Nick Helten
Published: November 6, 2008

DUBUQUE- Thirty wins overall, eight wins in the IIAC, and a conference championship for Loras.
Needless to say, the players are excited.

“Its amazing!” said senior Maggie Hugulet.

The Duhawks have come a long way this years.
Last season the purple and gold limped to a last place finish in the Iowa Conference.
This season, things cleared up, but it wasn’t easy.

“We put in a lot of hard work. All the preseason work, it just really paid off,” Hugulet claimed.

Loras’ amazing turnaround wasn’t all about hard work and skill, it also had to do with atmosphere.
“We worked hard, but it was also about building chemistry, and I think we did that,” said an optimistic Kate Russell.

But work isn’t finished yet.
Loras hosts the conference tournament this weekend, and they know they’ll have to look inside themselves in order to win the tournament.

“We have to stay positive,” Russell said of their attitude, “and take it one game at a time.”

Thirty-two wins overall and An NCAA tournament bid?

We’ll have to see if all that hard work and chemistry can seal the deal for the Duhawks.

By: Kayla Niner
Published: October 8, 2008

DUBUQUE- Last spring the Loras Volleyball Team lost a member to bacterial meningitis.

In order for the team to keep the memory of their teammate Audrey Fitzgerald alive, they have chosen to wear armbands this season that have the letters AF on them.

“We wear are arm bands every game that have her initials on it and that’s because she is still with us, cheering from the sidelines, just like she was last year,” said Mandie Lillibridge, a junior volleyball player.

The armbands are not the only thing that is helping the team remember their teammate. A new plaque hangs in the volleyball locker room in the AWC.

The team created an award for the person who shows the same team spirit that Audrey showed.

It is called the Audrey Fitzgerald Team Player Award, and at the end of the season the team will vote on who they feel most reflects the kind of player Audrey was.

“Audrey was always there to be a helpful player, and to give the award to another player, it would just be awesome to give and to get as part of the volleyball team,” said Maggie Huguelet, a senior setter for the Duhawks.

The team is having the best season since 1991, and the team believes that Audrey could be the reason behind their success.

“I feel like our team conclusiveness is the reason we’re doing so well. Even though everything did happen, she did bring our team together, and I do believe she is the reason for our success this year,” said Huguelet.

The volleyball team takes donations for the National Meningitis Association at every home game.

On October 22 the team will be participating in “Think Pink” campaign and will be raising money for breast cancer research.

Kayla Niner can be reached at Kayla.Niner@loras.edu

Kayla Niner
Published September 24, 2008

The Rogers sisters went to Wahlert High School and played volleyball and softball together.

Ashley is younger then Rachael and really looks up to her.

Ashley Rogers said, “She was a great role model for me all through high school all through college she set a great example she taught me a lot about work ethic you know just how to be a good person over all I look up to her a lot even still.”

They were always pushing each other to succeed when in high school and even after high school when they were at different colleges.

Ashley said, “We actually played against each other in college even though she was at a division 1 school I was at a division 3 school we both competed against each other in softball so that was just awesome and something I would never give up just awesome.”

Ashley Rogers attended Wartburg and Rachael went to the University of Northern Iowa.

Both girls played softball for their selected colleges.

They both, also, went away to school, instead of staying in Dubuque.

Rachael said, “It’s cool to get away from dqb for a little bit but at the same time is dubuque has been home to me for I’m 24, so 24 years and I have a very close family and Ashley and I are best friends.”

Ashley said almost the same thing, because to both the girls, family is very important, “I realized once I was gone, I liked Dubuque, Dubuque is home and with my family being here I wanted to come back and get involved here.”

Ashley is now the assistant volleyball and softball coach at Loras, and is doing her best to use what sports, her parents, and Rachel gave her, to help others.

Ashley said, “The girls here are awesome I love working with them and just helping them develop as both athletes and people in general has just been rewarding.”

Rachael is at Western Dubuque High School teaching Social Studies, coaching softball and freshman volleyball.

The sisters live together in Dubuque.

Kayla Niner can be reached at kayla.niner@loras.edu

The Loras volleyball team is setting up to the start of a new season.

They have played in two away tournaments so far and have nearly aced the competition with a record of 6 and 1.

Betsy Neverman, Senior Team Captain, said, “Our strongest points, I would have to say are our communication and our team like unity. We all get along so well so its like on the court you can tell the difference between this year and last.”

In last week’s tournament, they made it to the final round where they lost to Luther, However the team managed to take something away with them.

Neverman said, “We just played Luther and they were so loud; they come together, and its really intimidating actually when you have a really loud team on the court so today in practice; we were really loud all day.”

Another goal the team is working on is involvement of all the players; whether you are on the sideline or on the court.

Head Coach, Teresa Kehe, said “I think that is an over-all goal that we have been working on for the last few years. Its just trying to get every one intense, having everyone buy into the program, as far as a team orientated program, and not worried about me and I, but team.”

The team will take on Luther again, with a chance to start the conference on a good spike.

Kehe said,”But conference play is going to be important. Wednesday night Will be a big step, first night in the AWC, and those kind of things.”

Yes, the Loras volleyball team has moved out of Graber, and will be calling Lillis Court home.

Neverman said, “We’re just trying to show people we’re a new Loras team, and when they walk into the gym, we want them to be like, wow, look at Loras.”

Kayla Niner can be reached at kayla.niner@loras.edu

Lauren Squires can be reached at Lauren.Squires@lctv13.com.