Strong, experienced squad enters the 2001 season
Antoine Bell, UAH Sports Information
The 2001 volleyball season holds a lot of anticipation for the Lady Chargers. With all six starters and all but one letterwinner returning from last season's 22-14 team, this could be the season that the Lady Chargers make it back to the NCAA playoffs.
Four seniors anchor the UAH roster, led by record-breaking middle blocker Ellen LaFiore. During the 2000 season, the Lady Chargers' leading scorer was the most decorated player on the team. She was also one of the most feared players in the Gulf South Conference. She set seven new UAH records and broke several GSC marks.
The 5'11" senior averaged 5.23 kills per game in 2000. She also led the team in service aces (57) and blocks (132). LaFiore was also a stud on defense. In addition to leading the way in blocks, she was second on the team in digs with 339.
Returning to quarterback the offense is senior setter Jane Baumgartner (5'6"). Baumgartner battled through injury all season in 2000. However she came on to have an outstanding year. She finished with 1392 assists and broke the UAH and GSC record for assists in a match when she had 86 passes against Montevallo.
Seniors Lindsey Dunham (5'7", Hitter) and Erin Denny (5'10", Hitter) return to help LaFiore patrol the net. Dunham was second on the team averaging 2.52 kills per game, while Denny wasn't far behind with 2.31.
Coach Laura Taube also has a solid group of underclassmen returning to the floor this season. Juniors Cathryn Sterling (5'6", Hitter) and Whitney Mock (5'9", Hitter), along with sophomore Melissa Feldmann (5'11", Middle Hitter) were pressed into action in last year and did an awesome job.
Feldmann finished the season as the team's fourth leading scorer with 2.17 kills per game. Sterling played most of the 2000 season on a bum ankle. She had to fill in at setter when Baumgartner was injured. She dished out 216 assists. However, her specialty is defense. Despite playing in pain, Sterling had 275 digs, while averaging 1.11 kills on offense.
Mock was probably one of the team's most improved players in 2000. She averaged 1.64 kills during the season after finishing the 1999 season with only nine kills.
Coach Taube also signed three new players to bolster the Lady Chargers lineup. Samantha Polkowski (5'8", Setter), Kristian Kleminsky (5'9", Outside Hitter) and Molly Healey (5'10", Hitter).
Polkowski is a graduate of Huntsville High School. She was an All-City, All-Area and All-State in both 1999 and 2000. As team captain in 2000, she was voted the Lady Panthers Most Valuable Player. After the season, Polkowski was a member of the Alabama North All-Stars team. Polkowski also was a stellar performer in the classroom sporting a 3.55 GPA.
Kleminsky is also a local product out of Bob Jones High School. She was named team MVP and All-Metro in 1999, and All-Area in 2000. She was named to several All-Tournament teams during her career, while maintaining her status on the A-B Honor Roll.
Healy is an import from St. Louis, MO where she prepped at Ursuline Academy. She was a member of the All-District and All-Star Metro Women's Athletic Association teams in both 1999 and 2000. She also carried a 3.5 GPA and received several academic honors.
The Lady Chargers' road to the playoffs is sprinkled with some tough competition. Along with the usual challenging GSC schedule, the Lady Chargers will play in four tournaments. UAH will also play nonconference matches against Henderson State, Missouri Western State and Truman State.
Final 2000 Statistics
First Match: at the University of Tampa Invitational Tournament, August 25-26, in Tampa, FL
Lady Chargers shine in "rebuilding" year
Antoine Bell, UAH Sports Information
Life was a little different for the Lady Charger volleyball team in 2000. After back to back seasons of carving up opponents at Spragins Hall before the popcorn had a chance to cook, the Lady Chargers found themselves in some titanic struggles. Several matches went five games and lasted over two hours. The Lady Chargers actually lost four games at home, ending a long home court winning streak.
However, when it was all said and done, the Lady Chargers came out smelling like a rose. Coach Laura Taube's Lady Chargers finished the season with a 22-14 record overall and 11-5 in the GSC. The 2000 Lady Chargers set their share of school records. As a team the Lady Chargers set new school records for most kills in a single match (99) and assists in a match (93).
Individually, junior middle blocker Ellen LaFiore took the editing pen to the UAH record book, along with junior setter Jane Baumgartner. LaFiore set seven new records, while Baumgartner topped two marks.
LaFiore piled up several post season awards. She was named first team All-GSC for the third consecutive season. She was also named All-GSC tournament, AVCA All-South Central Region, Daktronics South Central Region and Daktronic All-America. In the classroom, LaFiore earned GSC All-Academic honors for the third straight season. She was also voted 3rd team Verizon Academic All-America.
Three other Charger volleyballers earned academic honors in 2000. Melissa Feldman, Ashley Otwell and Sara Winn were all named to the GSC Academic Honor Roll.
The season got off to a rough start as the Lady Chargers lost two of their first four matches in the UAH Invitational. The Lady Chargers loss in the tournament opener against Arkansas Tech ended a 17-match home winning streak.
Then, after beating Southern Indiana in the final match of the tournament, the Lady Chargers tried to get on a roll, winning the next two matches over Lee University and Christian Brothers. However, the streak ended quickly with a loss to Truman State. It also started a new streak as the Lady Chargers also lost the next two matches, dropping to 4-5 in the early part of the schedule.
The rocky road continued as the Lady Chargers three of their first five GSC matches including the second loss ever to Valdosta State. However, in true Lady Charger fashion, UAH rebounded to win the next three matches. One of those was a huge five-game classic against Central Missouri State. The Lady Chargers pulled an upset, beating CMSU on its own floor. It was only the third loss of the season for the Jennies, who also saw a very long winning streak in its home gym go up in smoke.
After completing another three-game winning streak, the Lady Chargers ran out of steam. Florida Southern beat UAH 3-0 in the final match of the CMSU Classic. After beating Montevallo at home, the Lady Chargers took 3 of 4 in the Henderson State University Invitational. The wins got the Lady Chargers ready for an important stretch run packed with GSC matches.
The Lady Chargers went on their hottest streak of the season, finishing out the regular schedule winning 8 of the last 10. The streak earned the Lady Chargers a spot in the GSC Tournament. The Lady Chargers also had an outside chance of making a third straight trip to the NCAA Division II playoffs.
UAH knocked off Henderson State in the first round of the GSC tournament. However, top seeded UNA was waiting in the semifinals. The two teams waged a fierce battle. The Lions won the first game 15-6. But, in the second game, the Lady Chargers left it all on the floor. In fact, both teams made some incredible plays. That one game lasted nearly an hour. When the smoke cleared, UNA had won the game 18-16 and the Lady Chargers were broken. The Lions went on to win the third game and put an end to the Lady Chargers' season.
Although Coach Taube's Lady Chargers fell short of making a return trip to the playoffs, they served notice that they were among the toughest in the GSC and in the Region. With no seniors on the 2000 squad, the Lady Chargers should be formidible in 2001.
Final 2000 Statistics
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