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2 0 0 7 V O L L E Y B A L L S E A S O N O U T L O O K Kansas Wesleyan University Volleyball looks to continue its rise to the top of the KCAC that the Lady Coyotes have experienced the last two seasons. Despite some off-season changes, the Lady Coyotes feel they can maintain the high level of play they have maintained the last two seasons. Wesleyan finished 14-4 in the KCAC last season and went 20-12 overall, tied for second with perennial conference powerhouse Bethel. The Lady Coyotes season including a 12-match winning streak to end the regular season and continued into the KCAC Playoffs. Wesleyan won its last two matches of the first round of conference play, and then went a perfect 9-0 in the second half of conference play, advancing to the tournament semifinals, and qualifying for the NAIA Region IV Tournament. There are some changes in the leadership of KWU volleyball, as Shawn Taylor takes over the program, his first as a head coach, stepping in for Gordon Reimer, who resigned as volleyball coach in January to concentrate solely on women s basketball for the Lady Coyotes. Taylor comes to KWU after spending three seasons as a volunteer assistant coach at Kansas State University in Manhattan, working with coach Suzie Fritz. Before KSU, he was an assistant coach at Graceland (Iowa) after finishing his playing career there in 2003-04. Taylor s Lady Coyotes will be led by a talented group of seniors that will provide a strong leadership presence on the court, but he also points out the team is still a work in progress. We are working to put the pieces together, he said. We will be led by a great group of seniors that have established a tremendous blue collar work ethic. Their leadership will help set the tone for the season. Top returners for the Lady Coyotes include Kolby Rhoades, Kelli Berg, Whitney DuBois and Ashley Winters. Rhoades (5-8, Sr., OH, Burlington, Colo. / West Texas A&M) made an immediate impact last season leading the KCAC with 4.37 kills per game en route to being named the KCAC Player of the Year and First Team All-Region honors. She looks to continue that trend this season as one of the top players not only for the Lady Coyotes, but in the KCAC and NAIA Region IV. Berg (5-9, Sr., S/OH, Logan, Kan. / Colby (Kan.)) returns for her senior season as well, after being ranked fourth in the KCAC last season in aces per game. Berg will play the right side this season, and may also be used as a setter. DuBois (6-0, Sr., MH, Weskan, Kan. / Colby (Kan.)) had a break out season in her second year with the Lady Coyotes. She looks to carry over the late season success she saw in 2006. Winters (5-6, Sr., OH, Meriden, Kan. / Allen County (Kan.)) returns for her second season at KWU. She played last season, and had a late season run which included a 14-kill effort against Bethany during the Lady Coyotes winning streak. Taylor also points to some newcomers that will make immediate impacts and must step into immediate roles. We have some incoming players that will need to step in and assume some immediate roles for us, he said. Taylor looks for junior college transfer Sarah Claborn to make an immediate impact on the outside, complementing returning player Kolby Rhoades. Claborn (5-8, So., OH, Aurora, Colo. / Hutchinson (Kan.)) comes to Kansas Wesleyan after playing two seasons at Hutchinson Community College, earning Second Team All-KJCCC West honors in 2006. He is also counting on incoming freshmen Rachel Ehrlich (5-6, Fr., S, Winfield, Kan. / Winfield) and Ashley Geasland (5-8, Fr., OH, Rogers, Ark. / Rogers) to assume immediate roles for the Lady Coyotes. KWU was picked fifth by the KCAC coaches in their preseason poll, a spot that Taylor is okay with. I m okay with us being picked fifth in the conference, he said. But we re looking to be better than other people expect. He said the team is working for one common goal at the end of the season. Our goal is to be competing for a KCAC championship at the end of October, and to qualify for our region tournament. We want to be playing as late in the month of November as possible. 22
2 0 0 7 V O L L E Y B A L L S C H E D U L E DATE OPPONENT LOCATION TIME Tue, Aug. 28 Park University Parkville, Mo. Fri, Aug. 31 Dakota State University (S.D.) Omaha, Neb. 9:00 AM Bellevue Labor Day Classic Fri, Aug. 31 Bellevue University (Neb.) Omaha, Neb. 11:15 AM Bellevue Labor Day Classic Sat, Sept. 1 Grand View College (Iowa) Omaha, Neb. 9:00 AM Bellevue Labor Day Classic Sat, Sept. 1 Jamestown College (N.D.) Omaha, Neb. 11:15 AM Bellevue Labor Day Classic WED, SEPT.. 5 FRIENDS UNIVERSITY * TUE, SEPT.. 11 UNIVERSITY OF SAINT MARY * Thur, Sept. 13 Tabor College * Hillsboro Fri, Sept. 14 Baker University Olathe 3:00 PM Mid-America Nazarene Tournament Fri, Sept. 14 Mid-America Nazarene University Olathe Mid-America Nazarene Tournamen Sat, Sept. 15 Oklahoma City University Olathe 9:00 AM Mid-America Nazarene Tournament Sat, Sept. 15 Johnson and Wales University (Colo.) Olathe 1:00 PM Mid-America Nazarene Tournament Wed, Sept. 19 Sterling College * Sterling Sat, Sept. 22 Missouri Valley College Marshall, Mo. 10:00 AM Sat, Sept. 22 Central Methodist University (Mo.) Marshall, Mo. 2:00 PM TUE, SEPT.. 25 BETHANY COLLEGE * THUR,, SEPT.. 27 SOUTHWESTERN COLLEGE * Sat, Sept. 29 Bethel College * North Newton 2:00 PM Tue, Oct. 2 McPherson College * McPherson THUR,, OCT.. 4 OTTAWA A UNIVERSITY * Sat, Oct. 6 Friends University * Wichita 2:00 PM Wed, Oct. 10 University of Saint Mary * Leavenworth THUR,, OCT.. 11 BAKER UNIVERSITY TUE, OCT.. 16 TABOR COLLEGE * THUR,, OCT.. 18 STERLING COLLEGE * Sat, Oct. 20 Benedictine College Atchison 11:00 AM Mon, Oct. 22 Bethany College * Lindsborg Wed, Oct 24 Southwestern College * Winfield SAT,, OCT.. 27 BETHEL COLLEGE * 2:00 PM TUE, OCT.. 30 McPHERSON COLLEGE * Thur, Nov. 1 Ottawa University * Ottawa Tue., Nov. 6 KCAC Post-Season Tournament TBA Thur., Nov. 8 KCAC Post-Season Tournament TBA Sat., Nov. 10 KCAC Post-Season Tournament TBA TBA Sat. Nov. 17 NAIA Region IV Tournament TBA TBA Nov. 29-30 NAIA National Championships Columbia, Mo. TBA * denotes a KCA CAC C Conference Match HOME MATCHES ARE IN BOLD AND ALL CAPS 23
2 0 0 7 V O L L E Y B A L L C O A C H I N G S T A F F SHAWN TAYL YLOR OR HEAD COACH CH Shawn Taylor is in his first season as volleyball coach at Kansas Wesleyan. Taylor succeeds Coach Gordon Reimer who stepped down as vollyeball coach in January 2007, to concentrate solely on women s basketball. Taylor comes to Kansas Wesleyan from Kansas State University in Manhattan where he served as a volunteer assistant coach for the Lady Cats. At KSU, he was primarily responsible for working with middle hitters and blockers, and the development of the freshman players. Before Kansas State, Taylor was the Head Women s JV Coach and Men s Assistant Coach at Graceland University in Lamoni, Iowa. There he was responsible for the daily operations of the women s JV program and working with the men s program. Taylor played collegiate volleyball at Graceland, where he completed his degree in Liberal Studies with emphasis in Mathematics in 2004. Taylor was the Training Coach for the USA A2 National Team in New Orleans this past summer, and was assistant coach for the Topeka Juniors 171 team for three years. His teams won the HOA Regional Tournaments in 2005 and 2006, placed ninth at Junior Nationals in 2005, and qualified Open in 2006. He also has extensive work with several summer camps. COA CHES QUICK FA CTS HEAD COACH... Shawn Taylor ALMA MATER... Graceland (Iowa), 2004 CAREER RECORD... 0-0 SCHOOL RECORD... 0-0 OFFICE PHONE... 785.827.5541 ext. 3122 BEST CONTACT TIME.. Weekday Mornings TAYLOR S E-MAIL... shawn.taylor@kwu.edu 24
2 0 0 7 V O L L E Y B A L L R O S T E R NO NAME POS HT YR HOMETOWN PREVIOUS SCHOOL 1 Rachel Ehrlich S 5-6 Fr. Winfield, Kan. Winfield 2 Shawna Fuller S 5-5 So. Tescott, Kan. Tescott 3 Kolby Rhoades OH 5-8 Sr. Burlington, Colo. West Texas A&M 4 Karissa Kent L 5-8 Jr. Huntington Beach, Calif. Orange Coast (Calif.) 5 Cynthia Riddell DS 5-6 Fr. Salinas, Calif. Everett Alvarez 7 Whitney DuBois MH 6-0 Sr. Weskan, Kan. Colby (Kan.) 9 Sarah Claborn OH 5-8 Jr. Aurora, Colo. Hutchinson (Kan.) 10 Kathleen Thomas OH/DS 5-7 So. Gardner, Kan. Gardner-Edgerton 11 Ashley Winters OH 5-6 Sr. Meriden, Kan. Allen County (Kan.) 12 Haley Edwards DS 5-5 So. Valley Falls, Kan. Valley Falls 16 Kelli Berg S/OH 5-9 Sr. Logan, Kan. Colby (Kan.) 19 Julie Garrett RS 5-8 Sr. Higginsville, Mo. Coffeyville (Kan.) 22 Ashley Geasland OH 5-8 Fr. Rogers, Ark. Rogers 25
1 - Rachel Ehrlich S 5-6 Fr. Winfield, Kan. Winfield 2 - Shawna Fuller S 5-5 So. Tescott, Kan. Tescott 3 - Kolby Rhoades OH 5-8 Sr. Burlington, Colo. West Texas A&M 4 - Karissa Kent L 5-8 Jr. Huntington Beach, Calif. Orange Coast (Calif.) 5 - Cynthia Riddell DS 5-6 Fr. Salinas, Calif. Everett Alvarez 7 - Whitney DuBois MH 6-0 Sr. Weskan, Kan. Colby (Kan.) 9 - Sarah Claborn OH 5-8 Jr. Aurora, Colo. Hutchinson (Kan.) 10 - Kathleen Thomas OH/DS 5-7 So. Gardner, Kan. Gardner-Edgerton 11 - Ashley Winters OH 5-6 Sr. Meriden, Kan. Allen County (Kan.) 12 - Haley Edwards DS 5-5 So. Valley Falls, Kan. Valley Falls 16 - Kelli Berg S/OH 5-9 Sr. Logan, Kan. Colby (Kan.) 19 - Julie Garrett RS 5-8 Sr. Higginsville, Mo. Coffeyville (Kan.) 22 - Ashley Geasland OH 5-8 Fr. Rogers, Ark. Rogers 26
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