2003 VOLLEYBALL REVIEW

CALLYN DITTMAR REWORKS RECORD BOOKS WHILE SETTING CAREER MARKS FOR KILLS & DIGS AND SINGLE SEASON STANDARD FOR KILLS PER GAME

Senior Callyn Dittmar (United Township HS, East Moline, IL) put the finishing touches on a fine career at Augustana College by setting two career and one single season school record in her final collegiate season. Augustana finished the season with a 16-22 overall record and was 4-3 in the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin. The Vikings of second year head coach Betsy Knott ended up tied for fifth in the final CCIW standings with five points (four from the regular season and one from the CCIW tournament).

Dittmar was selected as the team’s Most Valuable Player, according to a vote of her teammates. She was also given the honor of Most Valuable Offensive Player. The Most Valuable Defensive Player went to Katie Vegter (Willowbrook HS, Lombard, IL). Freshman Samantha Knox (United Township HS, East Moline, IL) won the Coach’s Award and the Bongo Spirit and Effort Award was given to Jeanna Dalton (Dixon HS, Dixon, IL). Lindsey Linkimer (St. Charles East HS, St. Charles, IL) won the Most Valuable Freshman honor while the Most Improved Player went to Jenny Preuss (Glenbrook South HS, Glenview, IL). Ellen Wiseman (Elgin Larkin HS, Elgin, IL) grabbed the award as the Most Improved Junior Varsity Player and the Junior Varsity Bongo Spirit and Effort Award was shared by Megan Monahan (Oak Park-River Forest HS, HSHSOak Park, IL) and Lorena Cernetisch (Erie HS, Erie, IL).

It was Dittmar, who shined the brightest during the season as she was named to the first team of the CCIW all-conference team, the only Augustana player selected. She finished her career with a total of three school records, erasing three of the biggest names in Viking volleyball history in the process.

She ended her four years with 1,486 kills, taking over the top spot from Julie Constien, who recorded 1,330 from 1998-01. Dittmar also now holds the school record for career digs with 1,650, knocking Amy Calderone from the number one position. Calderone’s mark was 1,530 set from 1997-00. The other record that Dittmar set was in kills per game and that came this year when she pounded out 570 kills in 140 games for a record 4.07 per game. Lori Papineau had set the record just last year (2002) with a mark of 3.62.

Dittmar also lost a record this year when Vegter, a fellow senior, recorded 811 digs in 137 games for an average of 5.92 digs per game. Dittmar previously held the record with an average of 4.13 set in her freshman year of 2000.

The Vikings began the season with 14 victories in their first 20 matches, including heart-pounding 3-2 (30-28; 30-22; 20-30; 23-30; 17-15) win at defending CCIW champion Elmhurst on October 1. It came at a time when the Bluejays were ranked in the top 10 in the nation in the NCAA Division III poll.

A change in the rules in college volleyball over the past two years has opened up the game for what essentially amounts to an extra player, the libero. The libero plays in the back row and does not check in and out of the game in the same manner as the other players. As a result, the statistic of digs, which is what the libero does, is going to undergo a major transformation over the next decade. Vegter proved that this year when she recorded 811 digs, more than 200 better than the second highest figure on the squad. In this year alone, Vegter had six of the top 10 single match digs totals ever recorded, including 40 in that memorable win at Elmhurst.

Three freshmen played a vital role this fall: outside hitter Samantha Knox (United Township HS, East Moline, IL), middle blocker Lindsey Linkimer (St. Charles East HS, St. Charles, IL) and setter Jenny Preuss (Glenbrook South HS, Glenview, IL). Knox was second on the team in kills with a 2.53 average as she recorded 309 in 122 games while Linkimer averaged 1.84 kills and 0.52 blocks per game. Preuss, who split time at setter with sophomore Kendra Anderson (Princeton HS, Tiskilwa, IL), averaged a team leading 9.28 assists and on October 14 she moved into the school’s top 10 list for assists in a single match when she recorded 59 against Millikin.

In the final individual statistical ranking in the conference, Augustana was represented in six spots. Dittmar was second in the league in kills per game with an average of 4.30 with 129 in 30 CCIW games. She was fourth in service aces at 0.53 (16 in 30), sixth in hitting percentage (.287 with 129 kills and 42 errors in 303 attempts) and 10^th in digs with an average of 4.53 (136 in 30 games). Vegter placed third in digs per game with a mark of 6.60 (198 in 30) and Anderson was fifth in assists at 8.86 (186 in 21).

CCIW ALL-CONFERENCE: Callyn Dittmar (1^st team)

MVP & ALL-TOURNAMENT AT HAVERFORD INVITATIONAL: Callyn Dittmar

RIVER CITY CLASSIC ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM: Katie Vegter

MILLIKIN INVITATIONAL ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM: Callyn Dittmar

CCIW PLAYER OF THE WEEK (09/02/03): Callyn Dittmar

CCIW PLAYER OF THE WEEK (10/06/03): Callyn Dittmar

SCHOOL RECORD DIGS PER GAME: Katie Vegter 5.92

SCHOOL RECORD CAREER KILLS: Callyn Dittmar 1,486 from 2000-03

SCHOOL RECORD CAREER DIGS: Callyn Dittmar 1,650 from 2000-03

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: Callyn Dittmar

BEST OFFENSIVE PLAYER: Callyn Dittmar

BEST DEFENSIVE PLAYER: Katie Vegter

COACH’S AWARD: Samantha Knox

BONGO SPIRIT & EFFORT AWARD: Jeanna Dalton

MOST VALUABLE FRESHMAN: Lindsey Linkimer

MOST IMPROVED PLAYER: Jenny Preuss

MOST IMPROVED JV PLAYER: Ellen Wiseman

BONGO SPIRIT & EFFORT (JV): Megan Monahan and Lorena Cernetisch

NOTE: The CCIW determines its championship on the basis on one point for each regular-season win and one point for each CCIW tournament win. In the case of a tie for CCIW title points, the team that places higher in the tournament is placed higher in the final standings.

POOL A

Millikin 3, Illinois Wesleyan 1 (30-24; 28-30; 30-27; 30-24)

Wheaton 3, North Park 0 (30-24; 30-27; 30-18)

POOL B

Elmhurst 3, Carthage 2 (26-30; 30-22; 25-30; 30-28; 15-7)

Augustana 3, North Central 2 (25-30; 23-30; 30-27; 30-27; 16-14)

POOL A

Illinois Wesleyan 3, North Park 0 (30-17; 30-25; 30-19)

Millikin 3, Wheaton 0 (30-23; 30-21; 30-23)

Illinois Wesleyan 3, Wheaton 0 (30-22; 30-28; 30-26)

Millikin 3, North Park 0 (30-23; 30-21; 30-22)

POOL B

Elmhurst 3, North Central 0 (30-26; 30-27; 30-25)

Carthage 3, Augustana 0 (30-28; 31-29; 30-27)

Elmhurst 3, Augustana 0 (31-29; 30-25; 30-24)

Carthage 3, North Central 0 (30-27; 30-19; 30-21)

Semifinal 1 – Carthage 3, Millikin 1 (23-30; 30-28; 30-25; 30-24)

Semifinal 2 – Elmhurst 3, Illinois Wesleyan 1 (30-24; 30-16; 18-30; 30-20

Seventh Place – North Park 3, North Central 0 (30-25; 30-20; 31-29)

Fifth Place – Wheaton 3, Augustana 1 (30-26; 19-30; 30-27; 30-23)

Third Place – Millikin 3, Illinois Wesleyan 2 (23-30; 30-27; 18-30; 30-27; 15-4)

Championship – Carthage 3, Elmhurst 1 (28-30; 31-29; 30-17; 30-27)

Lisa Denman, Elmhurst

Loran Lilly, Carthage

Beth Crowley, Illinois Wesleyan

Carly Bearwald, Elmhurst

Shelley Schriner, Carthage

Nicole Carlson, Elmhurst

PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Beth Crowley, Illinois Wesleyan

COACH OF THE YEAR: Kim Nelson-Brown, Illinois Wesleyan

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR: Tiffany Thorsell, Carthage