Spring Schedule Opens With Youth Clinic, Match With Illinois
March 11, 2008
St. Francis de Sales Volleyball Clinic Photo Gallery The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee women's volleyball team teamed up with the University of Illinois to offer a special volleyball clinic and spring exhibition match this past weekend in Chicago. Prior to squaring off in a match, the two teams put on a volleyball clinic for about 100 kids at St. Francis de Sales High School on Chicago's far south side. The kids, all sixth grade and under, came from the surrounding community, the area Boys and Girls Club and the Starlings Volleyball Club. The clinic was a big hit, with kids receiving skill instruction in all aspects of volleyball. Then, in the match between the two schools, UWM dropped the first three games before winning the final two against its Big Ten opponent. The contest with the Fighting Illini was just the first test in a challenging spring slate put together by head coach Susie Johnson. UWM is scheduled to play in a tournament at UIC April 5 before hosting its own tournament April 12. The Panthers then wrap up the spring season April 19 with a tournament at the Great Lakes Center in Aurora, Ill. The Panthers already know their tournament schedule at UIC will includes matches with Northwestern, Northern Illinois, Western Michigan, UIC and Loyola. And, while the full tournament schedule at Great Lakes has not been set, the field includes UCONN, North Carolina, Kansas State, LSU and Iowa. Milwaukee returns nine letterwinners from a team that won a school-record 26 matches and a fifth-straight Horizon League regular season title last season. Among the key returnees are senior-to-be Becky Peters, All-Horizon League performer Natalie Schmitting, all-newcomer honoree Maddie Sueppel and setter Kellye Zaporski.
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