OMAHA, Neb. – The Omaha volleyball program begins the 2019 campaign with its annual Omaha Challenge this weekend, Aug. 30-31, at Baxter Arena. This year's tournament features UAlbany, Abilene Christian and Idaho State.
Links to live stats, video, audio and tickets can be found on the schedule page on OMavs.com.
EVERYONE FOR OMAHA
Fans are encouraged to connect with the Mavericks on Facebook (OmahaVB), Instagram (@omahavb) and on Twitter (@OmahaVB). Maverick fans can also use the hashtag #EveryoneForOmaha when connecting with the team on social media posts.
LISTEN TO THE MAVERICKS
Ben Helwig will be on the call this season for Maverick volleyball for MavRadio. To listen, visit OMavs.com or see MavRadio.FM for more information.
OPENING SERVE
• The Mavericks open the season with its home tournament for the first time since 2010, which also marks a first for the program since its move to Division I in 2011-12.
• Head coach
Matt Buttermore enters his first season with the program after former head coach Rose Shires retired after 29 seasons at the helm.
• Buttermore completed his staff when he brought on former Creighton volleyball player and Drake assistant coach
Maggie Baumert, and former Nebraska video coordinator
Kelly O'Connor as assistant coaches. The team also added former Nebraska volleyball player
Alicia Ostrander on as a student volunteer assistant.
• Omaha returns three All-Summit performers in
Isabella Sade (All-Summit),
Anna Blaschko (All-Summit Honorable Mention) and
Sadie Limback (All-Freshman).
• Along with those three, the team totals 11 returning letterwinners and five starters from last season.
• Omaha also welcomes five freshmen to the team.
• Sade enters her junior campaign as the team's active career leader in matches played, total attacks, kills, aces and assisted blocks.
• Fellow middle blocker Blaschko ranked second in the league last season in solo blocks with 26 in 2018. She is the team's active career leader in solo blocks, sets played and total blocks.
• The Summit League preseason poll was released Wednesday, Aug. 21, where the Mavericks were picked third.
• Sade, Blaschko and Limback were selected as Summit League Preseason Players to Watch.
SCOUTING ABILENE CHRISTIAN
Abilene Christian and Omaha meet for the fifth time in the series history. Senior Katelyn Mueller ranked second on the team last season in kills per set and was named to the Southland Conference Preseason Second Team as a junior outside hitter.
Last season, the Wildcats finished 13-16 overall record, but notched a 10-6 Southland conference record. The last time Omaha and Abilene Christian faced off, Omaha outlasted the Wildcats in five sets at the Omaha Classic on Sept. 3, 2016. In that match, Omaha dropped the first set 25-23, but rallied back to take two-straight (25, 17, 25-21) and later followed up with a 17-15 fifth-set victory.
SCOUTING UALBANY
The Great Danes are coming off a season where they finished second in the America East conference with a 2018 record of 16-11 and a 9-3 mark in league action. Last year, UAlbany was one game away from making the NCAA Tournament, but fell in the America East title game to No. 1 seed Stony Brook in five sets.
This year, UAlbany was picked second in its preseason poll. UAlbany features returners Andersen Vaughan (2018 AE Rookie of the Year), and second team honorees Chloe Evering and Akuabata Okenwa. The Great Danes are led under first-year head coach Josh Pickard.
SCOUTING IDAHO STATE
Omaha and the Bengals will meet for the first time in the series history. Last year, Idaho State totaled a 19-14 overall record with a 13-7 mark in Big Sky action.
The team saw its season conclude last year in the conference semifinals to No. 1 Northern Iowa. Idaho State and Abilene Christian faced off last year at the Georgia Tech Invitational, where the Bengals defeated the Wildcats in five sets. Head coach Sammi Stuart makes her collegiate coaching debut this weekend.
Senior Haylie Keck earned Libero of the Year in her conference last season and was named to the Second Team, while Brooke Pehrson garnered Second Team honors as a middle blocker. Last year, Idaho State had the conference's Co-MVP and first- team all-conference honoree Abby Garrity.
LOOKING AHEAD
The Mavericks continue the home slate with a mid-week tilt next Tuesday, Sept. 3, matchup against Kansas. Omaha and the Jayhawks will square off at 6:30 p.m. inside Baxter Arena.
