By Craig Lang | Prairie Advocate Sports

Meet Some 2012 Volleyball and Football Teams

The 2012 Pearl City Lady Wolves varsity volleyball team. Front row (l-r) Laura Melville, Ashley Cropper, Jenna Canon, Madison Wright. Middle row (l-r) Erica Albrecht, Kristen Munson, Mariah Visel, Korissa Blasing, Bronte Wright. Back row (l-r) Michaela Heinrich, Halle Fransen, Coach McPeek, Coach Amborn, Alex Brinkmeier, Jacqui Purple.
(PA photo/Craig Lang)

The 2012 Milledgeville Lady Missiles varsity volleyball team. Front row (l-r) Haley McAuliffe, Kelsey Hayen, Kristen Geary, Bridgette Prince, Kendra Schave. Back row (l-r) Morgan Adolph, Deidre Ewers, Kayleigh Leddy, Taylor Grenoble, Emily Geison, Kailee Forbes.
(PA photo/Craig Lang)

The 2012 West Carroll Thunder varsity football team. Front row (l-r) Shaun Magill, Nick Hughes, Josh Sullivan, Tom Losch, Jared Root, Trevor Jones, Jacob Ritchie. Second row (l-r) Brandon Sturtevant, Jeff Casey, Mason Vanhook, Seth Bradley, Chris Lawton, Marshall Benters, Tyler Westerman, Jacob Klein. Third row (l-r) Jordan Fossett, Sid Harris, Tanner, Storjohann, David Haas, Tom Watson, Jacob Carey, Brandon Anderson, Devin Saunders. Top row (l-r) Coach Hughes, Coach Bicksler, Coach Holley.
(PA photo/Craig Lang)

The 2012 Milledgeville Missiles varsity football team. Front row (l-r) Jordan Harris, Kameron DawTyne, Zach Herin, Blake Kappes, Daniel Walker, Devin Biller. Back row (l-r) Nick Nelson, Caleb Skoog, Doug Williams, Anthony Rizzo, Andrew Wiersema, Carson Leif, Owen Brown.
(PA photo/Craig Lang)

The 2012 EPC Wildcatz varsity football team. Front row (l-r) Mike Harrington, Megan Livingston, Elizabeth Strock, Victoria Polizzi, Ramsay Truckenmiller, Chris Cummins. Second row (l-r) Donny Groezinger, Tyler Thomas, Jimmy Armstrong, Jared Wigman, Tristan Schubert, Cordell Guentner, Devin Steen, Cody Kluck. Third row (l-r) Austin Fischer, Coach Miller, Coach Downey, Coach Asche, Coach Dunlap, Coach Bull, Eric Schaney. Fourth row (l-r) Jared Gaughan, Cayn Boeke, Tylor Wolf, Levi Baughman, Dakota Sargent, Cody Drake. Fifth row (l-r) Shawn Larak, Chase Giedd, Mike Fahey, Tyler Melnick, Timmy Vandenbaugh. Top row (l-r) Corbin Grossenbacher, Deven Heeren, Skylar Paulson, Boden Brandt, Austin Young, Ben Thomas.
(PA photo/Craig Lang)

Varsity Golf Results

August 13

At Lake Calhoun Golf Course

Fulton – 177

Stark County – 191

West Carroll – 215

Individual Results

West Carroll

Sean Keckler – 50

Paawan Dandona – 54

Cameron Ehlers – 55

Matt Ritchie – 56

Mike Strauch – 59

Medalists ;Kyle Wiebenga, Fulton – 40, Sam Klooster, Stark County - 40

August 15

At Woodbine Bend Golf Course

Pearl City – 193

Warren – 201

River Ridge/Scales Mound – NA

Individual Results

Pearl City

Aaron Eaton – 46

Justin Lott – 46

Evan Bull – 48

Ryan Piefer – 53

Timothy Lott – 55

Peyton Brudi – 59

Warren

Chris Arnold – 38

Mitch Eveland – 52

Tyler Runkle – 52

A.J. Watson – 59

Jacob Plapp – 61

Kody Kaiser – 64

River Ridge/Scales Mound

Eron Sigafus – 56

Ken Tippett – 65

Medalist: Chris Arnold – 38

Records:

Pearl City: 2-0 (conference), 2-0 (overall)

Warren: 2-1 (conference), 2-1 (overall)

River Ridge/Scales Mound: 0-3 (conference), 0-3 (overall)

At Sunset Golf Course

Forreston – 177

West Carroll -212

Individual Results

West Carroll

Cameron Ehlers – 50

Matt Ritchie – 52

Sean Keckler – 54

Mike Strauch – 56

Paawan Dandona – 63

Medalist: Tyler Newcomer, Forreston

August 16

At Galena Golf Course

Galena – 173

Orangeville – 195

Pearl City – 203

Individual Results

Galena

Tim Oshea – 44

Jake Spangler – 44

Read Spangler -44

Hunter Muehleip – 41

Tyler Calvert – 48

Austin Gerlich – 60

Orangeville

Trevor Getz – 45

Adam Koester – 46

Daniel Obert – 54

Cameron O’Haver – 50

Nick Barnes – 56

Pearl City

Peyton Brudi – 59

Ryan Piefer – 56

Justin Lott – 53

Timothy Lott – 57

Evan Bull – 48

Aaron Eaton – 46

Medalist: Hunter Muehleip – 41

Records:

Galena: 2-2 (conference), 3-2 (overall)

Orangeville: 0-2 (conference), 1-2 (overall)

Pearl City: 2-1 (conference), 2-2 (overall)

Varsity Football Schedule

August 24

EPC at West Carroll

Milledgeville at Polo

Morrison at Kewanee

River Ridge at Freeport Aquin

Galena at Forreston

Le-Win at Pecatonica

Fulton at Erie/Prophetstown

Freeport at Rockford Guilford

Sterling at Moline

Rock Falls at Harvard

Sterling Newman at Peru St. Bede

Oregon at Momence

Stillman Valley at Tinley Park

Winnebago at Rockford Christian

Amboy at Port Byron/Riverdale

Bureau Valley at Spring Valley Hall

Rockton Hononegah at Rockford Boylan

East Moline (United) at Dixon

Dunlap at Geneseo

Galesburg at DeKalb

August 25

Nekoosa, WI at Byron

Varsity Volleyball Schedule

August 23

West Carroll at Byron

Fulton at Milledgeville

Forreston at Oregon

August 25

River Ridge at Rockford East Tournament

August 26

United Township at Sterling

August 28

Eastland at Dakota

Polo at Fulton Unity

Forreston at Pecatonica

Youth Movement, New Conference Greets AU Volleyball Team

Dynamic changes are set to define the 2012 season for the Ashford University volleyball team.

Coming off of a 2011 season which saw the Saints post a 22-19 record overall, including a 6-3 mark in their final season of Midwest Collegiate Conference play, AU embarks upon a 2012 season which will feature a new conference affiliation and a new cast of student-athletes.

“We’re young,” said Cewe. “We return just one senior and one junior with varsity experience. We have a very large group at the freshman and sophomore level so communication and getting them to play together will be our biggest test early in the season.”

Ashford returns just 37.5% (618 of 1,650 kills) of its offensive output and 34.3% (81 of 236) of its service aces from a season ago but boasts a seasoned veteran in a key position. Heading the Saints is senior setter Liz Gbur, a three-year starter who enters her final season in purple and gold with 2,841 career assists.

“Liz is going to be big for us this year, she has a big position to fill,” added Cewe. “We need a leadership role out of her and we’re ready for her to take it to the next level. After being in our program for three years, she knows what we expect and there’s a lot riding on her shoulders.”

Gbur, who hails from Darien, Ill., handed out 1,262 assists while dropping 35 kills and 29 service aces last season and will be called upon once again to lead an extremely youthful team.

“I’m definitely trying to step up more as a leader both on and off the court,” said Gbur. “I feel like my job is to bring the team together and set the tone for how the team should flow. I see us going very far, we have a lot of talent but we’re also a very young team. If we can eliminate mistakes, we’re going to be very good.”

Other key returners include junior right side hitter Micah Wedemeier, the team’s top two blockers from a year ago Amanda West and Danielle Tombolato, and sophomore libero Karrah Toby. West, a Mokena, Ill.-native rejected 127 opponent shots last season while Tombolato tallied 116 blocks, both return for their sophomore campaigns.

Toby, a Fox Lake, Ill.-native, dug up 353 opponent shots (2.85 per set) in 36 matches last season.

“I think practice has been much more intense than last season,” added Toby. “Everyone is trying to work so much harder because no spots in the rotation are set with so many newcomers. I’m really happy with who we have on the team, everyone meshed together really well this year, which is a really good thing.”

A horde of new faces join the aforementioned group, leaving Cewe with more depth then he’s been accustomed to the last couple of seasons.

“We have quite a bit of depth in middle and right side positions, which is unusual from past years,” said Cewe. “Factor in our lack of returners and the amount of playing time that’s open, we’ve had a very competitive preseason camp.”

Leading the group of newcomers includes Morgan Martells, a 6’2’’ sophomore middle hitter transferring to AU from Parkland Community College. At PCC, Martells was a Second Team National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II All-American after leading the Cobras to a 41-8 record overall and a ninth-place finish at the NJCAA Division II National Tournament. She powered down 521 kills and racked up 176 blocks in her one-year stint at Parkland.

Hitters Taylor Mullen, Samantha Magnussen and a second Parkland Community College transfer, Nechelle Veal join sophomore Sarah Garvick, a returner with very limited varsity experience, as threats to earn starting positions.

“This year, blocking will be really huge, we brought in some very tall girls and we really like our front row and our front line,” quipped Cewe. “Morgan is going to be a huge threat for us and Sam and Taylor are really going to push each other and get better through competition. Sarah has had a great offseason so far and I’m impressed with her improvement from last season to now.”

Another change for the Saints is the move to the Association of Independent Institutions (A.I.I.) for the 2012-13 athletic year and beyond. Ashford will no longer have a set conference schedule, but according to Cewe, the league transition is easier for volleyball.

“The A.I.I. presents itself very well for us as a volleyball program,” explained Cewe. “The Midwest Collegiate Conference (MCC) is a one-bid (one automatic national tournament berth) league while the A.I.I. gets two teams automatically qualified. We have to make the conference tournament, and after that it’s anyone’s game.”

AU opens the home portion of the 2012 schedule on Thursday, Sept. 6, when St. Ambrose University visits Kehl Arena in Clinton for a 7:30 p.m. showdown. The Saints also host matches against former MCC opponents Mount Mercy, Clarke and Iowa Wesleyan while hosting the University of Wisconsin-Platteville and the nine-team Ashford University Invitational Tournament.

“With a young team it’s important to learn from our mistakes early on,” closed Cewe. “But our goal, as is the goal of most teams, is to peak mid-season and keep that momentum rolling through the end of the season and the postseason. We still have a lot to work on, but I’m excited for this team.”