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Women's Volleyball

November 6, 2009
Rough season-ender for Cyclones

It was a rough year full of highs and lows for the volleyball team that left them falling short in the Region IV quarter-finals Nov. 4 where they ended the season.

The Cyclones fell to Kankakee Community College 15-25, 21-25, 16-25 and culminated the season with an overall record of 14-17 and conference record of 5-7.

“This match was similar to our year long record – at times at a very high level, at other times unsure of ourselves and tentative with mental errors putting us in big point holes,” said coach Gloria Coughlin.

Annie Eckroth (Queen of Peace), in her last match at Moraine Valley, notched her sixth double-double of the year with 10 kills and 12 digs. Jill Gamauf (Chicago Christian) finished her career with six kills and two blocks. Alicia Krupa (Oak Lawn) was as consistent as ever on serve receive and defense, passing 15 tough serves and digging 20 attacks. Setter Dana Long (Evergreen Park) ended her career with 20 assists.

Krupa was named to the All-Conference first team and Long was named to the second team. Both athletes also were selected for the conference All-Tournament team.

“Our team experienced a rewarding, albeit tough season. Rewarding because of our awesome opportunity to compete in the Interuniversity Games in Italy during the season, and tough from the win/loss standpoint,” Coughlin said. “We knew that by bringing in seven new players we were going to exhibit some growth pains. We battled hard in many of our matches only to come up short in the end, which is usually due to inexperience at the critical points in a match. We learned a lot about our sport, and hopefully ourselves, over the course of the season.”

Coughlin, however, remains optimistic. “We will continue to build and grow in the off season and be better prepared for the 2010 season. There are good things to come,” she said.

November 2, 2009
Cyclones battle it out before playoffs

The Cyclones fought a good fight, but came up just short of a victory over Lincoln Land College. Moraine Valley lost on Oct. 30 in five close sets: 25-23, 18-25, 17-25, 25-22, 14-16.

“We felt we had good match ups in several positions. Our serving game can give teams fits at times. Hopefully this will prepare us for our Region IV playoff match against Kankakee Community College. Kankakee lost two times to Lincoln Land in five sets previously, and the Cyclones defeated Kankakee in our last meeting,” said coach Gloria Coughlin.

Carli Immordino (Richards) led the team with 12 kills, two blocks, three aces, and 20 digs for her seventh double-double of the season. Annie Eckroth (Queen of Peace) was just behind her with 11 kills, two aces and 22 digs for her fifth double-double. Other big hitters were Laura Flerick (Mount Assisi) with nine kills and five blocks, and freshman Shannon Ott (Oak Lawn) who played big at the net with nine kills and two blocks, grabbing a .300 kill percentage. Setter Dana Long (Evergreen Park) assisted in 45 kill points and added three blocks of her own. The libero, Alicia Krupa (Oak Lawn), was very strong with 22 digs, 17 good serve receptions and an ace.
 

October 28, 2009
Crushing win for Cyclones

“Sophomore night” for the Moraine Valley volleyball team on Oct. 27 was one they won’t forget as they crushed Triton College 25-7, 25-13, 25-3.

The match was a serving fest, yielding 19 service aces. Melissa Barber (Oak Lawn) served 33 times and scored 10 service aces—a Moraine Valley record for serves and aces in a match. Barber also added five kills and two blocks totaling 17 points for the night. Annie Eckroth (Queen of Peace) added her points from the left front position hitting 13 kills of her 22 swings. She also added three service aces and notched her fourth double-double of the year in kills/digs with 11 digs. Two sophomore middle hitters, Laura Flerick (Mount Assisi) and Jill Gamauf (Chicago Christian) had big nights with five kills apiece, while Gamauf added two blocks and three aces. Setter Dana Long (Evergreen Park) dished out 28 assists and played tough defense with five digs.

October 27, 2009
Tough going in conference tourney

The Cyclones were roughed up in the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference tournament Oct. 24-25, winning only one out of four matches.

The first match was a loss to Oakton Community College: 18-25, 21-25. Athletes did not play well, especially at the left-side hitter positions, which was necessary to beat Oakton. Scores were closer in the second match against Waubonsee Community College but still yielded a loss: 21-25, 15-25. Again the Cyclone offense and serves were weak. In the third match the Cyclones lost to number two-seeded Prairie State College: 14-25, 18-25. Jill Gamauf (Chicago Christian) was the only offensive player with four kills.

On Oct. 25 teams played the best three out of five matches. In another close match-up the Cyclones fell to tournament host College of Lake County: 23-25, 22-25, 21-25. Carli Immordino (Richards) led with eight kills and an ace, Annie Eckroth (Queen of Peace) added seven kills and two aces, while Gamauf finished with six kills of her own. The team played better, but not well enough for a win. In their final match of the night, the Cyclones defeated Morton College, 25-17, 25-22, 25-14. Middles Laura Flerick (Mt. Assisi) and Gamauf, were the top team hitters with seven kills each. Isabel Reyes (Eisenhower) played in the outside-hitter position earning six kills and 13 digs. Shannon Ott (Oak Lawn) added five kills, and setter Dana Long (Evergreen Park) set 30 kill assists.

October 23, 2009
Solid serves equal Cyclone win

The Cyclones served up another win Oct. 22, this time against Kennedy King College. Moraine Valley won in three sets: 25-16, 25-9, 25-6.

A serving fest against Kennedy King earned the Cyclones 21 service ace points. Leading the team in aces was Laura Flerick (Mt. Assisi) with seven aces to go with her two kills. Carli Immordino (Richards) added five aces and four kills while Dana Long (Evergreen Park) pitched in four more aces and dished out 20 kill assists. Annie Eckroth (Queen of Peace) was the high hitter with seven kills.

October 21, 2009
Cyclones halt Joliet offense

After their European competition and dealing with jet lag, the team struck a win against Joliet Junior College on Oct. 20: 26-16, 25-17, 25-12. Laura Flerick (Mt. Assisi) had the hot arm hitting .562 with 10 kills of just 16 swings. She also added five service aces and two blocks for a huge 17-point night. Annie Eckroth (Queen of Peace) also had 10 kills, a block and six digs. “Our tough serving kept Joliet out of its offense and forced them into attack errors,” said coach Gloria Coughlin. “This was a big win for us, especially coming off our Italy trip and battling a little jet lag.”

October 19, 2009
Italy competition good experience for Cyclones

The women’s team had a taste of international play during their trip to Milan, Italy, for the World Interuniversity Games Oct. 13-15. The volleyball team last competed in the Games in 2006 when they traveled to Dublin, Ireland.

The Cyclones had a tough time from the get go, playing some very experienced and seasoned volleyball players. They began their first match against an Italian team losing: 20-25, 21-25, 18-25. Carli Immordino (Richards) had eight kills while Laura Flerick (Mt. Assisi) earned six kills and two blocks. A second match that night against the team from Romania yielded their second loss: 6-25, 8-25, 8-25. The Romanians brought four of their national team players—Olympians—and were not challenged by anyone in the tournament.

Closer sets came for the Cyclones’ third match on Oct. 14 against a team from Milan. Scores were 19-25, 17-25, 21-25. Annie Eckroth (Queen Of Peace) had eight kills and two aces, Immordino earned seven kills and a block while Jill Gamauf (Chicago Christian) had three kills, three blocks and two aces. Later that night the Cyclones had an opportunity to win against a team from Belgium, but came up short: 18-25, 22-25, 26-24, 21-25. Eckroth was the hot hitter with 15 kills and two service aces. Flerick added eight kills and four blocks.

In their final match on Oct. 15 the Cyclones were outmatched by the Russian team, which brought several of their national players. Moraine Valley lost in three sets: 10-25, 12-25, 11-25.
 
“Taking a week off from touching the volleyball before the trip was not at all helpful to us. That being said, we had opportunities to better our game through the week, and I believe we did. The competition was very tough, very tall, very experienced, and much older than our young kids, but well worth the trip,” said coach Gloria Coughlin. “The experience was beyond what the players ever expected and will be with them forever. We’ll take the losses. What we gained was life changing for all of us and is much more important than the wins.”

October 7, 2009
Cyclones top Raiders

The women’s volleyball team came out on top against Oakton Community College in their match up Oct. 6. The Cyclones won with scores of 25-17, 23-23, 25-9, 26-24.

Annie Eckroth (Queen of Peace) led the team with 17 kills, three service aces and 13 digs for her third double-double of the season in kills/digs. Carli Immordino (Richards) was next with 11 kills, five aces and 13 digs notching her sixth double-double of the year. Middle hitters Laura Flerick (Mt. Assisi) and Jill Gamauf (Chicago Christian) each contributed six kills and two blocks with Gamauf adding three service aces as well. Alicia Krupa (Oak Lawn) continues to be strong as libero with 22 good serve receptions and 35 digs. Dana Long (Evergreen Park) distributed 42 kill assists.

October 5, 2009
Cyclones break even

The Cyclones split two in a tournament at Kankakee Community College on Oct. 3. They won their first match in five tough sets against Kankakee: 25-21, 18-25, 25-19, 18-25, 15-13.

“It was a great battle with Kankakee. Our left side hitters, with tired arms and legs from the five-set match on Thursday, fought through the fatigue to score offensively and cover the court defensively for another five set match,” said Coughlin.

Carli Immordino (Richards) led the team with 14 kills, a service ace and 26 digs notching her fifth double-double of the season. Annie Eckroth (Queen of Peace) marked her second double-double with 12 kills and 23 digs along with two blocks and two aces. Laura Flerick (Mt. Assisi) added six kills and three blocks. Dana Long (Evergreen Park) was the setter for the night and distributed 40 kill assists to go with her 12 digs. The libero, Alicia Krupa (Oak Lawn), was very strong with 21 digs and 22 good serve receptions.

Immediately following the game with Kankakee, the Cyclones went up against Elmhurst College JV, but came up short in three sets: 21-25, 17-25, 17-25.

“Playing right away after the five-set match with Kankakee turned out to be too much for us. We were gassed. Elmhurst was loaded with tall, strong hitters and although we had 53 digs as a team, there was not nearly enough offense to compete,” Coughlin said. “We were only able to muster 17 kills of the 89 swings taken.”

Shannon Ott (Oak Lawn) had the fresh arm for the Cyclones and swung for five kills with no errors plus two blocks for the kill.

October 2, 2009
Long sets yield narrow loss

In their first five-set match this season the Cyclones battled, but lost Oct. 1 against South Suburban with scores of 25-16, 22-25, 25-15, 15-25, 12-15. Carli Immordino (Richards) had her career high of 15 kills plus 16 digs for her fourth double-double of the season. She also added two service aces. Annie Eckroth (Queen of Peace) swung for nine kills and five service aces and was a defensive workhorse with 37 digs and 18 good receptions. Dana Long (Evergreen Park) set well, assisting on 39 kills plus adding five of her own kills and three aces.

September 30, 2009
Cyclones net a win

Bouncing back from their previous loss, Moraine Valley beat Morton College on Sept. 29 by scores of 25-20, 25-23, 25-13. Shannon Ott (Oak Lawn) led the team with six kills while Carli Immordino (Richards) served up five aces. Setter Dana Long (Evergreen Park) added four aces, six digs and 16 assists.

September 29, 2009
Learning from a loss

Despite a loss Sept. 28 against a tough Kishwaukee College team, the Cyclones learned the meaning of intense competition.
 
“Playing the two-time national champions at home was good for our young team to see what we should strive to achieve,” said head coach Gloria Coughlin. “We don’t quite have all the tools to compete for a whole match with Kishwaukee, but we were happy to take a set from them.”

The Cyclones lost 14-25, 6-25, 25-18, 12-25. Carli Immordino (Richards) led the team with seven kills and two blocks while Annie Eckroth (Queen of Peace) added four kills and two aces.

September 25, 2009
Big win against Hawks

The women’s volleyball team stepped it up Sept. 24 in a big match against Harper College winning 25-20, 19-25, 25-21, 25-15.

“We struggled a bit in the first two sets with our hitting, then utilized different shots to open up some holes in their defense and keep their best hitter out of the offense,” said head coach Gloria Coughlin. “Our serving also improved and was a big factor with nine service aces as a team.”

Both Annie Eckroth (Queen of Peace) and Carli Immordino (Richards) stepped up their hitting game and finished with 13 kills apiece to go along with 21 and 15 digs, respectively. This is the first match where two Cyclone hitters notched double-doubles in kills and digs. Immordino also had two service aces. Jill Gamauf (Chicago Christian) added six kills, five blocks and five service aces giving her a 16-point night. Melissa Barber (Oak Lawn) and Laura Flerick (Mt. Assisi) were strong tonight contributing nine more kills and five blocks collectively. Dana Long (Evergreen Park) was the team setter the majority of the match and dished out 36 kill assists.

September 23, 2009
Tough match for Cyclones

The Cyclones had their work cut out for them Sept. 22, but were no match for top ranked McHenry County College. Moraine fell 9-25, 10-25, 15-25.

Sophomores Annie Eckroth (Queen of Peace) had six kills and seven digs while Melissa Barber (Oak Lawn) came up with three kills and three blocks. “McHenry is very talented, run a very fast offense and have great ball handling skills. Our young, new players have likely not ever seen such a quick attack, and we did not catch up to the speed of the game. We were getting closer in the third set, but would have needed several more sets to really be competitive,” said coach Gloria Coughlin.

September 21, 2009
Cyclones split two

After coming off two consecutive wins, the Cyclones headed to Oakton Community College this past weekend for a couple of matches and split the campaign. In the first match against College of DuPage on Sept. 18, Moraine Valley won 15-25, 26-24, 25-21, 25-20.

Laura Flerick (Mt. Assisi) led the team this game with nine kills and two blocks. Carli Immordino (Richards) was close behind with eight kills and 10 digs while Annie Eckroth (Queen of Peace) contributed seven kills and a massive 31 digs. Dana Long (Evergreen Park) dished out 23 assists for the match.

The second match against Oakton on Sept. 19 was a battle at the end of which Moraine Valley came up short. The Cyclones lost in four close sets, 23-25, 19-25, 25-18, 26-28.

“We were a little weary after the previous night’s match against DuPage and no break going into the Oakton match. Our team put up a great fight, especially in the last game when we tied it at 26,” said head coach Gloria Coughlin.

Immordino dug up 20 hits while Eckroth added four service aces and 14 digs. Both players battled all evening and led the team with nine kills each. Flerick added seven kills, two blocks and an ace. Long set a well balanced offense with 23 kill assists and the Libero, Alicia Krupa (Oak Lawn), was big defensively with 18 good serve receptions and 26 digs.

September 18, 2009
Winning streak continues

The volleyball team continued its winning pattern against College of Lake County on Sept. 17. The Cyclones took three sets in the match, 27-25, 25-22, 25-20.

“This was a big win for us in conference play against a well coached and talented Lake County team,” said head coach Gloria Coughlin. “We battled back in sets one and two and showed some needed fight in us. We saw skills learned in practice transferred to the match. This is the improvement we have been awaiting.”

Carli Immordino (Richards) was hot in the match notching her second double-double of the season in kills and digs adding 12 kills and 16 digs plus two blocks and four aces giving her an 18 point night. Jill Gamauf (Chicago Christian) was strong at the net with six kills and four blocks plus an ace serve. Some strong defense came from Annie Eckroth (Queen of Peace) who marked 28 digs and nine perfect receptions and the Cyclones Libero, Alicia Krupa (Oak Lawn), was solid with 21 digs and 12 perfect serve receptions to give her team opportunities for multiple hitter patterns. As setter for the night, Dana Long (Evergreen Park) was strong in the match delivering 26 kill assists in addition to a kill, a block and an ace serve.

September 16, 2009
Cyclones bounce back with win

After a rough losing streak the Cyclones bounced back Sept. 15 to beat Waubonsee Community College 25-20, 25-9, 25-18.

The team had dual kill leaders with Carli Immordino (Richards) getting eight kills, three service aces and 11 digs, and Annie Eckroth’s (Queen of Peace) dishing out eight kills, two service aces and six digs. Jill Gamauf (Chicago Christian) added four kills and an amazing seven service aces with her hard, line-drive serves plus two blocks for points. Gamauf was the highest individual scorer with 13 points for the match. Dana Long (Evergreen Park) had 16 kill assists along with 12 assists from Ariana Walls (Queen of Peace).

September 11, 2009
Cyclones fall to Spartans

In another tough loss the Cyclones lost to Elgin Community College on Sept. 10 with scores of 20-25, 18-25, 20-25.

Carli Immordino (Richards) notched her first double-double of the season with 10 kills and 10 digs. Annie Eckroth (Queen of Peace) added 8 kills, a service ace and 10 digs. Jill Gamauf (Chicago Christian) added 4 kills and an ace while Dana Long (Evergreen Park) dished out 16 kill assists and Ariana Walls (Queen of Peace) had 7 assists.

September 10, 2009
Sparkles of promise in loss

The women’s volleyball team struggled in their match on Sept. 9 against Kankakee Community College, but continued to improve their skills. The Cyclones lost in three sets: 19-25, 15-25, 22-25.

Laura Flerick (Mt. Assisi) was team high with 7 kills, plus 7 blocks and 2 service aces for 16 total points scored. Melissa Barber (Oak Lawn) was effective on the right side with 4 blocks while Chicago Christian product Jill Gamauf added 3 kills, a block and an ace. Dana Long (Evergreen Park) dished out 16 kill assists.

“Kankakee is very strong. They outsized us at all positions, but we indeed saw a few more sparkles from our team,” said head coach Gloria Coughlin.

September 4, 2009
Home opener spiked

The Cyclones' home opener against Prairie State College on Sept. 3 was another lesson in growing pains. The young team lost after four sets: 25-21, 20-25, 15-25, 12-25. Laura Flerick (Mt. Assisi) had the team high with 9 kills and added 3 blocks and a service ace for 13 total points scored. Carli Immordino (Richards) also contributed 13 points with her 9 kills, 3 blocks, an ace, and 21 digs. Jill Gamauf (Chicago Christian) added 5 kills and 4 blocks and an ace while Melissa Barber (Oak Lawn) had 5 kills, and Dana Long (Evergreen Park) dished out 27 kill assists. "We are still learning. We are inconsistent, but we do see sparkles that will soon grow into flashes of light," said head coach Gloria Coughlin.

September 2, 2009
Cyclones come up short

In some close sets the Cyclones lost their match September 1 to Highland Community College: 20-25, 18-25, 22-25. Carli Immordino (Richards) led the team with 8 kills, a block for kill, a service ace, and 10 digs. Laura Flerick (Mt. Assisi) was also strong with 7 kills out of 15 swings and no errors, hitting 46% for points. Dana Long (Evergreen Park) also had 23 assists, and Alicia Krupa (Oak Lawn) was strong defensively with 15 digs.

September 1, 2009
Cyclones pick up two wins in first tournament of season

The women’s volleyball season began Aug. 28 at the Ancilla College Tournament in Indiana. The Cyclones ended up 2-3 for the tourney, but gained a lot of experience. “It was our first match of the season, the first collegiate match for the majority of our team and the first time setting for one of our setters. We will improve,” said head coach Gloria Coughlin.

MATCH #1—Oakland CC (MI) defeated Moraine Valley in two sets: 11-25, 18-25
Carli Immordino (Richards) led the team with 5 kills and 3 service aces. Jill Gamauf (Chicago Christian) was next with 3 kills and a solo block.

MATCH #2—Moraine Valley defeated Indiana Tech in three sets: 25-21, 19-25, 15-7
Carli Immordino (Richards)– 6 kills, 1 block and 1 service ace
Melissa Barber (Oak Lawn)– 6 kills, 2 service aces
Jill Gamauf (Chicago Christian)– 5 kills, 2 blocks and 1 service ace
Annie Eckroth (Queen of Peace)– 4 kills, 1 service ace and 13 digs
Dana Long (Queen of Peace)– 16 kill assists

MATCH #3—Moraine Valley defeated Ancilla College in two sets: 25-22, 26-24
Annie Eckroth (Queen of Peace)– 6 kills, 2 service aces and 8 digs
Shannon Ott (Oak Lawn)– 5 kills and a block
Carli Immordino (Richards)– 4 kills and 1 block
Alicia Krupa (Oak Lawn)– 13 digs
Dana Long (Queen of Peace)– 3 kills and 22 assists

MATCH #4—Lakeland CC defeated Moraine Valley in two sets: 14-25, 14-25
Laura Flerick (Mt. Assisi) and Shannon Ott (Oak Lawn) each had 3 kills and a block
Alicia Krupa (Oak Lawn)– 15 digs

MATCH #5—Semi-Finals– Oakland CC (MI) defeated Moraine in 3 sets: 14-25, 14-25, 8-25
Carli Immordino (Richards)– 5 kills, 2 blocks, 1 service ace, and 15 digs
Laura Flerick (Mt. Assisi)− 3 kills and 2 blocks
Shannon Ott (Oak Lawn)− 3 kills

August 25, 2009
Cyclones set to open 2009 campaign this month

The 2009 season will be a busy one for the Moraine Valley women’s volleyball team. Along with the regular season the team is preparing for an international tournament in Italy.

Near the tail end of the season in mid-October the Cyclones will take their skills to Milan, Italy for the World Interuniversity Games. The team first competed overseas in Dublin, Ireland in 2006. Players have been fundraising for months and preparing for this competition, the world’s largest university sports tournament.

“We are very excited about our trip to Milan. Everyone is working particularly hard to prepare for this tournament and we know we have many things to learn before we leave, but we will have learned much more when we return,” said head coach Gloria Coughlin.

Before testing their hand abroad the players need to work hard to contend against other competitive teams. The Cyclones have seven new players who need to develop skill fundamentals and bond with the four veterans. The four returning players will be called on to bring strong leadership from the opening whistle. Annie Eckroth (Queen of Peace) and Melissa Barber (Oak Lawn) will lead at the left side hitter position while Laura Flerick (Mt. Assisi) and Jill Gamauf (Chicago Christian) need to take control in the middle hitter/blocker position. These veterans know they have huge roles this season on and off the court and they are all ready to “bring it.”

New to the Cyclones this year are Carli Immordino (Richards) as a left side hitter, Isabel Reyes (Eisenhower/DePaul) and Shannon Ott (Oak Lawn) as right side hitters who are playing opposite the new setters Ariana Walls (Queen of Peace) and Dana Long (Evergreen Park/Columbia). Tami Petersen (Tinley Park) joins the team as a defensive specialist and outside hitter. Alicia Krupa (Oak Lawn) will be the new libero, the “free” defensive player who is allowed to enter the game at any time but is not considered a substitution.

Within this hard work are goals to win the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference and make another appearance at the Region IV Final Four. The Cyclones’ season starts at a tournament Aug. 29.

“We have another tough schedule this year, but the best way to learn to play high-level volleyball is to play high-level teams. Wins and losses are just part of this game. The experience we gain as student-athletes and the growth as people are much more important,” Coughlin said. “We all look forward to learning these lessons together as a team.”