SIOUX FALLS – Coming off their best season at the NCAA Division II level, University of Sioux Falls Volleyball opened the season with their first scheduled practice on Monday, August 14. The Cougars reported over the weekend and began practice as the 2017 regular season begins in less than three weeks.
With 14 student-athletes entering fall camp, USF has a mix of veterans and newcomers eager to continue their rise up the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference. USF returns five starters and eight letterwinners from last year's squad, which posted a 19-10 record, 13-7 in the NSIC.
After a seventh-place finish in the NSIC last season, USF was selected by the league coaches to finish seventh in the league, tying their highest projection in the preseason coaches' poll since joining the league in 2012.
Head coach
Joel McCartney is in his seventh season at the helm of the USF Volleyball program and he comes in with a 97-95 overall record at USF, including winning seasons in three of the last four years, and a 444-253 overall record in 20 years of coaching. He is assisted by Associate Head Coach
Andrea McCartney and graduate assistant
Jordan Calef, former standout middle blocker and USF's Division II total blocks record holder.
Leading the Cougars into fall camp are seniors
Janelle Lam and
Sydney Schaap. Lam, a 5-foot defensive specialist figures to slide into the libero role after she played in all 29 matches last season and averaged 1.79 digs per set. Schaap is the incumbent setter after starting all 29 matches last season while dishing out 10.22 assists per set and adding a presence on defense with 54 total blocks.
USF's trio of junior attackers returns after a banner year.
Makenna Rockeman and
Lexi Scott both earned All-NSIC second team honors as juniors and
Bria Barfnecht was tabbed as USF's Player to Watch in the NSIC. An outside hitter, Rockeman led the Cougars in kills with 402 and ranked third in kills per set and points per set in the NSIC. A 6-foot-1 middle blocker, Scott paced USF with a .363 attack percentage on nearly three kills per set while ranking in the top 10 of the NSIC with 0.97 blocks per set. Barfnecht was third on USF with 248 kills and provided an impressive 84 total blocks from her right-side/opposite position.
Middle blocker
Abby Feyereisen, outside hitter
KaSandra Springer and setter
Megan Hamstad all played in at least 16 matches last season and are key towards USF's 2017 season. The Cougars also welcome five newcomers to the roster, including two middle blockers in
Kenzie Byers and
Emily Decker, a setter in
Krista Goerger, an outside hitter in
Averey Yaksich, and a defensive specialist in
Eliza Dahly.
The Cougars open the season as hosts of the second annual Country Inn & Suites Invitational on Sept. 1 and 2, where they will play four matches. After a mid-week non-conference match against Texas A&M Kingsville on Wednesday, Sept. 6, USF travels to Saint Leo, Florida for their last four nonconference matches as part of the Saint Leo Invitational on Sept. 8 and 9.
USF begins their 20-match conference schedule with three teams ranked in the top 25 of the AVCA coaches' poll, which was released on Monday. The Cougars start at Wayne State on Thursday, Sept. 14 before hosting crosstown rival Augustana on Saturday, Sept. 16 at 3 p.m. and Southwest Minnesota State on Tuesday, Sept. 19 at 7 p.m.
