St. Thomas Regional Guide

5 To Watch:MB Katie McCaffrey, St. ThomasS Emily Foster, St. ThomasOH Emma Jaynes, St. BenedictMB Kate Russell, LorasS Jenny Dziubla, Loras

Predicted St. Thomas Regional Final:St. Thomas over Wisconsin-Eau Claire

Predictions For Other Regional Finals:Oshkosh Regional: This Wisconsin Oshkosh grad abstains.Juniata Regional:Juniata over EasternUnion Regional:Haverford over UnionLa Verne Regional:La Verne over Cal State East BayTrinity Regional:Emory over SouthwesternTufts Regional:Williams over TuftsWittenberg Regional:Washington over WittenbergNATIONAL BRACKET (loaded with interactive features)

Random Factoid(s):UPDATED (stats now through 11/9): St. Thomas ranks in the top 10 nationally in assists (3rd), kills (5th 6th), digs (10th 8th) and (NEW) winning percentage (6th). Setter Emily Foster leads the nation in assists/set. Libero Katie Kremer ranks third nationally in digs/set. NEW: Middle blocker Katie McCaffrey is eighth in the country in blocks/set.

The Schedule (at Schoenecker Arena, St. Paul, Minn.):Thursday (all times central)1:00 p.m. #3 St. Benedict vs. #6 Simpson3:30 p.m. #2 Gustavus vs. #7 Wisconsin-Eau Claire6:00 p.m. #4 Concordia-Moorhead vs. #5 Loras (live CC audio)8:30 p.m. #1 St. Thomas vs. #8 Wisconsin-La CrosseFriday4:30 p.m. #3 St. Benedict vs. #7 Wisconsin-Eau Claire7:00 p.m. #4 Concordia-Moorhead vs. #8 Wisconsin-La CrosseSaturday7:00 p.m. #3 St. Benedict vs. #4 Concordia-Moorhead

ST. THOMAS REGIONAL TEAM CAPSULES

No. 1 seed St. Thomas (28-2, No. 2 in Central Region, No. 6 AVCA) Key wins: Gustavus (3-1)(3-0), St. Benedict (3-1)(3-2), UW-Eau Claire (3-0)(3-2), Concordia-Moorhead (3-0), Nebraska Wesleyan (3-0), Simpson (3-2) Losses: Simpson (2-3), UW-La Crosse (1-3) All-conference players (MIAC): Senior MB Katie McCaffrey (POY), sophomore S Emily Foster (1st), senior L Katie Kremer (1st)

Team Leaders Kills: Katie McCaffrey 361, Kyley Crotty 302, Carlie Waibel 204 Blocks: K. McCaffrey 126, Emily Foster 73, Alesha Nelson 61 Assists: E. Foster 1219, Katie Kremer 72, C. Waibel 19 Digs: K. Kremer 741, K. Crotty 407, E. Foster 268 Aces: K. Kremer 41, K. Crotty 20, E. Foster 16

No. 2 seed Gustavus (26-4, No. 3 in Central Region, No. 17 AVCA) Key wins: UW-La Crosse (3-1), St. Benedict (3-1), Concordia-Moorhead (3-2) Losses: North Dakota (1-3), St. Olaf (2-3), St. Thomas (0-3)(1-3) All-conference players (MIAC): Senior S Bridget Burtzel (1st), senior L Emily Klein (1st)

Team Leaders Kills: Meghan Gehring 311, Olivia Warren 304, Angela Ahrendt 264 Blocks: M. Gehring 134, A. Ahrendt 103, Britta Bolm 97 Assists: Bridget Burtzel 1132, B. Bolm 28, Emily Klein 25 Digs: E. Klein 647, B. Burtzel 322, Nicki Ainsworth 286 Aces: E. Klein 54, N. Ainsworth 39, Andrea Smilanich 17

No. 3 seed St. Benedict (26-6, No. 4 in Central Region, No. 23 AVCA) Key wins: UW-Eau Claire (3-0), Nebraska Wesleyan (3-2), Simpson (3-0)(3-0), Concordia-Moorhead (3-2) Losses: UW-Whitewater (1-3), St. Thomas (2-3)(1-3), Hamline (2-3), Gustavus (1-3), St. Mary’s (2-3) All-conference players (MIAC): Junior S Beth Hanson (1st), junior OH Emma Jaynes (1st)

Team Leaders Kills: Emma Jaynes 410, Chelsie Sobieck 331, Calleigh Brown 292 Blocks: C. Brown 104, Candace Bartels 88, E. Jaynes 65 Assists: Beth Hanson 1260, Amber Wortz 56, E. Jaynes 17 Digs: E. Jaynes 474, Andrea Millerbernd 437, A. Wortz 325 Aces: A. Wortz 46, A. Millerbernd 46, B. Hanson 32

No. 4 seed Concordia-Moorhead (20-5, No. 5 in Central Region, No. 18 AVCA) Key wins: Colorado (3-1), Simpson (3-1) Losses: Jamestown (2-3), St. Thomas (0-3), Gustavus (2-3), St. Benedict (2-3), St. Olaf (2-3) All-conference players (MIAC): Senior MH Abby Scheel (1st), senior DS Anna Tinkham (1st)

Team Leaders Kills: Jenna Green 257, Katie Vohnoutka 195, Abby Scheel 147 Blocks: A. Scheel 72, Valerie Glynn 60, J. Green 38 Assists: Amy Sykora 512, Jill Hance 427, Anna Tinkham 27 Digs: A. Tinkham 468, J. Green 313, A. Sykora 170 Aces: J. Hance 47, A. Tinkham 38, A. Sykora 21

No. 5 seed Loras (32-4, No. 8 in Central Region, unranked AVCA) Key wins: UW-La Crosse (3-1), Webster (3-1), Simpson (3-2)(3-1) Losses: Luther (2-3), Illinois Wesleyan (2-3), Augsburg (1-3), St. Mary’s (2-3) All-conference players (IIAC): Senior S Jenny Dziubla (POY), sophomore MB Kate Russell (1st), senior MB Betsy Neverman (2nd), sophomore L Morgan Murphy (HM)

Team Leaders Kills: Kate Russell 550, Betsy Neverman 252, Danielle Lewis 212 Blocks: K. Russell 145, Jenny Dziubla 96, B. Neverman 74 Assists: J. Dziubla 1348, Maggie Huguelet 30, Natalie Roling 22 Digs: Morgan Murphy 360, K. Russell 333, Michelle Bahl 314 Aces: M. Murphy 35, K. Russell 35, Mandie Lillibridge 30

No. 6 seed Simpson (20-14, No. 7 in Central Region, unranked AVCA) Key wins: UW-Eau Claire (3-2), UW-La Crosse (3-1)(3-0), St. Thomas (3-2) Losses: Washington (0-3), Nebraska Wesleyan (2-3)(1-3), Augsburg (1-3), St. Thomas (2-3), St. Benedict (0-3)(0-3), Carthage (0-3)(0-3), Concordia-Moorhead (1-3), UW-Oshkosh (0-3), Cal State-East Bay (0-3), Loras (2-3)(1-3) All-conference players (IIAC): Junior S Tara Christensen (1st), sophomore OH Amy Schuster (2nd), junior L Brittany Friesth (2nd), junior MB Whitney Oviatt (2nd)

Team Leaders Kills: Amy Schuster 355, Whitney Oviatt 339, Lara Gillespie 338 Blocks: W. Oviatt 75, Jayna Fischbach 51, L. Gillespie 40 Assists: Tara Christensen 1212, Megan Dunlavy 21, Brittany Friesth 20 Digs: B. Friesth 517, L. Gillespie 378, A. Schuster 301 Aces: T. Christensen 42, M. Dunlavy 41, J. Fischbach 39

No. 7 seed Wisconsin-Eau Claire (23-11, No. 6 in Midwest Region, receiving votes AVCA) Key wins: UW-La Crosse (3-2), UW-Oshkosh (3-0), UW-Whitewater (3-1) Losses: Simpson (2-3), Washington (1-3), St. Thomas (2-3)(0-3), St. Benedict (0-3), Hope (0-3), Carthage (1-3), UW-Whitewater (1-3), UW-Oshkosh (2-3), Hamline (2-3), Macalester (2-3) All-conference players (WIAC): Senior OH Abby Freiborg (POY), senior S Emily Haese (1st), senior MH Katie Fox (HM), junior L Lindsey Smith (all-defense)

Team Leaders Kills: Abby Freiborg 352, Katie Fox 260, Emily Zupon 247 Blocks: K. Fox 110, Danielle Lucia 57, Jenna Weber 55 Assists: Emily Haese 1192, Lindsey Smith 84, J. Weber 65 Digs: L. Smith 502, A. Freiborg 371, E. Haese 270 Aces: A. Freiborg 64, L. Smith 52, Rachel Ver Voort 33

No. 8 seed Wisconsin-La Crosse (27-11, No. 5 in Midwest Region, unranked AVCA) Key wins: St. Thomas (3-1), UW-Whitewater (3-1)(3-0) Losses: St. Scholastica (2-3), Gustavus (1-3), Simpson (1-3)(1-3), UW-Eau Claire (2-3), Loras (1-3), Millikin (1-3), UW-Oshkosh (1-3)(2-3), Cal State-East Bay (2-3), Carthage (1-3) All-conference players (WIAC): Senior OH Amber Schoonover (1st), junior OH Brianne Stankus (1st), senior MH Nina Walch (HM), sophomore L Melannie Tate (all-defense)

Team Leaders Kills: Amber Schoonover 425, Brianne Stankus 373, Nina Walch 350 Blocks: N. Walch 106, Jenna Starck 83, B. Stankus 65 Assists: Liz Schlobohm 922, Emily Carroll 429, B. Stankus 93 Digs: Melannie Tate 590, Elizabeth Carlisle 469, A. Schoonover 450 Aces: B. Stankus 45, M. Tate 39, E. Carlisle 34

-Ricky Nelson