Week 1 Notes
MACOMB, Ill. -,The Fighting Leatherneck volleyball team opens the season this Friday and Saturday at the 2014 Active Ankle Challenge, hosted by Ball State. The Leathernecks will open their tournament play when the face the Ball State Cardinals at 7 p.m. (CT) Friday evening. Saturday, Western will play consecutive matches against the Bears of Northern Colorado and the Eastern Illinois Panthers. Those matches are slated to begin at 12:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., respectively.
TOURNAMENT INFORMATION: Live stats will be available for all matches this weekend, available HERE. Free live audio and PPV video will be available for Western Illinois' match on Friday against Ball State by going HERE.,
A LOOK AT BALL STATE: The Cardinals, coached by Steve Shonde, enter the season as the favorites in the MAC West. Offensively, Ball State is led by redshirt juniors Hayley Benson and and Alex Fuelling. Both players, who were All-MAC First Team selections a year ago, have been named to the 2014 Preseason All-Mac West Division squad.,
SERIES HISTORY: Ball State leads the all-time series, 5-1. The two teams met twice last season with the Cardinals picking up a pair of victories. Prior to last season, the two teams hadn't seen each other since 1993. The Leathernecks lone victory came in 1990, a five-set match.
A LOOK AT NORTHERN COLORADO: Northern Colorado of the Big Sky Conference enter the tournament led by head coach Lyndsey Oates (10th season). The Bears, who are slated to finish fifth in the conference are led by senior middle blockers Andrea Spaustat and Brianna Strong. The duo combined for 639 kills and 215 total blocks last season. Sophomore setter Ashley Guthrie returns for her second season as the starting setter for the program.,
SERIES HISTORY: This marks the first meeting between the two programs.,
A LOOK AT EASTERN ILLINOIS: The Panthers are led by Kate Price in her 5th season, and have been picked to finish second in the Ohio Valley Conference. Price was named the 2013 OVC 'Coach of the Year' and leads 10 returning letterwinners, paced by juniors Marah Bradbury and Chelsea Lee. Bradbury led the league in assists last season, compiling 1,304 assists, while Lee finished second on the team in kills (356).,
SERIES HISTORY: The two teams have met 39 times previously, with Eastern Illinois holding a 25-14 advantage. The Panthers took the last meeting, a five set victory in 2010. The Leathernecks claimed a pair of back-to-back victories in 2006 and 2008.
2014 TEAM CAPTAINS: Seniors Ann Miller and Sam Fournier will serve as captains this season. Miller is the current team leader with 919 kills, (3.02 k/s), while also recording 856 digs and 48 aces. Fournier has compiled 807 digs (3.24 k/s), 531 digs, and 105 total blocks.
AROUND THE SUMMIT LEAGUE (updated 8/28): The volleyball season kicks-off this week for the Summit League, with all nine teams in nonconference tournament action. In the pre-season poll, Denver was tabbed as the favorite to win the conference, collecting 6-of-9 first place votes. Western Illinois is pegged to finish seventh this season after a 12-18 (6-8) season a year ago.,
SENIOR LEADERS: The squad is paced by four seniors this season, Ann Miller, Sam Fournier, Molly Murphy, and Mallory Gibson. The quartet of seniors have been a presence on the court since their freshmen years, compiling 1,102 combined sets played between the four players.
LEATHERNECK NEWCOMERS: Four new players join the Leatherneck family for the 2014 season. Junior middle blocker Peyton Crosser joins the program after transferring from Indian Hills CC (Iowa), while sophomore setter Elyse Keating comes to the Leathernecks after playing for one season at the University of Mount Olive (N.C.). Western Illinois also brings in two freshmen in setter Courtney Joyce and Kayla Ruff. Joyce (Chicago, Ill., Mother McAuley) helped lead Mother McAuley to a 2013 class Class 4A State Championship, while being named the 2013 SouthtownStar Player of the Year, as well as the Girls Catholic Athletic Conference Player of the Year. Ruff (Bettendorf, Iowa, Pleasant Valley) comes to Western Illinois after being named Honorable Mention All-Conference her final three years of high school. Ruff helped pace the Spartans of Pleasant Valley to a combined 66-9 record her final two seasons, with appearances in the state semifinals and elite 8.,
THE SCHEDULE: Western's 2014 schedule breakdown: three road tournaments, consisting of nine matches, one home tournament with three matches, one additional home nonconference contest, and 16 Summit League matches. Total, the Leathernecks will play 11 matches in Western Hall or Brophy Hall, and 17 matches on the road.
THE COACHING STAFF: Head coach April Hall enters her third season at Western. Laura DeBruler, who concluded her collegiate volleyball career at Illinois in 2010 is the Leathernecks' full-time assistant, while Bridget Murphy, who completed a decorated career at Western Illinois as a defensive specialist in 2012 is the team's graduate assistant.
