Profiles

Jordan Burkholder

Middle Blocker
Sophomore
6-0, Rockford, Ill. (Christian Life)

2008:  Played in 23-of-37 matches and made 22 starts…led the CCIW in blocks (1.33 per game)…collected eight block assists against Wisconsin-Oshkosh on Oct. 24 at the Wisconsin-La Crosse Tournament and had two block solos and seven block assists against the Titans in the title match of the NCAA Division III Midwest Regional Championship.

High School:  Set a Christian Life High School career record for most kills…her senior-year team won a regional championship…coached by Sarah Spires…four-year member of the basketball team and two years in track and field…National Honor Society member and honor student.

Personal:  Chemistry major…named to the fall 2008 Carthage athletic director’s honor roll…born Dec. 29, 1989.

Gianna Burklow

Defensive Specialist
Freshman
5-4, Chicago, Ill. (Marist)

High School:  Played on three-straight East Suburban Catholic Conference championship teams, and her junior-year squad won  a sectional title…coached by Natalie Holder…honor student.

Personal:  Double major in elementary education and special education…born Feb. 15, 1991.

Cindy Cavanagh

Middle Blocker
Sophomore
5-9, Naperville, Ill. (Aurora-Waubonsie Valley)

2008:  Played in 36-of-37 matches and made 36 starts…second among Carthage regulars with a .245attack percentage…collected a season-high 10 kills and hi. .588 against Elmhurst on Oct. 21…compiled a 0.73 blocks-per-game mark and collected seven block assists versus Wisconsin-Whitewater in the semifinals of the NCAA Division III Midwest Regional Championship.

High School:  Her senior-year team won an Upstate Eight Conference title, and her junior year-squad won a regional championship…coached by Kristen Stuart…member of the track and field team her senior year

Personal:  Exercise and sport science major…born Oct. 2, 1989.

Lauren Dembkowski

Outside Hitter
Sophomore
5-9, Mount Prospect, Ill. (Arlington Heights-Hersey)

2008:  Named second-team All-CCIW with a .208 attack percentage and 2.17 kills per game…played in 34-of-37 matches and made 33 starts…collected 10 or more kills on 10 occasions, including a season-high 12 kills on four occasions.

High School:  Named Champaign News-Gazette honorable mention all-state her senior year…named All-Mid-Suburban League three-straight years, MSL East “Player of the Year” in 2007 and a three-time Daily Herald all-area pick…played on three regional-championship teams…her freshman-year team advanced to the Illinois High School Association “elite eight”…her sophomore-year squad won a league title…coached by Nancy Lill…two-year member of the track and field team…National Honor Society member, Foreign Language Honor Society member and high honors student.

Personal:  Social science major…named twice to the Carthage dean’s list and named to the fall 2008 Carthage athletic director’s honor roll…born March 12, 1990.

Amanda Durkin

Defensive Specialist
Junior
5-8, Chicago, Ill. (Mother McAuley)

2008:  Played in 21-of-37 matches…collected a season-high 11 digs against both Buena Vista and Hope on Sept. 27 at the Central College Tournament.

2007:  Played in 21-of-37 matches and made one start…compiled a .333 attack percentage…hit .440 with a season-high 12 kills in the Sept.1 Nebraska Wesleyan match.

High School:  Lettered twice…her junior-year team won regional and sectional championships en route to a third-place finish at the Illinois High School Association state championship, while her senior-year team also won regional and sectional titles…coached by Jen De Jarid…three-year member of the basketball team…National Honor Society member…Girls Catholic Athletic Conference all-academic and honor student.

Personal:  Exercise and sport science major…named to the Carthage dean’s list three times and a two-semester-member of the Carthage athletic director’s honor roll…born May 4, 1989.

Taylor Gray

Middle Blocker
Freshman
6-0, St. Charles, Ill. (East)

High School:  Her senior-year team won an Illinois High School Association Class 4A state championship, and her junior-year squad finished third…coached by Jennifer Kull…member of the basketball team her freshman and sophomore years and played softball her freshman year…Mathematics Honor Society member and honor student.

Personal:  Double major in elementary education and special education…born May 8, 1991.

Mykalena Kopystynsky

Outside Hitter
Freshman
5-10, Richmond, Ill. (Johnsburg)

High School:  Four-year member of the volleyball team and coached by Sue Feely…three-year member of the softball team and two years in basketball.

Personal:  Accounting major…born April 26, 1991.

Krystina Leazer

Outside Hitter
Freshman
5-7, Des Plaines, Ill. (Elk Grove)

High School:  Named All-Mid-Suburban League and Daily Herald all-area her senior year…both her freshman and junior-year teams won conference championships…coached by Joe DiSilvio…pitcher on the softball team and a four-year member of the basketball team…National Honor Society member and honor student.

Personal:  Undecided on major…born Oct. 3, 1990.

Katie Lundgren

Libero
Senior
5-9, Long Grove, Ill. (Lincolnshire-Stevenson)

2008:  Named American Volleyball Coaches Association second-team All-America, AVCA first-team All-Midwest Region, first-team All-CCIW and CCIW “Women’s Volleyball Player of the Year”…led the conference in digs (5.07 per game)…played in all 37 matches and collected 10 or more digs in 34 of those matches with a season high of 35 against Wisconsin-Whitewater on Oct. 31at the Wisconsin-Whitewater Tournament IV…named to the all-tournament teams at the CCIW Women’s Volleyball Tournament and at the NCAA Division III Midwest Regional Championship…named to the all-tournament teams at Elmhurst College on Aug. 29-30 and at Augustana (Ill.) on Oct. 3-4…Carthage’s career leaders in digs (1,914).

2007:  Team’s primary libero and played in all 38 matches…team-leader in digs with a 5.68 per-game mark…collected 10 or more digs in all 38 matches, with a career-high of 36 against Wisconsin-La Crosse on Oct. 12.

2006: Team’s primary libero and played in all 34 matches…team leader in digs with a 4.26 per-game mark…collected 10 or more digs in 30-of-33 matches with a season high of 28 against Marian (Wis.) on Sept. 15.

High School: Named All-North Suburban League her senior year, as well as all-area by both the Daily Herald and the Lincolnshire Review... her senior-year team went 34-5 and won a regional title... coached by Tim Crow... played soccer her freshman year.

Personal: Double major in studio art and graphic design…named to the fall 2008 Carthage dean's list and a two-semester member of the Carthage athletic director’s honor roll…born Sept. 18, 1987.

Michelle Madeja

Outside Hitter
Sophomore
5-10, Naperville, Ill. (Neuqua Valley)

2008:  Played in 30-of-37 matches and made 11 starts…third among Carthage regulars with a .224 attack percentage and averaged 2.59 kills per game, second on the team…collected 10 or more kills in 13 matches, including a season-high 15 kills against Wisconsin-La Crosse on Oct. 15…named to the all-tournament team at the CCIW Women’s Volleyball Tournament.

High School:  Named All-Upstate Eight Conference as a senior…coached by Kelly Simon.

Personal:  Marketing major…born Aug. 4, 1990.

Amanda Matusky

Middle Blocker
Senior
5-11, Hickory Hills, Ill. (Palos Hills-Stagg)

2008:  Played in 21-of-37 matches and made 15 starts…complied a .213 attack percentage with a 0.90 blocks-per-game mark.

2007:  Played in 18-of-38 matches.

2006:  Played in 16-of-33 matches and made four starts…season-high of seven kills and hit. .462 against Illinois College on Sept. 8.

High School:  All four of her teams won regional titles, and her senior year-team advanced to the super sectionals... coached by Shannon Sisk... four-year member of the track and field team and played basketball her freshmen and sophomore years... honor student.

Personal:  Elementary education major…a two-semester member of the Carthage athletic director’s honor roll…born Feb. 11, 1988.

Sarah McGinn

Middle Blocker
Freshman
6-0, Schaumburg, Ill.

High School:  Named Daily Herald honorable mention all-area her senior year…her junior-year team won a regional championship…coached by Jeanette Pancratz, mother of Carthage setter, Drewann Pancratz…four-year member of both the basketball and softball teams…National Honor Society member and honor student.

Personal:  Biology major…born July 30, 1991.

Drewann Pancratz

Setter
Sophomore
5-9, Schaumburg, Ill.

2008:  Named American Volleyball Coaches Association honorable mention All-America, AVCA honorable mention All-Midwest Region, regional “freshman of the year,” second-team All-CCIW and CCIW “Women’s Volleyball Freshman of the Year” with a 6.81 assists-per-game average and a .321 attack percentage in 165 attempts…played in all 37 matches and made 36 starts…named CCIW “Defensive Player/Setter of the Week” on Oct. 28 after being named to the all-tournament team at the Wisconsin-La Crosse Tournament.

High School:  Named Chicago Tribune honorable mention all-state and Champaign-News Gazette second-team all-state her senior year…Champaign-News Gazette honorable mention all-state both her sophomore and junior years…a three-time All-Mid-Suburban League and Daily Herald all-area honoree and Mid-Suburban League West “Player of the Year” as a senior…set Schaumburg High School career records for most assists, most service points and attack efficiency…played on two regional-championship teams, and her senior-year squad won a sectional title…coached by her mother, Jeanette Pancratz…in basketball, named Illinois Basketball Coaches Association honorable mention all-state, All-Mid-Suburban League and Daily Herald all-area her senior year, and both all-conference and all-area as a junior…National Honor Society member, a three-year Mid-Suburban League all-academic pick and a four-year honor student.

Personal:  Exercise and sport science major…member of the 2008-09 Carthage women’s basketball team…named to the fall 2008 Carthage dean's list and to the fall 2008 Carthage athletic director’s honor roll…her father, Andy Pancratz, was an all-state basketball player at Hersey High School in Arlington Heights, Ill., and played college ball at DePaul University under Ray Meyer from 1973 to 1976…her mother, Jeanette Pancratz, played volleyball at DePaul and is the longtime girl’s volleyball coach at Schaumburg High School…her oldest brother, Mark, played on a state-championship team at Schaumburg in 2001, played on three NCAA tournament teams at Wisconsin-Milwaukee between 2003 to 2007 and is currently an assistant coach at the University of Tennessee under former Panthers head coach Bruce Pearl…middle brother Zach, was also a member of that state-championship team at Schaumburg and played three years of basketball at Northern Illinois University before missing the 2007-08 season with shoulder surgery.  Zach played the 2008-09 season at Rollins College while attending graduate school in business administration…the youngest brother, Jake, will be a senior on the 2009-10 University of Chicago basketball team…born Dec. 18, 1989.

Lindsey Pearson

Defensive Specialist
Senior
5-10, Schaumburg, Ill.

2008:  Played in 27-of-37 matches and made two starts…collected  season-high 12 digs against Wisconsin-La Crosse on Oct. 25.

2007:  Played in all 38 matches and made 34 starts…collected 10 or more digs in 11 matches, including a career-high 20 digs in the Oct. 17 Elmhurst match.

2006: Played in 11-of-33 matches…collected a season-high of 15 digs against No. 2 Washington (Mo.) on Oct. 28.

High School: Set a school season record her senior year for most points scored while serving... her junior-year team won a regional championship... coached by Jeanette Pancratz... four-year member of the basketball team and a member both the soccer and indoor track and field squads as a sophomore... honor student.

Personal: English major…born April 12, 1988.

Katie Pillizzi

Defensive Specialist
Sophomore
5-6, Kenosha, Wis. (St. Joseph)

2008:  Played on the junior varsity team.

High School:  Named Wisconsin Volleyball Coaches honorable mention all-state her senior year…first-team All-Lakeshore Conference both her junior and senior years on regional-championship team…coached by Ellen Santarelli…four-year member of the softball team and named Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel honorable mention all-conference her sophomore year…National Honor Society member, Wisconsin Volleyball Coaches all-academic as a junior and honor student.

Personal:  Education major…named twice to the Carthage dean’s list and named to the fall 2008 Carthage athletic director’s honor roll…born Sept. 12, 1989.

Izzy Shandlein

Libero
Freshman
5-5, Deerfield, Ill. (Lincolnshire-Stevenson)

High School:  Named first-team All-North Suburban League and Daily Herald all-area her senior year on a 28-5 team that won both conference and regional titles…honorable mention all-conference as a junior…coached by Tim Crow.

Personal:  Communication major…born Aug. 18, 1991.

Dani Steffa

Outside Hitter
Sophomore
6-0, Oregon, Ill.

2008:  Played in 23-of-37 matches and made two starts…averaged 1.31 kills per game.

High School:  Named Champaign News-Gazette honorable mention all-state in both 2006 and 2007, as well as Sauk Valley News “Volleyball Player of the Year” and All-Big Northern Conference both years…named WREX-TV all-area as a senior and all-conference as a sophomore…all four of her teams won both conference and regional titles, and her junior-year squad won a sectional championship…coached by Christy Sitze…member of the basketball team her freshman and sophomore years…National Honor Society member, Big Northern Conference all-academic and honor student.

Personal:  Special education major…named to the fall 2008 Carthage dean’s list and to the fall 2008 Carthage athletic director’s honor roll…born Feb. 23, 1990.

Emily Stein

Right Side
Junior
5-11, Madison, Wis. (East)

2008:  Played in 32-of-37 matches and made one start…compiled a .222 attack percentage and averaged 1.88 kills per game…collected 10 or kills in four matches, including a career high of 12 versus Dominican (Ill.) on Sept. 6.

2007:  Played in 14 matches and averaged 2.62 assists per game.

High School:  Named Wisconsin State Journal all-area and honorable mention All-Big 8 Conference her senior year…coached by Emily Glenn…National Honor Society member, National Foreign Language Honor Society member, four-year high honors student and graduated with honors.

Personal:  Biology major…named twice to the Carthage dean’s list and a two-semester member of the Carthage athletic director’s honor roll…born Sept. 15, 1988.

Katie Stensland

Right Side/Setter
Freshman
5-9, Arlington Heights, Ill. (Rolling Meadows)

High School:  Named All-Mid-Suburban League and Daily Herald all-area her senior year…Daily Herald honorable mention all-area as a junior…coached by Janet Opels…Mid-Suburban League all-academic and four-year high honors student.

Personal:  Elementary education major…born May 24, 1991.

Rachel Swoboda

Right Side
Junior
5-11, De Pere, Wis. (Wrightstown)

2008:  Named American Volleyball Coaches Association first-team All-America, AVCA first-team All-Midwest Region and first-team All-CCIW with a .287 attack  percentage, 2.81 kills per game and 1.13 blocks per game…named to the all-tournament teams at the CCIW Women’s Volleyball Tournament and at the NCAA Division III Midwest Regional Championship…named to the all-tournament team at the Aug. 29-30 Elmhurst Tournament…named CCIW “Offensive Player of the Week” on Sept. 9 after being named to all-tournament team at Illinois Wesleyan on Sept. 5-6…named CCIW “player of the week” a second time on Oct. 7 after being named to the all-tournament team at Augustana (Ill.) on Oct. 3-4…started all 37 matches…collected 10 or more kills in 20-of-37 matches, including a career-high 22 kills against Wartburg on Oct. 4 at the Augustana (Ill.) Tournament…collected six block solos and two block assists versus Wisconsin-Eau Claire on Sept. 26.

2007:  Named second-team All-CCIW and CCIW “Newcomer of the Year”…named American Volleyball Coaches Association Midwest Region “Freshman of the Year…named to the Sept. 14-15 Wisconsin-La Crosse all-tournament team…played in all 38 matches and made 38 starts…second among Carthage regulars with a .356 attack percentage and averaged 2.71 kills per game…collected 10 or more kills in 16 matches, including a season-high 15 kills in both the Oct. 26 University of Dallas match and the Oct. 27 Cedarville contest…hit .667 with 12 kills and no errors in 18 attempts against Wheaton (Ill.) on Oct. 6.

High School:  Named honorable mention all-state and first-team All-Olympian Conference her senior year on a league-championship team…first-team all-conference as a junior and second-team all-conference her sophomore season on a team that won both league and regional titles…coached by Sean Hanaway her sophomore year and Cecilia Schoultz her junior and senior seasons…four-year member of the basketball team…National Honor Society member, high honors student and graduated with honors.

Personal:  Accounting major…named to the Carthage dean’s list four times and a two-semester member of the Carthage athletic director’s honor roll…born March 22, 1989.

Kathy Szczesniak

Defensive Specialist
Sophomore
5-5, Lindenhurst, Ill. (Lake Villa-Lakes Community)

2008:  Played in four varsity matches.

High School:  A three-time All-North Suburban Conference honoree and twice named Lake County News-Sun all-area…coached by Carla Thompson…honor student.

Personal:  Exercise and sport science major…named twice to the Carthage dean’s list and named to the fall 2008 Carthage athletic director’s honor roll…born Sept. 10, 1989.

Sarah Thompson

Outside Hitter
Sophomore
5-8, Byron, Ill.

2008:  Attended Carthage but did not play volleyball.

High School:  Four-year member of the volleyball team and coached by Becky Hull…in track and field, a four-year All-Big Northern Conference honoree and a four-time state qualifier, including three times in the triple jump…four-year member of the basketball team…National Honor Society member and four-year high honors student.

Personal:  Undecided on major…heptathlete on the 2009 Carthage women’s track and field team…her brother, Nick Thompson, lettered on the 2005 and 2006 Carthage football teams…named to the spring 2009 Carthage dean’s list and to the spring 2009 Carthage athletic director’s honor roll…born July 3, 1990.