MOREHEAD, Ky. - The Morehead State volleyball coaching staff has announced the dates and information for their 2008 team and satellite camps. The varsity and junior varsity team camps will take place on July 10-12 on campus at Morehead State. Coaches again have the unique opportunity to design their own camps at their own facilities, directed by the MSU coaching staff, with the MSU satellite camp option.

The most dramatic change is that in 2008, games will now be known as sets (similar to tennis) and 25 points will be required to wins sets 1-4. Since 2001, the first four games were played to 30 points with rally scoring (each serve results in a point). That meant longer matches in some cases and less focus by fans and players as the matches wore on. It did also mean improved statistics in some cases (most notably the defensive liberos), but the committees felt this change would increase player focus in the middle of matches and also increase fans' excitement levels. The fifth set will remain at 15 points to win the match. Before 2001, all games were played 15 points without rally scoring.

"This a very exciting time for our sport and the growth it has been experiencing recently. The NCAA is committed to promoting volleyball, and I believe these changes will enhance our fans' experience," said MSU head coach Jaime Gordon.

A volleyball team also relies on lineup rotations during each game. Up until this season, 15 substitutions were allowed per game. With the reduction to 25-point sets, the subs will be cut back to 12.

The other notable rule directive, not change, is that the Rules Committee has de-emphasized the double-hit or second team contact. A double hit is when a player is attempting to set a ball and her hands do not directly set the ball together. One hand usually moves forward faster than the other, and a "ball-handling" error is called. This can often kill a rally when sometimes it is only the judgement of the referee. In some cases, referees did not directly see the error, which could result in an erroneous whistle. Many casual fans do not understand the call and do not realize why their team was whistled.

In 2008, referees have been instructed to call only those infractions they actually see and to not rely on a players' movement, crowd or coach reactions, or any other circumstance that may have led to the whistle. This should also speed up play. As athletes become more skilled and are taught correct techniques, this infraction has less impact as in the past.

The NCAA Women's Volleyball Rules Committee has several other rule changes and directives that can be found via this article on the American Volleyball Coach's Association (AVCA) web page. Click Here to read the article. 

"We are extremely excited to have Liz joining our family. She is a tremendous athlete and a relentless competitor. She has shown great success in everything she's done, and we look forward to her bringing her game up to the next level," said Gordon. "We have a fantastic core on this team right now, and Liz will add a great deal to it. I know that our fans will enjoy watching her compete and the style of play she brings to the floor."

Schuler, currently a senior at Holy Cross High School, is the daughter of Chuck and Paula Schuler. She lettered in volleyball four years at HCHS under head coach Danielle Wiegandt. 

"Elizabeth will do well at Morehead State. The coaching staff there is among the best in the country, and Morehead State will be a place where she will feel challenged and be successful," said Wiegandt. "Elizabeth is among the best volleyball players Holy Cross has ever produced. She will make us proud at the next level."

"I want to thank my coaches Danielle Wiegandt and Natalie Atzinger for helping me prepare for college volleyball," said Schuler. "I've been looking forward to going to Morehead State for a few years now, and I'm very excited. I took a tour down there my sophomore year and loved the campus, my coaches - Jaime and Kris - and my soon-to-be teammates."

Schuler was named First-Team All-State as well as to the All-District and All-Region tournament teams this season as a senior. In previous years, Schuler was named to the All-District team as a freshman, sophomore, junior and senior. She was also named to the All-Region Team and was Honorable Mention All-State as a junior.

Schuler also plays basketball for HCHS and will be competing with the UNION volleyball club during the 2008 season.

"With Kelsey Cronin as our only graduating senior, it was important for us to bring in someone that really emulates what we have been building here. We wanted someone to help continue the legacy that she has left behind  Liz shares that passion and love for the game that Kelsey has, and I think it is only appropriate that she will wear the same number," said Gordon.

Junior Ashley Doscher led the Eagles with 19 kills, while junior Erin Peak had 18 kills and 13 digs. Freshman Kaitlin Craven came up with 14 kills, and Amber Campbell had 12. Senior Kelsey Cronin rounded out five players in double figure kills with 10 in finishing her career as the only senior in the 2007 team.

However, the Eagles could not overcome a blocking exhibition by the Tigers. TSU had 18 team blocks, including 13 by OVC leader Endia Oliver. Christian Lowe posted a match high 26 kills, and TSU was efficient in winning the title, hitting .323 as a team. The Eagles could not get their offensive going thanks to the net presence by the Tigers. MSU hit .156 and had eight blocks.

Barbour concluded her junior campaign with 62 assists and 14 digs, while Schoo led the team with 19 digs.

After dropping the first game 30-25, MSU hit a combined .354 and piled up 41 kills in the next games, winning both by 30-24 counts. TTU responded with the game four win to send it to the final fifth game. The Eagles had several chances to seal the match, leading 14-9 at one point, but the Golden Eagles stayed resilient, eventually tying the contest at 14. TTU actually then had a chance to win the match with a 17-16 lead, but consecutive kills by Kaitlin Craven, Erin Peak and the final one by Doscher put the MSU Eagles in the win column.

Doscher's 30 kill-effort ranked as tied for seventh best ever in a match in school history, while on defense, sophomore Kristina Schoo piled up a game high 34 digs - her second 30-dig effort of the year. That stat total ranked as the sixth-best single match performance in school history. Doscher also hit .297 for the match and also contributed 15 digs for a double-double.

Overshadowed by Doscher's and Schoo's effort were several other notable stat totals for the Eagles. Junior setter Katelyn Barbour dished out a season high 74 assists and had 11 digs and a career high five block assists. Her assist total ranked tied for the ninth highest single match total in school history. Craven had 21 kills, three short of her career high, and completed the double-double with 14 digs. Peak notched 13 kills, 13 digs and had five blocks. Sophomore Amber Campbell put down 14 kills and collected four blocks, and senior Kelsey Cronin notched 10 kills.

Leah Meffert topped TTU's attack with 21 kills and 19 digs, while Amanda Lindgren had 15 kills. Libero Katie Kenline tied Schoo with 34 digs.

For the match, MSU hit .221, had nine blocks and piled up 98 digs.

Tennessee State will appear in the championship match after defeating two-time defending champion and host first-seed Jacksonville State 3-1. The Eagles and Tigers split their matches this season with each winning on their home court.

Barbour, a 5-foot-9 setter from Florence, Ky., directed the Eagle offense this season and became the first player in MSU history to record back-to-back 1,300-plus assist season. She has 1,399 assists this season to rank third among all OVC setters, and that total ranks as the sixth best season in school history. She averaged 12.3 assists per game and 12.9 in OVC matches. She also ranked second on the team with 378 digs this season, averaging 3.3 per game. Barbour had 17 double-doubles in 2007. Her 3,790 career assists ranks second all-time at MSU and eighth all-time in OVC history.

Peak, a 6-foot-3 Georgetown, Ind., native was among the OVC's best hitter and blockers for the second straight season. She piled up 374 kills, averaging 3.3 per game this season. She also hit .269 on the year to rank 10^th in the league. Peak had 87 total blocks in 2007, averaging 0.77 per game. She also had 296 digs, averaging 2.6 per game. With 961 career kills, Peak is well within reach of becoming the second member of the 2007 squad to join the 1,000-career kill club this year.

Doscher, a 6-foot native of Frisco, Tex., led the team with 412 kills in 2007, averaging a team-best 3.6 per game. Doscher ranked eighth in the league in kills per game and ranked seventh in OVC matches only. She joined the 1,000-career kill club earlier this season and now has 1,105 career kills to rank 10^th on the MSU career list. She also ranked third on the team with 46 service aces, helping MSU lead the OVC in aces. Doscher already ranks eighth all-time at MSU with 3,219 career attacks.

Craven, a 5-foot-10 product of Louisville, Ky., had a solid freshman season for the Eagles, ranking third on the team with 343 kills. She averaged 3.1 kills per game and also added 210 digs to average 1.9 per game. Craven ranked second on the team with 1,043 attempts.

Jacksonville State senior Abbey Breit earned her third consecutive OVC Player of the year award. Tennessee Tech's Leah Meffert was named OVC Freshman of the Year, and Eastern Kentucky's Brittany Nobilio, who ended her career as the league's all-time dig leader, was named Defensive Player of the Year. Southeast Missouri head coach Renata Nowacki was named Coach of the Year.

Amber Campbell led the Eagles with 15 kills and three blocks and Erin Peak had 14 kills. Freshman Kaitlin Craven poured in 13 kills, and Ashley Doscher had 11, but Samford used its height and recorded 10 blocks en route to blank MSU. The Eagles also committed 30 attacking errors and hit .173.

On defense, Peak led the way with a season best 18 digs for a double-double. Junior setter Katleyn Barbour also registered a double-double with 54 assists and 15 digs.

Samford got a team high 13 kills by Sheridan Stangohr. Courtney Gay had 20 digs.

The Eagles have secured at least a spot in the top four and could be as high as number two. The first two seeds in the tournament receive a bye into the semifinals.