MIAC Release

ST. PAUL, MINN. – If there's one word to describe the St. Catherine University volleyball team's upcoming season, it might be "new". The Wildcats have a whole new look in 2017, and that's not just limited to the team's new uniforms. With a new head coach at the helm and new jerseys, St. Kate's looks to climb up the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) standings and rebound after a disappointing 2016, where the team posted a 13-17 overall record and went 1-10 in conference play.

The Wildcats were picked to finish ninth in the MIAC standings in the preseason coach's poll. However, St. Kate's has a chance to shock teams both in and out of conference play despite losing All-MIAC libero Shanee Herd (Alexandria, Minn. / Jefferson) and outside hitter Abby Palmer (Pequot Lakes, Minn. / Pequot Lakes) to graduation. With first year head coach Todd Nelson at the helm, 12 returners and five new faces, the Wildcats are ready to rebuild and rebound in 2017.

Meet the 2017 St. Kate's volleyball team (in 140 characters or less)

1 – Bailey Auseth (Sr.; Defensive Specialist; Wanamingo, Minn./Kenyon-Wanamingo)
Auseth is coming off a career year where she had 148 digs in 21 matches for the Wildcats and has a chance to be the team's starting libero in 2017.

2 – Meagan Schwarzrock (So.; Setter; Hutchinson, Minn./Hutchinson)
Sophomore transfer from Valley City State, Schwarzrock played in 26 matches for the Vikings with 358 assists.

3 – Johna Radke (Jr.; Setter; Muskego, Wis./Muskego)
Radke played in 22 matches as a setter for the Wildcats in 2016. She was second on the team in assists (338) and assists/set average (4.28).

4 – Larissa Kisch (So.; Defensive Specialist; Oakdale, Minn./Cretin-Derham Hall)
Kisch made a big impression in 2016, leading the team in assists (392) as a first year. This year, Kisch will be a DS for St. Kate's. 

5 – Brooke Beuning (Fy.; Setter; New London, Minn./New London-Spicer)
First year setter from New London-Spicer. Earned All-Conference and All-Area honors and broke the school record for single match assists.

6 – Emily Carman (Jr.; Outside Hitter; Maple Grove, Minn./Osseo)
Carman played in 19 matches for St. Kate's in 2016 as a right side hitter, tallying 42 kills. She will play outside and right side in 2017.

7- Kaylie Paitl (Fy.; Middle Blocker; Braham, Minn./Braham)
One of the top recruits in Minnesota, Paitl was a 3x All-Conference honoree and was voted team captain and MVP in 2016.

8 – Mackenzie Peper (Jr.; Right Side; Osceola, Wis./Osceola)
After a career season, Peper will be a key player in St. Kate's offense. She was 4th on the team in kills (175) and 5th in hitting percentage (.151) in 2016.

9 – Emma Nelson (So.; Outside Hitter; Byron, Minn./Byron)
Nelson, a dual-sport athlete, played in 21 matches for the Wildcats in 2016. She ended the season with 57 kills and hopes add to that in 2017.

10 – Victoria Sweely (Fy.; Outside Hitter; Fernando, Minn./G.F.W.)
Versatile hitter from G.F.W, Sweely earned All-Conference and All-Conference honorable mention honors 2014-2016. 
 
11 – Libby Kreuser (So.; Middle Blocker; White Bear Lake, Minn./Totino-Grace)
Kreuser led St. Kate's in block assists (65) and total blocks (76) in 2016 and was second in hitting percentage (.204) and kills (191). She will play a big role in 2017.

12 – Erin Tebben (Fy.; Middle Blocker; New London, Minn./New London-Spicer)
Middle blocker from New London-Spicer, Tebben was one of the top offensive weapons for NLS during her high school career.

13 – Emily Neumann (Sr.; Setter; Hutchinson, Minn./Hutchinson)
Senior setter Neumann had the best season of her career in 2016. She was third on the team in assists (314) and averaged 4.62 assists/set.

14 – Bailey Brownlee (Jr.; Outside Hitter; Buffalo, Minn./Buffalo)
In her first season, Brownlee appeared in 15 matches for St. Kate's and played in 35 sets. She ended 2016 season with 29 kills and 8 blocks.

15 – Hannah Flatness (So.; Middle Blocker; Elk Mound, Wis./Elk Mound)
Flatness will serve as a big presence in the middle for St. Kate's this year after ranking in the top-5 in kills and hitting percentage in 2016.

16 – Kelly Breuer (So.; Middle Blocker; St. Paul, Minn./St. Croix Lutheran)
Breuer played on the right side for the Wildcats in 2016 but will make the switch to middle in 2017. Finished the year with 52 kills.

17 – Payton Baker (Jr.; Outside Hitter; Forest Lake, Minn./Forest Lake)
Baker's 2016 was limited due to injury. However, she still led the team in kills/set (2.42) and was tied for third in total kills (184).

Head coach Todd Nelson
Joins St. Kate's after spending the past five years at Southern Illinois. Has 18 years of coaching experience at the DI level.

The Wildcats will open the season on September 1 against Virgina Wesleyan in Norfolk, Virginia. The team's first home game will be on September 6, when it hosts MArtin Luther at 7 p.m. in the Butler Center gym.