Valpo Softball to Host Fall Experience Camp
Head coach Kate Stake and the Valparaiso University softball program will host a Fall Experience Camp on Saturday, Sept. 30 at the Valparaiso University Softball Field. The camp is open to players who will graduate from high school from 2018 through 2023.
Campers will learn and exhibit offensive, defensive and baserunning skills through instructional sessions and games. The camp will also provide informational sessions on sport specific training, team building, and mental training.
Registration is limited, and the cost of the camp is $160. For more information on the camp or to register, visit ValpoSoftballClinics.com or contact graduate assistant Tarah McShane at 219-464-5047 or Tarah.McShane@valpo.edu.
Men’s Golf Team Receives Academic Honor
The Valparaiso University men’s golf team was recognized by the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) on Wednesday for its continued excellence in the classroom.
The Crusaders received President’s Special Recognition, an honor given to teams who achieve a team grade point average of 3.5 or better. They are one of 19 programs to earn the distinction, finishing the 2016-2017 academic year with a team GPA of 3.63.
This marks the sixth straight year the Crusaders achieve President’s Special Recognition and the seventh straight season they have been recognized by the GCAA as an all-academic team (GPA of 3.0 or better).
“An important part of our team identity continues to be the emphasis that we place on academics,” Valpo head coach Dave Gring said. “As part of our team culture, we feel that we can win conference and academic championships each year. We have achieved both in the past four years and the guys continue to push themselves to be exceptional and unique in both of these areas. We feel that we can be balanced in our approach to playing golf at a very competitive level and attaining phenomenal grades in the classroom.”
Nick Seitz (Xenia, Ohio / Carroll) and Mitchell Wittmann (Kaukauna, Wis. / Kaukauna) led the way academically, as both were members of the Horizon League all-academic team.
Seitz notched his third straight academic all-league selection on his way to finishing with a perfect 4.0 GPA in biology and chemistry. He was also honored as the Valpo Laurel Award winner, given annually to the graduating senior with the highest cumulative GPA.
Seitz, Wittmann, Michael Kinsella (Northbrook, Ill. / Glenbrook North), Michael Doherty (Lisle, Ill. / Glenbrook North), Adam Baracani (Normal, Ill. / University), Zach Cutler (O’Fallon, Mo. / Timberland) and Peter Webb (Madison, Wis. / James Madison Memorial) were all members of the Horizon League spring academic honor roll.
"Every year, I marvel at the consistent performance and efforts that our guys put in to their academics,” Gring said. “Our student-athletes dedicate a lot of time toward practicing and playing golf. They also focus intently on getting their homework done, studying for exams, communicating with their professors and being rewarded with outstanding grades, along with having a ton of fun. I'm very proud of our performance this past year, both on the golf course and in the classroom. We have a special group of young men each year who find a way to get it done at a high level in both areas of the college experience."
Valpo Volleyball Announces 2017 Schedule
Valparaiso University volleyball head coach Carin Avery announced today the Crusaders’ schedule for the upcoming 2017 season as Valpo prepares for its first season of action in the Missouri Valley Conference.
Valpo will open the season Aug. 25-26 with a short trip over to Notre Dame for the Golden Dome Invitational, kicking off the season on the 25th against the Fighting Irish, who are coming off of a 22-win season. The Crusaders will also face New Mexico State – which won 24 matches last season and captured the WAC regular season title – and Rhode Island at Notre Dame.
Early-season action continues for the Crusaders at South Dakota State’s Jackrabbits Invitational Sept. 1-2, featuring matches against Cal State Bakersfield and Northern Arizona – a 24-win program last year – in addition to SDSU. The next weekend sees Valpo travel east to Ithaca, N.Y. for the Cornell Invitational Sept. 8-9, with matches against St. John’s and Binghamton before closing the tournament against the host Big Red.
The home slate opens with a non-conference matchup at the ARC against Eastern Illinois Sept. 13 before the Crusaders face their last tournament action of the season Sept. 15 at Western Illinois’ Buffalo Wild Wings Invitational. Valpo will take on McNeese State in addition to WIU while in Macomb.
Missouri Valley Conference action kicks off for Valpo at home at the ARC on Friday, Sept. 22 as the Crusaders host UNI. The double-round robin slate of action in The Valley runs through Saturday, Nov. 18 – a home matchup against Southern Illinois. Interspersed in conference play are a pair of non-conference tests, as the Crusaders will host Fort Wayne and travel to take on Chicago State.
The top six teams in the regular season standings advance to the MVC Volleyball Championship, which will be contested in Normal, Ill. from Nov. 23-25, 2017. The top two seeds earn spots in the tournament’s semifinals, while the other four teams play for spots in the semis. The winner of the conference championship match on the 25th will earn the MVC’s automatic bid to the 2017 NCAA Volleyball Tournament.
