Volleyball season preview, Northwestern College Red Raiders

2010 Season Preview:

Coming off of back-to-back GPAC regular season championships, a postseason title and four straight trips to the NAIA national tournament, the Northwestern College volleyball team has established itself as one of the premier programs in the country. Head Coach Kyle Van Den Bosch, who begins his sixth season at Northwestern, has guided the Raiders to three straight national quarterfinal appearances and an impressive 42-match win streak in the very competitive GPAC conference. Van Den Bosch, who earned conference and regional coach of the year honors for the third consecutive year in 2009, is excited about this year’s squad, despite losing four seniors off of last year’s squad. That group included two-time NAIA first team All-American Randa Hulstein (Sioux Center, Iowa) and two other four-year starters. “We had a great run last year and some wonderful memories,” commented Van Den Bosch. “The seniors were all important pieces of the past couple of seasons. They were great leaders in our program.” The Raiders, however, bring back seven letter winners from last year’s team that finished with a 36-3 overall record, tied for the best winning percentage in the program’s history. 2010 team

A strong senior class, led by a trio of three-year starters in Kaitlin Beaver (Sioux Center, Iowa), Hillary Hanno (Sioux City, Iowa) and Bobbie jean Rich (Tilden, Neb.), will look to provide the main offense this season. Collectively, the group has won two GPAC championships, qualified for the national tournament three straight years and accumulated a 97-24 overall record. A two-time NAIA All-American including first team accolades in 2009, Beaver returns as the team’s full-time setter for the second year. The 6’1” senior led the conference in assists per game (11.4) last year and anchored the fifth best offense in the NAIA, hitting .293 as a team. “Kaitlin has continued to improve at the setter position,” stated Van Den Bosch. “Her athleticism and competitiveness makes her one of the premier setters in the NAIA.” Beaver continues to climb in the Northwestern record books, ranking fifth all-time in assists per set (11) and seventh in total assists (1,493) since taking over the setting duties during her sophomore year. She also averaged 1.8 digs per set and ranked among Beaver the league best in ace serves (41). A 5’10” outside hitter, Hanno earned second team All-American honors in 2009 after being named honorable mention as a sophomore. She led the conference and ranked 10^th in the NAIA in kills per set (4.2), hitting .317 for the season. Hanno ranks fifth all-time in kills (1,446) and also posted 55 blocks, 28 aces and averaged 1.7 digs per set. “Hillary is one of the best true finishers in the country and has competed very well on the outside the last two seasons,” stated Van Den Bosch. “We will look to her to expand her role in the back row as well.” Rich, a 6’2” middle hitter, averaged 1.4 kills and ranked among the conference leaders in blocks at 1.04 per set. With the graduation of Hulstein, Rich will be counted on to provide more offense from the middle hitter position. “Bobbie will be one of our middle hitters again this year. She is one of our emotional sparks and will be called upon again to be one of our attackers.” A fourth senior, Karis Vink (Zeeland, Mich.), a four-year member of the squad, will also compete for a spot in the regular Hanno rotation.

Joining the seniors are two juniors who have played in several big matches throughout their careers. Rylee Hulstein (Sioux Center, Iowa) will once again be one of the outside hitters for Coach Van Den Bosch’s squad. Hulstein earned second team all-GPAC accolades for the second straight year after averaging 2.3 kills and 2.5 digs per set in 2009. She hit .225 and was one of the best in serve receive at .956. “Rylee has been a really steady player for us the past two years,” commented Van Dan Bosch. “She does so many things well and is real asset on the court.” The Raiders welcome back Kate Buyert (Hull, Iowa), a 6’0” middle hitter who missed all of the 2009 season due to injury. As a freshman in 2008, Buyert ranked second on the team in blocks (114) and averaged 1.8 kills per set, hitting .244 on the season. “It is great to have Kate back playing once again,” said Van Den Bosch. “She has worked very hard to get her knee ready to play and we look forward to her contributions this year.”

Two sophomores return to the starting lineup in Heather Goehring (Sioux Falls, S.D.) and Jennie Jansen (Oak Harbor, Wash.). Goehring played in all but two matches last year as a serving and defensive specialist, leading the GPAC in aces per set (.5) and totaling 57 aces and 66 digs. Jansen will start on the right side for Van Den Bosch’s squad for the second consecutive year. The 6’2” sophomore averaged 1.2 kills, totaled 86 blocks and hit .255 for the season and played some of her best volleyball at the end of the season. “Both Heather and Jennie were important pieces to our team last year and we look for them to continue that this season.” Having lost two defensive specialists due to graduation in Janna Bloemendaal and Delainye Woudstra, Van Den Bosch will hand over the backrow duties to sophomores Danie Floerchinger (Treynor, Iowa) and Jaci Moret (Orange City, Iowa). Both players saw limited action on the varsity squad and starred on the junior varsity as freshmen.

The Raiders will once again open the season at home as they play host to the 20-team Red Raider Classic on Aug. 27-28. The competition will be fierce as seven teams from the field of 20 qualified for the national tournament last year, including national semifinalist Lee (Tenn.). The Raiders will face sixth-ranked Biola (Calif.) in their second match, one of several ranked teams from the rugged Golden State Athletic Conference. Northwestern will open conference play at home against Dakota Wesleyan on Sept. 7 and will face the usual challenges of a very difficult GPAC schedule, playing ranked teams in Morningside, Doane and Dordt, among others. Van Den Bosch’s squad will also face ranked teams Black Hills State (S.D.), Bellevue (Neb.) and Lindenwood (Mo.) in non-conference play. “The Red Raider Classic is one of the premier tournaments in the country.” One change this year, with the loss of Dana within the conference, is the GPAC will only get one (conference tournament champion) automatic berth into the NAIA national championship. “The GPAC will be another tough conference race,” stated Van Den Bosch. “It is a conference that is really fun to be part of because you have to play your best every night. We look forward to the challenges of this year and hope to be playing our best volleyball at the end of the season.”