Scheele Named to AVCA All-Midwest Region Team

Nov. 13, 2009

Falcon outside hitter Kelsey Scheele (Sr., Norwood, Minn. Mayer Lutheran HS) has been named to the 2009 American Volleyball Coaches Association All-Midwest Region team.

Scheele , an outside hitter, has been named to the 2007, 2008 and 2009 All-WIAC teams and last year earned honorable mention to the AVCA All-American team. This year she finished second on the team withi 340 kills. Scheele, 5-7, was named the WIAC Player of the Week twice during the 2009 season. She established the Falcon record for career digs with 1,989. She also finished her career third in kills with 1,404. This year she led the Falcons with 462 digs. She had 32 aces and 47 blocks.

She finished her UWRF career with 1,404 kills, 132 aces and 165 total blocks. She has been named to the WIAC Scholastic Honor Roll for the past three seasons.

In 2007 she received the team's Most Valuable Player Award and Offensive Player of the Year award. In 2008 she was again named the team's Most Valuable Player.

She is now under consideration for the AVCA All-America team.

Nov. 10, 2009

Kelsey Scheele (Sr., Norwood, Minn.), Gina DeRosa (Sr., Maplewood, Minn.) and Andria Vetsch (Sr., Minneapolis, Minn.) have all been named to 2009 All-WIAC volleyball teams.

Scheele, an outside hitter, was named to the 2007 and 2008 All-WIAC teams and last year earned honorable mention to the AVCA All-American team. This year she finished second on the team withi 340 kills. Scheele, 5-7, was named the WIAC Player of the Week twice during the 2009 season. She established the Falcon record for career digs with 1,989. She also finished her career third in kills with 1,404. This year she led the Falcons with 462 digs. She had 32 aces and 47 blocks.

"Kelsey has been a mainstay in the Falcon lineup for the past four seasons and every year she has lead the way not only statistically, but with a work ethic to match," said Falcon Coach Patti Ford. "She has been a great role model and has set the way for future Falcons to follow."

DeRosa, a middle hitter, led the Falcons witih 346 kills this year. Earlier in the season she reached the 1,000 career kill milestone. DeRosa, 6-0, also led the team witih 24 solo and 108 total blocks. She also had 15 aces and 52 digs. She was named the team's Player of the Week four times this year. DeRosa set the school career block assist record finishing with 410. She finished her career with 1,141 kills.

"Gina has been a great asset to the Falcons over the past four season," said Ford. "She has developed into one of the top middles in the WIAC and regionally. Her presence at the net and ability to run a variety of options help the Falcons get on the winning track throughout the season."

Vetsch, a rightside hitter, was named to the All-Sportsmanship team. She finished the season with 245 kills, 42 assists, 56 digs and 75 total blocks. The All-Sportsmanship team is made up of players that displayed exemplary sportsmanship throughout the season. It included one member from each school as selected by that school.

"Andria is the essence of a team player in every aspect," said Ford. "She has put the team's needs ahead of her own so we could be successful. She is a quiet leader, but has an uncanny ability to relate to all of her teammates. Her amiable and friendly personality on and off the court helped to mold and guide this team."

The Falcons finished 20-15 overall and 5-3 in WIAC play.

WIAC Volleyball

2009 Falcon Statistics

2009 Schedule

Falcons Raise $4,147 in Dig For the Cure Match

Nov. 6, 2009

The Falcon volleyball team raised $4,147 in its Dig For the Cure match against UW-Stevens Point played on Oct. 3.

Individuals pledged dollar amounts for every dig the Falcons recorded in the match. The Falcons had 35 digs in the three set win. Individuals could also donate a specific dollar amount.

All proceeds will be donated on behalf of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) to the Susan G. Komen Foundation in Madison.

“Dig for the Cure” was started in 2003 by University of North Carolina-Charlotte volleyball coach Lisa Marston as a way to raise money for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation, a national organization that raises money for breast cancer research.

Since its inception, “Dig for the Cure” has become a nationwide event, with college conferences throughout the country raising money for their local Susan G. Komen affiliate.

2009 Schedule
Falcon Roster

Falcons Lose in Five Sets to UWEC, End Season

Nov. 3, 2009

For the first round of the WIAC playoffs on Tuesday, the Falcons traveled to Eau Claire to take on the Blu Golds. The Falcons led two-sets-to-one, but couldn't hold on, eventually losing in five sets to UWEC. Each match was close-scoring, 25-22, 25-19, 25-27, 23-25, 7-15.

In what turned out to be her final match as a Falcon, senior middle hitter Gina DeRosa led her team with 14 kills. Fellow senior Andria Vetsch added 10, and the team's third senior Kelsey Scheele chipped in eight kills herself. Freshman middle hitter Erin Green also had eight kills on the evening.

Freshmen setters Mackenzie Suda and Hayley Buchanan had 22 and 19 assists, respectively.

Libero Courtney Preiner led the team with 21 digs. Scheele added 15, and Sami Kaminski had 14 digs. Buchanan had 11. Kaminski also finished the night with two aces, leading UWRF.

Green finished with five block assists; DeRosa had four. Danielle Gibbemeyer and Sami Kaminski each added three block assits on the night.

As a team, the Falcons hit for .151 and had a team total of 8.5 blocks.

With the disappointing loss, the Falcons finish the 2009 season 20-15 in overall play, and 5-3 in the WIAC.

Match Box
2009 Schedule
Falcon Roster

Falcons Go 2-0 on Second Day of Tourney, 4-0 in Two Days

Oct. 31, 2009

The Falcons finished 2-0 in the first day of the UWRF Trick or Treat Tournament on Friday at the Karges Center, beating Stout and Marian. On Saturday, they took Rockford into four sets, winning, and then beat Superior in three sets. The Falcons finished 4-0 in the two-day tournament, tying with Eau Claire for first place.

River Falls defeated Rockford, 24-26, 25-10, 25-22, 25-13
The Falcons opened day two with a four-one victory over Rockford.

The seniors led the hitting front for UWRF. Andria Vetsch had 12; Gina DeRosa had 11, and Kelsey Scheele finished with 10. Hayley Buchanan and Mackenzie Suda finished with 21 assists a piece, and Sami Kaminski and Scheele each served up one ace in the match. Scheele also finished with 12 digs. Kaminski and Courtney Preiner each had 10, and Suda added eight. DeRosa was huge on net with five solo blocks and four block assists. Erin Green chipped in five block assits, and Vetsch added four block assists.

River Falls defeated Superior, 25-19, 25-22, 25-14
The Falcons won their second match of the day versus Superior, giving themselves a tournament record of 4-0.

DeRosa led all hitters with 12 kills, and Scheele added nine. Suda and Buchanan finished with 19 and 14 assists respectively. The Falcons served up a total of five aces on the match. Kaminski had two, and Buchanan, Suda and DeRosa all had one ace a piece. Preiner had 12 digs, and Kaminski finished with 10. Scheele added eight, and Buchanan chipped in seven. DeRosa and Scheele ended with three and one solo blocks, respectively.

The Falcons, now 20-14 overall, will play Eau Claire in the first round of the WIAC playoffs. The game will begin at 7 p.m. in Eau Claire.

2009 Schedule
Falcon Roster

Falcons Finish 2-0 in First Day of Trick or Treat Tourney

Oct. 23, 2009

The Falcons finished 2-0 in the first day of the UWRF Trick or Treat Tournament on Friday at the Karges Center.

River Falls defeated Stout, 25-16, 25-15, 25-20
The Falcons opened the day with a 3-0 win over Stout. The Falcons played well in each set to earn the win.

Gina DeRosa led the offensive attack with 11 kills. She also had a strong defensive match at the net with one solo and six block assists. Andria Vetsch and Erin Green each had seven kills. Haley Buchanan and Mackenzie Suda finished with 10 assists each. Courtney Preiner led UWRF with 14 digs and Kelsey Scheele had nine. Buchanan and Suda finished with seven digs each. Sami Kaminski had four block assists and Green had three solo and four total blocks.

River Falls defeated Marian, 25-10, 25-19, 25-23
 The Falcons won the second match of the day, three sets to none, over Marian.

Scheele led the Falcons with 13 kills and Green added nine. Suda led the team with 18 assists and Buchanan added 16. Suda also led UWRF with two aces. Scheele led the Falcons with 12 digs and Buchanan had nine. DeRosa had one solo block and two block assists.

The Falcons, now 18-14 overall, will play Rockford at noon and Superior at 4 p.m., on Saturday in the second day of the Trick or Treat Tourney at the Karges Center.

2009 Schedule
Falcon Roster

Falcons Split at UWEC Tourney on Saturday; Finish 3-1

Oct. 23, 2009

The Falcons finished 1-1 on Saturday at the UW-Eau Claire Invitational. UWRF finished the tourney with a 3-1 record.

Both outside hitter Kelsey Scheele and middle hitter Gina DeRosa were named to the nine player All-Tournament team.

The Falcons started the day with a 3-1 win over Loras. But in the team's final match, Viterbo took a 3-1 win.

The Falcons opened with a four set win over Loras, 25-14, 25-23, 20-25, 25-20. DeRosa had her best offensive match of the season in leading the Falcons with 19 kills. She hit .643 in the match. She also had two aces, three digs and one solo block. Andria Vetsch had 11 kills. Scheele added 10 kills, two aces, 16 digs and two block assists. Courtney Preiner had a season-high 27 digs in the win. The 27 digs is the most day a Falcon in a match this year. Josie Holter, who had nine kills, had eight digs and one block assist. Hayley Buchanan and Mackenzie Suda each finished with 26 assists. Suda had one ace and six digs while Buchanan had seven digs. The Falcons hit .299 in the match. They had eight service errors and six reception errors.

In the team's final match of the tourney, Viterbo took a win in four sets, 26-24, 19-25, 25-13, 25-12. Scheele led the Falcons in the match with 11 kills. She had one ace and led the team with 14 digs. DeRosa added eight kills and she had four block assists. Sami Kaminski led the team with one solo block and five block assists. Preiner added 11 digs. Suda, who led UWRF with three aces, lled the team with 19 assists and Buchanan had 10. The Falcons had 18 block assists and four aces. They had a .116 hitting percentage, but had eight service errors and four reception errors.

The Falcons, now 16-14 overall, will host their Trick or Treat Tournament this weekend at the Karges Center. On Friday the Falcons play Stout at 2 p.m., and Marian at 8 p.m. On Saturday the Falcons face Rockford at noon and Superior at 4 p.m.

River Falls - Loras Match Box
River Falls - Viterbo Match Box
2009 Schedule
Falcon Roster

Falcons Win Twice at UWEC Tourney

Oct. 23, 2009

The Falcons won two more matches during the first day at the UW-Eau Claire Tourney on Friday.

UWRF opened with a 3-0 win over UW-Stevens Point, and took another 3-0 win over Lawrence.

The Falcons opened with a 25-19, 25-23, 25-12 win over UWSP. Kelsey Scheele and Danielle Gibbemeyer each had seven kills to lead the Falcons. Gina DeRosa and Erin Green each had six kills. Courtney Preiner led UWRF with 14 digs and Scheele had 11. DeRosa led the Falcons at the net with three block assists. Andria Vetsch, Josie Holter and Green had two block assists each. Preiner also led the Falcons with two aces. Mackenzie Suda had 24 assists and Hayley Buchanan had 10. The Falcons hit .260 in the match.

The Falcons scored a 25-13, 25-20, 25-15 win over Lawrence in the team's second match of the tourney. Scheele led the team with 10 kills with Vetsch and Holter each finishing with seven. Preiner had 17 digs to lead the team. Scheele had nine and Buchanan eight. Vetsch led UWRF with three block asssits. Gibbemeyer, who had four kills, led UWRF with four aces. The Falcons finished with 15 aces. Buchanan and Suda each had three aces. Suda also led the team with 19 assists with Buchanan adding 14.

On Saturday, the Falcons, now 15-13 overall, play Loras at 12:15 p.m. and Viterbo at 2:30 p.m., in the second day of the UWEC tourney.

River Falls - Stevens Point Match Box
River Falls - Lawrence Match Box
2009 Schedule
Falcon Roster

Falcons Face UW-Eau Claire in
WIAC Tourney First Round Match

Oct. 22, 2009

The Falcon volleyball team will play at UW-Eau Claire in the first round of the WIAC Tournament.

UWRF earned a No. 5 seed in the tourney. The Falcons finished 5-3 in WIAC play and tied with Eau Claire and Platteville for third place. But the Falcons lost to both teams in the regular season and ended up with the No. 5 seed.

UWRF will play at Eau Claire on Tuesday, Nov. 3 at 7 p.m., in the tourney's first round. Earlier this year the Falcons lost, 3-2, at UW-Eau Claire. Read the match recap.

Stevens Point plays at Platteville in the other WIAC first round match. The semifinals and finals will be played at UW-Oshkosh on Nov. 6-7. The winner of the River Falls-Eau Claire match will play No. 1 seeded Oshkosh at 7:30 p.m., on Nov. 6. The Platteville-Stevens Point winner will play No. 2 seeded UW-Whitewater at 5 p.m. On Nov. 7 a third place match will be played at noon, followed by the championship match at 2:30 p.m. The tournament winner receives the WIAC's automatic bid to the NCAA Div. III Championships.

The Falcons head to the Eau Claire Invitational this weekend. On Friday, the Falcons face UW-Stevens Point at 3 p.m., and Lawrence at 5:15 p.m. On Saturday the team takes on Loras at 12:15 p.m. and Viterbo at 2:30 p.m.

2009 Schedule
Falcon Roster

Green, Falcons Take Win in Final Conference Match Over UW-Stout

Oct. 21, 2009

The Blue Devils of UW-Stout traveled to the Karges Center on Wednesday night to take on the Falcons for each team's final game in WIAC play. The Falcons won the match in four sets.

In set one, the Falcons came out a bit cold. Several silly mistakes - like sending the ball over after just one pass, illegal moves, etc. - put Stout ahead 4-2.

After an ace from outside hitter Kelsey Scheele, the Falcons were tied at four with the Blue Devils. River Falls went up 9-5 after a long volley that ended in a kill by freshman middle hitter Erin Green. Green would have another kill, putting UWRF up 14-8, after a Stout player sent the ball back on net after one pass.

Setter Hayley Buchanan had a nice quick-set to middle hitter Gina DeRosa to put the Falcons up 23-15. UWRF went on to win set one, 25-16.

Putting the Falcons up 4-0, Green had a one-handed block that she hit on her way back down after a jump. Later, DeRosa had a huge kill that put the Falcons up 7-4. DeRosa had another kill after a long volley between the teams that put River Falls up by two, 14-12.

Freshman outside hitter Danielle Gibbemeyer blew the assist to Scheele, and Stout crawled back within one, 16-15. Gibbemeyer had a kill, later, after a long volley that put the Falcons up 23-16.

A kill by right side hitter Andria Vetsch put the Falcons up 24-18, and Scheele sealed the victory with a kill. UWRF won the set, 25-20.

Setter Mackenzie Suda had a serve sail out of bounds, scoring a point for UW-Stout, tying set three at two. Kills by DeRosa and outside hitter Sami Kaminski pushed the Falcons up by one, 7-6.

After a serve in-net by DeRosa, the Blue Devils were up by one, 7-6. Vetsch came back with a huge kill to tie the set at 8. Scheele answered with another Falcon kill, and the team was up 9-8.

Vetsch had an enormous kill that was blocked by two Blue Devils, resulting in a Stout point and the lead, 16-14. A Scheele kill followed by a Suda ace put the Falcons back in the lead, 19-18. UWRF went on to win the set, 25-21.

Set four started out with kills by Scheele and DeRosa, tying the set at three. Missed block coverage by the Falcons allowed the Blue Devils to score a point, putting them up by one, 4-3.

A Stout player passed the ball above the net, and Green had a huge hit putting the Falcons up 13-12. Back-to-back aces by Suda put UWRF up 15-12. Another hard kill by Green sent the Falcons up by five, 17-12.

Two Stout errors in a row, put UWRF up by ten, 23-13. Suda ended the match with an unexpected tip-kill, and the final score was 25-17.

DeRosa and Green led all hitters with 14 kills a piece. Scheele added 9, and Gibbemeyer and Vetsch added seven and six, respectively. As a team, the Falcons hit .229 on the night.

Suda and fellow freshman setter Hayley Buchanan had 24 and 14 assists, respectively, on the night.

As a team, the Falcons served up seven aces. Suda had four; Scheele had two, and Buchanan, one. Scheele added 18 digs to her night, leading all receivers. Buchanan added a career-high 17, and libero Courtney Preiner and Suda chipped in 12 and 10, respecitvely.

Green was the only Falcon with a solo block. She also added three block assists. Scheele and DeRosa chipped in two block assists, as well.

With the win over the Blue Devils, the Falcons advance to 5-3 in the WIAC (13-13 overall).

The team heads to the Eau Claire Invitational on Oct. 23 and 24. On Friday, the Falcons will face UW-Stevens Point at 3 p.m. and Lawrence at 5:15 p.m. On Saturday, the team takes on Loras at 12:15 p.m. and Viterbo at 2:30 p.m.

Match Box
2009 Schedule
Falcon Roster

Falcons Win Conference Match at UWL

Oct. 17, 2009

For their second WIAC match in two days, the Falcons traveled to UW-La Crosse to take on the Eagles. UWRF picked up the big win in three sets, 25-19, 25-12, 25-17.

Freshman middle hitter Erin Green led the Falcons with 10 kills. Outside hitter Sami Kaminski and middle hitter Gina DeRosa each added nine kills. Outside hitter Kelsey Scheele finished with six.

Mackenzie Suda had 21 assists, and Hayley Buchanan charted 15 as the Falcons hit .319 overall.

Scheele led all receivers with 21 digs. Kaminski had 13. Falcon's libero, freshman Josie Holter, finished the afternoon with seven digs.

As a team, the Falcons recorded only two block assists. Outside hitter Andria Vetsch and Green each added one on the afternoon.

UWRF served up eight aces during the match. Holter recorded three, and Buchanan and Suda each had two aces. Scheele added one.

The conference win moves the Falcons to 4-3 in WIAC play.

The Falcons return to action on Oct. 21 when the Stout Blue Devils travel to the Karges Center for another WIAC face-off scheduled for 7 p.m.

Match Box
2009 Schedule
Falcon Roster

Tough Night of Hitting Means Loss for Falcons at UWP

Oct. 16, 2009

The Falcons headed South to UW-Platteville to take on the Pioneers in a WIAC match-up. The Falcons struggled offensively, and had a lot of unforced errors, which allowed UWP to win three sets to none, 25-20, 25-12, 25-22.

Outside hitter Kelsey Scheele and freshman middle hitter Erin Green led the offensive front for the Falcons with seven kills a piece.

Freshmen setters Mackenzie Suda and Hayley Buchanan recorded 19 and eight assists, respectively.

Scheele served up two aces, and Buchanan and middle hitter Gina DeRosa each had an ace on the evening, as well.

Freshman libero Josie Holter recorded 14 digs during the match. Scheele and Suda added seven and five digs respectively, as well.

Right side hitter Andria Vetsch led all Falcon blockers with three block assists. DeRosa and Green each had two block assits, also.

The loss in Platteville moves UWRF's record to 11-13 overall, 3-3 in WIAC play.

The team's next game is Saturday in La Crosse. The game is scheduled to start at noon.

Match Box
2009 Schedule
Falcon Roster

DeRosa Reaches 1,000 Career Kill Mark

Oct. 12, 2009

Falcon Gina DeRosa reached the 1,000 career kill milestone in the team's match against Coe College on Oct. 9.

DeRosa, a senior middle hitter from Maplewood, Minn., made her 1,000th kill count as it won the match for the Falcons against Coe. UWRF beat Coe in three sets, 25-23, 25-21, 26-24. The Falcons finished a perfect 4-0 at the Coe tourney.

In the match, DeRosa led the Falcons with nine kills and had a .467 hitting percentage. She had two digs and one block assist in the match.

"This is an exciting milestone for Gina," said Falcon Coach Patti Ford. "She has worked hard for it and it was even more thrilling that she got it on a match point. She's been a very good leader this year with her presence at the net, and off the court in guiding the team. She very deserving of this accomplishment."

Currently DeRosa, 6-0, is second on the team with 227 kills. She leads the teams in blocks with 13 solo and 55 assists. She has 35 digs and nine aces. DeRosa now has 1,022 career kills.

UWRF, now 11-12 overall and 3-2 in the WIAC, play two WIAC matches this week. On Friday the Falcons are at UW-Platteville at 7 p.m., and on Saturday play at UW-La Crosse at noon.

2009 Schedule
Falcon Roster

Falcons Finish 4-0 at Coe Invitational

Oct. 11, 2009

After beating Augustana and Coe Friday afternoon, the Falcons headed into Day 2 of the Coe Invitational undefeated. After beating Fontbonne and Dubuque on Saturday, UWRF clinched an undefeated, 4-0 record from the Invite.

The Falcons beat Fontbonne in three sets, 25-22, 25-9, 25-9. Also winning in three sets, UWRF took their final match from Dubuque, 25-21, 25-18, 25-15.

Against Fontbonne, outside hitter Kelsey Scheele led the Falcons attacking front, finishing with 13 kills. Middle hitter Gina DeRosa finished with 11, and right side hitter Andria Vetsch added nine kills of her own.

Freshmen setters Mackenzie Suda and Hayley Buchanan teamed up for 41 of the team's 44 total assits. Scheele, Buchanan and Suda each had two aces in the match as well.

Freshman libero Courtney Preiner had 19 digs against Fontbonne, and outside hitter Sami Kaminski chipped in nine digs. Scheele finished with seven digs.

Kaminski also recorded the team's only solo block in the match. She also had a single block assists, as did Scheele.

When the Falcons faced Dubuque, it was DeRosa who led the team's attacking front. She finished with 11 kills. Scheele had 10.

Suda and Buchanan teamed up to set 35 of the Falcons 40 total assists. Outside hitter Danielle Gibbemeyer added three assists of her own during the match.

Kaminski and Preiner led the team in digs with 14 and 12 respectively. Scheele finished the match with eight digs of her own.

Kaminski and Scheele each recorded a solo block. DeRosa and Vetsch combined for a total of four block assists, and as a team, the Falcons had two solo blocks and six block assists.

The four wins at the Coe Invitational bump the Falcons record to 11-12 overall. UWRF heads to UW-Platteville to take on the Pioneers on Friday, Oct. 16. The game is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. On Saturday, Oct. 17, the Falcons head to UW-La Crosse to take on the Eagles at noon.

Match Box
2009 Schedule
Falcon Roster

DeRosa Hits 1,000 Kill, Falcons Go 2-0 at Coe Invitational

Oct. 10, 2009

Senior middle hitter Gina DeRosa hit her 1,000 kill during the Falcon's second game of the day against Coe College. DeRosa hit this milestone when her kill was counted for match point. The Falcons went 2-0 in the first day of the Coe Invitational, beating Augustana, 25-23, 25-16, 25-23, and Coe, 25-23, 25-21, 26-24.

Against Augustana, outside hitters Andria Vetsch and Danielle Gibbemeyer each had 10 kills to lead all Falcon hitters. Fellow outside hitter, Kelsey Scheele chipped in nine kills of her own.

Setters Mackenzie Suda and Hayley Buchanan did the majority of the team's assisting during the match. Suda had 18, and Buchanan had 16 of the team's 37 total assists.

Freshman libero Courtney Preiner led the team in digs, recording 19 on the match. Scheele added 11, and outside hitter Sami Kaminski chipped in 10.

As a team, the Falcons had four total block assists, and freshman middle hitter Erin Green recorded the team's only solo block.

Against Coe, it was DeRosa who led the team with nine kills, including the one for match point that set her total career kills to 1,000. Vetsch had seven kills, and Scheele and Gibbemeyer each added six of their own.

Suda and Buchanan combined for 32 of the team's 34 assists on the match. Kaminiski was able to add three assists of her own.

Scheele and Preiner led the Falcon defense with 10 digs a piece. Kaminski added nine. Kaminksi and Scheele were also the only Falcons to record solo block in the match. As a team, UWRF finished with four block assists and two solo blocks.

The Falcons took on Fontbonne at 10 a.m. and will face Dubuque at 2 p.m. to wrap up their weekend games at the Coe Invitational.

Match Box
2009 Schedule
Falcon Roster

Scheele Sets Career Digs Record in Match at UW-Eau Claire

Oct. 8, 2009

Falcon Kelsey Scheele set the UWRF career digs record in the team's match at UW-Eau Claire on Wednesday night.

Scheele, a 5-7 outside hitter, finished the match with 22 digs to lead the Falcons in the category.

The senior from Norwood, Minn., has 274 digs this season. She has 1,801 digs in her four-year career with the Falcons.

Scheele has twice had 25 digs in a match - against Luther on Sept. 5 and against Heidelberg on Sept. 26. She has had 22 digs in a match now twice this year - the other time on Sept. 26 in a match against Illinois Wesleyan.

"This is a remarkable milestone for Kelsey," said Falcon Coach Patti Ford. "She has been an integral part of our program for four years and she takes a great amount of pride in being an all-around player. And she continues to work hard on all aspects of her game."

Kat Krtnick held the record of 1,799 digs during her career from 2003-06.

In the match, won by UWEC, three sets to two, Scheele also led the Falcons in kills with 20 and finished with a .390 hitting percentage. She also had a service ace. This year Scheele leads the team with 197 kills and 274 digs. She is second in aces (16) and fourth in total blocks (30).

UWRF, now 7-12 overall and 3-2 in the WIAC, plays at the Coe Invitational Friday and Saturday. On Friday they play Augustana at 6 p.m., and Coe at 8 p.m. On Saturday the team will take on Fontbonne at 10 a.m. and Dubuque at 2 p.m.

Match Box
2009 Schedule
Falcon Roster

Seniors Lead, But Falcons Fall in Five Sets to UWEC

Oct. 7, 2009

The Falcons traveled to Eau Claire to take on the No. 18 Blugolds in another WIAC match. Although UWRF fought hard, the team would end up losing three sets to two to UWEC. The Falcons won the first and fourth sets. The final scores of each of the sets were: 25-23, 20-25, 16-25, 32-30, 15-9.

With so much volleyball being played, the individual stats were high. Outside hitter Kelsey Scheele finished the game with 20 total kills, leading the team. Middle hitter Gina DeRosa and right side hitter Andria Vetsch finished with 14 and 11 kills respectively.

Freshmen setters Mackenzie Suda and Hayley Buchanan split time during the match, yet again. Suda had 29 of the team's 53 total assists, and Buchanan added 22. Suda also served up four aces, leading the team, who totaled five.

Scheele also had 22 digs to lead the team in the match. Freshmen libero Courtney Preiner had an impressive 17 digs herself, and outside hitter Sami Kaminski chipped in 14.

DeRosa had four block assists, and outside hitter Danielle Gibbemeyer had two block assists.

As a team, the Falcons had 57 kills and 76 digs.

The loss moves the Falcons to 7-12 overall, 3-2 in the WIAC. Eau Claire is 2-2 in conference play.

UWRF plays at the Coe Invitational Friday and Saturday. They'll play Augustana at 6 p.m. on the 9th and Coe at 8 p.m. On the 10th, the team will take on Fontbonne at 10 a.m. and Dubuque at 2 p.m.

Match Box
2009 Schedule
Falcon Roster

Volleyball Team Wins Third Straight WIAC Match Against Stevens Point

Oct, 2009

The Falcons hosted the Stevens Point Pointers during the team's second annual "THINK PINK" match. Pledges were made for every dig the team recorded, and the proceeds collected were donated to the Susan B. Komen Foundation through the "Dig for the Cure" campaign.

The Falcons laced their shoes with pink laces, wore pink bows in their hair, and some players used pink prewrap during the game.

Over 130 fans were present and dressed in pink as UWRF took down UWSP in three sets, 25-14, 25-15, 25-18.

Freshman Courtney Preiner saw time as the team's primary libero during the match, and freshmen Mackenzie Suda and Hayley Buchanan worked together during the game as the primary setters.

During the first set, the team had 16 total kills, and during set two, the Falcons finished with 10 kills. The third set recorded 13 kills for UWRF.

During the third set, after winning the first two, middle hitter Gina DeRosa served into the net, putting the Pointers within three, 8-5. Buchanan had a quick set to middle hitter Erin Green to put the Falcons up 10-5.

Freshman outside hitter Danielle Gibbemeyer had a big block to the keep the volley alive. However, the play would result in point for the Pointers, moving the score to 11-8.

After a hard Preiner serve was returned on one hit, DeRosa squared up to attack the ball hard on the net. DeRosa's hit, however, ended up in the net. The Pointers pulled within three, 12-9.

Suda had back-to-back missed quick sets to DeRosa, resulting in two points for UWSP. The score was 14-11 after both missed sets.

After outside hitter Kelsey Scheele was unable to make it to the line to make the dig off a hard Pointers attack, Head Coach Patti Ford called a timeout with the score reading 18-14, still in UWRF's favor.

Outside hitter Sami Kaminski pulled through big for the Falcons during the final stretch of set three. Kaminski had a kill that put UWRF up 19-14. Immediately following that kill, Kaminski served up an ace, and the Falcons went up 20-14 as Stevens Point called a timeout.

After a serve into the net from the Pointers, the Falcons went up 21-17. A Scheele kill and two UWSP errors would win the set - and the match - for the Falcons, 25-18.

DeRosa led the team with 11 kills, and Kaminski recorded eight of her own. Scheele and Gibbemeyer each had six kills. Suda and Buchanan had all of the team's 34 total assists. Suda, 24, and Buchanan, 10.

Suda and Preiner both served up two aces, and Scheele and Kaminski added a single ace a piece, as well.

Preiner led the team with 12 digs, and Scheele finished with 11 of her own. Kaminski added to her stats with 10 digs on the afternoon.

Scheele recorded the only solo block for the Falcons and chipped in a block assist as well. DeRosa had three block assists, and Gibbemeyer, 2.

As a team, the Falcons had 39 kills (.287), six service aces, 35 digs and 5.0 total team blocks.

The Falcons head to Eau Claire to take on the Blugolds in another WIAC match. The game will begin at 7 p.m.
Match Box
2009 Schedule
Falcon Roster

Volleyball Team Earns WIAC Win at UWS

Sept. 30, 2009

Gina DeRosa had 16 kills to help lead the Falcon volleyball team to a 3-0 win at UW-Superior on Wednesday night.

The Falcons won, 25-20, 25-9, 25-23 to raise their record to 6-11 overall and 2-1 in the WIAC.

The Falcons had a strong hitting match finishing with a .339 hitting percentage. DeRosa led the way with a .555 hitting percentage.

Andria Vetsch had nine kills, six assists, four digs and a block assist. Kelsey Scheele had eight kills and 11 digs. Sami Kaminski, who led the Falcons with 12 digs, had two aces and seven kills. Hayley Buchanen led the Falcons with 20 assists and she had two aces and 11 digs. Courtney Preiner finished with 10 digs. Erin Green, who had four kills, led the Falcons with two block assists.

UWS was led by Chelsie Christofferson who had seven kills and Samantha Blake who had 18 digs.

The Falcons will next host UW-Stevens Point in the Dig For a Cure match on Saturday at the Karges Center. Action starts at noon.
Match Box
2009 Schedule
Falcon Roster

Volleyball Team Finishes 2-2 at Whitewater Invite

Sept. 26, 2009

The Falcon volleyball team finished 2-2 at the UW-Whitewater Invitational held Friday and Saturday.

UWRF finished 2-2 on each day.

River Falls 3, Iowa Wesleyan 0
The Falcons started the tourney strong with a three set win over Iowa Wesleyan, 25-23, 27-25, 25-19. Gina DeRosa and Kelsey Scheele led the Falcons with 12 kills each. Scheele led UWRF with 19 digs and Courtney Preiner had 12. DeRosa, Sami Kaminski, Mackenzie Suda and Preiner each had two aces. DeRosa led the Falcons with two solo and three block assists. Suda and Hayley Buchanen led the Falcons with 23 and 15 assists respectively.

Elmhurst 3, River Falls 0
Elmhurst beat the Falcons in the second match on Friday, 29-27, 25-15, 25-20. DeRosa led the Falcons with 12 kills, one solo block and three block assists. Danielle Gibbemeyer finished with eight kills. Preiner had a a season and career-high 24 digs to lead the Falcons. Scheele had 10 digs. Suda led the Falcons with 20 assists and Buchanen had 17.

Heidelberg 3, River Falls 1
The Falcons started Saturday losing to Heidelberg, 25-21, 25-22, 23-25, 25-22. Heidelberg improved its record to 15-3 with the win. Scheele led UWRF with 12 kills and Gibbemeyer had 10. Buchanen, who had 19 assists, led the Falcons with three aces. Scheele led UWRF with 25 digs - this is the second time this season she had 25 digs in a single match. Preiner added 20 digs. DeRosa, who had nine kills, had one solo and one block assist. Suda had a team high 24 assists.

River Falls 3, Illinois Wesleyan 0
The Falcons ended the tourney with a solid win over IWU, 25-22, 26-24, 27-25. The loss put IWU's record at 11-5 for the year. The Falcons got an even offensive output with six members getting kills. Andria Vetch led UWRF with eight while Scheele and Gibbemeyer had seven each. Suda led the Falcons with 16 assists and four aces. Scheele had another solid defensive match finisheing with 22 digs. Preiner added 10 digs. DeRosa had another solid match at the net finishing with one solo and four block assists. Gibbemeyer and Erin Green each had four block assists.

The Falcons, now 5-11 overall, will next play a WIAC match at UW-Superior on Wednesday. Action starts at 7 p.m.

2009 Schedule
Falcon Roster

Sept. 22, 2009

Falcon outside hitter Kelsey Scheele (Sr., Norwood, Minn. Mayer Lutheran HS) played two outstanding matches against nationally ranked team’s last week and has been named the WIAC volleyball Player of the Week according to league Sports Information Director, Matt Stanek.

She helped lead the Falcons to a win over No. 9 ranked UW-Whitewater on Saturday at the Karges Center. Scheele, 5-7, led the Falcons with nine kills, two aces and 15 digs in the win over the Warhawks. She also had two block assists. In a loss to No. 3 ranked UW-Oshkosh, she led the team again with 12 kills, two aces and 17 digs. She had two block assists in that match.

This year Scheele leads the team with 128 kills and 154 digs. She also has 13 aces and 20 blocks.

The Falcons will compete in the Whitewater Invitational on Friday and Saturday. On Friday the Falcons play Iowa Wesleyan at 5 p.m., and Elmhurst at 7 p.m. They come back on Saturday and play Heidelburg at noon and Illinois Wesleyan at 2 p.m.

River Falls Stuns Whitewater

Sept. 19, 2009

The Falcon volleyball team shocked a very good Whitewater team taking a 3-1 win on Saturday at the Karges Center.

Whitewater is the No. 9 team in the nation coming into the match. The Falcons improve to 1-1 in the WIAC this season and are 3-9 overall.

Kelsey Scheele and Andria Vetsch both led the Falcons in kills with nine each. Scheele also led the team with 15 defensive digs. Gina DeRose had eight kills and a .318 attack percentage. Danielle Gibbemeyer also added six kills. Erin Green played great with seven kills and a .267 attack percentage. Sami Kaminski came up huge with 12 digs and Courtney Preiner added 10 of her own.

The Falcons started out winning the first set 25-13 setting the tempo for the rest of the match. Whitewater would even the score at 1-1 winning set two 25-20. River Falls would again take the lead winning 25-21. The Falcons would end it in four sets taking the final, 25-23.

The Falcons will travel to Whitewater on Friday as they take part in the Whitewater Invitational. They will take on Iowa Wesleyan at 5 p.m., and Elmhurst at 7 p.m.

Whitewater Match Box

2009 Schedule
Falcon Roster

Falcons First Conference Match is Loss Against Oshkosh

Sept. 18, 2009

The Falcons played host to Oshkosh for the team's first WIAC match of the season. The Titans beat the Falcons three sets to none, 28-30, 19-25, 24-26.

Outside hitter Kelsey Scheele led the team in kills with 12 on the night. Middle hitter Gina DeRosa and outside hitter Danielle Gibbemeyer each added eight kills themselves.

Freshman setter Mackenzie Suda was the team's primary assister on the night. She had 20 total assists, out of the team's 32. Fellow freshman setter Hayley Buchanan had seven assists.

Scheele and Suda each served up two aces, totaling the team's four service aces on the night.

Scheele led the team in digs, as well, with 17. Outside hitter Sami Kaminski and libero Courtney Preiner each had 10 digs.

Big at the net was freshman middle hitter Erin Green. Green had a solo block and five block assists. Gibbemeyer also had a solo block, and Scheele and DeRosa each had two block assists, as well.

As a team, the Falcons finished with 36 kills, 53 digs and 9 total blocks.

The loss puts the Falcons at 0-1 in conference play, 2-9 overall.

The team's next game is Sept. 19 at the Karges Center. The Warhawks of Whitewater will be heading North to take on the Falcons in their second conference game of the season.

Oshkosh Match Box

2009 Schedule
Falcon Roster

Falcons Host THINK PINK Match on Oct. 3

Sept. 16, 2009

The Falcon volleyball team will host its second "THINK PINK" match on Saturday, Oct. 3 at noon in Karges Center to raise both money and awareness for breast cancer.

The first 100 fans in the door, wearing PINK attire, will receive a free Falcons volleyball t-shirt.

With October being National Breast Cancer Awareness month, the Falcons will collect donations for the Susan B. Komen Foundation through the "Dig for the Cure" campaign. Fans, businesses and family members may pledge amounts for every dig the Falcons record against UW-Stevens Point that afternoon, or they can make flat donations.

Each of the Falcon players has a goal of collecting $500 for the cause. All proceeds collected will be donated on behalf of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) to the Komen Foundation in Madison.

During the match, the Falcons will wear pink warm-up shirts, pink shoelaces and pink hair ribbons and will set up a Breast Cancer Awareness booth and tribute outside of Karges.

"The Falcons are honored to have the opportunity to partner with the other WIAC institutions and the Komen Foundation to raise money and awareness for breast cancer--a disease that has affected all of our lives in some way," said Falcon Head Coach Patti Ford. "Our THINK PINK event is a great way to get the campus and community involved in the effort."

Last year the Falcons raised nearly $4,000 in the first “THINK PINK” event. During last year’s promotion, WIAC teams raised $17,347 for the foundation.

To donate to "Dig for the Cure," please visit the Falcon athletics web site to fill out a pledge sheet or send donations to Patti Ford, Volleyball Coach, 123 Hagestad Hall, River Falls, WI 54022.

“Dig for the Cure” was started in 2003 by University of North Carolina-Charlotte volleyball coach Lisa Marston as a way to raise money for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation, a national organization that raises money for breast cancer research.

Since its inception, “Dig for the Cure” has become a nationwide event, with college conferences throughout the country raising money for their local Susan G. Komen affiliate.

2009 Schedule

Falcons Split on Second Day of Gustavus Adolphus Classic

Sept. 12, 2009

After beating Martin Luther yesterday during the first day of the Gustavus Adolphus Classic, picking up their first win of the season, the Falcon volleyball team split their two matches on day two. The Falcons first lost to Carleton in four sets, 25-21, 19-25, 25-17, 27-25.

Outside hitter Kelsey Scheele lead the team in kills with 12 during the match. Freshman middle hitter Erin Green finished with nine. Senior Gina DeRosa (middle) and Andria Vetsch (rightside) finished with eight and seven kills respectively. The team finished dwith 52 total kills.

Freshman setter Hayley Buchanan saw some of her first court time during the match, finishing with 23 of the teams 44 total assists. Mackenzie Suda finished with 13 assists.

Libero Mandy McKenzie lead the team with 12 digs, and outside hitter Sami Kaminski had 10. As a team, the Falcons had 54 digs.

DeRosa lead the front at the net for UWRF. She finished with a single solo block and four block assists. Vetsch added three block assists as well. The team finished with two solo blocks - the other coming from Green - and ten block assists.

McKenzie had four service aces, and Scheele had two.

The team faced Gustavus Adolphus for their second and final match of the afternoon. The Falcons left the Classic with the win agains the host team. It took five sets, but UWRF was able to beat the Gusties, 25-18, 16-25, 25-21, 20-25, 15-11.

The team had a total of 64 kills. Scheele lead the front with 15. DeRosa finished with 14, and Vetsch and freshman outside hitter Danielle Gibbemeyer each ended with 11. Green stayed consistent and added seven of her own kills.

Again, Buchanan lead in assisting with 32, and Suda added 22. Scheele served up an additional three service aces. The team finished the match with seven total aces.

McKenzie finished with 13 digs, leading the team. Kaminski and Scheele added 11 and 10 digs respectively. The team finished with 64 total digs.

Green and Gibbemeyer lead Falcon blockers with three and two block assists respectively.

The Falcons advance to 2-8 in overall play. Their next game is at the Karges Center on Sept. 18 against the Oshkosh Titans at 7 p.m.. This will be the Falcons first WIAC Conference game of the season. On Sept. 19, UW-Whitewater travels North to take on the Falcons at the Karges Center at noon.

Match Box
2009 Schedule
Falcon Roster

Falcons Top Martin Luther, 3-0

Sept. 11, 2009

The Falcon volleyball team beat Martin Luther, three games to none, to earn its first win of the season on Friday night at the Gustavus Adolphus Classic.

The Falcons won in convincing fashion, 25-13, 25-15, 25-21.

Erin Green led the Falcon offensive attack with seven kills. She had one ace and three block assists. Gina DeRosa and Danielle Gibbemeyer each had six kills. DeRosa led UWRF with one solo block and four block assists. Mandy Mackenzie led the Falcons with nine digs and Kelsey Scheele had eight. Andria Vetsch had five kills and four block assists. Hayley Buchanan led the Falcons with 21 assists and she had six digs.

UWRF finished the match with six aces and only three service errors.

The Falcons, now 1-7 overall, will play two more matches on Saturday in St. Peter. They face Carleton at noon and Gustavus at 2 p.m.

Match Box
2009 Schedule
Falcon Roster

Falcons Go 0-2 at Augsburg College

Sept. 9, 2009

The Falcons traveled to Augsburg College in Minneapolis to take on St. Scholastica and Augsburg in two tough matches. First, the Falcons faced Augusburg, where they fell three sets to one. When they played St. Scholastica, the match went into five sets. The Falcons fell three sets to two.

Against Augsburg, middle hitter Gina DeRosa lead the front at the net for the Falcons with 11 kills. Rightside hitter Andria Vetsch added 10 kills on the night. Outside hitter Sami Kaminski finished with nine.

Setter Mackenzie Suda was the team's primary setter on the night, and she finished the match with 36 of the team's 37 assists.

Setter Hayley Buchanan lead the team with four service aces. Several players added single aces themselves, and as a team, the Falcons finished with nine aces.

Outside hitter Kelsey Scheele lead the team in digs with nine. Suda and rightside hitter Josie Holter each had seven, and Kaminski finished with six of her own digs as well.

DeRosa and fellow middle hitter Erin Green each had four assisted blocks. DeRosa also added a single, finishing with five total big net stops. Scheele added three block assists.

Augsburg won the first set with a score of 25-17, but the Falcons kept hope, winning set two, 26-24. Augsburg won the last two sets, 25-23 and 25-16.

The Falcons faced St. Scholastica next. The match went into five sets, all of which were very close. The Falcons lost the first two sets, 25-17 and 25-20, but were able to win sets three and four, 25-11 and 25-22. During the fifth set, played only to 15, St. Scholastica won by a hair, 17-15.

Scheele and DeRosa lead the team offensively with 16 kills a piece. Vetsch finished third with seven. Again, Suda was team's primary setter, and she had 45 of the team's 50 total assists.

The team served up 14 service aces. Suda had half of those, with seven ace points herself. Kaminski had three.

Holter and Kaminski each had 16 digs during the match, and Scheele and Suda added 14 digs a piece.

Vetsch had a big game at the net, finishing with five block assists. Outside hitter Micha Sater added three block assists, as well.

With the night's two losses, the Falcons fall to 0-7 in overall play. Their next game is Friday, Sept. 11 at the Gustavus Adolphus Classic. They will take on Martin Luther at 7 p.m. On Saturday, they continue at the Classic and will face Carleton at noon and Gustavus Adolphus at 2 p.m.

St. Scholastica Match Box
Augsburg Match Box
2009 Schedule
Falcon Roster

Falcons Finish 0-4 at St. Mary's Invite

Sept. 5, 2009

The Falcons ran into some tough opponents and finished 0-4 at the St. Mary's Invitational held Friday and Saturday in Winona, Minn.

On Friday Viterbo defeated the Falcons, 14-25, 25-16, 25-23, 25-18 and St. Thomas won, 25-19, 25-12, 25-16.

On Saturday the Falcons lost to Luther, 25-12, 25-27, 25-20, 25-13
and St. Mary's, 25-18, 21-25, 25-12, 25-16.

Against Viterbo Kelsey Scheele led the Falcons with 11 kills and Kaitlin Speedling added nine. The Falcons had 62 digs as a team and were led by Mandy McKenzie who had 16. Gina DeRosa, who had five kills, had a strong net game witih one solo and six block assists. Mackenzie Suda led UWRF with 23 assists.

Against nationally ranked St. Thomas, Scheele had seven kills and DeRosa six. UWRF hit just .066 as a team. Scheele led the Falcons wtih 10 digs and Suda had seven.

In the loss to Luther, Andria Vetsch had a strong game with 15 kills and three block assists. Danielle Gibbemeyer had 11 kills and 11 digs. Scheele, who had 10 kills, led the Falcons wtih 25 digs and McKenzie added 19. Jamie Mickolichek finished with four block assists.

Against St. Mary's, DeRosa and Gibbemeyer each had 12 kills and Scheele 11. Suda led the team with 43 assists. McKenzie had 13 digs and DeRosa fininshed with three block assists.

The Falcons, now 0-5 overall, will play Augsburg at 5 p.m., and St. Scholastica at 7 p.m., on Wednesday. Both matches will be at Augsburg.

Viterbo Match Box
St. Thomas Match Box
Luther Match Box
St. Mary's Match Box
2009 Schedule
Falcon Roster

Falcons Fall Three Sets to Two Against Bethel

Sept. 1, 2009

The Falcons played host to the Royals of Bethel University in front of a large crowd, but were unable to come away with a victory. UWRF fell short, losing 3 sets out of 5.

Coach Patti Ford played several girls throughout the night. Outside hitters Kaitlin Speedling and Danielle Gibbemeyer, libero Courtney Preiner, setter Mackenzie Suda, rightside hitter Josie Holter and middle hitter Erin Green were amongst the new freshmen to see several minutes of court time.

The Falcons battled hard during their third set. Outside hitter Kelsey Scheele and middle hitter Gina DeRosa teamed up for a big block that put the team up 6-0. Later, a quickset from Suda to DeRosa would result in a kill, and the Falcons went up 7-0.

Bethel made a run, and Ford called a timeout when the score was 11-8, in the Falcons slight favor.

Suda faked a set to middle hitter Kara Buffington before delivering the ball to outside hitter Andria Vetsch. Vetsch misjudged the play and was unable to get a solid hit off. The play resulted in a sideout and a point for Bethel. The score was 15-10, favoring the Falcons.

Bethel's setter Betsy Naatjes and DeRosa had a blocking battle at the net. DeRosa was able to overpower Naatjes and score the point for UWRF. The score was 21-12, Falcons.

After two lost points in a row by Gibbemeyer and a big block by the Bethel net, Ford called a timeout with UWRF ahead 21-16.

After the break, DeRosa had a huge solo block that got the team and the fans equally excited. The play by the senior boosted the Falcons lead to 5, 23-18.

The set was won off a Scheele/DeRosa combined block. The Falcons won the third set with a final score of 25-22. This put the Falcons up 2 games to one in the match.

Bethel lead the entire set four. After a miscommunication between Suda and DeRosa, Bethel scored a point on the sideout. Suda set a quickset to the middle hitter, but DeRosa anticipated a different play. Bethel went up 8-5. Suda would later have an ace serve off the net that put the Falcons within one point, 8-7.

Scheele faced two blockers on the left side of the court and was able to score a kill along the line. The score was 13-10, in favor of the Royals.

Bethel struggled to receive another good serve from Suda, and after one pass, the ball was tight to the net. DeRosa went up strong and got the tip kill to cut the Bethel lead to 2, 19-17.

The set got tied at 19 after a Scheele kill from a Holter set. DeRosa served the ball into the net later to put the Royals up 21-10. Ford called a timeout after Bethel lead by two, 22-20.

After a Royal player passed the ball too tight to the net, Green was able to get on top of the ball and spike it hard back at Bethel to bring the Falcons within one, 23-22. Bethel called a timeout after an out-of-control ball gave the Falcons a sideout point and tied the set at 23.

Bethel won the set off a tip kill, 25-23. The match was tied two games a piece. The fifth set would be played to 15. The Falcons had the first serve.

DeRosa had a serve go out of bounds to score a point for Bethel, tying the game at two, early on. Later, libero Mandy McKenzie had a beautiful dig out of the net, which set up a play to Vetsch who scored a point on a hard kill. The Falcons went up 3-2. Next, Green hit a well set quickset from Suday to put the Falcons up by two, 4-2.

After the next swing attempt by Green went out of bounds, Ford called a timeout. The score was 7-5, in favor of Bethel. Later, Scheele's backrow attack would sail out of bounds, as well, and the Royals would take the lead 8-6. Following the unfortunate pattern, DeRosa had a spike that went out of bounds, and Bethel was ahead 10-6. Ford called another timeout when the score turned 11-6, in Bethel's favor.

After a Bethel player had a big flat-hand dig, DeRosa was able to kill the ball for a huge point, that brought the Falcons within six, 14-8.

Suda served up another ace, bringing the score to 14-9. Bethel called a timeout, trying to ice Suda, but after the break, she served up one more ace, brining the score within four, 14-10.

The set was ended after a combined block attempt from Scheel and DeRosa fell short. Bethel took the set with a final score of 15-11. The match was won by the Royals, three sets to two.

Scheele finished the match with 16 kills to the lead the team. Her hitting percentage ended at .325. DeRosa added 15 kills at .233. Vetsch chipped in seven. Suda lead all assisters with 43. As a team, the Falcons had 48 total assists.

Scheele and Suda both ended the night with an impressive three service aces, and Vetsch had two. Scheele lead the team in the digs category as well, picking up 17. McKenzie added 12. Scheele also ended the match with three solo blocks.

The Falcons travel this weekend to participate in the St. Mary's Invitational. On Sept. 4, the team will face Viterbo at 6 p.m. and St. Thomas at 8 p.m. On Sept. 5, they will take on Luther at noon and St. Mary's at 2 p.m.

2009 Schedule
2008 Falcon Statistics
Falcon Roster

Falcons Excited for 2009 Season; Host Bethel on Tuesday

Aug. 28, 2009

By Renee Thony
UWRF Sports Information

The word used over and over to describe the way the Falcon volleyball team is feeling about their upcoming season is “excited.” “We’re just so excited,” Kelsey Scheele, senior outside hitter said. “Things are looking really, really good already.”

Last season, the Falcons went 15-22 overall and 2-6 in WIAC play. The team finished tied for sixth in the WIAC.

The team lost a lot personality and court presence in libero Drew Hample, outside hitter Nina Cooper and middle hitter Justine Speckel. Setters Alicia Cook and Becky Ponick are also not returning to the team along with right side hitter Ashley Wheeler and outside hitter Amy Weber.

Falcon Coach Patti Ford and the Falcons are excited about the number of returning players this season. Outside hitters Samantha Kaminski and Scheele, defensive specialists Mandy McKenzie and Linnea Osterberg, right side hitter Andria Vetsch, middle hitters Liz Braun, Gina DeRosa and Kara Buffington are all returning to the lineup. Buffington spent last season as an outside hitter, but has been moved to play in the middle for the 2009 season. “You’ll be surprised at how quick she is in that spot,” Ford said about the sophomore.

It is the strong veteran core that Ford said will lead the 2009 Falcons to a successful season. “We’re picked to finish sixth in the conference, which is a good spot,” Ford said, “but I think we have the potential to finish a lot higher. We’ve got the potential to compete and contend in the conference.” Ford said she is aware that building a successful team is a day-by-day process, but “the sky’s the limit with this crew,” she said.

Scheele, Vetsch and DeRosa are the team’s three seniors, and Ford expects them to both lead the team and take care of their own games, as well. “I don’t think there are any expectations thrust at them,” Ford said. “If there are, they’re putting expectations on themselves. They all work hard, and their game is solid. They have all the potential to be high-achieving performers.”

Scheele earned honorable mention to the 2008 AVCA All-America team and looks to build on that during the 2009 season. She whas been named to the first All-WIAC teams in 2007 and 2008. DeRosa earned honorable mention to the All-WIAC team in 2008.

DeRosa said there really isn’t any additional pressure being a senior leader on such a young team. “It’s exciting to lead and take charge out there,” she said. “The freshmen have so much potential,” Vetsch added. “It’s really great getting to work together.”

Scheele led the team in several categories in the 2008 season. She finished with 456 kills (3.19 per game), 44 aces, 1,311 attacks and 528 digs. DeRosa adds a huge front to the Falcon defense. She finished last season with 135 total blocks (31 solo, 104 assisted). Both Scheele and DeRosa are three-year starters. “Gina will be a good role model in the middle hitting position for us,” Ford said about the 6-0 hitter from Maplewood, Minn. “She’s going to be really good at establishing the new middle hitters in the spot.”

Ford said although the team doesn’t have a high number of returning players, the ones that are coming back are solid. “Their pillar of veteran play and volleyball knowledge helps the first year women play to the best of their ability.”

McKenzie brings the same veteran leadership and talent to the libero spot. McKenzie, a two-year starter, finished the 2008 season averaging 3.71 digs per game, leading the team. “Mandy makes our side-out game strong,” Ford said. “She very rarely miscues off the serve which allows us to score points.”

The coaching staff did a lot of recruiting in the offseason, which enabled them to fill a lot of holes. With the veteran pillar that Ford has been striving for, gaining a talented group of freshmen was equally important. “The volleyball knowledge and IQ of this freshman class is so high,” Ford said.

Outside hitters Lauren Matask, from Eden Prairie, Minn.; Megan Schroeder, from Rochester, Minn.; Danielle Gibbemeyer, from St. Paul. Minn.; Kaitlin Speedling, from Kellogg, Minn. and Micha Sater, from Fridley, Minn. add some gusto to the team’s lineup. “Kaitlin and Danielle both have a strong presence outside,” Ford said. “They were both all-state players in high school. They’re smart.” Rounding out the new hitters on the team are right side hitters Kristi Thompson, from Chatfield, Minn. and Josie Holter, from Lakeville, Minn.

The team gains fresh middle hitters in Jamie Mickolicheck, from Silver Lake, Minn.; Erin Green, from Fridley, Minn. and Morgan Wynveen, from Mahtomedi, Minn. Ford said she anticipates good things from the new group of middle hitters. “Jamie is an athletic player who adds a lot for us up front,” she said. “And Erin is proving herself in the spot as well.”

Ford said that freshmen Hayley Buchanan, from Eden Prairie, Minn., and Mackenzie Suda, from Ham Lake, Minn. will be the team’s primary setters heading into the 2009 season. “They’re both extremely good,” Ford said. “They came from big high schools, and they’ve played club ball for a long time.” Ford said that Suda will be the team’s first choice in setter, but Ford still feels comfortable with Buchanan and won’t hesitate to call on her when needed.

Liberos Courtney Preiner, from Oakdale, Minn., and Abbey Schmidtman, from Renville, Minn., add even more depth to the team’s improving defensive game. “We’ve improved in every area of the game,” Ford said, “but we’re definitely a much stronger defensive team this year.” Ford said that Preiner has proven to have a very good defensive game that fits in well at UW-River Falls. “She’s a solid passer and a solid server,” Ford said. “She’s adapting to playing the collegiate game.”

The team also implemented a new defense into their game for the 2009 season. “It’s a new defense,” DeRosa said. “It’s exciting.” DeRosa also commented that the team’s serving is looking great. “We’re playing very scrappy,” Scheele added, “and that’s awesome.” Scheele also said that she is looking forward to the season because the team has so much additional depth this year. “I like knowing that we can pull someone onto the court, and our game won’t be affected,” the 5-7 hitter from Norwood, Minn., said. “I like that we have so much depth.”

Overall, Ford said she’s got a great group of volleyball players on her hands this season, and she’s excited for the upcoming games. “We’ve got solid returners plus high-caliber first-year players,” she said. “You can’t have a strong team in the WIAC without a strong veteran core. We’ve got that. We’ve also got depth that’s so strong. I’m excited. We’re in a place, very poised, to do great things and carry that tradition along.”

The Falcons kick off their hopeful 2009 season on Sept. 1 when they host Bethel at 7:30 p.m., at the Karges Center.

“We’ve got good defense, high volleyball IQ, and we’re impressively athletic,” Ford said. “Falcon volleyball is going to be exciting this year."

2009 Schedule
2008 Falcon Statistics
Falcon Roster