2016 Schedule

Rolla, Mo. – The Missouri S&T volleyball squad begins its 10^th season of play at the Concordia-Portland Labor Day Tournament this Friday and Saturday in Portland, Ore. The Miners will play four matches over the two day stretch beginning with the Embry-Riddle Eagles on Friday morning at 11:30 a.m. (CDT).

S&T returns 12 players off of last year's squad which went 22-11, 13-5 in Great Lakes Valley Conference action, recorded the program's third season of at least 20 wins in the last five years and advanced to their fifth straight GLVC Tournament. Of those 12, five saw significant playing time last year including two of its biggest offensive weapons in outside hitters Carlie Combs (O'Fallon, Mo./St. Dominic) and Claire Friedlund (Parkville, Mo./Park Hill South).

Combs is coming off an impressive freshman campaign in which she recorded 332 kills, tied for sixth most in a  single season in school history, while Friedlund finished the season with 215 kills. Also competing for a spot at the outside hitter position are junior Ashley Allegri (Leawood, Kan./Shawnee Mission East), redshirt freshman Emilee Schlader (Lewiston, Idaho/Lewiston) and newcomer Kyley Thompson (Geneva, Ill./Geneva).

The Miners will have to replace Krista Haslag (Linn, Mo./Helias ) and Gracey Moon (Kirkwood, Mo./Kirkwood) in the middle and look to returnees Shelby Wagner (Lee's Summit, Mo./Lee's Summit) and Carson Talley (St. Louis, Mo./Affton) and freshman Caroline Dykes (Lawrence, Kan./Lawrence) to do so. Wagner registered in 83 kills in 49 sets played while Talley had 22 kills in limited action while also serving as the backup setter. Dykes was a four year starter at Lawrence High Schools recording 682 kills, had an attack percentage of .228, served 100 aces, recorded 159 total blocks and had 299 digs in her prep career.

Returning on the right side for S&T are seniors Claire Luther (St. Louis, Mo./Lutheran South) and Marketa Illetskova (Klatovy Czech Republic/Gymnazium Jaroslave, Vrchlickeho Klatovy) along with sophomore Ellen Schulz (Wildwood, Mo./Eureka). Luther finished the season with 112 kills in 73 sets played while Illetskova and Schulz averaged 1.36 and 1.23 kills per set respectively. Thompson may split time at the outside and right side hitter positions.

Junior Alexis White (Auburn, Wash./Riverside) and freshman Sarah McGinnis (Middleton, Wis./Edgewood) are battling for the startering spot at setter. White is coming off an impressive first season as the team's setter dishing out 1,229 assists which is the third most in a single season in program history. She also had 105 kills and 281 digs in 126 sets played. McGinnis played her prep career at Edgewood High School in Middleton, Wis., where she helped lead her squad to a second place finish at the state tournament as a sophomore. Her junior year she was a second team all-conference selection and her senior year she moved to outside hitter where she was a second team all-conference selection as well.

Along the back line the Miners will have to replace Jackie Pyles (White Lake, Mich./West Bloomfield) and Dana Shannon (Crystal Lake, Ill./Crystal Lake Central) but waiting in the wings are seniors Cydney Denning (San Antonio, Texas/Brandeis ) and Caitlin Brocker (Crystal Lake, Ill./Marian Central ), sophomore Lauren Flowers (Ballwin, Mo./Lafayette) and newcomers Eva Mich (St. Peters, Mo./Francis Howell Central) and Corinne Stulce (St. Charles, Mo./Duchesne). Denning appeared in all but two sets last season recording 349 digs while Brocker had 126 digs in 79 sets played. Flowers had 12 digs in limited time.

Mich was a four time first team All-Gateway Area Conference South selection and a three-time all-district selection. She holds the Francis Howell Central career record with 1,216 digs and is second all-time in kills with 760. Stulce was a two-time all-district selection at St. Charles Duchesne helping her team to four straight district titles. Last year alone she had 409 digs good for an average of 7.03 per set.

S&T begins its season with eight straight matches on the road before opening its home schedule on Friday, Sept. 16 to take on the Lewis University Flyers in the GLVC opener for both sides at 7 p.m.