Have a question regarding Cardinal Athletics? Contact Wayne Witt, UIW's Sports Information Director.
Email: witt@uiwtx.edu or phone: 210.829.3828.

Volleyball News

Volleyball to Hold Try-Out Sunday -- posted Tuesday, February 19 2008

The Incarnate Word volleyball team, the 2007 Heartland Conference champions, are looking for one to two athletes that can impact their program with a try-out this Sunday, Feb. 23. The try-out will be held at the McDermott Center on the UIW campus and doors will open at 9 a.m. for check-in. The try-out will last from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

As per NCAA rules, students are only eligible to try out if you are a two-year college student, a four-year college student, are a high school senior and have completed your high school eligibility.

Also, the NCAA requires that all participants must have proof a physical in order to try out. Documentation of your physical must be provided at check-in. Any physical done in the last calendar year is acceptable.

To reserve a spot, please email volleyball head coach, Jen Montoya at montoyaj@uiwtx.edu. Please include your full name, address, phone number, current school and position(s) played.

-UIW-

Montoya Announces Signing of Hanaway -- posted Wednesday, January 30 2008

Bailey Hanaway of Martindale, Texas, has signed a National Letter of Intent during the early signing period in November to play with the Incarnate Word volleyball team, beginning next year, announced Cardinal head coach Jennifer Montoya.

Hanaway, a senior at Hill Country Christian School in San Marcos, played three sports (basketball, volleyball and track) during her prep career and put in five years as a member of the Austin Performance club team.

The 6-1 middle blocker racked up the honors after her senior season, in which she was a third-year team captain. She was named to the all-tournament team at the Navarro Invitational. She was then named first-team all-district and first-team all-state before being named to the TAPPS All-Star team.

Hanaway was named a second-team all-district selection before being named first-team as a junior and sophomore. In her sophomore season, she was named an all-state honorable mention before moving to first team as a junior, which she was also named to the state championship all-tournament team.

In 2007, Hanaway helped her club team advance to the Junior Olympics, held in Minneapolis, Minn.

Strong in the classroom as well, Hannaway was a member of the honor roll throughout high school and was the editor-in-chief of her high school yearbook as a senior.

Hanaway, the daughter of Pam and Mike Hanaway, plans to major in kinesiology at UIW.

-UIW-

Cardinal Volleyball Heartland Champions -- posted Saturday, November 10 2007

The Incarnate Word Cardinals were named the Heartland Conference champions after sweeping the Texas A&M International Dustdevils in the final match of the league tournament. The 3-0 win took place at Greehey Arena on the St. Mary’s University campus.

In Game 1, UIW cruised to a 30-22 win. In the second frame, the Cardinals had a significant lead before the Dustdevils crept up and tied the score at 18. After the tie, neither team would be able to take a two-point lead until UIW did so at the 23-21 mark on a block assist from Frenchellen Gilliam and Kortni Richter. The Cardinals were able to add one more, 24-21, before TAMIU scored three straight points to tie the score once again, 24-24. Sarah Nordman then put down a kill to regain the lead for UIW. At the service line, Emily Kopecki served an ace to once again jump ahead by two, 26-24. Then, an Kopecki’s next serve, TAMIU’s Alexandria Montemayor sent a dig over the net as Richter went up for the unassisted kill and the 27-24 lead, forcing the Dustdevils to call a timeout. Out of the break, TAMIU scored two straight to come within one, 27-26. But the Cardinals scored the next three for the win, 30-26.

The Dustdevils started strongly in Game 3, taking an early lead. The Cardinals had to jump back in it and scored six straight to take a 13-7 lead and once again forcing the Dustdevils to call a timeout. The Cardinals scored the first point out of the break to go ahead, 14-7. But TAMIU outscored UIW 7-2 over the next nine points to come within two at 16-14. The Cardinals extended the lead to three, 18-15, but after a UIW service error and two consecutive Dustdevil blocks, the score was tied at 18. UIW’s Edie Weise then put down three straight kills to start a five-point Cardinal rally and jump ahead, 23-18. TAMIU gained a point on an attack error from Kim Kvapil, but then Kvapil, the tournament MVP, put down a kill for the 25-19 lead. After the Dustdevils turned in a net violation and called in a timeout, UIW outscored TAMIU, 5-1, to take the 30-20 victory and seal the sweep.

In the match, three Cardinals turned in double-digit kills, led by Kvapil’s 16. Richter, who was named to the all-tournament team, collected 10 while Weise finished with 13. Weise collected nine of her 13 kills in the final game. Both Weise and Richter hit .360 or better in the match.

Kopecki led the match with 14 digs, while Kvapil and Werchan each collected 12. Werchan was also named to the all-tournament team. Nordman turned in 38 assists.

The Cardinals were out-blocked by the Dustdevils, 9-7. Weise put up four total blocks, while Gilliam, Richter and Kopecki each has three assists.

-UIW-

Cardinals Advance to Championship Match -- posted Friday, November 9 2007

The Incarnate Word Cardinals advanced to Saturday’s Heartland Conference championship match after taking a 3-0 win from St. Edward’s University Friday afternoon.

In Game 1, Sarah Nordman opened play with seven straight serves, including two service aces, to put the Cardinals up 7-0. The Hilltoppers never recovered, and couldn’t even catch up to tie the score as UIW took a 30-21 win. Game 2 was a different story as the score was tied 10 times and the lead changed four. The Cardinals were able to take the win by a margin of 30-27. UIW sealed the win with a 30-23 win in the final frame.

Edie Weise led UIW’s offensive game, posting 14 kills. She only had three errors in 28 attempts for a .393 hitting percentage. Kim Kvapil collected 13 kills and Kortni Richter added 10.

Five Cardinals turned in double-digit digs with Kvapil’s 22 leading the way. Hannah Werchan collected 18 and Sarah Nordman tallied 16. Emily Kopecki turned in 14 as Spencer Ladd finished with 12. As a team, UIW put up seven total blocks with Weise leading with three.

The championship match is scheduled for 7 p.m. from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio and will pit the Cardinals against the winner from the Texas-Permian Basin/Texas A&M International match.

-UIW-

Kvapil Named Player of the Year -- posted Friday, November 9 2007

Three out of the Heartland’s top-four postseason honors were awarded to members of the Incarnate Word Cardinal volleyball team. Kim Kvapil was named player of the year while Sarah Nordman was named freshman of the year and head coach Jennifer Montoya was tabbed the league’s coach of the year.

It was the second time during her five-year tenure at UIW that Montoya picked up the yearly honor. She won the at the conclusion of the 2005 season.

Kvapil, a junior out of La Vernia, was named player of the year after leading the Cardinals with a 4.13 kills per game average. She was second on the team with 395 digs, averaging 3.62 digs per game.

Nordman, who garnered the Heartland Conference Setter of the Week award seven times throughout the season, including a string of five straight, earned the league’s freshman of the year honor. She totaled 1,250 assists for the season and led the league with an 11.26 assists per game average.

Nordman and Kvapil were also named first-team All-Heartland Conference. Edie Weise and Hannah Werchan were given honorable mention honors.

-UIW-

Werchan, Nordman Bring Home Heartland Honors -- posted Thursday, November 8 2007

During the last week of regular season play, senior Hannah Werchan and freshman Sarah Nordman earned player of the week honors. It was the first time this season Werchan earned the defensive player award and the seventh time Nordman won the setter of the week honor.

In the back row, Werchan averaged 6.09 digs per game, two better than her season average, over three matches. She turned in 26 digs against Texas-Permian Basin and 24 against Dallas Baptist in the season finale. In her last regular season match, Werchan broke the 2,000 career dig mark, becoming the first player ever at UIW to complete the feat. She now stands at 2,001 career digs.

Nordman averaged 12.82 assists per game last week. She collected double-doubles in back-to-back matches over the weekend: 41 assists and 11 digs against UTPB and 44 assists with 10 digs versus DBU. Nordman also averaged 1.55 kills and 2.45 digs per game.

Werchan and Nordman will lead the Cardinals back onto the court Friday at noon as the No. 2 seed in the Heartland Conference Championship Tournament. The match against No. 3 St. Edward’s will be played at Greehy Arena on the St. Mary’s campus in San Antonio.

-UIW-

Volleyball Advances to Championship Tournament -- posted Monday, November 5 2007

This weekend, the Cardinal volleyball team will participate in the Heartland Conference Championship Tournament as the No. 2 seed. The tournament will be held at Greehy Arena at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio.

The Cardinals, who finished in second place in the league with a 12-2 mark, will host No. 3 St. Edward’s Friday at noon to kick off the tournament. The second match of the day will begin at 2:30 p.m. between No. 1 Texas-Permian Basin and No. 4 Texas A&M International.

The winners from each match will face-off Saturday at 7 p.m. in the championship match.

-UIW-

Werchan Breaks 2,000 Dig Mark in UIW Win -- posted Saturday, November 3 2007

Senior Hannah Werchan became the only Cardinal in school history to break the 2,000-career digs barrier Saturday, posting 24 digs and giving her a grand total of 2,001 in UIW’s 3-0 sweep of Dallas Baptist Saturday afternoon.

UIW got off to a slow start, with the Patriots taking as much as a seven-point lead, the first game. When the Cardinals were down 15-8, UIW jumped on 22-9 rally to win the game, 30-24. Game 2 was easier on the Cardinals as they took a 30-20 victory before closing out the match with a 30-26 Game 3 win to complete the sweep.

In addition to Werchan’s 24, Spencer Ladd and Sarah Nordman each added 10 digs. Nordman also collected 44 assists in the outing.

Offensively, Kim Kvapil and Edie Weise had 16 and 14 kills, respectively. Kvapil also had four total blocks and Weise had seven.

The Cardinals sent their overall record to 21-9 and their Heartland Conference record to 12-2, as the Patriots are now 10-22 and 5-9 in league play.

With Texas-Permian Basin's 3-2 win over St. Mary's, UIW falls to second place in the league, taking the No. 2 seed in next weekend's league tournament to be held at St. Mary's Friday and Saturday.

-UIW-

Cardinal Volleyball Falls in Four to UTPB -- posted Friday, November 2 2007

Despite a great offensive effort from three different Cardinals and 12 total team blocks, Incarnate Word lost its second straight match Friday night against Texas-Permian Basin, 3-1. Now, both teams sit with an 11-2 Heartland Conference record and a tie for first place in the league.

The Falcons took the win in Game 1, 30-23, and the Cardinals easily tied the score with a 30-22 Game 2 victory. In the third frame, UIW had a stead lead throughout and was up by six at 20-14. But the Falcons did not ease up, scoring the next five points to cut the lead to one, 20-19. After UIW built up another lead and was at game-point, 29-24, UTPB managed to score seven straight points to take the victory, 31-29. The Cardinals started off with the early lead in the eventual final game of the match, but after UTPB tied the score at four and jumped ahead, 5-4, the Falcons cruised along to take the win, 30-26.

Kim Kvapil had an offensive onslaught, knocking down 20 kills and notching 13 digs. Kortni Richter had 15 kills with only two errors in 24 attempts for a .542 hitting percentage. Emily Kopecki added 12 kills with 11 digs on the night.

Defensively, Richter had a team-high five total blocks as Edie Weise collected four. Kopecki, Kvapil, and Frenchellen Gilliam each put up three as UIW out-blocked the Falcons, 12-9.

Hannah Werchan collected 26 digs as Spencer Ladd added 10.

The loss sends UIW’s overall record to 20-9 on the year with an 11-2 conference mark. UTPB is now 22-11 and 11-2 in league play. The teams are now tied for the top spot in the league with one match left in the regular season. As of tonight’s match, only the Cardinals and the Falcons have a guaranteed spot in next weekend’s Heartland Conference Tournament to be held at St. Mary’s.

The Cardinals will face Dallas Baptist Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. at the McDermott Center in the final home contest of the 2007 regular season. Prior to the match, Frenchellen Gilliam, Kortni Richter, and Hannah Werchan will be honored as they play for the last time in the McDermott Center.

-UIW-

Cardinals' Win-Streak Halted by Mustangs -- posted Monday, October 29 2007

The Incarnate Word Cardinals’ nine-match win streak came to a halt Monday night at the hands of a 3-1 loss to the Midwestern State Mustangs in what was a key regional match-up.

MSU started off by cruising to a 30-20 win. The Cardinals tied the score at one-all when they won Game 2, 30-25. In Game 3, the teams battled it out with MSU coming up on top, 30-28. In what ended up being the final frame of the match, UIW suffered through a slow start that saw a 10-point MSU lead at 19-9. The Cardinals were able to fight back, but couldn’t catch up as the Mustangs sealed the win with a 30-24 score.

Emily Kopecki, Kim Kvapil, and Sarah Nordman all recorded double-doubles with Nordman lacking one kill for a triple-double. Nordman collected 41 assists, 11 digs, and nine kills. Kopecki notched a team-high 21 digs and had 13 kills. Kvapil recorded 19 digs and led the team with 16 kills. Edie Weise had 11 kills with three blocks. Hannah Werchan added 17 digs.

The Mustangs were led by Krissa Johnson’s 20 kills and Sesley Graves’ seven total blocks. MSU out-blocked the Cardinals, 13 to 7.

The loss snaps UIW’s win-streak at nine and sends its overall record to 20-8. MSU is now 25-4 overall.

The Cardinals return to the court Friday afternoon at 7 p.m. for a match-up with Texas-Permian Basin.

-UIW-

Cardinals Sweep Rattlers, Win Ninth Straight -- posted Wednesday, October 24 2007

The Incarnate Word Cardinals won their ninth straight match with a 3-0 sweep of the St. Mary’s Rattlers, 30-27, 30-27, and 30-25, from Greehey Arena in San Antonio.

Despite a sweep, the Rattlers kept the Cardinals on their toes as the score was tied 38 different times in the three-game set. The lead changed 15 times throughout the match.

Kim Kvapil and Edie Weise led UIW’s offensive game as they reached double-digit kills with 13 and 17, respectively. Kvapil also tallied seven digs and Weise led the Cardinals with four blocks.

Six-time Heartland Conference Setter of the Week, Sarah Nordman, put up 43 assists. Hannah Werchan posted 16 digs as Spencer Ladd nabbed 11 and Carla Flink had 10.

The Cardinals out-blocked the league’s best blocking team, 7-6, although as a team, the Rattlers out-hit UIW, .195 to .188.

The win moves the Cardinals to 11-1 in conference play and 20-7 overall. The last time UIW finished with a 20-win season was in 2000 when the then-Crusaders finished the year with a 21-15 mark.

UIW will play at the McDermott Center for the remainder of the 2007 season, starting with a regional match-up with Midwestern State Monday evening at 7 p.m.

-UIW-

Nordman Earns Weekly Honor Again -- posted Tuesday, October 23 2007

Once again, Incarnate Word’s Sarah Nordman has been named the Heartland Conference Setter of the Week, making it the fifth straight week for the freshman and the sixth time this season.

Nordman led the 19-7 Cardinals to wins over Texas A&M international and St. Edward’s over the weekend. First, against the Dustdevils, Nordman posted 58 assists and 10 digs for her sixth double-double of the year as the Cardinals won in five, 3-2. On Saturday, she had 38 assists in a 3-0 sweep of SEU.

She averaged 12.12 assists in the eight games played and tallied 15 digs, three blocks, six kills and two service aces over the weekend.

Incarnate Word returns to the court Wednesday for a mid-week match up against cross-town rival and league foe, St. Mary’s. The match is slated for a 7 p.m. start on the St. Mary’s campus.

-UIW-

Richter Breaks Record in UIW Win -- posted Saturday, October 20 2007

SAN ANTONIO – Kortni Richter’s two blocks Saturday afternoon sent her season total to 92, breaking Incarnate Word’s 16-year old record set by Christine Hager in 1991. Richter also had 12 kills and a hitting percentage of .579, leading the Cardinals past St. Edward’s in three games, 31-29, 30-27, and 30-22.

The Hilltoppers were ahead 17-11 in the first frame when Kim Kvapil, who also collected 12 kills, put down a kill, sending the score to 17-12 and herself to the service line. On four straight serves, the Cardinals got two kills from each Emily Kopecki and Edie Weise to bring UIW within two at 17-15 and forcing St. Edward’s to call a time-out. On the first serve back from the break, the Hilltoppers got a kill to jump ahead 18-15, but the Cardinals earned three straight points to tie the game. The teams exchanged points with neither being able to string together more than three straight points at a time. UIW was ahead, 28-29, before St. Edward’s Lauren Munselle notched a kill to tie the game at 29. Munselle then had a service error to give the Cardinals a one-point advantage before Kopecki had a service ace on behalf of the Hilltoppers’ Mandy Phillips to win the game, 31-29.

After SEU collected the first two points of Game 2, the teams exchanged points and the lead with neither one being able to take a two-point lead until UIW did at the 14-12 mark and then extended it by three at 15-12. The Hilltoppers were able to bring it within one at 15-14, but as the Cardinals started distancing themselves, having as much as a six-point lead. But the Hilltoppers did not go quietly, jumping back to bringing themselves within one several times late in the game and tying it up at 27. A kill from Kopecki broke the tie and an attack error from SEU gave UIW a 29-27 lead before a kill from Richter sent the score to 30-27.

In Game 3, the Cardinals and Hilltoppers remained close throughout despite only two lead changes and four tied scores. UIW was ahead, 21-19, when SEU came within one at 21-20 on a bad set from Sarah Nordman. A kill from Weise gave the Cardinals a two-point lead and sent Spencer Ladd to the service line. Ladd then served the ball six-straight times, broken up by a Hilltoppers’ time-out. In her serving streak that extended the Cardinals’ lead to 28-21, Ladd collected half of her service aces for the match, as she finished the night with six. Richter collected the last two kills of the outing for the 30-22 victory.

For the evening, Richter’s and Kvapil’s 12 kills each led the team as Kopecki collected 10. Kvapil also had 15 digs for her 14th double-double of the season. In the back row, libero Hannah Werchan led with 16 digs as Carla Flink collected 14.

The Cardinals moved their league-leading record to 10-1 as they won their season-high eighth straight match. Overall, UIW is 19-7. The Hilltoppers fell to 5-6 in Heartland play and 12-12 overall.

UIW will return to the court Wednesday for a mid-week, Heartland match-up across town against rival St. Mary’s. The match is scheduled for 7 p.m. from the St. Mary’s campus.

-UIW-

Littleton, UIW Defeat Dustdevils, 3-2 -- posted Friday, October 19 2007

SAN ANTONIO – The Incarnate Word Cardinals moved their Heartland-leading record to 9-1 after defeating the Texas A&M International Dustdevils, 3-2, Friday night from the McDermott Center.

After starting off with a scary 30-18 loss, the Cardinals were able to jump back to take a 30-20 win in Game 2. The Dustdevils came back for a 30-27 win in Game 3 before UIW tied the score in Game 4 with a 30-24 victory. In the final frame, UIW finished with a 15-10 win to extend its win streak to seven, matching its season high.

Brittany Littleton, a freshman from Alamo Heights, led the team with 19 kills in her first match after a three week hiatus. She led four Cardinals who had double-digit kills with Edie Weise coming in with 18 and Kim Kvapil and Kortni Richter collected 11 apiece. Weise had a hitting percentage of .375 in the match.

Hannah Werchan led the defense with 22 digs as Kvapil turned in 16, Carla Flink donated 12 and Sarah Nordman added 10 digs each. Nordman also collected 59 assists.

The Cardinals moved their overall record to 18-7 as TAMIU moved to 7-15 overall and 4-6 in conference play.

UIW will face St. Edward’s Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. from the McDermott Center.

-UIW-

Nordman Earns Fourth Straight Setter of the Week Award -- posted Tuesday, October 16 2007

For the fourth straight week and the fifth time this season, freshman setter Sarah Nordman has been named the Heartland Conference Setter of the Week. She garnered the honor after helping lead the league-leading Cardinals to a 3-0 week with victories over Newman, Oklahoma Panhandle, and the College of the Southwest.

In the matches, Nordman posted 52 assists against Newman and tallied 32 against Panhandle State. In the weekend finale against CSW, she totaled 43 assists, averaging 12.70 assists per game for the week. She also posted a 3.70 digs per game average while collecting nine kills, six service aces and eight total blocks.

The MacArthur product will lead the Cardinals back on the court Friday night with a 7 p.m. conference showdown against Texas A&M International from the McDermott Center.

-UIW-

Volleyball Sweeps Doubleheader -- posted Sunday, October 14 2007

GOODWELL, Okla. - The Incarnate Word Cardinal volleyball team swept a pair of matches Saturday afternoon, taking 3-0 victories from Okla. Panhandle State and the College of the Southwest in Goodwell, Okla.

In the first match of the day, the Cardinals played Heartland foe OPSU. UIW jumped out ahead quickly at 4-0 and held on to the lead the entire game as the Cardinals took a 30-18 win. In Game 2, the Aggies held the first lead of the game, 1-0, and the teams were neck and neck until OPSU was able to pull ahead by more than just one point at 11-9. Once the Cardinals tied the score at 11 and with Stephanie Tomasik serving, UIW scored four-straight to jump ahead, 15-11. Then, as the Cardinals sent the score to 18-14, Kim Kvapil served UIW to 11 straight points before the Aggies snuck in one more before the Cardinals won the game, 30-15. UIW jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the final frame and at the 12-4 mark, Carla Flink joined the serving parade, as she served on eight straight points, to 20-4. The final score of the third game was 30-12.

Kvapil and Kortni Richter came close to posting double-digit kills in the quick three-game set, collecting nine apiece. Each hit over .300. Kvapil also collected 16 digs as Hannah Werchan collected 15 and Sarah Nordman added 10. Nordman also threw in 32 assists and three total blocks. Edie Weise led with six total blocks, including two solo.

In the second half of the doubleheader, the Mustangs of CSW came out strong in the first game of the match, forcing 14 tied scored and four lead changes as the Cardinals fought their way to a 33-31 win. The next two games were quite easier for UIW, as it never gave up the lead on its way to a 30-23 Game 2 win and a 30-16 victory for the second sweep of the day.

Kvapil and Weise put down 14 and 12 kills, respectively, as Kvapil also had four total blocks to lead the Cardinals’ blocking game to outblock the Mustangs, 10-3. Nordman had 43 assists with 12 digs. Emily Kopecki led the back row defense with 15 digs as Werchan collected 14.

The wins send UIW’s win streak to six and its overall season record to 17-7 and 8-1 in Heartland play.

The Cardinals return to the court Friday for a 7 p.m. Heartland showdown against Texas A&M International from the McDermott Center.

-UIW-

UIW Takes Win from Newman, 3-1 -- posted Thursday, October 11 2007

WICHITA, Kan. – Kortni Richter and Edie Weise each posted 15 kills and had a hitting percentage of .300 or better as the Incarnate Word Cardinals added to their win column with a 3-1 victory over Newman University Thursday evening.d

As the Cardinals eased to a 30-25 win in Game 1 and a Game 2 30-27 victory, Newman responded with a strong showing in Game 3. The Jets posted a 32-30 win before sending Game 4 into the thirties as well. UIW was the victor in the final game with a 33-31 win.

Emily Kopecki and Kim Kvapil also had double-digit kills with 12 and 13 respectively. Kvapil also led with 26 digs as Sarah Nordman posted 52 assists. Richter also led the Cardinals’ defense at the net with a team-high six total blocks.

The Cardinals improved their record to 15-7 overall as their Heartland-leading record now stands at 7-1. Newman fell to 2-25 overall this season with a 2-5 league mark.

UIW will wrap up this weekend’s road trip with a 12 p.m. conference match at Oklahoma Panhandle State Saturday before following up with a non-conference affair with the College of the Southwest at 2 p.m. Both matches will be played in Goodwell, Okla.

-UIW-

Nordman Named Setter of the Week -- posted Tuesday, October 9 2007

For the third straight week, Sarah Nordman has been named the Heartland Conference’s Setter of the Week. Nordman, a freshman out of MacArthur High School in San Antonio, has won the award four times this season, the most for any one player in the league this year.

Last week, Nordman led the Cardinals to victories over St. Mary’s and Angelo State. She averaged 12.60 assists per game after posting 59 against St. Mary’s and 55 versus ASU. She tallied 1.44 kills per game and 1.33 digs per game. She also strung together a .310 hitting percentage.

Incarnate Word, the league’s first place team with a 6-1 conference record, has collected the most player of the week awards this season with six.

-UIW-

Cardinals Narrowly Escape Angelo State -- posted Saturday, October 6 2007

The Incarnate Word Cardinals won their third straight match with a non-conference victory over the Angelo State Rambelles, 3-2, Saturday afternoon. The win moves UIW’s overall record to 14-7 on the year.

The Rambelles started off with the Game 1 win, 30-27. In that game, the score was tied 12 different times and the lead changed four. Game 2 proved easier for the Cardinals as they cruised to a 30-16 win to tie the score at one game apiece. In Game 3, however, ASU jumped to an 18-14 lead after a 14-14 tie and went ahead 21-17. Angelo State ended up with the Game 3 win for the 2-1 advantage with a 30-24 score.

UIW started things off with a 2-0 lead in Game 4, but ASU quickly tied things up. UIW jumped ahead with the lead before ASU came right back. The teams exchanged point until Incarnate Word was able to jump ahead 12-9. The Rambelles knotted the score at 14-all, but UIW distanced itself, 16-14. But after an Incarnate Word error and a kill from ASU, the score was once again tied at 16. Two straight kills from Kortni Richter and Kim Kvapil and a bad set from ASU’s Tess Brindock sent the Cardinals three ahead at 19-16. The Rambelles attempted to inch their way back, coming as close as 23-21. Incarnate Word then took advantage of three consecutive ASU errors to jump ahead 26-21 before the Cardinals settled with the 30-27 victory, forcing a fifth frame.

In the extra game, the Rambelles jumped out with a 3-0 lead. Kvapil put down a kill to put UIW on the board, but the Rambelles scored another to keep the three-point lead. Emily Kopecki then knocked down one of her team-leading 18 kills to put the Cardinals within two at 4-2. But a UIW attack error extended the Rambelles’ lead 5-2. Then, Incarnate Word scored three straight to knot the score at five. Neither team was able to jump ahead by more than one point until UIW did so at the 8-6 mark. ASU crept up and was able to tie the score at 12 and took the lead, 13-12, on a bad set from Sarah Nordman. But, UIW tied it up at 13 with a kill from Kvapil, before at attack error from Taylor gave UIW the lead. A kill from Richter settled the score at 15-13, UIW, to give the Cardinals a 3-2 victory.

Kopecki and Kvapil led the Cardinals with 18 kills apiece. Each turned in a double-double as Kopecki collected 12 digs and Kvapil netted 17, a team high. Match winner, Richter, put down 14 kills with only three errors in 25 tries for a .440 hitting percentage. At the net, Edie Weise turned in five total blocks, including two solo.

Incarnate Word will hit the road next weekend as it jumps back into Heartland action with a 7 p.m. match at Newman in Wichita, Kan., before wrapping up the roadtrip with a doubleheader at Oklahoma Panhandle State in Goodwell, Okla. UIW will face OPSU in at 12 p.m. before taking on the College of the Southwest in non-conference play at 2 p.m.

-UIW-

Cardinals Take 3-1 Win from Rattlers -- posted Wednesday, October 3 2007

The Incarnate Word Cardinals took a 3-1 win from Heartland Conference rival St. Mary’s Wednesday night from the McDermott Center. After St. Mary’s started off with a thrilling 33-31 Game 1 win, UIW took the next three, 30-26, 30-27, and 30-23.

Four Cardinals had double-digit kills with Kim Kvapil leading with 23. Emily Kopecki followed with 19 as Edie Weise and Kortni Richter collected 12 and 11, respectively. Sarah Nordman put up 59 of UIW’s 66 assists. Hannah Werchan led the Cardinals’ defensive game with 27 digs. Kvapil was not far behind with 25 for her ninth double-double of the year. Kopecki had 14 digs and Spencer Ladd collected 11.

After both teams hit over .300 in the first game, UIW out hit the Rattlers, .195 to .136, for the match.

The Cardinals remained at the top of the conference standings with a 6-1 record and an overall 13-7 record. St. Mary’s fell to 4-3 in league action and 9-10 overall.

UIW steps out of conference play this weekend as they host Angelo State at 2 p.m. Saturday from the McDermott Center.

-UIW-

Nordman Named Setter of the Week -- posted Wednesday, October 3 2007

Incarnate Word’s Sarah Nordman collected her third Heartland Conference Setter of the Week award Tuesday for her performance at Texas-Permian Basin and Dallas Baptist.

Nordman, a freshman out of MacArthur High in San Antonio, averaged 13.29 assists in the two matches. She posted 46 assists at UTPB before posting 47 at DBU. Nordman also tallied 10 kills, five in each match, and had four service aces at Dallas Baptist.

The three-time setter of the week will lead the Cardinals back on to the court Wednesday night for a 7 p.m. face off with St. Mary’s from the McDermott Center. UIW is currently tied for first place in Heartland Action with a 5-1 record while St. Mary’s sits in third place at 4-2.

-UIW-

Cardinals Rebound With Sweep of Dallas Baptist -- posted Saturday, September 29 2007

DALLAS – The Incarnate Word Cardinals swept Dallas Baptist, 3-0, Saturday afternoon in Dallas to rebound from a loss Thursday night snapped a seven-match win streak.

In Game 1, the Cardinals cruised to a 30-16 win, knocking down 21 kills with only two errors for a .528 team hitting percentage. The Patriots did not have the same luck as they hit -.028, putting down only six kills in the first frame. The second game had a closer margin with Cardinals winning 30-27 before closing the sweep with a 30-23 Game 3 victory.

Four Cardinals each had double-digit kills with Kim Kvapil and Emily Kopecki leading the way with 14 apiece. Edie Weise and Kortni Richter each contributed 10 kills. Kvapil earned her eighth double-double of the season after putting up 13 digs. She also had three total blocks in the match. Weise had a hitting percentage of .600 (10-1-15) and two blocks.

Frenchellen Gilliam and Spencer Ladd led UIW’s offense as Gilliam put up a match-high four blocks, a season high for the senior, and Ladd led the team with 14 digs.

The victory sends the Cardinals to 12-7 on the year and 5-1 in Heartland play. Incarnate Word will look to add to its conference win record Wednesday with a mid-week Heartland match-up against St. Mary’s. The match is slated for a 7 p.m. start from the McDermott Center.

-UIW-

UTPB Halts Cardinals' Win Streak -- posted Thursday, September 27 2007

ODESSA, Texas – Incarnate Word and Texas-Permian Basin were tied at the top of the Heartland Conference standings with 4-0 league records as they faced off in a Thursday night affair. The Falcons were the victors, taking a 3-1 victory, to remain atop the league standings.

UTPB jumped to an early 2-0 lead with a 30-25 win in Game 1 and a 30-16 Game 2 victory. The Cardinals avoided the sweep with a 30-26 win in Game 3 before falling 30-27 in the four-game set.

Sophomore Edie Weise led the UIW offense with 16 kills. In 37 attempts, she only had two errors to post a .378 hitting percentage. She also had two assists and three digs in the outing. Weise led three Cardinals with double-digit kills as Emily Kopecki added 15 and Frenchellen Gilliam knocked down 10.

Kopecki led the UIW defense with a season high 24 digs. Hannah Werchan and Spencer Ladd each had 14 digs.

The loss halts Incarnate Word’s win streak at seven matches and sends its overall record to 11-7, while falling to 4-1 in Heartland play. The Falcons moved to 12-8 overall and remain perfect in league action at 5-0.

The Cardinals head to Dallas to face Dallas Baptist in a league match-up Saturday at 2 p.m. UIW returns home Wednesday for a mid-week league face-off with cross-town rival St. Mary’s at 7 p.m. from the McDermott Center.

-UIW-

Kvapil, Nordman Pick Up Conference Honors -- posted Tuesday, September 25 2007

DALLAS – Incarnate Word’s Kim Kvapil and Sarah Nordman have been named the Heartland Conference’s Hitter and Setter of the Week, respectively. It is the second time this season that Kvapil and Nordman have taken the honors.

Kvapil and Nordman paced the Cardinals to a 2-0 week with a 3-1 win over Texas A&M International last Thursday before leading UIW to its seventh straight win with a 3-2 victory over St. Edward’s.

Kvapil put together a 5.67 kills per game average, posting 51 kills in the two matches. She had a .343 hitting percentage for the week. She also tallied 34 digs, three total blocks, and one assist.

Nordman had 59 assists versus TAMIU and 62 at St. Edward’s. She averaged 13.44 assists per game, while adding four kills, three service aces and 19 digs for the week.

The Cardinals continue Heartland play this week with a Thursday night match at Texas-Permian Basin at 7 p.m. before concluding with a 2 p.m. match against Dallas Baptist Saturday. UIW is currently 11-6 and is 4-0 in conference action.

-UIW-

ROLL CONTINUES FOR CARDINALS -- posted Sunday, September 23 2007

INCARNATE WORD d. ST. EDWARD'S
33-31, 21-30, 23-30, 30-17, 16-14

Incarnate Word is on a roll right now and it is coming at a significant point in the Cardinals season.

UIW went to Austin, home of one of the pre-season Heartland Conference favorites, and defeated St. Edward's in a dramatic five-game match on Saturday.

That win extended the Cardinals' winning string to seven straight and to 11-6 on the year. More importantly, UIW has won four in a row in the Heartland giving it a leg up on a return to the Heartland's post-season championship tournament, an event UIW missed a year ago.

In the five-gamer at St. Edward's (9-7; 2-2), the Cardinals got upperclass leadership as junior outside Kim Kvapil led all players with 28 kills. Junior middle Kortni Richter gave UIW a lift with her three and one-half blocks against a traditionally powerful attack from the Hilltoppers.

In the coming week Incarnate Word has a continuing chance to solidify a post-season berth with a pair of Heartland matches. Both are on the road beginning Thursday at Texas / Permian Basin and ending Saturday at Dallas Baptist.

UIW--Kills, Kim Kvapil 28; Assists, Sarah Nordman 62; Digs, Hannah Werchan 24; Blocks, Kortni Richter 3.5; Aces, Emily Kopecki 6.

SEU--Kills, Lindsey Douglas 23; Assists, Chelsea Barsamian 55; Digs, Brittney Brown 21; Blocks, Lauren Munselle, Teal Clark 3.5; Aces, Barsamian 3.

RECORDS:
UW 11-6 (4-0)
SEU 9-7; (2-2)

UIW REMAINS PERFECT IN HEARTLAND -- posted Friday, September 21 2007

LAREDO, Texas – The Incarnate Word Cardinal volleyball team won its sixth straight match with a 3-1 win over Texas A&M International Thursday evening in Laredo.

The Cardinals, who have already surpassed their 2006 win total at 10-9, lost Game 1, 30-27, but quickly recovered to take the next three games with scores of 30-21, 30-17, and 30-24.

Kim Kvapil paced three Cardinals with double-digit kills, turning in 23 with a .383 hitting percentage. Emily Kopecki had 15 kills while Edie Weise collected 10. Kvapil also had 16 digs for one of two UIW double-doubles on the night. Freshman Sarah Nordman put up 59 assists, her second highest total of the season, with 11 digs.

The win puts UIW at 3-0 in Heartland Conference play while the Dustdevils fell to 1-2.

The Cardinals look to stretch their win streak to seven matches Saturday afternoon with a Heartland Conference affair at St. Edward’s in Austin at 2 p.m.

UIW Volleyball Wins Sixth Straight -- posted Thursday, September 20 2007

LAREDO, Texas – The Incarnate Word Cardinal volleyball team won its sixth straight match with a 3-1 win over Texas A&M International Thursday evening in Laredo.

The Cardinals, who have already surpassed their 2006 win total at 10-9, lost Game 1, 30-27, but quickly recovered to take the next three games with scores of 30-21, 30-17, and 30-24.

Kim Kvapil paced three Cardinals with double-digit kills, turning in 23 with a .383 hitting percentage. Emily Kopecki had 15 kills while Edie Weise collected 10. Kvapil also had 16 digs for one of two UIW double-doubles on the night. Freshman Sarah Nordman put up 59 assists, her second highest total of the season, with 11 digs.

The win puts UIW at 3-0 in Heartland Conference play while the Dustdevils fell to 1-2.

The Cardinals look to stretch their win streak to seven matches Saturday afternoon with a Heartland Conference affair at St. Edward’s in Austin at 2 p.m.

-UIW-

Cardinals Win Fifth Straight -- posted Saturday, September 15 2007

SAN ANTONIO - Edie Weise led Incarnate Word’s offense with 14 kills and a .591 hitting percentage as the Cardinals won their fifth straight match with a 3-0 win over Oklahoma Panhandle State.

UIW eased by OPSU with scores of 30-15, 30-13, and 30-14. Weise’s 14 kills were a match high, but her .591 hitting percentage was second best on the team. Despite only five kills, Kortni Richter put up a .625 hitting percentage. As a team, the Cardinals hit .425, the best this season.

Sarah Nordman put up 32 assists and four total blocks. Hannah Werchan led UIW’s defense with 12 digs.

The win gives the Cardinals a 2-0 start in Heartland Conference play and a 9-6 overall record. The Aggies fell to 1-10 on the year with an 0-2 conference record.

Incarnate Word is on the road for its next four matches and returns home October 3 for a match against cross-town rival, St. Mary’s. The match is scheduled to start at 7 p.m.

-UIW-

UIW Takes 3-2 Win From Newman -- posted Friday, September 14 2007

SAN ANTONIO – The Incarnate Word Cardinals took the win in their Heartland Conference opener against Newman Friday night in a five-game thriller, 3-2.

The Cardinals started off strong taking the first two games, 30-23 and 30-22. But the Jets rebounded to even the score at two when they won Games 3 and 4, 30-16 and 30-24, respectively. In Game 5, the teams exchanged points until UIW was able to gain a two point lead at 5-3 and the Cardinals never looked back, taking the 15-8 victory.

In the match, junior Kim Kvapil led with 22 kills and 16 digs, taking her third double-double in four games. It was also her second straight double-double and her fifth this season. She also recorded two total blocks in the outing.

Freshman Sarah Nordman picked up 48 assists on the night and also had two block assists. Edie Weise led the Cardinals’ blocking defense with seven total blocks, including four solo, her season-high. As a team, UIW recorded a season-high 12 total blocks.

The victory sends UIW’s overall record to 8-6 while giving it a 1-0 Heartland record. Newman remains looking for their first win as they slid to 0-15 on the year and 0-1 in conference play.

The Cardinals return to action Saturday at 2 p.m. from the McDermott Center.

-UIW-

Kvapil, Nordman Named Hitter, Setter of the Week -- posted Tuesday, September 11 2007

Junior Kim Kvapil and freshman Sarah Nordman were named the Heartland Conference’s Hitter and Setter of the Week, respectively, for their performances in the Abilene Christian Volleyball Classic last weekend.

Kvapil, a native of La Vernia, Texas, averaged 4.87 kills per game, knocking down 19 or more kills in her last three matches. She had a season-high 27 kills with a .310 hitting percentage in Friday’s match against Texas A&M-Commerce. Kvapil then had 20 and 19 kills in her next two matches Saturday. Through four matches, she had six total blocks. Kvapil also had two double-doubles over the weekend, posting 19 digs against A&M-Commerce and 24 against Tarleton State.

Nordman was honored after posting her first career triple-double against Texas A&M-Commerce. She knocked down 10 kills, had 12 digs and set a career high with 64 assists. She then followed up with a 42 assist performance against Angelo State and collected 49 against Tarleton State.

The honors were the first of the season for Incarnate Word.

The 7-6 Cardinals return to the McDermott Center Friday to open Heartland play against Newman (Kan.). The match is slated for a 7 p.m. start.

-UIW-

UIW Extends Win Streak to Three -- posted Saturday, September 8 2007

ABILENE, Texas – For the first time this season, the Incarnate Word Cardinal volleyball team has put together a string of three straight wins as it defeated Angelo State, 3-0, and Tarleton State, 3-1, in the last day of the Abilene Christian Volleyball Classic.

The wins put the Cardinals back over .500 at 7-6 overall.

In the first match of the day, UIW took care of the Rambelles, 30-26, 30-27, and 30-20 to hand ASU its eighth loss of the year as it falls to 2-8. For the second straight match, junior Kim Kvapil led the team in kills. She knocked down 20, also marking the second time in as many matches Kvapil’s collected 20 or more kills. Senior Hannah Werchan led the back line with 20 digs as Sarah Nordman put up 42 assists. As a team, the Cardinals had a hitting percentage of .237 compared to ASU’s .070.

Then, UIW faced Tarleton State for the second time this week. After suffering a 3-2 loss to the Cardinals last week in San Antonio, the TexAnns came out looking to even the score. Tarleton State won the first set, 30-26, but could not keep up with UIW as the Cardinals cruised through the next three frames, 30-18, 30-15, and 30-20.

Kvapil earned her fourth double-double of the season, posting 19 kills and 24 digs. The numbers were also a match-high. Edie Weise and Kortni Richter also chipped in with double-digit kills with 15 and 11, respectively. Weise only had three errors in the outing for a hitting percentage of .444. Werchan and Spencer Ladd had 10 digs apiece while Nordman collected 49 assists.

Against the TexAnns, the Cardinals put together their best hitting performance this year with a season high .297 hitting percentage.

UIW returns to the McDermott Center Friday, Sept. 14, to open Heartland play against Newman at 7 p.m.

-UIW-

Nordman Posts Triple-Double in 3-2 Defeat of A&M-Commerce -- posted Friday, September 7 2007

ABILENE, Texas – Freshman Sarah Nordman had a career night as she posted the first triple-double of her young career as she led a host of Cardinals past the Texas A&M-Commerce Lions, 3-2, in the Abilene Christian Volleyball Classic.

Not only did Nordman set a new precedence for her career by posting 64 assists, slaughtering her previous high of 47 assists set just last week, her 10 kills and 12 digs were also career highs. Out of 20 total attacks, the freshman only had three errors for a .350 hitting percentage.

Nordman was one of six Cardinals to post double-digit kills with junior Kim Kvapil leading the pack with 27 kills. She also threw in 19 digs for her third double-double of the season. Brittany Littleton had the second-most kills on the team with 15, a career-high for the freshman. Emily Kopecki had 11 kills while Kortni Richter and Edie Weise joined Nordman with 10 apiece.

Defensively, Hannah Werchan, Spencer Ladd, and Kopecki joined Kvapil and Nordman with double-digit digs. Werchan collected 17 while Ladd and Kopecki each had 14. Weise led the block with four total, including each of UIW’s solo blocks.

Game 1 proved the most competitive with a knotted score occurring 19 times and the teams switching the lead another 11 times before the Lions took the 30-27 victory. UIW fought hard in Game 2 and pushed the scores over 30, but it was A&M-Commerce who came away with the 32-30 win to distance themselves from the Cardinals, 2-0. But in Game 3, UIW allowed the Lions to tie the score several times and even gave A&M-Commerce the lead, but the Cardinals were able to take hold of the lead and retain it for the 30-27 win. It was the first time this season, UIW recovered from a 2-0 deficit. In Game 4, the Cardinals took the early lead and never relinquished it as they eased their way to a 30-23 win, forcing a deciding fifth game.

In the final set, UIW opened with a 2-0 lead from a kill by Richter and a Lion attack error. The Cardinals allowed the Lions to tie the score at four, but then scored four straight to jump ahead, 8-4. A&M-Commerce tried to inch back, but only got as close as 13-9 before UIW took the 15-12 win.

So far this season, the Cardinals are 2-0 in five-set matches. Overall, UIW is 5-6 on the year.

The Cardinals will close out the Abilene Christian Volleyball Classic Saturday beginning with an 11 a.m. match against Angelo State before facing Tarleton State at 3 p.m.

-UIW-

UIW Falls in Three at Midwestern State -- posted Thursday, September 6 2007

WICHITA FALLS, Texas -- The Incarnate Word Cardinals suffered their second straight loss Thursday evening with a 3-0 sweep by the Midwestern State Mustangs in Wichita Falls. UIW, who is currently 4-6 on the year, is 2-2 in through its last four matches.

The Cardinals took a 30-17 Game 1 deficit before closing in closer with a 30-26 loss in Game 2. The Mustangs took the third game by a score of 30-16 to take the victory.

Brittany Littleton and Kim Kvapil knocked down seven kills each to lead UIW while Kvapil’s 18 digs was also a team-high. Hannah Werchan added 10 digs of her own while Kortni Richter helped out defensively with a team-high four total blocks.

The Cardinals will next face Texas A&M-Commerce in the first day of the Abilene Christian Invitational beginning Friday. The game is slated for a 7 p.m. start.

-UIW-

UIW Splits in Final Day of Tournament -- posted Sunday, September 2 2007

After starting off the day with a thrilling 3-2 victory over the Tarleton State TexAnns, the Incarnate Word Cardinals (4-5) suffered a 3-0 sweep against the Trinity Tigers to split on the final day of the annual Alamo City Classic, co-hosted by UIW and Trinity.

In the first match of the day, the Cardinals put together a 3-2 victory after falling behind 2-1. UIW fell 30-20 in the first match, but tied things up with a 30-26 win in Game 2. The TexAnns took over the third game with another 30-20 victory, but the Cardinals fought back to take a convincing 30-17 win in Game 4, forcing a deciding game.

At the beginning of the last frame, UIW was down 4-2, but scored four straight to go up on top, 6-4. But it was the TexAnns who scored the next three points to take a 7-6 lead. UIW tied it up on a kill from Edie Weise, but Tarleton State quickly regained its lead. And the teams exchanged points from then on, never being able to pull ahead more than one point from the other. With the TexAnns holding a 16-15 lead, Emily Kopecki and Kortni Richter put up a block to tie the score at 16. Then Kim Kvapil knocked two straight kills with help from Sarah Nordman to give UIW the 18-16 win and the 3-2 victory.

Kvapil knocked down 17 kills in the match and scored a double-double when she added 20 digs. It was the second time in as many days that Kvapil scored 17 kills. Kopecki added 15 kills and had a .357 attack percentage for the match. Nordman put up 47 assists while Hannah Werchan dealt out 16 digs.

For Tarleton State, four different TexAnns collected double-digit kills with Alisha Bourgo leading the way with 16. She also had 10 digs. Susan Domine and Prayr Giebler each had double-digit assists with 33 and 21, respectively.

In the nightcap, the Cardinals traveled down the street to close out the tournament against co-host Trinity. The Tigers took the match with scores of 30-16, 30-21, and 30-24. Nordman collected 26 assists while Kvapil had 11 digs and 9 kills in the outing.

UIW returns to the court Thursday in Wichita Falls with a 7:30 p.m. face off with Midwestern State before heading to Commerce for a weekend tournament hosted by Texas A&M-Commerce.

-UIW-

Kvapil Hits .567 in UIW Sweep -- posted Saturday, September 1 2007

The Incarnate Word Cardinals proved too much to handle for the Texas A&M-Kingsville Javelinas, as UIW eased its way to a 3-0 win over TAMUK to snap its three-game skid Saturday afternoon from the McDermott Center.

Game 1 was the closest with a 30-28 Cardinal win. The score was tied nine times and the lead changed another five before UIW took the victory. In Game 2, the Cardinals opened up with an early lead and never relinquished it; however, the Javelinas tied the score four times. UIW went on an 8-1 rally to extend their lead to 16-8 before putting together a late six-point run to go up 24-13 on their way to a 30-2- win. Incarnate Word started Game 3 with a 5-0 lead. The Javelinas would not be able to pull themselves closer than a three-point margin the rest of the match, with UIW pulling away with as much as a eight points before sealing the deal with a 30-26 win to complete the sweep.

Junior Kim Kvapil led both teams with a season-high 17 kills. She did not have a single error in 30 attempts to harness a .567 hitting percentage for the match. She also had eight digs and one block.

Emily Kopecki, a sophomore from San Antonio, collected 13 kills with only three errors in 31 tries for a .323 hitting percentage. As a team, the Cardinals hit .281 for the match, a season-high. Freshman Sarah Nordman put up 37 assists with two service aces and three digs. Spencer Ladd collected 13 digs to lead both teams.

The win gives Incarnate Word a 3-4 record and sends the Javelinas to 3-3 for the year. UIW will face Tarleton State at 12 p.m. Sunday at the McDermott Center before the Alamo City Classic co-hosts, UIW and Trinity, close out the tournament with a 4 p.m. match at Trinity.

-UIW-

UIW Falls in Home Opener -- posted Friday, August 31 2007

The Incarnate Word Cardinals (2-4) extended their losing streak to three games as the Abilene Christian Wildcats(1-4) took a 3-1 victory in the McDermott Center Friday night. The Wildcats snapped a four-game skid to win their first game of the year.

In the first game of the match, UIW sailed to a 30-27 win as it held the lead the entire match and only allowed a tied score twice. In the second game, ACU put together a 30-25 win. The Cardinals stayed with the Wildcats all throughout the game, tying the score 11 times and the teams exchanged the lead six times. The Wildcats momentum carried through the third game. They jumped out to a 5-0 lead and led by as many as 13 as they gained a 2-1 advantage in the match with a 30-17 Game 3 win. ACU finished off UIW with a 30-27 win in Game 4 to take the 3-1 victory. The teams tied the score 15 times with five lead changes.

For the Cardinals, freshman Sarah Nordman continued to raise her own bar, as she set a new career high with 35 assists as she led both teams. Kim Kvapil knocked down 13 kills to tie for the match high. Emily Kopecki and Hannah Werchan each collected double-digit kills with 13 and 11, respectively.

UIW will face Texas A&M-Kingsville Saturday at 2 p.m. from the McDermott Center in Day 2 of the Alamo City Classic.

-UIW-

ACU Takes 3-1 Win from UIW -- posted Friday, August 31 2007

The Incarnate Word Cardinals (2-4) extended their losing streak to three games as the Abilene Christian Wildcats (1-4) took a thrilling 3-1 victory in the McDermott Center Friday night. The Wildcats snapped a four-game skid to win their first game of the year.

In the first game of the match, UIW sailed to a 30-27 win as it held the lead the entire match and only allowed a tied score twice. In the second game, ACU put together a 30-25 win. The Cardinals stayed with the Wildcats all throughout the game, tying the score 11 times and the teams exchanged the lead six times. The Wildcats momentum carried through the third game. They jumped out to a 5-0 lead and led by as many as 13 as they gained a 2-1 advantage in the match with a 30-17 Game 3 win. ACU finished off UIW with a 30-27 win in Game 4 to take the 3-1 victory. The teams tied the score 15 times with five lead changes.

For the Cardinals, freshman Sarah Nordman continued to raise her own bar, as she set a new career high with 35 assists as she led both teams. Kim Kvapil knocked down 13 kills to tie for the match high. Emily Kopecki and Hannah Werchan each collected double-digit kills with 13 and 11, respectively.

UIW will face Texas A&M-Kingsville Saturday at 2 p.m. from the McDermott Center in Day 2 of the Alamo City Classic.

-UIW-

Incarnate Word Suffers Sweep -- posted Saturday, August 25 2007

CANYON, Texas – In the final day of the Grapevines.com Lady Buff Classic, Incarnate Word suffered back-to-back losses to Mesa State (Colo.), 3-1, and Pittsburg State (Kan.), 3-0.

Against Mesa State, UIW and the Mavericks stayed neck and neck through the first game with neither team jumping ahead more than three points before Mesa State took the 30-29 win. In Game 2, the Cardinals were down six points, 16-10, before coming back to knot the score at 17. From that point, the teams exchanged points until the 20-20 mark and then the Mavericks outscored UIW 9-1 for the 30-21 win.

The Cardinals started the third game with an early 10-5 lead, but Mesa State slowly crept back up to tie the score at 14. The teams switched leads and the Mavericks held a three-point lead at 24-21, but UIW held on and pulled out a three-point lead of their own, 30-27, to take the win and avoid the sweep.

Game four proved just as thrilling for the Cardinals. At the beginning of the game, UIW was down 5-3 but then scored five straight to take the 8-3 lead. The Mavericks came back to tie the score at 10, but the Cardinals once again rallied for the 16-11 lead. Mesa State would outscore UIW 15-9 to garner its first lead of the game since the 5-4 mark, and the Cardinals would not be able to come back as they suffered the 30-28.

Freshman Sarah Nordman put up 29 assists against the Mavericks as she continues to raise her career high. Kim Kvapil put together a double-double with 13 digs and 12 kills as Kortni Richter had a team-high 17 kills. Hannah Werchan also collected 16 digs. Richter, along with Edie Weise, each had two solo blocks as Weise totaled six blocks in the match.

In the second match of the day, Pittsburg State handed UIW its second straight loss with scores of 30-21, 30-21 and 30-20. The losses sends the Cardinals overall record to 2-3 while Pitt State improves to 3-0 and Mesa State won its first match of the season for a 1-2 record.

Against the Gorillas, Nordman had 21 assists and Kvapil led with seven kills and seven digs.

The Cardinals will open the home portion of their 2007 slate Friday with a 7 p.m. match against Abilene Christian in the first day of the annual Alamo City Classic from the McDermott Center on the UIW campus.

-UIW-

UIW Sweeps Doubleheader -- posted Friday, August 24 2007

CANYON, Texas – The Incarnate Word Cardinals moved their season record to 2-1 after sweeping both matches of a doubleheader on Friday.

UIW took 3-0 wins over New Mexico Highlands and Eastern New Mexico in Day 2 of the Grapevines.com Lady Buff Classic.

Against NMHU, the Cardinals recorded their first win of the season with scores of 30-21, 30-14, and 30-24. In the first match of the day, freshman Sarah Nordman recorded a double-double with 26 assists and 10 digs. Offensively, Kim Kvapil and Edie Weise knocked down double-digit kills with 12 and 10 respectively. Weise only had three errors in 17 attacks to lead both teams with a hitting percentage of .400.

In its second match of the day, UIW defeated the Zias with scores of 30-19, 30-28 and 30-23. Freshman Spencer Ladd collected 17 digs to lead the Cardinals and Nordman put up 28 assists in the match. Kvapil was once again one of the offensive leaders as she and Emily Kopecki added 11 kills apiece.

The Cardinals will return to the court Saturday morning when they face Mesa State at 11 a.m. before closing out the weekend with a match against Pittsburg State at 3 p.m.

-UIW-

Cardinals Fall in Season Opener -- posted Thursday, August 23 2007

CANYON, Texas – The Incarnate Word Cardinals opened their 2007 season with a disappointing 3-0 loss to #14 West Texas A&M Thursday evening in the opening match of the Grapevinewoods.com Lady Buff Classic.

After a 30-12 loss in the first game, the Cardinals fought hard in Game 2. With UIW taking the first point of the game, the Lady Buffs were never able to pull away with a lead of more than three points until the 12-8 mark. But the Cardinals did not relent as they pulled within two at the 14-12 point before WTAM ran away with four straight points to extend its distance from UIW. The Lady Buffs won the second match by a margin of 30-20.

In Game 3, junior Kim Kvapil started off by giving UIW the first point on a kill and sending the Cardinals on a 7-0 run. Then, the Lady Buffs started a 7-2 rally of their own to pull within three at 10-7. UIW extended the lead to 14-9 and held the lead until the Lady Buffs knotted the score at 24 on three straight points. After a Cardinal timeout, WTAM scored two points for the 26-24 lead and UIW came back with a kill from Stephanie Tomasik to cut the lead down to one. But, it wasn’t enough as the Lady Buffs score four more points compared to just one from the Cardinals to take the 30-26 win.

Kvapil, a junior from La Vernia led the Cardinals with nine kills on the night. Sarah Nordman collected 17 assists in her collegiate debut while Hannah Werchan dished out 13 digs. Kortni Richter put up four total blocks to lead both teams. Richter also had six kills in the outing.

The Cardinals will return to the court Friday morning in an 11 a.m. match against New Mexico Highlands followed by a 1 p.m. contest versus Eastern New Mexico in Day 2 of the Grapevines.com Lady Buff Classic in Canyon.

-UIW-

Cardinal Volleyball Opens Season at West Texas A&M -- posted Thursday, August 23 2007

SAN ANTONIO – The Incarnate Word Cardinal volleyball team is ready to get the 2007 season underway, beginning with a three-day trip to Canyon, Texas, to participate in the West Texas A&M Invitational starting Thursday. The Cardinals will open the season with a 7 p.m. match against host school, West Texas A&M, at the First United Bank Center in Canyon.

The Cardinals will play four other teams while at the tournament, facing New Mexico Highlands at 11 a.m. and Eastern New Mexico at 1 p.m. in a doubleheader on Friday. They will close out tournament play Saturday with another doubleheader scheduled against Mesa State (Colo.) at 11 a.m. before taking on Pittsburg State (Kan.) at 3 p.m.

The Cardinals return nine players from last year’s squad and have five incoming freshmen on the roster. Returning for head coach Jennifer Montoya are senior Hannah Werchan, juniors Kortni Richter, Carla Flink, Kim Kvapil, and Catelyn Vasquez and sophomores Stephanie Tomasik, Emily Kopecki, Lauren McCreless, and Edie Weise. Incoming freshmen are Sarah Nordman, Spencer Ladd, Brittany Littleton, Stephanie Shea and Marisol Lopez.

Werchan, a native of Bulverde, led the team with 4.69 digs per game, which was also second in the Heartland Conference. Kvapil led the team with 3.01 kills per game, while Kopecki put up 46 total blocks, including 16 solos, good for third on the team.

After the three-day tournament in Canyon, the Cardinals will return to San Antonio to open their 2007 home slate Friday, Aug. 31, in the first day of the annual Alamo City Classic. They will open play against Abilene Christian at 7 p.m. from the McDermott Center.

-UIW-

CARDINALS PICKED TO FINISH SIXTH -- posted Thursday, August 16 2007

Facing a rebounding season and with a roster that is one-third newcomers, Incarnate Word’s volleyball team has been slotted in at sixth in the annual Heartland Conference pre-season poll.

A year ago the Cardinals missed out on the post-season championship tournament which takes the top four teams from the regular season. And with 2006 champion Montana State / Billings having departed the Heartland, the throne room is wide open.

Even with three newcomers eligible for the 2007 title—Newman of Kansas, Texas A&M International and Texas / Permian Basin—the coaches in the poll have pushed two Heartland standbys to the top of the heap. St. Mary’s and St. Edward’s are predicted to battle for the top spot.

2007 HEARTLAND PRE-SEASON POLL

1) St. Mary’s
2) St. Edward’s
3) Dallas Baptist
4) Texas / Permian Basin
5) Texas A&M International
6) Incarnate Word
7) Newman (Kan)
8) Oklahoma Panhandle

VOLLEYBALL, WOMEN'S SOCCER ALUMNI SET -- posted Wednesday, August 15 2007

The call is out to all Incarnate Word volleyball and women's soccer alumni to come on back and compete once more.

On Saturday, August 19, the two Cardinals teams will host former players on campus. There will be the alumni soccer game first followed by lunch and socializing and ending with the volleyball alumni game.

The public is invited to the two games free of charge.

BBQ plates will be available to everyone at $8 each.

The day's schedule is:

11 a.m., women's soccer alumni game
1 p.m., BBQ Social at the McDermott Center
3 p.m., volleyball alumni game