2011 Volleyball Season Recap
Women’s Volleyball
Employing a lineup that typically included four freshmen at any one time, the Webster women’s volleyball team recaptured the SLIAC Championship after having a four-year streak snapped in 2010. The Gorloks finished 14-2 in the SLIAC, winning several dramatic matches down the stretch to give them home court advantage for the SLIAC Tournament.
By defeating Greenville College, the team that snapped their SLIAC streak, 3-0 in the title match, the Gorloks advanced to the NCAA III Championships for the fifth time. Webster has won a conference record nine titles in the 17-year history of the SLIAC Tournament. Jordan Vehlewald (FR, Lafayette HS) was named the Most Valuable Player for the 2011 Tournament. Joining her on the team were Liz Abraham (SO, Hermann HS, MO) and Jenny Howard (FR, Duchesne HS).
Coach Merry Graf was named Co-Coach of the Year, the third time in her career at Webster she has received the Coach of the Year honor. Howard was named the 2011 SLIAC Volleyball Newcomer of the Year, and grabbed a spot on the SLIAC All-Conference First Team. Caroline Kargus (SR, Oakville HS), Emily Ratkewicz (FR, Granite City HS, IL), and Vehlewald all earned spots on the SLIAC All-Conference Second Team.
Allie O'Toole (FR, Lutheran South HS) and Gretchen Rieger (SR, Wesclin HS, IL) were Honorable Mention All-Conference. Rieger was named to the All-Sportsmanship Team and the volleyball team as a whole was a co-winner of the SLIAC Sportsmanship Award for 2011. The Gorloks finished 19-12 in the regular season and faced Washington University in a first-round match-up in the NCAA Tournament.
In addition to Kargus and Rieger, the Gorloks bid adieu to fellow seniors Jennifer Hoerber (Fulton HS, MO), Elizabeth Linck (Hazelwood West HS), Kelly McClure (Fulton HS, MO), and Lindsay Morris (Seckman HS).
