Men's Volleyball: Schreiber's team ready for tourney run
Lakeland returns experienced veterans Julkowski and Omerbegovic
Carlos Millan
Issue date: 1/28/10 Section: Sports
The dry atmosphere paired with the cold brutal breeze could only signify the start of an impending volleyball season. We need to prepare ourselves for ball-flying action that never touches the floor.
Chad Schreiber, who will enter his fourteenth season as head coach of the Muskies, is gunning for his second national title as well as his sixth straight top ten national finish.
"I would describe our team as hungry and focused," Schreiber said, "but I hope they have fun along the way. When we won our national championship in 2008, the first half of the year wasn't as fun because our team approached the game like a business. When we started enjoying each tournament, we started to have success."
The Muskies enter the season with high expectations as they finished with a 42-10 record during the 2009 season and shared the Wisconsin Volleyball Conference (WVC) title with rival UW-Oshkosh. They also tied for third in the nation when they lost to Fresno St. in the NCCS Men's Volleyball Championships.
"The hardest part is being that close and not getting on the championship court, because it's a whole different experience," Schreiber said following the match. "However, our goal going into the season was to give ourselves a chance to be there, and we did that. We were one set away from the national title match, which is pretty good considering our roster turnover from last year."
Another reason why this group of Muskies are coming in with such high expectations is because two Lakeland grads are returning. Avdo Omerbegovic and Joe Julkowski are coming back to propel this team farther than they got last year.
Outside hitter Julkowski is one of the most decorated players in school history. Julkowski is a three-time All-American and the reigning WVC Most Valuable Player. Last season, Julkowski led the team with 502 kills and 47 service aces.
"Joe offers a lot to our team both physically and emotionally," Schreiber said. "He gets it, and he helps others understand how to get it. He's like having another coach on the floor."
Chad Schreiber, who will enter his fourteenth season as head coach of the Muskies, is gunning for his second national title as well as his sixth straight top ten national finish.
"I would describe our team as hungry and focused," Schreiber said, "but I hope they have fun along the way. When we won our national championship in 2008, the first half of the year wasn't as fun because our team approached the game like a business. When we started enjoying each tournament, we started to have success."
The Muskies enter the season with high expectations as they finished with a 42-10 record during the 2009 season and shared the Wisconsin Volleyball Conference (WVC) title with rival UW-Oshkosh. They also tied for third in the nation when they lost to Fresno St. in the NCCS Men's Volleyball Championships.
"The hardest part is being that close and not getting on the championship court, because it's a whole different experience," Schreiber said following the match. "However, our goal going into the season was to give ourselves a chance to be there, and we did that. We were one set away from the national title match, which is pretty good considering our roster turnover from last year."
Another reason why this group of Muskies are coming in with such high expectations is because two Lakeland grads are returning. Avdo Omerbegovic and Joe Julkowski are coming back to propel this team farther than they got last year.
Outside hitter Julkowski is one of the most decorated players in school history. Julkowski is a three-time All-American and the reigning WVC Most Valuable Player. Last season, Julkowski led the team with 502 kills and 47 service aces.
"Joe offers a lot to our team both physically and emotionally," Schreiber said. "He gets it, and he helps others understand how to get it. He's like having another coach on the floor."
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