Blazers Overcome Obstacles, Take Second in Playoffs
Coming off a 2005 season that resulted in a 23-6 record and a third place MIAC finish, the College of Saint Benedict volleyball team had high hopes for the 2006 season. The first hurdle for this year’s team came from the 2005 College of Saint Benedict graduation. The departure of right side Ashley Pinckney (’05, All-American honorable mention), setter Beth Schiller (’05, four year starter), and Shantelle Needham (’05, three year starter) left a gap in the Blazer lineup that was very difficult to fill.
Despite the loss of three senior captains to graduation, CSB still had half of its starting lineup returning for the 2006 season. Blazer returning starters included senior libero Laura Zwach (Walnut Grove, Minn. / Tracy Area HS), 
senior middle blocker Teri Knapper (Renville, Minn. / Renville County West HS), and sophomore middle blocker Nicole Hjelmgren (Maplewood, Minn. / North St. Paul HS). Zwach, Knapper, and Hjelmgren led CSB in digs, kills, and blocks in the 2005 season. The second half of the lineup was filled by junior right side Theresa Naumann (Columbia Heights, Minn. / Totino-Grace HS) and three incoming first-year players.
The returning players and new additions allowed CSB to retain a Top 25 rank from the previous season. The Blazers were given the 14th rank in the national preseason polls.
From the beginning of the season, the Blazers relied heavily on their senior captains Zwach, Knapper, and defensive specialist Alicia Reif (St. Cloud, Minn. / Rocori HS). The trio led by example on and off the court to help develop the young Blazer team.
After a trip to Chicago, CSB returned home for its annual Holiday InnVitational in the second week of the season. The Blazers started the year off with a good start as they took second place in the tournament. In the first day of the tournament, head coach Michelle Blaeser earned her 100th win with the Blazers. While CSB began strong, they soon endured two three-game losing streaks that stirred up the team.
Luckily, the Blazers found the consistency and support they needed from an unlikely source, their three first-year players. Setter Beth Hanson (Fairbault, Minn. / Bethlehem Academy), outside hitter Emma Jaynes (Hibbing, Minn. / Hibbing HS), and outside hitter Andrea Millerbernd (Little Fork, Minn. / Little Fork Big Falls HS) stepped into starting roles that only few first-year athletes could handle. This younger trio learned a great deal from their older teammates and proved they had a lot to offer. Jaynes and Millerbernd combined on the outside for an average of 3.5 kills and 5.6 digs per game. Hanson had an especially hard hole to fill. From day one, CSB gave her a starting spot and let her lead the team. To everyone’s delight, Hanson exceeded every expectation and hope of what a first-year setter could do. She averaged 11.2 set-assists per game and truly controlled the court. Her impressive average ranked her second in the MIAC and 37th in the country in assists.
The Blazers defeated some of the best teams in the conference and in the region throughout the season. However, on other days they lost to teams that did not appear to be any threat. Their up-and-down play resulted in a 5-6 MIAC record. CSB assumed it did not have a chance to make the MIAC playoffs and thought they finished the regular season with a loss at Concordia-Moorhead. However, the Blazers did not know that if Bethel defeated Macalester there would be a three-way tie for the sixth and final seed in the MIAC playoffs. The race for the last spot was even closer because CSB, Bethel, and Macalester were all 1-1 against each other in the regular season. The second tiebreaker was game records in matches played against each other. Fortunately, the Blazers had taken Macalester five games in their loss two weeks earlier. CSB had the best game-winning percentage as they won five of the nine games played against the other two teams. Winning the tiebreaker gave the Blazers the final spot in the playoffs.
Since CSB barely made it into the playoffs very few teams thought their playoff hopes would be in peril. With the sixth seed, the Blazers took on No. 3 Carleton, who they had split matches 1-1 earlier in the season. Five Blazers recorded 10 or more kills as CSB upset the Knights in four games. They went on to face No. 2 Gustavus in the semifinal match. Knapper, Jaynes, and Millerbernd’s combined 47 kills were too much for the Gusties as CSB knocked them out 3-1. The No. 6 Blazers advanced to the MIAC championship to take on No. 1 Concordia-Moorhead. CSB put up a battle, but the Cobbers played just a little too well. Even though they lost, the Blazers proved that they deserved to be in the game. They forced the match into the final points of the fifth game against the seventh ranked team in the nation. The season ended with a 15-13 record for the Blazers, but it was their postseason run that showed the true character of this team.
While the Blazers’ playoff efforts stemmed from their cohesion and teamwork, many individual players posted noteworthy performances all year. CSB’s seniors came through for them all season and their statistics reflected their hard work. Laura Zwach was this year’s most honored Blazer as she led the MIAC and ranked 19th in the nation with 6.7 digs per game. She was a CSB Holiday InnVitational All-Tournament Team selection, MIAC Libero of the Week (10/10/06), CSB Athlete of the Week (11/7/06), AVCA All-West Region honorable mention, Academic All-Conference and ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District V second team selection. Zwach was voted CSB’s Defensive Player of the Year and the team’s Most Valuable Player. She was also named to the All-MIAC team and selected as the MIAC’s Co-Defensive Player of the Year.
While Zwach was highly honored, many other individuals made huge contributions to the Blazers’ success. Teri Knapper was also named to the All-MIAC team; she led the Blazers with 3.6 kills per game and a .284 hitting percentage. Knapper and Reif also made the MIAC All-Academic team for their work in the classroom. Nicole Hjelmgren averaged over one block per game and was ranked second in the MIAC. Andrea Millerbernd represented the Blazers on the MIAC’s first annual Sportsmanship Team.
The 2006 Blazer volleyball team faced its fair share of challenges, but how the team responded was the true measure of their success. CSB’s dedication and perseverance showed the character of the players on and off the court. The Blazers will lose three valuable seniors to graduation at the end of the academic year, but will once again have a lot to look forward to. Next year’s young team learned a great deal this season and will look to grow and succeed even further in 2007.
Season Stats | Volleyball | CSB Sports
Peter Banick, CSB Athletic Media Relations Student Assistant
Athletic Department
College of Saint Benedict
37 South College Avenue
St. Joseph, MN 56374
320-363-5301
Fax 320-363-6098