Carthage College 2009 Men’s Volleyball Preview
|
Name of school |
Carthage College |
|
Location |
Kenosha, Wis. |
|
Founded |
1847 |
|
Enrollment |
2,374 |
|
Nickname |
Red Men |
|
School colors |
Red, white and black |
|
Home arena |
Tarble Arena |
|
Capacity |
TBA |
|
Affiliation |
NCAA Division III |
|
Conference |
CCIW |
|
President |
F. Gregory Campbell |
|
Athletics director |
Robert Bonn |
|
Assistant athletics director |
Steve Marovich |
|
Senior woman administrator |
Leanne Ulmer |
|
Athletics phone |
262-551-5942 |
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First year of men’s volleyball |
2005 |
|
Overall all-time record |
72-45, 4 years |
|
Years in NCAA/last |
N/A |
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Last post-season opponent, year |
N/A |
|
Result |
N/A |
|
Sports information director |
Steve Marovich |
|
SID e-mail |
|
|
SID office phone |
262-551-5740 |
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SID home phone |
262-551-5547 |
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SID Fax |
262-551-5926 or 815-371-2840 (Internet fax) |
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Athletics fax |
262-551-5995 |
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Hotline |
262-551-5388 |
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Athletics web site |
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SID Mailing Address |
2001 Alford Park Drive Kenosha, WI 53140 |
Kenosha News
Dave Marran, sports editor
715 58th St./Kenosha, WI 53141
262-656-6290; 262-657-4946 (FAX)
Racine Journal-Times
Susan Shemanske, sports editor
212 4th St./Racine, WI 53403
262-631-1750; 262-631-1780 (FAX)
|
Head Coach |
L.J. Marx |
|
Alma mater, year |
Carthage, 2003 |
|
Record at school (years) |
72-45 (4 years) |
|
Career record (years) |
72-45 (4 years) |
|
Men’s volleyball phone |
262-551-5933 |
|
Best time to reach |
9 a.m. – Noon |
|
|
|
|
Head athletics trainer |
Laurie Jensen |
|
|
Total |
Home |
Away |
Neutral |
|
2008 record |
18-15 |
4-6 |
3-5 |
11-4 |
|
M-III record |
4-0 |
2-0 |
2-0 |
0-0 |
|
Conference finish |
1st |
|
Final ranking last year |
9th |
|
Poll |
AVCA |
|
Starters returning/lost |
6/1 |
|
Letterwinners returning/lost |
7/1 |
|
DATE |
DAY |
OPPONENT |
TIME/RESULT |
LOCATION |
|
Jan. 14 |
Wed. |
Loyola (Ill.) |
7 p.m. |
Chicago, Ill. |
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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Jan. 17 |
Sat. Sat. |
Medaille Endicott |
5 p.m. 7 p.m. |
Kenosha, Wis. Kenosha, Wis. |
|
Jan. 18 |
Sun. Sun. |
Baruch Rivier |
11 a.m. 3 p.m. |
Kenosha, Wis. Kenosha, Wis. |
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|
|
|
|
|
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Jan. 21 |
Wed. |
Lewis |
7 p.m. |
Romeoville, Ill. |
|
Jan. 24 |
Sat. |
*Fontbonne |
Noon |
St. Louis, Ill. |
|
|
Sat. |
Lindenwood |
7 p.m. |
St. Charles, Mo. |
|
Jan. 25 |
Sun. |
Quincy |
Noon |
Quincy, Ill. |
|
Jan. 30 |
Fri. |
Clarke |
5 p.m. |
Dubuque, Iowa |
|
Jan. 31 |
Sat. |
St. Ambrose |
Noon |
Davenport, Iowa |
|
|
Sat. |
Park |
2 p.m. |
Davenport, Iowa |
|
Feb. 3 |
Tue. |
*MSOE |
7:30 p.m. |
Kenosha, Wis. |
|
Feb. 10 |
Tue. |
Lewis |
7:30 p.m. |
Kenosha, Wis. |
|
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|
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|
|
|
Nazareth Tournament |
|
|
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Feb. 13 |
Fri. Fri. |
Stevens Tech Medaille |
4 p.m., EDT 6 p.m., EDT |
Rochester, N.Y. Rochester, N.Y. |
|
Feb. 14 |
Sat. |
Vassar TBA |
Noon, EDT TBA |
Rochester, N.Y. Rochester, N.Y. |
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|
|
|
|
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Feb. 21 |
Sat. |
Ball State |
7 p.m. |
Kenosha, Wis. |
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Feb. 24 |
Tue. |
Cardinal Stritch |
7:30 p.m. |
Kenosha, Wis. |
|
March 4 |
Wed. |
Cardinal Stritch |
7 p.m. |
Milwaukee, Wis. |
|
March 6 |
Fri. |
Lindenwood |
7 p.m. |
Kenosha, Wis. |
|
March 11 |
Wed. |
Clarke |
7 p.m. |
Kenosha, Wis. |
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|
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|
|
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|
|
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March 13 |
Fri. |
Philadelphia Biblical UC-Santa Cruz |
2 p.m. 7 p.m. |
Kenosha, Wis. Kenosha, Wis. |
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March 14 |
Sat. |
New York University Nazareth |
11 a.m. 3 p.m. |
Kenosha, Wis. Kenosha, Wis. |
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|
|
|
|
|
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March 17 |
Tue. |
Ball State |
7:30 p.m., EST |
Muncie, Ind. |
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March 25 |
Wed. |
*MSOE |
7 p.m. |
Milwaukee, Wis. |
|
March 27 |
Fri. |
Quincy |
7 p.m. |
Kenosha, Wis. |
|
March 28 |
Sat. |
*Fontbonne |
10 a.m. |
Kenosha, Wis. |
|
|
Sat. |
St. Ambrose |
Noon |
Kenosha, Wis. |
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Midwest-III Tournament |
|
|
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April 4 |
Sat. |
TBA |
TBA |
TBA |
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|
|
|
|
|
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April 17-18 |
Fri-Sat. |
Molten Championship |
TBA |
TBA |
*Midwest-III Volleyball Conference match
SCHEDULE NOTES: The Jan. 31 Park match will be played at St. Ambrose.
Returnees
|
R/L |
Name |
Pos. |
Yr. |
MP-MS |
Pct. |
Assists |
Honors |
|
R |
Tim Walker |
MB |
So. |
32-32 |
.422 |
0.06 |
AVCA second-team All-America |
|
R |
Juri Veldre |
RS |
Sr. |
33-33 |
.211 |
0.04 |
M-III Conference MVP |
Newcomers
|
Name |
Pos. |
Yr. |
Hometown (High School) |
Honors |
|
Mike Bynon |
S/L |
Fr. |
Burnt Hills, N.Y. (Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake) |
Suburban Council Conference MVP |
|
Tyler Frings |
MB |
Fr. |
Hubertus, Wis. (Milwaukee-Pius XI) |
|
|
Randy Hansen |
OH |
Fr. |
Oak Lawn, Ill. |
2007 and 2008 Chicago Tribune all-state |
|
Scott Marita |
S |
Fr. |
Pleasant Prairie, Wis. (Kenosha-Tremper) |
WVCA second-team all-state |
|
Matt Yanz |
MB |
Fr. |
Bolingbrook, Ill. (Naperville-Central) |
2008 Chicago Tribune all-state |
2008 Season Review
The 2008 Carthage College men’s volleyball season was one of those instances where sport intersects with real life. On Oct. 8, a month or two before coach L.J. Marx was to start practice sessions for the upcoming season, he and his wife, Dawn, discovered that their nine and one-half month old daughter, Madison, had a cyst in her pelvic region.
They took Madison in for what they thought was a minor medical procedure to correct it. Instead, the doctors told them Madison had cancer. “After the surgeons came out and told us it was a cancer, obviously, that’s a blow you’re not ready for,” said L.J. Marx. Madison was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma, a cancer in which tumors form in the soft tissues of the body. Rhabdomyosarcoma accounts for about three percent of all childhood cancers, according to the American Cancer Society.
“It took a month to learn how to say that,” admitted Marx. “I had no clue what it was. I had never heard of it. It was completely unexpected, and we had no clue anything like that was coming.” Two days later, Madison began chemotherapy at the Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin in Wauwatosa. By February, she had become worn down from the treatment and developed a stomach infection that landed her in the intensive care unit for several days. “We were very concerned,” admitted Marx, “that we weren’t going to make it through that week. But she responded well, and things are going much, much better.”
The constant trips to Wauwatosa for Madison’s treatment finally wore L.J. down. On Feb. 1, he took a leave of absence from active coaching of the team. Carthage women’s volleyball coach Leanne Ulmer took over on an interim basis and guided the Red Men through the end of their season in early-April. “It hurt the team seeing L.J. hurt,” said Carthage setter Matt Figiel. Seeing him go through that was hard—it put a strain on all of us.”
Outside hitter Allan Russo had a unique perspective on the family’s struggle. Three members of the Russo family died from cancer. “I know how the whole thing works,” said Russo. I definitely knew that it was a very serious situation. Volleyball is just a game. His baby is his life.”
The season started out fine. Carthage won four of its first five matches, and the Red Men were ranked fourth in the Jan. 22 CSTV/American Volleyball Coaches Association NCAA Division III poll. Carthage won six of its next nine matches before losing six in a row in late-February to drop to 10-9. The Red Men rebounded a bit after that, winning eight of their last 13 matches, including the championship match of the Midwest-III Volleyball Conference. Carthage finished the year with an 18-15 mark (4-0 M-III Conference) and ranked ninth in the AVCA poll. The men’s volleyball program finished its fourth year of varsity competition.
Tim Walker (So., Milwaukee, Wis./Marquette University High School, .422 attack percentage, 2.69 kills per game, 1.07 blocks per game) was named American Volleyball Coaches Association second-team All-America and All-Midwest-III Conference. Russo (graduated-senior, Bridgeview, Ill./Oak Lawn, 2.54 kills per game, 2.16 digs per game) and Juri Veldre (Sr. West Allis, Wis./Central, .211 attack percentage, 3.09 kills per game) joined Walker on the all-conference squad, with Veldre also earning league MVP honors.
Madison’s chemotherapy session are scheduled to end in September. Barring any setbacks, Marx plans to return to full-time coaching after that. Interim coach Leanne Ulmer made the best of a tough situation. “When the emotion subsided,” she said, “we sat back and looked at what was going on. We were playing volleyball, we were trying to get better, we were trying to improve the program, and your coach is fighting for his daughter’s life. Whether this team knew it or not, I think they learned quite a valuable lesson about life.”
2009 Season Outlook
Carthage returns just two-of-nine letterwinners from last year’s 18-15 team. Returnees include AVCA second-team All-American Tim Walker and M-III Conference MVP Juri Veldre. Also returning are outside hitter Eric Ball, hitter Kyle Klaver (So., Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way East), middle blocker Tim Walker (So. and outside hitter Matt Wallace (So.). Leading newcomers include libero/setter Mike Bynon (Fr., Burnt Hills, N.Y./Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake, 2008 Suburban Council Conference MVP), middle blocker Tyler Frings (Fr., Hubertus, Wis./Milwaukee-Pius XI), outside hitter Randy Hansen (Fr., Oak Lawn, Ill., 2007 and 2008 Chicago Tribune honorable mention all-state), setter Scott Marita (Fr., Pleasant Prairie, Wis./Kenosha-Tremper, 2008 Wisconsin Volleyball Coaches Association second-team all-state) and middle blocker Matt Yanz (Fr., Bolingbrook, Ill./Naperville-Central, 2008 Chicago Tribune second-team all-state).
After three years of affiliation with the Midwest Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (MIVA), Carthage helped form a new league in 2008, the Midwest-III Volleyball Conference (M-III VC). The two other members of the three-team league are Fontbonne University and the Milwaukee School of Engineering. Carthage plays host to a pair of tournaments in the new Tarble Arena, the first on Jan. 17-18 and the other on March 13-14. The Red Men also travel to the Nazareth College Tournament in Rochester, N.Y. on Feb. 13-14.
Special thanks to the Kenosha News and to Jeremy Reeves for their March 14, 2008 article, “For Love of Madison.” Portions of that article reprinted here.