In her second season at the helm of the Saint Mary’s volleyball team, head coach Toni Kuschel will look to get the Belles back toward the top of the MIAA in 2010.
With the graduation of seniors Liana Rohr, Kathleen Mills, and All-MIAA selection Lorna Slupczynski, Kuschel will undoubtedly look to several key returners to bring excitement and energy to the team this fall. Among those returners are libero Meghann Rose, right side attacker/defensive specialist Ellen Huelsmann, setter Danie Brink, and outside hitter Stephanie Bodien.
Rose, who was an MIAA Specialty Player of the Week two seasons ago, is quickly closing in on 1,000 career digs as she begins her third season of play with the Belles. Huelsmann was second on the team behind Rose in digs during the 2009 season while being third in service aces. Brink has been a big part of the Saint Mary’s offense during her first two seasons at Saint Mary’s. The junior setter was an MIAA Specialty Player of the Week in 2009 while leading the team with 781 assists - nearly 90 more assists than her freshman campaign. Bodien was second on the squad with 217 kills in her first year on the court for Saint Mary’s. She is also the leading returning blocker for the Belles in 2010.
With the addition of five newcomers to complement six returners, the Belles will look to improve on their 9-17 record from a year ago.
The Belles will face off against several strong opponents in 2010. Saint Mary’s starts their season off against cross-town rival Bethel on September 1 and quickly follows that match up with a match against a University of Chicago squad in the Elmhurst Invitational that received votes in the pre-season AVCA Coaches Poll. Also on the schedule are perennial MIAA and NCAA powerhouses Hope and Calvin, who were ranked fourth and ninth among all Division III teams in the pre-season poll, respectively.
