Heather Bonde
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November 14, 2005
NCAA Division II Great Lakes Regional Tournament
at Allendale, Mich.
Thursday, November 17
#3 SIUE (27-5) vs. #6 Ferris State (22-9), Noon
#2 Rockhurst (27-6) vs. #7 Hillsdale (19-11), 2:30 p.m.
#4 Northwood (22-9) vs. #5 Ashland (23-9), 5 p.m.
#1 Grand Valley (26-6) vs. #8 Charleston (26-9), 7:30 p.m.
Friday, November 18
Winner of Match 1 vs. Winner of Match 2, 5 p.m.
Winner of Match 3 vs. Winner of Match 4, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, November 19
Great Lakes Regional Championship Match, 7 p.m.
Coming off its first-ever Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament title, the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville volleyball team must now focus on the NCAA Tournament.
This is SIUE's second appearance in the NCAA Tournament in volleyball. The last time was 1998 when SIUE finished 29-7 under former coach Sandy Montgomery.
SIUE will play Ferris State, members of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Ferris State, the No. 6 seed enters with a 22-9 record. The Cougars and the Bulldogs will open the tournament on Thursday with a noon contest.
"Ferris State is a great program that has a great tradition," said Coach Todd Gober. "It is going to be a hard first matchup."
Grand Valley State is the host institution for the Great Lakes Regional Tournament in Allendale, Mich. The top-seeded Lakers meet No. 8-seeded Charleston (W.V.), winners of the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
The other teams in the regional tournament include second-seeded Rockhurst against seventh-seeded Hillsdale and fourth-seeded Northwood vs. fifth-seeded Ashland.
Gober said his Cougar team had a number of goals before the season began, including an NCAA Tournament berth.
"We made a bunch of team goals, but after starting the conference season 0-2, we looked at those goals again," said Gober. "That slow start may have really been the motivating factor for our big run."
The big run includes a school-record 18 consecutive victories and the GLVC title.
"I am happy because it was the next step for our program," said Gober.
SIUE is laden with senior talent, including GLVC Player of the Year Heather Bonde (Millstadt). The Cougar middle hitter holds a .343 hitting percentage and has a team-leading 3.89 kills per game.
"Heather has had a nice steady improvement every year," said Gober. "Any time you when an award like that it is because of the supporting cast. Our focus is on the team, and the individual awards will follow."
Tina Talsma (Orono, Ontario, Canada) came up with perhaps the biggest match of her career with 20 kills in the GLVC title game against Indianapolis.
"Indianapolis really keyed on Heather, but Tina has been an unsung hero for us all year," said Gober. "She played a real, scrappy, aggressive-type game, and that it what impressed me."
Allison Buss (Towanda), a second team All-GLVC defensive specialist, leads the Cougars with 5.16 digs per game.
Second team All-GLVC setter Krystal Majernik (Normal) finished the regular season and conference tournament with 10.36 assists per game.
Senior outside hitter Kindra Westendorf (Effingham) posted 2.98 kills per game this season.
The NCAA Division II volleyball tournament field is 64 teams from eight regions, playing in a single-elimination tournament.
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