WVC State Championship Preview (3-31-08)
Division I
UW-Oshkosh currently sits tied for first in the Wisconsin Volleyball Conference and will attempt to win a record seventh state championship this weekend and its third consecutive NIRSA Division I national title April 10-12 in Dallas, Texas.
A mix of seasoned veterans and talented freshmen lead the Titans (38-3 entering the MIVA Championship) into the 16th annual WVC state championship. Highlighting the list are John Erickson (Sr. • Ripon), Danny Hessling (Jr. • Greenfield), Nathan Sederberg (Sr. • Racine) and Aaron Wayne (Sr. • New Berlin).
Erickson is a two-time All-WVC First-Team selection and was named NIRSA Division I honorable mention All-American last year. Hessling was named All-WVC First-Team last season after being named to the All-WVC Freshmen team in 2006. Sederberg was named All-WVC First-Team last year and the most valuable player of the 2006 WVC State Championship after being named the WVC Freshmen of the Year. Wayne was named the 2006 WVC as well as the 2007 NIRSA Division I Libero of the Year. Sederberg was named a NIRSA Division I second-team All-American in 2006 and Wayne was named to the same team in 2005 and 2006.
Other key returning members of the team are Brandon Kirkland (Sr. • Racine), Nathan Malewiski (Sr. • New Franken) and Jordan Jung (Gr. • Muskego). All three have been named as All-WVC First-team selections in the junior varsity division as well as NIRSA Division III All-Americans. Eric Waite (So. • Madison) rounds out the list of returning players.
Newcomers to the UW-Oshkosh team include Tyler Boddy (Fr. • New Ulm, Minn.) Dan Ruys (Fr. • Kimberly) and Andy Schinner (Fr. • Mequon). All three have logged valuable minutes for the Titans this season.
Season highlights include winning the UW-Oshkosh Invitational, University of Wisconsin Spring Fling and capturing both the Midwest Ten Conference regular season and tournament titles. The Titans also took third at the Hoosier-Illini Classic.
Division II
The UW-Oshkosh II team looks to win its fifth consecutive WVC state championship this weekend and will attempt to place in the top three for the fourth consecutive year at the NIRSA Division III national championship April 10-12 in Dallas, Texas.
The Titans, winners of six consecutive regular season WVC titles, are lead by returning starters Mike Callaway (Sr. • Waukesha), Mike Cotter, (So. • Appleton) Jim Hall (Jr. • Appleton) and Chris Schinner (Jr. • Mequon).
Callaway is a two-time All-WVC junior varsity first-team selection and was named to the 2007 WVC all-tournament team. Hall was named the 2007 WVC and NIRSA Division III Libero of the Year and was named to last season's WVC all-tournament team. Schinner was a 2007 All-WVC junior varsity first-team choice and received a WVC all-tournament team nod. He was also a member of the 2005 All-WVC Freshmen team.
The team also gets huge contributions from newcomers Jordan Mattingly (Fr. • Kaukauna), Gus Odorizzi (Fr. • Pleasant Prairie) and Bradie Williams (Fr. • Cross Plains) as all three start on this year's squad. Rounding out the UW-Oshkosh II team are Matt Boese (Fr. • Delafield), Kurt Breier (Sr. • Kimberly), Ryan Schultz (Fr. • Wauwatosa), and Justin Soukup (So. • Madison).
The Titans (30-6 entering the MIVA Division II Championship) won the UW-Oshkosh II Invitational, St. Ambrose University tournament and reached the gold round of the Hoosier-Illini Classic.
Division III
The UW-Oshkosh III team will attempt to make some noise at this year's WVC junior varsity state championship after taking third during the regular season with a 4-3 record.
Nine newcomers dot the Titans' roster highlighted by starters Evan Fahl (Fr. • Appleton), Mike Heup (Fr. • Oconomowoc), Miles Kraczek (Jr. • Cameron), Greg Lulich (Fr. • Ashland), Mike Murphy (Jr. • Richland Center), Alex Reynolds (So. • South Milwaukee) and Luke Wyngaard (Fr. • Kimberly).
UW-Oshkosh III (12-10-1) also gets contributions from Mark Beck (Jr. • Darboy), Andy Collins (Fr. • Germantown), Lars Fiorio (Fr. • Ashland), and Brian Fox (Fr. • Fond du Lac).
Reynolds, who made the switch from setter to left side hitter and Beck, who plays back row and left side hitter, are the only returning players from last year's UW-Oshkosh III team.
The Titans, who have the most depth in the six-year history of the Division III team, placed third at the St. Ambrose University tournament losing to UW-Oshkosh II in a tight match and also beat the UW-Oshkosh II team during the WVC regular season. The Titans also scored victories over UW-Platteville at the UW-Platteville Invitational and Augustana College at the St. Ambrose University tournament.
Lulich, Murphy and Wyngaard will be joining the UW-Oshkosh II squad at the NIRSA Division III national championship April 10-12 in Dallas, Texas.
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