 25-27, 25-23, 15-10. The Bees are 20-14 overall and 6-2 in the MCC.

Despite the loss, SAU clinches at least a share of the MCC championship, which will be head coach Bruce Billingsley's seventh conference crown. The Bees are a half-game ahead of Waldorf and William Penn, who are both 5-2 with a match remaining. Viterbo has two matches left and is 4-2 in the conference.

Amy Royer led St. Ambrose with 16 kills against the Crusaders. Megan O'Shea and Kait Gallagher each had 12, Katelyn Lilienthal had nine and Emily Fullenkamp finished with eight. Lauren Aderman led the Bees with 35 assists while Megan Gordon finished with 17. Hannah Fischer added a team-high 19 digs.

St. Ambrose will visit Saint Xavier Thursday night before competing in a two-day tournament hosted by UW-Whitewater on Friday and Saturday. 

St. Ambrose Slips Past Viterbo in Five Sets

Oct. 22, 2008

The match lived up to its billing. St. Ambrose jumped to an 8-1 lead in the decisive fifth set and held on to win the set 15-12 to defeat Viterbo 3-2 Wednesday night in Lee Lohman Arena in a match-up of conference leaders. The Bees are 20-13 overall and lead the Midwest Collegiate Conference with a 6-1 mark. Viterbo drops to 25-11 overall and 4-2 in the MCC.

After grabbing the early 8-1 lead, the Bees watched the V-Hawks chip away and get to within two points several times, the last coming at 14-12 after SAU had already wasted two match points. But Megan O'Shea put away the final kill to give St. Ambrose a 25-18, 18-25, 25-21, 18-25, 15-12 victory.

The Bees stormed in front in the first set, taking a 9-1 lead. After Viterbo closed to within 19-18, SAU won six straight points for the 1-0 lead. Viterbo won the second set but St. Ambrose quickly took control of the third winning eight of the first nine points. The V-Hawks took the fourth game setting up the thrilling fifth set.

O'Shea led St. Ambrose with 14 kills and was involved in six of the team's nine blocks. Kait Gallagher finished with 10. Amy Royer and Emily Fullenkamp each added eight and Katelyn Lilienthal had seven. Lauren Aderman finished with a match-high 31 assists while Megan Gordon chipped in with 14. Hannah Fischer (13) and Royer (11) led the team in digs.

SAU now controls its own destiny to claim home-court advantage throughout the MCC Tournament. The Bees will visit Clarke Tuesday, Oct. 28, in the team's conference regular-season finale. Waldorf (19-7, 5-1 MCC) could tie for the conference crown but SAU would get home-court advantage thanks to a win over the Warriors earlier this season.

St. Ambrose Splits Four Matches at Lindenwood Tournament

Oct. 20, 2008

St. Ambrose finished 2-2 at a two-day tournament hosted by Lindenwood on Friday and Saturday. The Bees went 1-1 each day, with victories coming over Illinois-Springfield and Avila. The team dropped matches to #6 Columbia and McKendree. SAU is 19-13 overall.

#6 Columbia 3, St. Ambrose 1 (25-12, 25-20, 23-25, 25-14)

St. Ambrose played the sixth-ranked team in the country close before ultimately falling in four sets. Megan O'Shea led the team with nine kills while Emily Fullenkamp had eight and Amy Royer had six. Lauren Aderman had a team-high 19 assists and Megan Gordon added nine. Hannah Fischer (14) and Martha Grubisich (13) led the team in digs.

St. Ambrose 3, Illinois-Springfield 1 (17-25, 25-19, 25-19, 25-22)

O'Shea (14) and Katelyn Lilienthal (13) each finished with double-digit kills as SAU recovered from dropping the first game to post a four-set victory over Illinois-Springfield. Royer, Fullenkamp and Kait Gallagher each finished with nine kills and Molly Byrnes added eight. Aderman finished with 24 assists and Gordon had 17. Fischer (11) and Grubisich (10) led the way in digs.

St. Ambrose 3, Avila 0 (25-21, 25-14, 25-17)

Lilienthal led the way with eight kills as St. Ambrose defeated Avila in three games. Gallagher and Royer each finished with seven, O'Shea had six, and Byrnes had five in a balanced attack. Aderman paced the Bees with 16 assists. Sarah Glunz finished with seven assists and Gordon added six. Fischer had 15 digs.

McKendree 3, St. Ambrose 1 (25-20, 21-25, 25-21, 25-15)

Gallagher finished with 13 kills as St. Ambrose closed the two-day event with a 3-1 loss to McKendree. Lilienthal added 11 kills, O'Shea had 10 and Fullenkamp finished with nine. Aderman had 29 assists and Gordon finished with 12. Fischer (16) and Grubisich (15) were the dig leaders for the Bees.

SAU Moves to Front of the MCC Pack

Oct. 16, 2008

St. Ambrose moved to the top of the Midwest Collegiate Conference standings after knocking off Waldorf, who had previously been unbeaten in conference play, in four games. The Queen Bees are 17-11 overall and 5-1 in the MCC.

SAU opened strong taking the first two games of the match 26-24 and 25-23. After dropping the third game 25-9, the Bees recovered to post a 25-19 win in the fourth game.

Amy Royer led all players with 15 kills. Kately Lilienthal also reached double figures with 13 kills. Megan O'Shea had eight and Kait Gallagher finished with seven. Lauren Aderman had a team-high 27 assists while Megan Gordon finished with 10. Hannah Fischer led the way with 13 digs.

Following the victory, St. Ambrose moves a half-game ahead of Waldorf and Viterbo in the MCC standings. Waldorf and Viterbo are each 4-1 in league play.

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

Bees Finish 3-1 at SAU Fall Classic

Oct. 11, 2008

St. Ambrose finished 3-1 at its own Fall Classic on Friday and Saturday. SAU defeated Park and the Illinois Institute of Technology each in four games on Friday. St. Ambrose got past Calumet-St. Joseph in three games on Saturday before dropping the final match of the event to the College of the Ozarks in five games. Megan O'Shea was named to the all-tournament team.

St. Ambrose 3, Park 1 (22-25, 25-18, 25-18, 25-17)

Amy Royer (11) and Katelyn Lilienthal (10) led the Bees in kills. Megan O'Shea finished with nine and Emily Fullenkamp and Kait Gallagher each added seven. Lauren Aderman paced the team with 25 assists while Megan Gordon chipped in with 14. Aderman (15), Hannah Fischer (12) and Martha Grubisich (11) led the way in digs.

St. Ambrose 3, Ill. Institute of Technology 1 (22-25, 26-24, 25-21, 25-20)

Amy Royer led three players with double-figure kills with 13. Megan O'Shea had 11 and Katelyn Lilienthal had 10. Emily Fullenkamp added nine. Lauren Aderman finished with a team-best 27 assists and Megan Gordon had 14. Hannah Fischer finished with 17 digs to lead the Bees.

St. Ambrose 3, Calumet-St. Joseph 0 (25-13, 25-8, 25-14)

Amy Royer led SAU with 13 kills as St. Ambrose coasted past Calumet-St. Joseph in three games. Katelyn Lilienthal finished with seven and Emily Fullenkamp had five. Lauren Aderman had a match-high 23 assists. Sarah Glunz added 10 assists. Hannah Fischer led the way with 14 digs.

College of the Ozarks 3, St. Ambrose 2 (19-25, 25-16, 21-25, 25-22, 15-7)

Megan O'Shea had 14 kills as the Bees lost the final match of the Fall Classic to a tough College of the Ozarks team in five games. Kately Lilienthal reached double digits with 10 kills. Amy Royer had nine, Emily Fullenkamp had eight, Kait Gallagher had six and Molly Byrnes finished with five kills. Lauren Aderman had a team-best 31 assists while Megan Gordon finished with 13. Hannah Fischer led the team with 20 digs.

St. Ambrose Survives Five-Set Match at Iowa Wesleyan

Oct. 8, 2008

St. Ambrose won nine of the last 12 points of the fifth game to slip past Iowa Wesleyan Wednesday night by scores of 19-25, 25-18, 26-28, 25-22, 15-10. The Queen Bees are 13-10 overall and 4-1 in the Midwest Collegiate Conference.

In the decisive fifth game, SAU fell behind 7-6, but the Bees rolled off six straight points for a 12-7 lead. Iowa Wesleyan (8-13, 0-4 MCC) got back to within 12-9 before the Bees closed the match.

Megan O'Shea led the team with 17 kills. Kait Gallagher added 14 and Amy Royer finished with 11. Katelyn Lilienthal and Emily Fullenkamp each had eight. Lauren Aderman (37) and Megan Gordon (15) led SAU in assists. Martha Grubisich led the team with 34 digs.

St. Ambrose will host a two-day, six-team tournament Friday and Saturday.

Bees Win Non-Conference Match at Cornell

Oct. 2, 2008

Amy Royer finished with a team-high 15 kills and Megan O'Shea added 10 as St. Ambrose defeated Cornell 3-1 Thursday night. The Queen Bees dropped the first game 27-25 before taking the next three by scores of 25-22, 25-18, 28-26.

Kait Gallagher was third on the team with nine kills and paced the Bees with 15 digs and two solo blocks. Lauren Aderman led the way with 31 assists while Lauren Kramer added eight. Emily Fullenkamp finished with five total blocks.

SAU (12-10 overall) returns to Midwest Collegiate Conference play on Wednesday when the Bees visit Iowa Wesleyan.

SAU Drops Five-Game Thriller to Ashford

Sept. 30, 2008

St. Ambrose lost its first Midwest Collegiate Conference match of the season in a thrilling five-setter to Ashford Tuesday night at Lee Lohman Arena. The Saints prevailed 21-25, 25-17, 25-17, 16-25, 17-15.

The Bees trailed most of the first game and were down 16-13 before rolling off six straight points to grab a 19-16 lead. St. Ambrose (11-10 overall, 3-1 MCC) held on for the 25-21 win. After Ashford (10-11, 2-2 MCC) won the next two games, SAU forced a decisive fifth game. Again the Bees trailed most of the way and were down 11-7 before rallying to tie things at 13-13. St. Ambrose actually had a match point at 15-14 but Ashford won the final three points to claim the match.

Amy Royer led the Bees with 13 kills. Katelyn Lilienthal, Megan O'Shea and Emily Fullenkamp each finished with 10. Lauren Aderman finished with a team-high 35 assists. Hannah Fischer led the way with 21 digs.

SAU will visit Cornell College Thursday night for a non-conference matchup.

Bees Split Four Matches at Indiana Tech Tournament

Sept. 27, 2008

Sophomore outside hitter Amy Royer was named to the All-Tournament Team at a two-day event hosted by Indiana Tech. The Bees finished 2-2 with victories over Northwestern (Ohio) and Michigan-Dearborn. SAU lost to #22 Indiana Wesleyan and to #19 Indiana Tech. St. Ambrose is 11-9 overall this season.

St. Ambrose 3, Northwestern (Ohio) 1 (27-29, 25-21, 25-19, 26-24)

St. Ambrose opened play by defeating Northwestern (Ohio) in three games. Kait Gallagher led four players with double-digit kills with 13. Katelyn Lilienthal and Megan O'Shea each had 12 and Royer finished with 11. Lauren Aderman led the way with 32 assists and Megan Gordon added 20. Hannah Fischer paced the team with 20 digs.

#22 Indiana Wesleyan 3, St. Ambrose 0 (25-11, 25-15, 25-23)

Royer led the Bees with nine kills in a three-game loss to #22 Indiana Wesleyan. Lilienthal had six, Gallagher four and O'Shea three. Aderman had a team-best 13 assists. Martha Grubisich (14), Royer (13) and Fischer (12) reached double figures in digs.

St. Ambrose 3, Michigan-Dearborn 0 (25-21, 25-22, 25-20)

A week after defeating Michigan-Dearborn in four games, St. Ambrose stopped UMD again, this time in three games. Gallagher again led the team with 12 kills. O'Shea, Royer and Emily Fullenkamp each added seven kills. Aderman had 22 assists and Gordon finished with eight. Fischer had a team-high 10 digs.

#19 Indiana Tech 3, St. Ambrose 0 (25-18, 25-12, 25-16)

The Bees ended the tournament with a three-game lose to host #19 Indiana Tech. Gallagher finished with six kills and Royer had five in the loss. Aderman had eight assists and Fischer finished with 16 digs.

SAU Moves to 3-0 in Conference Play

Sept. 23, 2008

St. Ambrose improved to 9-7 overall and a perfect 3-0 in Midwest Collegiate Conference play after a three-game victory at William Penn Tuesday night. The Bees swept the Lady Statesmen 25-20, 25-21, 25-21.

Kait Gallagher led all players with 15 kills. Katelyn Lilienthal had seven, Megan O'Shea and Amy Royer each had six, and Emily Fullenkamp finished with five kills. Lauren Aderman paced the Queen Bees with 25 assists. Hannah Fischer (16) and Megan Gordon (10) led the team in digs.

The Bees will compete at a tournament hosted by Indiana Tech on Friday and Saturday.

Gallagher and Lilienthal Named to All-Tournament Team

Sept. 20, 2008

Kait Gallagher and Katelyn Lilienthal were named to the All-Tournament Team as the Queen Bees finished 2-2 at a two-day tournament hosted by Olivet Nazarene on Friday and Saturday. St. Ambrose defeated Michigan-Dearborn and the Illinois Institute of Technology and dropped matches to Trinity Christian and Olivet Nazarene. SAU is 8-7 overall.

Trinity Christian 3, St. Ambrose 1 (25-17, 25-20, 25-27, 25-22)

Gallagher and Amy Royer led the way with 11 kills as the Bees fell in four games to Trinity Christian to open play at Olivet Nazarene. Megan O'Shea had nine kills, Lilienthal had eight and Emily Fullenkamp finished with seven. Lauren Aderman led the team with 30 assists while Megan Gordon finished with 16. Hannah Fischer (15), Aderman (13) and Lilienthal (10) led the way in digs.

St. Ambrose 3, Michigan-Dearborn 1 (29-27, 22-25, 25-16, 25-23)

O'Shea (13) and Lilienthal (10) each reached double figures in kills as SAU defeated Michigan-Dearborn 3-1. Aderman had 27 assists and Gordon finished with 17. Fischer and Martha Grubisich led the team in digs with 16 and 13, respectively. O'Shea was involved in six of the Bees' 10 total blocks.

St. Ambrose 3, Illinois Institute of Technology 2 (20-25, 24-26, 25-14, 25-23, 15-9)

St. Ambrose rallied after dropping the first two games to slip past the Illinois Institute of Technology 3-2. Gallagher had 12 kills. O'Shea had nine, Lilienthal eight and Fullenkamp seven in the balanced attack. Aderman and Gordon each finished with 17 assists. Fischer led the team with 22 digs, while Gallagher had 17 and Grubisich had 16.

Olivet Nazarene 3, St. Ambrose 0 (25-14, 25-19, 25-14)

SAU dropped its final match of the tournament to host Olivet Nazarene. Gallagher had seven kills in the loss.

Bees Fly Past Mount Mercy

Sept. 17, 2008

St. Ambrose wasted little time in improving to 2-0 in Midwest Collegiate Conference play with a three set victory (25-13, 25-9, 25-17) over Mount Mercy on Wednesday night. The Queen Bees are 6-5 overall.

SAU actually trailed 10-7 in the first game before rolling off 11 straight points to grab an 18-10 lead. There was less drama in the second and third games as St. Ambrose grabbed leads of 7-0 and 4-0, respectively.

Amy Royer led the team with 10 kills. Megan O'Shea and Kait Gallagher each finished with nine kills while Katelyn Lilienthal and Emily Fullenkamp each added six. Lauren Aderman had a match-high 23 assists. Royer (15) and Hannah Fischer (11) led the team in digs.

The Bees will compete in a tournament hosted by Olivet Nazarene on Friday and Saturday.

SAU Falls to Augustana

Sept. 12, 2008

The Queen Bees dropped to 5-5 overall after a 25-16, 25-23, 25-17 loss at Augustana Friday night.

Katelyn Lilienthal led SAU with six kills. Megan O'Shea, Kait Gallagher, Amy Royer and Emily Fullenkamp each finished with four kills. Lauren Aderman had a team-high 14 assists while Hannah Fischer led the way with 11 digs.

The Bees will host Mount Mercy on Wednesday.

Bees Open MCC Play with Victory over Grand View

Sept. 10, 2008

After a slow start, the Queen Bees recovered to post a 3-1 win over Grand View in the Midwest Collegiate Conference opener for both schools. Game scores were 19-25, 25-22, 26-24, 25-17.

St. Ambrose (5-4 overall) was led by Katelyn Lilienthal's 14 kills. Kait Gallagher added 13 and Emily Fullenkamp chipped in with 10. Lauren Aderman had a team-high 29 assists and Megan Gordon finished with 16. Along with eight kills, Amy Royer finished with 16 digs. Martha Grubisich also had 16 digs while Hannah Fischer finished with 15.

SAU will visit Augustana on Friday, Sept. 12, for a 7 p.m. match.

St. Ambrose Finishes 2-2 at SXU/IIT Crossover Tournament

Sept. 9, 2008

St. Ambrose moved to 4-4 on the season after splitting four matches at the Saint Xavier/Illinois Institute of Technology Crossover Tournament on September 5-6. The Bees defeated Trinity International and Illinois-Springfield and lost to St. Francis, Ill., and Lubbock Christian.

St. Ambrose 3, Trinity International 0 (25-21, 25-20, 25-23)

Amy Royer, Katelyn Lilienthal and Kait Gallagher each finished with eight kills as SAU swept Trinity International in three games. Megan O'Shea finished with six kills and Emily Fullenkamp added five in the win. Lauren Aderman finished with 21 assists.

St. Francis 3, St. Ambrose 1 (25-21, 27-25, 17-25, 25-19)

Royer and Gallagher led the way with 14 and 12 kills, respectively, as St. Ambrose fell to St. Francis in four games. Lilienthal added eight kills and Fullenkamp finished with six. Aderman had a team-high 24 assists.

St. Ambrose 3, Illinois-Springfield 1 (25-23, 25-18, 25-27, 25-20)

The Queen Bees started the second day of the tournament by defeating Illinois-Springfield in four games. Royer finished with 22 of the team's 60 kills. Lilienthal added 13 and Fullenkamp finished with nine. Aderman (28) and Megan Gordon (20) led the team in assists. Martha Grubisich had a team-best 12 digs. Fullenkamp added three solo blocks and assisted on four others as SAU finished with 11 total blocks.

Lubbock Christian 3, St. Ambrose 0 (25-21, 25-22, 25-23)

St. Ambrose closed the tournament by losing in three games to Lubbock Christian. Fullenkamp paced the Bees with seven kills. Gallagher (6), Lilienthal (5), Royer (4) and Aderman (4) contributed to the balanced attack. Aderman finished with 15 assists.

Queen Bees See Record Even at 2-2

Aug. 30, 2008

The Queen Bee volleyball team saw its mark fall to 2-2 on the year after dropping two matches at the SAU Early Bird Tournament on Saturday, Aug. 30. St. Ambrose lost to NCAA Division II Upper Iowa and Morningside College, the 13th-ranked team in NAIA.

The Bees first match of the day was a thriller, going to a decisive fifth set. Upper Iowa claimed a 25-23, 24-26, 25-20, 22-25, 17-15 win. Amy Royer led all players with 18 kills. Kait Gallagher added nine and Katelyn Lilienthal finished with seven. Lauren Aderman led the team with 28 assists.

Morningside played up to its lofty national ranking in sweeping St. Ambrose 25-12, 25-21, 25-14. Lilienthal had a team-high seven kills. Megan O'Shea finished with six, Gallagher had five and Royer added four. Aderman recorded 16 assists.

O'Shea, a junior middle hitter from Palos Heights, Ill., was named to the All-Tournament Team.

St. Ambrose will compete in the Illinois Institute of Technology Tournament on Friday, Sept. 5, before competing in the Saint Xavier Tournament on Saturday, Sept. 6.

St. Ambrose Earns Comeback Victories to Open Season

Aug. 29, 2008

The St. Ambrose women's volleyball team opened its 2008 season with two comeback victories at the SAU Early Bird Tournament on Friday, Aug. 29. The Queen Bees defeated the University of Sioux Falls in four games before defeating Quincy University in five.

SAU St. Ambrose let a late lead slip away in losing the first game 27-25 to Sioux Falls but roared back to win the final three games by scores of 30-28, 25-22, 25-12.

Megan O'Shea led a balanced attack with 13 kills. Katelyn Lilienthal, Kait Gallagher and Emily Fullenkamp each had nine kills while Amy Royer added eight. Lauren Aderman led the Bees with 23 assists and Megan Gordon chipped in with 22. Fullenkamp paced the team with five blocks.

The Young Bees grabbed late leads in the first two games against Quincy but dropped them by scores of 26-24 and 25-22. St. Ambrose rallied to win the final three games 25-20, 26-24, 15-13 to move to 2-0 on the season.

O'Shea again led the way, this time with 11 kills. Lilienthal added nine and Royer finished with eight. Aderman had a team-high 24 assists.

The second day of the SAU Early Bird Tournament continues Saturday, Aug. 30, at 9 a.m. The Queen Bees will host Upper Iowa at 11 a.m. and Morningside at 2 p.m. in Lee Lohman Arena.