 |
Photo / Siouxland Sports Authority.com
|
Morningside will begin post-season play with a home match against Dana in Saturday’s quarterfinal round action in the GPAC Volleyball Tournament.
The Mustangs have won the GPAC’s post-season tournament each of the past two seasons and will enter this year’s tourney with a 30-6 record and as the No. 2 seed.
Regardless of the outcome of the GPAC Tournament, the Mustangs have already qualified for the upcoming NAIA National Championships at Sioux City’s Tyson Events Center/Gateway Arena.
Click here to read more.
Morningside College is ranked 24th nationally in the NAIA volleyball poll released on Nov. 3.
The Mustangs, who were ranked 18th in the previous poll, went 1-1 last week with a 3-0 victory against Nebraska Wesleyan University and a 3-2 setback against No. 25 Doane College.
Morningside finished the regular season with a 30-6 record and is the No. 2 seed for the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Post-Season Tournament. The Mustangs will host either Concordia University or Dana College in a quarterfinal round match this Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in the Rosen Verdoorn Sports Center.
Morningside is one of three teams from the GPAC ranked in the NAIA Top 25. Northwestern College is ranked second and Doane is ranked 20th.
Click here for the complete NAIA Top 25.
 Amanda Nelson, a 5-5 senior defensive specialist from Wakefield, Neb., has been named the Hauff Mid-America Sports/Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Libero of the Week for Oct. 5-11.
Nelson averaged 5.67 digs per game in Morningside victories against Dana College and Briar Cliff University. She was also perfect on serve reception and service attempts in the two matches.
She had 25 digs to help lead Morningside to a 3-0 sweep of Briar Cliff last Saturday for the Mustangs’ second highest dig total of the season in a three-game match.
 |
 |
Jamie Vander Kooi |
Jessica Tjaden |
Jamie Vander Kooi, a 5-9 senior outside hitter from Hinton, Iowa, has been named the NAIA National Volleyball Player of the Week and the Hauff Mid-America Sports/Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Volleyball Player of the Week for Sept. 28 to Oct. 4.
In addition to Vander Kooi, the Mustangs’ Jessica Tjaden, a 5-8 junior setter from Julesburg, Colo., is this week’s GPAC Setter of the Week.
Vander Kooi averaged 4.50 kills and 4.67 digs per game in the Mustangs’ victories against 15th-ranked Bellevue University, Dakota Wesleyan University, and the University of Sioux Falls as the 14th-ranked Mustangs improved their record to 24-2. She slammed 26 kills for the Mustangs’ top individual total of the season to lead Morningside to a 3-2 win at Bellevue and had a season’s high 24 digs to set a Morningside three-game match record by a non-libero in a 3-0 win against Sioux Falls.
Vander Kooi is averaging a team-high 3.82 kills and 4.22 digs per game and leads the Mustangs with 17 double figure kill performances and 14 kill/dig double-doubles.
Tjaden averaged 12.08 assists and 3.42 digs per game in the Mustangs’ three victories. She contributed 58 assists and 16 digs in the Mustangs’ win at Bellevue.
Tjaden received the GPAC Setter of the Week honor for the third time this season.
 Morningside College is ranked ninth nationally in the NAIA pre-season volleyball poll released on Aug. 18.
The Mustangs come off a banner 2008 season where they posted a 37-6 record to set a school record for victories. Morningside won the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) post-season tournament to earn its first-ever NAIA National Tournament appearance, where the Mustangs defeated No. 1-ranked Fresno Pacific University in pool play competition to hand the 2008 NAIA National Champions their only loss of the season.
Morningside is one of four teams from the GPAC ranked in the NAIA pre-season Top 25. Northwestern College is ranked fifth, Dordt College is ranked 16th, and Doane College is ranked 23rd.
The Mustangs will open the 2009 season this Saturday when they host Waldorf College and Valley City State University in a triangular.
Click here for the complete NAIA pre-season Top 25.
 Morningside is picked second in the GPAC Volleyball Coaches’ Pre-Season Poll. The Mustangs received three of the 13 first place votes.
The Mustangs return four starters from a team that posted a 37-6 record during the 2008 campaign to set a school record for victories. Morningside, which finished second in last year’s GPAC regular season standings, won the GPAC’s post season tournament championship en route to their first-ever NAIA National Tournament appearance, where they defeated No. 1-ranked Fresno Pacific University in pool play competition to hand the 2008 NAIA National Champions their only loss of the season.
Morningside will open the 2009 season on Saturday, Aug. 22, when it hosts Valley City State University and Waldorf College in a triangular.
Click here for the 2009 GPAC Volleyball Coaches' Pre-Season Poll.
|
