At A Glance Quick Facts CSU Fast Facts Mailing Address: P.O. Box 118087 Charleston, SC 29423-8087 Status: Private, educational Founded: 1964 Enrollment: 3,286 Nickname: Buccaneers School Colors: Blue and Gold Arena/Capacity: CSU Field House/789 Affiliation: NCAA Division I Conference: Big South President: Dr. Jairy C. Hunter, Jr. Alma Mater: App. State, ’69 Director of Athletics: Hank Small Alma Mater: Gettysburg, ’69 SWA: Christie Faircloth-Dixon Athletics Phone: (843) 863-7678 Sports Information SID: Blake Freeland Office: (843) 863-7687 Email: bfreeland@csuniv.edu Volleyball Contact: Brendan Stevens Office: (843) 863-7037 Email: bstevens@csuniv.edu Office Fax: (843) 863-7676 Website: www.csusports.com
Fresh Look in 2007 With seven new faces and the graduation of first team All-Conference performer Jenni Shepherd, head coach Danyel Bellush says “this year is definitely about starting fresh and creating a new culture on our team.” The Lady Bucs do return four starters from last season’s squad, including senior outside hitter Renae Popovich, who Bellush believes will lead the team this season. Popovich was the Lady Bucs most proficient offensive player in 2006, leading the team with a .188 attack percentage. Sophomore Nichole Diller, the tallest player on the roster at 6-3, will look to reach new heights in 2007 after averaging .74 blocks per game last season, good for second on the team. Coordinating the CSU attack for the second straight season is sophomore Sam Sasan. In 2006, Sasan led the Lady Bucs with 758 assists, averaging 7.43 per game. Sophomore Ashley Kadatz is an
all-around performer who will look to build on a solid 2006 campaign. Bellush believes freshman libero Tricia Rodl is going to have an “instant impact” on defense this season. While CSU will need key contributions from freshmen this season to taste success, Bellush believes the presence of first-year players like Amy Nokes, Amanda Hill, Cori Holeman, Christina Lysacek, Emily Libertowski, Amberle Trinder, and Jessica Davies is the strength of the team. They will bring “freshness and excitement,” Bellush says, to a team looking to make it to the next level in 2007. Growing pains are to be expected as the team builds chemistry and the freshmen become more comfortable with the competition. But Bellush says the team will look to get stronger as the season progresses and peak in the conference tournament, hosted by Liberty University on Nov. 15-16.
Meet the Head Coach: Danyel Bellush Danyel Bellush enters her 11th season at the helm of the Lady Buccaneer volleyball program. Bellush brings years of playing and coaching experience to the team and is no stranger to CSU volleyball. She played for four years for the Lady Bucs and was the team captain and lone senior in her last season. Over the past three years Bellush has coached four all-conference selections, including 2006 firstteam performer Jenni Shepherd and two-time second-team selection Katie O’Riordan. Bellush also helped lead Andrea Kmet to all-freshman
1 • 2007 CSU Volleyball
team honors in 2004. Under her direction, O’Riordan broke the alltime assist record, while the team set season records in kills and assists during the 2003 season. Her senior year, Bellush led the team in digs (242) and digs per game (2.521) while recording 137 kills and 17 aces. Her junior year was shortened with a severe knee injury 12 matches into the season that required surgery on her anterior cruciate ligament and cost her the rest of her junior year. As a sophomore she played in 104 of 106 possible games and finished fourth in kills per
game (1.337) and digs per game (2.510). She played in 28 of 33 matches as a freshman. Bellush was an all-state selection and team most valuable player at Osbourn Park High School. She coaches for the USVBA, serving as coach for the Charleston Junior Olympic girls team. The Manassas, Virginia, native graduated from Charleston Southern in the spring of 1997 with a degree in physical education and a minor in secondary education. She received her master’s degree in elementary education in 2001. Formerly known around
the league as Danyel Lonigro, she was married to former CSU baseball standout B.J. Bellush in July of 2000. She is now the proud mother of Tanner (2) and Reece Elizabeth, born July 10, 2007.
The Lady Bucs Canan Erdogan
Renae Popovich
Sr. 6-1 Middle Blocker Istanbul, Turkey (Gostepe Ihsan)
Sr. 6-0 Outside Hitter Stoney Creek, Ontario (Orchard Park)
2006: Played in a career-high 95 games as a junior, finishing with 151 kills ... second on the team with 64 total blocks, including nine solo ... attack percentage of .154 ranked third on the squad ... season high of 11 kills against South Carolina State on Nov. 7 ... recorded a career-high five solo blocks against Presbyterian College on Sept. 12 ... her seven total blocks against GardnerWebb was a season high. 2005: Followed up a strong freshman year by playing in 91 games recording 91 kills ... recorded 14 service aces and had 34 digs ... tied her career-high with 14 kills against Anderson College ... had 13 kills against The Citadel on Oct. 4 in a game that she also recorded 12 blocks. 2004: Stepped in as a true freshman and earned valuable playing time … played in 74 games and finished with 99 kills and 34 block assists … posted her careerhigh in kills with 14 against Bucknell on Sept. 4 … recorded eight block assists against Coastal Carolina on Nov. 12. High School: Prepped at Goztepe Ihsan Kursunoglu High School in Istanbul, Turkey ... Also excelled in the club program, earning Best Middle Blocker Award at the 2002-03 Republic Cup Tournament ... Team won the Republic Cup Tournament in 2003-04 ... Received sportsmanship award at the Eczacibasi Spring Fest. Personal: Born on May 7, 1986, in Istanbul, Turkey ... daughter of Ali and Gulseref ErdoSenior Canan Erdogan goes for a block. gan.
2006: One of four Buccaneers to play in all 105 games, leading the team with an attack percentage of .188 as a junior ... her 219 kills ranked third on the squad ... also recorded 70 digs, 38 total blocks (nine solo) and 15 service aces ... set career high of 14 kills against Campbell on Aug. 26 and matched the feat on Oct. 8 against Liberty ... reached double digit kills in eight matches ... recorded career-high six blocks, including two solo, against Winthrop on Oct. 28 ... tied a career high with eight digs versus The Citadel on Aug. 29 ... season high attack percentage of .321 on Sept. 5 against Radford. 2005: Played in 88 games, recording 158 kills, 18 assists and 77 digs ... had 28 service aces, which was second on the team ... recorded double digit kills in three matches, with a season high 13 against Anderson on Oct. 11 ... recorded eight digs against Stetson on Sept. 9 and against Campbell on Oct. 26. 2004: Played in 55 games, recording 59 kills and 18 service aces in a reserve role … had her career-high in kills with 10 against UNC Asheville on October 8 … had eight kills against Liberty on October 1. High School: Attended Orchard Park Secondary School in Stoney Creek, Ontario ... Played for the Seekers Senior Renae Popovich takes a service. Club program in Canada ... graduated with honors. Personal: Born August 26, 1986, in Burlington, Ontario, Canada ... daughter of Diana and John Popovich.
2007 CSU Volleyball • 2
The Lady Bucs Jessica Davies
Ashlee Kadatz
So. 6-0 Middle Blocker/RS Hitter Lawrenceville, Ga. (Collins Hill HS/Florida IT)
So. 5-8 Outside Hitter Calgary, Alberta (Bowness HS)
Previous School: Played volleyball at Florida Institute of Technology. High School: Earned All-Area and AllCounty honors while at Collins Hill HS ... holds the school blocking records ... consistent member of the honor role ... was also her school’s yearbook editor ... played basketball at Collins Hill. Personal: Born on Jan. 8, 1988, in Atlanta, Ga. ... daughter of Trevor and Jane Davies.
Nichole Diller So. 6-3 Right Side Hitter Perrrysburg, Ohio (Perrysburg HS) 2006: Played in 66 games as a freshman, tallying 79 kills, 49 blocks and 13 digs ... recorded the team’s best single-game block total of the season with nine against High Point ... season best 10 kills against Liberty on Oct. 21 ... had four or more blocks in six matches. High School: Helped lead her team to the district championship in 2004 ... was named to the senior NLL All-Academic team ... also played for the Toledo Volleyball Club, helping lead them to an OVR runner-up finish ... named to the high honor roll and was a Buckeye Girls’ State delegate ... nominated for the High School Heisman award. Personal: Born Aug. 18, 1987, in Lima, Ohio ... daughter of Douglas and Kathleen Diller.
Sophomore Nichole Diller (left) and senior Renea Popovich (right) stand ready at the net in preparation for an oncoming service.
3 • 2007 CSU Volleyball
2006: As a freshman, played in 88 games ... with 204 digs, she was one of five Buccaneers to eclipse 200 digs ... recorded 137 kills, 20 service aces and 24 blocks on the season ... season-high 15 kills and 17 digs on Sept. 29 against High Point ... amassed double digits in digs 10 times and kills three times ... recorded three service aces on Sept. 9 against Newberry. High School: Played three years under coach Brian Taylor ... named team Most Valuable Player all three years and was tournament MVP three times ... also played for the Canuck Stuff club team, helping lead it to an 11th-place national finish in 2004-05 ... placed top three at all three premiers and was second at Provincials ... also played fastball and participated in gymnastics ... participated on the national level in trampoline and tumbling ... won the Pride and Excellence Award all three years in high school. Personal: Born Aug. 26, 1988, in Leduc, Alberta ... daughter of Lisa and Eldon Kadatz.
Sam Sasan So. 5-7 Setter Lake Forest, Calif. (El Toro HS) 2006: Played in 102 games for CSU as a freshman, leading the team with 758 assists for an average of 7.43 per game ... season high total of 49 assists against Radford on Oct. 20 ... her 40 service aces were tops among Buccaneers and fifth in the Big South ... named Big South freshman of the week once ... had 120 assists in three matches to start her Bucs career... tallied 238 digs, good for fourth on the team, including eight double digit performances. High School: Led Orange County in assists ... helped her El Toro HS team to the state quarterfinals ... was a CIF finalist in the southern section ... earned AllLeague second team honors ... also played on the Saddleback Valley Club team, helping lead it to a top 15 finish in the Reno Tournament in the 17-1s and a top five finish at Reno in the 14s ... finished second at the volleyball festival in 2006. Personal: Born Oct. 12, 1988, in Orange County, Calif. ... daughter of Trisha and Glen Tedrow.
The Lady Bucs Amanda Hill
Christina Lysacek
Fr. 5-7 Outside Hitter Moncks Corner, S.C. (Berkeley HS)
Fr. 5-10 Outside Hitter Naperville, Ill. (Neuqua Valley HS)
High School: Helped her team to a 2007 Regional Championship under coach Tonya Thompson ... named player of the year and rookie of the year ... earned top offensive award on two occasions and received “will to win” award once ... also played for coach Bellush on the Charleston Juniors 18 club team. Personal: Born on Feb. 22, 1989, in Charleston, S.C. ... daughter of Barbara VanHorn.
High School: Named to the Naperville Sun and Daily Herald All-Area teams ... honorable mention All-Conference, AllCity and All-State selection, and was the NVHS MVP as a senior ... three straight Junior Olympic volleyball appearances ... went to the JOs in 3 vs. 3 soccer at age 10 ... received the U.S. Army’s Scholar-Athlete award her senior year. Personal: Born on March 24, 1989, in Downers Gore, Ill. ... daughter of Don and Tanya Lysacek.
Cori Holeman
Amy Nokes
Fr. 5-9 Outside Hitter Fort Mill, S.C. (Fort Mill HS)
Fr. 6-0 Setter/Out. Hitter/Mid. Blocker Chicago, Ill. (Lane Tech HS)
High School: Earned 4A All-State honors, and was an All-Region selection for Region 3 ... named the Fort Mill High School Best Offensive Player and team MVP under Coach Chris Gritz ... fourtime member of the honor roll ... also played on the FMHS basketball team, earning Region 3 All-Region honors, as well as being named to the Herald Newspaper All-Area team ... was Ms. Yellow Jacket her senior year ... played club ball with the Carolina Juniors. Personal: Born on July 7, 1989, in Charlotte, N.C. ... daughter of Sam and Jodi Holeman.
Emily Libertowski Fr. 5-8 Outside Hitter/Def. Specialist Granger, Ind. (Marian HS) High School: Member of the 2003 Indiana State Finalist team, and helped lead her 2007 squad to a runner-up finish in the state ... co-captain of her 2006 state runner-up team, as well as the MVP ... voted to the 2006 AllNorthern Indiana Conference and the Indiana North All-Star teams ... also helped Dunes 18 club team qualify for AAU Nationals three times, finishing 10th in 2005 ... also a member of the track team at Marian. Personal: Born on March 15, 1989, in South Bend, Ind. ... daughter of John and Judy Libertowski
High School: Holds Lane Tech threegame records in kills (27) and digs (16) ... Her 31 assists, 46 points, and 19 aces each set two-game records at LTHS ... was the team MVP all three seasons under Head Coach Rich Rio ... helped lead her team to the regional championship in 2004 and 2005 ... earned first-team All-City honors in 2005 and 2006 ... also played on the basketball team, helping them win the GCAC championship, and was given the coach’s award. Personal: Born on Oct. 9, 1988, in Chicago, Ill. ... daughter of Jan and John Nokes ... father, John, was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in 1974 as a linebacker.
Tricia Rodl Fr. 5-5 Libero Phoenix, Ariz. (Greenway HS) High School: Four-year varsity starter for head coach Sarah Peterson at Greenway HS ... earned first team allregion honors ... was also a member of the Arizona Desert Sky club team for Coach Peterson ... played in the Junior Olympics for six years ... 14s Club finished fifth at Nationals. Personal: Born on July 28, 1989, in Phoenix, Ariz. ... daughter of Louis and Linda Rodl ... father Louis played football at Coe College, while mother Linda was a volleyball star at Indiana University
2007 CSU Volleyball • 4
The Lady Bucs Amberle Trinder
Carrie Yohe
Fr. 5-11 Middle Blocker Streamwood, Ill. (Streamwood HS)
Assistant Coach Charleston Southern, ’98
High School: Started all four years under Kevin Kwon at Streamwood HS ... named to the Upstate Eight Academic All-Conference team three times ... As a senior she was named to the Daily Herald All-Area team, as well as earned All-Conference team ... went to the Junior Olympic National Volleyball Championships as a senior ... named an Illinois State Scholar ... attended Global and National Youth Leadership conferences. Personal: Born on Feb. 23, 1989, in Chicago, Ill. ... daughter of Valentina and David Trinder.
Carrie Yohe joins the staff of her former teammate and coach, Danyel Bellush, in her first year as an assistant coach with the Lady Buccaneer volleyball program. A four-year starter at CSU, she is fourth in career games (419), fifth in attacks (2,190) and second in block assists (311). Team MVP in 1997, she was also named Female Athlete of the Year for 1997-98. She is currently a coach with the Charleston Juniors development program for 12 and under players and Physical Activity Director at Devon Forest Elementary. Married to former CSU baseball player Tim Yohe in December 1998, she is the proud mother of Elizabeth (7) and Rebecca (2).
2007 Roster Numerical # 1 2 3 4 5 7 9 10 11 12 13 14 44
Name Amberle Trinder Tricia Rodl Amy Nokes Cori Holeman Amanda Hill Christina Lysacek Emily Libertowski Ashlee Kadatz Canan Erdogan Jessica Davies Sam Sasan Renae Popovich Nichole Diller
Pos. MB Libero S OH OH OH OH/DS OH MB MB S OH RS
Ht. 5-11 5-5 6-0 5-9 5-7 5-10 5-8 5-8 6-1 6-0 5-7 6-0 6-3
Cl. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. So. Sr. So. So. Sr. So.
Hometown/Previous School Streamwood, Ill./Streamwood HS Phoenix, Ariz./Greenway HS Chicago, Ill./Lane Tech Fort Mill, S.C./Fort Mill HS Moncks Corner, S.C./Berkeley HS Naperville, Ill./Naperville HS Granger, Ind./Marian HS Calgary, Alberta/Bowness HS Istanbul, Turkey/Goztepe Ihsan Lawrenceville, Ga./Collins Hill HS Foothills Ranch, Calif./El Toro HS Stoney Creek, Ontario/Orchard Park Perrysburg, Ohio/Perrysburg HS
Pos. MB RS MB OH OH OH OH/DS OH S OH S Libero MB
Ht. 6-0 6-3 6-1 5-7 5-9 5-8 5-8 5-10 6-0 6-0 5-7 5-5 5-11
Cl. So. So. Sr. Fr. Fr. So. Fr. Fr. Fr. Sr. So. Fr. Fr.
Hometown/Previous School Lawrenceville, Ga./Collins Hill HS Perrysburg, Ohio/Perrysburg HS Istanbul, Turkey/Goztepe Ihsan Moncks Corner, S.C./Berkeley HS Fort Mill, S.C./Fort Mill HS Calgary, Alberta/Bowness HS Granger, Ind./Marian HS Naperville, Ill./Naperville HS Chicago, Ill./Lane Tech Stoney Creek, Ontario/Orchard Park Foothills Ranch, Calif./El Toro HS Phoenix, Ariz./Greenway HS Streamwood, Ill./Streamwood HS
Alphabetical # 12 44 11 5 4 10 9 7 3 14 13 2 1
Name Jessica Davies Nichole Diller Canan Erdogan Amanda Hill Cori Holeman Ashlee Kadatz Emily Libertowski Christina Lysacek Amy Nokes Renae Popovich Sam Sasan Tricia Rodl Amberle Trinder
5 • 2007 CSU Volleyball
Records Individual Season Leaders
Individual Career Leaders
Games 135 – Ashley McLaughlin (1990) 129 – Jennifer Mons (1990) 128 – Tammy Jones (1991) Two tied with 127
Games 474 – Carrie O’Connell (1991-94) 430 – Kim Duncan (1991-94) 429 – Allison Arreola (1995-98) 419 – Carrie Fenwick (1994-97)
Kills 466 – Jennifer Monson (2001) 446 – Priscilla Lauoletolo (1993) 438 – Priscilla Lauoletolo (1992) 429 – Jenni Shepherd (2006)
Kills 1,469 – Carrie O’Connell (1991-94) 1,174 – Allison Arreola (1995-98) 1,074 – Jenni Shepherd (2003-06) 884 – Priscilla Lauoletolo (1992-93) 860 – Jennifer Monson (2000-01) 802 – Tori Owens (2002-2005)
Attacks 1,164 – Jennifer Monson (2000) 1,127 – Jenni Shepherd (2006) 1,107 – Carrie O’Connell ((1992) 1,087 – Priscilla Lauoletolo (1992)
Attacks 3,697– Carrie O’Connell (1991-94) 3,380 – Allison Arreola (1995-98) 2,604 – Jenni Shepherd (2003-06) 2,244 – Jennifer Monson (2000-01) 2,190 – Carrie Fenwick (1994-97) 2,172 – Priscilla Lauoletolo (1992-93)
Hitting Percentage (Min. 500 Attacks) .541 – Ann Thomas (1989) .486 – Angela Cunningham (1989) .412 – Angela Cunningham (1990)
Hitting Percentage (Min. 1000 Attacks) .445 – Angela Cunningham (1989-90) .309 – Wendi Loggins (1989-90) .300 – Carrie O’Connell (1991-94) .271 – Priscilla Lauoletolo (1992-93)
Assists 1,216 – Katie O’Riordan (2003) 1,211 – Kim Duncan (1993) 1,208 – Ashley McLaughlin (1990) 1,097 – Kim Duncan (1992)
Assists 3,479 – Kim Duncan (1991-94) 2,823 – Katie O’Riordan (2002-05) 2,014 – Ashley McLaughlin (1989-91) 1,574 – Michelle Lewandowski (1998-99) 1,114 – Jodie Pearce (1994-95)
Service Aces 58 – Jennifer Mons (1990) 57 – Jennifer Mons (1993) 54 – Priscilla Lauoletolo (1992) 53 – Jennifer Mons (1989) Digs 522 – Carrie O’Connell (1992) 446 – Carrie O’Connell (1993) 420 – Carrie O’Connell (1993) 420 – Priscilla Lauoletolo (1993)
Service Aces 148 – Kim Duncan (1991-94) 111 – Jennifer Mons (1989-90) 109 – Carrie O’Connell (1991-94) 107 – Jenni Shepherd (2003-06) 99 – Kathy Dantzler (1991-94)
Block Solos 179 – Angela Cunningham (1989) 115 – Jennifer Mons (1990) 99 – Heidi Brey (1990) 88 – Jenni Shepherd (2006)
Digs 1,833 – Carrie O’Connell (1991-94) 1,145 – Kim Duncan (1991-94) 1,000 – Kathy Dantzler (1991-94) 983 – Allison Arreola (1995-98)
Team Season Records Kills...........................................................1,597 Hitting percentage.......................................410 Assists......................................................1,382 Service Aces...............................................285 Digs..........................................................2,307 Blocks..........................................................553
(1993) (1989) (1993) (1990) (1993) (1989)
Best Team Winning Percentage.... .765 (26-8) in 1986 Most Matches Won........................................34 (1981) Longest Winning Streak...................... 8 games (1982)
Block Solos 242 – Angela Cunningham (1989-90) 219 – Heidi Bray (1989-92) 198 – Jennifer Mons (1989-90) 130 – Carrie O’Connell (1991-94) Block Assists 350 – Carrie O’Connell (1991-94) 311 – Carrie Fenwick (1994-97) 237 – Jenni Shepherd (2003-06) 222 – Heidi Brey (1989-92) 172 – Canan Erdogan (2004-Present) 171 – Allison Arreola (1995-98)
2007 CSU Volleyball • 6
Date (Day) Aug. 28, 2007 (Tue.) Aug. 31, 2007 (Fri.) Aug. 31, 2007 (Fri.) Sept. 1, 2007 (Sat.) Sept. 1, 2007 (Sat.) Sept. 4, 2007 (Tue.) Sept. 7, 2007 (Fri.) Sept. 7, 2007 (Fri.) Sept. 8, 2007 (Sat.) Sept. 11, 2007 (Tue.) Sept. 14, 2007 (Fri.) Sept. 14, 2007 (Fri.) Sept. 15, 2007 (Sat.) Sept. 18, 2007 (Tue.) Sept. 21, 2007 (Fri.)
Opponent @ The Citadel Stetson $ North Carolina Central $ Campbell $ Tulsa $ Francis Marion Vs. Evansville % Vs. Jackson State % Mercer % Georgia Southern Vs. James Madison ^ Vs. Florida Gulf Coast ^ Vs. Elon ^ @ Savannah State @ Coastal Carolina *
$ CSU Invitational Tournament % 3rd Annual Bear Brawl At Mercer University ^ JMU/Days Inn Invitational At James Madison University
Time 7 p.m. 3 p.m. 7 p.m. 3 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 10 a.m. 4 p.m. 1 p.m. 7 p.m. 10 a.m. 5 p.m. 11 a.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m.
Date (Day) Sep. 28, 2007 (Fri.) Sep. 29, 2007 (Sat.) Oct. 5, 2007 (Fri.) Oct. 6, 2007 (Sat.) Oct. 12, 2007 (Fri.) Oct. 13, 2007 (Sat.) Oct. 16, 2007 (Tue.) Oct. 19, 2007 (Fri.) Oct. 20, 2007 (Sat.) Oct. 26, 2007 (Fri.) Oct. 27, 2007 (Sat.) Nov. 3, 2007 (Sat.) Nov. 4, 2007 (Sun.) Nov. 6, 2007 (Tue.) Nov. 9, 2007 (Fri.) Nov. 15, 2007 (Thu.) Nov. 16, 2007 (Fri.)
Opponent Presbyterian UNC Asheville* @ Liberty* @ Radford* Winthrop* High Point* Savannah State Liberty* Radford* @ UNC Asheville* @ Presbyterian @ Winthrop* @ High Point* South Carolina State Coastal Carolina* Big South Championships & Big South Championships &
* Indicates Big South Conference Event & Hosted By Liberty University
Time 7 p.m. 4 p.m. 7 p.m. 4 p.m. 7 p.m. 4 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 4 p.m. 3 p.m. 2 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. TBA TBA