Thirty-Six Hours: A Look at Bobcat Volleyball
4/21/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Over the course of the next thirty-six hours, Bobcat Sports Information Director Tom Schulz will bring an in depth look at the team’s experiences, travel and competition. MSU is slated to face Minnesota, who finished last season ranked No. 6 in the nation, and South Dakota State.
Stay tuned for more updates that will appear on this page throughout the next day-and-a-half.
Friday, April 21
1:06 p.m. -- The Bobcat volleyball team arrives at the airport, minus assistant coaches Naipo and Huntingdale, who have been in Minnesota since Thursday recruiting. The squad size is small, since last year’s seniors (4) are gone, and the Bobcats are without the services of this season’s seniors Raelene Purnell and Sarah Allen. MSU has opted to play in three tournaments this spring, playing well at Northern Colorado, before a setback in performance at the University of Utah, last week. Coach Malauulu meets and greets many in the airport, and hands out per diem to the student-athletes. One of the life lessons learned on the trip will be money management (especially with a date at the Mall of America looming this evening). Northwest flight is on time, and boarding will take place in a few minutes. Check back for another update upon arrival in Minneapolis.
4:56 p.m. -- We had forgotten the pilot told us the Twin Cities was experiencing high winds when he came on the intercom at 39,000-feet. The flight was empty and each athlete had a row to themselves. I looked to the seat behind me and witnessed redshirt-freshman Meghan Albiston in deep sleep with her head on the table, and freshman redshirt Maria Peterson with headphones on and studying. The approach into the airport was more turbulence then most of us expected, and ended with many stomachs at the top of our throats. However, I'm happy to report that Northwest arrived 20-minutes ahead of schedule.
5:33 p.m. -- The trek through the Minneapolis airport is a long one and our bags are waiting for us in the baggage claims area. One escalator down, and three more up found us at the rental counter where we were greeted by coaches Naipo and Huntingdale. Moments later we are on the way to the hotel. The coaches will meet with their position players for goal setting, then its off to the Mall of America for some dinner and shopping.
7:15 p.m. – Once positional meetings were finished in regards to performance goals for Saturday, the team headed for the Mall of America. The coaching staff went to eat at Ruby’s Tuesday; while the team went to the food court to taste various cuisines from around the world (there are pictures to verify the quantity of food). A high school prom was going on the MOA, and the Bobcats started strolling down memory lane and went to one of those trendy women’s shops and started trying on prom dresses. After, that everyone went their separate and coach Malauulu allowed for an additional thirty-minutes of shopping.
9:40 p.m. – Returned to the LaQuinta, where coach Malauulu unpacked four pairs of shoes. Student-athletes went to rooms and lights out at 10 p.m., dreaming about full day of tournament play on Sunday. Coach Malauulu thanks Coach Naipo for the loan.
Sunday, April 22
6:30 a.m. – Wake up call. A quick shower, then to continental breakfast in the hotel. The student-athletes opt for the waffles, and some need syrup in each square. Pack, check-out and off to the University of Minnesota for a full day of volleyball.
8:08 a.m. – Arrived the U of M Sports Pavilion, which is hooked on the Grand Ole Barn (Williams Arena). Needless to say, Maroon is not the color of choice. Team hits locker room, and then to the floor for warm-ups. The inside temp is 80-degress, with 100 percent humidity. Girls have lost a few pounds before the match even begins.
9:00 a.m. – First serve
9:46 a.m. – Match is over. Minnesota, who finished last season ranked No. 6 in the country, wins 30-15, 30-17. Junior Laura Viren posts five kills and seven digs in her return trip to the land of 10,000 lakes, and even more mosquitoes. Freshman-redshirt Maria Peterson dished out 16 assists and added three digs. Kaytlin Van Burger, Patti Anderson and Wendy Doutre all tallied three kills, apiece. Freshman redshirt Meghan Albiston notched eight digs as MSU’s libero. There were many teachable moments during the match, especially when you consider the ‘Cats had three redshirt freshmen in the starting line-up.
10:10 a.m. – Warm-ups begin for match against South Dakota State.
11:05 a.m. – The Bobcats faced the Jackrabbits in the second match of the morning with SDSU coming out on top 30-25 and 30-17. The first game was tied at 25-all, before the ‘Cats tank started to empty. The humidity had taken its toll as the ‘Jacks cruised to the second game win. Kaytlin Van Burger paced MSU with 7 kills, while Wendy Doutre added six kills and two blocks. Nicole Gyrpiuk, playing out of position in the middle, recorded three kills and two blocks. Defensively, MSU was led Laura Viren and Meghan Albiston with eight digs, apiece. Setter Maria Peterson dished out 15 assists and added five digs. “The biggest thing we learned is how communication plays a big role in a match,” said MSU head coach Miya Malauulu. “All of our matches during the spring allow for our younger kids to get experience that they wouldn’t necessarily get during the fall. Progress has been made, but it’s a little frustrating due to consistency. That will eventually steady out.”
12:03 p.m. – While a few players stayed to line-judge and run the scoreboard for the Minnesota-SDSU match, coach Malauulu and company took a tour of the UM facilities and watched a UM-Illinois tennis match and a UM-Northwestern softball game. In addition, the contingent also toured Mariucci Arena, Siebert Field, the Track and Field venure, plus the outside football practice area. All facilities were open and we were more than welcome to take a look.
1:33 p.m. – Back in the Sports Pavilion, the Golden Gopher staff provided lunch to a bunch of hungry Bobcats. With a break in action, Van Burger served as team photographer, and Patti Anderson posed for most of the shots. Malauulu and Schulz went to Williams Arena and watched the men’s basketball team in open practice. There was no Tubby Smith sighting. MSU will face Minnesota, again, in the first match of the afternoon.
3:03 p.m. – Minnesota swept the second meeting 30-18, 30-14. In all, MSU scored 32 points in both matches against the nation’s No. 6 squad. Patti Anderson paced the Bobcats with seven kills, while hitting .250 from the floor. The senior from Deer Lodge also added two digs, a block and an ace. Also contributing were Laura Viren with four kills and two digs and Wendy Doutre with three kills and two blocks. Maria Peterson dished out 13 assists in the loss, while libero Meghan Albiston added a team-high five digs. “Our young kids need to be more aggressive in all facets of the game,” Malauulu said. “It might sound remedial, but that means knowing when to go into the match, knowing what situation is at hand, communicating, and not being afraid to go hard after a ball.” MSU will face South Dakota State in a minutes in their final match of the U of M Invitational.
4:25 p.m. – MSU saved its best match until last, but still came up short 30-28, 30-25 to South Dakota State. Things on the floor seemed to click much better, and the Bobcat blocking scheme got on track. The ‘Cats were led by Nicole Grypiuk, who tallied 8 kills and three blocks, while Patti Anderson recorded seven kills, eight digs and a block. Kaytlin Van Burger led MSU at the net with four blocks, while setter Maria Peterson dished out 18 assists, in addition to having two kills and a .500 attack mark. “I was really excited because they showed a lot of fight,” Malauulu said. “The freshmen did a better job of executing their roles on the court, while Patti and Laura were consistent from the first point to the last. Kaytlin did a great job playing in the middle, while Nicole also did a fantastic job playing in a position she is not accustomed, too,”
5:30 p.m. – We arrived at the Viren household in Prior Lake, a nice piece of land in the Suburban South countryside. The girls finally got to shower, after losing about ten pounds of sweat in the Sports Pavilion. Bruce and Cindy Viren put on a tremendous spread and everyone took advantage of the food. Bruce made a killer lasagna that didn’t last very long. After putting our feet up and watching a little NBA playoff action it was time to load up and head back to the airport.
8:32 p.m. – The rental cars are returned, E-Tickets are in hand and everyone passed through security in flying colors. Departure for Bozeman is slated for 9:20 p.m. numerous players have phone to ear and are catching up on their weekend with whoever is listening.
10:40 p.m. The landing in Bozeman was a whole lot smoother than arrival in Minneapolis. Outside a few bumps, it was smooth sailing. A few players cracked their books, such as Wendy Doutre, who poured over her Anatomy book. Most put the head phones on and slept. They deserved a rest after playing four matches in a hot and humid gym. Many things were learned in the last 36-hours, most importantly is that communication is a key ingredient for anyone to be successful. The more they talked on the court, the better outcome they experienced. With the conclusion of spring ball, an excitement is already brewing for a relatively young squad that saw its underclassmen make huge strides in an afternoon of volleyball.
Stay tuned for more updates that will appear on this page throughout the next day-and-a-half.
Friday, April 21
1:06 p.m. -- The Bobcat volleyball team arrives at the airport, minus assistant coaches Naipo and Huntingdale, who have been in Minnesota since Thursday recruiting. The squad size is small, since last year’s seniors (4) are gone, and the Bobcats are without the services of this season’s seniors Raelene Purnell and Sarah Allen. MSU has opted to play in three tournaments this spring, playing well at Northern Colorado, before a setback in performance at the University of Utah, last week. Coach Malauulu meets and greets many in the airport, and hands out per diem to the student-athletes. One of the life lessons learned on the trip will be money management (especially with a date at the Mall of America looming this evening). Northwest flight is on time, and boarding will take place in a few minutes. Check back for another update upon arrival in Minneapolis.
4:56 p.m. -- We had forgotten the pilot told us the Twin Cities was experiencing high winds when he came on the intercom at 39,000-feet. The flight was empty and each athlete had a row to themselves. I looked to the seat behind me and witnessed redshirt-freshman Meghan Albiston in deep sleep with her head on the table, and freshman redshirt Maria Peterson with headphones on and studying. The approach into the airport was more turbulence then most of us expected, and ended with many stomachs at the top of our throats. However, I'm happy to report that Northwest arrived 20-minutes ahead of schedule.
5:33 p.m. -- The trek through the Minneapolis airport is a long one and our bags are waiting for us in the baggage claims area. One escalator down, and three more up found us at the rental counter where we were greeted by coaches Naipo and Huntingdale. Moments later we are on the way to the hotel. The coaches will meet with their position players for goal setting, then its off to the Mall of America for some dinner and shopping.
7:15 p.m. – Once positional meetings were finished in regards to performance goals for Saturday, the team headed for the Mall of America. The coaching staff went to eat at Ruby’s Tuesday; while the team went to the food court to taste various cuisines from around the world (there are pictures to verify the quantity of food). A high school prom was going on the MOA, and the Bobcats started strolling down memory lane and went to one of those trendy women’s shops and started trying on prom dresses. After, that everyone went their separate and coach Malauulu allowed for an additional thirty-minutes of shopping.
9:40 p.m. – Returned to the LaQuinta, where coach Malauulu unpacked four pairs of shoes. Student-athletes went to rooms and lights out at 10 p.m., dreaming about full day of tournament play on Sunday. Coach Malauulu thanks Coach Naipo for the loan.
Sunday, April 22
6:30 a.m. – Wake up call. A quick shower, then to continental breakfast in the hotel. The student-athletes opt for the waffles, and some need syrup in each square. Pack, check-out and off to the University of Minnesota for a full day of volleyball.
8:08 a.m. – Arrived the U of M Sports Pavilion, which is hooked on the Grand Ole Barn (Williams Arena). Needless to say, Maroon is not the color of choice. Team hits locker room, and then to the floor for warm-ups. The inside temp is 80-degress, with 100 percent humidity. Girls have lost a few pounds before the match even begins.
9:00 a.m. – First serve
9:46 a.m. – Match is over. Minnesota, who finished last season ranked No. 6 in the country, wins 30-15, 30-17. Junior Laura Viren posts five kills and seven digs in her return trip to the land of 10,000 lakes, and even more mosquitoes. Freshman-redshirt Maria Peterson dished out 16 assists and added three digs. Kaytlin Van Burger, Patti Anderson and Wendy Doutre all tallied three kills, apiece. Freshman redshirt Meghan Albiston notched eight digs as MSU’s libero. There were many teachable moments during the match, especially when you consider the ‘Cats had three redshirt freshmen in the starting line-up.
10:10 a.m. – Warm-ups begin for match against South Dakota State.
11:05 a.m. – The Bobcats faced the Jackrabbits in the second match of the morning with SDSU coming out on top 30-25 and 30-17. The first game was tied at 25-all, before the ‘Cats tank started to empty. The humidity had taken its toll as the ‘Jacks cruised to the second game win. Kaytlin Van Burger paced MSU with 7 kills, while Wendy Doutre added six kills and two blocks. Nicole Gyrpiuk, playing out of position in the middle, recorded three kills and two blocks. Defensively, MSU was led Laura Viren and Meghan Albiston with eight digs, apiece. Setter Maria Peterson dished out 15 assists and added five digs. “The biggest thing we learned is how communication plays a big role in a match,” said MSU head coach Miya Malauulu. “All of our matches during the spring allow for our younger kids to get experience that they wouldn’t necessarily get during the fall. Progress has been made, but it’s a little frustrating due to consistency. That will eventually steady out.”
12:03 p.m. – While a few players stayed to line-judge and run the scoreboard for the Minnesota-SDSU match, coach Malauulu and company took a tour of the UM facilities and watched a UM-Illinois tennis match and a UM-Northwestern softball game. In addition, the contingent also toured Mariucci Arena, Siebert Field, the Track and Field venure, plus the outside football practice area. All facilities were open and we were more than welcome to take a look.
1:33 p.m. – Back in the Sports Pavilion, the Golden Gopher staff provided lunch to a bunch of hungry Bobcats. With a break in action, Van Burger served as team photographer, and Patti Anderson posed for most of the shots. Malauulu and Schulz went to Williams Arena and watched the men’s basketball team in open practice. There was no Tubby Smith sighting. MSU will face Minnesota, again, in the first match of the afternoon.
3:03 p.m. – Minnesota swept the second meeting 30-18, 30-14. In all, MSU scored 32 points in both matches against the nation’s No. 6 squad. Patti Anderson paced the Bobcats with seven kills, while hitting .250 from the floor. The senior from Deer Lodge also added two digs, a block and an ace. Also contributing were Laura Viren with four kills and two digs and Wendy Doutre with three kills and two blocks. Maria Peterson dished out 13 assists in the loss, while libero Meghan Albiston added a team-high five digs. “Our young kids need to be more aggressive in all facets of the game,” Malauulu said. “It might sound remedial, but that means knowing when to go into the match, knowing what situation is at hand, communicating, and not being afraid to go hard after a ball.” MSU will face South Dakota State in a minutes in their final match of the U of M Invitational.
4:25 p.m. – MSU saved its best match until last, but still came up short 30-28, 30-25 to South Dakota State. Things on the floor seemed to click much better, and the Bobcat blocking scheme got on track. The ‘Cats were led by Nicole Grypiuk, who tallied 8 kills and three blocks, while Patti Anderson recorded seven kills, eight digs and a block. Kaytlin Van Burger led MSU at the net with four blocks, while setter Maria Peterson dished out 18 assists, in addition to having two kills and a .500 attack mark. “I was really excited because they showed a lot of fight,” Malauulu said. “The freshmen did a better job of executing their roles on the court, while Patti and Laura were consistent from the first point to the last. Kaytlin did a great job playing in the middle, while Nicole also did a fantastic job playing in a position she is not accustomed, too,”
5:30 p.m. – We arrived at the Viren household in Prior Lake, a nice piece of land in the Suburban South countryside. The girls finally got to shower, after losing about ten pounds of sweat in the Sports Pavilion. Bruce and Cindy Viren put on a tremendous spread and everyone took advantage of the food. Bruce made a killer lasagna that didn’t last very long. After putting our feet up and watching a little NBA playoff action it was time to load up and head back to the airport.
8:32 p.m. – The rental cars are returned, E-Tickets are in hand and everyone passed through security in flying colors. Departure for Bozeman is slated for 9:20 p.m. numerous players have phone to ear and are catching up on their weekend with whoever is listening.
10:40 p.m. The landing in Bozeman was a whole lot smoother than arrival in Minneapolis. Outside a few bumps, it was smooth sailing. A few players cracked their books, such as Wendy Doutre, who poured over her Anatomy book. Most put the head phones on and slept. They deserved a rest after playing four matches in a hot and humid gym. Many things were learned in the last 36-hours, most importantly is that communication is a key ingredient for anyone to be successful. The more they talked on the court, the better outcome they experienced. With the conclusion of spring ball, an excitement is already brewing for a relatively young squad that saw its underclassmen make huge strides in an afternoon of volleyball.
Wednesday, June 10
Friday, March 27
Monday, March 23
Friday, March 13
