This Weekend
The Omaha volleyball team opens the 2015 season this weekend, traveling to the UNLV Invitational for three matches at Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas, Nev. The tournament begins Friday, Aug. 28, when UNO faces Seton Hall at 5:30 p.m. (CT). On Saturday, Aug. 29, the Mavericks square off with host UNLV at Noon (CT), then close against Central Arkansas at 6:30 p.m. (CT). Links to live stats for all three matches will be available on OMavs.com, as will live video for the UNLV match only.
Quick Hits
•For the first time in four years, Omaha is eligible for postseason play. As part of its reclassification to Division I, the Mavericks were unable to quality for the Summit League Tournament or NCAA Tournament from 2011 to 2015.
•The Mavericks return 11 letterwinners from last year's squad, including their entire starting lineup: setter Sydney O'Shaughnessy, setter/rightside hitter Michaela Schimmer, middle blockers Megan Schmale and Diane Banderas, outside hitters Kelley Wollak and Mackenzie Horkey and libero Kimberly Bailey.
•UNO's six seniors on the roster mark the most since 2009.
•Omaha was picked to finish sixth in the 2015 Summit League Preseason Poll, its highest place in the poll since joining the conference in 2012.
•UNO registered six sweeps last season, including a standout win over Tennessee.
•Sophomore setter Sydney O'Shaughnessy had a team-leading 19 double-doubles last year in her freshman campaign.
Block Partying
Omaha's blocking corps was outstanding during the 2014 season, and the statistics said it all. The Mavericks outblocked their opponents a combined 292.5-198.5 and tallied double-digit team blocks in 14 matches. UNO unofficially ranked 45th in the country with 292.5 total blocks, and they were 68th nationally with 2.34 blocks per set. Individually, middle blocker Megan Schmale finished at 47th among Division I blockers with 143 total blocks.
The Block Party: Summit League Style
Omaha claimed four of the top 10 spots on the Summit League's individual blocking leaders list in 2014. Middle blocker Amanda Conlin was third with 1.16 blocks per set, middle blocker Megan Schmale was fourth (1.14), setter/rightside hitter Michaela Schimmer was fifth (1.00) and middle blocker Diane Banderas was ninth (0.90). Schmale also led the conference with 134 block assists and 143 total blocks.
As a team, Omaha was second in the league with 515 block assists, 293 total blocks and 2.34 blocks per set.
What Makes Up the Mavericks
•Omaha returns 11 letterwinners from the 2014 season, including seven in the starting lineup: libero Kimberly Bailey, middle blockers Diane Banderas and Megan Schmale, setter/rightside hitter Michaela Schimmer, setter Sydney O'Shaughnessy and outside hitters Kelley Wollak and Mackenzie Horkey.
•UNO returns 98 percent of its total offensive production from last season, as this year's returners accounted for 1,470 of the Mavericks' 1,495 kills.
•The Mavs also return 98 percent of their total blocking production from last year, with the returners credited for 287.5 out of 292.5 stops.
•Omaha lost four letterwinners from the 2014 squad in graduated seniors Jessy Schroedter and Rachelle Kruml, along with defensive specialists Marisa Moseman and Aftyn Johnson.
•UNO's top returning hitter is Wollak, who averaged 3.24 kills per set last year. At the net, Amanda Conlin had a team-high 1.16 blocks per set, and Schmale had 1.14 blocks per set.
•O'Shaughnessy and Horkey were both named to the Summit League All-Freshmen team at the end of 2014.
•The Mavericks are made up of four freshmen, three sophomores, two juniors and six seniors.
•Schmale was Omaha's first Division I all-conference pick in 2013, earning All-Summit honorable mention status. She led the conference in blocking and ranked in the top 100 nationally for blocks per set. Schmale also earned Academic All-Summit accolades, which she repeated in 2014.
Triple Trouble
Senior Michaela Schimmer has accounted for the last five triple-doubles in Omaha volleyball history. She tallied her fifth career triple-double on Nov. 15, 2013 vs. South Dakota, finishing with 12 kills, 26 assists and 20 digs. Schimmer had three triple-doubles as a freshman in 2012 and two more in 2013. Prior to her, the last triple-double came from Krista Niezwaag in 1999.
Shires Guides Mavericks as Winningest Coach in School History
Head coach Rose Shires is the all-time winningest coach in 45 years of UNO volleyball history. In her 26th year at the helm of the Maverick program, Shires owns a career record of 456-330 (.580), with the most wins of the five coaches who have served at 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 25th season with UNO, assistant coach Elena Pietro, in her first year, and volunteer assistant coach Tanya Cate, who is in her sixth year on the Maverick staff.
Mixed Schedule Takes Mavericks Around the Nation
Omaha's 2015 schedule includes 20 matches against 21 different opponents, and the team will play in 10 states across the country. UNO will square off with opponents from 10 different conferences, with three from the Missouri Valley, two from the Mountain West and once each from the American Athletic, BIG EAST, Big West, Big Sky, MAC, OVC, Southland and the WAC. Three foes -- Seton Hall, Central Florida and Denver -- were 2014 NCAA Tournament qualifiers.
Entering 2014, the Mavericks have never faced five of their 2015 opponents: Seton Hall, UNLV, Central Arkansas, Central Florida and San Jose State. Omaha currently holds a combined all-time record of 195-131-1 over all teams on the slate this season.
Freshman Foursome
The Mavericks have welcomed four true freshmen to the roster this season: defensive specialist Jessica Plake (Kansas City, Kan.), rightside hitter Meagen Roth (Lincoln, Neb.) and outside hitters Kayla Torson (Cedar Rapids, Iowa) and Gessica Gdowski (Fremont, Neb.).
Plake was a two-time all-state selection at Bishop Miege High School, where she helped the Stags to three state championships. Torson was a three-time all-state player at Xavier High School. Roth, a product of Lincoln Southeast High School, twice earned All-Nebraska honors and was part of three consecutive district championship teams, while Gdowski was a three-time all-state honorable mention pick at Fremont High School.
Summit League Preseason Poll Announced
Omaha was picked to finish sixth in the 2015 Summit League Preseason Poll released by the conference office on Aug. 20. The poll was determined by a vote of the league's head coaches.
Defending league champion Denver was tabbed as the league favorite after collecting seven first-place votes. IUPUI came in second, and North Dakota State was third. Oral Roberts was picked fourth, and South Dakota followed in fifth. Omaha tied for sixth with Fort Wayne, while South Dakota State and Western Illinois rounded out the poll in eighth and ninth, respectively.
No Longer the Newcomers
In 2015-16, Omaha is in its first year as a Division I institution with full Summit League and NCAA postseason eligibility. The Mavericks competed the last four seasons as a reclassifying Division I school, and they officially joined the Summit League in 2012. During the reclassification period, UNO was ineligible for the league tournament and NCAA postseason play, but played a full regular-season conference schedule in its last three transitional years.
Next Up
Omaha returns to action Sept. 4-5, hosting the Omaha Classic at Sapp Fieldhouse. The Mavericks open Friday with North Dakota at 6:30 p.m., followed by Saturday matches against Drake at 12:30 p.m. and Central Florida at 6:30 p.m. Links to live stats and video will be available on OMavs.com.
