Claire Reeder '11 (left) of Grinnell College has been named the 2009 Midwest Conference Volleyball Player of the Year, while the Pioneers' Jackie Hutchison (center) was tabbed the league's Coach of the Year.

The Pioneers enjoyed a historic season in which they qualified for the MWC Championships for the first time since a qualifying system was implemented in 2005. Grinnell finished third in league with a 5-4 mark.

Reeder, a 6-foot middle hitter from La Grange Park, Ill. (Lyons Township), was second in the league in kills per set with 3.56 and fourth in hitting percentage at .275 while also averaging 0.39 blocks. She was named to the all-tournament team at all five tourneys in which the Pioneers competed in 2009, and also twice earned MWC Performer of the Week Accolades.

Reeder had a teammate join her on the all-conference squad, as setter Olivia Wilks '12 (right) landed on the second team. Wilks, from River Forest, Ill. (Oak Park & River Forest), was third in the league in assists per set with 8.89 and also averaged 2.62 digs, 0.4 blocks and 0.24 aces.
All-MWC Release

The Grinnell College volleyball team gave a valiant effort, but in the end suffered a three-set loss to Beloit College in the opening round of the Midwest Conference Championships Friday afternoon at De Pere, Wis.

Beloit, the second seed, won by scores of 25-18, 25-14, 25-17 while improving to 24-5. Grinnell, the third seed, finished its campaign at 14-19.

Claire Reeder ’11 had 12 kills for Grinnell, while Michelle Briggs’ 13 added six. Olivia Wilks ’12 distributed 25 assists and Carlie Beach ’10 tallied 12 digs, while Wilks and Elizabeth Davis ’11 had eight each. Davis also served two aces.

Mary Parker had eight kills for Beloit, which will play in the title match on Saturday.

The Grinnell College volleyball team will play in the Midwest Conference Championships this weekend for the first time since a qualifying system was implemented in 2005.

Grinnell earned the third seed in the four-team event and will play second-seeded Beloit College at 4:30 p.m. Friday in De Pere, Wis. Top-seed and host St. Norbert College meets fourth-seeded Ripon College at 7 p.m.

Grinnell enters the tournament after going 5-4 in league play and 14-18 overall, while Beloit was 8-1 in the league and 23-5 overall.

Grinnell played at Beloit on Oct. 14, losing in four sets by scores of 26-24, 19-25, 25-22 and 25-23. Claire Reeder '11 had 19 kills in that contest and Michelle Briggs '13 added 15. Olivia Wilks '12 dished out 53 assists, while Erin Labasan '11 had 16 digs.

For the season, Reeder averages 3.55 kills per set and Bonnie Kircher '12 has 2.19. Briggs averages 0.94 blocks, Wilks averages 8.91 assists and Carlie Beach '10 leads the team in digs with 3.67 per set.

Beloit's Mary Parker averages 2.95 kills per set, while Laura Toth averages 2.79 and Tess Jacquez 2.69. Caitlin O'Leary distributes 9.33 assists per set and Toth has a 0.99 blocks average. Parker is tops in digs at 5.36 per set.

The winners play at 1 p.m. Saturday for the title, with the champion earning the conference's automatic spot in the NCAA Division III Tournament.
MWC Championships Preview
Watch match on MWC TV

Claire Reeder '11 (pictured) was named to the all-tournament team as the Grinnell College volleyball squad posted a 1-3 mark at the Benedictine University Invitational over the weekend.

The Pioneers, 14-18 overall, defeated Monmouth College 25-19, 25-15, 25-21 in their first match and lost matches to Wheaton 25-18, 25-18, 16-25, 25-16, Benedictine 25-21, 25-16, 25-18 and North Central 25-16, 25-15, 25-19.

Grinnell will play in the Midwest Conference Championships this weekend.

The Grinnell College volleyball team has secured a spot in the Midwest Conference Championships for the first time since a qualifying system was implemented in 2005.

Grinnell's fate was up in the air entering Saturday, but a loss by Ripon College loss propelled the Pioneers into the tournament and all the way up to the third seed. That means Grinnell, which finished 5-4 in the league, will take on second-seeded Beloit College in the first round this coming Friday at St. Norbert College in DePere, Wis. The top seed and host Green Knights will face Ripon in the other first-round match.

Sparked by a balanced effort from several players, the Grinnell College volleyball team finished off the home portion of its 2009 campaign in style Wednesday with a three-set victory over Knox College at Darby Gymnasium.

Playing in a match deemed as Senior Night, the Pioneers wound up Midwest Conference play with a 5-4 mark with their 25-23, 25-13 and 25-14 victory. Grinnell improved to 13-15 overall.

Bonnie Kircher '12 (left) delivered 11 kills for the Pioneers and hit a blistering .417 while also tallying two solo blocks and three block assists. Erin Labasan '11 (right) served up four aces, Olivia Wilks '12 came up with 24 assists, Carlie Beach '10 had 14 digs and Claire Reeder '11 scored four block assists as did Michelle Briggs '13.

Kelly Ricketts led Knox, 0-9 in the MWC and 4-24 in all matches, with 13 kills and Karen Frost had 27 assists.

The Pioneers showed sheer grit in the first set, rallying after falling behind by scores of 8-2 and 10-3. With the score later tied 23-all, an attack error by Knox and kill by Reeder finished things off. After that, Grinnell and Knox played on even terms for half of both the second and third sets before the Pioneers took off for the easy victories in each.

The win allowed Grinnell to remain in the hunt to earn its first trip to the league's postseason tournament since a qualifying system was implemented in 2005. A Lawrence University win over Lake Forest College on Saturday would put Grinnell in the tournament, or even a Ripon College loss to Carroll University would put the Pioneers in position to qualify.

Grinnell concludes the regular season this weekend at the Benedictine University Tournament, taking on Monmouth College and Wheaton College on Friday and Benedictine and North Central College on Saturday. The MWC Tourney is the following weekend.
Box Score

The Grinnell College volleyball team lost a four-set contest at Lake Forest College on Saturday.

Game scores, in favor of the hosts, were 25-14, 16-25, 25-14 and 25-15. Grinnell is now 4-4 in the Midwest Conference and 12-15 overall, while Lake Forest is 3-4 in the MWC and 6-17 overall.

Claire Reeder '11 had 13 kills for Grinnell, while Gillian Dryjanski '13 had six. Olivia Wilks '12 dished out 26 assists, Erin Labasan '11 had 12 digs and Carlie Beach '10 added 11. Michelle Briggs '13 added five combined assists.

Grinnell also played Trinity International University on Saturday, losing by scores of 25-14, 25-15 and 25-15. The Pioneers close out the regular season Wednesday with a home match against Knox College. Match time at Darby Gymnasium is 7 p.m.
Box Score

Grinnell College's volleyball team extended its home winning streak to five matches and kept itself in the hunt for a Midwest Conference Tournament berth Saturday afternoon, sweeping Illinois College in three sets at Darby Gymnasium.

Game scores were 25-19, 25-16 and 25-15 as the Pioneers improved to 4-3 in the league and 12-13 overall. Illinois College dipped to 2-6 in the MWC and 5-14 in all contests.

Claire Reeder '11 again had a superb match, coming up with 13 kills while hitting at a .500 clip. Kelsey Montgomery '11 (left) added nine kills, while Bonnie Kircher '12 (right) also had nine while hitting .562. Montgomery also had a hand in five blocks.

Olivia Wilks '12 added 36 assists, Carlie Beach '10 tallied 13 digs and Erin Labasan '11 added 10 digs while serving three aces. Courtney Sweatman had nine kills for Illinois College.

Grinnell next travels to Lake Forest College, where the Pioneers will face the hosts at 11 a.m. and then Trinity International at 1 p.m.
Box Score

The Grinnell College volleyball team fought hard, but in the end lost a four-set battle at co-Midwest Conference favorite Beloit College on Wednesday night. Game scores, in favor of the winners, were 26-24, 19-25, 25-22 and 25-23.

Grinnell is now 3-3 in the league and 11-13 overall, while Beloit stayed perfect in MWC action at 4-0 while improving to 19-4 overall.

Claire Reeder '11, who for the second time this year has earned MWC Performer of the Week honors, had 19 kills while hitting .326 for Grinnell and Michelle Briggs '13 added 15 kills and hit .542. Bonnie Kircher '12 also had a solid hitting night with a .412 efficiency rating while coming up with eight kills.

Olivia Wilks '12 added 53 assists and 12 digs. Erin Labasan '11 and Carlie Beach '10 added 16 and 15 digs, respectively, while Elizabeth Davis '11 tallied two aces.

Tess Jacquez led Beloit with 19 kills and Mary Parker tallied 12. Grinnell returns home on Saturday, facing Illinois College at 1 p.m. in Darby Gymnasium.
Box Score

For the second time this season, Grinnell College's Claire Reeder (La Grange Park, Ill./Lyons Township) has been named Midwest Conference Volleyball Performer of the Week.

Reeder, a 6-foot middle hitter, had an impressive week as the Pioneers swept all three Midwest Conference foes they faced, coming up with wins over Monmouth College, Ripon College and Carroll University.

Her biggest performance was against Carroll, where she hit at a .667 efficiency clip that ranked second-best in school history. She had 22 kills in 30 attempts with just two errors in that contest. For the week, Reeder hit .339 with 52 kills and also had seven total blocks.
MWC Volleyball Release

Thanks in part to a dominating performance at the net by Claire Reeder '11, the Grinnell College volleyball team extended its winning streak to three matches Saturday afternoon with a four-set victory over Carroll University at Darby Gymnasium.

Grinnell won by scores of 25-16, 25-12, 20-25 and 25-22 to improve to 3-2 in the Midwest Conference and 11-12 overall. Carroll dipped to 2-4 in the league and 11-12 in all matches.

Reeder (left) had a .667 hitting efficiency on the day, which ranks second in school history only behind a .727 efficiency she had in a match last year. She finished with 22 kills on 30 attempts with just two errors.

Grinnell hit an impressive .339 as a team, including .455 by Gillian Dryjanski '13 (right). Elizabeth Davis '11 was also in double digits for kills with 10. Olivia Wilks '12 dished out 49 assists, while Erin Labasan '11 had team-highs of 17 digs and two service aces. Carlie Beach '10 added 13 digs and Wilks 12, while Michelle Briggs '13 tallied three blocks.

Carroll's Michele Leonard had 12 kills and Megan Falk 12 digs.

Grinnell travels to Beloit College on Wednesday for a MWC test against the Buccaneers. Match time is 7:30 p.m.
Box Score

The Grinnell College volleyball team made it two Midwest Conference wins in a row Friday night, beating Ripon College in four sets at Darby Gymnasium. Game scores were 25-16, 24-26, 25-21 and 25-15.

Bonnie Kircher '12 (pictured) led the Pioneers in kills with 14, while Claire Reeder '11 and Elizabeth Davis '11 were also in double digits with 13 and 10, respectively.

Olivia Wilks '12 added 46 assists, three aces serves and 10 digs. Caroline Beach '10 accumulated 21 digs, Erin Labasan '11 tallied 12 and Michelle Briggs '13 came up with four total blocks.

Anna Alvin of Ripon had 16 kills and teammate Christy Looker tallied 13. Grinnell improved to 2-2 in the MWC and 10-12 overall with the win, while Ripon fell to 2-1 in league play and 8-13 overall.

Grinnell returns to the home court Saturday when Carroll University visits for a 1 p.m. match.
Box Score

The Grinnell College volleyball plays a pair of home Midwest Conference matches this weekend, meeting Ripon College at 7 p.m. Friday in Darby Gymnasium and taking on Carroll University at 1 p.m. Saturday.

Grinnell enters Friday's match at 1-2 in the Midwest Conference and 9-12 overall after earning a thrilling 3-2 home victory over Monmouth College earlier this week.

Claire Reeder '11 is averaging 3.54 kills per set and Bonnie Kircher '12 is averaging 2.12. Setter Olivia Wilks '12 averages 8.62 assists, while Carlie Beach '12 leads the team in digs with 3.71 per set. Wilks averages 2.74 digs and Michelle Briggs '13 leads Grinnell in blocking with 0.89 blocks per set.

Ripon is 8-12 overall and 2-0 in the MWC, with league wins coming against Illinois College and Monmouth. Like Grinnell, Ripon also beat Monmouth 3-2.

Anna Alvin is averaging 3.34 kills per set for the visitors, while Lisa Aguilar averages 2.66. Alison Ernst has an 8.46 assists per set average and Sara Heim tops the team in digs with 6.23 per set.

Carroll was 1-3 in the MWC as of Thursday and 10-11 overall. The Pioneers beat Illinois College 3-1 while losing league matches to Lawrence University, Monmouth and St. Norbert College.

Heather Kulibert averages 2.64 kills per set for Carroll and Megan Turckes averages 2.00. Samantha Derynda averages 6.16 assists per set and Megan Falk is the leader in digs with 5.30.

After the weekend action, Grinnell hits the road to play at Beloit College at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.

The home court and thrilling victories seem to go hand-in-hand when it involves the Grinnell College volleyball team.

For the second time in the last week, the Pioneers fought their way to an exciting five-set victory over an opponent at Darby Gymnasium. Tuesday' night's 25-14, 21-25, 16-25, 25-19, 17-15 win over Monmouth College marked the Pioneers' first Midwest Conference victory of the season as they moved to 1-2 in the league and 9-12 overall. Monmouth fell to 2-3 in the MWC and 7-9 in all contests.

Olivia Wilks '12 (pictured) distributed 44 assists for the winners, while Claire Reeder '11 and Bonnie Kircher '12 had 17 and 14 kills, respectively. Four players had double-digit digs, led by Muriel Gallo-Chasanoff '10 and Wilks with 19 apiece. Carlie Beach '10 added 13 digs and Erin Labasan '11 came up with 10. Michelle Briggs '13 was credited with six block assists.

Chelsey Widdop had 12 kills for Monmouth and Alicia Yeakey and Claire Hermie tallied 10 apiece.

Fittingly, the fifth set was the most exciting with no more than three points ever separating the teams. That came twice, both times in Grinnell's favor, including 13-10 when Reeder put down a kill. However, Monmouth rallied to force ties at 13, 14 and 15 before Grinnell finished off the win when Elizabeth Davis '11 and Briggs recorded consecutive kills on assists by Wilks.

The Pioneers remain home for their next two matches when they entertain league foes Ripon College and Carroll College. The Ripon match is slated for 7 p.m. Friday, while the Carroll contest is at 1 p.m. Saturday.
Box Score

The Grinnell College volleyball team gave St. Norbert College a good battle Saturday afternoon, but in the end the host Green Knights came away with a 3-1 victory in Midwest Conference action. Scores, in favor of St. Norbert, were 25-16, 23-25, 25-20 and 25-19.

Claire Reeder '11 had 12 kills for Grinnell, while Michelle Briggs '13 added eight and Elizabeth Davis '11 seven. Olivia Wilks '12 came up with 31 assists and Briggs had six total blocks. Carlie Beach '10 led the Pioneers in digs with 22, while Erin Labasan '11 and Wilks had 16 apiece.

Lauren Meehan and Sam Jungbluth of St. Norbert, the preseason co-MWC favorite, had 13 kills each.

Grinnell, 0-2 in the MWC and 8-12 overall, entertains Monmouth College Tuesday in another league match. The contest at Darby Gymnasium begins at 7 p.m. St. Norbert improved to 2-0 in league play and 13-7 in all matches.

Grinnell College dropped its Midwest Conference volleyball opener on Friday night, falling by scores of 28-26, 25-16, 24-26 and 25-17 to Lawrence University in Appleton, Wis.

Claire Reeder '11 (pictured) had 20 kills for Grinnell, while Michelle Briggs '13 tallied nine and Bonnie Kircher '12 had eight. Olivia Wilks '12 had 39 assists, Caroline Beach '10 had 19 digs and Erin Labasan '11 tallied 10 digs.

Lawrence's Melissa Schnettler had 20 kills and teammate Shannon McLain added 10. Grinnell is now 8-11 overall and 0-1 in the league, while Lawrence moved to 10-9 in all contests and 2-0 in the MWC.

Grinnell travels to De Pere, Wis., on Saturday to face St. Norbert College at 1 p.m.

In a match that proved to be a thriller to the end, the Grinnell College volleyball team earned a dramatic five-set victory over Iowa Wesleyan College Wednesday night at Darby Gymnasium.

With the 25-16, 16-25, 25-17, 15-25, 15-10 victory, the Pioneers surpassed last year's win total as they improved to 8-10 on the campaign. Iowa Wesleyan is 8-8.

Claire Reeder '11 (left), this week's Midwest Conference Performer of the Week, had another stellar effort. She pounded down a match-high 19 kills while hitting at a .390 efficiency clip and also had five combined blocks.

Bonnie Kircher '12 added 10 kills, Olivia Wilks '12 (right) came up with 39 assists and 12 digs and Erin Labasan '11 added 17 digs. Caroline Bailey '10 contributed 15 digs. Megan McVey paced Iowa Wesleyan with 18 kills.

After the teams split the first four sets, the fifth was exciting with Grinnell holding a narrow 8-7 lead before going on a key 4-2 run. Reeder had two kills in the spurt and Elizabeth Davis '11 one. After Iowa Wesleyan closed within 12-10, Grinnell finished things off with a kill by Davis and two more by Reeder.

The Pioneers open up Midwest Conference play this weekend, taking on Lawrence University in Appleton, Wis., at 7 p.m. Friday and playing St. Norbert in De Pere, Wis., at 1 p.m. Saturday.
Box Score

Claire Reeder, a 6-foot junior middle hitter from Grinnell College (La Grange Park, Ill./Lyons Township), has been named Midwest Conference Volleyball Performer of the Week.

Reeder was named to her fourth all-tournament team in as many outings this season during the Grinnell College Volleyball Invitational. She averaged 3.20 kills per set during the four matches, hit at a.239 efficiency clip and recorded 10 blocks. For the season, Reeder averages 3.47 kills per set and is hitting .265.
MWC Volleyball Release

The Grinnell College volleyball team lost a pair of contests at its own tournament Saturday at Darby Gymnasium to finish 1-3 at the event.

Augustana College was the champion of the double round-robin tourney with a perfect 4-0 mark, while William Penn University went 1-3 like Grinnell. Grinnell's Claire Reeder '11 (left) and Carlie Beach '10 (right) were named to the all-tournament team. For Reeder, it's her fourth all-tourney selection this year in as many outings.

Reeder had eight kills in a 25-22, 25-13, 25-23 loss to Augustana to start Saturday's action. Olivia Wilks '12 added 25 assists, while Beach tallied nine digs and two ace serves.

William Penn defeated Grinnell in four sets by scores of 25-27, 25-15, 25-16 and 25-19. Reeder and Bonnie Kircher '12 had 16 and 11 kills, respectively, for Grinnell. Reeder had a .400 hitting efficiency in that match. Wilks distributed 40 assists, Erin Labasan '11 and Muriel Gallo-Chasanoff '10 had 12 digs apiece and Michelle Briggs '13 tallied four block assists.

Grinnell, 7-10 on the season, entertains Iowa Wesleyan College on Wednesday. Match time is 7:30 p.m.
2009 Grinnell College Volleyball Tournament Summary

The Grinnell College volleyball team split matches on the opening day of its own tournament Friday, beating William Penn University in four games and then losing to Augustana College in four.

Grinnell topped William Penn, a team that had swept the Pioneers in three straight sets two weeks ago, by scores of 25-18, 16-25, 25-23 and 25-19. Augustana topped Grinnell by scores of 25-18, 20-25, 25-19 and 25-16. In the night's other match, Augustana worked past William Penn 25-27, 25-21, 25-23 and 25-22.

In the win over William Penn, Claire Reeder '11 had 14 kills while Caitlin Helterline '10 had 10. Olivia Wilks '12 and Brooke Yoder '12 added 24 and 17 assists, respectively, while Wilks also came up with 12 digs as did Caroline Beach '10. Michelle Briggs '13 had five blocks, one being a solo to go with four assists.

Reeder had 10 kills and four block assists against Augustana, while Wilks tallied 33 assists. Beach led the way in digs with 19 and Wilks had 12.

The tournament concludes Saturday, starting with the 7-8 Pioneers taking on Augustana at 11 a.m. At 1 p.m. Augustana meets William Penn, and the Pioneers finish things off at 3 p.m. against William Penn.

Claire Reeder '11 (pictured) made her third all-tournament team in as many tries this season while helping guide the Grinnell College volleyball team to a 2-2 mark at the Macalester Tournament over the weekend in St. Paul, Minn.

Grinnell went 1-1 each day. On Friday, the Pioneers opened the event with a five-set loss to Carleton, as the latter won by scores of 25-20, 19-25, 15-25, 25-17 and 15-8. Grinnell bounced back, though, by topping Oklahoma Wesleyan 24-26, 25-16, 25-20 and 29-27.

On Saturday, Grinnell rallied to win a five-set thriller against the University of Dubuque by scores of 25-25, 19-25, 25-14, 25-18 and 15-8. Dubuque had beaten Grinnell in four sets just two weeks ago. Macalester then followed with a 25-22, 25-23, 25-18 win over Grinnell.

In the Carleton match, Michelle Briggs '13 had 12 kills and hit .320 for Grinnell while Reeder added 10 kills and Olivia Wilks '12 tallied 35 assists. Wilks also had 17 digs and Briggs added four blocks.

Against Oklahoma Wesleyan, Reeder tallied 18 kills and hit .325 in the match, while Briggs hit .542 with 14 kills. Also in double digits were Erin Labasan '11 and Bonnie Kircher '12 with 11 kills apiece. Wilks added 47 assists, Briggs tallied seven blocks and Kircher had 19 digs.

In the win over Dubuque, Reeder pounded down 20 kills while hitting .400 and Wilks dished out 39 assists. Caroline Beach '10 led the way in digs with 25 while Briggs had six total blocks.

No statistics were available from the Macalester match. Joining Reeder on the all-tournament team were Macalester's Erin Cusac and Marja Music, Oklahoma Wesleyan's Stephanie Lee, Carleton's Laura Barsness and Dubuque's Susan Danielewski.

Grinnell, 6-7 on the season, hosts the Grinnell College Tournament this coming weekend.

With the aid of Claire Reeder's '11 (left) tournament Most Valuable Player performance, the Grinnell College volleyball team claimed second place at its own invitational Saturday at Darby Gymnasium.

After going a perfect 2-0 in Friday's action, Grinnell opened Saturday's round with a 28-26, 25-20, 27-25 sweep of Monmouth College. That set up a meeting with William Penn University, which was also unbeaten at that point.

William Penn won the matchup against the Pioneers by scores of 25-17, 27-25 and 25-19 to claim the tourney crown. Grinnell finished at 3-1, Monmouth College was third at 2-2, Rockford College placed fourth at 1-3 and College of Mt. St. Vincent wound up fifth at 0-4.

Joining Reeder on the all-tournament squad was teammate Olivia Wilks '12 (right). Reeder had 14 kills and hit .303 against Monmouth, while Wilks came up with 36 assists. Bonnie Kircher '12 had 12 kills, while Caroline Bailey '10 tallied 13 digs and Erin Labasan '11 contributed 11.

Wilks had 33 assists and Reeder 14 kills while hitting .324 against William Penn. Four players had double-digit digs - Caroline Beach '10 had 13 while Labasan, Wilks and Kircher came up with 10 apiece. Michelle Briggs '13 had five blocks, including four assists.

Grinnell travels to Minnesota next weekend to take part in the Macalaster Tournament.
2009 Grinnell College Volleyball Tournament Summary

The Grinnell College volleyball team is off to a perfect start at its own tournament, posting wins over Rockford College and College of Mt. St. Vincent on Friday at Darby Gymnasium.

The Pioneers are 2-0, as is William Penn University after the first day. Monmouth College is 1-1, while Rockford and College of Mt. St. Vincent are 0-2.

Grinnell outlasted Rockford in five sets, winning 23-25, 28-26, 25-20, 21-25 and 15-11. Claire Reeder '11 (pictured) pounded down 20 kills and hit at a .395 efficiency clip, while Olivia Wilks '12 dished out 32 assists. Elizabeth Davis '11 had 15 digs and four aces, Caroline Beach '10 tallied 14 digs and Wilks came up with 10. Michelle Briggs '13 had four blocks.

The Pioneers sailed by College of Mt. St. Vincent by scores of 25-14, 25-11 and 25-17. Reeder led the team in kills with nine while hitting .467, while Caitlin Helterline '10 had eight kills and hit .438. As a team, Grinnell hit .292. Wilks had 22 assists, Helterline served five aces, while Beach and Bonnie Kircher '12 had eight digs apiece.

Grinnell meets Monmouth at 11 a.m. Saturday and finishes off the tourney against William Penn at 3 p.m.

If there's ever a good sign in athletics, it's returning every player from a team that showed plenty of promise.

That's the situation the Grinnell College volleyball team finds itself in entering the 2009 campaign. The team plays its first home contests this weekend at the Grinnell College Invitational, which also includes Monmouth College, William Penn University, Rockford College and Mt. St. Vincent.

The key returnee is Claire Reeder '11, a first-team All-Midwest Conference pick last year. The 6-0 middle hitter ranked third in the league in kills per set with 3.13 and seventh in hitting efficiency at .256. She also averaged .164 digs and 0.84 blocks per set.

But that's just the start of the list. Other returnees are seniors Caitlin Helterline (outside hitter), Muriel Gallo-Chasanoff (defensive specialist), Carlie Beach (defensive specialist), Caroline Bailey (defensive specialist); juniors Rachel Smith (defensive specialist), Erin Labasan (outside hitter), Elizabeth Davis (outside hitter), Kelsey Montgomery (middle hitter), Anne Brothers (middle hitter); and sophomores Gillian Dryjanski (outside/middle hitter), Olivia Wilks (setter), Brooke Yoder (setter), Bonnie Kircher (outside hitter), Molly Wingfield (right-side hitter), Kate Duran (defensive specialist), Anna Day (middle/outside hitter) and Hannah Campos (setter).

Newcomers include outside hitter Bridget Zajac '12, middle hitter Michelle Briggs '13, outside hitter Shelby Carroll '13 and setter Bethine Moore '13.

"We not only return everybody, but have some real positive additions to the team and some added height," said Reeder of the team. "We have a lot of depth now. That's a big plus."

The team is being led by interim coach Jackie Hutchison, an assistant last season. "Things are going very well," said Gallo-Chasanoff. "Coach has got us working hard and we're motivated for a great season."

The team began the season with a 1-4 mark at the Illinois College Blue Brawl, but the early-season action will only pay dividends down the road once league play begins.

"We have a great schedule in terms of getting some tournaments in before conference play," said Gallo-Chasanoff. "We have a lot of time to figure out our team dynamic."

"We've got time to see the whole team on an entire spectrum," added Reeder. "This first month will give us the experience to figure out our weak points and fine-tune them. We'll take advantage of that time."

As for the conference race, Grinnell is aiming high. "I remember last year we had a great match with St. Norbert, and they went on to win the conference," said Gallo-Chasanoff. "We showed we can play with the best in the conference. My goal is to get to the conference tournament, and then we'll take it from there."

"We didn't have the best record last season, but we also don't look at this season like we're out to prove something," Reeder said. "We're just positioning ourselves to be successful."

The Grinnell College volleyball team opened the season with a victory on Saturday, but then lost four more matches at the Illinois College Blue Brawl Invitational.

The Pioneers defeated Greenville in four games by scores of 26-24, 23-25, 25-22 and 25-33. They then fell to the University of Dubuque (19-25, 25-22, 23-25, 24-26), Westminster (18-25, 19-25, 24-26), Bethany Lutheran (17-25, 15-25, 21-25) and Cornell College (17-25, 19-25, 23-25).

Claire Reeder' 11 had 48 kills during the weekend, while Bonnie Kircher '12 and Elizabeth Davis '11 added 29 apiece. Olivia Wilks '12 dished out 94 assists and Brooke Yoder '12 had 36. Kircher also had 10 ace serves, while Caroline Beach '10 tallied 40 digs and Erin Labasan '11 came up with 38.

Grinnell, 1-4, hosts its own invitational this Saturday and Sunday.

Grinnell College volleyball player Claire Reeder '11 has been named the All-Midwest Conference First Team for the 2008 campaign.

Reeder, a 6-0 sophomore middle hitter from La Grange Park, Ill. (Lyons Township HS), ranked third in the league in kills per set with 3.13 and seventh in hitting efficiency at .256. Reeder, a second-team All-MWC selection last season, also averaged 1.64 digs and 0.84 blocks per set.

The league's player of the year was Joanna Mamayek of St. Norbert College. St. Norbert's Bethani Thibodeau and Beloit College's Dawn Kelly were named co-coaches of the year.
2008 All-Midwest Conference Volleyball Team