Weekly Notes

FOND DU LAC, Wis. (SabreAthletics.com) -- Tuesday marks the beginning of the 2013 NACC Volleyball season. With the Sabres being picked to finish fourth, they'll want to get a good head start against the visiting Lakeland Muskies.

"We want to start our conference season out on the right foot, and a victory Tuesday will do that," Huebel said. "There were some things that I liked from our play this past weekend that we will look to continue to do."

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Weekend Recap: After going 4-1 in their first five games, the Sabres hit a bit of a roadblock this past weekend at the North Park Invite. Marian would play three sets in each of their four matches, but come out on the losing end three times. Their second game of the invite, against Denison was a nail-biter through and through, with the Big Red winning 25-22, 26-24, 25-23.

The lone victory on the weekend came against fellow NACC school Aurora University. Against the Spartans, Marian was able to dictate the tone and pace, defeating them in three sets, 25-23, 25-22, 25-18.

For the second time in as many weeks, sophomore Anna Smit was named to the All-Tournament team, registering 27 kills and four blocks.

Team Capsules:

A Look at the Muskies: Lakeland College enters Tuesday's match against the Sabres with a 4-4 overall mark, all in non-conference play. The Muskies took a trip to Colorado their last time out, going 2-2 overall with both wins coming against Bridgewater (Va.) on the final day of the tourney. Katie Frietag leads the team with 72 kills, a .288 kill percentage and 17 blocks in 2013. Brittany Reindl has remained steady in the setting position with 239 assists, while Caleigh Galvan has recorded a team-high 124 digs on the defensive side.

Crusader Capsule: Maranatha Baptist, a former NACC school, is off to a 4-0 start and has surrendered just one set to opponents in 2013. Laci Peterson leads the Crusaders with 63 kills and a .353 hitting percentage, while adding 31 digs. Emily Thompson and Pamela Borchardt have split setting duties with Thompson leading the way with 68 assists.

Previewing the Pioneers: Carroll University enters the week with a 5-3 overall record to the 2013 campaign. The Pioneers split four matches at the UW-Platteville Invitational, defeating host UWP and Grinnell, while falling to Millikin and Edgewood. Emily Cecka leads Carroll with 62 kills through eight matches, while Ashley Radtke has 54, including a team-high .366 kill percentage. Cecka and Radtke have combined to lead the Pioneers with 38 and 35 total blocks, respectively. Setter Taylor Kuehl has 212 assists thus far.

Sensational Sophomores: Through two weeks of play, two Sabres have turned in quite the start for the Volleyball program. Sophomore Outside Hitters Casey Lamberty and Anna Smit have springboarded their offensive output early in the year. 

The Madison native, Lamberty, has been pumping out 3.32 kills per set  and is operating at a .186 hitting percentage. Her cohort, Smit, a native of Rosendale, Wis., has been quite effect as well, totaling 85 kills and hitting at a .223 kill percentage.

Despite the 1-3 finish this weekend at the North Park Invite, Smit totaled 27 kills, while Lamberty added 25.

Conference Opener: Tuesday marks the beginning of the 2013 NACC Volleyball season. With the Sabres being picked to finish fourth, they'll want to get a good head start against the visiting Lakeland Muskies.

"We want to start our conference season out on the right foot, and a victory Tuesday will do that," Huebel said. "There were some things that I liked from our play this past weekend that we will look to continue to do."