Post by journeylad on Aug 24, 2007 11:35:29 GMT -5
From today's St. Paul Pioneer Press -- they're not known for covering volleyball, and today there are two.
Gibbemeyer's skills already on display
U coach sees stardom in freshman blocker's future
BY TAD REEVE
Pioneer Press
Article Last Updated: 08/23/2007 11:04:38 PM CDT
Lauren Gibbemeyer had been a member of the University of Minnesota volleyball team less than a week when veteran coach Mike Hebert made a stunning pronouncement.
"We've had a lot of really good middle blockers in this program, a lot of All-Americans," Hebert, in his 12th season coaching the Gophers, said last week. "And Lauren is already better than all of them."
Heady praise for an 18-year-old freshman who has yet to play a match.
Gibbemeyer, a 6-foot-2 former Cretin-Derham Hall star who was the Pioneer Press' 2006 metro volleyball player of the year, opens her college career at 5 p.m. today when the ninth-ranked Gophers take on 29th-ranked Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind.
Hebert hinted he might start 6-3 junior Kelly Schmidt at middle blocker today because of her experience. But you can bet Gibbemeyer will see lots of time on court in the opener - and over the next four years.
"She's already a polished player, and she has an upside that is beyond anyone else we have ever had on our team," said Hebert, who led the Gophers to the NCAA final in 2004 and a regional final last season.
Gibbemeyer is part of a freshman class ranked No. 4 nationally that includes Hailey Cowles of Eden Prairie, Brook Dieter of Bloomington, Charde Phillips of Ohio and Caitlin Schneider of Illinois.
Gibbemeyer, Cowles and Dieter bring big-time experience to the Gophers. They led the Northern Lights Volleyball Club to a 52-0 record and the AAU 17-under national championship this summer. Gibbemeyer helped the U.S. national team win a world junior championship last year in Mexico and then finish fourth this summer in Thailand.
Despite playing all over the world, Gibbemeyer's home away from home has been the U's Sports Pavilion, where she grew up watching the Gophers. She committed to Minnesota during her sophomore year in high school and has been eager to wear the maroon and gold ever since.
"I've always wanted to play for the Gophers," she said.
Gibbemeyer is one player you can't miss on court. She is all arms and legs, with enough vertical leap to dunk a basketball ... and she comes with her own sound track.
"I like to be big and intimidating when I play. And I've been known to let out a few yells," she said. "I usually don't pay attention to it, but while I'm hitting, they tell me I yell sometimes. Some people will be, like, 'Geez, Lauren, keep it down.' "
Reaching for more
Former All-Big Ten guard wants to help U win a volleyball title
BY TAD REEVE
Pioneer Press
Article Last Updated: 08/23/2007 11:04:39 PM CDT
Four seasons of Division I basketball, highlighted by a trip to the NCAA women's Final Four, and a diploma weren't enough for Kelly Roysland.
So the former All-Big Ten Conference basketball guard is spending this fall playing volleyball for the Gophers while she pursues a master's degree.
"I've been to the Final Four, but I've never won a Big Ten championship as an athlete here at the U," she said. "I'd love to experience that in volleyball, and maybe more."
By "more," she means an NCAA championship.
"Is this team capable of winning a national championship?" Gophers coach Mike Hebert said. "Yes."
Hebert has plenty of hitters, blockers and setters on his team, which opens the season today at Notre Dame. In Roysland, he added intangibles.
"She's such a great athlete, such a great competitor, and she really inspires everyone around her to play better. She's infectious," Hebert said. "She's got that special gift. She's a winner. She's the kind of kid I want on my team."
Roysland was Minnesota player of the year in basketball and volleyball her senior year at Fosston High School. Her height - she's 5 feet 9 - was considered a liability in big-time volleyball, so she signed with the Gophers to play basketball.
And you can't argue with her choice. She helped Minnesota reach the Final Four for the first time her freshman year, was team captain by her senior year and finished 12th all time in Gophers scoring with 1,074 points.
Roysland got the itch to play volleyball again after watching a handful of Gophers matches over the years. Even though she has used up her basketball eligibility, she can play volleyball for one year because students have five years to complete their athletic eligibility. She is the first player since the NCAA sanctioned women's sports in 1982 to play both volleyball and basketball at Minnesota.
"I was pretty busy with basketball, but I would get to see a couple of volleyball matches every year," she said. "And I always thought, 'Boy, I miss it.' Volleyball is the one thing I really missed from high school."
Roysland is a defensive specialist who will come off the bench whenever the Gophers need a lift.
"She has so much passion when she plays," freshman middle blocker Lauren Gibbemeyer said. "She's super vocal on the court, always making sure everybody around her is doing the right thing. She's very much a team player, the kind of teammate you want out there with you."
Roysland knows her place. She will leave the big hits to Gibbemeyer, who is 6-2, and others.
"I'm not going to dominate, but I can bring a lot of energy and passion onto the floor," she said. "A big reason coach Hebert wanted me was to bring a competitive spirit to the team."
Roysland started working out with some of the volleyball players last spring, and one of the first things she learned was how much the sport had changed.
"It's quite a different game from when I played in high school. There are a lot of different little things I had to adjust to," she said. "We had side-out scoring then; now every point counts. And you couldn't use your hands at all back then; you can get away with a lot with your hands now."
"She's learning every day," Gibbemeyer said. "She can pull it off."
Gibbemeyer's skills already on display
U coach sees stardom in freshman blocker's future
BY TAD REEVE
Pioneer Press
Article Last Updated: 08/23/2007 11:04:38 PM CDT
Lauren Gibbemeyer had been a member of the University of Minnesota volleyball team less than a week when veteran coach Mike Hebert made a stunning pronouncement.
"We've had a lot of really good middle blockers in this program, a lot of All-Americans," Hebert, in his 12th season coaching the Gophers, said last week. "And Lauren is already better than all of them."
Heady praise for an 18-year-old freshman who has yet to play a match.
Gibbemeyer, a 6-foot-2 former Cretin-Derham Hall star who was the Pioneer Press' 2006 metro volleyball player of the year, opens her college career at 5 p.m. today when the ninth-ranked Gophers take on 29th-ranked Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind.
Hebert hinted he might start 6-3 junior Kelly Schmidt at middle blocker today because of her experience. But you can bet Gibbemeyer will see lots of time on court in the opener - and over the next four years.
"She's already a polished player, and she has an upside that is beyond anyone else we have ever had on our team," said Hebert, who led the Gophers to the NCAA final in 2004 and a regional final last season.
Gibbemeyer is part of a freshman class ranked No. 4 nationally that includes Hailey Cowles of Eden Prairie, Brook Dieter of Bloomington, Charde Phillips of Ohio and Caitlin Schneider of Illinois.
Gibbemeyer, Cowles and Dieter bring big-time experience to the Gophers. They led the Northern Lights Volleyball Club to a 52-0 record and the AAU 17-under national championship this summer. Gibbemeyer helped the U.S. national team win a world junior championship last year in Mexico and then finish fourth this summer in Thailand.
Despite playing all over the world, Gibbemeyer's home away from home has been the U's Sports Pavilion, where she grew up watching the Gophers. She committed to Minnesota during her sophomore year in high school and has been eager to wear the maroon and gold ever since.
"I've always wanted to play for the Gophers," she said.
Gibbemeyer is one player you can't miss on court. She is all arms and legs, with enough vertical leap to dunk a basketball ... and she comes with her own sound track.
"I like to be big and intimidating when I play. And I've been known to let out a few yells," she said. "I usually don't pay attention to it, but while I'm hitting, they tell me I yell sometimes. Some people will be, like, 'Geez, Lauren, keep it down.' "
Reaching for more
Former All-Big Ten guard wants to help U win a volleyball title
BY TAD REEVE
Pioneer Press
Article Last Updated: 08/23/2007 11:04:39 PM CDT
Four seasons of Division I basketball, highlighted by a trip to the NCAA women's Final Four, and a diploma weren't enough for Kelly Roysland.
So the former All-Big Ten Conference basketball guard is spending this fall playing volleyball for the Gophers while she pursues a master's degree.
"I've been to the Final Four, but I've never won a Big Ten championship as an athlete here at the U," she said. "I'd love to experience that in volleyball, and maybe more."
By "more," she means an NCAA championship.
"Is this team capable of winning a national championship?" Gophers coach Mike Hebert said. "Yes."
Hebert has plenty of hitters, blockers and setters on his team, which opens the season today at Notre Dame. In Roysland, he added intangibles.
"She's such a great athlete, such a great competitor, and she really inspires everyone around her to play better. She's infectious," Hebert said. "She's got that special gift. She's a winner. She's the kind of kid I want on my team."
Roysland was Minnesota player of the year in basketball and volleyball her senior year at Fosston High School. Her height - she's 5 feet 9 - was considered a liability in big-time volleyball, so she signed with the Gophers to play basketball.
And you can't argue with her choice. She helped Minnesota reach the Final Four for the first time her freshman year, was team captain by her senior year and finished 12th all time in Gophers scoring with 1,074 points.
Roysland got the itch to play volleyball again after watching a handful of Gophers matches over the years. Even though she has used up her basketball eligibility, she can play volleyball for one year because students have five years to complete their athletic eligibility. She is the first player since the NCAA sanctioned women's sports in 1982 to play both volleyball and basketball at Minnesota.
"I was pretty busy with basketball, but I would get to see a couple of volleyball matches every year," she said. "And I always thought, 'Boy, I miss it.' Volleyball is the one thing I really missed from high school."
Roysland is a defensive specialist who will come off the bench whenever the Gophers need a lift.
"She has so much passion when she plays," freshman middle blocker Lauren Gibbemeyer said. "She's super vocal on the court, always making sure everybody around her is doing the right thing. She's very much a team player, the kind of teammate you want out there with you."
Roysland knows her place. She will leave the big hits to Gibbemeyer, who is 6-2, and others.
"I'm not going to dominate, but I can bring a lot of energy and passion onto the floor," she said. "A big reason coach Hebert wanted me was to bring a competitive spirit to the team."
Roysland started working out with some of the volleyball players last spring, and one of the first things she learned was how much the sport had changed.
"It's quite a different game from when I played in high school. There are a lot of different little things I had to adjust to," she said. "We had side-out scoring then; now every point counts. And you couldn't use your hands at all back then; you can get away with a lot with your hands now."
"She's learning every day," Gibbemeyer said. "She can pull it off."
