Newcomers join veteran Morningside volleyball team
By Steven Allspach Journal sports writer | Posted: Thursday, August 14, 2008
Taking a break from practice for media day photos, Morningside College's volleyball team members in clude from left, Kali Angerman, Amber Jarzynka, Catie Bobier and Jericho Johnson, Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2008. (Sioux City Journal/Jerry Mennenga)
At first glance, you might not recognize the 2008 Morningside volleyball team.
Coach Rick Pruett has a signifcant number of returnees back from a 2007 Great Plains Athletic Conference championship team that shocked more than a few pre-season prognosticators with a glitzy 33-4 record.
Sprinkled in with the veterans is a classy class of newcomers, including three transfers with sterling NCAA Division I or Division II credentials.
Still, it might take a second look to identify some of the veterans, like NAIA All-America middle blocker Amber Jarzynka and record-breaking setter Kali Angerman.
On media day Wednesday at the Rosen Verdoorn Sports Center, Jarzynka and Angerman, blonde bombers in the past, were coiffed in black.
"Oh, you noticed,'' laughed Jarzynka of the new hair color. "I really can't tell you why we changed. Maybe its a team thing, I don't know. We've got other girls with blonde hair.''
Seniors Jarzynka, Angerman and Catie Bobier are returning starters from last year's 14-2 GPAC title team. The other returning starter is junior libero Jericho Johnson.
Another returning starter, Cara DeStigter, has chosen to pass up her senior season.
The 5-10 Jarzynka, who played two seasons at Bellevue University, made an immediate impact on the program last season, leading the team with 4.14 kills per game and set a school single-season record with an overpowering .420 hitting percentage.
"We've got some outstanding new players, so creating and building some chemistry will be important,'' said Jarzynka, who is from Bennington, Neb. "The main thing is that we jell and become stronger and stronger by the end of the season.''
Angerman, a former junior college standout, also contributed immensely in her first season as the club's setter. The East High graduate set season records with 1,710 total assists, 101 ace serves, 14.02 assists a game and 0.83 ace serves a game.
"We had a great year, but our goals are even higher this year,'' said the 5-9 Angerman. "We might have surprised some last season, but not ourselves.
"One of our goals is to reach the national tournament and since it is in Sioux City now we're even more motivated.''
The 5-11 Bobier, a graduate of Akron-Westfield High School, will be starting for the third straight year.
"I'm making the switch to rightside (hitter), but I'm excited about that,'' said Bobier, who averaged 2.35 kills and was second on the team last season with 452 digs. "I never played on the right so it's going to be a learning experience for me.''
Johnson (5-5), from Hastings, Neb., led the club with 760 digs. "Jericho is one of the toughest, if not the toughest, competitor in the GPAC,'' praised Pruett, who directed Morningside's stunningly successful campaign in his first season at the coaching helm.
"Last year was a start and we want to continue with that energy we had,'' said Pruett. "We didn't qualify for the national tournament and that left a pretty sour taste in our mouths. We've got all kinds of incentive to improve and get better.''
The Mustangs took a 33-2 record into the Region III tournament last year, but lost twice, falling to loop rival Hastings and then perennial power National American. Pruett's team led Hastings 2-0, but dropped the final three games.
Among the touted newcomers are 5-8 junior Jamie VanderKooi, a starter the past two seasons at South Dakota, which is making the jump to NCAA Division I this season, and 6-foot junior Emily Christen, a starter last year at Division II Nebraska-Kearney.
Also new to the program are 5-11 junior Kristen Krongberg, an outside hitter from Merced (Calif.) Junior College, and Addi Radke, a 6-1 junior and outside hitter from Corvallis, Ore.
Morningside is the 6-1 Radke's fourth school after graduating from Santiam Christian High School in Corvallis, but she has two years of eligiblity remaining.
"This is my first time in Iowa and I love Morningside,'' said the outside hitter who figures to work into the starting rotation. "I'm so looking forward to playing here the next two seasons.''
Radke began her career at Division I Cal Poly, but left after a semester to transfer to Northeastern Community College in Sterling, Colo., where she played two years, earning All-America plaudits.
Division I Kansas State of the Big 12 then came calling with a scholarship offer.
"I was all set for K-State and then they brought in some foreign recruits and were going to move me from the outside,'' said Radke.
The Mustangs open the season Aug. 22-23 in the Texas-Brownsville tournament on South Padre Island. The first home match is a duel with GPAC rival Northwestern, a 2007 national tourney qualifier, on Sept. 9.
The NAIA national tournament at the Tyson Events Center will be held Dec. 3-6.
Coach Rick Pruett has a signifcant number of returnees back from a 2007 Great Plains Athletic Conference championship team that shocked more than a few pre-season prognosticators with a glitzy 33-4 record.
Sprinkled in with the veterans is a classy class of newcomers, including three transfers with sterling NCAA Division I or Division II credentials.
Still, it might take a second look to identify some of the veterans, like NAIA All-America middle blocker Amber Jarzynka and record-breaking setter Kali Angerman.
On media day Wednesday at the Rosen Verdoorn Sports Center, Jarzynka and Angerman, blonde bombers in the past, were coiffed in black.
"Oh, you noticed,'' laughed Jarzynka of the new hair color. "I really can't tell you why we changed. Maybe its a team thing, I don't know. We've got other girls with blonde hair.''
Seniors Jarzynka, Angerman and Catie Bobier are returning starters from last year's 14-2 GPAC title team. The other returning starter is junior libero Jericho Johnson.
Another returning starter, Cara DeStigter, has chosen to pass up her senior season.
The 5-10 Jarzynka, who played two seasons at Bellevue University, made an immediate impact on the program last season, leading the team with 4.14 kills per game and set a school single-season record with an overpowering .420 hitting percentage.
"We've got some outstanding new players, so creating and building some chemistry will be important,'' said Jarzynka, who is from Bennington, Neb. "The main thing is that we jell and become stronger and stronger by the end of the season.''
Angerman, a former junior college standout, also contributed immensely in her first season as the club's setter. The East High graduate set season records with 1,710 total assists, 101 ace serves, 14.02 assists a game and 0.83 ace serves a game.
"We had a great year, but our goals are even higher this year,'' said the 5-9 Angerman. "We might have surprised some last season, but not ourselves.
"One of our goals is to reach the national tournament and since it is in Sioux City now we're even more motivated.''
The 5-11 Bobier, a graduate of Akron-Westfield High School, will be starting for the third straight year.
"I'm making the switch to rightside (hitter), but I'm excited about that,'' said Bobier, who averaged 2.35 kills and was second on the team last season with 452 digs. "I never played on the right so it's going to be a learning experience for me.''
Johnson (5-5), from Hastings, Neb., led the club with 760 digs. "Jericho is one of the toughest, if not the toughest, competitor in the GPAC,'' praised Pruett, who directed Morningside's stunningly successful campaign in his first season at the coaching helm.
"Last year was a start and we want to continue with that energy we had,'' said Pruett. "We didn't qualify for the national tournament and that left a pretty sour taste in our mouths. We've got all kinds of incentive to improve and get better.''
The Mustangs took a 33-2 record into the Region III tournament last year, but lost twice, falling to loop rival Hastings and then perennial power National American. Pruett's team led Hastings 2-0, but dropped the final three games.
Among the touted newcomers are 5-8 junior Jamie VanderKooi, a starter the past two seasons at South Dakota, which is making the jump to NCAA Division I this season, and 6-foot junior Emily Christen, a starter last year at Division II Nebraska-Kearney.
Also new to the program are 5-11 junior Kristen Krongberg, an outside hitter from Merced (Calif.) Junior College, and Addi Radke, a 6-1 junior and outside hitter from Corvallis, Ore.
Morningside is the 6-1 Radke's fourth school after graduating from Santiam Christian High School in Corvallis, but she has two years of eligiblity remaining.
"This is my first time in Iowa and I love Morningside,'' said the outside hitter who figures to work into the starting rotation. "I'm so looking forward to playing here the next two seasons.''
Radke began her career at Division I Cal Poly, but left after a semester to transfer to Northeastern Community College in Sterling, Colo., where she played two years, earning All-America plaudits.
Division I Kansas State of the Big 12 then came calling with a scholarship offer.
"I was all set for K-State and then they brought in some foreign recruits and were going to move me from the outside,'' said Radke.
The Mustangs open the season Aug. 22-23 in the Texas-Brownsville tournament on South Padre Island. The first home match is a duel with GPAC rival Northwestern, a 2007 national tourney qualifier, on Sept. 9.
The NAIA national tournament at the Tyson Events Center will be held Dec. 3-6.
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