GRAND FORKS, N.D. - The 2011 North Dakota volleyball team battled against a number of former Fighting Sioux this evening at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center during the program's annual Alumni match. The current Sioux defeated the former letterwinners 25-19, 25-19, 25-7 and 25-16.
"It was great to have the alumni back," head coach Ashley Hardee said. "Some of them are recent graduates and they can really play."
Back from last year's roster was Erin Joki and from the 2009 GWC championship team Britta Hanson and Lindsay Vortherms.
"It was great to see some of the alumni back from years past," Hardee added. "This event is growing every year. We had about 12 out there ready to play today and hopefully we have more next year."
Also on the alumni roster was Kari "Wirtanen" Hearn (2001-04), Jill "Effhauser" Muro (1999-02), Stephanie Mason (2006-07), Heidi "Evans" Greenwood (2003-06), Anne Pokorney (2005-06), Kristi "Glassman" Stengl (2001-03), Lyndsy "Gegelman" Lynch (2003-05), Heather "Hanson" Ramstead (2000-03), Kate "Cahill" Palisch (1999-02), Aileen "Cahill" Swenson (2002-06), former assistant coach Amanda "Neubauer" Hajdu, and current assistant coach Krystal Torres.
Fans in attendance not only had the opportunity to watch some of the greats that have been a part of the Fighting Sioux tradition, but they also got a firsthand look at the roster Hardee has arranged to defend UND's back-to-back Great West Conference regular season and tournament titles.
"This is a great event to get our team ready," said Hardee. "We have jitters and we have nerves, especially from some of the young ones, but we got a lot of those freshmen in and got them some college volleyball experience.
"Right out the gate, Felicia Ulrich (OH, Woodbury, Minn.) and Lexi Robinson (OH, Ramsey, Minn.) did a good job. Kaci Miller (MB, Folsom, Calif.), who isn't a freshman, did a great job coming in and blocking a lot of balls.
"It was a great trial run for us to come out and get some of the jitters out and make sure we understand the flow of the game."
The Sioux will officially kick off the 2011 season next weekend when it travels to Green Bay, Wis., for the Green Bay/Country Inn and Suites Tournament. The home schedule opens on Sept. 2 when UND hosts Montana, Green Bay and Southern Utah for the 2011 UND Classic.
- Go Sioux -
