Monday, August 30, 2010

College volleyball preview: UIS coach Riggle has more options

Unless she wants to, Angie Riggle won’t have to shuffle the University of Illinois Springfield Prairie Stars women’s volleyball players around the court like chess pieces this fall.

“We’re deep in all positions whereas last year we had one setter and we had one true middle,” said Riggle, who’s in her second season with the team. “We were having to make a lot of adjustments and switching people to positions that they weren’t used to playing last year.”

Senior outside hitter Courtnee Brown and junior outside hitter Cayla Baggerly are among five returning players. Brown was first on the team in kills (313) and digs (263). Baggerly had 147 kills and 114 digs.

Sophomore outside hitter Ashley King, junior middle hitter Courtney Kombrink and senior defensive specialist Britni Prusa also return. Eight newcomers could help them improve on last year’s 11-20 overall record and 2-12 Great Lakes Valley Conference mark.

The Stars will be tested early since they’ll spend almost the entire month of September on the road. UIS plays its home opener Sept. 28 against Benedictine University at Springfield.

The volleyball team was featured in a August 27, 2010, article in The State Journal-Register.

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