Volleyball
Volleyball
VOLLEYBALL: Huskies Open 2009 Season At Northern Michigan Tournament
Monday, August 24, 2009
SCSU's co-captains #5 Kristen Stott and #9 Kayla Tschida. |
· Patricia Gerchy (Mickow) is back for her seventh year as head coach of the St. Cloud State Unviersity volleyball squad in 2009. Patricia Gerchy (Mickow) garnered her 300th career victory on Saturday, Aug. 30, as St. Cloud State University volleyball gained its first win of the 2008 season with a 3-0 sweep over Southwestern Oklahoma State University at the Middle of Everywhere Classic in Rolla, Mo. She completed her sixth season at St. Cloud State University during the 2008 season and has tabbed a 63-116 overall mark with the Huskies since 2003.
· St. Cloud State will open the 2009 season at the Northern Michigan Tournament Aug. 28-29 in Marquette, Mich. Their first match is scheduled for 1 p.m. against host team Northern Michigan. For a complete schedule of the tournament, click here.
· To view the complete 2009 Husky schedule, click here.
· Senior Kristen Stott (Radisson, Sask.) and juniors Kayla Tschida (Holdingford) and Alecia Lunde (East Bethel) will serve as the team co-captains for the 2009 season.
· The Huskies return two senior college transfers in Stephanie Coxon (Waukegan, Ill.) and Kristen Stott (Radisson, Sask.). Coxon transferred in from Parkland College in 2008, while Stott arrived on SCSU’s campus from Williston State College in 2008.
· The junior class, consisting of Kiersten Mormann (Omaha, Neb.), Jennifer Waterman (Andover), Kayla Tschida (Holdingford), Alecia Lunde (East Bethel) and Ashley Shields (Milwaukee, Wis.), have truly been the heart of the team in Coach Gerchy’s eyes. "Our juniors have truly weathered the storm here at St. Cloud State," said Gerchy. "This group has stuck together through thick and thin and just refuses to give in. They’ve dedicated themselves to the program and our coaching staff is excited to see their past playing experience pay off as they become natural leaders on the floor this year."
· The Huskies plan of action this year will be tough defense, and that begins with the defensive specialists and liberos. After saying good-bye to former Husky Andreana Pieper (2005-08), an All-American Honorable Mention libero, three players will vie for Peiper’s open position. Stephanie Coxon, sophomore Chelsea Nagle (Preston), and first year Sarah Madden (Van Meter, Iowa) will each share the responsibilities in the back row.
· On the outside, the Huskies return a strong core of players in senior team co-captain Kristen Stott, junior Ashley Shields (Milwaukee, Wis.) and sophomore Katie Kimman (Pierz). Also joining the strong group of outside hitters are first years Lauren Cipperly (Andover) and Brittany Novak (Lethbridge, Alberta).
· Junior team co-captain Kayla Tschida and first year players Taylor Beebe (Verona, Wis.) and Ellie Dietzen (Seymour, Wis.) round out the group of middle hitters and blockers.
· Junior co-captain Alecia Lunde, sophomore Erica Beacom (Elkhorn, Neb.) and first year Justine Buskirk (Papillion, Neb.) are competing for the right side position.
· At the helm of the offensive system for the Huskies in 2009 are junior setters Jennifer Waterman and Kiersten Mormann. "Both Jen and Kiersten have grown and molded into the setting position," said Gerchy. "They push each other every day in practice and both have improved immensely since they arrived at SCSU in 2007."
· Coach Gerchy is assisted by Aaron Nelson, Danielle Kohut and Lindsay Ashburn in 2009. Nelson begins his third season as the full time assistant for St. Cloud State volleyball in 2009. An Austin, Minn. native, Nelson attended nearby Sauk Rapids High School and earned both a bachelor's and master's degree from St. Cloud State University. Kohut returns to the Husky volleyball program as a graduate assistant coach in 2009. No stranger to the program, Kohut served as a volunteer assistant coach in 2007 and also was a defensive specialist and a setter on the Husky volleyball squad from 2003-05 under the helm of current head coach Patricia Gerchy (Mickow). The Hafford, Sask., native began her collegiate volleyball career at Williston State in 2001 and played there for two seasons before transferring to SCSU in 2003. A familiar face to the St. Cloud State volleyball program, Lindsay Ashburn returns to SCSU as a volunteer assistant coach in 2009. Ashburn had a standout collegiate career at St. Cloud State from 2001-04. She captained the 2004 squad that qualified for the NCAA Tournament and totaled 575 kills in 360 games played in the Cardinal and Black. A native of Hector and a 2004 graduate of St. Cloud State with a degree in education, Ashburn currently resides in St. Cloud and is working towards her master’s degree in sports management.
· The Huskies will compete in the always rugged Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference for just the second season in school history. After posting a 5-15 mark in the NSIC and finishing in 11th place last season, the Huskies tallied an overall mark of 7-21 in 2008.
· For the first time since the 2001 season, the St. Cloud State University volleyball team will host a tournament at Halenbeck Hall. The Huskies will host the six-team St. Cloud State Tournament on Sept. 4-5 on the second week of the season. Joining the Huskies will be teams from Ferris State University, Upper Iowa University, University of Nebraska-Kearney, Wayne State (NE) College, and Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T). In the tournament the Huskies will play Nebraska-Kearney at 11:30 a.m. and Missouri S&T at 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 4. On Sept. 5, the Huskies will play Wayne State at 3:30 p.m. and Upper Iowa at 7:30 p.m.
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