A.I.I. News
11.12.2008 - [Volleyball]
St. Thomas is excited about entering Friday's championship as the top seed
St. Thomas is excited about entering Friday's championship as the top seed

November 12, 2008 - Beginning on November 14, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University will host the 2008 NAIA Association of Independent Institutions Volleyball Championship, in Prescott, Arizona. The University of St. Thomas was selected as the #1 seed for the tournament, and faces #4 seed and host Embry-Riddle to open pool play. The other tournament opener features #2 Lambuth challenging #3 seed Our Lady of the Lake. Both games are scheduled for 10 am on Friday, as part of a three-game round robin to finalizing seeding for Saturday's semifinals. 

The 2008 A.I.I. Championship semifinal games will be played on Saturday, November 15, at 9 and 11 am. The A.I.I. Championship game is scheduled for 5 pm., with the winner receiving an automatic berth to the NAIA Volleyball National Championships, which begin with the opening round on November 22. The Final Site for the 2008 NAIA Volleyball National Championships is scheduled for December 2-6, in Sioux City, Iowa.
A.I.I. Fall Championship Preview Schedule:
November 10, 2008 - Women's Soccer
November 11, 2008 - Men's Soccer
November 12, 2008 - Women's Volleyball
 
A.I.I. Volleyball Championship Tournament Schedule
 
Friday, November 14th, 2008 (POOL PLAY) at the Embry-Riddle Activity Center:

10 AM

Court 1: #1 and #4, University of St. Thomas and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

Court 2: #2 and #3, Lambuth University and Our Lady of the Lake University

2 PM

Court 1: #2 and #4, Lambuth University and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

Court 2: #1 and #3, University of St. Thomas and Our Lady of the Lake University

5 PM

Court 1: #3 and #4, Our Lady of the Lake University and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

Court 2: #1 and #2, University of St. Thomas and Lambuth University

Saturday, November 15th, 2008 (SINGLE ELIMINATION PLAY) at the Embry-Riddle Activity Center:

9 AM

Feature Court: P#1 and P#4 - winner plays at 5:00 PM in A.I.I. Championship match, loser done.

11 AM

Feature Court: P#2 and P#3 - winner plays at 5:00 PM in A.I.I. Championship match, loser done.

5 PM

Feature Court: A.I.I. Championship match. Winner to the 2008 NAIA National Tournament.
 
Team Previews:
Courtesy St. Thomas, Lambuth, Our Lady of the Lake and Embry-Riddle
 
#1 University of St. Thomas Lady Celts
2008 Record: 17-10
 
When the University of Saint Thomas decided to restart their athletic program in 2006 the first person they hired was Jill Reynolds. Coach Reynolds was hired in July, and recruited mostly from the student body and four outside players, and led the Lady Celts into their very first match on September 22nd, 2006, which resulted in a win. Little more than two years later, the UST volleyball program is already assured of a winning season, ranked #1 in the Association of Independent Institutions and competing for an A.I.I. championship.
 
The 2008 regular season was very interesting for the Lady Celts. After a 3-5 start, the team came across an opponent they could not beat: Hurricane Ike. School was closed, students were sent home and six matches were cancelled. The break must have given the players something to think about because they came back and won six of their next seven matches and now have an overall record of 17-10.
 
Junior Heather Hardy leads the Lady Celts and the A.I.I. with 3.1 kills per game (313 Total), while sophomore Casey Mulryan leads the A.I.I in hitting efficiency with .316 and sophomore Sarah Curiel-Thompson is the A.I.I assists leader with 7.5 assists per game. Team leaders also include Lauren Poe with 0.5 aces per game and Mallory Wendel with 0.5 blocks per game. With redshirt freshman Courtney Johnson coming back from an early season injury, the coaching staff now has more flexibility with the game plan. Junior Keanne Smith has consistently provided leadership throughout the year and leads the AI.I with 3.8 digs/game (365 total).
 
Without a senior on the roster, Reynolds and the UST Lady Celts come into their first postseason tourney hoping to gain some valuable experience and continue their late season success.
 
#2 Lambuth University Lady Eagles
2008 Record: 13-12
 
The Lambuth University Lady Eagles opened the 2008 season with some familiar faces back in September. One of those faces was new head coach Bubbles Lee. Lee, a former All-Conference player, returned her alma mater to the postseason in only her first season as head coach. 
 
After a disappointing season in 2007, the returning players looked to turn things around in 2008. The Lady Eagles finished the year with a 13-12 record and found a good mix with a group of new players and seasoned returning players. 
 
Casey Slagle led the team in assists with 531, while Heather Rynd was second in assists with 179. Katharine Leger had 198 kills while newcomer; Leia Pittman was second on the team in kills with 179. Robin Rutherford led the squad with 256 digs while Rynd had 132.
 
#3 Our Lady of the Lake University Saints
2008 Record: 11-14
 
In only their second year of existence, the Our Lady of the Lake University Saints are proud to have finished the season ranked No. 3 in the Association of Independent Institutions Conference. Last year, the team won just four matches, and this year, they surpassed that number significantly.
 
Returning starters Madison Madrid and Jessica Ramirez, both seniors, have had a successful season. Defense specialist Madrid has lead the team in digs with 217, averaging 2.7 digs per game. Ramirez has the team's highest average of kills per game with a total of 78 in 38 games. Leading the team in kills has been freshman standout Liza Rodriguez, who recorded 154 kills, averaging 2.0 per game. Others posting high numbers in kills were freshmen Melanie Valenciana with 116 and returning sophomore Kelsey Johnson with 107.
 
Freshman Elyse Escobar has impressed many with the numbers she has logged in assists. She has a total of 368 in 79 games, averaging 4.7 per game. Next in line is freshman Olivia Perez, who has recorded 251 assists in 80 games, averaging 3.1 per game.
 
Serves leader is returning sophomore Sarah Lindsay, who has a total of 25 aces in 54 games. Newcomer Robyn Bush, who hails from Paris, Texas, is the leader in blocks. She has a total of 31 blocks in 45 games. Freshman Jennifer Herrera is next with 30 blocks in 52 games.
 
The Saints started the season slowly, having lost eight of their first 11 matches. Three of the lost matches went to four games, and four went to five games, with the Saints losing by less than a few points in each competition. Nevertheless, the Saints rebounded and finished the season with 11 wins and 14 losses, a great improvement from last year's record of 4-12.
 
The Saints ended their second season at home on a high note by beating the No. 1 ranked team in the conference, the University of St. Thomas. The first game proved to be quite aggressive, with neither team leading by more than three points throughout. The outcome resulted in an OLLU win, 25-22. During the second game, the Saints overpowered UST throughout the contest leading by as much as nine points. The Saints won 25-17. Once again, the Saints came on strong during the last and final match with a beginning lead of 5-0. UST never led throughout the third game, giving the Saints the game, 25-22 and the match, 3-0.
 
#4 Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Eagles
2008 Record: 7-20
 
For the Eagles of Embry-Riddle, the 2008 volleyball season began in early August when the nine women who make up the 2008 squad reported for training camp. During this three-week marathon of training the Eagles engaged in a daily ritual of on-court training blended with a late morning or early afternoon hydrotherapy session. This training camp period is also a time of year when the Eagles join forces with the coaching staff from Glassford Hill Middle School (Prescott Valley) to spend quality gym time focused on three training sessions for 50-75 budding volleyball players, an annual tradition for the past three years.
 
The 2008 Eagle Training Camp ended in late August and the regular season began, following a scrimmage, home opener and one match in Phoenix, with a trip to the Pacific Island of Oahu and the 2008 Hawaii Volleyball Invitational, featuring teams from Chaminade, Hawaii Pacific, California Baptist and BYU Hawaii. The tournament also served as a homecoming of sorts for Angelo Woo, who originates from the island.
 
The bi-product of this tournament featuring four tough early season matches was the first of two unsettling player injuries, and a generous amount of memories that forever include family, culture, and the many experiences of the island of Oahu and the city of Waikiki.
 
The team's return to Prescott opened the door to the competition and travel packed month of September. The Eagles competed in 14 matches, including matches against nationally ranked Point Loma Nazarene University, in-town rival Yavapai College, and two out-of-town tournaments: the Scottsdale Volleyball Classic and the Mid-America Nazarene University Tournament.
 
In the initial six and a half weeks of the 2008 volleyball season, these Eagles had battled through 20 of the season's 27 matches (74% of our schedule), and are rested for the first ever A.I.I. Championship and the opportunity to host the two-day event.