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November 14, 2011
Competitive spirit kept Cyclones alive in 2011

From the start it was going to be an uphill battle to match the success of the 2010 Cyclones, but this year's squad stayed competitive all season-long and came one loss shy of advancing to the national championship for the second consecutive year.

Moraine Valley ended their playoff run, and season, on Nov. 5 in the NJCAA Region IV championship match. Although the squad lacked the height vital to the game, the team still saw a 20-win record and second place finish in the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference.

"It's sad to finish with a loss in the regional championship match, but we are happy to have made it that far with the overall height of our team this year," said coach Gloria Coughlin. "Our preview predicted new talent, strong ball handling and a competitive spirit to compensate for the loss of height, and we were who we thought we would be. Our ball handling skills kept us competitive in so many of our matches, coupled with the inner fighting spirit that was a huge factor in our 20-win season."

Sophomores Bianca Hull (Bremen) and Kelly Stack (Sandburg) were both named to the All-Region team and All-Conference first team. Stack and Danielle Donahue (Lockport Central) were named to the Region IV Final Four All-Tournament team for their role in the playoffs. Donahue and Molly Duckwall (Bremen) received a nod to the All-Conference second team.

In addition to the award-winners, several players made huge contributions, including sophomore Allison Pytko (Stagg) and freshmen Colleen Gardner (Mother McAuley), Akane Murao (Japan) and Ashley Cunningham (Eisenhower). The Cyclones also were fortunate to have basketball players Jessica Contant (Stagg) and Raven Phillips (Bloom) join the team and aid in some pivotal wins.

"We knew it was going to be hard to follow the accomplishments of the 2010 season, but we had a great time achieving new goals, making new friends, learning new skills, and making great memories this season," Coughlin said.

November 7, 2011
Cyclones empty tank in finals

It was a big weekend for the Cyclones. The team upset top-seeded Kankakee Community College in the NJCAA Region IV semifinals on Nov. 5 advancing to the championship match. But they lost steam in their final match of the season against Prairie State College and fell in four games.

Moraine Valley played one of their best matches this season with a spectacular come-from-behind win in the fourth set, in large part due to the arm of Danielle Donahue (Lockport Central). She stepped to the serving line with the Cyclones behind 10-21 and served the next 12 serves, including four aces, to take the lead 22-21 and set the tone for that win, which continued the momentum for the match win: 25-17, 17-25, 13-25, 25-22, 15-12.

The two outside hitters, Kelly Stack (Sandburg) and Colleen Gardner (Mother McAuley), led the team with 15 kills apiece. Stack also had 21 digs, notching her 12th double-double of the season in kills-digs plus a block and an ace, giving her a spot on the All-Region Tournament team. Gardner marked her ninth double-double with her 15 kills and 16 digs. Donahue had seven service aces for the match along with 19 good serve receptions and 22 digs. Because of her monster defense in the backcourt, Donahue also got the nod to the All-Region Tournament team. Molly Duckwall (Bremen) was a workhorse assisting in 41 kill points, scoring on four kills of her own and adding a block and an ace serve. "This was our best win this year. We played so well," said coach Gloria Coughlin.

By upsetting Kankakee, the Cyclones advanced to the finals against conference rival Prairie State, a team they had defeated in September. Unfortunately, Moraine Valley had used everything in the tank against the Cavaliers and couldn't muster a win for the regional championship.

It was an anti-climatic match in which the Cyclones lost in four games: 26-24, 19-25, 15-25, 15-25. Bianca Hull (Bremen) and Stack led the team with 10 kills each. Hull marked her 16th double digit kill match and Stack notched her 13th double-double of the season in kills-digs with 17 digs. Gardner added 11 kills and 20 digs for her 10th double-double in kills-digs of the season along with a service ace and solid defense. Donahue continued her domination on defense as libero with 27 digs and 23 good serve receptions while Duckwall had 38 kill assists and five kills. Hull and Stack were named to the All-Region IV team for their performance on the court.

"We didn't have enough in the tank to play through Prairie State's two big middle blockers," Coughlin said. "However, it was a great way to end our season. Every player left everything they had on the court and went down fighting, which is basically a good description of our team for the season; we're fighters."

November 3, 2011
Big win advances Cyclones to semifinals

The Cyclones lengthened their season a bit longer after a big three-game win Nov. 2 over the College of Lake County in the NJCAA Region IV quarterfinal match at home.

Playing without head coach Gloria Coughlin, Moraine Valley was all business as they focused on the win: 25-12, 25-16, 25-19. From the first point of the match the players set the tone with tough serves, combining for 11 aces in the match.

The Cyclones were led by the serve receive and defense of Kelly Stack (Sandburg), Colleen Gardner (Mother McAuley) and Danielle Donahue (Lockport Central). Stack hit for 12 kills and had 18 digs while Gardner had 13 kills and 12 digs. Donahue was flawless on defense, digging up 26 without an error. Top player Bianca Hull (Bremen) was back in the lineup after an injury sidelined her for a couple of matches, and she hit a whopping .400 for the match. "We were happy to have her back and glad she didn't have to end her Moraine Valley career with an injury. Our athletics trainer Geoff Davis did a great job getting her back in action so soon," said assistant coach Donna Zidek.

With this win the Cyclones advanced to the Region IV semifinal match against Kankakee Community College on Saturday, Nov. 5, in Grayslake.

October 31, 2011
Cyclones fall before playoffs

Playing at less than full strength, the Cyclones faltered Oct 28 and lost at home to Lincoln Land Community College: 19-25, 25-17, 16-25, 25-20, 13-15.

Both teams were battling injuries and were not at full capacity. Moraine Valley struggled offensively the first game, only hitting for five kills while making nine errors. They turned that around the second game, hitting for nine kills and committing only four errors. The fourth game saw a tie at 18 when Allison Pytko (Stagg) went on a scoring spree, hitting three kills and serving two aces to end the game. By the fifth game the Cyclones lost steam and trailed the entire time. With the score at 10-13, libero Kelly Stack (Sandburg) served an ace and hit two kills out of the back row, but it wasn't enough as Lincoln Land hit for a kill to end the match.

Pytko and Jessica Contant (Stagg) were tied with nine kills apiece for the night. Ashley Cunningham (Eisenhower) contributed to the offense, hitting .250 for the match while Molly Duckwall (Bremen) had 39 assists.

"It was a hard fought match and we hope to be back at full strength for the regional match versus Lake County," said assistant coach Donna Zidek.

October 26, 2011
Error-riddled loss for Cyclones

With the Cyclones' starting middle hitter out due to an injury, the team looked anemic Oct. 25 in their loss to Harper College: 16-25, 18-25, 19-25.

The team had 16 hitting errors, nine serving errors and 13 digging errors that never gave them a true chance to get into this match. Colleen Gardner (Mother McAuley) was the bright spot with smart hitting. She scored on 14 attacks to go with two aces and seven digs. Allison Pytko (Stagg) added six kills and an ace.

"Harper is good, tall and talented, and we knew it was going to be a rough outing. However, we never got ourselves going in this match," said coach Gloria Coughlin.

October 24, 2011
Cyclones split conference tourney

It was a split weekend for the Cyclones, as the team came out 2-2 and finished in third place in the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference Tournament, Oct. 22-23.

Moraine Valley started off strong in their first match against Elgin Community College, ending with a win: 25-21, 30-32, 25-16, 27-29, 15-13. Bianca Hull (Bremen) led the team with 17 kills and three blocks followed by Colleen Gardner (Mother McAuley) with 13 kills, two service aces and 17 digs for her sixth double-double of the season in kills-digs.

The second match with McHenry County College didn't go as well as the Cyclones lost in four: 25-27, 22-25, 26-24, 16-25. Gardner was the team leader in kills with 10 and 16 digs for her seventh double-double. Kelly Stack (Sandburg) followed with nine kills, a service ace and 13 digs. Danielle Donahue (Lockport Central) added 17 digs while Molly Duckwall (Bremen) dished out 38 assists.

Feeling the sting of their previous defeat, the Cyclones were then defeated by Prairie State College: 23-25, 19-25, 23-25. Stack was the hot hitter with 11 kills and added three aces and 25 digs for her 10th double-double of the season. Hull added six kills and four blocks for points.

By the final match, Moraine Valley had gathered enough steam to defeat College of Lake County: 25-18, 25-15, 25-19. This match saw an even distribution of sets for kills with Stack scoring on nine swings. Allison Pytko (Stagg) and Gardner pitched in seven more each followed by Hull with six and Ashley Cunningham (Eisenhower) adding four of her own. Duckwall assisted in 31 kills. Donahue was on her 'A' game with solid defense. A nasty collision at the net in the third set brought down middle attacker Hull, with a high ankle sprain that may end her season with the Cyclones.

October 13, 2011
Cyclones fall to Wolves

The Cyclones played another competitive match against a skilled and quick team from Joliet Junior College on Oct. 12, but couldn't step up their game and inevitably lost in four: 20-25, 19-25, 25-23, 16-25.

"We matched up very evenly in our serve receive and defensive skills, but our hitting percentage was low and serving was not as tough as it needed to be to beat another ball-handling type team," said coach Gloria Coughlin.

Both Bianca Hull (Bremen) and Colleen Gardner (Mother McAuley) notched seven kills each with Hull scoring on five blocks for kills and a service ace. Gardner was strong in the back court with her receptions and 15 digs. Raven Phillips (Bloom) helped out at the net with five blocks, and Danielle Donahue (Lockport Central) aced two serves for points in her 15 serves and picked up 18 digs. Kelly Stack (Sandburg) played with a chipped bone in her right hand and still was a force at the service line with four aces and was strong on defense with 17 digs, seven kills and a block. Molly Duckwall (Bremen) assisted on 29 kills and added nine digs and a block.

October 10, 2011
Cyclones drop three in tourney

It was a tough weekend for the Cyclones Oct. 8 as they dropped all three of their matches in the Harper College Tournament.

Moraine Valley was defeated first by Rock Valley College: 22-25, 21-25, 21-25. Kelly Stack (Sandburg) led the team with 11 kills and 10 digs for her eighth double-double of the season in kills-digs. Bianca Hull (Bremen) followed with nine kills and five blocks. Rock Valley was a skilled and strong team in every spot, just too much for the Cyclones at the pin positions.

In the second match, the Cyclones lost to another tall and talented team in Carl Sandburg: 20-25, 17-25, 26-28. Although ahead in each of these three sets, Moraine Valley could not sustain the momentum and lost points at the end. Stack again led the team with nine kills while Hull added seven kills and four blocks. Danielle Donahue (Lockport Central) was strong as libero with two service aces and 18 digs.

By the third match Moraine Valley had trouble in defense and lost in four sets to Harper College: 18-25, 16-25, 25-20, 19-25. Hull notched her 14th double digit kill match of the season with 10 kills and six blocks, but the team struggled to block Harper's big left-side hitters. Stack added nine kills and 18 digs, and Colleen Gardner (Mother McAuley) pitched in seven points in attack kills plus a block and an ace serve. Molly Duckwall (Bremen) distributed 33 assists.

For their performance, Stack and Gardner were named to the Harper Invitational All-Tournament Team.

October 7, 2011
Cyclones make short work of Oakton

In less than an hour, the Cyclones were able to defeat Oakton Community College. Moraine Valley showed their strength Oct. 6 in the win over three sets: 25-10, 25-16, 25-11.

Colleen Gardner led the Cyclones with 12 kills and 18 digs while Bianca Hull (Bremen) and Kelly Stack (Sandburg) followed right behind her with 10 kills apiece. Stack also notched 11 digs. Danielle Donahue (Lockport Central) was strong in defense with 15 digs, and Akane Murao (Japan) served 22 goods serves with her 16 digs.

October 5, 2011
Cyclones attack for win

The night was full of attacks from Moraine Valley, particularly player Bianca Hull (Bremen), who helped her team defeat Morton College on Oct. 4 in four: 25-22, 22-25, 25-15, 25-13.

Hull pounded out 17 kills of 32 swings and added two blocks, a service ace and three digs for the night. Kelly Stack (Sandburg) added her own nine kills and two aces to go with her 20 digs while Colleen Gardner (Mother McAuley) pitched in six kills and four aces along with 22 digs. Danielle Donahue (Lockport Central) continues to show her strength in the libero position by passing serves well and digging 17 attacks. Molly Duckwall (Bremen) dished out 39 assists in the cause.

September 29, 2011
Domination by 'Clones

The Cyclones dominated an otherwise weak Malcolm X College team on Sept. 28 in three sets: 25-5, 25-8, 25-6.

Twenty-eight service aces as a team tells this story. Kelly Stack (Sandburg) led the team in aces with 10 and added four kills and five digs. Also scoring at the service line were Danielle Donahue (Lockport Central) with five, Meghan Lyons (Marist) with four, and Jessica Contant (Stagg) with three plus three kills from the front court. Bianca Hull (Bremen) led the team in kills with seven while Molly Duckwall (Bremen) had 16 assists.

September 28, 2011
Cyclones fall off track

Match highlights were few and far between for Moraine Valley as they left their game faces at home Sept. 27 and lost in three to McHenry County College: 23-25, 20-25, 17-25.

Bianca Hull (Bremen) had the only offensive performance on the court with nine kills and one block. The Cyclones made a myriad of errors from the service line to the attack line and back on defense. Coach Gloria Coughlin is putting the team back to work in practice to get back on track.

September 23, 2011
Cyclones outplay Bulldogs

The Cyclones were in top form Sept. 22 with a three-set win over South Suburban College: 25-19, 25-14, 27-25.

Bianca Hull (Bremen) and Kelly Stack (Sandburg) led the offense by both racking up 12 kills with Hull adding three block kills and Stack playing her usual tough defense with 31 digs, notching her fifth double-double of the season in kills-digs. For Hull, it was her 11th match of the season hitting double digits in kills.

Also a force on the night was Allison Pytko (Stagg) hitting out of the middle with four kills. She also added four service aces with her aggressive kill from the back court to end the match at 27-25. Danielle Donahue (Lockport Central) was once again strong as the libero with 15 good serve receptions and 26 digs plus two ace serves. Molly Duckwall (Bremen) was busy setting for 140 attacks, distributing 34 kill assists.

September 21, 2011
Cyclones knocked down

Injuries and an overmatched defense were the culprits in the Cyclones' loss Sept. 20 to Waubonsee Community College in four: 21-25, 25-23, 15-25, 20-25.

Kelly Stack (Sandburg) led the team with 17 kills and marked her fourth double-double of the season in kills-digs with 28 digs. Stack carried the team offensively and defensively adding 24 good serve receptions and 16 service points, including an ace serve. Bianca Hull (Bremen) was held to nine kills but blocked three attacks for points and served three aces. Another injury, this time to middle blocker Raven Phillips (Bloom), required some shifting of players, and Allison Pytko (Stagg) stepped in to notch five kills for the Cyclones.

"Waubonsee has two very good middle hitters to go with an athletic setter, and we struggled to take good swings at them," said coach Gloria Coughlin. "We also had difficulty defending against a fast and efficient middle attack."

September 19, 2011
Tri-match no problem for 'Clones

The Cyclones faced two NJCAA Region IV foes Sept. 16 at a tri-match and got the best of both of them.

The first match was a win over College of DuPage: 25-19, 25-5, 25-9. This was one of the best serving performances of the season with the Cyclones scoring on 18 service aces. College of DuPage did not have an answer for the aggressive serves or Kelly Stack's (Sandburg) smart attacking. She scored on 10 kills to go with her five service aces, and Bianca Hull (Bremen) had seven kills and three aces. Other players scoring at the service line were Akane Murao (Japan) with three aces and six digs, Danielle Donahue (Lockport Central) with four aces and nine digs and Meghan Lyons (Marist) who scored on five service aces and added four digs. Molly Duckwall (Bremen) distributed 23 kill assists.

Oakton Community College proved to be a tougher match, but Moraine Valley prevailed in four: 19-25, 25-15, 25-15, 25-21. Stack notched her second double-double of the season in kills-digs with 18 kills and 27 digs. Due to an ankle injury in a previous game Colleen Gardner (Mother McAuley) was out, but the team did not miss a beat. Stack is hitting in the left side pin position and Donahue moved into the libero position, scoring two kills and adding 17 digs. Hull added nine kills, three blocks and an ace while Allison Pytko (Stagg) pitched in seven kills and a block. Duckwall scored four kills herself and dished out 41 kill assists.

"This was a good opportunity for us to see Oakton up close before we meet them in our regular conference season match on Oct. 6. They will improve in some areas and we will as well, so it will be another good matchup for these two conference foes," said coach Gloria Coughlin.

September 14, 2011
Quick switch doesn't deter Cyclones

The Cyclones maintained their unblemished Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference record with a win Sept. 13 over Elgin Community College. Moraine Valley won in four: 21-25, 25-23, 25-23, 25-19.

At the start of the match Colleen Gardner (Mother McAuley) had an unfortunate mishap and sprained her ankle. With a new lineup the team was out of sorts and not mentally engaged in the first part of that match, however, they worked through the change and came out with the big win.

Kelly Stack (Sandburg) moved from libero to left side hitter and Danielle Donahue (Lockport Central) stepped into the white shirt for the last set of the match, both playing well. Stack led the team in kills with 10 and also marked her first season double-double in kills-digs with 29. Bianca Hull (Bremen) continued to be productive at the net with nine kills and four blocks. Molly Duckwall (Bremen) distributed 35 kill assists and added an ace serve and a block for a point. Raven Phillips (Bloom) was a defensive force at the net notching five blocks.

September 12, 2011
'Clones grab two wins in tourney

The Cyclones surged over the .500 mark Sept. 10 after winning both matches in the Highland Community College Tri-Match.

In their first match against Highland Community College the Cyclones won in four: 25-18, 25-16, 19-25, 27-25. Bianca Hull (Bremen) and Colleen Gardner (Mother McAuley) carried the offense with 17 and 14 kills, respectively. Hull added two blocks and seven digs while Gardner notched her third double-double of the season with 13 digs and 14 kills. Kelly Stack (Sandburg) was her usual dominant back court player with six kills, 19 receptions and 25 digs. Danielle Donahue (Lockport Central) was also efficient in the back row with nine receptions and 11 digs. Molly Duckwall (Bremen) dished out 51 assists in addition to her two kills and block. Allison Pytko (Stagg) and Ashley Cunningham (Eisenhower) each scored six points on attacks.

In their second game, the Cyclones battled fatigue, heat and soreness from a grueling week to upset a tall, strong and athletic Clinton Community College: 25-20, 23-25, 25-19, 20-25, 15-7. Gardner used every ounce of energy and strength she had to notch 18 kills, 20 receptions and 18 digs for a fourth double-double. Cunningham came up big with 13 kills of 24 swings to take some of the offensive pressure off Hull who had 12 kills, four blocks and three service aces. Pytko hit well from the left pin especially in the fifth set to finish out the match with nine kills and seven digs. Stack and Donahue were beasts in the back court with a combined 45 receptions in addition to 27 and 13 digs, respectively. Duckwall made great setting decisions in this battle and assisted on 54 kills.

"We are tired, hurt and sore, but continue to improve across the board and will be ready for our Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference foe, Elgin Community College, on Tuesday," said coach Gloria Coughlin.

September 9, 2011
'Clones top Pioneers

The Cyclones looked strong Sept. 8 as they defeated Prairie State College in four sets: 25-20, 15-25, 25-19, 25-19.

Bianca Hull (Bremen) led the Cyclones with 12 kills of 29 swings with only one error, hitting an impressive .379. She also had three blocks for points and a service ace. Both Allison Pytko (Stagg) and Colleen Gardner (Mother McAuley) added nine kills each with Gardner notching 14 digs as well. Kelly Stack (Sandburg) was big once again on defense with 25 digs and 18 serve receptions while Danielle Donahue (Lockport Central) helped out defensively with 14 receptions and 15 digs. Molly Duckwall (Bremen) distributed 29 kill assists.

September 8, 2011
Cyclones outsized by Cavaliers

Size was the culprit of the Cyclones' loss on Sept. 7 to Kankakee Community College in four well-fought sets: 21-25, 25-22, 25-27, 21-25.

Moraine Valley played in top form, especially on defense and serves, but was outsized in every position. Kelly Stack (Sandburg) was outstanding on defense as the libero, notching 51 digs and passing 19 good serves to tack on to her eight kills out of the back court. Colleen Gardner (Mother McAuley) led the team offensively with 16 kills plus two aces and 12 digs to mark her second double-double of the season. Bianca Hull (Bremen) added nine kills and three aces to go along with Danielle Donahue's (Lockport Central) four aces and 10 digs.

"We need a little more fire power and a little more fight for these kind of games. A little more size wouldn't hurt either," said coach Gloria Coughlin.

September 6, 2011
Cyclones learn from tough tourney

The Cyclones remained positive after going 1-4 at the Owens Community College Tournament in Ohio, Sept. 2-3. It was challenging competition to set the team up for the rest of the season.

In the first match, Mott Community College defeated Moraine Valley in three sets: 19-25, 18-25, 14-25. It was a rough start on Friday afternoon against a talented Mott team. Four first year players: Colleen Gardner (Mother McAuley), Raven Phillips (Bloom), Jessica Contant (Stagg), and Ashley Cunningham (Eisenhower) each contributed four kills with sophomore Bianca Hull (Bremen) adding three kills and four blocks of her own. Kelly Stack (Sandburg) was tough on defense with 20 digs and Molly Duckwall (Bremen) dished out 21 assists.

Moraine Valley battled in their second match against St. Clair Community College, narrowly losing three: 22-25, 23-25, 24-26. The Cyclones played much better in the second match of the day and played well against a Michigan team that outsized them in every position. There was some strong ball handling and touch serving that kept Moraine Valley in this match. Hull played tremendous ball with 14 kills, three blocks and five digs while Gardner notched nine kills, 12 digs, a block for a point, and an ace serve. Stack was busy in the back court with 22 digs while Duckwall set 32 kill assists.

Saturday morning gave the Cyclones fresh arms, fresh legs and a fresh outlook that helped them win in five�25-18, 16-25, 22-25, 26-24, 15-11�over Jackson Community College that lasted a full two hours. Hull led the team with 15 kills, hitting an amazing .333 kill percentage over the five sets along with three blocks and five digs. Gardner notched the first double-double of her college career with 11 kills and 19 digs. Stack was not only stellar in defense with 24 digs and 28 receptions, but also made an offensive impact with nine kills out of the backcourt with two service aces. Danielle Donahue (Lockport Central) was also strong in defense adding three service aces, 14 digs and 26 receptions. Duckwall distributed 43 assists.

The match with Jackson took a toll on the young Cyclones as they had to face a big and physical Kellogg Community College team that won in three straight sets: 20-25, 20-25, 15-25. Hull led the team with 11 kills while Contant and Stack added five kills apiece. Stack also scored three points at the service line and added 23 digs.

A tired Cyclones team took the court for the third time on Saturday and fell to Lansing Community College to end their tournament run: 16-25, 19-25, 20-25. With nothing left in the tank, Gardner led the team with six kills and 12 digs while Stack added four kills, two aces and 21 digs.

"The Owens Invitational was a great tournament with over 20 top teams from around the country competing in the facility that will host the NJCAA Division II national tournament this November," said coach Gloria Coughlin. "We met great competition that helped us prepare for our Skyway Conference and NJCAA Region IV play this season."

September 2, 2011
Cyclones dominate in first conference match

In their first match of conference play Sept. 1 the Cyclones showed their dominance by taking three from College of Lake County: 25-14, 25-14, 25-18.

Danielle Donahue (Lockport Central) had seven service aces of her 13 serves. Kelly Stack (Sandburg) also was tough at the service line, scoring on five of her 13 serves. Bianca Hull (Bremen) led the team in attacks with nine kills followed by Colleen Gardner (Mother McAuley) with seven.

August 29, 2011
Cyclones learn from first tourney

There's still a lot of work to be done after the Cyclones' first tournament of the season, but they are optimistic after a 3-2 overall finish at the College of DuPage Invitational, Aug. 26-27.

The first match for Moraine Valley was a defeat by Harper College: 15-25 and 14-25. First match jitters may have been a small factor in the loss to a very talented Harper squad that had solid pin attackers (hitters at each antenna) presenting a challenge to the Cyclones at this early stage. Bianca Hull (Bremen) led the team with five kills while freshman Colleen Gardner (Mother McAuley) added four kills and 11 digs.

With first game nerves settled and growing more comfortable as a team, Moraine Valley went on to defeat Illinois Valley: 25-12, 25-23. The Cyclones notched a team total 18 kills, 10 service aces and four blocks. Returning libero Kelly Stack (Sandburg) and left-side hitter Gardner led the team with four kills each and added 10 and nine digs, respectively, with Stack scoring three more points on service aces. Defensive specialist, Danielle Donahue (Lockport Central), was strong on defense with nine digs and three points by service aces. Setter Molly Duckwall (Bremen) distributed 16 assists and added four aces of her own.

The Cyclones continued their momentum by defeating St. Louis Community College, Florissant Valley: 25-22, 25-15. This second win was a good matchup of skilled ball handlers on both teams. Hull led with 10 kills and three service aces, followed by a balanced attack from Gardner, Stack and Jessica Contant (Stagg) with three kills each. More tough serving came from Gardner, who had four aces, and Duckwall, who added three aces to her 21 kill assists.

In their third consecutive win, Moraine Valley defeated Lake Michigan College: 25-22, 25-23. Lake Michigan College is always a well coached, feisty team that doesn't make a lot of mistakes, but the Cyclones battled for the win with Hull dominating the net with 12 kills, hitting at a .357 kill percentage. Contant added six kills, and both Gardner and Stack pitched in with five kills apiece. Stack led the defense with 19 digs while Duckwall dished out 28 assists. "The team was showing growth with every match and worked very hard for this win," said coach Gloria Coughlin.

After bouncing back from their initial loss, the Cyclones were eliminated in the semi finals in a three-set match against Vincennes University: 19-25, 25-21, 11-25. Hull led the team with 10 kills and Contant followed with seven. Stack notched 20 digs while Duckwall had 24 assists. "Although it was a good match, we needed a little more fire power to take down a strong Vincennes team," Coughlin said. "All in all we have much to do, but we are encouraged by what we saw this weekend."

August 24, 2011
Last year's champs looking to strength of newcomers

Cyclones volleyball fans will see a new and different team on the court in 2011 as only two of the seven starters from last year's Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference and NJCAA Region IV championship squad return to the lineup. A total of five players from last season return to become the new court leaders. Replacing those athletes creates quite a challenge, but also brings new blood, talent and excitement to the court.

The Cyclones had a stellar run last year, going nearly two months without a loss and topping both the conference and Region IV which led to the national tournament where they finished in 13th place. From that starting lineup are the 2010 All-Region and All-Conference libero Kelly Stack (Sandburg) along with All-Conference middle hitter Bianca Hull (Bremen), both of whom return for their second season. Both players competed in the national championship and will bring their high-level playing experience to the 2011 squad. Returning defensive specialist, Danielle Donahue (Lockport Central), will continue to score service points as well as solidify the defense in the center back position. Also returning is Molly Duckwall (Bremen) taking over the helm as setter, and Allison Pytko (Stagg) who will play in both the middle and outside hitter positions.

Joining the Cyclones this year are outside hitter Colleen Gardner (Mother McAuley) plus Akane Murao (Osaka, Japan) and Ashley Cunningham (Eisenhower) who should help out on the right side in the opposite position. Taking a short break from the Cyclones women's basketball team are Jessica Contant (Stagg) hitting on the left side and Raven Phillips (Bloom) protecting the net as a middle blocker. Meghan Lyons (Marist) will make her contributions as setter and Melissa Bender (Evergreen Park) will add to the outside. With a number of newcomers on the scene, the team will rely on the experience of the veterans to carry some of the weight.

"At first glance, fans will see that we lost some height in the off season, but we are very excited about the fresh new talent, strong ball handling skills and competitive spirit that we gained," said head coach Gloria Coughlin. "Every season is new, different and fun. I look forward to it."

Join the Cyclones in their first home match of the season against College of Lake County on Thursday, Sept. 1 at 6 p.m. in the Cyclones Center.

2011 Season

Season Record: 20-19
Conference Record: 7-4

All-Region IV team: Bianca Hull (Bremen) and Kelly Stack (Sandburg)
All-Region IV Tournament team: Danielle Donahue (Lockport Central) and Stack
All-Conference first team: Hull and Stack
All-Conference second team: Molly Duckwall (Bremen) and Donahue
All-Conference Tournament team: Donahue, Hull and Stack

*Denotes Conference Game

2010 Season

*2010 Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference Champions

NJCAA Division II All American second team- Rachel Levitt (Lyons Township)
All-Region IV Tournament team- Levitt, Kelly Stack (McAuley/Sandburg)
All-Region IV first team- Levitt, Stack, Carli Immordino (Richards), and Katie Yacko (Oak Lawn)
All-Region IV Coach of the Year- Gloria Coughlin
All-Conference Tournament team- Levitt, Stack, Yacko, and Bianca Hull (Bremen)
All-Conference first team- Levitt, Stack and Yacko
All-Conference second team- Hull and Immordino
Conference Player of the Year- Levitt
Conference Coach of the Year- Coughlin

Season Record: 34-8
Conference Record: 11-0

*Denotes Conference Game

December 10, 2010
Volleyball assistant coach receives national honor

The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) has named Moraine Valley volleyball assistant coach Donna Zidek the 2010 AVCA Two-Year Colleges National Assistant Coach of the Year.

Zidek has been an assistant coach at Moraine Valley since 2004 and was influential in this year's program, which boasted a 34-8 overall record and included a 25-match win streak. Zidek helped the Cyclones capture the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference title with an 11-0 record, win the NJCAA Division II Region IV championship and finish 13th at the NJCAA Division II National tournament. When not at Moraine Valley, Zidek lends her coaching talent to the Celtic Force Volleyball Club.

"Much of our success as a team is due to the knowledge, dedication and attention to detail that Donna brings every day. It is a privilege to work with her in a job that we both love," said head volleyball coach Gloria Coughlin.

The AVCA will present Zidek's award Dec. 16 at the 2010 Jostens Coaches Honors Luncheon in Kansas City, Mo.

"Quality assistant coaches are hard to come by. We are very fortunate to have one of the nation's best in Donna Zidek. She knows how to coach and motivate the college-aged women and is a master at teaching skill work and team principles. She definitely earned this honor," said athletic director Bill Finn.

November 29, 2010
Cyclones finish winning season in nationals

The journey was long, nearly three months, but the results of the Moraine Valley volleyball season speak to the level of talent on the 2010 squad.

"It was a very good road. The 2010 season was indeed the road we had hoped for, worked for and thoroughly enjoyed along the way. We knew from our off-season recruiting and preseason training that we had the tools to build a competitive team. We learned that we had the character to compliment the skills we developed as the season progressed," said coach Gloria Coughlin.

The Cyclones started the season off right with a 25-win streak that lasted nearly two months. Not only did the Cyclones top the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference, but they also were NJCAA Region IV champs and earned a trip to the national tournament Nov. 17-19, something not done in Coughlin's roughly 20-year tenure as head coach at Moraine Valley. Although the Cyclones lost both matches against tough teams at nationals, they earned their right to play with the best in the country and fought in each set for a worthwhile experience, finishing 13th in the tournament.

At the season's onset, the coaches anticipated strong play from returning outside hitter Carli Immordino (Richards), who certainly fulfilled expectations finishing the season with 335 kills and being named to the All-Region IV first team and All-Conference second team. At the other pin was Rachel Levitt (Lyons Township), who surpassed expectations finishing the season with 446 kills, a kill percentage of .356 and going 14 matches with double-doubles in kills and digs. She was named Conference Player of the Year as well as selected to the NJCAA Division II All American second team, and All-Region and All-Conference first teams. In September she was named an NJCAA Division II Player of the Week.

Middle hitters Bianca Hull (Bremen) and Shannon Ott (Oak Lawn) made definite impacts on the team's net play, combining for 368 kills and 157 blocks. Hull was given the nod to the All-Conference second team. Donna Killeen (Marist) also was a big contributor at the left side with 302 kills of her own. Allison Pytko (Stagg) was a total team player, coming off the bench in several matches to help out the hitters.

All the Cyclones hitters were productive thanks to a solid back court play by all the defensive players Alicia Krupa (Oak Lawn), Katie Fitzer (Queen of Peace), Isabel Reyes (Eisenhower), and Danielle Donahue (Lockport Central) who combined for 520 digs. Libero Kelly Stack (McAuley/Sandburg) finished the season with 969 digs, ranking her second in the nation for digs per set. Stack was named to the All-Region and All-Conference first teams as well as an NJCAA Player of the Week in October. Serve receive from all these players was excellent, and gave the Cyclones opportunities to take swings at almost everything that came across the net.

Creating those opportunities for swings came from the setting prowess of Molly Duckwall (Bremen) and Katie Yacko (Oak Lawn). Every day in practice the duo sacrificed their hearts, souls and bodies to get to every pass and dig to distribute sets for Moraine Valley hitters to attack, Coughlin said. They worked extremely hard to prepare for game days, and it showed in total kill percentage as a team and also in their individual stats. Yacko ended the season ranked #4 in the nation in assists per set, totaling 1,362 assists. She also was named to the All-Region and All-Conference first teams.

"Winning was the goal of the season, and win we did. We won 25 matches in a row to start the season, continued being undefeated for regular season conference play, followed by the conference tournament, followed by the Region IV championships. That was an exciting day for all of us to remember as we defeated Kankakee in the championship match, our third win over them this season," Coughlin said. "The NJCAA tournament in the Wisconsin Dells was a wonderful experience for the entire team. We did not fare as well as we had hoped, but the girls absolutely gave everything they had in those matches. We are grateful for the opportunity that we were given to attend as representatives of Moraine Valley, of our region and of our conference. It was a very good road that we will happily travel again, soon."

November 9, 2010
Cyclones earn awards

Several Cyclones received awards for their performance this season. Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference first team honors went to Rachel Levitt (Lyons Township), Kelly Stack (McAuley/Sandburg) and Katie Yacko (Oak Lawn), while Bianca Hull (Bremen) and Carli Immordino (Richards) were named to the second team. Levitt was also the conference player of the year while Gloria Coughlin was coach of the year.

Congrats Cyclones!

November 8, 2010
Cyclones headed to nationals

In her decorated history coaching the Cyclones, Gloria Coughlin had yet to inch past the NJCAA Region IV Division II Final Four and into the national championship, but on Nov. 6 her team did just that.

In a year of hard work that included an Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference championship and tournament title, the Cyclones didn't falter when it counted. They defeated powerhouses Kankakee Community College and College of Lake County to top the Region.

It took four hard-fought sets with College of Lake County in the first game. After a sluggish start, losing 24-26, Moraine Valley put it together and made the necessary adjustments to win the next three sets: 25-15, 26-24 and 25-18. Pin hitters put up significant numbers as Donna Killeen (Marist) led the team at the left pin with 16 kills, hitting .340, and Rachel Levitt (Lyons Township) added 14 kills at the right pin hitting .310 along with a block, two aces and 14 digs. Carli Immordino (Richards) added 12 more kills from the left plus two aces. The middle hitters held their own with both Shannon Ott (Oak Lawn) and Bianca Hull (Bremen) scoring on seven swings. Kelly Stack (McAuley/Sandburg) scored four times at the service line and dug 54 hits. Katie Yacko (Oak Lawn) assisted on 51 kills and also was strong on defense with 15 digs.

For the championship match, Moraine Valley faced rival Kankakee Community College and won in four: 18-25, 25-18, 25-22, and 30-28. "This was a tough battle from the start with Kankakee playing very well trying for the third time this season to beat us and also to squash our goal of advancing to the NJCAA national championships. It was not to be done," Coughlin said. "We fought, as we have all season, to make adjustments on offense and defense and serve aggressively to force Kankakee to take swings that we could control on defense. As it shows in the score of the fourth set, 30-28, neither team wanted it to end. A gutsy jump serve from Levitt at match point forced the Cavaliers to make a poor pass into the net and they could not save it."
Levitt was huge on offense in the front court as well as the back court and led the team with 18 kills, three blocks, three aces, and 16 digs, getting her 14th double-double in kills-digs. Killeen was tough with 11 kills, a block and nine digs. In a balanced offense, middle hitter Hull added nine kills, two blocks and eight digs along with Ott's eight kills and two blocks in addition to seven kills from Immordino.

"We could not have won this Regional championship without the setting of Yacko, who distributed 49 assists and dug 11 hits. It also took some great back court defense from Stack with her 27 digs and 26 good passes off serves plus adding two points on kills and three more on aces. Danielle Donahue (Lockport Central) and Katie Fitzer (Queen of Peace) also were incredibly tough on defense with 12 and eight digs, respectively, and 30 great passes between them on serve receive. We can't kill what we don't pass. It was a total team effort," Coughlin said.

For their performance in the Region IV tournament, Levitt and Stack were named to the All-Tournament team. All-Region first team nods went to Levitt, Stack, Yacko, and Immordino. Coughlin was named Region IV Coach of the Year, but she gives much credit to her assistant coach, Donna Zidek.

"It was so rewarding to see the joy and happiness on our players' faces, realizing that we accomplished this wonderful goal of being Region champs! Many of our players have not been in huge matches like these. We had so much fun battling for the win. We are all very excited to participate in the national tournament, and we all look forward to more battles on the courts," Coughlin said.

The Cyclones now are in preparation mode for the NJCAA tournament Nov. 17-19 in the Wisconsin Dells.

November 4, 2010
Cyclones in Final Four

The mighty Cyclones will continue their season in the NJCAA Region IV Division II Final Four after a quarter-final win at home Nov. 3 over Morton College: 25-11, 25-11, 25-9.

The Cyclones came ready to play. Collectively the team had a kill percentage of .567, striking 43 sets for kills with only five hitting errors in the match. Both left side hitters, Carli Immordino (Richards) and Donna Killeen (Marist), were unstoppable as they led the team with 11 kills each. Rachel Levitt (Lyons Township) added eight kills, two blocks and two aces to go along with middle hitters Bianca Hull (Bremen) and Shannon Ott (Oak Lawn) who scored on six swings each. Cyclones middles were also strong defensively with Hull and Ott blocking five and three times, respectively. Immordino added three aces and Allison Pytko (Stagg) came off the bench to score three of her own aces. Katie Yacko (Oak Lawn) delivered 30 assists and Kelly Stack (McAuley/Sandburg) recorded 21 digs.

The Cyclones play College of Lake County on Nov. 6 at 10 a.m., and the winner of that match competes at 2 p.m. Whichever team conquers the day will head to the national tournament Nov. 17-19.

November 1, 2010
Rare loss for Cyclones

It could be a slight break down in a long season, or just a blip in the radar for the Cyclones who had a rare loss Oct. 29, this time to Lincoln Land Community College: 25-23, 21-25, 20-25, 25-12, 10-15.

Rachel Levitt (Lyons Township) and Donna Killeen (Marist) each scored on 14 kills with Levitt adding three blocks, a service ace and 10 digs for her 12th double-double of the season in kills-digs. Carli Immordino (Richards) notched her sixth double-double with 10 kills and 10 digs. Katie Yacko (Oak Lawn) had 50 kill assists and 16 blocks while Kelly Stack (Oak Lawn) served three aces and added four kills and 41 digs.

"The Cyclones offense sputtered a bit tonight and let a well-coached Lincoln Land team come in and beat us," said coach Gloria Coughlin. "We needed to take care of the little things on our court. We'll look to tighten up our passing, setting and attacking during practice this week to be prepared for Region IV playoffs."

October 27, 2010
Player of the Week in NJCAA

For the second time this season, a Cyclones has been named NJCAA Player of the Week. This time libero Kelly Stack (Oak Lawn) received the honor for the week ending Oct. 24. Stack is ranked number two in the NJCAA Division II in digs/sets with 784 digs and an average 6.83 digs/sets. Over the Oct. 23 weekend she logged a combined 13 kills, eight aces and 157 digs in the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference tournament where she was also named to the All-Tournament team. "Kelly proved why defensive specialists have a role in the sport," said coach Gloria Coughlin.

In other national rankings, Katie Yacko (Oak Lawn) was ranked third in assists per set with an average of 10.10, and Rachel Levitt (Lyons Township) was 16th in kills per set, averaging 3.47.

October 25, 2010
Tourney winners at home

As hosts of the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference Tournament Oct. 23-24, the stakes were higher for the Cyclones. However, Moraine Valley swept their opponents to maintain an unblemished conference record as conference champs.

"We defeated all our opponents and kept the awards here in our building. Being undefeated conference champs is a great achievement and we are so very proud of all our players," said coach Gloria Coughlin.

In the first match, Moraine Valley defeated College of Lake County: 25-17, 25-12, 25-16. In this quick match, Carli Immordino (Richards) led the team with 15 kills in 30 attempts with 10 digs for her fifth double-double of the season in kills-digs. Rachel Levitt (Lyons Township) hit well with 11 kills followed by Donna Killeen (Marist) with eight kills of 11 swings and no errors. Kelly Stack (McAuley/Sandburg) had 36 digs and Danielle Donahue (Lockport Central) added 19 digs to go with her four aces. Katie Yacko (Oak Lawn) assisted in 41 kill points.

Moraine Valley then defeated McHenry County College in three sets: 25-7, 25-14, 25-17. Levitt was top hitter with 13 kills, four service aces and eight digs. Bianca Hull (Bremen) was also strong with eight kills, no errors in 13 swings and four blocks. Stack was top defender with 25 digs and Yacko assisted in 31 kills.

On Oct. 24 the Cyclones had to play some extra sets to defeat Prairie State College: 25-20, 18-25, 25-16, 21-25, 15-10. "This was the match of the weekend, with Prairie State bringing everything they had to halt our success," Coughlin said. "We relied on Levitt to keep us in the match offensively, as she hit an awesome .330 with 17 kills."

Levitt also added three blocks, six service aces and 15 digs for her 11th double-double of the season in kills-digs. Middle hitters Hull, who notched 10 kills and seven blocks, and Shannon Ott (Oak Lawn), who had seven kills and three blocks, were key to this win. Killeen battled for nine kills to help in the cause. Defensively, Stack was on top of her game with a season high 59 digs, 30 perfect serve receptions, four kills and two aces. Donahue helped out defensively as well with another 16 digs. Yacko matched her season high in assists at 46 and added three kills of her own with 12 digs.

To close out the tournament, Moraine Valley defeated number two seed Waubonsee Community College: 25-12, 25-17, 25-13. Immordino led the team with 11 kills, and Levitt followed right behind with 10 kills in just 14 swings, two blocks and three service aces. Ott and Killeen each added six kills. Stack was tough with 22 digs, three kills and an ace while Yacko distributed 33 assists in this championship match.

For their efforts over the weekend, Levitt, Stack, Yacko, and Hull were named to the Skyway All-Tournament team.

"There is a tremendous amount of work to prepare and present this tournament. The entire Athletic Department along with the players and coaches did a marvelous job hosting, as we received dozens of compliments on our campus, our facilities and our hospitality. In talking to our players prior to the tournament, I compared this to getting ready for a big family party. We wanted our house to be clean and all the food prepared and ready to serve so that when the guests arrive (our seven opponents), we could relax and enjoy the party, which for us was to just think about volleyball," Coughlin said. "It was indeed a great tournament. We cleaned up and had a great time. Now we start to prepare for the Region IV playoffs in which we host Morton College on Nov. 3."

October 22, 2010
Sophomores make team proud

The Cyclones highlighted their sophomores before their home game Oct. 21, but quickly went to business, defeating Harper College in four sets: 23-25, 25-14, 25-22, 25-18.

Carli Immordino (Richards) led the team with 14 kills and three blocks, followed by Donna Killeen (Marist) with 11 kills and eight digs. Rachel Levitt (Lyons Township) and Bianca Hull (Bremen) each added eight kills with Hull playing big at the net with eight blocks in addition to two service aces for a total of 18 points scored in the match. Kelly Stack (McAuley/Sandburg) dug up 32 balls along with her two kills and an ace. Danielle Donahue (Lockport Central) served a hat-trick of aces as part of six points from the service line and 10 digs as well. Katie Yacko (Oak Lawn) set a strong match with 43 kill assists, a block, an ace, and 13 digs.

October 18, 2010
'Clones' streak broken

After an incredible 25-game win streak and undefeated record that helped rank them 10th in NJCAA Division II, the Cyclones had their first losses of the season in the Wisconsin Dells tournament this past weekend. Coming out of the tournament with a 1-5 record, the 'Clones fought hard against top NJCAA teams and played well among some of the best teams in the NJCAA Midwest.

In their first match Oct. 14 the Cyclones lost to Owens Community College, Ohio: 25-18, 23-25, 16-25, 21-25. Rachel Levitt (Lyons Township) led the team with 18 kills, two blocks, 16 digs (her sixth double-double in kills/digs) and a service ace. Donna Killeen (Marist) followed with 10 kills, three blocks and six digs. Carli Immordino (Richards) added eight kills and 15 digs. Defensively, Kelly Stack (McAuley/Sandburg) had 25 digs and passed 27 good serve receptions. Setter Katie Yacko (Oak Lawn) dished out 43 assists.

With only a 15-minute break between matches and having suffered their first loss of the season, the Cyclones jumped into their second game against Rock Valley College. For their second match that evening, Moraine Valley lost in three: 16-25, 13-25, 19-25. Levitt led the team again with six kills, a block, an ace, and 10 digs. Both Shannon Ott (Oak Lawn) and Killeen added five kills each while Yacko had 24 assists. "With the short break in between games, we were not fully engaged in this match until it was close to being complete," said coach Gloria Coughlin.

The following morning the Cyclones bounced back to defeat St. Clair County Community College, Michigan: 25-22, 25-23, 25-16. Both Levitt and Immordino were hot that morning with 13 and 11 kills, respectively. Levitt was tough in the back court as well with five good receptions and 12 digs, notching her seventh double-double of the season in kills/digs. Bianca Hull (Bremen) added eight kills and four blocks while Killeen pitched in another seven kills. Stack was her usual workhorse self with 26 digs plus two kills of her own along with Danielle Donahue's (Lockport Central) 14 digs. Yacko played well, distributing 45 kill assists.

In their fourth match of the tournament, the Cyclones put up a good fight, but fell to highly ranked Ridgewater College, Minnesota: 24-26, 25-13, 21-25, 25-15, 11-15. "This was a great fourth match of the tournament for us, and it was Ridgewater's first match of the tournament. They were certainly fresher than we were, but we battled all the way through the fifth set," Coughlin said. Immordino set the bar high with 15 kills and only two errors on 41 swings with four blocks. Levitt was next with 11 kills, six blocks, three service aces and a whopping 33 digs, notching her eighth double-double of the year in kills/digs. Killeen chipped in another nine kills and Stack was tough with 23 digs and two aces. Yacko assisted on 45 kills and had 25 digs as Ridgewater picked on the right side of the Cyclones's court.

On Oct. 16 the Cyclones battled Parkland College, but came up short: 20-25, 22-25, 19-25. "There was not enough offense in this match to keep up with Parkland's big blockers and not enough defense to catch up to their fast middle hitters," Coughlin commented. Levitt led with 11 kills in 21 swings with a block, three aces, and 12 digs. Killeen added six kills while Immordino followed with five kills. Stack served two aces and had 13 digs and Yacko dished out 27 assists.

In their final match of the tournament, Moraine Valley lost to Illinois Central College: 16-25, 15-25, 25-16, 17-25. Immordino and Levitt each had enough arm strength left to score on 11 swings each and both added 10 digs, marking Immordino's fourth and Levitt's 10th double-double of the season in kills/digs. Killeen helped out with eight kills, but after a long weekend it was not enough to get by a tall, athletic Illinois Central team. Yacko set well with 31 assists and four kills of her own while Stack added three kills and 26 digs.

"Overall, it was an awesome experience for us to have the opportunity to play so many talented teams in one weekend," Coughlin said. "Although the team is a bit tired and sore after 22 games, we are that much more seasoned as a team and more experienced as we look ahead to the conference tournament and Region IV playoffs."

October 13, 2010
Conference perfection

Heading into their final Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference game of the year, the Cyclones faced the daunting task of maintaining a perfect record and not only came out spotless, but were conference champions. Moraine Valley soundly defeated the College of Lake County Oct. 12 on their turf in three sets: 25-18, 25-15, 26-24.

Carli Immordino (Richards) was brilliant at the net with 15 kills in 27 swings, hitting .481 with a block, service ace, and 10 digs for her third double-double of the season for kills/digs. Rachel Levitt (Lyons Township) followed with seven kills and nine digs while Shannon Ott (Oak Lawn) helped out with five more kills. Katie Yacko (Oak Lawn) distributed 31 assists along with her two kills, an ace and 16 digs.

The Cyclones finished up regular conference play with a 7-0 record, giving up only two sets out of the possible 21. The team heads to the Wisconsin Dells for an extremely competitive tournament before hosting the Skyway Conference Tournament Oct. 23-24.

This week the Cyclones finally broke the top 10 in the NJCAA Division II polls. After climbing from 18th to 13th to 11th, the undefeated team hit the 10 spot Oct. 13 as they continue to knock out each opponent. The Cyclones are ranked in a division that has more than 120 colleges.
 

October 8, 2010
Conquering 'Clones

Holding ground against four-year colleges, the Cyclones won some close sets against Elmhurst College JV on Oct. 7: 25-15, 25-23, 25-23.

Rachel Levitt (Lyons Township) led the team with 10 kills, a block and four aces while the middle hitters, Bianca Hull (Bremen) and Shannon Ott (Oak Lawn), were strong at the net with seven and five kills, respectively. Together the middle hitters accounted for three blocks while Hull added an ace of her own. Katie Yacko (Oak Lawn) dished out 25 assists and Kelly Stack (McAuley/Sandburg) delivered 15 digs.

October 6, 2010
'Clones move up in national ranks

Maintaining an undefeated record is tough, but the Cyclones continue to win games. As of Oct. 6, they were the only team to hold an unblemished record in the NJCAA Division II poll, where they moved up in the rankings this week from 13th to 11th out of more than 120 colleges.

October 6, 2010
Cyclonic domination

A force to be reckoned with, the Cyclones grabbed their 23rd straight win Oct. 5, overpowering Oakton Community College.

Moraine Valley defeated the Raiders in three sets: 25-13, 25-13, 25-10, with Carli Immordino (Richards) leading the way with 12 kills and four service aces. Rachel Levitt (Lyons Township) was close on her heels with nine kills and two aces. Bianca Hull (Bremen) and Donna (D.J.) Killeen (Marist) each added five kills to aid in the team's sixth conference win. Katie Yacko (Oak Lawn) dished out 32 assists and Kelly Stack (McAuley/Sandburg) passed 23 good receptions and 26 digs.

October 3, 2010
Cyclones fight for two more wins

The Cyclones had their work cut out for them in a triad Oct. 2 with powerhouse Kankakee Community College and a strong Elmhurst College JV team. But once again Moraine Valley outplayed their opponents in some close matches.

In the first match Moraine Valley defeated Kankakee in five tight sets: 25-23, 24-26, 20-25, 25-20, 15-9. Rachel Levitt (Lyons Township) lit up the court with 25 kills, four blocks, an ace and 14 digs, notching her fourth double-double of the year. Carli Immordino (Richards) added 17 kills and 20 digs for her second double-double of the season in kills/digs. Kelly Stack (McAuley/Sandburg) had 28 digs and 22 serve receptions to hold up the back court, in addition to her three kills and three aces. Katie Yacko (Oak Lawn) distributed 56 kill assists while Shannon Ott (Oak Lawn) helped with five blocks and four kills.

"This was a very exciting, hard fought match that pushed us to the edge, but the girls stepped up and got the job done with contributions from everyone," said coach Gloria Coughlin.

In game two the Cyclones defeated Elmhurst JV in four sets: 25-21, 23-25, 25-17, 25-15.

"This was a strong, skilled team that made very few mistakes. It took all we had to play back-to-back after a five-set match with Kankakee," Coughlin said.

The 'Clones remained balanced offensively with Levitt leading the team with 19 kills, six blocks, and 11 digs, giving her a fifth double-double of the season. Donna Killeen (Marist) had 10 kills while Immordino scored on eight kills, two blocks and an ace with 13 digs and tough serves. Bianca Hull (Bremen) pitched in another seven kills and five blocks. Both Stack and Danielle Donahue (Lockport Central) were strong in the back court. Stack had 23 target receptions and 30 digs, while Donahue had 12 digs and 22 target receptions. Yacko was strong with 41 kill assists.

September 30, 2010
Cyclones grab 20th straight win

It's hard to stop the Cyclones, who won their 20th straight game Sept. 29, this time against Triton College: 25-12, 25-17, 25-10.

Donna Killeen (Marist) was team kill leader with nine kills of 17 swings, hitting .411. Bianca Hull (Bremen) followed with seven kills, hitting .428 while Carli Immordino (Richards) scored on six of her 12 attacks as well. Kelly Stack (McAuley/Sandburg) had a season high eight service aces to go with her 10 digs and 24 receptions.

In addition to maintaining their unbeaten streak, one Cyclones was named NJCAA Volleyball Player of the Week Sept. 29 in Division II. Rachel Levitt (Lyons Township) was acknowledged for her big numbers in three games: 45 kills, five blocks, 20 digs, four assists, and 11 aces.

September 29, 2010
Cyclones pounce Panthers

The reliable Cyclones offense was evident Sept. 28 when Moraine Valley faced Morton College at home, winning the match in three: 25-12, 25-11, 25-16.

Bianca Hull (Bremen) had a solid night with 11 kills, two blocks and two service aces. Carli Immordino (Richards) was also hot at the net with nine kills of just 15 swings, hitting .53. Molly Duckwall (Bremen) assisted in 18 kills and two of her own while Katie Yacko (Oak Lawn) added 11 assists. Kelly Stack (McAuley/Sandburg) passed an impressive 2.8 out of a possible 3.0 on 22 serve receptions to go with her 17 digs.

"Whenever we see middle hitters getting a high number of kills/attempts, it means that the passing and digging were very good and allowed the setter to be in her target spot to run the offense," said coach Gloria Coughlin.

September 26, 2010
Teams target 'Clones, but can't beat 'em

With Moraine Valley continuing to dominate the court, other schools have it out for the Cyclones, leading to some close sets last Saturday in a tri-match with Highland Community College and Lincoln College. The Cyclones, however, prevailed for two more wins.

The match up with Highland was made tougher as the Cyclones struggled some on defense and didn't quite have their typical strong serve. Still, they won the match: 25-22, 25-23, 15-25, 25-23. "After having beaten Highland in the College of DuPage tournament at the start of the season, Highland came ready to even the score and played really big at the net. They limited our middle attack game and forced our pin hitters to carry the load of the offense," said coach Gloria Coughlin.

The Cyclones worked hard to shut down Highland thanks to Rachel Levitt's (Lyons Township/Kishwaukee) brilliant 18-kill effort with two blocks and five aces, giving her a 25 point match. Donna Killeen (Marist) helped out with seven kills and a block along with Carli Immordino (Richards) adding six kills, an ace and seven digs. Bianca Hull (Bremen) got past Highland's big middle blocker scoring on five swings in addition to three blocks and a service ace. Defensively, Kelly Stack (McAuley/Sandburg) controlled the back court with 14 serve receptions, 11 digs and an ace serve along with Danielle Donahue (Lockport Central) who notched three aces and five digs. Katie Yacko (Oak Lawn), meanwhile, dished out 37 assists.

In their second match of the night, Moraine Valley soundly defeated Lincoln College: 25-14, 25-13, 25-14. It was another big offensive match for Levitt who scored on 12 swings, blocking two attacks for points and adding a service ace and seven digs. A huge offensive effort by Immordino helped as she scored on nine of her 15 attempts with no errors, adding a block, two aces, and nine digs. Killeen added six kills while Hull scored on four more, adding two blocks and a point at the service line. Stack had another strong back court performance with 11 receptions and 11 digs, along with her aggressive 19 serves. Donahue was also tough at the service line 12 times, scoring on two and adding four digs. Yacko set a good match with 28 assists.

"The target seems to be getting bigger on our backs. Teams are after us, but we want to continue to learn and get better as these teams come to attempt to give us the first loss of our season," Coughlin said.

September 24, 2010
Cyclones down Bulldogs

Continuing to show their force from all sides, the Cyclones defeated South Suburban College at home Sept. 23 in three sets: 25-13, 25-14, 25-14.

Carli Immordino (Richards) had another strong night, leading the team with nine kills, a block, two service aces, and seven digs. Bianca Hull (Bremen) followed with eight kills of her own, a block and an ace. Isabel Reyes (Eisenhower) and Allison Pytko (Stagg) each added five kills. The setting was shared between Katie Yacko (Oak Lawn) assisting in 18 kills and Molly Duckwall (Bremen) notching 11 assists and a kill of her own.

September 23, 2010
Cyclones ranked

As the Cyclones continue charging through an undefeated season, their efforts are showing in the standings. On Sept. 22 the Moraine Valley volleyball team was ranked 13th in NJCAA Division II out of more than 120 colleges. The team moved up a few notches from 18th the previous week.

September 22, 2010
Can't stop the 'Clones

The Cyclones notched their 15th-straight win Sept. 21 in a four-set match with McHenry County College: 25-15, 25-15, 19-25, 25-22.

Rachel Levitt (Lyons Township) led the team with 15 kills, hitting .352 for kills and added a block, five service aces and eight digs. Carli Immordino (Richards) notched her first double-double of the season in kills/digs with 12 kills and 10 digs plus a block and three service aces. Donna Killeen (Marist) also was strong at the net with 11 kills, a block and nine digs. Kelly Stack (McAuley/Sandburg) was solid going 34/35 for serve receptions with 28 digs. Katie Yacko (Oak Lawn) distributed 46 kill assists along with her three kills and 12 digs.

September 20, 2010
Cyclones notch two more

The Cyclones maintained their perfect record in a tri-match with Oakton Community College and College of DuPage Sept. 17.

In the first matchup, Moraine Valley trounced DuPage: 25-16, 25-7, 25-13. Carli Immordino (Richards) led the team with seven kills, followed by Shannon Ott (Oak Lawn) with five kills and two blocks. Rachel Levitt (Lyons Township/Kishwaukee) had five kills, two blocks and three service aces plus 13 digs. Katie Yacko (Oak Lawn) dished out 25 assists while Kelly Stack (McAuley/Sandburg) added two aces and 20 digs. Danielle Donahue (Lockport Central) helped out with three aces of her own plus seven digs.

To finish out the night the Cyclones defeated Oakton: 25-15, 29-27, 25-18. Levitt controlled the offense with 13 kills in 21 attempts, two blocks, two service aces, and 13 digs, notching her third double-double of the season (kills-digs). The left side hitters were strong with Immordino scoring on eight kills, an ace and 10 digs, and Donna Killeen (Marist) adding seven kills. Middle hitter Bianca Hull (Bremen) also was strong with six kills, three blocks and a service ace. Yacko set a good match with 35 assists. Stack and Donahue secured the defense with 20 and 10 digs, respectively.

This was not an official conference match, but gave the Cyclones a good look at what Oakton will bring to the court when the two meet again Oct. 5.

September 15, 2010
Cyclones hand first loss to Chiefs

In the battle between two undefeated teams in the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference, Moraine Valley came out on top Sept. 14 beating Waubonsee Community College 25-21, 25-19, 25-16, and keeping the streak alive for the 'Clones.

"We knew it was going to be a tough match and we played better as the match went on, getting to know our opponents a little more with each set and making the appropriate adjustments," said coach Gloria Coughlin. "This was a big win for the Cyclones."

Rachel Levitt (Lyons Township/Kishwaukee College) led the team with her second double-double after tallying 11 kills and 11 digs while adding two service aces. The rest of the offense was balanced with Carli Immordino (Richards) with six kills, two blocks, two aces, and seven digs. Bianca Hull (Bremen) added five kills, two blocks and three aces, and Donna Killeen (Marist) added five kills as well. Libero Kelly Stack (McAuley/Sandburg) notched five aces and two kills to go with her 17 digs. Katie Yacko (Oak Lawn) dished out 31 assists and added three of her own attacks for kills. Serving continues to be a critical part of the Cyclones offense as the team totaled 16 points on service aces.

September 13, 2010
Cyclones still perfect

The Cyclones continued their unbeaten streak defeating both Joliet Junior College and Purdue University Calumet on Sept. 11.

Moraine Valley dominated in their first match against Joliet: 25-20, 25-15, 25-16. Carli Immordino (Richards) led the way with 11 kills, hitting .529 and adding three aces and six digs. Donna Killeen (Marist) was just behind her with eight kills while Bianca Hull (Bremen) added another seven with a block and three aces. Katie Yacko (Oak Lawn) distributed 30 kill assists and threw in 10 digs and an ace. Kelly Stack (McAuley/Sandburg) helped out with 16 digs and two aces as well.

In their second match, the Cyclones beat Purdue Calumet 20-25, 25-12, 15-8. Rachel Levitt (Lyons Township/Kishwaukee) was the top hitter with seven kills and nine digs. Immordino notched six kills, a service ace and 16 digs. Stack added four kills, two aces and 14 digs of her own. Allison Pytko (Stagg) saw action and was valuable in the back row with two aces and seven digs.

September 10, 2010
Nine in a row for 'Clones

Continuing on their tear, the Cyclones defeated Elgin Community College Sept. 9 in four nearly identical matches: 25-15, 15-25, 25-15, 25-15.

"Elgin is a good team with a big, strong middle hitter. We were slow in tracking to stop her or direct her to our defenders. Our serving was key in this match with 16 service aces and many more aggressive serves to keep Elgin from running their big hitter many time," said coach Gloria Coughlin.

Rachel Levitt (Lyons Township) was the top Cyclones hitter with 14 kills, four blocks and two service aces. Carli Immordino (Richards) was next with nine kills, a block and an ace. Kelly Stack (Sandburg) was tough in the back row with three service aces, 23 good receptions and 29 digs. Danielle Donahue (Lockport Central) also was a big contributor with seven service aces in her 16 serves while adding eight digs.

September 9, 2010
Cyclones win home-opener

The Cyclones racked up another win, this time against a big, hard-hitting Kankakee Community College team. The home-opener on Sept. 8 was a big win for the 'Clones: 25-18, 25-8, 25-13.

"We attacked the ball from the start with tough serving and smart hitting. Collectively we scored 10 points on service aces and 38 points on kills," said coach Gloria Coughlin.

Donna Killeen (Marist) led the team with 14 kills in 18 swings, hitting .667 followed by Rachel Levitt (Lyons Township) with 10 kills, no errors in 20 attempts, and hitting .500. Shannon Ott (Oak Lawn) and Carli Immordino (Richards) chipped in each with four kills and a block. Kelly Stack (Sandburg) controlled the serve reception and defense in the match with 21 good receptions and 22 digs in addition to her three service aces and two kills. Danielle Donahue (Lockport Central) also was a major factor in the second set where she served 13 consecutive points including four service aces and played brilliant defense during that stretch finishing the match with eight digs. Katie Yacko (Oak Lawn) contributed 15 digs and a good distribution of sets that accounted for her 32 kill assists.

September 3, 2010
Cyclones top Pioneers

The Cyclones continued to dominate this season with a win Sept. 2 over Prairie State.

Prairie State is a tough team with good ball handling skills and tough blocking, but the Cyclones made adjustments and battled for the three set win, 25-20, 25-18, 25-18, in their first Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference match of the season.

Rachel Levitt (Lyons Township) led the team with 10 kills, a service ace and 15 digs to get her first double-double of the season in kills/digs. Shannon Ott (Oak Lawn) was strong in the middle with eight kills of just 13 attempts and no errors, for a kill percentage of .615. Carli Immordino (Richards) added seven more kills and three aces plus 11 digs for the match. Kelly Stack (Sandburg) was tough both defensively with 26 good receptions and 21 digs, as well as offensively adding two kills and three aces to her tally. Setter Katie Yacko (Oak Lawn) assisted in 29 kills.

August 30, 2010
Cyclones start season by topping COD tourney

The Cyclones wasted no time kicking their season into high gear by winning the College of DuPage Volleyball Classic Tournament Aug. 27-28. Going undefeated in the competition, the 'Clones played hard, especially Rachel Levitt (Lyons Township/Kishwaukee College) who was named to the All-Tournament team.

On Aug. 27 Moraine Valley started strong by defeating Harper College 25-18, 25-18. Donna Killeen (Marist) led the team with nine kills followed by Levitt with eight kills and two blocks. Adding to the offense were Bianca Hull (Bremen) with four kills and two blocks, and Carli Immordino (Richards) with four kills and two service aces. Shannon Ott (Oak Lawn) was also productive with three kills and two blocks. The Cyclones' 29 kill assists were delivered by Katie Yacko (Oak Lawn).

In their next game, Moraine Valley defeated Illinois Valley 25-13, 25-10. Levitt led the offense with eight kills out of 10 swings and three service aces with Killeen adding five kills of her own. Yacko distributed 17 assists as setter. Kelly Stack (Sandburg) was tough on defense with 12 digs and two service aces.

The Cyclones continued pool play on August 28, defeating St. Louis Community College-Florissant Valley 25-15, 25-16. The offense was balanced in this match with four kills each from Hull, Levitt, Immordino, and Killeen. Ott and Stack both added two kills. Yacko dished out 20 assists and Stack was solid as libero with eight receptions and seven digs.

To finish out pool play the Cyclones played a great match with previous three-time tournament champions Lake Michigan College for a win in two sets: 25-13, 25-20. Levitt was huge in both front and back row with 10 kills in 14 attempts. Killeen added five more kills with Yacko setting for 22 kill assists. Immordino added three kills and had nine digs.

A semi-final match with Highland Community College was just another win for the Cyclones: 25-20, 25-19. Levitt got tougher as the day went on leading the team with 11 kills, no errors in 20 swings along with her two blocks and five digs. Another balanced offense backed her up with Immordino's four kills as well as two each from Hull, Ott, Killeen, and Stack as libero. Yacko dished out 23 assists. Tough serves gave the Cyclones points on five service aces and forced poor passes by Highland. The defensive players also were critical in this win with digs by Immordino, Stack and Danielle Donahue (Lockport Central). Highland will be ready for revenge when they play at Moraine Valley on Sept. 25.

The Cyclones then moved into the championship match against Madison Area Technical College. This was a true competitive test for the Cyclones, but they came out on top 25-20, 25-22. Moraine Valley responded well both offensively with 31 kills and four blocks, and defensively with 55 digs and 28 perfect serve receptions. Levitt and Killeen both had nine kills and the middle hitters Hull and Ott were significant with four kills each. In the back row, Stack was a force with 13 perfect receptions and 17 digs. Yacko added 10 digs along with her 31 kill assists as setter.

"Madison Area Tech is an excellent team with a dominant left side hitter that we contained enough to get the win," said coach Gloria Coughlin. "This was a truly awesome start for the Cyclones, not to mention fun."

Within this winning weekend, Coughlin racked up her 400th win as coach of Moraine Valley women's volleyball team.

August 27, 2010
Cyclones set for a winning season

The Cyclones volleyball team looks to the 2010 season with strong recruits and standout returners on board, ready to improve upon last year's performance.

Nine new faces are joining the four sophomores, giving a very different look to the season. "We have some talented young women on this squad, many of whom bring top high school and club experience to the court," said coach Gloria Coughlin. "We have one goal this year�winning. Whatever it takes. This will be a fun season watching this team and the many options the players bring to the court."

Returning this year is NJCAA All-Region first team player Alicia Krupa (Oak Lawn) in the critical libero role along with standouts Carli Immordino (Richards) and Isabel Reyes (Eisenhower) at the left and right pins. This year Shannon Ott (Oak Lawn) will move to middle blocker where her athleticism will have an immediate impact.

Aiding the Cyclones this season are some strong additions, including 6-foot left side hitter and second-year transfer Rachel Levitt (Lyons Township/Kishwaukee College). Levitt brings several years of experience and an elite level of play at Kishwaukee, which has won three of the last four NJCAA National Championships. She brings a variety of offensive weapons, as she is versatile in all three hitting positions along the net. Another experienced player joining the troupe is Kelly Stack (McAuley/Sandburg) who brings her excellent passing, defense and smart attacking at both the left and right sides and can fill in as libero. Also making their debuts this year with the Cyclones are setters Katie Yacko (Oak Lawn) and Molly Duckwall (Bremen), who will dish out sets to middle hitter Bianca Hull (Bremen), outside hitter Donna Killeen (Marist) and Allison Pytko (Stagg) at middle/right side. All these players are expected to contribute right away in the offensive system.

Joining the defensive unit are freshmen Danielle Donahue (Lockport Central) and Katie Fitzer (Queen of Peace), both of whom also add tough serving to the Cyclones repertoire of attacks.

"We are very excited to have a big group of athletic players this season that allow us to have all types of options in our matches. Having options means we are not limited to any one offensive system or one defensive system. We can move players around in different spots to obtain good matchups," Coughlin said. "With so many versatile players, we can adjust to opponents more so than we have in the recent past, and that generally translates into more points scored and more wins."

2009 Season

Season Record: 14-17
Conference Record: 5-7

All-Conference first team: Alicia Krupa (Oak Lawn)
All-Conference second team: Dana Long (Evergreen Park)
Conference All-Tournament team: Krupa and Long

*Denotes Conference Game

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 Cyclones 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 Cyclones 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 Cyclones 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."

2008 Season
Season Record: 23-17
Conference Record: 9-4

All-Region IV first team: Yellie Synowiecki (Oak Lawn)
Region IV All-Tournament team: Laura Flerick (Mt. Assisi) and Synowiecki
All-Conference first team: Marina Uher (Maria) and Synowiecki
All-Conference second team: Emily Seidelmann (Queen of Peace) and Flerick

November 17, 2008
Cyclones finish season strong in Final Four

With some top players on the floor this fall, the Moraine Valley women's volleyball team ended a lengthy season with 23 wins and 17 losses including a 9-4 conference record.

One of the goals for the team each season is to compete in the NJCAA Region IV Final Four Championships and advance to the NJCAA National Championships. The team reached the Final Four on Nov. 7, only to lose a tough battle against a hard-hitting team in three matches: 20-25, 10-25, 15-25.

The Cyclones will lose four sophomores, some of whom had a stellar season. Top hitter, Yellie Synowiecki (Oak Lawn), finished her season ranked 36th nationally with 426 kills in 136 sets, 3.132 kills per game, this season. She has 775 kills for her Moraine Valley career. Synowiecki's 21 double-double matches in kills/digs is one reason she was named to the NJCAA All-Region IV first team.
 
Another huge loss for the Cyclones will be setter Marina Uher (Maria). Uher was also in the national rankings at 21st for assists/sets and was named NJCAA Player of the Week in October. She finished her 2008 season with 1,210 kill assists and was named for the second consecutive year to the Illinois Skyway Collegiate All-Conference first team. Uher ends her two-year playing stint at Moraine Valley with 2,735 kill assists.

Emily Seidelmann (Queen of Peace) made a stunning transition this season from middle hitter to libero. She ended her 2008 Cyclones season with 524 digs.

Julie Tracy (Oak Lawn), a two-year starter at opposite, also made huge contributions to this team as a player and a leader.

"It's hard to lose a chunk of the team at the end of each year. It's sad to lose these players just as they were peaking as a blended and well-trained team," said head coach Gloria Coughlin. "Our returning players have a great task in front of them: become the leaders, learn new positions, blend with new players and form a cohesive unit, and do this in time to travel to Milan, Italy, in October 2009 to compete in the IFIUS World Inter-University Games. We welcome the challenge."

To top off the season Synowiecki was named to the All-Region IV first team and both she and Laura Flerick (Mt. Assisi) were selected for the Region IV All-Tournament team. All-Conference first team honors went to Uher and Synowiecki. All-Conference second team honors were earned by Seidelmann and Flerick.

October 29, 2008
Third Place finish for the Cyclones, athletes awarded

The volleyball team had a weekend full of hitting highs and lows during the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference Tournament at Elgin. Moraine Valley played five teams Oct. 25-26 finishing the weekend in third place.

In the first game, the Cyclones defeated Lake County: 25-22, 26-16. Yellie Synowiecki (Oak Lawn) had 10 kills, one block, one service ace and 10 digs, while Annie Eckroth (Queen of Peace) dealt five kills, a block and 12 digs. Marina Uher (Maria) helped the team with 21 assists and a service ace.

Moraine later defeated Morton: 25-12, 25-23. Laura Flerick (Mt. Assisi) had 10 kills and two blocks; Synowiecki had eight kills, a block and five digs; Melissa Barber (Oak Lawn) had four kills and a block; and Uher assisted 27 times.

The Cyclones continued their winning streak by defeating Oakton: 25-20, 21-25, 15-5. Synowiecki had six kills, two blocks and 10 digs; Barber had six kills and five blocks; Jill Gamauf (Chicago Christian) had four kills, two blocks and a service ace; while Uher had 24 assists and two kills.

The women suffered their first loss of the tournament to McHenry County College in the semi-finals 18-25, 13-25, 19-25, but the Cyclones regrouped and won their consolation match against Oakton: 25-20, 25-22, 25-16.

Against Oakton Synowiecki came up with a .350% hitting percentage and led the team with 13 kills, two blocks and 12 digs for her 19th double-double of the season. Uher also notched her 15th double-double of the season, with 33 kill assists and 14 digs, plus five kills, three blocks and three service aces. Eckroth had her biggest match of the season with nine kills, zero errors out of 23 attempts, giving her a .390% kill average. Eckroth also scored on three service aces, had two blocks and added 17 digs. Emily Seidelmann (Queen of Peace) was the third player to add another double-double to her stats, making her total nine, after 10 receptions and 26 digs.

After this past weekend, Uher has now assisted in 1,156 kills and was named NJCAA Player of the Week earlier in October. In the Oakton consolation match, Synowiecki notched her 402nd kill for the 2008 season, "quite a remarkable feat for any hitter," said head coach Gloria Coughlin. Because of their excellent play, Synowiecki, Uher and Seidelmann were named to the ISCC All-Tournament Team for the weekend.

The Cyclones will continue their season Oct. 30 at home against Highland Community College, also deemed team spirit game. Moraine Valley sports fans are encouraged to come cheer the team on to victory.

October 8, 2008
Another win for the Cyclones

The Cyclones defeated the College of Lake County October 7 in four matches: 25-13, 25-21, 22-25, 25-23.

Yellie Synowiecki (Oak Lawn) led the team with 14 kills, two blocks, a service ace and 21 digs for her 11th double-double of the season in kills/digs. Laura Flerick (Mt. Assisi) also had a good night with 12 kills off 27 swings, hitting .333%.

Setter Marina Uher (Maria) set a well balanced match with 42 kill assists, 10 digs, a block for a kill and a service ace.

"Lake County was a tough team to score points against. We had many long rallies as represented by our team total of 101 digs. Having big defensive nights were our libero, Emily Seidelmann (Queen of Peace) with 26 digs, Meghan Ardolino (Mt. Assisi) with 20 digs and Julie Tracy (Oak Lawn) adding another 16 digs," said coach Gloria Coughlin.

As the team moves into the final full month of the season, it is staying above .500 with a 12-9 record.

October 7, 2008
Cyclones beat South Suburban

The Cyclones defeated South Suburban October 2 at Moraine Valley in four sets: 25-18, 22-25, 25-16, 25-19.

Yellie Synowiecki (Oak Lawn) had a big match leading the team with 15 kills, hitting a kill percentage of .314 and adding seven service aces and 18 digs for her tenth double-double match of the season in kills-digs.

Julie Tracy (Oak Lawn) had a season high 10 kills to add to her two service aces and a block for kill, equaling 13 points for the match. Tracy was also defensively strong with 13 digs.

Melissa Barber (Oak Lawn) also played well and hit .277 with her nine kills, two blocks and a service ace.

The libero for the game, Emily Seidelmann (Queen of Peace), was a huge defensive factor with her career high 30 digs and 13 good receptions.

Setter Marina Uher (Maria) set a balanced offense tonight and assisted 40 times in kills, attacked five times for kills and played a tough back row with 15 digs and two service aces.

September 22, 2008
The Cyclones have a winning Friday

Moraine Valley beat both its opponents September 19 at the Tri-Match at Oakton Community College.

The Cyclones beat College of DuPage in four matches: 25-14, 25-27, 26-24, 25-17.

Yellie Synowiecki (Oak Lawn) led the team with 15 kills and also marked her eighth double-double of the season with 24 digs, plus two service aces and a block for kill, scoring 18 points. Julie Tracy (Oak Lawn) had a big defensive match with 22 digs and also scored on four aces and five kills. Emily Seidelmann wore the Libero shirt and had 11 good receptions and made 20 digs for her first double-double match of the season in receptions/digs. Marina Uher (Maria) scored six points on her four kills and two aces, plus distributing 35 kill assists along with 14 digs for her fifth double-double match of the season in assists/digs.

"We played with a lot more energy tonight, quicker arm swings, tougher defense and we challenged COD with our serving game," said head coach Gloria Coughlin.

In the second game Moraine took three matches from Oakton Community College: 25-16, 25-23, 25-22.

"Our middles came up big for us both offensively and defensively in the match with Laura Flerick (Mt. Assisi) leading the team with 13 kills and three blocks and Melissa Barber (Oak Lawn) followed her with 10 kills, four blocks and two service aces, scoring 16 points to add to Laura's 15 points," said Coughlin.

Yellie Synowiecki (Oak Lawn) added nine kills and passed nine good receptions and had six digs. Julie Tracy (Oak Lawn) contributed six kills and was huge on defense with 17 digs.
The team's Libero, Emily Seidelmann, was tough with 14 receptions and 26 digs, her second double-double receptions to digs for the season. Marina Uher (Maria) dished out 42 kill assists (14 assists per set), plus 10 digs, recording her sixth double-double of the season in assists/digs.

August 29, 2008
Volleyball team blending veterans and newcomers for success this season

Having lost half of the 2007 Moraine Valley volleyball team, including Kaitlin Fischer (Marian Catholic), a top five player in the country in ace serves and kills per game, the complexion of the 2008 team has changed.
 
Blending seven new players with four veterans this season will be a challenge, but the coaches are excited and eager to get started.

Marina Uher (Maria) returns as the Cyclones setter and held the ranking of number one setter in the country in assists per game through most of the 2007 season. She was named to the NJCAA all-Region IV first team and all-conference first team last year. Uher's experience and leadership will get the rookies involved in the team's offensive system in no time.

Another significant offensive weapon returning to the team is Julie Tracy (Oak Lawn), a right side attacker, also called the Opposite. Being opposite the setter on the court, she blocks the opponent's stronger hitters and also must run the offense when the setter is involved in a defensive play. Tracy was named to the all-tournament conference team in 2007. She is expected to have a successful season as the only left-handed attacker with much improved defensive skills.

Returning this season is Yellie Synowiecki (Oak Lawn). Synowiecki was a huge part of offense last season and will be the go-to hitter this year. Her defensive and passing skills will give the team many opportunities to convert and score.

Emily Seidelmann (Queen of Peace), moves positions this year from middle attacker to Libero. The Libero is volleyball's "free" player who is free to move in and out of the game, not counting as one of the allowed 12 substitutions. Seidelmann will be one of the primary passers to receive serves and also will be the main defensive player in the back row.

For the 2008 season three new middle blocker/attackers were added to the roster including Melissa Barber (Oak Lawn), Laura Flerick (Mt. Assisi) and Jill Gamauf (Chicago Christian). All three will add blocking strength and a wide variety of attacks. Head coach Gloria Coughlin is excited about having true middles who will each contribute early and often to the offense.

Newcomer Dana Morano (Mother McAuley) has high school and club experience as setter and left side attacker and will allow the team to change the offensive system against some teams from a five-hitter system to a six-hitter system. She brings an aggressive serve to the game that will score points or make it difficult for opponents to score against the Cyclones.

Another outside hitter that joins the team this season is Annie Eckroth (Queen of Peace). She has both high school and club experience and will be an immediate impact on defense from the back or front row, blocking and hitting.

New faces Meghan Ardolino (Mt. Assisi) and Sam Ciara (Marist) will primarily be defensive players, but both could see some time as hitters.

"This will be a season like most. We will learn so many new things about each other, the game, ourselves and love every minute because we are so lucky to have been given the opportunity to play collegiate sports. It should be fun," Coughlin said.

2007 Season

Season Record: 31-14
Conference Record: 9-3

First-team All-Region IV and Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference: Kaitlin Fischer and Marina Uher
            Second-team All-Conference selections: Kaitlyn Clemens and Meghan Hughes
Conference All-Tourney Team selections: Clemens, Fischer, Hughes, and Julie Tracy
Other distinctions: Uher also was named the National Junior College Athletic Association's Setter of the      
            Week October 15 for Division II Volleyball; Fischer was named NJCAA Division II volleyball Co-Hitter
            of the Week on October 8.

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