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Trine University Volleyball
2009 Outlook
The 2009 edition of Trine volleyball will have decidedly more offensive focus with the influx of several promising freshmen.
“We’ll have a lot more options and a lot more depth this season,” Trine Head volleyball coach Kevin Schaefer said. “Our defense will continue to be solid, but we will have some exciting players that will give us some more offensive firepower.” [view more]
Keep Current with Thunder Volleyball at http://trineuniversityvolleyball.blogspot.com/
Relive your favorite Thunder memories with archived highlights from Aaron Coyle and 88X. Click Here
Royal Oak, Mich. - Trine freshman Betsy Irwin was named freshman of the year, and a second-team all-conference selection by MIAA coaches.
Most Valuable Player
Andrea Helminiak, Hope (senior from Maumee, Ohio/Anthony Wayne HS)
Defensive Player of the Year
Kristen Johnson, Hope (senior from Naperville, Ill./Wheaton Academy)
Freshman of the Year
Betsy Irwin, Trine (freshman from Athens, Ohio/Alexander HS)
All-MIAA First Team
Morgan Watler, Albion** (senior from Novi/Farmington HS)
Hannah Hewitt, Alma* (junior from Alanson/Harbor Light Christian HS)
Rebecca Kamp, Calvin** (sophomore from Orland Park, Ill./Chicago Christian HS)
Kelsey Sears, Calvin** (junior from Traverse City/West HS)
Jacie Fiedler, Hope* (junior from Richmond, Ill./Richmond Burton HS)
Andrea Helminiak, Hope** (senior from Maumee, Ohio/Anthony Wayne HS)
Kara VandeGuchte, Hope** (junior from Hamilton/Hamilton HS)
Lorna Slupczynski, Saint Mary's* (senior from St. John, Ind./Andrean HS)
* - denotes years All-MIAA first team
All-MIAA Second Team
Alexis Brum, Albion (junior from Troy/Birmingham Seaholm HS)
Shelby Gray, Alma (sophomore from Bloomfield Hills/West Bloomfield HS)
Renee DeHaan, Calvin (sophomore from Grand Rapids/GR Christian HS)
Erin VanderPlas, Calvin (sophomore from Cadillac/McBain Northern Michigan Christian HS)
Cassidy Bulthuis, Hope (junior from Nunica/Spring Lake HS)
Kristen Johnson, Hope (senior from Naperville, Ill./Wheaton Academy)
Colleen Leonard, Kalamazoo (sophomore from Mason/Mason HS)
Betsy Irwin, Trine (freshman from Athens, Ohio/Alexander HS)
ALBION, Mich.- Albion dispatched Trine quickly Tuesday in the the opening round of the MIAA Volleyball Tournament. The host Britons swept the Thunder scoring a three-game victory
25-18, 25-16, 25-18. The Thunder finish the season 16-15, their best season since joining NCAA Division III in 2003.
Abby Rothballer (South Bend, Ind./Clay) pounded 10 kills while Sarah Radekin (Athens, Ohio/Alexandria) had 10 digs and 25 assists.
ROYAL OAK, Mich. - The Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association has named Albion outside hitter Morgan Watler its Player of the Week and Trine libero Andrea DiRuzza its Specialty Player of the Week in volleyball for matches played through Oct. 31.
Specialty Player of the Week
DiRuzza, a sophomore from Alexandria, Ind. (Alexandria HS), had 87 digs (6.2 per set) in four matches for the week as the Thunder posted a 3-1 record. In a five-set victory over Alma, DiRuzza had 29 digs, the most by any player in an MIAA match this season. She added 18 digs in a sweep of Olivet. DiRuzza is being honored as Specialty Player of the Week for the first time in her career.
Trine will face Albion Tuesday in the opening round of the MIAA Tournament. The Thunder are the number fifth-seed and will face the fourth-seeded Britons in a 7 p.m. contest. The Thunder finished 16-14, 8-8 - narrowly missing the opportunity to host a the first round. Albion is 16-10 and 9-7 in MIAA play.
Tuesday - First Round
#8 Olivet at #1 Hope, 7 p.m.
#7 Saint Mary's at #2 Calvin,, 7 p.m.
#6 Kalamazoo at #3 Alma, 7 p.m.
#5 Trine at #4 Albion, 7 p.m.
Friday - Semifinals
At highest remaining seed, 5:30 and 7:30 p.m.
Saturday - Championship
At Friday site, 4 p.m.
Trine (14-13, 7-7) welcomes Hanover and Hope to Hershey Hall for three matches Friday.
ACVA No. 5 Hope is 24-2 overall and leads the MIAA at 14-0. The Dutch have won 15 of their last 16 matches. Hanover is 12-13 overall and are fourth in the Heartland Conference at 5-2.
Trine faces Hanover in a 3 p.m. match followed by Hope and Hanover at 5 p.m. Hope and Trine collide in the nightcap, a MIAA match getting underway at 7 p.m.
Trine scored an upset of sorts Wednesday knocking off Alma 25-21, 16-25, 25-20, 27-29, 18-16 in front of 232 fans at Hershey Hall. It's the first time this season Thunder have defeated a team seeded higher in the MIAA standings.
Alma remains in third place at 9-6, 15-12 overall. Trine is now 14-13, and in fifth place in the conference at 7-7. Albion is in fourth place boasting a 8-7 conference record, 15-10 overall.
The win also keeps the Thunder in contention, at least mathematically, a top-four finish in the league. A fourth-place finish also means Trine would host a first round MIAA tournament game at Hershey Hall.
Abby Rothballer (South Bend, Ind./Clay) had 24 kills, Sara Radekin (Athens, Ohio/Alexander) recorded 52 assists and 21 digs. Andrea DiRuzza (Alexandria, Ind./Alexandria) had 29 digs.
Dig For A Cure
Mark your calendars, October 28 versus Alma is Trine's annual Dig for A Cure Night. The volleyball team will wear pink uniforms to raise awareness for breast cancer. Other displays and events are scheduled for that evening. The volleyball action gets underway at 7 p.m. sharp.
ADRIAN, Mich. - Trine ousted Adrian 25-22, 25-15, 25-18 Saturday in MIAA volleyball Saturday The win pushes the Thunder to 13-13, 6-7 in the conference play. Sarah Radekin (Athens, Ohio/Athens) had 32 assists. Betsy Irwin (Athens, Ohio/Athens) had 14 kills. Andrea DiRuzza (Alexandria, Ind./Alexandria) had 11 digs.
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., - Tenth-ranked Calvin made quick work ousting Trine 25-19, 25-19, 25-11 Tuesday in MIAA volleyball. The loss drops Trine to 12-13, 5-7 in the MIAA. Calvin has never lost to the Thunder boasting a 16-0 all time record. Trine is at Adrian Saturday, action begins at 4 p.m.
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., - In September, Trine's five-set upset bid fell short against nationally-ranked Calvin. Tuesday the Thunder will get another look at the 11th ranked Knights.
Since that September 17 meeting, Calvin (17-5, 9-1 MIAA) has 11-of-15 matches, including six in conference play. Trine (12-12, 5-6 MIAA) has gone 7-8, 3-4 since that contest.
Tonight's game gets under away at 6:30 p.m. Play-by-play coverage with Aaron Coyle begins at 6 p.m. Click here to listen.
Trine dropped its second match in a row Saturday, falling 19-25, 25-18, 25-22, 25-17 to Albion. The loss drops the Thunder to 11-12, 4-6 in the MIAA. Sarah Radekin (Athens, Ohio/Alexander) dished out 46 assists. Andrea DiRuzza (Alexandria, Ind./Alexandria) had 23 digs. Betsy Irwin (Athens, Ohio/Alexander) and Kelsey Allen (Westfield Center, Ohio/Cloverleaf) had 15 and 11 kills each.
Due to a scheduling conflict Saturday's game with Albion has been moved back to 1 p.m. The game was originally set to begin at 11 a.m.
ALMA, Mich. -
Alma downs Trine 20-25, 25-20, 25-17, 25-22 Saturday to grab a MIAA win over the Thunder. Trine drops to 9-6, 3-3 in the MIAA.
Sarah Radekin (Athens, Ohio/Alexander) had 37 assists and 16 digs. Andrea DiRuzza (Alexandria, Ind./Alexandria) recorded 19 digs. Tori Bluhm (Monroe, Ind./Adams Central) added 11. Abby Rothballer (South Bend, Ind./Clay) pounded 14 kills and Betsy Irwin (Athens, Ohio/Alexander) had 10.
ANGOLA, Ind. - Trine quickly ousted Adrian 25-20, 25-17, 25-15 Friday in a three-match sweep of the visiting Bulldogs. Trine was paced by Sarah Radekin (Athens, Ohio/Alexander) who dished out 38 assists. Betsy Irwin (Athens, Ohio/Alexander) had 12 kills and three digs. Kelsey Allen (Westfield Center, Ohio/Cloverleaf) had 11 kills and four digs. Andrea DiRuzza (Alexandria, Ind./Alexandria) finished with 11 digs, Catie Triplet (Indianapolis, Ind./Cardinal Ritter) added 10 more.
The Thunder are back in action Saturday at Alma in a 3 p.m. start.
Trine welcomes MIAA rival Adrian to Hershey Hall Friday. Trine (8-5, 2-2) sits in fourth place in the conference, two games behind first-place Calvin and Hope and one game behind Albion. Adrian (2-7, 1-4) is in last place. The action gets underway at 7 p.m., there will be no junior varsity match.
WESTERVIEW, Ohio - Trine improved to 8-5 on the season with a 3-0 win over Denison in the first match Saturday and fell 3-1 to Thiel.
Track the Thunder Friday and Saturday at the Otterbein Classic. Click here for the official tournament website
WESTERVIEW, Ohio - Trine grabbed a 3-0 victory over Ohio Wesleyan and a 3-2 win over Otterbein in Friday's first round at Otterbein College.
ANGOLA, Ind. - Trine put a scare in No. 10 Calvin Wednesday at Hershey Hall in NCAA Division III volleyball. The Thunder forced five games against the perennial power falling 25-18, 25-21, 20-25, 22-25 and 15-10.
Trine is now 5-4 and 2-2 in Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association play.
“We aren’t happy we lost, but they have a great team and they didn’t make any mistakes,” Schaefer said, “We can definitely build on this.”
The Knights (6-1, 3-0 MIAA) took control early grabbing momentum, but the host Thunder took control in the third and fourth games holding off the Knight challenge.
“We started slow and they jumped on us, and finally started to get some momentum and they didn’t buckle in the final game. That’s why they are the 10th ranked team in the country”
Betsy Irwin (Athens, Ohio/Alexander) had 20 kills, eight blocks and five digs. Abby Rothballer (South Bend, Ind./Clay) registered 12 kills. Sarah Radekin (Athens, Ohio/Alexander) dished out 48 assists while Andrea DiRuzza (Alexandria, Ind./Alexandria) had 10 digs.
Before the season, Schaefer said this year’s team would be a more potent team with the infusion of nine freshmen. The newcomers promised to depth but they also provide new options rarely seen for the program.
Trine is back in action Saturday and Sunday at the Otterbein College Tournament in suburban Columbus, Ohio.
ROYAL OAK, Mich. - The Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association has named
Trine middle hitter Betsy Irwin its Player of the Week and Calvin setter Carolyn Nelson
its Specialty Player of the Week in volleyball for the week ending September 13.
Player of the Week -
Irwin, a freshman from Athens, Ohio (Alexander HS), pounded
home 58 kills and had a hitting percentage of .371 in leading the Thunder to a 2-1
record in three MIAA matches for the week. In a five-game victory over Saint Mary’s,
Irwin had 30 kills for .471 hitting percentage. For the week, she also had 10 digs,
eight blocks and five service aces.
KALAMAZOO, Mich. - Trine improved to 5-2, 2-1 in the MIAA, with a 3-0 victory over Kalamazoo Saturday. The Thunder outlasted the Hornets 25-23 and 25-23 in the first two games and finished off Kalamazoo 25-17 in the finale.
Betsy Irwin (Athens, Ohio/Alexander) had 30 assists and five digs. She also pounded out 13 kills. Andrea DiRuzza (Alexandria, Ind./Alexandria) had 29 digs. Tori Bluhm (Adams Central, Ind./Adams Central) had 11 digs, Andi Gasco (Leverin, Mich./Petoskey) had nine kills and six digs.
In the second match of the day. The Thunder fell 25-22, 25-18, 22-25, 25-15 to Wheaton. The loss drops Trine to 5-3. Sarah Radekin (Athens, Ohio/Alexander) had 38 assists and 11 digs for the Thunder. Betsy Irwin had 14 kills. Tori Bluhm (Monroe, Ind./Adams Central) had 10 digs. Coming up, Trine faces Calvin Wednesday at Hershey Hall in a 6:30 p.m. start.
Albion, Mich - Albion upended Trine 3-1 Friday in MIAA volleyball. The loss drops the Thunder to 4-2 and 1-1 in the MIAA. The Thunder grabbed a game one win, 25-21, but dropped the next three 25-22, 25-21 and 25-21.
Katie Shoppell (Angola, Ind./Angola) recorded 21 digs, Betsy Irwin (Athens, Ohio/Alexander) had 15 kills in the loss.
NOTRE DAME, Ind. - The Thunder stormed back from a two games to one deficit to oust Saint Mary’s 3-2 Tuesday in MIAA volleyball action. The Thunder jumped out to a 25-19 game one victory, but stumbled losing 25-23 and 25-22 in the second and third games. Trine answered with a 25-23 game four win and withstood the Belles 20-18 in the finale.
Trine improves to 4-1, 1-0 in conference play.
It was a balanced attack for the Thunder with several players contributing. Betsy Irwin (Athens, Ohio/Alexander) recorded 30 kills and four digs. Sarah Radekin (Athens, Ohio/Alexander) had four service aces and six digs. Tori Bluhm (Monroe, Ind./Adams Central) had 15 digs. Catie Triplet (Indianapolis, Ind./Cardinal Ritter) and Andrea DiRuzza (Alexandria, Ind./Alexandria) added 22 and 16 digs respectively. Abby Rothballer (South Bend, Ind./Clay) had 13 kills, Julie Kooienga (Hamilton, Mich./Hamilton) added nine.
ELMHURST, Ill. - Trine University opened up the 2009 volleyball season going 3-1 in the Elmhurst College Invitational Friday and Saturday in suburban Chicago. Here are the scores from that event.
Friday, September 4
Trine d. John Carroll (3-2) 16-25, 25-23, 25-23, 22-25, 17-15
Mount St. Joseph d. Trine (3-0) 25-17, 25-16, 25-20
Saturday, September 5
Trine d. Blackburn (3-0) 25-6, 25-14, 25-14
Trine d. Lake Forest (4-1) 25-19, 25-17, 12-25, 25-13
Trine is back in action Tuesday at Saint Mary's. LISTEN LIVE to the broadcast with pre-game coverage beginning at 6:45 p.m.
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