Geehan Earns Honorable Mention to AVCA All-America Team

Nov. 13, 2006

Falcon Andrea Geehan (Sr., St. Paul, Minn. Como Park HS) earned honorable mention to the 2006 AVCA All-America team.

Geehan, who was named to the first All-WIAC and first All-AVCA Midwest Region teams this year, was second on the team with 491 kills. She finished with 1,400 career kills and that is third all-time. She had a .270 hitting percentage this season. Geehan had 28 aces, 165 digs and was second in total blocks with 117. She had 360 career blocks. The 491 kills this year is seventh in a single season. Geehan was named the team's Player of the Week three times.

Geehan, who was earned honorable mention to the AVCA All-Midwest Region team after the 2005 season, becomes the seventh Falcon to earn recognition on All-AVCA teams. She joins Cara Gustafson (1995, 1996), Jen Frodl (1996), Melissa Mattson (1999, 2000), Melissa Tvrdik (2002, 2003) and Krystle Brune (2003) as Falcons who have been honored.

Go to the 2006 Falcon statistics.

Krtnick Named to CoSIDA Academic All-District Team

Nov. 9, 2006

Falcon setter Kat Krtnick (Sr., Fridley, Minn.) has been named to the second College Sports Information Directors of America/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District 5 volleyball team.

Earlier this year Krtnick was named to the first All-WIAC team and was named the WIAC volleyball Scholar-Athlete. She was named to the first All-WIAC team for the second straight season.

Krtnick, the team's setter, led the Falcons with 1,645 assists. That total was third all time in a single season. She ended her career with 4,297 assists which is third on the career all-time list. She was second on the team with 522 digs which is the seventh most in a single season. She established a career digs record with 1,799. She had 126 kills, 32 aces and 58 blocks. Krtnick was named the team's Player of the Week once in 2006.

Krtnick not only performed well on the floor throughout her career, but she did outstanding work in the classroom and in the campus community.

She's compiled a 3.768 cumulative grade point average while majoring in biomedical sciences and marketing. She will earn minors in professional writing, business and government. Krtnick has been named to the WIAC Scholastic Honor Roll after the 2004, 2005 and 2006 school years. She has been named to the UWRF Dean's List after every semester (six). She earned the Kenneth M. White (2004) and Marcel K. Lynum (2004, 2005) scholarships. Krtnick has earned freshman, sophomore and junior merit.

Krtnick, who earned honorable mention to the All-WIAC team in 2004, was ranked 13th in the Oct. 22 NCAA Div. III statistics report in assists per game (12.21). She helped the Falcons win the 2003 WIAC championship and was named the team's Rookie of the Year that season. In 2004 and 2005 she was named the team's Hardest Worker and in 2005 she was named the team's Co-Player of the Year. Krtnick has been a team captain in 2005 and 2006. She has been named the team's Player of the Week seven times in her career.

This year she is a Student Senate athletic representative. She has been a member of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee throughout her career at UWRF. She has been the chair of the Recreation Committee (2004-06), a member of the health & human performance department Facilities Committee (2005-06), a member of the Facilities and Fees Board (2005-07) and a member of the Bookstore Committee (2005-06). Krtnick has worked as a special events and promotions manager of the Recreation staff. Krtnick worked for the UWRF public affairs office as a marketing communications and journalism intern during the 2005 and 2006 Kansas City Chiefs Summer Training camp.

The Academic All-America program honors male and female student-athletes annually who have succeeded at the highest level on the playing field and in the classroom. Individuals are selected through voting by CoSIDA, a 2,000 member organization consisting of sports public relations professionals for colleges and universities in the United States and Canada.

To be eligible, a student-athletes must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.20 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings at his/her current institution and be nominated by his/her sports information director. Since the programs inception in 1952, CoSIDA has bestowed Academic All-America honors on more than 14,000 student-athletes in Divisions I, II, III and NAIA covering all NCAA championship sports.

Geehan Named to First Team; Thompson Earns Honorable Mention
Geehan, Thompson, Named to AVCA
All-Midwest Region Volleyball Teams

Nov. 9, 2006

Falcons Andrea Geehan (Sr., St. Paul, Minn. Como Park HS) and Kate Thompson (Sr., Forest Lake, Minn.) have been named to 2006 AVCA All-Midwest Region volleyball teams.

Geehan, a middle hitter, was named to the first team and Thompson, an outside hitter, earned honorable mention.

Geehan, who earned honorable mention to the team after the 2005 season, was named to the first All-WIAC team earlier this year. Geehan was second on the team with 491 kills. She finished with 1,400 career kills and that is third all-time. She had a .270 hitting percentage this season. Geehan had 28 aces, 165 digs and was second in total blocks with 117. She had 360 career blocks. The 491 kills this year is seventh in a single season. Geehan was named the team's Player of the Week three times.

Thompson was also named to the first All-WIAC team this year. She led the Falcons in kills with 531 and that is the fourth most in a single season. She finished her career with 1,305 kills which is fifth all time. She had a .221 hitting percentage with 42 aces, 260 digs and 55 blocks. Thompson was named the team's Player of the Week four times and was named the WIAC Player of the Week once.

Krtnick Named WIAC Volleyball Scholar-Athlete

Nov. 7, 2006

Falcon Kat Krtnick (Sr., Fridley, Minn.) has been named the WIAC volleyball Scholar-Athlete for the 2006 season.

The WIAC Scholar-Athlete Award is presented to the most outstanding senior from each conference sport during the year who exhibits the greatest combination of performance and achievement in academics, athletics and leadership. The women's Scholar-Athlete award was renamed the Judy Kruckman Scholar-Athlete Award effective with the 1998-99 season.

Krtnick was one of four Falcons named to the first All-WIAC team this year. She was named to the first team for the second straight season.

Krtnick, the team's setter, led the Falcons with 1,645 assists. That total was third all time in a single season. She ended her career with 4,297 assists which is third on the career all-time list. She was second on the team with 522 digs which is the seventh most in a single season. She established a career digs record with 1,799. She had 126 kills, 32 aces and 58 blocks. Krtnick was named the team's Player of the Week once in 2006.

Krtnick not only performed well on the floor throughout her career, but she did outstanding work in the classroom and in the campus community.

She's compiled a 3.768 cumulative grade point average while majoring in biomedical sciences and marketing. She will earn minors in professional writing, business and government. Krtnick has been named to the WIAC Scholastic Honor Roll after the 2004, 2005 and 2006 school years. She has been named to the UWRF Dean's List after every semester (six). She earned the Kenneth M. White (2004) and Marcel K. Lynum (2004, 2005) scholarships. Krtnick has earned freshman, sophomore and junior merit.

Krtnick, who earned honorable mention to the All-WIAC team in 2004, was ranked 13th in the Oct. 22 NCAA Div. III statistics report in assists per game (12.21). She helped the Falcons win the 2003 WIAC championship and was named the team's Rookie of the Year that season. In 2004 and 2005 she was named the team's Hardest Worker and in 2005 she was named the team's Co-Player of the Year. Krtnick has been a team captain in 2005 and 2006. She has been named the team's Player of the Week seven times in her career.

This year she is a Student Senate athletic representative. She has been a member of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee throughout her career at UWRF. She has been the chair of the Recreation Committee (2004-06), a member of the health & human performance department Facilities Committee (2005-06), a member of the Facilities and Fees Board (2005-07) and a member of the Bookstore Committee (2005-06). Krtnick has worked as a special events and promotions manager of the Recreation staff. Krtnick worked for the UWRF public affairs office as a marketing communications and journalism intern during the 2005 and 2006 Kansas City Chiefs Summer Training camp.

"Kat is very deserving of the WIAC Scholar-Athlete award. She excels in all areas of her life," said Falcon Coach Patti Ford. "She exemplifies the true meaning of a Div. III student-athlete. She is a great student, a great athlete and she is committed to UWRF through her involvement in several University activities."

Krtnick joins Melissa Mattson (2000), Melissa Tvrdik (2003) and Nina Petersen (2004) as Falcons who have been volleyball Scholar-Athletes.

The Falcons finished 24-13 overall and 4-4 in the WIAC. They advanced to the WIAC tournament semifinals.

Go to the 2006 Falcon statistics.

Geehan, Krtnick, Thompson Named to First Team; Mace Named to All-Defensive Team
Geehan, Krtnick, Thompson, Mace
Named to All-WIAC Volleyball Teams

Nov. 7, 2006

Falcon volleyball players Andrea Geehan (Sr., St. Paul, Minn. Como Park HS), Kat Krtnick (Sr., Fridley, Minn.), Lindsey Mace (Sr., Hastings, Minn.) and Kate Thompson (Sr., Forest Lake, Minn.) have all named to 2006 All-WIAC teams.

Geehan, Krtnick and Thompson were all named to the first team and Mace earned a spot on the All-Defensive unit.

Geehan and Krtnick were named to the first team for the second straight season and Thompson earned honorable mention in 2005. Mace was named to the All-Defensive team in 2005.

Geehan, a middle hitter, was second on the team with 491 kills. She finished with 1,400 career kills and that is third all-time. She had a .270 hitting percentage this season. Geehan had 28 aces, 165 digs and was second in total blocks with 117. She had 360 career blocks. The 491 kills this year is seventh in a single season. Geehan was named the team's Player of the Week three times.

Krtnick, a setter, led the team with 1,645 assists. That total was third all time in a single season. She ended her career with 4,297 assists which is third all-time. She was second on the team with 522 digs which is the seventh most in a single season. She established a career digs record with 1,799. She had 126 kills, 32 aces and 58 blocks this year. Krtnick was named the team's Player of the Week once in 2006.

Thompson, an outside hitter, led the Falcons in kills with 531 and that is the fourth most in a single season. She finished her career with 1,305 kills which is fifth all time. She had a .221 hitting percentage with 42 aces, 260 digs and 55 blocks. Thompson was named the team's Player of the Week four times and was named the WIAC Player of the Week once.

Mace, the libero, led the 2006 Falcons with 618 digs which sets a record for digs in a single season. She is second all-time in digs with 1,651. She had 41 aces.

The Falcons finished 24-13 overall and 4-4 in the WIAC.

Go to the 2006 Falcon statistics.

Falcons Finish Fourth

Nov. 4, 2006

The Falcons finished their season in fourth after losing to Platteville in five games, 30-18, 25-30, 30-28, 25-30, and 15-12.

The Falcon's final match was very back and forth as each team switched off the lead and the momentum. In the first game the both teams started out strong, but a late four point run followed by a five point run left the Falcons too far behind to catch up. In the second game, the Falcons regained the momentum by chipping away at the UWP lead until several bursts of points gave them the win. It was back and fourth in the third game with each team going on runs, but it was UWP who pushed out the win in the end. The fourth game was just like the first three with both teams scoring in bunches, but the Falcons won in a final three point run. In the final game the Falcons hung with UWP till the end, but UWP came on top with a late run of their own. Leaders for the Falcons were Andrea Geehan who led in 21 kills and solo blocks with three, Kat Krtnick had 51 assists, and Kelsey Scheele with four serving aces and 18 digs.

The Falcons finished their 2006 season with a record of 24-13 overall and 4-4 in the WIAC.

Falcons Lose to Eau Claire in Semifinals

Nov. 3, 2006

The Falcons had a tough loss to Eau Claire in the semifinals, 15-30, 30-20, 30-26, and 30-15.

In the first game, the Falcons started out strong and won by 15 points. They went on several four and five point runs that caught Eau Claire off guard. The Falcons quickly lost their edge in the second game, as UWEC built up their momentum and took a strong seven point lead that the Falcons couldn't recover from. Hitting errors also plagued the Falcons in the second game as they had eight errors and 10 kills. UWEC brought that same momentum into the third game, and despite the Falcons bringing the game within three point, UWEC played strong and took the win. In the final game the Falcons wore down as UWEC went on a six point run, followed by a five point run that the Falcons couldn't come back from. Errors were big again for the Falcons in the fourth game as they had eight errors to nine kills. Leader's for the Falcons were Molly Thompson with 12 kills, Kat Krtnick with 32 assists, Lindsey Mace with 20 digs and Andrea Geehan with three block assists and one solo block.

The Falcons now have a record of 24-12 and will play for third place against Platteville at 4:30 at Eau Claire.

Falcons Three Game Sweep Stevens Point

Oct. 28, 2006

The Falcons volleyball team played a perfect first match of the WIAC Playoffs. They defeated Stevens Point in three games, 30-22, 30-26, 30-19.

The Falcons played tough with a strong overall hitting percentage of .269. Leaders for the Falcons were Kate Thompson with 15 kills, Kat Krtnick with 39 assists, Molly Thompson with six serving aces, Lindsey Mace had 20 digs, and Gina DeRosa had three block assists.

The Falcons play again on Friday, Nov. 3. They will play the winner of the Eau-Claire/Stout match and depending on who the Falcons play they will either play at Eau Claire or at home in the Karges Center. The Falcons now have a record of 24-11.

Falcons Finish Undefeated in Home Tournament

Oct. 28, 2006

The Falcons played a perfect tournament winning all their matches in three game sweeps. They finished strong defeating both Bethel and Superior in the final day of their Trick or Treat Tournament. They defeated Bethel , 30-19, 31-29, and 30-28 then went on to beat Superior 32-30, 30-20, and 30-17.

In the first match of the day against Bethel, the Falcons came out strong and built up a tough lead that Bethel couldn't catch up to. The last time these two teams met, the Falcons lost to Bethel in five games, but this time the Falcons came out big and won the first game, 30-19. In the second game, Bethel was awake and ready for business, but the Falcons rallied back and pushed the game into extra points and came back to win 31-29. The Falcons held a small lead for most of the third game, but Bethel never let the game get too far out of their reach. The Falcons went for a small run where they pushed their lead to five points, but Bethel made it close with a run of their own very late in the game. Finally a strong spike from Gina DeRosa and an error by Bethel finished the match 30-28. "We played very well," said Falcon Coach Patti Ford, "We controlled the serve and maintained the momentum." Leaders for the Falcons include Kelsey Scheele with 20 digs, Gina DeRosa with four block assists, Molly Thompson with two serving aces, Kate Thompson with 18 kills and Kat Krtnick with 43 assists.

In the second match the Falcons played a tough first game against Superior, but the final two games were quick kills for the Falcons. The first game was the second time the Falcons came from behind to rally to a win. With UWS one point from winning the game, the Falcons rallied from behind and went for a five point run to be one ahead. UWS then called a timeout to stop the Falcon momentum and then tied the game at 30, but a hard hit from Geehan and an error by UWS put the Falcons in the winning column. They wasted no time jumping to an early lead in the second game and maintained it by a large margin. An eight point rally mid way through left UWS unable to catch up and a Krtnick-Geehan block finished the game 30-20. The final game would be the Falcons biggest win as they finished 13 points above their opponent. "Our serving is our strength and we have good hitting," said Ford, "if we focus on the little other pieces, everything else will just fall into place."

"We played really good volleyball this weekend and we need to carry that momentum into next week's play," said Ford. Next week the Falcons start the first round of the WIAC Tournament against Stevens Point. They play at Stevens Point on Tuesday with the match beginning at 7 p.m.

Falcons Start Home Tournament Undefeated

Oct. 27, 2006

The Falcons started their annual Trick Or Treat Tournament off to a good start winning the first two matches of the tournament with a three game sweep of both Lakeland, 30-26, 30-22, and 30-19 and Millikin, 30-26, 30-25, 30-18.

In the first match against Lakeland, the Falcons had a slow start as they quickly fell five points behind, but they chipped away at the Lakeland lead until they were able to tie it up at 15. Strong hitting allowed the Falcons to go on a seen point run late in the game and took the lead at 23-22 and held it strong until they finished the match at 30-26. The second game started with some more fire from the Falcon side as the quickly drilled down five unanswered points. they jumped to a ten point lead that they held throughout most of the game. lakeland also seemed to struggling with errors which the Falcons easily capitalized on. The Falcons carried their momentum into the third game easily defeating Lakeland 30-19. "This as some of the best team volleyball we've played this year, everybody fell into their job and executed well," said Falcon Coach Patti Ford. Leaders for the Falcons include Kate Thompson with 21 kills, Gina DeRosa with 8 block assists and Kat Krtnick doing double duty as assists leader with 42 and dig leader with 16. "Kat ran a good show," said Ford

In the second match against Millikin both teams started out strong, each going point for point until the Falcons pulled ahead pulled ahead on a five point run that Millikin couldn't recover from. Millikin went on a five point run of their own late in the game, but it wasn't enough as the Falcons pulled in a 30-26 win. Millikin suffered a long string of errors in the second game as they cracked under Falcon pressure. A late run by made the game close as Millikin laid down several unanswered points, but a hard hit from Kate Thompson ended the game, 30-25. The Falcons wasted no time in the third game by jumping to an early lead and never giving it up. They soundly defeated them 30-18. "Our tough serving and tough defense took them out of the match,"said Ford "I'm very pleased with our efforts." Leaders for the Falcons include Andrea Geehan with 15 kills, Krtnick had 40 assists, Kelsey Scheele led in digs with 18, and Molly Thompson had three ace serves.

Tomorrow the Falcons play Bethel at 10:30 a.m. and Superior at 2:30. Coach Ford isn't concerned with the competition. "I'm not worried about the opponents, I'm only concerned with what happens on our side of the court." The Falcons are now 21-11 overall.

Falcons Lose Close Match against St. Thomas

Oct. 24, 2006

"I thought we were going to win this one, I thought we had the momentum," explained Falcon Coach Patti Ford .   The women's volleyball team had an emotional night as the battled back from tough odds to put the match within three points of defeating the ninth ranked team in the AVCA. Tonight's Parent/Senior night was full of highs and lows, but it was St. Thomas University who pulled out a victory, three games to two; 30-28, 30-20, 27-30, 26-30, and 15-12.

In the first game UST got off to an early four point run and the Falcons were slow to catch up.   It wasn't until late in the game the Falcons began to fire up and put some points on the board and put the game within one point.   UST held the lead the entire game and won 30-28.  

The second game started off with a little more aggression as both ends played tough, but Falcon errors and hard hitting from UST wore them down fast.   UST grabbed a nine point lead which the Falcons were not able to recover from.   Setter Kat Krtnick tried to fire up her team with some scrappy defense, but was unable to get her team to victory.   "Kat played a gifted game," said Ford "a lot of times her efforts go unnoticed, but she stepped up her defense which shuts down the other team's hitters."

The Falcons walked into the third game with something to prove as they took and held the lead for the first time in the match.   Middle hitter Andrea Geehan slammed down some big points, as she was able to get on top of the ball.   Tough passing prevented Geehan from getting some solid hits in the first two games.   "She uses her strategy to tip and push the ball when she can't get a good swing," explained Ford.   During the last ten points of the game, every strategy from both players and coaches was called upon.   Three time outs were called and the game was tied up five times before a solid spike by Geehan ended the game at 27-30.

The Falcons brought their momentum into the fourth game as they brought the level of play up one notch and began to play their game.   "We really came together and streamlined our play," said Ford.   They played hard offense and tough defense and this time it was a kill by Kate Thompson that sent the match into game five.

UST jumped to an early five point lead, then a time out put the momentum back on the Falcon's side as they went on a four point run.   The Falcons then tied the game up at seven as the lead switched back and fourth until a hard spike by UST ended the game 15-12.

Leaders for the Falcons include Geehan with 20 kills, Krtnick with 63 assists and she led in digs with 28. Molly Thompson and Lindsey Mace each had two service aces and Gina DeRosa had five block assists.

"I can't fault them for their efforts," said Ford "to come back and continue to play hard is very commendable."

Falcons Lose at UW-Whitewater

Oct. 21, 2006

The Falcon volleyball team suffered another WIAC loss as it fell in three games to UW-Whitewater, 30-23, 30-21, and 30-24 Saturday afternoon.

UWW is ranked 11th in the AVCA and had a strong record of 24-5 overall and 5-1 WIAC. In early September these two teams met during the Whitewater Invitational, and the Falcons lost in five games. This time it took UWW only three. Errors plagued the Falcons as they had a total of 20 for the match.

Leaders for the Falcons include Kate Thompson who was again the team’s top hitter with 14 kills. Andrea Geehan had the only solo block, while Gina DeRosa and Molly Thompson had three block assists; Molly also led in aces with two. Setter Kat Krtnick had 25 assists and Kelsey Scheele led the team in digs with 19.

The Falcons, now 19-10 overall and 4-4 in the WIAC, will next host St. Thomas at 7 p.m. on Tuesday at the Karges Center.

Falcons Lose to UW-Oshkosh

Oct. 20, 2006

The Falcon women's volleyball team had a tough loss to UW-Oshkosh losing in three games, 30-28, 30-19, 30-26.  

The last time these two teams met, the Falcons defeated them in four games, 30-25, 21-30, 32-30, and 30-26 on October 14th during the Elmhurst Invitational, but were unable to get similar results on UWO's home court.

UWO is ranked 9th in the AVCA. Despite their tough play earlier in the month, the Falcons were unable to put up big numbers. Leaders for the Falcons were Kate Thompson who led in kills with 15 and had one ace. Lindsey Mace also had an ace as well and led in digs with 15. Kelsey Scheele wasn't too far behind her with 12 digs. Kat Krtnick led in assists with 34 and Gina DeRosa led in block assists with five and had the only solo block for the team.  

Falcons Win Elmhurst Tournament Title

Oct. 15, 2006

The Falcon volleyball team ran its winning streak to 11 straight matches by winning the Elmhurst College Invitational played last weekend.

On Friday the Falcons opened play with two three games to none wins. The Falcons opened with a 30-17, 30-18, 30-27 win over Concordia. They came back later and topped Rockford, 30-18, 30-13, 30-17 to finish the day 2-0.

On Saturday the Falcons topped Elmhurst in three games, 30-12, 30-24, 30-20, to advance to the championship match. The Falcons faced WIAC opponent, Oshkosh, and beat the Titans three games to one. UWRF won the first game, 30-21, but the Titans took the second, 30-21. The Falcons rebounded to win game three, 32-30, and game four, 30-26.

Falcon middle hitter Andrea Geehan and outside hitter Kate Thompson were both named to the six-player All-Tournament team.

In the win over Concordia Geehan led the Falcons with 16 kills. She had three aces, one solo block and one block assist. Thompson had 14 kills while Kat Krtnick had 40 assists, two aces and eight digs. Lindsey Mace led the Falcons with 17 digs. Kelsey Scheele had four aces and 15 digs.

UWRF put three great hitting games together in the win over Rockford. They hit .414 in the first game, .464 in the second and .387 in the third. Kate Thompson had 14 kills, hit .611 and five aces. Geehan added 12 kills, hit .545 and had two block assists. Krtnick led the team with 45 assists and she had six digs. Molly Thompson had four kills and four aces. Mace had four aces and five digs.

In the win over Elmhurst Molly Thompson led the Falcons with 11 kills. Scheele had 10 kills and seven digs. Mace led the team with 18 digs. Krtnick led the team with 32 assists.

Against Oshkosh Geehan had 19 kills, one solo block and six block assists. Gina DeRosa and Kate Thompson each had 13 kills. Thompson had two block assists. Krtnick had 53 assists, two aces, 18 digs and four block assists. Mace finished with 22 digs and Molly Thompson had three aces. Scheele had 13 kills and led the team with 24 digs.

In the tourney Krtnick became the school's all-time leader in digs. She now has 1,661. She passed Anna Schmidt who had 1,649 and played from 1993-96.

The Falcons, now 19-8 overall and 4-2 in the WIAC, will complete its WIAC schedule with two matches this weekend. Friday the Falcons play at Oshkosh at 7 p.m., and Saturday they are at Whitewater for a noon match.

Falcons Beat Stout for Seventh Straight Win

Oct. 11, 2006

The Falcon volleyball team kept its winning streak alive with a three games to one win at Stout on Wednesday night.

The Falcons won the first game, 30-23, but Stout took the second, 33-31. UWRF rebounded to win the final two games, 30-23 and 30-24. UWRF has now won seventh straight matches and improved to 15-8 overall and 4-2 win the WIAC.

Kate Thompson kept her hot hitting streak alive by leading the Falcons wtih 19 kills. She also had five block assists. Andrea Geehan controlled the middle of the net with 15 kills, one solo block and six block assists. Kelsey Scheele also had a solid match finishing with 10 kills, 16 digs and two block assists. Kat Krtnick and Lindsey Mace had strong matches. Mace led UWRF with 19 digs and two service aces. Krtnick ran the offense well with 50 assists and she played a big part defensively with 18 digs. The Falcons played solid defense at the net finishing with one solo block and 21 block assists.

Stout, now 13-8 overall and 1-5 in the WIAC, was led by Kendra Pagel and Jenny McDermid who both had 14 kills.

The Falcons will compete in the Elmhurst Invitational on Friday and Saturday. Friday the Falcons play

Falcon volleyball player Kate Thompson (Sr., Forest Lake, Minn.) has been named the WIAC Player of the Week according to league Sports Information Director Matt Stanek.

Thompson, a 5-9 outside hitter, helped lead the Falcons to two WIAC wins last weekend at the Karges Center. The Falcons beat No. 21 ranked Platteville, three games to none, and La Crosse, a team that received votes in the AVCA poll, three games to one. Against Platteville she led UWRF with 13 kills. She had a .407 hitting percentage with six digs and four block assists. She also led in kills on Saturday against La Crosse with 26 and had the team's highest hitting percentage with .377. She had 11 digs, one solo block and one block assist. This season she is averaging 3.89 kills a game and has a .206 hitting percentage.

The Falcons will next play at UW-Stout on Wednesday with action starting at 7 p.m. This weekend the Falcons compete in the Elmhurst Tournament.

Falcons Play Tough Against La Crosse

Oct. 7, 2006

Strong hitting and consistent passing led the Falcons to a 3-1 victory over La Crosse, 24, 25-30, 30-20, and 30-21 Saturday afternoon at the Karges Center..

La Crosse was quick to score in the first game as they jumped to a three point lead, but the Falcons kept the game close and were never more than a few points behind. They came back to an 8-7 lead and held on tight.

The Falcons went on a five point run to give themselves a comfortable lead, but with one point to go till the game was done La Crosse bounced back with a four point run of their own to make it interesting. The Falcons played tough, however, and defeated UWL 30-24.

The second game was a lot like the first with UWL jumping to another three point lead with the Falcons battling back and staying just a few points behind. UWL then went on a six point run that the Falcons couldn't recover from and they trailed the rest of the game, despite their own last ditch efforts in a five point run with UWL just one point from finishing the game. UWL pulled out a win, 30-25.

That would be their only victory as the Falcons came back in the third game and quickly took a strong 11-3 lead. That plus a late six-point run gave UWL little chance of making a comeback.

"Our hitting is on track and we're doing a very good job of passing, which gives Kate Thompson a lot more targets to hit," said Falcon Coach Patti Ford .  

Setter Kat Krtnick had a team-leading total of 61 assists for the match.   The Falcons hitters pounded UWL making it impossible for them to keep the ball in the air.   The Falcons won 30-20.

In the final game, both teams battled hard with neither team backing down on any points, but the Falcons were stronger as their outstanding hitting was better than La Crosse's defense. A solo block by Andrea Geehan closed the match with a 30-21 win. Geehan led in block assists with five. Geehan and Kate Thompson had one solo block each. Hitter Molly Thompson led the team with 26 kills and had three ace serves. Libero Lindsey Mace led in digs with 30.  

The Falcons are playing tough and are looking forward to being on the road for the next couple of weeks. "We also have a lot less unforced errors, which plagued us in September," said Ford "We take our matches one by one and don't overlook what's in front of us."

The Falcons play their next match at Stout on Wednesday at 7 p.m.

The Falcons now have a record of 14-8 overall and are 3-2 in the conference.

Falcons Defeat Platteville

Oct. 6, 2006

The Falcons quickly defeated Platteville in three games, beating them 30-20, 30-26, and 30-15 Friday night at the Karges Center

Before the match, Falcon hitter Kate Thompson was honored for her 1,000th career kill mark. She is one of only 11 Falcons to ever receive this honor. She recorded her 1,000th kill in the match against Webster last Saturday.

Thompson resume from where she left off in the win over Platteville leading UWRF with 13 kills. Other top players for the Falcons during the match were Kat Krtnick with 35 assists, Gina DeRosa with six block assists and Kelsey Scheele and Lindsey Mace with 10 digs a piece.

UWP hoped to mark their first conference win as they came into the match with a record of 0-3 in the WIAC and 14-6 overall. The matched looked like it could be a tough battle, but the pace set by the Falcons left UWP unable to keep up.

In the first game the Falcons were working to serve deep to throw them off UWP's game, but the Falcons had trouble keeping the ball in the court.  "We wanted to take them out of their offense, the adrenaline in the first part of the game probably had a lot to do with the missed serves," explained Falcon Coach Patti Ford. The first five points for UWP came from Falcon serving errors. The Falcons strong hitting and defense kept them in the game till they found their hitting rhythm and went on a five point run that UWP couldn't recover from.

UWP stepped up their game in the second game keeping the lead for the first half . The Falcons kept it close, however and were able to make a six-point run that gave them a 25-18 lead. UWP kept battling however, but the Falcons were consistent with their passes, which allowed the Falcons to win 30-26. "Lindsey Mace had a great game which keeps the hitters going," said Ford.

In the final game the Falcons left UWP behind. They came in and quickly jumped to a 10-5 lead and weren't even close to backing down. It was a quick and strong win as the Falcons won 30-15.  "We stuck with our game," said Ford and by doing so the Falcons took total command of the match.

They are hoping for similar results as they play another home WIAC match on Saturday against La Crosse at noon at the Karges Center.   "Relax and pass" is the team's mantra as they plan to "keep the ball on our side and play our game."

Falcons Win Simpson Tournament With Perfect 4-0 Record

Sept. 30, 2006

The Falcon volleyball team put together a perfect weekend winning all four matches and the championship at the Simpson College Tournament played Friday and Saturday in Indianola, Iowa.

The Falcons played some long, hard and challenging matches and showed some determination and grit during the weekend.

The Falcons opened with a 34-32, 40-38, 30-25 win over Buena Vista. UWRF was forced to play two long matches, but they still prevailed. Kate Thompson led the Falcons with 18 kills. Kelsey Scheele had a career-high 12 kills while Andrea Geehan and Molly Thompson each had 10. Kat Krtnick led the team with 55 assists. Lindsey Mace led the team with 27 digs and Scheele had 25. Gina DeRosa and Krtnick each had one solo and three block assists.

Kate Thompson recorded her 1000th career kill in a five-game win over Webster. Webster won the first game, 30-26 but the Falcons took the second and third games by 31-29 scores. Webster came back to win the fourth game, 30-28, before the Falcons won the fifth game and the match, 15-12. Thompson led the Falcons with 26 kills and she had three block assists. Molly Thompson added 15 kills, Geehan 13 and Scheele 11. Krtnick had 65 assists and 26 digs. Mace led the team with 30 digs. Scheele had 19 digs. DeRosa played strong defense at the net with one solo and nine block assists. Scheele had one solo and six block assists.

Saturday the Falcons continued their winning ways. They opened with a three games to two win over Wartburg. This was an impressive win for UWRF since Wartburg won the first two games, 30-25 and 41-39 in a marathon game. But the Falcons regrouped and won the last three games, 30-23, 30-27 and 15-11. Kate Thompson led the Falcons again with 24 kills and Geehan added 21. Scheele had 12 kills. Molly Thompson had 10 kills and led the team with four aces. Krtnick once again led UWRF with 64 assists and she led the team with 27 digs. Mace had 25 digs, Scheele 21 and Kate Thompson 18. Susie Ingalls had seven block assists.

The Falcons finished the weekend strong with a 30-21, 30-20, 25-30, 30-22 win over Simpson. Simpson had defeated the Falcons in three games early this season. Geehan led the Falcon offense with 20 kills and Kate Thompson added 15. Molly Thompson had 11 kills. Krtnick had 46 assists and led the team with 34 digs. Mace had 19 digs and Scheele 17. Molly Thompson again led UWRF with four aces, two solo blocks and four block assists. Geehan had one solo block and four block assists.

Kate Thompson and Geehan were both named to the all-tournament team.

The Falcons play two WIAC matches next weekend at the Karges Center. On Friday the Falcons host Platteville at 7 p.m., and on Saturday UWRF hosts La Crosse in a match that starts at noon.

Falcons Lose Tough Match to Eau Claire

Sept. 27, 2006

Mental and physical drain left the Falcons to a loss on their home court Wednesday night, as they lost to UW-Eau Claire in four games, 25-30, 30-28, 30-26, and 30-18.

The Blugolds are ranked No. 5 in the AVCA, and the Falcons wasted not time proving they could hang with them. In the first game the Falcons jumped to an early 9-1 lead, but the Blugolds chipped away, tying the game up at 12. The lead went back and forth with both teams playing hard, but an ace serve by Lindsey Mace finished the game at 30-25. "The first game was the best we've played as a group," said Falcon Coach Patti Ford.

The Falcons carried their momentum into the second game with a lot of fire and holding the lead for the first nine plays, but the Blugolds were far from giving up as they fought back to take the lead. A block for a point by the Falcons tied the score at 28, but the Blugolds squeaked out a win with an ace serve of their own.

Like the first two games, the third proved to be a battle for every point. The Falcons held a steady lead, but the Blugolds were never far behind. With the teams tied at 20 a real struggle for the lead began as the teams fought for every point, but it would be the Blugolds who came out on top with a 30-26 win.

Finally it seemed like the Falcons ran out of energy as the Blugolds went on a six point run that left them cold. At a 27-15 lead the Falcons couldn't make a come back as they fell 30-18 in the fourth game. "We wore down in the fourth game," said Ford. "Our mental toughness didn't stay with us and we broke down in all areas."

Hitting for the Falcons was on the positive, however, as Molly Thompson and Andrea Geehan did an impressive job of splitting the block as well as the back court. "I feel like we got our groove with hitting," said Ford "Andrea has such an impact that teams have to defend her which opens hitting up for everyone else."

The Falcons play this weekend at the Simpson Invitational. On Friday the Falcons will be taking on Buena Vista at 3 p.m. and Webster at 7:30 p.m. On Saturday, the Falcons will be playing Wartburg at 12:15 p.m. and Simpson at 2:20 p.m. "We're hoping this tournament gives us some momentum back. We're mid-season and there is not a lot of time left," said Ford.

Falcons Lose to UW-Stevens Point

Sept. 23, 2006

The Falcons suffered a tough loss to UW-Stevens Point in four games, 30-22, 30-26, 24-30, and 30-23.

Both teams came into the match with 1-0 conference record, but the Falcons had a slight disadvantage, missing top hitter Andrea Geehan and starting libero Lindsey Mace. The Falcons had 12 kills in the first game, nine in the second, 16 in the third, and 15 in the fourth. 

Leaders for the Falcons were Molly Thompson with 14 kills, Kat Krtnick with 42 assists, and Tressa Gustafson with 27 digs.  Both Gustafson and Molly Thompson led in serving aces with three a piece. 

The Falcons now have a record of 8-7 overall and are 1-1 in the WIAC. They have their next match Wednesday at 7 pm in the Karges Center.  They will be taking on Eau Claire for their third conference match of the season.

Falcons Defeat UWS for First Conference Win

Sept. 20, 2006

It was a quick, solid win for the Falcons first conference game as they soundly defeated UW Superior 30-19, 30-22, 30-11.

The first game was a battle with each team working hard for every point, but the Falcons were just warming up before going on a nine-point run.   UWS battled their way within six, but a solo block from Gina DeRosa finished the game in a 30-19 win.

UWS started the second game with some fire, but the Falcons retaliated quickly and moved to an eight-point lead.   UWS worked hard, but couldn't get closer than six points from the Falcons.

For the final match the Falcons weren't fooling around and came in strong with an early seven point run and a few plays later were back on a ten-point run.    "That was one our goals," said Falcon Coach Patti Ford, "we wanted to improve on our run numbers."   Ford also gives credit for the big win to the teams serving.   "We forced them out of any game plan they could had.   Our strong, tough serving forced them out of their rhythm."

Leaders for the game were Krista Russel with 10 kills, Kat Krtnick with 36 assists, Molly Thompson led in both digs, with ten, and serving aces with four.   DeRosa was strong at the net with six block assists and one solo block.    Overall, the teams hitting was on fire with a .315 hitting percentage.

Falcons Finish 2-2 at St. Benedict Invitational

Sept. 17, 2006

The Falcon volleyball team finish 2-2 at the St. Benedict Invitational played Friday and Saturday.

The Falcons started the tournament off with a strong win against Luther College defeating them in three games, 30-18, 30-17, 30-25. Freshman middle hitter Gina DeRosa had a good game co leading in kills with Kate Thompson with 11. DeRosa also led in blocks with three and had one dig. Andrea Geehan also had a good game with kills and a .421 hitting percentage. She led in block assists with three. Molly Thompson and Lindsey Mace led in digs with 12 each. Setter Kat Krtnick was close behind with 11, but led in sets with 43.

The Falcons suffered a tough loss for their next match, losing in four games to St. Benedict 30-18, 30-28, 21-30, 30-22. Geehan led her team in kills with 15 and De Rosa led in block assists with four. Krtnick had 44 sets for the game and 14 digs, but it was Mace who really covered the backcourt with 29 digs.

The second day of play started out with a tough loss to Simpson College where the Falcons lost in three games, 30-27, 30-23, 30-23.   Geehan was strong at the net with 11 kills and DeRosa played strong defense with four block assists. Krtnick brought her team some quick points with four serving aces and led in sets with 19 while freshman setter Emily Hagen wasn't too far behind with 11.   

Defense was a team effort as almost everyone on the floor put up dig numbers. Leading by a small margin was Molly Thompson with nine and Hagen, Kelsey Sheele and Lindsey Mace had seven apiece.

For the final match against Buena Vista, the Falcons soundly defeated Buena Vista 30-20, 30-17, 30-20. DeRosa reclaimed the spot as kill leader with 16 as Kate Thompson and Geehan were close behind her with 15. DeRosa also led again in block assists with three.   Krtnick stayed steady with 43 sets and led in serving aces with two. Mace was also backcourt leader again with 15 digs.

Geehan was the only Falcons named to the All-Tournament team.

The Falcons are now at a record of 7-6 overall and will host their first conference match Wednesday in the Karges Center against Superior at 7 p.m.

Falcons Finish St. Olaf Invitational in Four-Way Tie for First

Sept. 9, 2006

The Falcon volleyball team finished with a record of 3-1 after two days of play at the St. Loaf Invitational.   They tied with Carleton College, UW-LaCrosse, and UW-Whitewater.

They suffered their first lost early in the match against Coe College, 30-23, 32-30, and 30-28 .   Andrea Geehan led in kills with 13 and Molly Thompson was close behind her with 12.   Geehan also led in block assists with six. Lindsey Mace covered the backcourt with a leading 18 digs, while Kat Krtnick had a total 39 sets for the match.

Their next match against Carleton College brought them their first win, 30-28, 32-30, and 30-26. Kate Thompson led in kills with 14 and Krtnick stepped up her defense leading in both assists (34) and digs (nine).   Mace and Emily Hagen each had eight digs.

The Falcons came into the second day of play ready to win; they defeated St. Loaf 30-28, 28-30, 32-30 and 30-18.   For the second match in a row Thompson led in kills with 16 and when she wasn't busy slamming the ball herself she was setting it up for her teammates.   She led in assists with 42.   Mace was all over the backcourt again, popping up 32 digs to lead her team for the second match of the tournament.  

For the final game against Waldorf, the team really came together and put up some big numbers. Out of the four matches they had their highest team hitting percentage of .287 and highest team total in digs with 102.   Their strong team efforts helped them beat Waldorf 28-30, 30-17, 30-16, and 30-23.   Geehan reclaimed the top spot in spikes with a total of 15 kills, she also led in blocks assists with three, and tied with Krtnick with service aces at three apiece.   Krtnick made her greatest amount of assists for the tournament with a team leading 45 and once again it was Mace leading in digs with 28.

Krtnick and Geehan were named to the All-Tournament Team.

Falcons Drop Home Opener to Bethel; Geehan Hits 1,000 Career Kill Mark

Sept. 5, 2006

The Falcon volleyball team lost a close match to Bethel, three games to two, Tuesday night at the Karges Center.

The Falcons won the first game, 30-23 and Bethel the second, 30-26. UW-RF took a 2-1 lead with a 30-25 win in game three. But BU rebounded to win a close fourth game, 32-30 and the fifth, 15-13.

Falcon Andrea Geehan hit a milestone in the fifth game when she put down her 1,000th career kill. She led the Falcons with 23 kills and a .312 hitting percentage. She now has 1,001 kills in her four-year career with the Falcons. Kate Thompson had 16 kills, Krista Russell had 14 and Molly Thompson added 10. Kat Krtnick had 58 assists and 14 digs. Lindsey Mace led UW-RF with 21 digs. Kate Thompson and Molly Thompson each had 15 digs. Geehan led the Falcons with three solo and one block assist. Gina Derosa and Russell each had one solo and three block assists.

Bethel, now 5-0, was led by Liz Glesne who had 20 kills.

The Falcons, now 2-3 overall, will next compete in the St. Olaf Invitational on Friday and Saturday. On Friday the Falcons play Coe at 2 p.m. and Carleton at 6 p.m. On Saturday UW-RF faces St. Olaf at 10 a.m. and Waldorf at noon.

Falcons Open Season 2-2 at Whitewater Invitational

Sept. 4, 2006

The Falcon volleyball team opened its season last weekend and finished with a 2-2 record at the Whitewater Invitational.

The Falcons opened with a 3-2 win over Wheaton - 30-1, 30-22, 22-30, 25-30, 15-11. Andrea Geehan led the Falcons with 21 kills and a .320 hitting percentage. Kate Thompson added 12 kills and she led the team with three aces. Kat Krtnick led the Falcons with 44 assists; she also had 14 digs. Lindsey Mace led the team with 16 digs. Molly Thompson had eight kills, two aces and 12 digs. Gina Derosa had seven kills, one solo and four block assists.

The Falcons dropped a 3-1 match to Baldwin-Wallace on Friday. B-W won, 30-19, 33-31, 25-30, 30-20. Molly Thompson and Geehan led the team with 17 kills each. Kate Thompson added 16 kills. Krtnick, who had seven kills, had 53 assists and she had 17 digs. Mace led UW-RF with two aces and 21 digs. Molly Thompson, Tressa Gustafson and Emily Hagen each had 13 digs. Derosa had two block assists.

On Saturday the Falcons lost a close 3-2 match to Whitewater, the seventh-ranked team in the AVCA pre-season poll. UW-W won the first two games, 30-20 and 30-18. The Falcons bounced back to win the next two, 30-26, 30-27. UW-W won the final game, 15-13. Geehan led the Falcon offense with 19 kills. Molly Thompson had 13 kills and Kate Thompson had 11. Krtnick again led the Falcons with 54 assists - she also had 16 digs. Mace led the team with 22 digs while Kelsey Scheele, who had three kills, had 20 digs. Molly Thompson had 16 digs. Gustafson led the team with two aces.

The Falcons ended the tourney on a winning note beating Aurora in three games, 30-27, 30-18 and 30-22. Geehan again led the Falcons with 12 kills. Kate Thompson added 10 kills. Mace led the Falcons with 14 digs and Gustafson had 11. Krtnick again led the team with 45 assists. Derosa led the team with two solo and four block assists. Krista Russell, who had five kills, had three block assists and Geehan had one solo and three block assists.

The Falcons will open their home season on Tuesday when they host Bethel at 7 p.m. at the Karges Center.