This entry is not about the DWU program it is for all athletes and coaches to help get yourselves on the same page for your upcoming season.
As I have gone through my years of coaching many different divisions of college volleyball and coaching high school players at teams at summer of camps. I keep looking at some of the differences between those programs that annually seem to be at the top of their game and achieve their goals. Of course all of us know that talent and skill development are a big factor in successful programs. How do we ensure that there is going to be quality development of talent and skill? I have found that for most teams that struggled with quality development there was a lack of leadership throughout the team. This lack of leadership came from both the coaching staff and players. In recent years I have started to get rid of the phrase "team captain" from our program. I wanted it to be more specific and more responsible and accountable sounding so we call them "team leaders". We want these people to lead the rest of the team in the right direction for accomplishing all of our goals on and off the court.
However, it is a learning process for both coaches and players. There are natural leaders out there as well as those that need to be nudged into leaders but for both those leadership skills have to be discovered and then developed. One thing I am still learning is to be specific with my leaders as to what I truly want from them. What their responsibilities are and how to get them to follow through with handling their responsibilities. A lot of times us as coaches just seem to say "be a leader". I have taken responsibility for not leading or teaching my "leaders" how to lead. I look back and past seasons and sometimes realize that all I said to my team or leaders was, "figure it out" or "you need to be a better leader". Unfortunately it is not that simple (oh how we wish it were) young athletes need direction so that they can give direction.
I have put a major focus this summer in learning about how to develop great leaders for my team. I want to develop responsible and respected team leaders. Here are some of the things we will be looking for out of our team leaders this upcoming season:
* We set high standards and hold teammates accountable to follow the rules
* Inspire teammates to work hard, overcome obstacles, and stay focused
* Refocus teammates when they are distracted, down, and discouraged
* Minimize and manage team conflicts, cliques, and problems
* Encourage teammates to act responsibly on and off the court
There are many styles of leadership out there. Every single person can be a leader in their own way. It does not only have to be seniors either. The greatest quality I have seen in the best leaders is their demand (in a positive way) for excellence from their teammates on and off the court.
I wish all of you the absolute best with your upcoming seasons and I look forward to updating you on the DWU Volleyball Program as we begin our journey for a GPAC Conference Championship.
-Coach V
July 24, 2009
July 2, 2009
Summer of Volleyball
Hello everyone,
I hope your summer is going well and that you are getting plenty of sun in your days. If you are getting a lot of time outside and getting a tan on a daily basis, I'm jealous of you. I have not had too many opportunities to spend extended time in the sun but when I do I take full advantage. You may be asking, "Coach why are not getting outside in this wonderful time of the year that often?" I have been coaching camps for the entire month of June and therefore have been inside a building all of the time. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time with the camps I have done so far.
My staff and I have already been to 6 high schools in the month of June teaching them some advanced methods of team and individual play. We also have hosted a Youth Camp and Team Camp at DWU in June. We have had great responses from all of the coaches and players that have gone through the camps so far. There is nothing like seeing young athletes improve in multiple areas of their game in such a short amount of time. We still have another 5 camps in July that we are anxious and excited about. With all of our camps we will have traveled to Northeast SD, Southern SD, Southwest SD, Minneapolis, MN, and quite a few schools around Mitchell, SD.
We have coached camps for a wide variety of teams this summer ranging from State champions to teams that have relatively new programs. Everyone is looking for some advantage above the competition and we given each team a little something that can focus on to help them achieve their goals. I hope all of you are taking the time to improve your personal game, whether it be physically or mentally. Being mentally tough to handle the ups and downs of a season is a very important part of being a top tier athlete.
My last part of this entry is to invite all of you to take some time and watch our USA Men's National Team compete in the World League. The USA team is the defending champions of the World League and Olympics; they are defending these titles with a relatively new team. They are going with younger new players in preparation for the 4 year process for the Olympics. They are still extremely talented and gifted as athletes and volleyball players. We are being given a great opportunity over the next few weekends to watch this great level of competitive volleyball on TV. The matches are shown on ESPN2 & ESPNU. I watched the match from this past weekend and felt lucky to see a 5 set match win by the USA over the Netherlands. This upcoming Saturday they play against Italy in an important matchup with their pool match is being shown today on ESPNU at 1pm or 3 pm and this Saturday at 11am on ESPN2. I will be DVRing it on Saturday to watch on Sunday; oh the great beauty of DVR, lol. They do show the matches in the evenings during week occasionally as well. On July 14th the match vs. China will be shown on ESPN2.
I hope everyone continues to get plenty of sun and enjoying their summer. I will be doing another post later on in July to recap our camps and setup our preseason camp for the fall season. I wish all of you a great 4th of July.
-Coach V
I hope your summer is going well and that you are getting plenty of sun in your days. If you are getting a lot of time outside and getting a tan on a daily basis, I'm jealous of you. I have not had too many opportunities to spend extended time in the sun but when I do I take full advantage. You may be asking, "Coach why are not getting outside in this wonderful time of the year that often?" I have been coaching camps for the entire month of June and therefore have been inside a building all of the time. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time with the camps I have done so far.
My staff and I have already been to 6 high schools in the month of June teaching them some advanced methods of team and individual play. We also have hosted a Youth Camp and Team Camp at DWU in June. We have had great responses from all of the coaches and players that have gone through the camps so far. There is nothing like seeing young athletes improve in multiple areas of their game in such a short amount of time. We still have another 5 camps in July that we are anxious and excited about. With all of our camps we will have traveled to Northeast SD, Southern SD, Southwest SD, Minneapolis, MN, and quite a few schools around Mitchell, SD.
We have coached camps for a wide variety of teams this summer ranging from State champions to teams that have relatively new programs. Everyone is looking for some advantage above the competition and we given each team a little something that can focus on to help them achieve their goals. I hope all of you are taking the time to improve your personal game, whether it be physically or mentally. Being mentally tough to handle the ups and downs of a season is a very important part of being a top tier athlete.
My last part of this entry is to invite all of you to take some time and watch our USA Men's National Team compete in the World League. The USA team is the defending champions of the World League and Olympics; they are defending these titles with a relatively new team. They are going with younger new players in preparation for the 4 year process for the Olympics. They are still extremely talented and gifted as athletes and volleyball players. We are being given a great opportunity over the next few weekends to watch this great level of competitive volleyball on TV. The matches are shown on ESPN2 & ESPNU. I watched the match from this past weekend and felt lucky to see a 5 set match win by the USA over the Netherlands. This upcoming Saturday they play against Italy in an important matchup with their pool match is being shown today on ESPNU at 1pm or 3 pm and this Saturday at 11am on ESPN2. I will be DVRing it on Saturday to watch on Sunday; oh the great beauty of DVR, lol. They do show the matches in the evenings during week occasionally as well. On July 14th the match vs. China will be shown on ESPN2.
I hope everyone continues to get plenty of sun and enjoying their summer. I will be doing another post later on in July to recap our camps and setup our preseason camp for the fall season. I wish all of you a great 4th of July.
-Coach V
June 12, 2009
Summer Time in the Great Plains
Well the weather hasn't really cooperated enough to have truly feel like summer all of the time but we keep hoping that turns for us very quickly.
Busy, busy, busy seems to be phrase I hear all of the time from the team and even prospects. It is interesting as we all go through the school year looking forward to the summer it ends up being that we are more busy in the summer than we ever are during the year. Yet we like that way.
At the end of May I played at the USA Adult Nationals tournament in Minneapolis. HOLY COW, it was amazing to see how many great players in this country. Getting to see the Open division of the men's and women's was such a treat. These players came from some of the best college programs in teh nation as well as some of the great professional clubs in Europe. Sometimes all I could do was just sit back in amazement at the athleticism of these players. As I watched I evaluated each team and player to figure out what made them great. I have come to 2 main things for the great ones - they have excellent ball control; ball control in many different aspects whether it only be passing or setting or hitting the ball. They had a at least 2 of those skills of excellent ball control. The other thing that nearly every top tier player had was an extremely intense competitive mind so that they could get through any mistakes they did make. Yes even the great players make mistakes. KEY: LEARN TO BE MENTALLY TOUGH!!!!
I highly recommend everyone to go to and eventually play in this USA Adult National Tournament someday.
I have been going around the eastern region of SD the past few weeks doing camps at some of the high schools in the region. It has been nice to be back on the court teaching this wonderful sport to the youth of America. In the coming weeks I will be in Minneapolis at Cooper HS and then back to Parkston, SD, after that we have our camps here on campus that starts with a Youth Camp for 3rd through 8th graders (they are so fun and eager to learn) and then have a Team Camp to finish off that week followed by a camp in Chamberlain, SD and then I get a break for a few days until I go back out on the road. I love it and would not change my profession for anything else.
About two weeks ago we finalized our 2009 competition schedule, please check it out on our website. I really like the schedule because of its balance between matches we should win and others that will really test us. We are going to have a lot of new faces on the roster next season so we will have to figure quite a few things out early in the season and make sure that our team chemistry is in an extremely positive movement. It is certainly early to predict a W/L record or conference finish without having any practices at this time but I would like to say that we have a great chance of reaching somewhere between 16 to 24 wins in 2009 because of our schedule.
The summer is an important time for a volleyball player it is the time of the year where you prepare your body for the coming challenges. Enjoy your time in the summer but understand that you are on the verge of putting your body through a highly intense time of the year.
Continue to have a great summer
-Coach V
Busy, busy, busy seems to be phrase I hear all of the time from the team and even prospects. It is interesting as we all go through the school year looking forward to the summer it ends up being that we are more busy in the summer than we ever are during the year. Yet we like that way.
At the end of May I played at the USA Adult Nationals tournament in Minneapolis. HOLY COW, it was amazing to see how many great players in this country. Getting to see the Open division of the men's and women's was such a treat. These players came from some of the best college programs in teh nation as well as some of the great professional clubs in Europe. Sometimes all I could do was just sit back in amazement at the athleticism of these players. As I watched I evaluated each team and player to figure out what made them great. I have come to 2 main things for the great ones - they have excellent ball control; ball control in many different aspects whether it only be passing or setting or hitting the ball. They had a at least 2 of those skills of excellent ball control. The other thing that nearly every top tier player had was an extremely intense competitive mind so that they could get through any mistakes they did make. Yes even the great players make mistakes. KEY: LEARN TO BE MENTALLY TOUGH!!!!
I highly recommend everyone to go to and eventually play in this USA Adult National Tournament someday.
I have been going around the eastern region of SD the past few weeks doing camps at some of the high schools in the region. It has been nice to be back on the court teaching this wonderful sport to the youth of America. In the coming weeks I will be in Minneapolis at Cooper HS and then back to Parkston, SD, after that we have our camps here on campus that starts with a Youth Camp for 3rd through 8th graders (they are so fun and eager to learn) and then have a Team Camp to finish off that week followed by a camp in Chamberlain, SD and then I get a break for a few days until I go back out on the road. I love it and would not change my profession for anything else.
About two weeks ago we finalized our 2009 competition schedule, please check it out on our website. I really like the schedule because of its balance between matches we should win and others that will really test us. We are going to have a lot of new faces on the roster next season so we will have to figure quite a few things out early in the season and make sure that our team chemistry is in an extremely positive movement. It is certainly early to predict a W/L record or conference finish without having any practices at this time but I would like to say that we have a great chance of reaching somewhere between 16 to 24 wins in 2009 because of our schedule.
The summer is an important time for a volleyball player it is the time of the year where you prepare your body for the coming challenges. Enjoy your time in the summer but understand that you are on the verge of putting your body through a highly intense time of the year.
Continue to have a great summer
-Coach V
May 1, 2009
2009 Recruiting Class
It is time to chat about the great additions to the Tiger Volleyball Program.
The first thing I can say about this recruiting class is that it is overall athletic and experienced. Our goal for this recruiting class was to create a roster that rivals the look of the top teams in the GPAC. Those teams are tall, strong and athletic. Our focus wasn't necessarily to be position specific, outside of recruiting for our setter and libero positions, but to be athletic, tall, versatile, and deeper with talent and skill at every position. I am confident that we have accomplished our goals at this time in the recruiting process.
Please follow the web links provided to read the official press releases about the 2009 Recruiting Class.
http://www.dwu.edu/athletics/pressreleases/2009/feb19.htm
http://www.dwu.edu/athletics/pressreleases/2009/apr30b.htm
We decided to go through the Junior College route to get the immediate difference makers for our team.
Headlining this class is the addition of setter Carina Fesenmaier, a St. Cloud, MN native, from NJCAA Division III powerhouse Ridgewater College. Carina has led Ridgewater College to back-to-back National Championship match appearances. In the GPAC you have to have a strong offense that is consistent and unpredictable, Carina will surely provide us the leadership and decision-making that will take us to the next level.
Sarah Stahlke, native of Waconia, MN, played at North Dakota State College of Science the past two seasons. The past two seasons Stahlke led NDSCS in hitting percentage and was in the top 3 in kills and blocks. Stahlke fits the mold of our recruiting philosophy for 2009, in that she can play all three front row positions and dominate the net at each position. We are beyond lucky to have signed Sarah.
Megan Cronberg, from Luverne, MN, played 2 seasons at Minnesota West Community College where she was an outside hitter and in the top 3 in nearly every attacking statistical category. Megan is another 6' tall, athletic player that can play multiple positions. Megan will help us become a more consistent attacking team from either the left or right side of the net. She is an athletic player with solid blocking skills to go along with her offensive talent.
We continued our recruiting philosophy of athletic and multi-positional with two incoming freshmen:
Andrea Johnson, from Rapid City, SD, of Central HS is one of the diamonds in the rough. She is another 6'+ athlete that can play any of the 3 frontline positions. Andrea was one of the top attacking options for the Central HS squad this past year as well as one of their top blockers. She may also be asked to provide some backcourt stability as an all-around player over her 4 year career. Options, is the word that comes to mind when I think of Andrea. She can do so many things on the court it gives us the chance to have a flexibility to our roster.
Sam Flynn, native of Pierre, SD, of Riggs HS is again another 6'+ tall player that can play multiple positions. Sam is a dominating blocker and excellent off of 1 foot and hits a very heavy ball. She has the potential to see time in the middle or on the right side. She also has a difficult float serve that gives every passer fits. Sam is another provider of options and flexibility for our roster.
We have to replace a two-time all-conference libero for our roster next year. We have some returners competing for that position but the following recruits will also put their name in the hat for this extremely important position with our style of play:
Nikki Gleich of Rapid City Stevens HS is great defensive presence on the court. Nikki had great senior season with setting a school record with digs in a season with 770 and digs in the AA state tournament with 84. She had a career high of 52 digs in one match vs. Rapid City Central and went over 20 digs in a match 19 times with 6 of those 19 times going over 30 digs. The ability to read defenders is Nikki's greatest attribute and that shows with her great performance throughout her senior season.
Kayla O'Connell, native of Philip, SD and Philip HS, is an extremely quick and explosive defensive player. Watching her at the SD State Tournament was so much fun. She was all over the court and I think she may have gone into the other courts to save a couple of balls for her team numerous times. Relentless is the word that comes to mind when I think of Kayla's game. That is what certainly helped her lead her team to the 2008 Class "B" State Championship.
Lexi Townsend, native of Canistota, SD, is transferring from Univ. of South Dakota. Lexi took a year off from competitive volleyball and will be joining DWU in the fall to get back on to the court. While at Canistota, Lexi was named a first team all conference player. She has the athleticism to get back into the swing of competitive, organized volleyball fairly quickly. Her new found passion to play will be a huge advantage for her to get back into playing shape again. She gives us depth at a position we lost a lot of players to after the 2008 season.
Amber Turner, from Canova, SD and Hanson School in Alexandria will add a true local spice to our roster. She was an all-conference player at Hanson and will be expected to bring that experience to our team right away. Amber will be asked to pick up the new defensive system and speed of the game in a short amount of time. Amber is another player that helps add depth to our DS positions.
There are very high expectations for this particular class. We have a great balance of JUCO players to bring the immediate success and in-coming freshmen that will be important parts to our foundation for the future. We are looking to push our way right into the thick of things within the GPAC. If you are one of the best teams in this conference you are one of the best in the nation. Our goal is to take care of business everyday to improve and give ourselves the opportunities to take care of business against whomever is across the net from us on any particular night. We will make some noise in the 2009 season.
It has been a long time since there has been a recruiting class with these kinds of accolades and athleticism. We aren't done just yet though............
-Coach V
The first thing I can say about this recruiting class is that it is overall athletic and experienced. Our goal for this recruiting class was to create a roster that rivals the look of the top teams in the GPAC. Those teams are tall, strong and athletic. Our focus wasn't necessarily to be position specific, outside of recruiting for our setter and libero positions, but to be athletic, tall, versatile, and deeper with talent and skill at every position. I am confident that we have accomplished our goals at this time in the recruiting process.
Please follow the web links provided to read the official press releases about the 2009 Recruiting Class.
http://www.dwu.edu/athletics/pressreleases/2009/feb19.htm
http://www.dwu.edu/athletics/pressreleases/2009/apr30b.htm
We decided to go through the Junior College route to get the immediate difference makers for our team.
Headlining this class is the addition of setter Carina Fesenmaier, a St. Cloud, MN native, from NJCAA Division III powerhouse Ridgewater College. Carina has led Ridgewater College to back-to-back National Championship match appearances. In the GPAC you have to have a strong offense that is consistent and unpredictable, Carina will surely provide us the leadership and decision-making that will take us to the next level.
Sarah Stahlke, native of Waconia, MN, played at North Dakota State College of Science the past two seasons. The past two seasons Stahlke led NDSCS in hitting percentage and was in the top 3 in kills and blocks. Stahlke fits the mold of our recruiting philosophy for 2009, in that she can play all three front row positions and dominate the net at each position. We are beyond lucky to have signed Sarah.
Megan Cronberg, from Luverne, MN, played 2 seasons at Minnesota West Community College where she was an outside hitter and in the top 3 in nearly every attacking statistical category. Megan is another 6' tall, athletic player that can play multiple positions. Megan will help us become a more consistent attacking team from either the left or right side of the net. She is an athletic player with solid blocking skills to go along with her offensive talent.
We continued our recruiting philosophy of athletic and multi-positional with two incoming freshmen:
Andrea Johnson, from Rapid City, SD, of Central HS is one of the diamonds in the rough. She is another 6'+ athlete that can play any of the 3 frontline positions. Andrea was one of the top attacking options for the Central HS squad this past year as well as one of their top blockers. She may also be asked to provide some backcourt stability as an all-around player over her 4 year career. Options, is the word that comes to mind when I think of Andrea. She can do so many things on the court it gives us the chance to have a flexibility to our roster.
Sam Flynn, native of Pierre, SD, of Riggs HS is again another 6'+ tall player that can play multiple positions. Sam is a dominating blocker and excellent off of 1 foot and hits a very heavy ball. She has the potential to see time in the middle or on the right side. She also has a difficult float serve that gives every passer fits. Sam is another provider of options and flexibility for our roster.
We have to replace a two-time all-conference libero for our roster next year. We have some returners competing for that position but the following recruits will also put their name in the hat for this extremely important position with our style of play:
Nikki Gleich of Rapid City Stevens HS is great defensive presence on the court. Nikki had great senior season with setting a school record with digs in a season with 770 and digs in the AA state tournament with 84. She had a career high of 52 digs in one match vs. Rapid City Central and went over 20 digs in a match 19 times with 6 of those 19 times going over 30 digs. The ability to read defenders is Nikki's greatest attribute and that shows with her great performance throughout her senior season.
Kayla O'Connell, native of Philip, SD and Philip HS, is an extremely quick and explosive defensive player. Watching her at the SD State Tournament was so much fun. She was all over the court and I think she may have gone into the other courts to save a couple of balls for her team numerous times. Relentless is the word that comes to mind when I think of Kayla's game. That is what certainly helped her lead her team to the 2008 Class "B" State Championship.
Lexi Townsend, native of Canistota, SD, is transferring from Univ. of South Dakota. Lexi took a year off from competitive volleyball and will be joining DWU in the fall to get back on to the court. While at Canistota, Lexi was named a first team all conference player. She has the athleticism to get back into the swing of competitive, organized volleyball fairly quickly. Her new found passion to play will be a huge advantage for her to get back into playing shape again. She gives us depth at a position we lost a lot of players to after the 2008 season.
Amber Turner, from Canova, SD and Hanson School in Alexandria will add a true local spice to our roster. She was an all-conference player at Hanson and will be expected to bring that experience to our team right away. Amber will be asked to pick up the new defensive system and speed of the game in a short amount of time. Amber is another player that helps add depth to our DS positions.
There are very high expectations for this particular class. We have a great balance of JUCO players to bring the immediate success and in-coming freshmen that will be important parts to our foundation for the future. We are looking to push our way right into the thick of things within the GPAC. If you are one of the best teams in this conference you are one of the best in the nation. Our goal is to take care of business everyday to improve and give ourselves the opportunities to take care of business against whomever is across the net from us on any particular night. We will make some noise in the 2009 season.
It has been a long time since there has been a recruiting class with these kinds of accolades and athleticism. We aren't done just yet though............
-Coach V
April 17, 2009
Amanda Aman - Student-Athlete: Great Experience
Being a student athlete is really the only thing that I know because I have been doing this since I started sports in middle school. I really think that being a student athlete, here at Dakota Wesleyan, has prepared me greatly for my future. I feel that I very good time management. We play all year round so having work, classes, workouts, and homework can get overwhelming at times. But because of that feeling I have found ways to balance it (and yes, it does take some work). I'm going to be an elementary education teacher and I feel that I am more than ready to take on those long hours and stress.
Another thing that I think is unique about being a student athlete is that we all have experienced losing, not having things go our way, working so hard but not always getting the outcome we want, how to give and take constructive criticism, what dedication really means, and winning. This is something that a lot of people don't necessarily experience until they enter the workplace.
Overall, I feel it is a great experience and is something I wish more people experienced.
~*Amanda Aman*~
Another thing that I think is unique about being a student athlete is that we all have experienced losing, not having things go our way, working so hard but not always getting the outcome we want, how to give and take constructive criticism, what dedication really means, and winning. This is something that a lot of people don't necessarily experience until they enter the workplace.
Overall, I feel it is a great experience and is something I wish more people experienced.
~*Amanda Aman*~
April 15, 2009
Leah Miller - Proud to be a Student-Athlete
My name is Leah Miller and I will be a senior student-athlete at DWU next year. That is right, a student-athlete. Here at DWU athlete never comes before student and I have to say that I am proud of that. For me, being a student athlete is an accomplishment because not everyone can do it. Being a student- athlete makes me manage my time, which in turn, will help me in my education career that is quickly approaching. Being a student-athlete has also given me more confidence in myself by being able to multi-task. I can do homework, while folding clothes, making lunch and have that all done by 3:30 before practice. I am privileged to be able to be a student-athlete and hope that more people are able to accomplish the same.
:) THANKS
:) THANKS
April 13, 2009
Spring Season Continued
Hello everyone, it is time for another entry to update you on what has been going on for the past few weeks with the DWU VB program. It has been busy the past few weeks with the semester wrapping up and our spring season coming to a close. We have 4 practices remaining before our final spring tournament for the year. We will be traveling to Augustana College to compete this weekend. We will have the incredible task to play NCAA Division 2 powerhouse Southwest MN State as well as an alumni team from Augie that will have numerous all-americans. We are very excited for this opportunity to play against this type of competition. It is everyday you get to play against the best in the nation from a higher level of competition. We will also get to play Univ of Sioux Falls and Iowa Lakes CC. It is going to be a long day of playing and a lot of fun. Our first match will be at 10 am at the Elmen Center on the campus of Augustana College.
In the coming weeks we will have another press release on our commitments for the class of 2009.
Stay Tuned.
-EV
In the coming weeks we will have another press release on our commitments for the class of 2009.
Stay Tuned.
-EV
March 23, 2009
Spring Competition
On Friday, March 20th we traveled to the University of Sioux Falls for a spring play date with USF and Briar Cliff. We had 6 team practices leading up to this competition, in which only 2 to 3 of those practices did we have our entire team together to prepare for the matches.
This was a great opportunity for us to see where we were at as a team and more importantly how far along we are with our aggressive jump serving mentality that everyone is developing in our program. I have to say that I was impressed that our serving was solid the entire evening, we forced our opponents into out-of-system offense a vast majority of the time. If I remember correctly there were only 3-4 times during the 3 matches played that we had 3 or more misses in a row, which is very impressive for this being the first time in a true game-like competition atmosphere.
It was fun to see this team on the court again smiling and competing. We used 5-6 different lineups throughout the night to get some players in different positions and others more experience with players they haven't been on the court with before. We still have many things to work on over the next few weeks as we progress to preparing ourselves for the next spring competition that is on April 18th at Augustana College. We focused a lot on our serving and offense these previous weeks to prepare for the competition over the next couple our focus will be serve receive passing and defensive positioning and movement.
We use the spring as a catapult for our upcoming fall season. This team will continue to progress and learn new things about the game everyday. I congratulate them on a successful competition on Friday and I am eager to get going again this week with a new focus on the details.
"If you want something you've never had, you must do something you've never done before"
-Coach V
This was a great opportunity for us to see where we were at as a team and more importantly how far along we are with our aggressive jump serving mentality that everyone is developing in our program. I have to say that I was impressed that our serving was solid the entire evening, we forced our opponents into out-of-system offense a vast majority of the time. If I remember correctly there were only 3-4 times during the 3 matches played that we had 3 or more misses in a row, which is very impressive for this being the first time in a true game-like competition atmosphere.
It was fun to see this team on the court again smiling and competing. We used 5-6 different lineups throughout the night to get some players in different positions and others more experience with players they haven't been on the court with before. We still have many things to work on over the next few weeks as we progress to preparing ourselves for the next spring competition that is on April 18th at Augustana College. We focused a lot on our serving and offense these previous weeks to prepare for the competition over the next couple our focus will be serve receive passing and defensive positioning and movement.
We use the spring as a catapult for our upcoming fall season. This team will continue to progress and learn new things about the game everyday. I congratulate them on a successful competition on Friday and I am eager to get going again this week with a new focus on the details.
"If you want something you've never had, you must do something you've never done before"
-Coach V
February 18, 2009
Jayna's Post
Hello, my name is Jayna Morrill, I am from Creighton, Nebraska. I am currently a junior at Dakota Wesleyan University, I am majoring in Secondary Social Studies Education. I have been on the DWU volleyball team for the past three seasons and next fall will be my last season as a tiger.
The transition from the past coach to Coach Viney has been a great one for me. Personally I think the team as a whole has transitioned greatly. We had to do things that we weren't use too but the results were amazing. In one year we turned around our record and people in our conference started to wonder about the new DWU volleyball team.I think our conference is one of the toughest conference. Last season we had at least four teams in the conference go to the NAIA National Tourney and did very well. As a result it makes high school athletes look at our conference as a place where they may want to further their careers.
During our off season we work on certain things that may give us an advantage during the season. Right now we are working on speed and defense, being able to react quickly to a ball. We have increased our lifting and quickness. All in all, I am very excited for our up coming season we have a great group of athletes who are willing to do anything to win.
The transition from the past coach to Coach Viney has been a great one for me. Personally I think the team as a whole has transitioned greatly. We had to do things that we weren't use too but the results were amazing. In one year we turned around our record and people in our conference started to wonder about the new DWU volleyball team.I think our conference is one of the toughest conference. Last season we had at least four teams in the conference go to the NAIA National Tourney and did very well. As a result it makes high school athletes look at our conference as a place where they may want to further their careers.
During our off season we work on certain things that may give us an advantage during the season. Right now we are working on speed and defense, being able to react quickly to a ball. We have increased our lifting and quickness. All in all, I am very excited for our up coming season we have a great group of athletes who are willing to do anything to win.
January 31, 2009
Academic Achievements
Dakota Wesleyan University and this volleyball program are committed to the academic success of our athletes. We take great pride in the achievements of our student-athletes.
The Dakota Wesleyan University Dean's List was announced and there are 13 players and coaches from this 2008 season on the list.
Players from 2008 Roster:
Maria Weineke - Jackson, MN
Leah (Howes) Miller - Tea, SD
Amanda Aman - Nemo, SD
Allison Hajek - Omaha, NE
Morgan Carlson - Huron, SD
Amye Brown - Meeker, CO
Jen Miner - Cavour, SD
Kalissa Wade - Amherst, SD
Tru Boldt - Arlington, SD
Muriel Kjerstad - Wall, SD
Brooke Warne - Rapid City, SD
Student Assistant Coaches:
Kelsie Nebelsick - Canistota, SD
Dannie Burt - Tea, SD
Congratulations to these students and all of their accomplishments.
- Coach V
The Dakota Wesleyan University Dean's List was announced and there are 13 players and coaches from this 2008 season on the list.
Players from 2008 Roster:
Maria Weineke - Jackson, MN
Leah (Howes) Miller - Tea, SD
Amanda Aman - Nemo, SD
Allison Hajek - Omaha, NE
Morgan Carlson - Huron, SD
Amye Brown - Meeker, CO
Jen Miner - Cavour, SD
Kalissa Wade - Amherst, SD
Tru Boldt - Arlington, SD
Muriel Kjerstad - Wall, SD
Brooke Warne - Rapid City, SD
Student Assistant Coaches:
Kelsie Nebelsick - Canistota, SD
Dannie Burt - Tea, SD
Congratulations to these students and all of their accomplishments.
- Coach V
January 18, 2009
The Inside Information
Hello everyone, this is Eric Viney, head volleyball coach for the Tiger Volleyball program. We are entering the spring semester of 2009 with high hopes after a 2008 season of near miss wins and multiple 5 set losses by 2 points. We are looking to make the necessary adjustments to our mental approach so that in 2009 we can be the victors in those tight matches.
The Team Motto for 2009 is "IF YOU WANT SOMETHING YOU'VE NEVER HAD, YOU HAVE TO DO SOMETHING YOU'VE NEVER DONE BEFORE".
The players are still in the transition stage of becoming comfortable with the new style of play and methods of coaching. This spring season is going to be one of great improvements in a lot of areas for every athlete in our program. They have just started plyometric workouts and lifting to gain quickness and power that they have not had before. In a couple of weeks we will put a concentration on becoming a strong serving team by teaching a majority of our players some jump serving techniques. We will then start to include some defensive eye sequencing training that helps gain quickness with the mental process while playing. We are going to be able to anticipate plays on the court much faster in the coming seasons due to a true commitment to this training technique.
Everyone involved with our program is in high anticipation mode for what lies ahead this spring. We have a solid core of returners and are looking to build right away with a very talented recruiting class.
We WILL be doing things that this program has never done before.
--Coach V
The Team Motto for 2009 is "IF YOU WANT SOMETHING YOU'VE NEVER HAD, YOU HAVE TO DO SOMETHING YOU'VE NEVER DONE BEFORE".
The players are still in the transition stage of becoming comfortable with the new style of play and methods of coaching. This spring season is going to be one of great improvements in a lot of areas for every athlete in our program. They have just started plyometric workouts and lifting to gain quickness and power that they have not had before. In a couple of weeks we will put a concentration on becoming a strong serving team by teaching a majority of our players some jump serving techniques. We will then start to include some defensive eye sequencing training that helps gain quickness with the mental process while playing. We are going to be able to anticipate plays on the court much faster in the coming seasons due to a true commitment to this training technique.
Everyone involved with our program is in high anticipation mode for what lies ahead this spring. We have a solid core of returners and are looking to build right away with a very talented recruiting class.
We WILL be doing things that this program has never done before.
--Coach V
December 15, 2008
2008 Season in Review
The 2008 season was a roller coaster year, full of a lot of high and low moments. With the new style of play introduced in the early summer is was shown that the athletic potential for DWU Volleyball could be very good. Albeit that this would not come easy and just happen for the sake of just happening. A true commitment to change had to occur throughout the program. The season started off in Oklahoma City with a 2-2 start. The team felt that they let the first match of the year get away by not being fully mentally prepared for the match that lied ahead. We went on to win our next 2 matches to then lose to host Oklahoma City in 3 tough and well played sets.
During the next week the teams opened up conference play against Northwestern on the road. This match became a true wake-up call to the DWU Program as NWU put DWU away in 3 short sets. This is where I (Coach Viney) saw the true talent level of the GPAC and gave me goal of where our program needs to get to talent and mentality wise to be successful.
We then traveled to Omaha for a tournament where we dropped our first 2 matches in 5 and 4 sets, respectively. We played well but couldn't get that killer instinct to come out when we needed it (we searched for that killer instinct all season). We then picked up 2 match wins on Saturday to halt a 4 match losing streak and get us to another 2-2 tournament weekend.
We then visited Dordt for our second conference match. We played exceptional defense all match long but couldn't our offense to the same level as we lost in 3 sets. The coaching staff from Dordt praised our defensive ability and strategy. We then traveled to Hastings for a difficult tournament and played very well against Oklahoma City losing 2 of sets by 2 points and losing the match in 3 sets. Again that killer instinct was not able to show up as we had a few set points in the first set that would have helped us gain momentum. We struggled throughout the next few matches eventually going 1-3 on the weekend with the win being against Friends Univ. in a thrilling 5 set match.
We finally got to host a home match after the first 14 matches of the year being on the road. A conference match against Mt. Marty. Again a mental lapse came upon the team as we dropped our home-opener in 4 sets and with a bad taste of under-estimating our opponent. We then got to host our next home match a few days later as we beat Presentation College in relatively easy fashion in 3 sets. Our next match was then against Morningside in Sioux City. We struggled through a very difficult match against a very talented team and did not have a good showing. After looking back at the schedule at this time I (Coach V) had to laugh since 3 of our first 4 conference matches were against the top 3 teams in the conference. The schedule was not friendly to this first year coach, lol.
After taking the next couple of practices to re-evaluate ourselves as a team and individuals and tried to answer some difficult questions about who we are and what we need to do to be successful. We went on to win 7 of our next 10 matches which included 2 wins over Dakota State and some big home conference wins over Midland Lutheran in 3 sets and Dana College in 5 thrilling sets. We also had a 5 set win over Sioux Falls during Homecoming Weekend. Also during that stretch we played our Dig Pink Match (fundraiser for Breast Cancer research) against York College at Mitchell HS in correlation to their schedule when they played the defending SD State Champions, Rapid City Stevens. We won our match in 3 sets and enjoyed the opportunity to show our new style of play to a fan base that had not had the chance to see us play all season.
We were looking at the possibility of getting back to .500 at this time with a 13-14 record and a conference schedule ahead of us that was giving us a chance to be a #7 seed for the conference tournament. However, the cards did not play out as we wanted and went on to drop our last 7 matches of the season with 3 of them in heart-breaking 5 set matches while losing in the 5th set by 2 points in all 3 matches. Again the lack of a killer instinct from the entire team came up when we needed it most.
Congratulations does need to be given to Dena Kopfmann for being named to the GPAC All-Conference 2nd Team as a libero. DenaMaria Wieneke for being named as an All-GPAC Honorable Mention as a middle hitter. These two young ladies had wonderful careers at DWU and will be missed dearly in the coming years.
This is Kopfmann’s (Sr., Minneota, Minn.) second-straight All-GPAC selection after earning Honorable Mention recognition as a junior in 2007. This season, she anchored the Dakota Wesleyan defense and led the Tigers with 610 digs for an average of 4.88 digs per game. Kopfmann’s serving prowess was also a dangerous weapon for DWU, and she finished with a team-high 66 service aces. Kopfmann played in all 36 matches this season, and 125 out of 126 games.
Kopfmann graduates as Dakota Wesleyan’s all-time career leader in digs. She amassed 1,785 digs over her four years to break Betsy Bartels previous career record of 1,733. Kopfmann also finished her distinguished career with 263 service aces.
Wieneke (Sr., Jackson, Minn.) was the Tigers’ top offensive option this season, and she led the squad with 362 kills – an average of 2.90 kills per game. She had a .235 hitting percentage in 2008, and her 210 digs and 48 total blocks (11 solo, 37 assist) added to her all-around game. Wieneke also played in all 36 matches, and 125 out of 126 games.
Wieneke’s career numbers also put her in elite company. She ended her Tiger career third in school history with 1,171 kills, and she also joined the 500-dig club with 539 career digs, which puts her 15th in DWU history. Wieneke also had 176 total blocks over her four-year career.
All in all the season went fairly well. Yes we dropped quite a few matches we shouldn't have but that is why we play them. Paper evaluations can only go so far, we will be looking to improve in many areas over the spring to get us over that .500 mark. The potential is there but we have to make it happen, we can't wait for it to happen for us. We have learned from our shortcomings and mistakes from 2008. 2009 is a new opportunity for this program to make progress. We just have to truly commit to the changes ahead and be ready to everything it takes to become a top tier program in the GPAC.
--Coach V
During the next week the teams opened up conference play against Northwestern on the road. This match became a true wake-up call to the DWU Program as NWU put DWU away in 3 short sets. This is where I (Coach Viney) saw the true talent level of the GPAC and gave me goal of where our program needs to get to talent and mentality wise to be successful.
We then traveled to Omaha for a tournament where we dropped our first 2 matches in 5 and 4 sets, respectively. We played well but couldn't get that killer instinct to come out when we needed it (we searched for that killer instinct all season). We then picked up 2 match wins on Saturday to halt a 4 match losing streak and get us to another 2-2 tournament weekend.
We then visited Dordt for our second conference match. We played exceptional defense all match long but couldn't our offense to the same level as we lost in 3 sets. The coaching staff from Dordt praised our defensive ability and strategy. We then traveled to Hastings for a difficult tournament and played very well against Oklahoma City losing 2 of sets by 2 points and losing the match in 3 sets. Again that killer instinct was not able to show up as we had a few set points in the first set that would have helped us gain momentum. We struggled throughout the next few matches eventually going 1-3 on the weekend with the win being against Friends Univ. in a thrilling 5 set match.
We finally got to host a home match after the first 14 matches of the year being on the road. A conference match against Mt. Marty. Again a mental lapse came upon the team as we dropped our home-opener in 4 sets and with a bad taste of under-estimating our opponent. We then got to host our next home match a few days later as we beat Presentation College in relatively easy fashion in 3 sets. Our next match was then against Morningside in Sioux City. We struggled through a very difficult match against a very talented team and did not have a good showing. After looking back at the schedule at this time I (Coach V) had to laugh since 3 of our first 4 conference matches were against the top 3 teams in the conference. The schedule was not friendly to this first year coach, lol.
After taking the next couple of practices to re-evaluate ourselves as a team and individuals and tried to answer some difficult questions about who we are and what we need to do to be successful. We went on to win 7 of our next 10 matches which included 2 wins over Dakota State and some big home conference wins over Midland Lutheran in 3 sets and Dana College in 5 thrilling sets. We also had a 5 set win over Sioux Falls during Homecoming Weekend. Also during that stretch we played our Dig Pink Match (fundraiser for Breast Cancer research) against York College at Mitchell HS in correlation to their schedule when they played the defending SD State Champions, Rapid City Stevens. We won our match in 3 sets and enjoyed the opportunity to show our new style of play to a fan base that had not had the chance to see us play all season.
We were looking at the possibility of getting back to .500 at this time with a 13-14 record and a conference schedule ahead of us that was giving us a chance to be a #7 seed for the conference tournament. However, the cards did not play out as we wanted and went on to drop our last 7 matches of the season with 3 of them in heart-breaking 5 set matches while losing in the 5th set by 2 points in all 3 matches. Again the lack of a killer instinct from the entire team came up when we needed it most.
Congratulations does need to be given to Dena Kopfmann for being named to the GPAC All-Conference 2nd Team as a libero. DenaMaria Wieneke for being named as an All-GPAC Honorable Mention as a middle hitter. These two young ladies had wonderful careers at DWU and will be missed dearly in the coming years.
This is Kopfmann’s (Sr., Minneota, Minn.) second-straight All-GPAC selection after earning Honorable Mention recognition as a junior in 2007. This season, she anchored the Dakota Wesleyan defense and led the Tigers with 610 digs for an average of 4.88 digs per game. Kopfmann’s serving prowess was also a dangerous weapon for DWU, and she finished with a team-high 66 service aces. Kopfmann played in all 36 matches this season, and 125 out of 126 games.
Kopfmann graduates as Dakota Wesleyan’s all-time career leader in digs. She amassed 1,785 digs over her four years to break Betsy Bartels previous career record of 1,733. Kopfmann also finished her distinguished career with 263 service aces.
Wieneke (Sr., Jackson, Minn.) was the Tigers’ top offensive option this season, and she led the squad with 362 kills – an average of 2.90 kills per game. She had a .235 hitting percentage in 2008, and her 210 digs and 48 total blocks (11 solo, 37 assist) added to her all-around game. Wieneke also played in all 36 matches, and 125 out of 126 games.
Wieneke’s career numbers also put her in elite company. She ended her Tiger career third in school history with 1,171 kills, and she also joined the 500-dig club with 539 career digs, which puts her 15th in DWU history. Wieneke also had 176 total blocks over her four-year career.
All in all the season went fairly well. Yes we dropped quite a few matches we shouldn't have but that is why we play them. Paper evaluations can only go so far, we will be looking to improve in many areas over the spring to get us over that .500 mark. The potential is there but we have to make it happen, we can't wait for it to happen for us. We have learned from our shortcomings and mistakes from 2008. 2009 is a new opportunity for this program to make progress. We just have to truly commit to the changes ahead and be ready to everything it takes to become a top tier program in the GPAC.
--Coach V
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)