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Baker University Volleyball News
2003 Season

Meyer

Thursday, Dec. 11

Senior Elaine Meyer earned the one individual award she had yet to receive in her decorated career when she was named honorable mention All-American Dec. 11

During her four years at Baker, Meyer was named All-Heart of America Athletic Conference three times, All-Region V twice and an All-American Scholar-Athlete twice. She was first-team All-Region and All-Conference as a libero this season, led the conference in service receptions and was second in digs.

To receive the All-American Scholar-Athlete award, athletes must have a cumulative GPA of 3.50 or higher, be a junior or higher in academic standing, and meet a performance requirement.

Meyer is a Mass Communications and Spanish double major. More information on Meyer's achievements are available here.

Date for volleyball team tryouts set

Head coach Kathy Allen will host a tryout for the Baker volleyball team from 1 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 7, in Collins Center.

Athletes seeking more information can e-mail Allen at kathy.allen@bakeru.edu to receive an information sheet and release form.

Meyer

Monday, Nov. 22

Senior Elaine Meyer of Wichita was named to the All-Heart of America Athletic Conference and All-NAIA Region V teams for her play at the libero position during the 2003 season.

The 12-player conference team was announced Nov. 17, and the 12-player region team was announced Nov. 22.

It was Meyer's third-time on the All-HAAC team and second time on the All-Region team. She was named to both teams as a libero in 2002 and was All-HAAC as a defensive specialist in 2001.

Meyer led the conference in service receptions and was second in digs.

Saturday, Nov. 8

Baker concluded its 2003 season with a 3-1 loss to Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Mo., during the first round of the Heart of America Athletic Conference Tournament.

The Wildcats won the second game and kept all four games close before falling to the Lions, who are undefeated against conference opponents this season.

Baker went through a rebuilding year in 2003, with several members of a talented freshman class getting signficant playing time. Baker had a 9-9 record on Sep. 27 and held second-place in the conference standings as late as Oct. 13 before finishing 13-24 and eighth in the conference. The 'Cats had won at least 25 games in each of the past four seasons.

Baker will need to replace just two players from its 2003 roster - two-time captain Elaine Meyer and sophomore Hannah Stanage. Meyer is graduating and Stanage is continuing her education at the Baker University School of Nursing. Meyer was all-conference as a sophomore and junior, and All-Region V and an All-American Scholar-Athlete as a junior. She led the conference in service receptions in 2003 and was second in digs.

The rest of Baker's 17-woman roster will return, including lone junior Brooke Glenn, an all-conference pick in 2002. Also returning are freshman Barb Ludwig, the team's leader in kills; freshman Jana Smith, the team's top server; freshman Vanessa Wardy and sophomore Emily Allred, Baker's two top blockers; and sophomore setter Meredith Horne. Horne led the team in assists and was second in serving and digs.

Monday, Oct. 13

A fall break road trip featuring three of the best NAIA volleyball teams in Florida bumped Baker into the NAIA Region V Top 10 for the first time this season. Baker moved into the No. 8 spot in the rankings.

The Wildcats fell to Region XIVÕs top two teams, Flagler College and Embry-Riddle University, but took Embry-Riddle to five games and defeated No. 10 Warner South. The Wildcats hosted Missouri Valley College, Region VÕs No. 10 team, last night but results were not available.

Baker plays Pittsburg State at 7 p.m. Thursday, then travels to Wichita for a doubleheader against Friends and Newman.

Monday, Sep. 22

Ludwig

Baker won it's fourth straight match with a 3-1 victory over Oklahoma Wesleyan University Monday in Baldwin City.

Baker won the first two games 30-25 and 31-29 before falling in the third game, 30-23. The Wildcats closed out the match with a 30-28 win.

Outside hitter Barb Ludwig, freshman from Kansas City, had 18 kills to lead the Wildcats. Brooke Glenn, junior from Topeka, added 10 kills with only one error. Libero Elaine Meyer, senior from Wichita, had 28 digs to lead the defense.

Baker's trio of six-foot tall middle hitters had at least three blocks apiece. Vanessa Wardy, freshman from Tonganoxie, led the trio with five, freshman Renay Carter from Overbrook added four and sophomore Emily Allred from Salina had three.

The Wildcats, 7-8 overall and 2-1 in the Heart of America Athletic Conference, have won 12 of their last 14 matches dating back to Sep. 13. Baker's next match will be at the MidAmerica Nazarene Invitational in Olathe Friday and Saturday.

Tuesday, Sep. 16

Wardy

Baker swept Heart of America Athletic Conference rival William Jewell College 30-26, 30-24, 30-19.

The win improved BakerÕs conference record to 2-1. Outside hitter Barb Ludwig, freshman from Kansas City, had 12 kills, and fellow outside hitter Brooke Glenn, junior from Topeka, added 10 kills. Libero Elaine Meyer, senior from Wichita, had 17 digs. Middle hitter Vanessa Wardy, freshman from Tonganoxie, had two block solos and four block assists.

Saturday, Sep. 13

Ludwig

Meyer

Freshman Barb Ludwig and senior Elaine Meyer were named to the all-tournament team after leading the Wildcats to a 2-2 record at the Baker Invitational Sep. 12-13 in Baldwin City.

The Wildcats fell to Hastings College and Wayland Baptist University on Friday, Sep. 12, but rebounded on Saturday. Baker nearly swept Ottawa University 30-18, 30-26, 26-30, 30-21 in the morning, then swept St. MaryÕs University 30-17, 30-25, 30-26.

Ludwig, an outside hitter from Kansas City, leads the Wildcats in kills with 2.7 per game and is 10th in the Heart of America Athletic Conference in that category. Meyer, a libero from Wichita, leads the conference in service receptions with 9.73 per game and a 98.0 percentage, significantly more than anyone else in the conference. She is second in the conference in digs per game with 6.20.

Baker hosted rival William Jewell College Tuesday, but results were not available. The WildcatsÕ next game will also be at home when they host Oklahoma Wesleyan University Monday. The junior varsity game will start at 5:30 p.m., with the varsity game following at 7:30 p.m.

Heart of America Preseason Tournament

Glenn

Using a different strategy and outlook than in previous years, the Wildcats dropped all four games at the Heart of America Athletic Conference Preseason Tournament Friday and Saturday in Olathe.

Baker has done very well at the tournament in recent years, but head coach Kathy Allen noticed some of the best teams at the end of the year often did poorly at the preseason tournament because they experimented. Allen did the same, using all but two players on her team, including every member of her talented freshman class. Allen said the entire team showed promise and that outside hitter Brooke Glenn, outside hitter from Topeka, played especially well.

2003 Season Outlook

Meyer

Elaine Meyer is expected to do a lot for the Baker volleyball team this year. As the only senior on a young team, she will be expected to guide and tutor a large squad. She will be expected to maintain her reputation as the best libero in the Heart of America Athletic Conference and possibly the state. And because of the reputation she has built the past three years, she is expected to start the season in great shape, stay late at practice and throw her body all over the floor during games while lifting up her teammates' psyche.

Despite all of this responsibility, the only thing head coach Kathy Allen doesn't expect Meyer to do is grumble.

"She never complains," Allen said. "She is an incredible leader because she leads vocally and by example. She will report in absolutly perfect shape, and she will be the last one to leave practice every day. And despite all of her success, she is very humble. She feels it is her duty to do what she does, and she plays for pure pleasure."

Sophomore Meredith Horne, the 'Cats starting setter last year, said Meyer is a large part of why "attitude" will be one of Baker's strengths this year.

"She holds the whole team up and pulls us together," Horne said. "Even when she's not doing particularly well she's always telling us that we're doing fine."

With Meyer and junior Brooke Glenn as Baker's only upperclassmen and the loss of three All-Heart of America Athletic Conference players to graduation, this could be considered a rebuilding year by everyone but the Wildcats. While short on age, an outstanding recruiting class has the 'Cats long on talent and could make 2003 Meyer's most pleasurable season yet.

Meyer, whom Allen considers to be the greatest defensive player among any Kansas collegian, shattered every defensive statistic in the Baker record book behind average blockers. Now, Allen expects the blocking game to be one of Baker's main strengths with as many as three six-footers possibly on the floor at once. 6'0" freshmen Vanessa Wardy and 6'1" Renay Carter are joining 6'0" sophomore Emily Allred as the "big girls," and two other freshmen, 5'11" Jana Smith and 5'9" Barbara Ludwig could also help add a new dimension to the blocking game.

"We've always been a little behind on the blocking game and everyone coming in should help a lot," Meyer said.

Allen is hesitant to single out which freshmen could make a difference on this year's team and cautions that the freshmen will make rookie mistakes regardless of how much playing experience in top-tier junior leagues they have had.

"No matter how high a level they played at before, college is always tougher," Allen said.

With a strong group of sophomores and the dynamic Glenn, Allen won't have to rely solely on the freshmen. Glenn racked up all-conference honors last year as an explosive outside hitter with a punishing spike; Allred managed to wrestle away significant playing time on a front line already filled with Glenn and the three all-conference seniors; sophomores Hannah Stanage and Emily Grabner received significant playing time on the varsity court; and Horne became the starting setter midway through her freshman year under the tutelage of 2001 Baker All-American and 2002 assistant coach Emilee Hoffner.

"Emilee taught me a lot about believing in your teammates, having confidence in yourself and what you are able to do as a team," Horne said. Horne's learning curve will continue in 2003 under new assistant coach Lindsey Kersting, a three-year starter at Washburn University and the MIAA's top setter last season. The 'Cats are familiar with Kersting after playing against her the past few years.

"She's really awesome and very comparable to Emilee because they both know so much," Horne said.

With those players returning, Meyer and Horne said the 2003 season cannot be classified as a rebuilding year because of how much experience the sophomores possess and because the always-difficult freshman year is past.

"They had a lot of responsibility put on them early without much experience behind them," Meyer said. "This year, all of those sophomores are going to be ready for anything. The freshman year is so scary. Kathy always says when you're a sophomore it's going to be better, and it is."

COACH ALLEN'S COMMENTS: There is an incredible sense of anticipation and excitement among this group of players-- an unmistakable chemistry. Although we may be young, we have skilled leadership, talent, and a remarkable work ethic. We had an amazing spring season, the younger players gained so much strength and confidence. This summer, each individual has been working very hard at conditioning and in the weight room. Although we will miss last year's seniors, it's like this group is already on a mission - a mission tinged with a sense of purpose and a common goal: to be the best... I can hardly wait for the season to begin.