Staff Report (11/14/07)

St. Ambrose lost to William Penn 14-30, 31-29, 28-30, 21-30 in their Regional Quarterfinal match.

Queen Bees rewarded with at-large bid to Regional playoffs

Staff Report (11/12/07)

Seeding for NAIA Region VII Playoffs
1) ONU
2) St. Xavier
3) St. Francis
4) William Penn
5) St. Ambrose
6) Waldorf

The St. Ambrose Queen Bees were surprised this morning when the NAIA Region VII playoff pairings were released. Having lost in the semifinals of their own MCC tournament, the Bees had turned in their uniforms and begun their postseason individual meetings with coach Billingsley.

Wednesday night #3 St. Francis will host #6 Waldorf College
#4 William Penn will host #5 St. Ambrose
Seeds #1 Olivet Nazarene University and Seed #2 St. Xavier have a bye on Wednesday. The final four will be played Friday and Saturday at ONU.

Friday's 5:00pm match will be #2 St. Xavier vs winner of #3 St. Francis vs #6 Waldorf. The 7:00pm match will be #1 ONU vs winner of #4 William Penn vs #5 St. Ambrose, then winners of those two matches will play for the finals on Saturday, Nov. 17 at noon for the automatic bid to nationals.

by Maria Naert (11/02/07)

The Queen Bees spent their October 31st Halloween night haunting Cedar Rapids' Mount Mercy gymnasium with a competitive game. The night brought out a successful 3-0 win. Game scores were 30-12, 30-28, and 30-16. Emily Russell struck down 13 kills and covered 12 digs. Molly Byrnes acquired 12 kills, Angie Bickett provided 25 sets, and Lauren Aderman achieved 4 service aces.

The following night, the ladies came home to their Davenport Lee Lohman Court to play their November 1st match against the Region VII number one rated, Saint Xavier. The games were a struggle for both teams with Ambrose taking the lead in the first two games. Even through the Bees 2-3 loss, they still fought Saint Xavier with a competitive front. Game scores were recorded at 30-26, 30-27, 19-30, 19-30, and 9-15. Megan O'Shea brought on 15 kills and 3 solo blocks. Amy Royer played 14 kills and 2 service aces, Angie Bickett assisted with 24 sets, Kristen Anglin saved 28 defensive digs, and Emily Russell tallied in another 27 digs.

"St. Xavier was a different level of play for us," explained Kristen Anglin. "Mount Mercy was solid, but the momentum and pace of the game increased with Xavier."

"It was a tough loss to Xavier since we couldn't clench that third game to win the match," said Emily Russell. "But, even to take two games from the number one team in the region is a step for us. It gives us the reassurance that we can play with and even possibly beat any team in the region."

Emily Russell provided a few hints as to the kind of mind-set that leads a team to the number one title, commenting, "I think that St. Xavier has that mental edge that is necessary to come back from behind like they did with us. They played right with us each game and did not lose hope or energy even when they were down two games."

"Xavier was definitely a tough loss," said Anglin. "But as a team, we move on. The game was fun and made us better, only preparing us for what really counts now (the postseason)."

"We are excited about the quarterfinals and a fourth opportunity to beat Iowa Wesleyan," added Russell. "It is very difficult to beat any team four times, so we are definitely not taking this game for granted. We are focusing on this match in order to advance to the next level."

The MCC Quartefinals against Iowa Wesleyan will be held on the Bees' home court at 7:00 Saturday night, November 3rd.

Bees buzz to win at USM Sister Madonna Invitational

by Maria Naert (10/25/07)

The Queen Bees started out the week with an unfortunate loss to Quincy on October 17th. The match, held in Quincy, IL, ended with a 0-3 loss with game scores of (24-30), (21-30), and (28-30). Amy Royer put down 11 kills, Lauren Aderman assisted 13 sets, Rachael Vogel scored 2 service aces, and Hannah Fischer saved 22 digs. The team played a hard match despite the absence of the encouragement of one of their senior captains, outside hitter/defensive specialist Kristen Anglin, who remained home due to sickness.

Where the Bees really shone was in their winning of the University of St. Mary Sister Madonna Invitational in Leavensworth, KS. The ladies won each one of the four games played, beginning with MidAmerica Nazarent on Friday, October 19th. The match was claimed with a 3-0 victory while game scores came out at (30-26), (30-26), and (30-19). Amy Royer doubled up with 10 kills and 12 digs, Molly Byrnes also claimed 10 kills, Angie Bickett tallied up 23 set assists, Rachael Vogel scored 2 service aces and 1 solo block, and Hannah Fischer acquired 12 defensive digs.

The ladies continued on to their second game against home team St. Mary (KS) with the same effort and enthusiasm. SAU took the match with a 3-1 win with recorded game scores of (30-24), (30-22), (27-30), and (30-22). Megan O'Shea and Amy Royer each hit down 15 kills, Lauren Aderman set up 38, Rachael Vogel continued to acieve her 2 service aces and 1 solo block, and Hannah Fischer played up 17 digs.

The following day's competition proved no shortage of effort as the Bees began against Southwestern (KS) with a 3-0 win. The games ended at (30-15), (30-23), and (30-20). Emily Russell and Amy Royer scored 8 kills each, Lauren Aderman claimed 11 sets, Rachael Vogel performed her 2 service aces, and Kristen Anglin joined in with 2 service aces and 14 defensive digs.

The final game against Johnson and Wales brought a victorious closing to the weekend as the Lady Bees gained their 3-0 win. The Bees reigned over their competitors with final game scores of (30-20), (30-9), and (30-17). Amy Royer tallied up 17 kills and 3 service aces, Angie Bickett provided 16 sets, Emily Russell acquired 3 service aces and 10 defensive digs, and Megan O'Shea claimed 2 solo blocks.

This was the Lady Bees' 2nd tournament win for the season following their University of Dubuque tournament win in September. Amy Royer and Magan O'Shea were both recognized with honors during the Leavensworth tournament. Amy Royer received her first tournament honors as MVP and Megan O'Shea found herself added onto her 3rd-time honors of a 5 person All-Tournament-Team.

"It is always nice to get recognized," said frshman OH Amy Royer gladly. "But I couldn't have done it without the help of my teammates and coaches."

"It really does feels great," added sophomore MH Megan O'Shea. "It is an honor to be named to a third All-tournament team."

"This weekend was a team effort," explained Royer. "It was important for each individual to do their best while coming together as one on the court. The competition over the weekend was solid, and you can never take a team lightly. It was important for us to get back on track and start another winning streak. We are continually trying to improve each aspect of our game, and hopefully we can carry this momentum to our home tournament this weekend."

Clarke loss provides no setback to weekend's tournament

by Maria Naert (10/14/07)

October 9th's game against Clarke College was a tough one to host for the Queen Bees as the final match score weighed down with a disapointing 0-3 loss. Game scores were recorded at 24-30, 27-30, 20-30. Emily Russell fought back with 12 kills, Angie Bickett provided 18 assists, Lauren Aderman served the only service ace and Kristen Anglin covered the court with 21 defensive digs. Sadly, the women's efforts were just not enough.

But, the Ambrose team is refusing to be pushed down from their loss. The ladies have pulled themselves together and are setting their minds back towards their future competition for the rest of the season.

Senior Captains Emily Russell and Kristen Anglin led and encouraged the team to pick up their level of competition.

"The team has had sort of an 'awakening' since the Clarke match," said Emily, "and has realized that what we were doing in the past is not going to be enough to get us through future games. We have been working hard in practice and incorporating specialized drills with a higher level of conditioning in order to get us ready for the remainder of the season. The outlook is positive and we are ready to prove to our fans, coaches and teammates that there is a new Ambrose team out on the court."

The team's changed training and perceptions proved successful as they welcomed their weekend's tournament competition with a unified Ambrose drive. The Bees began their first match against Robert Morris, attaining a 3-0 victory. The game scores ended with 30-17, 30-21, 30-7. Megan O'Shea acquired 12 kills and 1 solo block, Lauren Aderman assisted with 13 sets, Kristen Anglin provided 2 service aces, and Emily Russell played back 11 digs.

Later that day, the Bees met up with the competitive Concordia, NE team. The ladies played a hard match, but came short with a triple 27-30 score at the close of each game, resulting in a 0-3 loss. The ladies brought on a hard game each time as Emily Russell struck down 20 kills, Angie Bickett played up 21 sets, Amy Royer served 3 aces, Kristen Anglin covered 15 defensive digs, and Rachael Vogel provided the single solo block.

The following day, the ladies placed their level of competition a step higher. They began with a crushing 3-0 victory over Calumet St. Joseph. The score board proudly displayed the final game scores as 30-11, 30-12, 30-16. Emily Russell covered the court with her 13 kills and 14 digs, Lauren Aderman set up 14 assists, and Amy Royer tallied six service aces.

The Bees drove on as they acquired the final 3-1 defeat over University of Dubuque. The games were 30-20, 28-30, 30-22, 30-28. Emily Russell and Amy Royer each brought down 15 kills. Lauren Aderman provided 24 sets, Kristen Anglin shook up the competition with a team season high 42 digs, Megan O'Shea put in 2 solo blocks, and Amy Royer served 4 aces.

"This weekend, we showed what a more dedicated and motivated team can accomplish," described Russell. "The loss against Concordia was tough, but as a whole we played well and didn't give up."

Recognition was also given to the members of the weekend's All-Tournament Team. Senior OH Emily Russell along with sophomore MH Megan O'Shea gained the spot light for the team's hard work during the weekend's competiton.

The Queen Bees now have their sights turned to Wednesday's away match against Quincy, where they'll carry on their new work ethic and strategic drive to gain one victory closer to a successful season.

by Maria Naert (10/4/07)

With the Queen Bees just past their mid-season already, they're firing up the flame they've carried these last few weeks to begin shining some light on their team goals. After their win at Viterbo on Wednesday, Oct. 3, the ladies have now found themselves in a three-way-tie with William Penn and Viterbo. But, the team isn't letting their first lost match (2-3) against William Penn drag down their enthusiasm for a shot at the conference title. Instead, the fairly young SAU team has worked hard to unite and provide a fierce drive against the experienced upcoming competition. Wednesday night's match at Viterbo displayed a perfect example of the energy that the team is aiming to bring to the court in these next few weeks. The ladies took a 3-2 win while barely missing each lost game by a two-point-reach.

"This was definitely the team's most consistently played game," remarked senior Emily Russell. "I would credit the success to the team's enthusiam and positive energy on the court. We really stepped it up this match and played with a lot of heart which helped us during the last few points of the fifth game."

As a senior captain, Emily stepped up her leadership, encouraging the team's energy in the face of the night's competition. "Viterbo is a forceful team," described Emily. "I knew it would be especially important to be a leader out on the court. I found myself feeding off the entire team's energy and it helped me step up at crucial points in the game. Viterbo is a solid team so it took a lot of communication and smart playing to pick up balls on defense and run our offense."

Freshman Hannah Fischer's defensive digs gained the team extra play advantages towards the end of the match.

"Our coaches informed us before the match that this team had some big hitters and that our defense would be especially important," said Hannah. "Each player promised to do her absolute best on the court and 'just bring it.' This win helped us realize that we are capable and have the potential to do well when we pull together as a team. We were really pushing each other, cheering each other on, and celebrating each other's efforts no matter what the outcome. By the end of the match, our drive to win was so intense that we were literally jumping for joy after every point."

Freshman setter Angie Bickett successfully served the last 5 points of game five, helping SAU to finally gain their victory.

When asked how it felt as a freshman to be the final effort to turn the game around, Angie responded, "I knew I couldn't let my team down. My goal was just to put the ball in play so that we would be able to give ourselves a chance to come back and win, but most of all I just wanted to do it for the team."

"The team has come a long way since the beginning of the season," stated Emily. "We are a young team and had a slow start as we were establishing team dynamics. At this point, we have really come together as a unit which is showing in our improved level of play. As a more mature team, we are aware of our strengths so that we can emphasize these in order to compensate for our weaknesses. As far as where we want to go from here, the Conference Championship is in our close reach, and we hope to keep playing hard and keep winning games to get there."

The Bees can fulfill their preseason goal by winning their three remaining Conference matches, then they're set for their final run at the Conference Title.

"We've shown that the winner is determined by who wants it more," explained Angie. "We've played with a lot of energy and communication. I hope that we can build on the Viterbo win and carry over that feeling to the rest of the season."

As the Lady Bees enter their last three conference matches, their team strengths, unity, and determination will be measured up against the will and desire of each team they play as they compete for the Conference Championship Title.

Whitewater Tournament Strengthens Bees Determination

by Maria Naert (10/1/07)

The Bees traveled to Whitewater, WI Sept. 28th and 29th to take on some tough competition in the UW-Whitewater Tournament. The tournament started with their familiar foe Iowa Wesleyan, the competitive Whitewater home team,and a few equal face-offs with Trinity International and Concordia, WI. The Queen Bees pulled a third successful win from Iowa Wesleyan, but their efforts came out a little too short in the following three matches.

The Bees started out with a 3-0 defeat over MCC rival Iowa Wesleyan, a team they had already met up with twice throughout the season. The three-game scores totaled to a consistant 30-26, 30-26 and 30-26. Sophomore middle hitter Megan O'Shea struck down 13 kills, sophomore setter Lauren Aderman provided 28 assists, junior middle hitter Rachael Vogel completed 2 service aces and 1 solo block, and freshman defensive specialist Hannah Fischer recorded 20 digs.

The team met a different kind of competition against the home team UW-Whitewater, currently ranked number three in the NCAA Division III polls. The ladies came out with a 1-3 loss with game scores of 16-30, 21-30, 30-28, and 31-33. Senior outside hitter Emily Russell scored 12 kills, 28 digs, and 1 solo block, Lauren Aderman assisted with 17 sets and 2 service aces, senior outside hitter/defensive specialist Kristen Anglin tallied up 34 digs and another 2 service aces, and Hannah Fischer added in 25 digs. The Bees gave Whitewater their only game loss of the tournament.

The following day, the team started out against Trinity International with an unfortunate 1-3 loss. The final scores displayed 28-30, 28-30, 30-26 and 24-30. Emily Russell brought down 20 kills, freshman Angie Bickett and sophomre Lauren Aderman each tallied 22 sets, Amy Royer served up 3 service aces, Kristen Anglin pulled in 38 digs and Megan O'Shea took control of the only 2 solo blocks. Sadly, the Bees solid effort did not reflect positively in the final game scores.

The Bees then played a hard and enduring match against Concordia, WI. The tug-a-war game scores ended with Concordia taking the final win from the Bees. The 2-3 loss left SAU with 26-30, 30-21, 25-30, 30-22 and 12-15. Emily Russell swung for 23 kills while Amy Royer added 20 more kills and 3 service aces, Lauren Aderman and Angie Bickett provided an amazing 43 and 36 sets, Kristen Anglin scored 22 defensive digs, and Rachael Vogel finished with 3 service aces.

"We already knew Iowa Wesleyan's level of play and it helped us come out on top," explained senior captain Emily Russell. "We played one of our best matches of the year against Whitewater. It was intense and fun, but unfortunately we couldn't pull it off. We didn't do as well as we would have liked on Saturday against Concordia and Trinity International, but it was a learning experience that we will benefit from."

"UW-Whitewater is the number three NCAA Division III team in the nation and we played right with them for the last two games," added Coach Billingsley. "It was exciting taking a game from them and in the long run, a match like that helps to make us a better team."

"Next, we travel to Viterbo to face the first place team in the conference," said Emily. "They are undefeated in conference play and it will be an important match for us to play to our full potential so that we can move up in the rankings. Next week, we will play Clarke who we haven't seen before. We need to keep up our hard work in practice so that we are prepared for anything."

When asked "Where do the Bees go from here?" senior captain Kristen Anglin shot back a confident answer. "The Bees go up. We are working hard in practice and learning new things to have more variety in our offense and defense. We are staying healthy and keeping positive attitudes. The biggest thing for us right now is to play consistent and keep our energy up."

Win Over Waldorf Sets Bees Up for Oncoming Title Competition

by Maria Naert (09/26/07)

On Thursday, Sept. 25th, the Queen Bees swept through current conference leader Waldorf at home in the comfort of their own SAU Lee Lohman Arena. The 4-game match rang up 3-1 in the Bees favor with a matchscore of 30-22, 30-25, 33-35 and 30-24. Senior outside hitter Emily Russell recorded 15 defensive digs, freshman outside hitter Amy Royer led the Bees with 25 kills, sophomore setter Lauren Aderman kicked in with 39 assists and 2 service aces while freshman setter Angie Bickett contributed another 28 sets, and junior middle hitter Rachael Vogel and sophomore middle hitter Megan O'Shea each added in 1 solo block.

"Defeating Waldorf was a huge accomplishment for us because it got us that much closer to clinching a conference title," explained Senior Captain Emily Russell. "We have a target on our backs after winning last year, so each conference game is crucial if we hope to win again this year."

The team is refusing to let their guard down as they face the competition that is still yet to come.

"Viterbo next week will be our biggest challenge down the stretch," added Coach Bruce Billingsley. "A win over them would leave us in a three way tie," narrowing the competition down to between Viterbo, William Penn and our own Saint Ambrose University.

Bees take back-to-back wins against Cornell and Iowa Wesleyan

by Maria Naert (09/21/07)

The Queen Bees geared up to host a hive-full of competition this past week; Cornell College on Tuesday September 18 and Iowa Wesleyan on Wednesday September 19. The ladies achieved a back-to-back 3-0 win against both rivals.

The Bees met an equally committed and competitive Cornell on Tuesday. They were able to sneak into each match, pulling off a tricky win. In the end, the 3 games stood at 30-27, 30-15, 30-28 in favor of St. Ambrose (8-7, 1-1). Freshman Amy Royer hit down 16 kills, sophomore Lauren Aderman set up 22 assists, junior Rachael Vogel provided 2 service aces, and senior Kristen Anglin led  the team with 18 digs. Emily Russell and Rachael Vogel each came out with 1 solo block.

SAU coach Bruce Billingsley said, "This is always a big match for me personally. Cornell coach Jeff Meeker used to be one of my men's volleyball assistant coaches when I coached both teams and before that he was the head women's coach at Iowa Wesleyan.  It is always great to see him and fun to coach against him. Every year, we have a good match."

The Bees came back the next night without an ounce of energy less than they showed on Tuesday. They earned another 3-0 win against Midwest Collegiate Conference rival Iowa Wesleyan with final game scores of 30-27, 30-20, 30-24 (9-7, 2-1). St. Ambrose and Iowa Wesleyan account for 12 of the last 13 MCC titles (SAU - 7, IWC - 5).

Amy Royer came back again with 17 kills, freshman Angie Bickett provided 24 sets, Kristen Anglin tallied up 13 digs, and sophomore Megan O'Shea went for the only successful solo block of the night.

"We knew that Cornell and Iowa Wesleyan had seen us before and we were expecting them to come in and play tough," explained Angie Bickett (setter). "By modifying parts of our game, talking and working on our defense, we were able to stop some things that we had seen from them in our previous outings."

But, the Bees  transformation into a stronger team was not an overnight occurrence.

"We really concentrated on the importance of communication and energy, during the practices leading up to the games," added Bickett.. "We're also beginning to develop great team chemistry. We try to show that whenever we take the court."

by Maria Naert  (09/17/07)

The Queen Bees traveled to Joliet this last weekend (Sept 14-15) where they met an equal match for competition against teams in the University of St. Francis Tournament.

The tournament started off on an unlucky foot for the ladies as they were defeated on Friday by the host, St. Francis 26-30, 30-21, 19-30, 20-30 (5-6, 1-1). Unfortunately, even with freshman Molly Byrnes' 11 kills, sophomore Lauren Aderman's 23 assists, freshman Amy Royer's 15 digs, and sophomore Megan O'Shea's 3 blocks, it was not enough to tide over the Joliet team.

The Bees then came back with full strength against Judson, defeating them with a three match score of 30-23, 30-23, 30-14 (6-6, 1-1). Kills were brought down by senior captain Emily Russell (9), O'Shea (8), junior Rachael Vogel (7), and Royer (7). Setting assists were shared on part of both Aderman (22) and freshman Danielle Bannon (14). Service aces were split between Aderman (4) and Royer (3). Senior capatin Kristen Anglin brought up 17 digs while O'Shea and Vogel each set up 3 blocks.

Saturday brought on even harder competition along with record-breaking statistics for some of the ladies so far this season. In response to Cornerstone's (NAIA #17) tough game, the Bees fought back with full performance. 17 kills and 8 blocks were totaled by O'Shea, Aderman provided 27 assists, Russell added up 3 service aces, and Royer scored 31 digs. Unfortunately, apart from the team's strong performance, the numbers were not enough to prevent Cornerstone's win, setting Ambrose at a game match score of 20-30, 30-27, 28-30, 25-30 (6-7, 1-1).

The Bees came back with one last game, refusing to be swayed by Missouri Valley, as the ladies claimed their final win 30-20, 30-17, 30-11 (7-7, 1-1). Royer and Russell came out on top with 8 kills each. Bannon supported 9 assists and 3 service aces, while Royer came back to add in 14 digs.

"After this weekend, I feel that the team is very close to doing what we need to do in order to have a successful season," said Emily Russell (OH). "Beating Judson and Missouri Valley and taking games from St. Francis and Cornerstone have helped boost our confidence and prepare for this week's games against Cornell and Iowa Wesleyan."

"There have been a lot of areas of improvement for us," explained junior Rachael Vogel (MH). "We are starting to work together as a team, getting used to playing with one another, and just knowing how each teammate plays."

"Our team has improved on playing together as a unit, instead of six individuals on the court," added Russell. "We are beginning to see the positive benefits that have come from working together. We are working toward taking advantage of our strong defense so that we can use it to run an offense against our opponents, knowing that this will make us a stronger team. Coming off of a conference title last year, teams are gunning for us," said Russell eagerly. "But I am sure that with continued hard work and confidence, we can come out on top again this year."

by Maria Naert  (09/14/07)

Tuesday, September 11, the Lady Bees headed to Clinton for a 5 game match against Ashford University where they held their own in a 3-2 win; (30-26), (23-30), (23-30), (30-21), (15-10). Freshman Amy Royer brought down 20 kills in addition to 4 solo blocks, sophomore Lauren Aderman set up 23 assists, and senior captain Kristen Anglin provided 33 digs.

"We started out slow against Ashford," said senior captain Emily Russell. "But, by the end of game three, we turned it on and began to play more like the team we expected to see."

The following day, the Bees hosted Augustana on their own Davenport turf. They came out with an unfortunate 1-3 loss; (25-30), (30-23), (29-31), (18-30). Kristen Anglin returned again with 32 digs, Emily Russell hit with 13 kills, Lauren Aderman brought in 5 service aces, and sophomore Megan O'Shea added on 3 solo blocks.

Outside hitter, junior Liz Croegaert, was credited by her teammates for filling in on the right side for sophomore Karla Steffensmeier, who is out on account of an injured ankle.

The team also pinned down their points for strengthening this season.

"After the games against Augie and Ashford," explained Emily, "we found that we need to be a more confident and forceful team on the court. We know our skills are there. We just need to put them into action to come out with more wins."

"Ashford and Augie both bring a lot of energy and passion to their game," stated Kristen Anglin. "We should step out on the court with as much energy and intensity as they do."

Bees win University of Dubuque Tournament

by Maria Naert  (09/09/07)

September 7, the Lady Bees opened the University of Dubuque Invitational with a pair of matches against MCC rivals. SAU came out on top of Iowa Wesleyan 3-1. Amy Royer came back again with 18 kills, Emily Russell with 22 digs, and sophomore Megan O'Shea added on 4 solo blocks. Sophomore Lauren Aderman provided the team with 25 assists and 4 service aces.

Friday's second match was a 3-0 win over MCC rival Mount Mercy.

On Saturday, St. Ambrose (4-4) defeated University of Dubuque (5-3) 30-27, 27-30, 30-25, 19-30, 15-10 in the championship match of the University of Dubuque Invitational.

St. Ambrose Senior Captain Kristen Anglin (Dubuque, IA - Wahlert HS) was selected as the Tournament MVP. She was joined on the All-Tournament Team by Queen Bee teammates Megan O'Shea (Soph, Palos Heights, IL - Mt. Assisi Academy) and Amy Royer (Fresh, Mokena, IL - Lincoln Way East HS).

Anglin led the Bees with 55 digs in the three match tournament. O'Shea had a team high 17 blocks along with 34 kills. Royer was the kill leader for SAU with 37.

The Queen Bees face a busy and tough week, traveling to MCC rival Ashford on Tuesday and hosting cross-town rival Augustana on Wednesday. The weekend will include a trip to the University of St. Francis tournament in Joliet, IL.

Queen Bees drop conference opener

staff report  (09/07/07)

On September 5, Saint Ambrose hosted competition against WPUVB. Even though the Bees brought on a strong game, the outcome ended in a 2-3 loss. Freshman Amy Royer put down 16 kills while senior captain Emily Russell provided 20 digs.

The addition of Clarke College as a ninth team in the conference meant that conference play starts two weeks earlier than in previous years.

Also new in the off-season is a name change for the conference. "The MCC started as the Midwest Catholic Conference and with the addition of Grand View, became the Midwest Classic Conference in 1991. There has been a feeling among our athletic directors and coaches that the name of the conference should more clearly define who and what we are, while maintaining some ties to our history. We feel that this 'new' name accomplishes both, and are excited about our future as the Midwest Collegiate Conference,” said MCC commissioner Rick Sanders.

The MCC member schools include: Ashford University, Clarke College, Grand View College, Iowa Wesleyan College, Mount Mercy College, St. Ambrose University, Viterbo University, Waldorf College, and William Penn University.

The new web site address for the Midwest Collegiate Conference is www.midwestcollegiateconference.com

Early Bird Tournament Provides Early Season Team-Learning

by Maria Naert  (09/07/07)

The Queen Bees just recently jumped into this year's season hitting the Early Bird Tournament head on. The weekend provided a challenge as the women claimed their first game (3-2), while just missing the grasp for the following three against Upper Iowa (1-3) on August 31, and then Briar Cliff (1-3) and Hastings (2-3) on September 1.

Senior Captain Kristen Anglin tallied 20 digs during the first game won against Trinity Christian while junior Rachael Vogel and sophomore Karla Steffensmeier each followed up with 3 solo blocks. They then met competition in the second game against the 5'11'' middle hitter, Darcy Hageman of Upper Iowa. Sophomore Lauren Aderman provided 33 assists and junior Liz Croegaert striked back with 16 kills against Upper Iowa. Senior Captain Emily Russell checked out with an equal 16 kills in the third game against Briar Cliff in addition to also managing 23 digs.

The Early Bird Tournament not only challenged the team, but also provided a sense of the competition at hand for the season.

"During preseason we prepared ourselves to use a different strategy than in past years," says Senior Captain Emily Russell. "We knew that what we lacked in height, we would have to make up for with our quickness and solid defense. I feel that it was good for us to experience the higher level of play from other teams such as Hastings and Briar Cliff so that we know what our strengths and weaknesses are as a team. There were times over the weekend when we saw our potential, and now we need to work on maintaining that level of play throughout entire matches for the rest of the season." In addition, Emily has earned her own place on the All-Tournament Team this year.

The team is also seeing the Midwest Classic Conference as a promising goal this season.

"We're gunning for another conference title," says Kristen. "Every day we're working harder to get there."

"I think our team dynamics and athleticism will win us a lot of games and surprise a lot of people" finished Emily.