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The UNO volleyball team (0-0) begins its first year of competition as a Division I program this weekend, traveling to the CEFCU Classic, Aug. 26-27, in Peoria, Ill. The Mavericks open the tournament on Friday with a 2:30 p.m. match against Illinois-Chicago, followed by a 7 p.m. nightcap against host Bradley at Renaissance Coliseum (4,200). On Saturday, UNO faces the Braves again at 11 a.m. Both contests against BU will feature live audio from the Bradley radio team, and all matches will have live stats and live video available.

Nebraska Omaha, which is in its first year as a reclassifying Division I institution, is guided by Head Coach Rose Shires, who enters her 22nd year at the helm of the Maverick program. In 2010, UNO finished with a record of 17-15 and had two All-MIAA honorees in third-team pick Kayla Uhing and honorable mention selection Natalie Ebke. Uhing has since rejoined the Mavericks as a student assistant in 2011, and Ebke is one of 10 returning letterwinners this year.

Mavericks Reclassify to Division I
Nebraska Omaha announced in March 2011 its plan to reclassify from NCAA Division II to Division I, beginning with the 2011-12 school year. UNO, which was previously a member of the MIAA, accepted an invitation to join The Summit League and will compete as a full-fledged member with a regular-season conference schedule in 2012-13.

2011 Schedule Features Mix of Division I, Division II Talent
UNO's schedule for the 2011 season includes a slate of regional road matches and a mix of Division I teams and top Division II squads. Eight 2010 NCAA Tournament qualifiers highlight the list -- Wichita State and North Dakota State for Division I and Seattle Pacific, Central Missouri, Emporia State, Abilene Christian, Washburn and Nebraska-Kearney for Division II. UCM made an appearance in the national semifinals, while SPU, UNK and WU played through their regional semifinals.

In addition, five squads -- UCM (No. 2), WU (No. 5), UNK (No. 6), SPU (No. 13), ESU (No. 18) and ACU (No. 23) -- were included in the AVCA Division II Preseason Poll, and Wichita State received votes in the Division I poll.

Healthy Mach Granted Medical Redshirt by NCAA
Junior middle blocker Lizzy Mach was granted a medical redshirt year by the NCAA this summer, as she sat out the majority of the 2010 season with an ACL injury. After being named third-team All-MIAA in 2009, she suffered the season-ending knee injury just 11 matches in last year. As a sophomore, Mach averaged 2.11 kills, 0.60 blocks and 0.45 digs per set while ranking fourth on the team with 274 kills.

Digging In
Senior Angie Reicks is on track to become UNO's all-time career digs leader, entering the 2011 season ranked fifth with 1,478 digs. Reicks also holds the school record for most digs in a match, as she totaled 46 against Central Missouri as a sophomore in 2009.

UNO All-Time Career Digs Leaders

Player	Years	Digs
Kevin Campbell	1991-94	1,782
Tracy Ankeny	1997-2000	1,691
Amy Gradoville	1987-90	1,604
Laura Monahan	1990-93	1,524
Angie Reicks	2008-present	1,478

Shires Enters 22nd Year as Winningest Coach in School History
Head Coach Rose Shires is the all-time winningest coach in 41 years of UNO volleyball history. Entering her 22nd year at the helm of the Maverick program, Shires owns a career record of 424-244 (.635), the most wins of the five coaches who have served at Nebraska Omaha.

The 1996 AVCA National Coach of the Year and a two-time conference coach of the year, Shires has enjoyed tremendous success as UNO's guide. The 1996 campaign saw her lead UNO to a national championship as well as its first North Central Conference championship since 1987, followed by an Elite Eight appearance in 1997. In NCAA Tournament play, Shires' squads have combined for 11 appearances and a 10-10 postseason mark.

Shires is assisted by Associate Head Coach Karen Povondra, who is in her 22nd season with UNO, and Assistant Coach Tanya Cate, who is in her second year on the Maverick staff.

Kids Growing Up In the Heartland
The 2011 UNO roster is loaded with local talent, as 14 of the 17 players listed hail from nine Nebraska towns. Two pairs of student-athletes also come from the same high school programs -- senior middle blocker Brittany Hanssen and freshman setter Bailey Baxter are both products of Grand Island Central Catholic, while junior middle blocker Lizzy Mach and freshman middle blocker Alyssa Stanek both played at Bishop Neumann in Wahoo.
    
UNO Welcomes Seven Freshmen to Roster
In its first year as a Division I program, UNO has welcomed seven freshmen to campus -- setter Bailey Baxter (Grand Island, Neb.), outside hitter Kimberly Bailey (Lincoln, Neb.), defensive specialist Rachelle Kruml (Ord, Neb.) and middle blockers Valerie Hecht (Bern, Kan.), Alyssa Stanek (Ceresco, Neb.), Jessy Schroedter (Fremont, Neb.) and Diane Banderas (Lincoln, Neb.). Armed with multiple all-state awards and four players who participated in the Nebraska High School All-Star Game (Bailey, Baxter, Banderas, Stanek), the group of newcomers will provide a solid foundation as UNO prepares for Summit League competition in the coming years.

Player -- Hometown (High School)
Kimberly Bailey -- Lincoln, Neb. (Lincoln North Star)
    Third-team Super State, Second-team all-state (2010)
Diane Banderas -- Lincoln, Neb. (Lincoln Southwest)
    All-state honorable mention (2010)
Bailey Baxter -- Grand Island, Neb. (Central Catholic)
    Two-time all-state selection (2009-10)
Valerie Hecht -- Bern, Kan. (Bern)
    Two-time all-state (2009-10)
Rachelle Kruml -- Ord, Neb. (Ord)
    Two-time all-state honorable mention (2009-10)
Jessy Schroedter -- Fremont, Neb. (Archbishop Bergan)
    All-state honorable mention (2010)
Alyssa Stanek -- Ceresco, Neb. (Bishop Neumann)
    Two-time all-state (2009-10)

All-Conference Honorees Lead Mavs in 2011
UNO returns four players to its 2011 roster who have earned all-conference honors -- junior middle blocker Lizzy Mach, senior setter Emily Myers, senior libero Angie Reicks and junior outside hitter Natalie Ebke. Reicks garnered second-team All-MIAA status in 2009, while Mach and Myers were selected to the third team. Ebke was an honorable mention pick in 2010.

UNO has had 46 players combine for 78 All-MIAA or All-NCC accolades. In year one of their transition to Division I and full membership in The Summit League, the Mavericks will be ineligible for all-league recognition this season.

2010-11 Squad Earns 12th Straight AVCA Academic Award
The UNO volleyball earned the American Volleyball Coaches Association's Team Academic Award for the 12th straight year, the AVCA announced in July. As a team, the Mavericks recorded a 3.68 grade-point average during the 2010-11 academic year to claim the honor, which was their 12th straight and 15th overall.

The annual AVCA award honors collegiate and high school volleyball programs that displayed excellence in the classroom by maintaining at least a 3.30 cumulative team GPA on a 4.0 scale.

Up Next for the Mavs
UNO returns to Sapp Fieldhouse for its home debut, hosting the annual UNO Showcase, Sept. 2-3. The nine-team tournament field includes Arkansas-Fort Smith, Augustana, Minnesota State Moorhead, Nebraska-Kearney, Northern State, Northwest Missouri State, Southeastern Oklahoma State, Winona State. The Mavericks open play on Friday with two matches against Winona State (12:30 p.m.) and Minnesota State Moorhead (6:30 p.m.), followed by two Saturday matches against Northern State (Noon) and in-state opponent Nebraska-Kearney (6:30 p.m.) .