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| Coach Deb Schulman instructs the 2007 team |
UW-Platteville volleyball coach Deb Schulman is incredibly anxious for the first trip of the Pioneers' 2007 season.
It's a huge game with definite playoff implications, one of the biggest games ever.
Of course, she means the final Brewers-Cubs meeting of the year Thursday in Wrigley Field.
Schulman, a Milwaukee native, a member of UW-Milwaukee's Athletic Hall of Fame and die-hard Brewer fan, secured the tickets for her team back in the spring, thinking it would be fun to spend the night at the baseball game before opening at the Elmhurst College tournament the next day.
"On our Labor Day weekend trip, we always try and do some sort of sight-seeing or cultural event because we are not in school yet," she said. "I first thought of the Museum of Science and Industry or a Broadway-type show like we did in New York. Since the Brewers were doing so well, Loren (Finn, assistant coach) and I were checking the web site and saw that game. For us, it was a no-brainer. It will be exciting since half the team will be cheering for the Brewers and the other half for the Cubs. That will be neat."
As for the Pioneers, four starters and nine letter winners return from last year's 26-11 team that placed third in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference tournament. Although the Pioneers will miss all-American Dana Alf, the school's first WIAC Player of the Year, they will shoot for 20 wins for the 15th time in Schulman's 20 years.
UW-Platteville, which has knocked off 17 ranked teams in the past three seasons, earned honorable mention status in the just-released preseason American Volleyball Coaches Association poll.
"That says a lot about our players and our conference," Schulman said. "Any time you get that exposure, it is an added bonus for our program. It speaks volumes about what people have done on this campus. It's fun, and I know people are excited about it. When you're name is mentioned, it puts you on a different level, so no, we have to go out there and prove we deserve that ranking. It's an added incentive to go out there and showcase the program and why people think so highly of it."
Leading the returners is all-conference setter Kelly Laschinger, who was 15th in the nation in assists, averaging 12.14 per game. She and Lynn Schreiner are the lone seniors in 2007.
Without Alf, the Pioneers will look to a more balanced attack, led by returning starters Rachel Chapman (396 kills) and sophomore Lisa Bell (384 kills).
"We'll have good solid hitters at all positions, where before we may have relied on Dana," Schulman said. "Lisa and Rachel got their swings last year, too, but overall we'll be more balanced and be able to spread the ball out more. Because of better defense and stronger hitters, that will allow us to hopefully create more play sets than we did before."
Returning letter winner Katie Deegan (262 digs) helps solidify the defense from the back row, while returners Stephanie Tronnes, Brooke Temperly and Valerie Witt are expected to push for playing time. Six talented newcomers will try and make immediate impacts.
"Practices are very enjoyable," Schulman said. "I look at where we were last year, and our level of play is much higher. With having a year under their belts, the returners are playing at a much higher level, and the newcomers are playing at a high level as well. Our practices are competitive. They still have some things to learn, but they're picking things up quickly."
The Pioneers will face Nebraska Wesleyan and Illinois Wesleyan on Friday in a loaded Elmhurst tournament that will include four matches. After playing at Loras Sept. 5, the Pioneers play host to a six-team tournament Sept. 7-8.
An annual highlight for the team is the Homecoming Yell contest, set for Oct. 3 vs. UW-La Crosse. For the past eight seasons, the Homecoming Yell crowd has been the largest NCAA III regular-season crowd, including 1,068 for last season's match vs. Loras
The initial AVCA poll featured UW-Whitewater third, UW-Oshkosh ninth, UW-Eau Claire 18th, and UW-Platteville and UW-Stevens Point receiving votes. In other words, business as usual.
"I do see the conference as being wide open," Schulman said. "For us, it will depend on how quickly we can play without Dana. We'll be as good as our passing. If we can't pass well, we can't spread the ball out as much. That will a big key on how our season progresses. Our defense, like I said, should be stronger than last year, and our overall hitting should be higher than last year."
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