Wednesday, October 5, 2011

REPOST: Volleyball More Popular Than Basketball

As a college coach, I am always looking for ways to improve my team, and I enjoy the blog of Coach Chuck Rey immensely. When I was updating myself on his recent posts, I came across this one, and I was so thrilled I just had to share it with all of you! Enjoy!


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Monday, August 22, 2011

So you want to be a writer? There is a future for you at RMU!

RMU is now offering a Bachelor of Professional Studies in Organizational Writing! Writers have an innate creative ability with words that is found within artists and their canvases. Choosing to enroll in a writing degree program enables aspiring writers to sharpen their natural abilities and acquire new skills. A writing degree from Robert Morris University can lead to a lucrative career in many fields.

Some jobs that you can get with the BPS are: Technical Writer, Editor, Corporate Communications Specialist, Public Relations Specialist, Sports Information Director, Public Affairs Specialist, News Analyst, Grant Writer, or Freelance Writer.

As a Professional and Technical Communications major in college, I am so excited to see this major come to fruition at RMU! There are many talented students who can write very specifically, and this gives us another opportunity to showcase our many talented students. We are so excited to have amazing faculty that can guide students on their path to becoming important communicators. You can learn more about our BPS in Organization Writing HERE! Photo by Orin Zebest



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Thursday, July 28, 2011

American Volleyball Coaches Association Blog: Volleyball Participation up to Second

American Volleyball Coaches Association Blog: Volleyball Participation up to Second: "by David Portney As I was out on vacation enjoying the Fourth of July holiday, AVCA Executive Director Kathy DeBoer left an interesting art..."

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Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Remembering 2010

The 2010/2011 school year brought many milestones on the women's side. After three years of hard work by a dedicated coaching staff, the women's volleyball program made great strides. Thank you to all the players of the 2010 team: Amber Alwin, Megan Brasfield, Sydney Campbell, Chellore Carteciano, Sammi Cook, Nadejda Ivanova, Amy Jankowski, Jossilyn Jones, Melissa Joyce, DeeDee Khoury, Hilary Kluczynski, Rebecca Lourwood, Amber Murphy and Kim Smith.


*Tied RMU record for wins in a season on September 18 (14-4)
*North Park University All Tournament Team - Melissa Joyce and Kimberly Smith
*Longest winning streak - nine matches
*Best Record in program history (as of December 2010) - 26-13
*First win against Clarke University in program history

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Monday, July 25, 2011

Women's Volleyball Announces 10 Player Recruiting Class

Monday, July 25, 2011

Chicago, IL – Head Coach Lauren Joyce Hensel has announced the 10 players that will join the Lady Eagles for the 2011 season and help the team contend for a conference playoff slot for the second year in a row. The incoming class includes:

Paige Benson (Elyria, OH/Elyria High School) – 5'6” - Defensive Specialist
Paige will bring a strong work ethic and positive outlook to the program. Coming off a strong high school season, Paige knows what it takes to win. She has solid fundamentals and a strong float serve, which will be important in scoring points throughout the season.

Molly Bradley (Commerce Township, MI/Davenport University) – 6'1” - Middle Hitter
Molly is a talented transfer student who brings a year of experience into the program. An Honorable Mention All Conference player at Walled Lake Northern High School and Michigan Elite Volleyball Club product, Molly will make an immediate difference as her height and ability to see the open court are strong traits. As she learns and immerses herself in our offensive system, she will flourish and become a strong middle blocker in the CCAC.

Elizabeth Cate (Yorbda Linda, CA/El Dorado High School) – 6' – Right Side/Middle Hitter
Elizabeth is a dynamic recruit for the program. She comes from a Top 50 high school program and can play all six rotations while hitting anywhere in the front row. She is already well versed in our blocking style and quick transition game, and we are hoping to see great things from her. In addition, playing in California gives her leg up on her Midwestern counterparts as there is a greater focus on making shots and seeing the court.

Haneefah Davis (Chicago, IL/Simeon Career Academy) – 5' – Defensive Specialist
Haneefah is a walk-on for the program, who came to us late in the recruiting process. At her open tryout, she impressed us with her speed, quickness, and ability to read the ball. With some dedication towards improving her technique, we believe she will contribute to the program defensively.

Kory Honel (Bourbonnaise, IL/Lipscomb University) -5'9” - Outside Hitter
Kory transferred to us this past spring from a Lipscomb University in order to spend more time in the program before the 2011 season. She has the experience of going to the first round of the NCAA tournament and wants to take RMU to new heights. A product of Ultimate Volleyball Club in Frankfort, IL and Bradley-Bourbonnaise High School, Kory brings power to the outside position. She has amazing court vision and can see an opponents block very well. She can be one of the top outsides in the CCAC as she continues to perfect her passing and defensive skills.

Kristin Kopicki (Sterling Heights, MI/Lake Superior State) – 6' - Setter
Kristin comes to us from an upcoming NCAA Division II program. Besides a great set of hands, she brings height into the program with her 6' frame. Already a strong defensive player, Kristin is dedicated to increasing her vertical and speed, which will help her compete for playing time. With some work towards becoming a stronger attacker, Kristin should become an all around threat during her time with RMU.

Lea Matheson (Los Alamitos, CA/Los Alamitos) – 5'3” - Defensive Specialist
Lea comes to us from the west coast hot bed for volleyball – California. A dual sport athlete, Lea balanced volleyball, softball, and club volleyball at Los Alamitos High School. She is familiar with our passing style and should have no trouble acclimating to our challenging practices and strong defensive focus. In addition, she has a high level of court awareness and reading ability that should bring us up to par with some of the best defensive teams in conference.

Alexis Rapp (Plainfield, IL/Plainfield Central) 5'5” - Defensive Specialist
Alexis comes to us from Avalanche Volleyball Club and Plainfield Central High School. One of our first signees for the program, Alexis will add some stability to our serve receive and serving game. After earning the libero position during her club season, she has risen to new heights as a back row player. She already has great technique, and we believe as her speed increases so will her game.

Erika Swain (Harvey, IL/South Suburban Community College) – 5'8” - Outside Hitter/Middle Hitter
Erika comes to us as a junior transfer who has played middle and outside during her career. We expect to see her contribute to the outside position, but her ability to play in the middle will increase her contribution to the program in her final two seasons of college ball. We believe she will become a more consistent hitter as her transition speed improves and her defensive skills develop.

Alyssa Stechow (LaGrange, OH/Keystone High) – 5'11” - Middle Hitter/Right Side
Alyssa comes to us from Southwest Volleyball Club in Ohio, and we are thrilled to have her. She has an incredible ability to read the hitter and put up a solid block from both the middle and the right side. She also has a long reach which allows her to hit a variety of sets with ease. We look forward to seeing her develop her lateral and transition speed, which will help her become a stronger blocker and attacker. As a freshman, she should contribute in both the middle and right side throughout the season.

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Wednesday, June 29, 2011

We are famous!

RMU Women's Volleyball was recently featured in a new Athletic Video at RMU! Check us out! GO RMU! See how many women's players you can name.

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Saturday, April 16, 2011

Volleyball Announces Open Tryout Dates for Men and Women

Men's Volleyball Announced Open Tryouts for April 28,
Women's Announced for April 29

On Thursday, April 28, 2011, the Robert Morris University Illinois Men's Volleyball team will host an open tryout at the Flames Athletic Center at University of Illinois Chicago from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Athletes who wish to try out must fill out a participation waiver before tryouts. Additionally, tryouts are open to transfer students who wish to attend RMU in the Fall 2011 as well as current RMU students. Transfer students must bring a copy of their transcript as well as their SAT or ACT scores and be prepared to complete an application before tryouts.

In 2010/2011, the Eagles finished seventh in the Mid-America Men's Volleyball Intercollegiate Conference (MAMVIC) East . RMU has some key returning players coming back in 2011. Freshman right side Tyler Boyce (Beach Park, IL), who brought home All Conference Honorable Mention in his first year despite missing two weeks of season due to illness. Freshman middle blocker Pedro Calatayud (Lincolnwood, IL) and outside hitter Andrew Gleason (Elgin, IL).

If you have any questions, please e-mail Head Coach Lauren Joyce Hensel atljoyce@robertmorris.edu

The Flames Athletic Center is located at 839 W Roosevelt Rd, Chicago, IL, 60608. Please arrive at least 15 minutes before tryouts.


On Friday, April 29, 2011 the Robert Morris University Illinois Women's Volleyball team will host an open tryout at the Physical Education Building at University of Illinois Chicago from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Athletes who wish to try out must fill out a participation waiver before tryouts. Additionally, tryouts are open to high school seniors and transfer students who wish to attend RMU in the Fall 2011 as well as current RMU students. High school seniors and transfer students, who have not applied, must bring a copy of their transcript as well as their SAT or ACT scores and be prepared to complete an application before tryouts.

In 2010/2011, the Eagles finished fourth in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) and made it to the first round of the CCAC Conference Tournament . RMU has some key returning players coming back in 2011. Sophomore setter/right side Melissa Joyce (Chicago, IL), who brought home All Conference First Team honors in her first year as well as Player of the Week (twice), North Park All Tournament Team, and NAIA All Region Team. Freshman middle blocker Kimberly Smith (Zionsville, IN), who garnered North Park All Tournament with Joyce and right side hitter Rebecca Lourwood (Lansing, IL).

If you have any questions, please e-mail Head Coach Lauren Joyce Hensel atljoyce@robertmorris.edu

The Physical Education Building is located at 901 W Roosevelt Rd, Chicago, IL, 60608. Please arrive at least 15 minutes before tryouts.


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Monday, February 14, 2011

More recruiting to be done...

Hi Everyone,

In addition to the previous dates that we have listed for recruiting, we are adding more for men's volleyball! Head Coach, Lauren Joyce, will be at the following:

  • February 27 - Boy's Volleyball SYNC Series - Schaumburg Park District Sports Center, Shaumburg, IL
  • March 24 - Morton HS vs Riverside Brookfield - Riverside, IL
  • March 25-26 - Maris Redhawk Invitational - Chicago, IL
  • April 5 - Leyden HS vs Willowbrook HS - Franklin Park, IL
  • April 12 - Marist HS vs Sandburg HS - Chicago, IL
  • April 21 - Minooka HS vs Oswego East - Minooka, IL
Remember to keep checking back for more recruiting updates!

Sincerely,
Coach Joyce

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Sunday, February 6, 2011

Men's Eagles to face SXU Cougars

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Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Where will we be?

Our recruiting season is officially underway to solidify the rest of our 2011 classes for both men and women as well as to seek out prospects for our 2012 and 2013 classes. Here is a list of events one of the staff will be at in the next couple months:

Bold indicates head coach will be in attendance

  • January 29 - Boys' Volleyball Adversity/Balboa Bay Invite - Vernon Hills, IL
  • January 29 - Girls' Volleyball Great Lakes Power League - Aurora, IL
  • January 30 - Boys' Volleyball Quicksilver Performance Naperville/Lewis Invite - Romeoville, IL (Chris Brandt - Graduate Assistant will be attending)
  • January 30 - Girls Volleyball Great Lakes Power League - Aurora, IL
  • February 5 or 6 - Molton Wisconsin Boys Festival - Milwaukee, WI
  • February 12 and 13 - Fine Designs Boys Great Lakes Festival - Vernon Hills, IL, Waukegan, IL, and Niles, IL
  • February 20-21 - Great Lakes Center Girl's President's Day Classic - Aurora, IL
  • February 20 - Boys' Adversity Open - Vernon Hills, IL
As we add more dates, we will make sure to update the blog. We can't wait to see all of our recruits in action during club ball. We will also be out at some practices over the next four weeks. Check back soon for those dates.

GO EAGLES!

Sincerely,
Coach Joyce

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Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Snapshots of 2010

Hey Everyone,

We are so proud of our Lady Eagles for the phenomenal season they put together. Congrats! Here is a snapshot of the great 2010!

Enjoy,
Coach Lauren, Coach Mike, Coach Jenn, and Coach Chris












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