For the first time in eight seasons, the University of Southern Indiana women’s volleyball team will enter the season under the direction of a new head coach.

Katie Loyer takes over for USI’s all-time winningest coach Kelly Boyd, who was 118-109 since 1992. The transition should be a smooth one in 2000.

Loyer is an experienced collegiate volleyball coach, coming to USI from the University of Cincinnati where she was an assistant coach in 1995 and interim head coach in 1996. During 1996, Loyer led the Bearcats to a 26-9 record, including a Conference USA record 15-straight victories.

In the two seasons Loyer was with UC, the Bearcats were 53-16 (.768).

After the 1996 season, Loyer left the collegiate ranks to become the head varsity and junior varsity volleyball coach at Kings High School in Kings Mills, Ohio from 1997 to 1999.

Entering 2000, Loyer has a core of student athletes to make USI a competitive force in the Great Lakes Region and the Great Lakes Valley Conference. The Eagles finished 1999 with a 12-13 record, 5-11 in the GLVC, and reached the GLVC Tournament for the third straight season.

USI’s top returning hitter from 1999 is sophomore outside Shannon Wells (Merrillville, Indiana). Wells, who started 1999 as the back-up setter, came on strong in the middle of the season, tallying 286 kills with a .248 hitting percentage in 24 matches.

Joining Wells on the other side is junior outside hitter Leah Mercer  (Evansville, Indiana). Mercer, who joined the team last year after two seasons on the USI basketball team, was third on the team with 254 kills and 33 blocks.

  Also returning to the middle is another USI’s basketball player, junior middle hitter Liz Prewett (Washington, Indiana). Prewett needed most of 1999 to get back in to volleyball form, but by the end of the season performed well off the bench. She contributed 46 kills and a .177 hitting percentage, while adding 40 blocks.

On the back line, the Eagles have a solid group of players coming back for 2000. The top returnee may be senior outside hitter/defensive specialist Emily McIntosh (Monroeville, Indiana).

McIntosh started strong in 1999, but missed 11 matches with an ankle injury. She was averaging 2.5 digs a game before the injury.

McIntosh has company on the back row in sophomore outside/middle hitter Jami Turner (Muncie, Indiana). Turner, who added 15 kills in spot play on the front line, had 126 digs and 13 aces in 23 matches.

Sophomore middle hitter Kimberly Law (Hammond, Indiana) and sophomore outside hitter Kristina Kavanaugh (Montgomery, Indiana) are giving USI depth at the net. Law saw action in 21 matches as a freshman, contributing 38 kills and 12 blocks, while Kavanaugh posted strong numbers a freshman with 45 kills and a .115 hitting percentage in 20 matches.

New to the mix this year are three freshmen.

On the front row are freshman middle hitter Andrea Harty (Muncie, Indiana) and freshman outside hitter Katie Bastin (Elberfeld, Indiana). Harty had 282 kills and a .271 hitting percentage as a senior at Wapahani High School in Muncie, Indiana, while Bastin helped lead Martinsville High School to the Indiana state championship in 1996.

The second newcomer is freshman setter Kim Boehmer (Cincinnati, Ohio). Boehmer, the top candidate to start at setter, was named Ohio Division II and the Cincinnati Enquirer’s Player of the Year as a senior. She also was named All-City three times.

USI has a tough schedule this year, including Northern Kentucky University, which reached the NCAA II Elite Eight, and the University of Alabama-Huntsville, which saw action in the NCAA II South Central Regional.

The GLVC schedule also will include Indiana University/Purdue University Ft. Wayne and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, which were NCAA II Great Lakes Regional teams in 1998.

Return to Top

[Academics] [Academic Programs] [Administration] [Prospective Student] [Alumni]
[Athletics] [Events & News] [Foundation] [Student Affairs] [Who/Where We Are]

8600 University Boulevard
Evansville, IN 47712-3596
812/464-8600

webmaster@usi.edu