North Stars’ Schneider chooses Minnesota

[cyberVBmidwest]

For you MN fans...

North Stars’ Schneider chooses Minnesota
By Christine Bolin-Daily Herald Sports Writer
Posted Saturday, March 24, 2007


The list of seniors from the 2006 St. Charles North girls volleyball team signing Division I scholarships continues.

The fifth player to sign, starting setter Caitlin Schneider, officially gave her word to the University of Minnesota Thursday.

Schneider was looking at all sorts of schools from Augustana to Georgia to Florida Tech, but Minnesota won out.

“The coaches are great; they know a lot,” said Schneider, who visited Minnesota’s campus in October. “It’s a nice campus and the girls were really cool. (Minnesota) is by far the best fit for me.”

Schneider, who is planning on studying biology, will join Rosary grad and current sophomore Rachel Hartmann on the Golden Gophers, who finished 26-8 overall, 17-3 in the Big Ten Conference (second).

“It’s so relieving, so exciting,” Schneider said of making her decision.

Earlier this year, fellow seniors Maddie Hughes (Northern Illinois), Kerry Brown (Central Florida), Jayde Huxtable (New Hampshire) and Ellise Rhoades (DePaul) all committed to D-I schools.

“It’s so awesome playing with such a great group of girls,” Schneider said of the North Stars, who finished a best-ever 31-8 in the 2006 season and reached the supersectional.

www.dailyherald.com/localsports/story.asp?id=294114

[Wolfgang]

Why do Minnesota-based teams get to choose "North Stars" for their name? I mean, everyone in the Northern Hemisphere can see the North Star. Even folks in Hawaii.

[Gorf]

When did Chicago move to Minnesota?

[Wolfgang]

Illinois. Minnesota. Wisconsin. North Dakota. All those cold states up there.

[cyberVBmidwest]

wolfgang said:

Why do Minnesota-based teams get to choose "North Stars" for their name? I mean, everyone in the Northern Hemisphere can see the North Star. Even folks in Hawaii.

It is a Chicago suburb and it is a play off their name. They were split into 2 high schools around 6 years ago resulting in an east and a north... It is also a great sports rivalry for the town. They have a mini points system for matches against each other during the three season (all sports) and award a trophy or something.

Back to VB, does MN need more setters?

[Deleted]

MN doesn't (didn't) have a backup setter for 2007. I believe Caitlin is a walk-on -- a recruited walk-on. But that might have changed.

She may have an academic scholarship?

Gophers do have setters recruited for 2008 and 2009. They may be planning on running a 2-6.

[snickers]

We need a backup setter this year, since Kelly Bowman graduated. We have another setter coming in '08 -- Blatt; and one of our '09 players is a combo RS/S I believe. This is good news. We were in dire need of a backup.

[Deleted]

And Gophers do have that 2007 scholie available.

Which brings us back to Roysland: sure looks like her 5th year BB scholie does not count against the VB 12 (if CS is getting an 07 scholie).

Article says she signed a scholarship, too. If so, Gophers should be announcing this soon.

Doesn't matter. Great to have her with the program.

[fanofthegame]

Did a scholarship become available because another recruit said "no" to the Gophers? Becky Pavan was said to have visited recently. Where does she stand with them?

[Deleted]

No. They've always had the 2007 spot open, but just 2007. Whose was it? Florian's, sort of.

They still have a scholarship for Pavan, if that's the way it works out. No idea what her plans are. Wasn't she at Kentucky last week?

[Deleted]

Gophers scholarship players/commitments (with last year of eligibility, in theory):

Jones (2007)

Hartmann (2008)
Roehrig (2008)
Vatterrodt (2008)
Schmidt (2008)

Hagerty (2009)

Gibbemeyer (2010)
Dieter (2010)
Cowles (2010)
Phillips (2010)

Add Schneider as a 2007 scholarship. That's still only 11 scholarships for 2007. Is Tan the 12th?

Blatt and Filho in 2008 (2011). Replace Jones and the 12th scholarship (with another available for Pavan?).
Tabberson and Harms in 2009 (2012). Four departing seniors.

Who can keep track? I need my chart. I show 11 for 2008, 9 for 2009 and 9 for 2010, with current commitments.

[Gorf]

ruffda said:

MN doesn't (didn't) have a backup setter for 2007. I believe Caitlin is a walk-on -- a recruited walk-on. But that might have changed.

She may have an academic scholarship?

Gophers do have setters recruited for 2008 and 2009. They may be planning on running a 2-6.

They could be thinking about running a 6-0.

I doubt that's ever been done by an NCAA DI team.

[ugopher]

Tan is not on scholarship. I believe the plan is that Schneider will be on athletic scholarship for one year and academic after that.

No news yet on Pavan.

I would think that there could be some concern about only one available scholarship available in '10. But that's just me.

[Deleted]

Tan isn't, but could be, if they don't add another player.

[JT]

ugopher said:

I believe the plan is that Schneider will be on athletic scholarship for one year and academic after that.

I'd have my doubts about this. As I recall, there were some issues with Kelli Wicks (now Katherman) being on an academic scholarship, and then joining the VB team. The NCAA wanted to count her academic scholarship as one of the 12 VB scholies. Apparently, in other sports, at least, some schools have been known to give academic scholarships to athletes in an attempt to get around the restrictions.