WAVERLY, Iowa — The Saint Mary's University volleyball team, coming off a perfect 4-0 performance at the SMU Ground Round Sugar Loaf Classic last weekend, returns to action Friday and Saturday, taking part in the Wartburg Invitational in Waverly, Iowa.
SMU's Tournament Opponents: Wartburg (3-2), UW-La Crosse (1-4), Nebraska Wesleyan (4-1), Loras (3-2).
Familiar Faces: Saturday's match against Loras will be the second time in as many weekends that the Cardinals and Duhawks have squared off. SMU beat Loras 3-0 during last weekend's SMU Ground Round Sugar Loaf Classic. UW-La Crosse also took part in the Sugar Loaf Classic, but the Eagles' and Cardinals' paths did not cross. Saturday's match vs. Nebraska Wesleyan, meanwhile, will be the first of two meetings between SMU and the Prairie Wolves this season. The two teams will meet for a second time next weekend at the Simpson Invitational. … UW-La Crosse and Loras will meet for the second straight weekend Friday. The Duhawks outlasted UW-L 3-2 last weekend in Winona, Minn.
Saint Mary's Cardinal Notes: After opening the season with a 3-1 loss at Viterbo, the Cardinals rattled off four straight wins at the SMU Ground Round Sugar Loaf Classic, dropping just two sets in the process. SMU beat Loras (3-0), Milwaukee School of Engineering (3-1), Luther (3-0) and UW-River Falls (3-1) in its four tournament games. … SMU's 4-0 run in its home tournament was the Cardinals' best finish at the Sugar Loaf Classic since going 4-0 in 2003. … Courtney Runge (St. James, Minn.) and Sarah Gardner (Rochester, Minn.) were named to the Sugar Loaf Classic All-Tournament Team. Runge collected a team-best 40 kills (3.08 kps), while also adding 40 digs and five blocks during SMU's four tournament matches. Gardner, meanwhile, added 39 kills and six blocks. … Brittany Cherwinka (Faribault, Minn.) dished out 107 assists, while Tara Rasmussen (Kasson, Minn.) finished with a team-leading 52 digs and Amy Kujak (River Falls, Wis.) led the team with 13 blocks. … As a team, the Cardinals hit .316 for the tournament. … With the four tournament wins, SMU coach Mike Lester moved to within one win of 200 for his coaching career. … The Cardinals are coming off a 19-win season in 2008. It was the most wins since 2004, when SMU went 21-10. SMU's appearance in the semifinals of the 2008 MIAC Tournament was also the Cardinals' first since that same 2004 season.
Wartburg Knight Notes: The Knights, who went 2-2 in their four matches at the season-opening Pacific University of Oregon Boxer Kickoff Invitational last Sunday, kicked off its Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference season Wednesday, collecting a 3-1 victory at the University of Dubuque. … Britlyn Sieck leads the team in kills with 49, including a team-best 12 in Wednesday's win at Dubuque. … Brittney Herman accounted for all 29 Wartburg assists vs. Dubuque, pushing her team-leading assist total to 166. … Channing Merchant eclipsed the 100-dig mark Wednesday, collecting 25 digs vs. Dubuque to give her 114 for the season.
UW-La Crosse Eagle Notes: The Eagles are coming off a 1-3 showing at the SMU Ground Round Sugar Loaf Classic, beating St. Catherine (3-1), while losing to Luther (3-0), Loras (3-2) and St. Thomas (3-0). … The Eagles play their first 11 matches on the road. UW-L's first home match is slated for Sept. 23 against UW-Stevens Point. … Brianne Stankus boasts a team-best 42 kills (2.33 kps), while Liz Schlobohm has dished out a team-leading 149 assists. … Melannie Tate has recorded 87 digs in 18 matches. … As a team, the Eagles are hitting .174 and average 10.1 kps.
Nebraska Wesleyan Prairie Wolves: Nebraska Wesleyan had its season-opening three-match winning streak snapped last Saturday, dropping a five-set, 3-2 decision to fourth-ranked UW-Oshkosh at the Elmhurst Tournament. … The Prairie Wolves, who were picked to finish seventh in the 2009 Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Preseason Coaches' poll, opened conference play with a 3-1 win over Briar Cliff on Wednesday. … NWU returns four starters and seven letterwinners off a 2008 squad that finished 20-10 overall and 10-6 in the GPAC. The 10 GPAC wins were the most conference wins in school history. … The Prairie Wolves qualified for the NCAA Division III National Tournament for the fifth straight season in 2008, advancing to the second round for the first time since 2002. … Laura Brammeier has been the Prairie Wolves' offensive leader this season, boasting 80 kills in five matches, including 24 in the NWU's win over Briar Cliff Wednesday.
Loras Duhawk Notes: After kicking off their season with a 2-2 showing at the SMU Ground Round Sugar Loaf Classic, the Duhawks kicked off their Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference season Tuesday, knocking off Luther 3-1. … Loras, which won its first IIAC volleyball title last season, was picked to finish second in the conference's preseason coaches poll. … Loras' first nine matches are on the road. The Duhawks do not open their home schedule until Sept. 15, when they host Simpson in an IIAC match. … Brittney Westermeyer leads the Duhawks' offense, collecting team-bests in kills (50), kills-per-set (2.78), attack percenage (.258), and blocks (14). … Julie Rogers has accounted for 162 of the team's 186 assists, while Beth Miller has collected a team-leading 71 digs.
