Game Notes

Tournament Info
Location: Big Rapids, Mich.
Arenas: Ewigleben Sports Arena, Jim Wink Arena
Schedule:
Fri., Aug. 31     vs. Northern Michigan    9 a.m.    Jim Wink Arena
Fri., Aug. 31    vs. Glenville State    1 p.m.    Ewigleben Sports Arena
Sat., Sept. 1    vs. Alderson-Broaddus    9 a.m.    Ewigleben Sports Arena
Sat., Sept. 1    vs. Clarion        2 p.m.    Jim Wink Arena
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Quick Hits

• Wiesner inching toward record
    In two seasons, Chelsea Wiesner (Jr., Lib., Rochester, Minn.), has accumulated  939 digs. Wiesner is just 532 digs away from Jaclyn Slepicka's school record at the University of Minnesota, Crookston. Wiesner has two seasons to meet the mark after picking up 562 digs as a sophomore last season.

• Turning it around
    The Golden Eagles had a major turnaround last season after going 12-16 following an 0-28 season in 2010. UMC will continue to look to build on last season's improvement as they return a strong core from last season's group and add in several new components that look to help the program take the next step.

• Top-notch competition
UMC will once again go up against the top NCAA Division II competition in the nation as the NSIC boasts five teams in the AVCA Top 25 preseason poll including Concordia-St. Paul, the five-time consecutive NCAA National Champion returns four AVCA All-American picks to the team heading into 2012. In addition, Southwest Minnesota State and Minnesota Duluth are also in the top 10 of the preseason poll.

• Golden Eagles picked 11th in the league
    The University of Minnesota, Crookston was picked to finish 11th in the league after finishing 11th in the NSIC last season.

The Scoop

The Tournament
    The University of Minnesota, Crookston will play four games in Big Rapids, Mich. this weekend as they face Northern Michigan University, Glenville State College, Alderon-Broaddus College and Clarion Unviersity. The Golden Eagles will look to build on last year's much improved season in their first four matches of the 2012 campaign.

Minnesota, Crookston
     UMC returns 12 players from its 2011 squad that went 12-18 (6-14 NSIC) and finished 11th in the league.  The Golden Eagles were picked to finish 11th in 2012 according to the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) Preseason Coaches' Poll in the new incarnation of the conference which added Minot State University and University of Sioux Falls to make a total of 16 teams for the 2012 campaign.
 
UMC will look to its lone senior Amanda Swann (OH, Rochester Hills, Mich.) for guidance for an youthful squad that returns five starters from a season ago. Swann was second on the team in kills in 2011 with 256 (2.39/game) and third in total blocks with 58 (0.54/game). In addition to Swann, the Golden Eagles also return NSIC Player to Watch Brittany Looker (So., OH, Rochester, Minn.). Looker is coming off a stellar freshman season in 2011 in which she garnered All-NSIC Honorable Mention accolades after leading the team with 375 kills (3.41/game). She was second on the squad in digs with 255 (2.32/game).  The Golden Eagles also return starting players in libero Chelsea Wiesner (Jr., Rochester, Minn.) and middle hitters Morgan Van Gerpen (So., Overland Park, Kan.) and Katie Miedtke (Jr., Maple Grove, Minn.).
 
Several key contributors also return to the fold for the University of Minnesota, Crookston as Paige Mitchell (R-Jr., S, West Palm Beach, Fla.), Alyssa Schneider (Jr., MH, Racine, Wis.) and Alexandra Skeeter (Jr., OH/S, Milwaukee, Wis.), all who appeared in more than 20 matches in 2011. Mary Mikutowski (So., OH, Stillwater, Minn.), Hannah Schiller (So., DS, Coon Rapids, Minn.) and Abby Cleveland (So., MH, Andover, Minn.), who all appeared in matches last season also will compete for playing time this August.
 
In addition, the squad will welcome the additions of setter Lindsey Rees (R-Jr., Bronson, Mich.), who sat out last year as a redshirt after transferring from Hillsborough Community College, as well as freshmen Stephanie Pearson (OH, Frankfort, Ill.) and Eli Manning (S, Huntley, Ill.).

Northern Michigan
    Northern Michigan University is coming off a 15-14 mark last season and a 12-7 mark in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC). Northern Michigan must replace their top hitter in All-GLIAC First Team selection Emma Wolfe. They must also replace their top setter in Abby Lovell, also a All-GLIAC First Team pick and their top middle hitter in All-GLIAC Second Team selection Sami Vierk. The Wildcats' top returner is All-GLIAC honorable mention selection Lina Lopes. Lopes averaged 2.47 kills/game last season. Also returning are starters Kelli Herron in the middle and libero Kalin Zimmerman.

Glenville State
    The match between Glenville State and UMC will pit Lee Anderson and Heather Grieser against their former university. Anderson and Grieser both worked at Glenville State from 2005-06 when Anderson was the head coach and Grieser was an assistant. The pair coached current Pioneer coach Camai Roberson at Glenville State. Roberson's squad went 6-27 last season. They will look to returning starters Heather Stout and Ella Messinger. Stout averaged 1.49 kills/game, along with 0.77 digs/game last season.

Alderson-Broaddus
    The Battlers went 19-16 and 11-3 in the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC) last season. Alderson-Broaddus returns four starters from last year's squad. Leading the charge are All-WVIAC First Team picks Jillian Brown, a libero, and Ashley MacDonald, an outside hitter. Also returning is setter Kayla Peterson, a All-WVIAC Honorable Mention pick and All-WVIAC All-Freshman team selection Victoria Morgan. Brown averaged 4.21 digs/game and MacDonald averaged 2.26 kills/game. Peterson averaged 6.09 assists/game while Morgan averaged 0.89 blocks/game.

Clarion
    Clarion University went 19-13 and 14-5 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC). Clarion returns two starters from last season in right side hitter Hannah Heeter and middle hitter Corinne Manley. Heeter averaged 1.96 kills/game a season ago while Manley averaged 1.74 kills/game and 0.84 blocks/game.