November 3

Box Score

2002...two wins.  2003...three wins.  2004...five wins.  2005...four wins.  2006...ten wins.  And in 2007?  How about 18 wins and a UMAC Tournament Championship!

The preceding was the season progression for the LumberJills Volleyball over the six years.  The future is a team that is on the rise.

2007 UMAC Tournament Champions

Three years after Shelly Roiger took over a team in dire need of inspiration, hope and talent, the Jill's went from a team that struggled to just win games, let alone matches, to one that sits atop everyone else in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference.

When Roiger was hired in 2005, she had a vision on where she wanted this team to be.  After the first season, the team made tremendous strides last year.  Although, she probably didn't see a UMAC Championship two years after a four-win season, it was not surprising considering the players that are part of the program.  The team returned every player from 2006 and still does not have a senior on the roster.  But before we look ahead to 2008, let's finish 2007.

After upsetting the top-seeded and host Northwestern Eagles earlier in the day, the Jill's upended second-seed Bethany Lutheran 30-28, 24-30, 30-23, 30-21 and 15-12 to culminate a dramatic turnaround.

Sophomore Melissa Anderson (Brooklyn Park, MN) led Northland with 16 kills, while freshmen Sarah Hank (LeSueur, MN) and Laura Fisher (Green Bay, WI) each had 11.  Freshman setter Courtney Kinney (Ashland, WI) paced the Jill's with 44 assists.  The LumberJills had five players in Hank (27), Miranda Reichert (19), Kinney (15), Melissa Anderson (14) and Natalie Anderson (10) accumulate ten or more digs.

The Jill's end their season with a 18-17 overall record.  It marks the first time in possibly ten years Northland has won this many games or finished over .500.