2010 Volleyball Season Preview
Coach Jeanne Hess enters her 27th season at the helm of the Kalamazoo College women’s volleyball program, and is quite optimistic about the 2010 team.

"We have a group of talented young women that work hard and are very dedicated to getting better every day,”  said Coach Hess.

“We have added five freshmen to the roster this season, all of whom have the potential to help the team immediately" Hess added. "We are excited and optimistic that their hard work, dedication and positive outlook will pay dividends quickly and will help take our team to the next level.

"We have a lot of talent returning as well, so if we can come together and stay away from injuries, develop our young players and create depth, we can have a successful season and make some noise in the MIAA.”

The team will have to fill the loss of three seniors, including two starters.

Senior libero/outside hitter Larisa Grinvalds is the team captain. She is a four-year starter and led the team with 556 digs at libero last year. Anna Lau is also a senior and plays in the middle. Lau had 141 kills and 98 blocks last season.

The junior class is comprised of Courtney Nartker, Colleen Leonard, Autumn Cussen, and Kate Welke. Leonard led the team with 293 kills last season while also compiling 335 digs and 87 blocks. Nartker had a team-high 455 assists with 119 digs. Cussen had 272 digs as a defensive specialist while leading the team with 36 service aces. Welke provides support at outside hitter.

Johanna Kupe and Allison Liddane make up the sophomore class. Kupe is an outside hitter who is expected to improve over her freshman campaign. Liddane had 395 assists as a setter last season.

The 2010 schedule provides a great challenge for Hornets; They will open their season Labor Day weekend in the Green Hornet Invitational.  It will be a five-team, round-robin format and will feature green initiatives in conjunction with the College's climate commitment.

The Hornets will take to the road for two trips to the Chicago area to play good competition. As always, though, the MIAA will prove to be one of the more competitive conferences in NCAA Division III. (Story courtesy Sharri Brumfield)

Kalamazoo College Volleyball NIKE Hornet gear available for purchase through August 2
Starting Tuesday, July 20th, NIKE Hornet Gear is available for purchase during our two-week on-line sale. All sales must be completed by August 2nd. Orders ship approximately 3 weeks from that date, not from the time of your order. A portion of the proceeds will go to help support Kalamazoo College Volleyball. Ordering Information (PDF)

2010 Volleyball Schedule Update
The 2010 Kalamazoo College volleyball schedule is now available online. Please note a couple changes as of July 1: The dates and locations of the Hope matches were changed. Kalamazoo will play at Hope on Sept. 14 and Hope will return to Kalamazoo on Oct. 19.

2010 Volleyball Camp Information
Kalamazoo College will hold volleyball camps August 9-12, 2010. A camp for boys and girls ages 9-11 is available from 9 am to noon. A camp for girls ages 11-13 is available from 1 pm - 4 pm. For more information or to register, please visit the Kalamazoo College Volleyball Camp page.

Colleen Leonard selected to All-MIAA Second Team
Colleen Leonard, a sophomore from Mason, was selected to the 2009 All-MIAA Volleyball Second Team. Leonard led the Hornets with 161 kills in conference matches and ranked ninth in the MIAA with 2.73 kills per game. She was second on the team in league matches with 42 blocks and 14 service aces.

Volleyball bows out of MIAA Tournament with loss at Alma
The volleyball team suffered a 3-1 loss (25-16, 25-23, 12-25, 25-12) in the opening round of the MIAA Tournament on Tuesday, Nov. 3. Kalamazoo entered as the #6 seed while Alma was the #3 seed. Colleen Leonard led the Hornets with 12 kills, a .214 attack percentage and eight block assists. Johanna Kupe added seven kills. Larisa Grinvalds had 28 digs. Box Score

Volleyball ends regular season with loss at Albion
The volleyball team lost its regular season finale 3-0 (25-22, 25-17, 25-10) at Albion on Saturday, Oct. 31. Colleen Leonard led the Hornets with six kills and seven digs. Kim Marble had five kills. Allison Liddane had 15 assists. Kalamazoo finished the regular season in sixth place. The Hornets will be on the road at Alma for the first round of the MIAA Tournament beginning Tuesday, Nov. 3. Box Score

Volleyball defeats Saint Mary's on Senior Night
The volleyball team fell 25-22 in the first set, but the Hornets rallied to take the next three sets to win 3-1 over Saint Mary's on Senior Night in Kalamazoo. The Hornets let a lead slip away in the first set, but came back to win 25-23 in the second, 25-17 in the third and 25-20 in the fourth. Colleen Leonard led the Hornets with 14 kills, 19 digs and six blocks. Kim Marble had 12 kills. Allison Liddane had 37 assists. Larisa Grinvalds had 26 digs. Kalamazoo moved into sixth place in the MIAA with the win. The Hornets wrap up the regular season with a match at Albion on Saturday at 11 a.m. Box Score

Volleyball wins 3-1 at Olivet
The volleyball team won 3-1 (25-8, 11-25, 25-19, 25-17) at Olivet on Wednesday, Oct. 28. Colleen Leonard led the Hornets with 14 kills and a .316 attack percentage. Johanna Kupe added seven kills. Allison Liddane had 32 assists. Larisa Grinvalds had 22 digs. Kalamazoo plays its final regular season home match on Friday at 7 p.m. against Saint Mary's. Box Score

Volleyball falls to #6 Hope
The volleyball team fell 3-0 (25-15, 27-25, 25-9) to sixth-ranked Hope College on Saturday, Oct. 24. Kalamazoo led 23-20 in the second set, but Hope came back to win 27-25. Johanna Kupe led Kalamazoo with seven kills and a .357 attack percentage. Colleen Leonard had six kills. Anna Lau and Kim Marble each had five kills. Courtney Nartker had 22 assists. Larisa Grinvalds had 13 digs. Hope hit .360 with just 10 attack errors while Kalamazoo hit .124 with 14 attack errors. Kalamazoo returns to action on Wednesday, Oct. 28 with a 7 p.m. match at Olivet. Box Score

Leonard has 16 kills in Volleyball's five-set loss to Alma
Colleen Leonard matched her season high with 16 kills, but it wasn't quite enough as the Hornets lost to Alma in five sets on Friday, Oct. 23. Kalamazoo won two of the first three sets, but Alma battled back to win 25-20 in the fourth and 15-13 in the final set. Leonard had 16 kills and 23 digs with a .212 attack percentage. Johanna Kupe and Kim Marble each added 10 kills. Courtney Nartker had 40 assists. Larisa Grinvalds had 28 digs. Anna Lau had eight block assists. Kalamazoo returns to action Saturday morning as the Hornets host Hope at 11 a.m. Box Score

Volleyball defeats Adrian 3-1 in Dig for the Cure match
The Kalamazoo College volleyball team defeated Adrian 3-1 (25-21, 23-25, 25-17, 25-21) in the annual Dig for the Cure match in support of the Komen Foundation of Southwest Michigan. Colleen Leonard and Johanna Kupe each had 10 kills to lead the Hornets. Kim Marble and Courtney Nartker each added eight kills. Nartker also had 23 assists. Larisa Grinvalds had a team-high 19 assists while Autumn Cussen added 16 assists and four service aces. Anna Lau had eight block assists. Kalamazoo plays the second of three straight home matches on Friday, Oct. 23 at 6:30 p.m. against Alma. Box Score

Volleyball falls on the road to Trine
The volleyball team lost to Trine in three sets on Wednesday, 29-27, 25-23, 25-22. Colleen Leonard led the Hornets with eight kills and 12 digs. Courtney Nartker had 16 assists. Larisa Grinvalds had 13 digs. Kalamazoo is off until Oct. 20 when the Hornets host Adrian in the annual Dig for the Cure match to benefit the Komen Foundation of Southwest Michigan. Donations will be accepted at the door, and donations will be accepted the week before the match that will allow you to add your loved ones name to the wall of strength. In addition, pink volleyballs will be used during the match and auctioned off between sets two and three with teams available afterward to sign them. The MIAA schools’ efforts are part of a larger nationwide effort by Division III members of the American Volleyball Coaches Association to raise $120,000 toward the fight against cancer.Please plan on joining us for this exciting event, and thank you in advance for your support of this worthy cause. For more information or to donate online, please visit the Komen Foundation of Southwest Michigan's web site. Kalamazoo/Trine Box Score

Volleyball suffers loss at #11 Calvin
The volleyball team lost 3-0 (25-14, 25-17, 25-22) at Calvin on Saturday, Oct. 10. Calvin entered the match ranked #11 in this week's AVCA (American Volleyball Coaches Association) Top 25 poll. Kalamazoo had a season-best .278 hitting percentage, but the Hornets were outdone by Calvin's .326 hitting percentage. Colleen Leonard had nine kills to lead Kalamazoo. Johanna Kupe had seven kills. Allison Liddane had 16 assists. Larisa Grinvalds had nine digs. Kalamazoo travels to Trine on Wednesday, Oct. 14. Box Score

Volleyball team collecting books for Pretty Lake Vacation Camp
The 2009 Kalamazoo College Volleyball team is collecting children’s books, appropriate for grades 1-8, for the recently created library at Pretty Lake Vacation Camp. Books may be dropped off in the lobby during one of our home contests or to the Athletic Office in Anderson Athletic Center during normal business hours. For more information on Pretty Lake Vacation Camp please visit their web site at: http://www.prettylakecamp.org/ A link to their wish list is available here: http://www.prettylakecamp.org/wish_list.htm#9
Since 1916, Pretty Lake Vacation Camp, a non-profit, community organization, has provided a cost-free summer camp experience to nearly 49,000 at-risk youth from Kalamazoo County. Throughout the years, Pretty Lake Vacation Camp has been able to carry on the mission of enriching the lives of thousands of youth by offering a safe, structured and encouraging environment in a natural setting.
PLVC Executive Director Mitch Wilson will attend our match on October 23 to receive all the books.

Volleyball rallies to beat Albion in five sets
The volleyball team trailed 2-1 after three sets, but came back to win 25-22 in the fourth and 16-14 in the fifth to claim the MIAA victory on Tuesday, Oct. 6. Colleen Leonard led the Hornets with 15 kills and 13 digs. Kim Marble had 10 kills. Allison Liddane had 27 assists and Courtney Nartker had 19 assists. Larisa Grinvalds had 33 digs. The volleyball team returns to action at Calvin on Saturday at 1 p.m. Box Score

Volleyball defeats Hanover in four sets; Falls to Defiance in five
The volleyball team defeated Hanover 3-1 (25-20, 25-15, 14-25, 25-21) at Defiance on Sunday, Oct. 4. Later in the day, Kalamazoo lost in five sets to Defiance (25-16, 14-25, 26-24, 18-25, 15-11). Against Hanover, Kim Marble led the Hornets with 14 kills. Colleen Leonard and Anna Lau each had seven kills. Courtney Nartker had 16 assists. Larisa Grinvalds had 20 digs and Sarah Thomasma had nine block assists. Against Defiance, Colleen Leonard had 15 kills and Kim Marble had 11. Allison Liddane had 40 assists. Grinvalds and Leonard each had 16 digs. Kalamazoo returns to MIAA action on Tuesday when the Hornets host Albion at 7 p.m. Hanover Results - Defiance Results

Volleyball to host Dig for the Cure match Oct. 20
The Kalamazoo College volleyball team will host a Dig for the Cure match with Adrian on Tuesday, Oct. 20 at 7 p.m. for the benfit of the Komen Foundation of Southwest Michigan. Donations will be accepted at the door, and donations will be accepted the week before the match that will allow you to add your loved ones name to the wall of strength. In addition, pink volleyballs will be used during the match and auctioned off between sets two and three with teams available afterward to sign them. The MIAA schools’ efforts are part of a larger nationwide effort by Division III members of the American Volleyball Coaches Association to raise $120,000 toward the fight against cancer.Please plan on joining us for this exciting event, and thank you in advance for your support of this worthy cause. For more information or to donate online, please visit the Komen Foundation of Southwest Michigan's web site.

Volleyball drops four-set match at Saint Mary's
The volleyball team lost 3-1 (25-20, 26-28, 25-23, 25-17) in MIAA action at Saint Mary's on Wednesday, Sept.30. Colleen Leonard led the Hornets with 14 kills and 18 digs. Allison Liddane had 30 assists. Larisa Grinvalds had 18 digs. Kalamazoo returns to action on Sunday with a pair of non-conference matches at Defiance. Box Score

Volleyball claims 3-1 win over Olivet
After dropping the first set to Olivet (23-25), Kalamazoo came back to win the final three sets and the match (25-18, 25-17, 25-20) on Saturday, Sept. 26. Colleen Leonard led the Hornets with 13 kills. Kim Marble had eight kills. Sarah Thomasma and Anna Lau each had seven kills. Courtney Nartker had 31 assists. Larisa Grinvalds had 20 digs. The volleyball team returns to MIAA action on Wednesday, Sept. 30 at Saint Mary's. Box Score

Volleyball defeated at Hope
The volleyball team lost 3-0 (25-16, 25-8, 25-19) at Hope on Friday, Sept. 25. Kim Marble had nine kills to lead the Hornets. Courtney Nartker had 17 assists. Larisa Grinvalds had 15 digs. Kalamazoo returns home to face Olivet on Saturday at 11 a.m. Box Score

Volleyball falls in three sets at Alma
The volleyball team lost 25-22, 25-21, 25-22 in league play at Alma on Tuesday, Sept. 22. Kim Marble led Kalamazoo with five kills. Courtney Nartker had 15 assists. Larisa Grinvalds had 12 digs. Kalamazoo returns to action on Friday at Hope. The Hornets host Olivet on Saturday at 11 a.m. Box Score

Volleyball suffers pair of five-set losses at DePauw Invitational
The volleyball team suffered a pair of five-set losses at the DePauw Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 19. Kalamazoo trailed 2-1 in each and managed to pull even in the fourth set, but could not pull out the victory in the fifth. In the morning, Dominican defeated Kalamazoo 25-21, 20-25, 25-18, 21-25, 15-9. Kim Marble had 19 kills to lead Kalamazoo. Allison Liddane had 20 assists. Larisa Grinvalds had 23 digs. Rose-Hulman defeated Kalamazoo 25-17, 25-17, 23-25, 22-25, 15-11 in the fifth-place match. Marble had 18 kills while Colleen Leonard and Johanna Kupe each had 11. Courtney Nartker had 30 assists. Leonard had 25 digs. Anna Lau was selected to the All-Tournament Team. Kalamazoo returns to MIAA action with a match at Alma on Tuesday. Dominican Box Score - Rose-Hulman Box Score

Volleyball defeats Capital in five sets; falls in three to DePauw
The volleyball team pulled out a five-set win over Capital University (17-25, 25-19, 25-23, 20-25, 15-7) at the DePauw Invitational on Friday, Sept. 18. Colleen Leonard led Kalamazoo with 16 kills and seven block assists. Anna Lau had 13 kills with just one error to go with six block assists. Sarah Thomasma had six kills and six block assists. Courtney Nartker had 26 assists while Larisa Grinvalds had 22 digs. Later in the evening, Kalamazoo dropped a three-set match to DePauw, 25-17, 25-23, 25-15. Sarah Thomasma, Colleen Leonard and Johanna Kupe each had six kills. Courtney Nartker had 22 assists. Larisa Grinvalds had 20 digs. The Hornets return to action Saturday morning against Dominican. Capital Box Score - DePauw Box Score

Volleyball captures five-set win at Adrian
The volleyball team captured an exciting five-set win at Adrian on Wednesday, Sept. 16, with scores of 20-25, 26-24, 23-25, 25-18, 15-13. After dropping the first set, Kalamazoo held on for the 26-24 win in the second. Adrian narrowly won the third set and seemed on the way to the match win leading 14-11 in the fourth, but Kalamazoo battled back to win 25-18. The Hornets held on for the 15-13 win in the fifth set to clinch the team's first conference win of the season. Colleen Leonard led the Hornets with 13 kills. Cate Skirving had 12 kills and Kim Marble had 10 kills. Courtney Nartker had 35 assists while Larisa Grinvalds had 26 digs. Kalamazoo returns to action this weekend in a tournament at DePauw. Box Score

Volleyball suffers Saturday setbacks
The volleyball team suffered a pair of losses at home on Saturday, Sept. 12. Kalamazoo battled in both matches, but lost to Trine 25-23, 25-23, 25-17 and to Wheaton 25-18, 25-22, 25-22. Against Trine, Colleen Leonard led the attach with seven kills. Sarah Thomasma had six kills. Allison Liddane had 17 digs while Larisa Grinvalds had 20 digs. Against Wheaton, leonard had 13 kills and 14 digs. Cate Skirving had seven kills and Kim Marble had six kills. Liddane had 27 assists and 13 digs. Grinvalds had 20 digs. Kalamazoo returns to action on Wednesday, Sept. 16 at Adrian. Trine Box Score - Wheaton Box Score

Volleyball falls to Calvin in MIAA opener
The volleyball team lost its MIAA opener 3-0 to Calvin (25-21, 25-22, 25-15) at home on Friday, Sept. 11. Calvin battled back from deficits to win each of the first two sets. The Knights had 37 kills with just 13 errors while the Hornets had 28 kills and 19 errors. Colleen Leonard led Kalamazoo with eight kills and six digs. Kim Marble and Cate Skirving each had six kills. Sarah Thomasma added five kills. Allison Liddane had 23 assists and seven digs. Kalamazoo returns to action Saturday with a conference match against Trine at 11 a.m. followed by a non-conference match against Wheaton at 3 p.m. Box Score

Volleyball improves to 4-1 with win over Manchester
The volleyball team improved its record to 3-1 with a 3-1 win (27-25, 25-13, 18-25, 25-9) over Manchester (Ind.) College on Wednesday, Sept. 9. Colleen Leonard led the Hornets with 11 kills and six block assists. Anna Lau and Kim Marble each had seven kills. Sarah Thomasma had six kills. Allison Liddane had 29 assists and 10 digs. Larisa Grinvalds had 18 digs. Kalamazoo hosts Calvin on Friday at 7 p.m. and a tri-match with Trine and Wheaton on Saturday. Box Score

Volleyball takes second at Hornet Invitational
The volleyball team captured second place at the 2009 Hornet Invitational with a 3-1 win (25-18, 19-25, 25-17, 25-21) over Olivet in the final match of the tournament. Larisa Grinvalds was selected to the All-Tournament Team. Kim Marble led the Hornets with 10 kills and 15 digs against Olivet. Colleen Leonard had nine kills and 15 digs. Allison Liddane had 20 assists. Earlier in the day, Kalamazoo let a lead slip away to the evenutal champion, Centre College. Kalamazoo led 2-1 against Centre, but the Colonels came back to claim a five-set victory (18-25, 25-17, 21-25, 25-18, 16-14). Cate Skirving and Anna Lau each had 10 kills in the match. Courtney Nartker had 30 assists and 13 digs. Larisa Grinvalds had 15 digs. Centre Box Score - Olivet Box Score

Volleyball wins two on opening day
The volleyball team won its season opener 3-1 (25-14, 25-13, 12-25, 25-17) over Anderson University in the annual Hornet Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 5. The Hornets then defeated North Park 3-1 (25-11, 25-18, 20-25, 25-18) later in the evening. In the win over Anderson, Colleen Leonard led Kalamazoo with 13 kills. Cate Skirving had 11 kills. Courtney Nartker had 33 assists and 19 digs. Larissa Grinvalds had 34 digs. In the win over North Park, Kim Marble led the way with 11 kills while Sarah Thomasma had eight kills. Courtney Nartker had 21 assists. Larisa Grinvalds had 25 digs. Kalamazoo returns to action Sunday at 10 a.m. against Centre College. The Hornets face Olivet at 2 p.m. Anderson Box Score - North Park Box Score

2009 Season Preview
The 2009 Kalamazoo College volleyball team is ready to rise up the MIAA standings. After a summer trip to China, the Hornets are eager to take the court this fall, with most of the 2008 offensive firepower returning. Kim Marble led the team with 277 kills last season. Colleen Leonard was close behind with 199 kills. Cate Skirving (145 kills), Sarah Thomasma (137 kills) and Anna Lau (134) round out the offensive attack.

Incoming first years Johanna Kupe and Taylor Netherton will add much needed depth and competition on offense, under the setting leadership of sophomore Courtney Nartker. Freshman Allison Liddane will add depth at the setting position as well.

Defensively, Larisa Grinvalds led the team with 505 digs at the libero position. A first year volleyball player as a sophomore, Autumn Cussen moves indoors from the soccer field to provide intensity to the Hornets’ defense.  At the net, Sarah Thomasma had 99 total blocks while Colleen Leonard added 70 total blocks.

The 2009 season opens with the annual Hornet Invitational Sept. 5-6. League play opens at home on Friday Sept. 11 against Calvin at 7 p.m.

Dragon's Spine
What better symbol of the Hornet volleyball team’s recent trip to China than climbing the Great Wall itself! One day, the team stood at the foot of the great spine of the stone dragon, gazing at the steep slope they were about to ascend.  Well, they had been advised by journey co-leader Sandy Vong (former University of Michigan volleyball coach to fellow journey co-leader and current Hornet volleyball coach Jeanne Hess) to “build adversity into your trip.” So they bent their knees, wiped sweaty palms, and started the climb. Not unlike the thrills before a match.  And they had plenty of those—thrills and matches. The trip (June 19 to July 3) provided an opportunity to train and compete against some tough Chinese teams. The team worked hard and improved in every loss and won the last set they played. “It is what we have been waiting for. It was the level of play in that last game that we had been seeking to achieve,” said Hess. Added senior Kim Marble: “The Chinese team exposed me to a bunch of techniques and skills that I had overlooked, and it was interesting to get a different cultural perspective of the same game.” The trip also opened up the minds and the hearts of the players. “I think the girls gained an appreciation of the freedom to choose to play,” stated Hess. “Although collegiate volleyball is growing in China, many young women are not given that choice. The trip was also a great opportunity to help the Chinese teams experience new things.” Hess added. The Hornets learned a great deal about a new culture. “I didn’t realize how different it would be,” said Marble. “The Chinese have a very tight-knit culture.” Tight knit also describes the connections the trip made between players, despite distance and different cultures.  “With e-mail and social networks, maintaining those connections will be easier,” said Hess. “Some players from each of the Chinese and Kalamazoo teams found each other on Facebook.”  The Hornets also kept a blog of their trip, during which they cultivated a few “K" connections as well (see photo)! Mary Helen Diegel ’97 (back row, at right) traveled with the team as an assistant coach; Bobby Ireland ’96 (back row, second from right) hosted the team for dinner at the South Beauty restaurant at the Grand Mall in Pudong, a district of Shanghai; and Kim Juwong ’07  (not pictured) visited the team in Beijing. Even before the team departed, Vong had told them, “China will always be a part of your life.” “He was right,” said Hess. The dragon’s spine was a great climb. (Text by Katy Sly ’12)

Volleyball returns from China trip ready for 2009 season
The Kalamazoo College volleyball team recently returned from an incredible trip to China (June 19 – July 3). In addition to learning about the culture and training for the upcoming season, the team had the opportunity to spend time with several Kalamazoo College alumni. Mary Helen Diegel ’97 traveled with the team as an assistant coach. Bobby Ireland ’96 hosted the team for dinner at the South Beauty restaurant at the Grand Mall in Pudong (a district of Shanghai where he lives). The team also visited Kim Juwong ’07 in Beijing. The Kalamazoo College volleyball team reports to campus in late August for preseason camp. The season opens Sept. 5-6 with the annual Hornet Invitational. Pictured below are images from the trip.

2009 Volleyball Camps set for August 10-13
Kalamazoo College will host volleyball camps August 10-13, 2009. The morning session (9am-noon) is for ages 8-11 (grades 4-6) while the pm session (noon-4 pm) is for those entering grades 7 & 8 in the fall. Download the Brochure (PDF)