SEASON OPENER
The Wayne State University volleyball team will begin the 2012 season this weekend at the Nova Southeastern University Sharks Classic in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Wayne State will meet Wheeling Jesuit and Merrimack on Friday before facing NSU and Lynn on Saturday.

The Warriors have fared well in recent opening weekends, posting a .500 record or better in four of the last five years.  WSU went 1-3 last season at Missouri-St. Louis, 2-2 at Indianapolis in 2010, won all four matches in the 2009 WSU Invitational, posted a 3-1 record at the Cal State Monterey Bay Otter Classic in 2008, and won two of four matches at Francis Marion in 2007.

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AT THE HELM
Phil Nickel is in his fifth season as Wayne State's head volleyball coach and has a record of 65-47.  In his seven-year career, which includes two seasons at Thomas More College, Nickel is 99-90.

Christy Benner, a five-time WVIAC Coach of the Year and the 2011 Atlantic Region Coach of the Year, has a 306-97 career record in 11 years at Wheeling Jesuit.

An assistant coach at Merrimack from 2008-10, T.J. Hajjar is in his second year as the head coach.

Entering his seventh season at Nova Southeastern, the school's all-time wins leader Steve Wilcosky has an overall record of 96-92.

With a six-year record of 116-78, Lynze Roos is the winningest coach in Lynn volleyball history.


SERIES HISTORY
Wayne State is 2-3 all-time against Wheeling Jesuit dating back to the 1999 season.  The Warriors have dropped three consecutive four-set decisions to the Cardinals, most recently in 2008 at Findlay's TownePlace Suites Classic.

The only prior meeting between Wayne State and Merrimack resulted in a 3-0 victory for the Warriors in 2008 at the CSU Otter Classic.

Wayne State has never faced Nova Southeastern or Lynn.


SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
Wheeling Jesuit, the four-time defending WVIAC Tournament champion, was ranked 25th in the AVCA Preseason Poll after posting a 36-4 record and advancing to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament a year ago.  Among those returning are senior outside hitter Allissa Ware and junior middle blocker Jenna Pew, who both earned All-America honors last season.

Merrimack returns 10 key players from last year's team which went 5-22 including a 2-13 record in the Northeast-10 Conference.  Outside hitter Stephanie Sheehan led the squad in kills (286), aces (31) and digs (234) to earn All-Rookie honors from the league.

The host Sharks are coming off an 8-20 season with senior middle blocker Danielle Graham, an All-SSC Second Team and AVCA All-South Region selection, among those returning.  Graham led NSU in kills (304) and contributed 172 digs and 78 blocks a year ago.

All six starters and 11 letterwinners altogether are back for Lynn in 2012.  The Fighting Knights went 14-17 last season after four straight years with 20 or more victories and NCAA South Regional appearances from 2007-10.  Leading the squad is senior middle blocker Brittany Brown, an All-SSC and All-Region pick who averaged 3.38 kills per set.


WAYNE STATE SEASON PREVIEW
In each of the four years of head coach Phil Nickel's tenure, the Wayne State University volleyball team has qualified for the GLIAC Tournament.  With 12 returning letterwinners from last year's team, Nickel hopes the 2012 squad is ready to take the next step.

“We have a number of veterans who have been through the program,” said Nickel. “They know what I expect and what the expectations of the program are, and they have really helped lead the way in raising the bar.  While making the GLIAC Tournament is a good accomplishment, we have definitely set our sights higher.”

The leadership effort begins with the team's four co-captains, including senior setter Cydney Biessel and redshirt junior Katarzyna Sak, who are each serving their second year in that role.

One of three players in WSU history with over 3,000 career assists, Biessel was an Honorable Mention All-GLIAC selection who finished with a career-best 1,042 assists last season.

“She has come in this year very focused and has done a really nice job,” said Nickel.  “I'm really excited about the year that I think Cydney is going to have.”

Sak, who missed all of last season with an injury, was an All-American in 2010 after becoming the first WSU player since 1992 to finish with over 400 kills and a hitting percentage above .330.

Senior Lindsey Graciak, who Nickel believes is, “one of the best liberos in the conference,” and junior middle blocker Nicole Arends will also function as co-captains this year.  Graciak, the 2011 GLIAC co-leader in digs (513), is statistically among the top 10 most productive defensive specialists in program history.  Arends led the Warriors in hitting (.274) and blocking (93) a year ago.

Junior outside hitter Kristen Bulkieiwicz was an All-GLIAC First Team and AVCA All-Region pick who paced the WSU offense with 402 kills, the most in a single season in 15 years.  She also finished second on the team in digs (294) and blocks (74), and Nickel is excited at the prospect of having Bulkiewicz and Sak playing together this season.

“We have really focused a lot on trying to spread things out so that we don't rely on one player so much.  Obviously having two players with those credentials really helps us out, and we're excited to have them both on the court at the same time.”

Nickel is encouraged by the preseason play of two other outside hitters – senior Madie Kent and sophomore Candice Ottey.  Kent achieved career-highs in kills (263), service aces (38) and digs (281) last year, while Ottey finished second on the team in hitting percentage (.185) in her rookie season.

Middle blockers Jen Finkbeiner, who ended her sophomore season as WSU's third-leading blocker (73), and senior Julie Sanders are back in 2012.  Others returning include junior setter Jessica DeLeeuw, and sophomore defensive specialists Carlee Hunt and Jamie Goryca.

Rounding out the 2012 roster is a four-member freshman class – middle blockers Kelsey Bonewits and Essence Jackson-Jones, outside hitter Heather Weiss and setter Madison Reeves.

“All four are very talented and are going to contribute this year and down the road,” said Nickel.  “I'm excited about the future with them.”

Wayne State begins its 38th season of volleyball Aug. 31 at the Nova Southeastern University Sharks Classic in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.  Of Wayne State's 22 scheduled opponents this season, six qualified for the 2011 NCAA Tournament including three of its fellow members of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

“I think this could be one of the most competitive years, from top to bottom, that we've had in a while (in the GLIAC),” said Nickel.

The 18-match conference schedule, split in half by the annual GLIAC/GLVC Crossover in mid-October, will lead into the GLIAC Tournament starting Nov. 15.  Nickel and the Warriors certainly have a goal to be there, and beyond, in 2012.