Badger Blizzards Announce 2013 Roster

Badger Region is excited to announce the roster for the Badger Blizzards, a region-sponsored professional team which will compete in the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) during the 2013 season.

The 14-member roster will be led by Head Coach Rod Wilde and boasts representation from nine college programs. The roster carries two setters, three middle blockers, six outside/opposites and three defensive specialists.

"We are excited about the level of the athletes that have tried out for the team." Wilde said. "They range from past collegiate All-American players and former professional players to currently active USA regional representatives. I think we have a great balance of youth and experience that will mesh together well with training. I think we are going to be able to put together a very deep squad with the current roster that will help us during the multiple matches we will have to face in the Championships. I am very interested in seeing how the team develops as we prepare for the tournament in May."
Jackie Simpson (Milwaukee, Wis.) and Janelle Gabrielsen (Pewaukee, Wis.) will set for the Blizzards. Simpson is a vocal leader and competitor who will bring fire and energy to the Blizzards. Gabrielsen's athleticism and court-smarts make her valuable asset to the Blizzards. Both Simpson and Gabrielsen played at UW-Madison.

"I am thrilled to once again represent the state of Wisconsin as an athlete." Simpson said. "I am grateful to the region office for creating an avenue for players like myself to become more involved in our volleyball community on and off the court."

The Blizzards roster carries three middle blockers who add size and athleticism to the squad. Jessica Hohl (Waterville, Ohio) played college volleyball at Michigan State. Alison Shepp (Schaumburg, Ill.) played for Boston College. Deb Stadick (Watertown, Wis.) played for Iowa State.

"I am so excited that this team has become a reality." Stadick said. "It is a great chance for players to continue doing what they love post-college. From a regional perspective, it brings awesome visibility and publicity for both Badger Region and the sport of volleyball in general."

The Blizzards have a strong core of experienced outsides/opposites that bring physicality and finesse to the program. Kerri Schuh (Milwaukee, Wis.), Jocelyn VerVelde (Oostburg, Wis.) and Caity DuPont (Milwaukee, Wis.) played for UW-Milwaukee, Central Michigan and UW-Madison respectively. Kim Todd (West Milwaukee, Wis.), Ashley Beyer (Bloomington, Ill.) and Ashlee Johnston (Wauwatosa, Wis.) all played for Marquette.

"I can't wait to start practicing and competing with these ladies." Schuh said. "Many of us already know each other, either from playing together or playing across the net. We have a lot of respect for each others' talents and abilities and some great chemistry."

The three defensive specialists complete the roster. Morgan Potter (Stoughton, Wis.) played for UW-Milwaukee while Michelle Sobocinski (Menomonee Falls, Wis.) played for Indiana University-Purdue University of Indianapolis. Kalin Zimmerman (Green Bay, Wis.) played for Northern Michigan University. All three bring hustle and energy to the court as well as vocal leadership.

The Blizzards are slated to compete in Chicago on May 18 against Great Lakes Swing Away and other PVL teams. The Blizzards will travel to Louisville May 25-28 for the 2013 USA Volleyball Adult Open National Championships and will compete in the PVL Division.

The Badger Blizzards will be conducting clinics and holding fundraisers to offset expenses as they prepare for the 2013 PVL season. If you want the Badger Blizzards to visit your practice, or want to host a Badger Blizzard clinic for your club, contact deb@badgervolleyball.org.


2013 BADGER BLIZZARDS ROSTER
Ashley Beyer (OH/Opp)
Caity DuPont (OH/Opp)
Janelle Gabrielsen (S)
Jessica Hohl (MB)
Ashlee Johnston (OH/Opp)
Morgan Potter (DS)
Kerri Schuh (Opp/OH)
Alison Shepp (MB)
Jackie Simpson (S)
Michelle Sobocinski (DS)
Deb Stadick (MB)
Kim Todd (OH/Opp)
Jocelyn VerVelde (Opp)
Kalin Zimmerman (DS)

Summer Sand Opportunities

It's raining. That means we are one step closer to sunshine and beaches. And sand volleyball!

There are SO many great sand opportunities across the state this summer. All of the programs we're currently aware of are listed below. Click on them for additional information. Let us know if we are missing any programs so we can add them to our master list!

CALENDAR
April 21- July 28: North Shore Beach Program (Milwaukee)
May 17:USAV Beach HP tryout (Center Court)
May 18:Coaching Clinic (Center Court)
May 19:Digging the Beach Clinic/Tournament (Center Court)
June 10-15: Sconnies in the Sand Camp (Jefferson)
June 15:USAV Junior Beach Tour: Central Open #1 (Milwaukee)
June 17-Aug. 1: Midwest Penguins Summer Sand Program (Center Court)
June 23: USAV Junior Beach Tour: Central Open #2(Milwaukee)
July 26-28: USAV Junior Beach Tour Championships (Milwaukee)

Keep checking back and we will keep updating this list with other opportunities.

#Yellow4Greg

It is with a heavy heart that we pass along this news.

Greg Von Rueden of the West Allis Lightning Boys 15U team has been battling bone cancer for several months. After bravely facing chemotherapy and surgery, he was recently told he had FINALLY beaten cancer.

On Good Friday, he and his family found out that his battle is not yet won. As Greg and his family continue on this difficult journey, we want to show them our support and love.

We’re asking you to wear yellow.

Yellow has been Greg’s battle color since he was first diagnosed. You’ll see his West Allis Lightning Boys 15U teammates and various others wearing their “Yellow for Greg” shirts this weekend. Greg's teammates are also selling "Yellow for Greg" wristbands. Here is a link to their schedule. All profits from the wristbands will go to the Von Rueden family.  

WHEREVER you are playing, wear something yellow. A yellow hat. A yellow tee-shirt. Yellow pants. Yellow anything. 

Greg can’t be in the gym to see it painted yellow. So we need to take the gym to Greg. We know you all have smart phones. Whip them out and let Greg know you are thinking of him.

Use Facebook and post a photo of your team going #Yellow4Greg to our page. 

Use Twitter or Instagram to share a photo of you wearing #Yellow4Greg.

Use whatever social media you use.

But be sure to hashtag #Yellow4Greg so all of our photos and well-wishes are gathered to one place.

Let's come together as volleyball family and show Greg he isn't fighting alone. 

Check out this video that Greg's brother made for him. 

Donations can be made to US Bank and the "Yellow for Greg" fund, or at this link.

Badger Region Championships: Round Two

Buckle up for a volleyball-packed weekend April 5-7 at the Delta Center! The second weekend of the Badger Region Championships is upon us, and we are SO excited.

We're kicking things off with a Badger Region High Performance tryout Friday, April 5 from 6-9 p.m. at the Delta Center. The tryout is for both boys and girls and registration opens at 5:30 p.m. Click here to pre-register.

The Badger Blizzards are also holding their tryout on April 5 at the Delta Center. Registration opens at 6:30 p.m. and the tryout will take place from 7-9 p.m. Click here to register.

On Saturday, the Delta Center will be packed with over 150 teams in 10 divisions: girls' 12 and under (12U), girls' 14U, girls' 14U, girls' 18U, boys' 12/13U, boys' 14U, boys' 15U, boys' 16U, boys' 17U and boys' 18U.

The boys' divisions are slated to compete throughout the day Saturday, while the girls' divisions will span Saturday and Sunday.

We can't wait to see you all this weekend. We'll be Tweeting, Facebooking and Instagramming all weekend, so be sure to share your pictures, results and adventures with us!

Eau Claire Coaching Clinic

Badger Region Volleyball Association and Eau Claire Volleyball Camps and Clinics are excited to host a Coaching Clinic July 20, 2013 at UW-Eau Claire McPhee Center.

The clinician cadre includes John Kessel (Director of Sport Development, USA Volleyball), Patti Ford (Head Coach, UW-River Falls), Jill Jolliff (Head Coach, UW-Stout), Bruce Moriarty (Head Coach, Neenah High School) and Kim Wudi (Head Coach, UW-Eau Claire).

Please contact Kim Wudi (wudikm@uwec.edu) for additional information.

WVC Holding 22nd Annual State Championships

The 2013 Wisconsin Volleyball Conference (WVC) is hosting the 22^nd annual WVC State Championships March 29-30 at UW Oshkosh’s Kolf Arena and Albee Hall. Twenty nine teams are slated to compete in three divisions: women’s varsity, men’s JV and men’s varsity.

 The tournament is free to the public and kicks off at 4:30 Friday afternoon. Both the women’s and men’s varsity divisions will compete at Kolf Arena while the men’s JV division will compete at Albee Hall.  

All championship matches will take place in Kolf Arena on Saturday, March 30. The women’s championship match is scheduled for 3 pm, followed by the men’s JV championship and 4 pm and the men’s varsity championship at 5 pm.

The WVC is a nationally renowned intercollegiate conference boasting 20 men’s teams and 14 women’s teams from state universities and private colleges across Wisconsin. As of 2013, the WVC has generated 11 national champions and 8 runners-up.

“The cool thing is that this is largely student-run.” Jason Smith, WVC Commissioner said. “We’re seeing a lot of players stepping up to lead their teams this year, and old leaders improving their programs to make this a strong, competitive conference.”

The WVC is started in 1992, and works closely with Badger Region Volleyball Association and the National Collegiate Volleyball Federation to provide a credible collegiate varsity playing experience.

This year marks the 22^nd anniversary of the WVC State Championship, and WVC Commissioner Jason Smith is excited to bring the tournament back to UW Oshkosh for the third consecutive year.

“We are really excited about this year’s state tournament.” Smith said. “It should be great. The men’s varsity division is great. Oshkosh has won the tournament the past several years and have a legitimate shot at winning a national championship. Whitewater is playing really well this year a chance, and have a chance to get to finals and maybe upset Oshkosh."

Smith also looks forward to watching the highly competitive men’s JV teams duke it out on the court.

“Our JV division is outstanding as well.” Smith said. “We have 10 teams competing this year. There are two solid Oshkosh teams and solid Marquette team. They are all really good, and there is a lot of parity in that division this year. It will make for some great competition.”  

The women’s varsity division is a fairly new edition to the WVC State Championships and has seen significant growth during its six seasons. There are currently 14 women’s teams in the WVC, and 12 are competing this weekend.

“We’re so excited with the growth we have seen on the women’s side.” Smith said. “Eau Claire and Lacrosse are definitely favorites, but it will be a great weekend of competition.”

The WVC holds an annual awards ceremony in conjunction with the State Championships where they hand out a variety of awards including men’s and women’s scholar athlete, libero of the year, MVP and sportsman of the year.

This year’s awards ceremony will be held Friday, March 29 at 7:30 pm in Kolf Arena.

“We changed it to Friday away from Saturday last year and are doing that again this year.” Smith said. "We’re taking a break for the half-hour ceremony so all players can be there. Last year, we had 600 in the gym and it was a really neat atmosphere.”

2013 Badger Region Volleyball Board of Directors Election

2013 Badger Region Volleyball Board of Directors Election

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Per Badger Region By-Laws updated Jan. 2013, "The members will be notified of the candidates running for election at least 10 days prior to the election. The notification will be made via a prominent location on the current Badger Region website and via email to all regular adult members." This email was sent March 25 to all full regular members registered in Badger Region in 2013 via Webpoint. Please see below for the biographies on all of the candidates who are running for positions.

The Badger Region By-Laws require the Secretary position to be filled by a current or previous member of the Board. Following the election, the elected Board member must vacate their current board position so as to not hold two positions. The vacated position will be appointed by the Commissioner and approved by the Board. The appointee will serve the remaining term left on the vacated position.

The Badger Region Board of Directors Election will take place April 3-5, 2013. A voting link to SurveyMonkey was sent out from BadgerRegionVolleyball@gmail.com at 4:30pm on April 3 to all current regular adult members to the email address listed in Webpoint. If you did not receive the email voting link, please check your spam folder, and then email Jen at jarmsondyer@badgervolleyball.org with your full name and the email listed in Webpoint.

Voting will close on Friday, April 5 at 5:00 p.m. The winners will be posted on the Badger Region website no later than noon on Monday, April 8.

Please contact the Badger Region office with questions. 414-443-1011.

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2013 Badger Region Volleyball Board of Directors Election Candidates
(Biographies and photos are below for each candidate)

Secretary:
BJ Bryant
BJ LeRoy

Northeast Representative:
BJ LeRoy

Southeast Representative:
Brian Gibboney
Jim Momsen

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SECRETARY

BJ Bryant

Bryant has experience in all levels of volleyball. He is the current co-director of Wisconsin Volleyball Academy (WVA) after coaching with the program for nine years and serving on the WVA Board of Directors as a voting member since 2008. He was the president of the UW-LaCrosse men’s club team for two years and also served as the coach for two seasons. Bryant has been involved as a camp and tournament coach with the highly-successful Badger Region High Performance program for four seasons, also representing the Region at the USAV National clinic and meetings in Colorado Springs. A member of Badger Region since 1991, Bryant is a USAV Regional-Certified and a PAVO state-certified official. He is a Region Impact instructor, CAP I certified and represented Badger Region at the USAV National meetings in Salt Lake City in 2012.

BJ LeRoy

BJ LeRoy is active with the Region as a board member, the lead IMPACT clinician and an adult player. He has been with the board since the Region’s beginning, and is passionate about the growth of volleyball in Wisconsin. BJ ran a medium-sized junior club for 16 years and will return as a club director and coach in 2014. He is a consultant to many current clubs and coaches. He has helped increase opportunities for adults and age-waivered juniors, and is working on updating the recruiting policy to help both players and club directors. Coaches, club directors, players (adult or junior) and parents can reach BJ at 4BJLeroy@gmail.com or 920-980-4602, with coaching or playing questions, comments for the board or suggestions for region growth.

NORTHEAST REPRESENTATIVE

BJ LeRoy

(Please see Secretary, above)

SOUTHEAST REPRESENTATIVE

Brian Gibboney

Brian Gibboney has been involved in volleyball since the late 1980's and have been active in the volleyball community in Wisconsin since 2004 when he became the head men's volleyball coach at the Milwaukee School of Engineering. He has also served USA Volleyball in working developmental camps and has coached High Performance program teams since 2008. While at MSOE, he received the Don Shondell Award in 2006, given by the Midwest Intercollegiate Volleyball Association for excellence in promoting and supporting collegiate volleyball in the Midwest. When asked why he wants to serve on the board, Gibboney comments: "Since moving to Milwaukee in 2004, I have been blessed with good friends both on and off the court. The longer I have in Milwaukee, the greater I appreciate the quality volleyball Wisconsin has to offer. I would like to share my experience both as a coach and a volleyball friend to strengthen the quality of volleyball experience for youth and adults alike." Gibboney currently serves as MSOE's Sports Information Director and holds the same position with the Continental Volleyball Conference. He is married to Wanda Maeso-Falero and resides in Shorewood, Wisconsin.

Jim Momsen

Volleyball is a great sport. Obviously, I’m a very passionate supporter and promoter of the game and enjoy working with all of the wonderful people involved – players, coaches, referees, and Region Staff. I thoroughly enjoy facilitating the scorekeeping and rules clinics every season for the club players and coaches, as well as training, observing, and developing the officials that I work with. As a BRVA Member who is not attached to any club, I tend to analyze proposals and issues and ask questions to decide, “What is the best thing for the members of the Badger Region, as well as the constituents that I represent in

the SE Area?” My background and expertise in Organizational Development, Communications, and Corporate Training will be beneficial in representing local board issues and concerns as well as assisting with development of grassroots training materials. I want to give as much as I can back to the game that meant so much to my father, to give “kids of all ages” (players, parents, fans, coaches, and officials) a positive environment in which to participate, and have them be lifelong fans of the game. I have been involved in volleyball as a recreational league player (in the 80s-90s), “volleyball dad” (in the 00s), an official (since 2003), an Advisory (since 2005) and Voting (since 2008) member of the Badger Region Board and a member of the local PAVO boards – NIBOWS & Wisconsin Board of Officials (since 2004). I am a USA Volleyball Robert L. Lindsay Meritorious Service Award winner, the current Badger Region Referee Chair and have my National officials rating.

Please visit the Badger Region website for more information. 

www.BadgerVolleyball.org

414-443-1011