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American Senior Outside Hitter Angelina Waterman Earns All-America Honorable Mention Status Senior Becomes League's First All-America Designee Since 2008
Dec. 21, 2010 Center Valley, Pa. - American senior outside hitter Angelina Waterman earned All-America Honorable Mention accolades from the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA), it was announced recently by the organization. The All-America teams and honorable mention recipients were revealed during the annual AVCA Convention in Kansas City, Mo. Dec. 15 in conjunction with festivities surrounding the NCAA Division I national championship, which was won by Penn State for the fourth straight year.
A Queens, N.Y. native, Waterman finished fourth in the Patriot League and third on the Eagles with a .293 hitting percentage, while finishing second in the League and on the team with 3.77 kills per set. She earned first-team All-Patriot League honors at the conclusion of the regular season and helped American win a League-record 23 consecutive matches during the year.
Waterman earned Tournament MVP honors for her efforts at the Patriot League tournament, which American won with a pair of 3-0 victories over Bucknell and Colgate to capture its ninth League crown in 10 years. One of her best performances of the season was also on the biggest stage, as she matched a career-high with 22 kills and came narrowly close to a double-double with nine digs Dec. 3 in American's five-set loss to UCLA in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Waterman is American's and the Patriot League's first All-American honorable mention recipient since Rubena Sukaj in 2008. It's Waterman's second postseason honor, as she was named to the AVCA All-Northeast Region team earlier this month. Teammate and fellow senior Magdalena Tekiel earned all-region honorable mention status.
The Eagles finished the season 29-3 overall, the fourth-most wins in program history and one shy of Army's League record of 30 set in the inaugural season in 1990, and became the sixth team to post a perfect 14-0 record in League play.
Season Review: 2010 California Golden Bears Volleyball Team The Golden Bears capped a record-setting year with the No. 2 ranking in the final AVCA poll BERKELEY - The California volleyball team capped off a record-setting season with the program's highest year-end ranking as the AVCA tabbed the Golden Bears No. 2 in its final poll. When the dust had settled, a squad the other nine Pac-10 coaches selected to finish fifth at the beginning of the season earned its first Pac-10 title and set a new mark for most wins in a single season.
The Bears (30-4 overall, 15-3 in the Pac-10) were led to new heights by the AVCA's pick for National Coach of the Year, Rich Feller, and its selection for National Player of the Year, senior setter Carli Lloyd. For the first time in school history, Cal had two first-team All-Americans in the same season in Lloyd and junior outside hitter Tarah Murrey.
But the Bears were on point in the classroom as well as they were honored with the Newmark Award for having the highest grade-point average of women's teams at Cal, and the most improved GPA as a team at Cal over a two-year period.
Lloyd was named to the Pac-10 All-Academic second team as was sophomore libero Robin Rostratter who also took home the NCAA's volleyball Elite 88 award with the highest GPA amongst competitors at the NCAA championships.
Back on the court, the Bears pushed one step further than any other squad in school history and made their first appearance in the national title match before Penn State won its fourth consecutive crown.
Final Illinois Volleyball Team Notes/Season Recap/Illini Finish Year No. 9 in AVCA Poll
The 2010 season saw Illinois volleyball continue to firmly cement itself as a national contender. The Illini defeated a pair of top-five teams, including eventual national champion Penn State and reached as high as No. 3 in the national poll.
The season also will be remembered for its share of adversity. Both Laura DeBruler and Erin Johnson missed time recovering from mononucleosis. Highly touted freshman Anna Dorn suffered an ACL tear during the second week of the season. But the biggest blow came on Oct. 9 when 2009 First Team All-American Laura DeBruler was lost for the season also with an ACL tear.
Early in the season, the Illini were as good as any team in the country. On Sept. 3, the Illini swept No. 2 Texas 25-23 25-18, 25-18 to end the Longhorns’ 25-match home court winning streak. Michelle Bartsch was named the Timer Warner Cable Invitational Tournament MVP after hitting .514 in leading the Illini to wins over Texas and Florida A&M.
Early the following week, the Illini found out DeBruler had mono, and the senior would miss the following two weekends. Even without DeBruler, the Illini defeated No. 20 Dayton and took the first two sets from No. 7 Nebraska in front of nearly 12,000 fans in Lincoln. In set three, however, Bartsch sprained an ankle and Nebraska came back to win in five sets. Bartsch returned the following weekend, but unranked Cincinnati also took down the Illini in five.
The Illini ended the weekend with a win over eventual NCAA qualifier Louisville and DeBruler returned the following weekend against No. 2 and three-time defending national champion Penn State.
With over 4,100 fans filling Huff for the first sellout in 18 years, the Illini posted a thrilling five-set victory over the Nittany Lions, ending their record 65-match Big Ten winning streak in a thrilling five-set match on Sept. 24. Colleen Ward led the Illini with 16 kills in that match. Johannah Bangert had 11 kills with no errors in 18 swings for a .611 attack percentage.
Illinois finished the first half of the Big Ten season 9-1, which included five-set victories over No. 25 Northwestern and at No. 20 Minnesota and stood in first place for the first eight weeks of the season. On Oct. 29, Illinois completed victories over every other Big Ten team with a five-set win over No. 15 Michigan at Huff Hall.
Illinois extended its string to 12-1 to start the conference, winning at Wisconsin for the third straight season. The only loss in the stretch, however, came at Michigan, where DeBruler suffered the ACL tear in set three of the match.
Illinois dropped five of its last seven conference matches, the most devastating coming in the rematch with Minnesota. The Illini led two sets to one and 24-20 in the fourth set, but the Gophers scored 13 of the next 14 points to take the match in five sets.
Illinois saw the NCAA Tournament as a fresh start. On the heels of six wins over ranked opponents, including two in the top five, Illinois received the No. 8 national seed and a pair of home matches. The Illini defeated Austin Peay in three sets in round one, then won the rematch with No. 21 Cincinnati in four sets in the second round to advance to their third straight Sweet 16, setting up another rematch -- this time with ninth-seeded Texas in Austin.
Junior Colleen Ward led the NCAA tournament with 44 kills in the first two matches Against Texas, it was freshman Jazmine Orozco who led the way with 21 kills, but the hosts battled back from 2-1 down to eliminate the Illini in five sets.
Three Illini earned All-America honors, Ward on the second team and Bartsch and senior setter Hillary Haen on the third team.
The year saw several milestones. DeBruler became Illinois’ all-time kills leader, passing Illini legend Mary Eggers at Wisconsin and finishing her career with 1,833.
Johannah Bangert set a new Illinois record for blocks, finishing with 653 for her career, which is also seventh in Big Ten history. In the final match of the year, Bangert set an all-time conference mark for block assists with 613, breaking the old mark by one. Bangert also became Illinois’ first First Team Academic All-American since 1990.
Freshman libero Jennifer Bonilla, an Honorable Mention All-Mideast Region selection, set a new single-season school record for digs with 623. Haen moved into fifth fourth on Illinois’ all-time assists list with 3,956 while finishing her career eighth on the single-season assist list with 1,471.
A Pair of Hendrick Hudson Teammates to Join Hartford Hawks Volleyball Team for 2011
WEST HARTFORD, CONN. - Head volleyball coach Don Ferguson announced the signing of a pair of student-athletes from the New York high school powerhouse Hendrick Hudson. The pair will join former teammate and current Hawk Kami Nethersole who will enter her junior season in 2011. Ferguson and the Hawks welcome Saretta Nethersole and Jackie Tamburri to the class of 2015.
Saretta Nethersole’s addition will mark the second sister pair to play for Ferguson, joining Brianne and Erica Paulson. Both Nethersole and Swertfager were promoted in eighth grade to begin training and playing with the varsity squad and have made their mark ever since. During that period, Hendrick Hudson, boasted teams which advanced to the state finals all five years, capturing the title in three of the five years. Nethersole and Tamburri played key roles during those years and helped guide their team to three straight undefeated seasons. “It’s difficult to talk about either of these outstanding young ladies individually as their careers have been so intertwined,” began Ferguson. “It is fortunate for us they chose to continue their volleyball and academic paths together.” Nethersole is a 5’11 utility hitter who throughout her high school and club career has played all three offensive positions, as well as time at the defensive specialist and libero position. She was named All-State First Team and was a member of the All-Tournament Team Class B in each of the last two years. Nethersole was also an All-Section and All-League member. Nethersole was also named a All-Star First Team in the Westchester Gannett/Journal. Through her involvement with the Downstate Club Volleyball program she has participated in past Empire State Games as well as guiding the program to Junior Olympic Nationals in 2007 and 2010. “Sareeta is a gifted athlete and an outstanding volleyball player,” boasted Ferguson. “I believe her best attribute is her ability to succeed at different positions. She can attack from anywhere and has great court sense and knowledge. I’m looking forward to seeing how she fits into our program, not just next year, but throughout all four years with us. Wherever she plays for us, I expect her to contribute almost immediately.”
Tamburri is a 5’7 setter who led New York State Section One in assists in 2008 (646) and 2009 (773). Alongside Nethersole, she was also named as a repeat selection the past two years as All-State First Team and a member of the All- Tournament Team. Additionally, she was named the Westchester Gannet/Journal News Player of the year in 2009 and 2010. During the 2010 season Tamburri was also named the ConEd Athlete of the Week following the likes of current Hawk and former club Downstate Volleyball Club teammate, Danielle Etta. Tamburri also received national recognition when she was named to the Soph79 team by PrepVolleyball.com representing the 79 best high school players in the country. She finished among the top 25 in PrepVolleyball.com’s rankings.
“Jackie is a tremendous setter and court leader,” said Ferguson. “Her ability to distribute the ball efficiently is excellent and she likes to run a faster tempo. She should compete right away for setting time with the departure of Lindsay Ford. Jackie seems eager to learn and I have been impressed with the changes she has made from year to year both at the club level and in high school”
Nethersole and Tamburri are both active in their communities and in other school activities, as well as maintain a high standard of academics. Nethersole is a member of the Girl Scouts, the Nursery Club, and the GSA. She has also been involved in student government throughout her high school tenure. Tamburri is also a member of the Nursery Club as well as being involved in the Hendrick Hudson Leadership Opportunities Club. Together, the two have raised funds towards The American Cancer Society and for Entergy’s Power of Hope Foundation, which supports victims of Hurricanes Rita and Katrina. Academically, both young ladies have excelled and have been named to the Honor Roll all four years at Hendrick Hudson. During that time, both have been named a scholar athlete consecutively.
“The addition of these student athletes, highlight what Hartford Volleyball is about,” continued Ferguson. “Both are incredibly talented young ladies that have a positive impact on their communities and everyone around them. They care about their academic performances and they work hard on and off the court. “The timing of them joining the program is ideal. They are familiar with what we are establishing in West Hartford and can both have immediate impacts upon our program. It is often hard for a freshman to fit into a new program, but their history with each other as well as joining former familiar teammates should help them adapt quickly. I’m looking forward to working with these two outstanding young ladies and their families.”
California volleyball sophomore libero Robin Rostratter Receives NCAA Elite 88 Award California volleyball sophomore libero Robin Rostratter garners athletic and academic recognition
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – California volleyball sophomore libero Robin Rostratter is the recipient of the Elite 88 award for the 2010 NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship. The second-year defensive specialist from Carlsbad, Calif., currently carries a 3.81 grade-point average, and is majoring in media studies with a minor in Spanish. She was presented with the award during the volleyball championship banquet on Wednesday, Dec. 15, in Kansas City, Mo. Rostratter leads the Golden Bears in digs (4.17 dps) and service aces (0.25 saps). She is fifth in the Pac-10 for digs and eighth in service aces. She has had at least 20 digs in seven matches this season, and set a new career mark with 27 against Arizona on Sept. 24. Her 467 digs this season rank fifth in a single season at Cal. The Elite 88, an award founded by the NCAA, recognizes the true essence of the student-athlete by honoring the individual who has reached the pinnacle of competition at the national championship level in his or her sport, while also achieving the highest academic standard among his or her peers. The Elite 88 is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average participating at the finals site for each of the NCAA’s 88 championships. Eligible student-athletes must be sophomores or above who have participated in their sport for at least two years with their school. They must be an active member of the team, traveling and a designated member of the squad size at the championship. All ties are broken by the number of credits completed. The seventh-seeded Bears (29-3) will face sixth-seeded USC (29-4) in the 2010 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship Semifinal. The teams will take the court at 6 p.m. PT on Thursday, Dec. 16, at the Sprint Center. Fourth-seeded Penn State (30-5) and ninth-seeded Texas (27-5) face off in the first semifinal at 4 p.m. The two winners will meet for the championship in a 5:30 p.m. PT match on Saturday, Dec. 18. For more information on the Elite 88 award winners, log on to NCAA.com/elite88.
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The 2010 University of Dayton volleyball team became the first team of any sport in Dayton history to be nationally ranked for the entire season with a No. 15 ranking the final American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Top-25 Poll released on Tuesday.
“At the beginning of the year we talked about how great teams are ones that are consistently good over long periods of time,” Head Coach Kelly Sheffield said. “I thought this team brought it every night and improved throughout the course of the year. Those are the things we concentrate on during the season and this team was able to do that. It was a fun team to coach and it's nice to once again be considered one of the top programs in the country.”
UD began the season ranked No. 21 in the preseason poll and climbed to the program’s highest spot at No. 12 on Nov. 22 behind a 23-match winning streak which earned Atlantic 10 Regular Season and Tournament titles and a fourth consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament. It is the 19th consecutive week Flyer volleyball has been ranked dating back to last season, making it the first time the program has finished in the top 25 in back-to-back seasons. Dayton finished the 2009 season ranked No. 25.
Dayton (28-4, 15-0 Atlantic 10) finished the season in the Second Round of the NCAA Championship for the second consecutive year as the program’s highest seed (No. 14) in the NCAA Tournament.
Penn State (32-5) won its fourth consecutive NCAA Championship title on Saturday in Kansas City, Mo., to reclaim the No. 1 spot in the AVCA poll held by Florida for most of the season. Dayton played five top 25 teams in the final poll, including No. 7 Nebraska, No. 9 Illinois, No. 14 Northern Iowa, No. 10 Minnesota, and No. 19 Ohio State.
As the first team in Dayton history to be nationally ranked for the entire season, naturally the Flyers boast a lengthy postseason honor roll including AVCA Northeast Region and Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year Kelly Sheffield. Senior Lindsay Fletemier earned AVCA All-America honors for the third consecutive season as a Second-Team selection while being named the Atlantic 10 Player of the Year in back-to-back seasons. Senior Jessica Yanz was named an AVCA Honorable Mention All-American along with A-10 Setter of the Year and A-10 Tournament MVP honors. Senior Becky Novacek was named the A-10 Student-Athlete of the Year. Senior Amanda Cowdrey joined Fletemier, Yanz, and Novacek as First Team All-Conference and All-Tournament team selections.
Creighton Volleyball Team Receives First Top-25 Votes In Year-End Poll
OMAHA, Neb. -- The Creighton Volleyball team earned national recognition for its recently completed season, earning three votes in the year-end AVCA Top-25 Poll. It marks the first time in program history the team has shown up in the national poll.
Twenty-five teams are ranked, and Creighton was one of next 11 teams in the "Others Receiving Votes" category, putting the Jays at 36th overall. Teams must appear on at least two of the 60 ballots to be listed in the poll. Four-time national champion Penn State was a unanimous No. 1 selection in the year-end poll, finishing ahead of fellow Final Four qualifiers California, Southern California and Texas.
Earlier in the week, the year-end RPI released by the NCAA had Creighton 32nd overall.
"The goal is that our program becomes a regular in the top-25, and this is a step in that direction," said Creighton head coach Kirsten Bernthal Booth. "Much of the credit goes to our administration, fans and student-athletes who have helped build our program to what it has become."
Creighton finished the 2010 season with a 21-12 record, including a win over then-No. 16 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament and a second-round loss to then-No. 12 Minnesota. The Cyclones finished 25th in the final poll, while Minnesota moved up to 10th. Northern Iowa was the only other Missouri Valley Conference team to earn votes, finishing 14th in the year-end poll.
AVCA Division I Coaches Top 25 Poll Final Poll: December 21, 2010 Rank School (First-Place Votes) Total Points 2010 Record Last Week 1 Penn State (60) 1500 32-5 8 2 California 1439 30-4 4 3 Southern California 1364 29-5 4 Texas 1306 27-6 6 5 Stanford 1264 27-4 2 6 Washington 1153 23-9 11 7 Nebraska 1120 29-3 3 8 Florida 1031 29-2 1 9 Illinois 954 24-9 14 10 Minnesota 916 26-9 12 11 Purdue 882 24-11 24 12 UCLA 809 22-9 9 13 Hawai'i 744 28-3 7 14 Northern Iowa 616 31-3 10 15 Dayton 547 28-4 13 16 Colorado State 515 26-5 17 17 San Diego 485 24-6 18 18 Duke 454 27-7 NR 19 Ohio State 388 24-12 NR 20 Tulsa 345 31-3 22 21 Oklahoma 302 23-11 NR 22 Missouri 264 22-11 NR 23 Indiana 210 23-12 NR 24 Tennessee 182 25-7 19 25 Iowa State 153 20-9 16 Others Receiving Votes and appearing on two or more ballots: LSU 125; Cincinnati 120; Michigan 71; Arizona 58; Northwestern 44; Cal State Fullerton 36; Oregon 23; Louisville 19; Long Beach State 15; Florida State 13; Creighton 3.
Long Island Volleyball Team Garners Northeast Conference Team Sportsmanship Award BROOKLYN, N.Y. – The Northeast Conference announced its 2010 fall Team Sportsmanship Awards, with the Long Island University volleyball team included among the honorees. The volleyball team’s win marks the third such award for the Blackbirds, following women’s bowling and women’s basketball sportsmanship honors during 2008-09 academic year. Instituted by league presidents in 2008, the awards are designed to acknowledge the team in each conference sport that, in the opinion of its peers, most closely demonstrates good sportsmanship based on the NEC Principles of Sportsmanship and Standards of Conduct. Voting is conducted at the conclusion of each season by each team and head coach, who rank teams within the conference based on a set of criteria.
“The Northeast Conference is fully committed to promoting and celebrating good sportsmanship by our coaches, student-athletes and fans,” NEC Commissioner Noreen Morris said. “On behalf of the entire Conference, I congratulate the winners of this fall’s team sportsmanship awards for demonstrating the value and importance of integrity and sportsmanship, both on and off the field of play.” - LIU -
Lady Vol Volleyball Team Finishes 2010 Ranked No. 24 by AVCA
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – After earning the highest national seed in school history and making its sixth NCAA Tournament appearance in the past seven seasons, the University of Tennessee volleyball team earned a year-end ranking of No. 24 in the nation in the final American Volleyball Coaches Association poll released Tuesday afternoon. The Lady Volunteers have now been ranked for 18 consecutive weeks dating back to 2009, which stands just one week off the school record of 19 set from 1982-84. They were ranked in all 16 polls this year, marking just the second time in program history and first time since 1983 that they have been rated as a top-25 squad for an entire season. The Big Orange finished the 2010 campaign with a 25-7 overall record, tallying the program’s most wins since it went 32-3 in 2004. The Tennessee offense was the best in school history, posting a .291 attack average to break the previous record of .286 set in 1980. That hitting percentage ranked seventh among all 328 NCAA Division I schools, while UT’s assists per set (13.55) and kills per set (14.54) averages both stood as the eighth-best in the country. Individually, the postseason accolades were plentiful in 2010, led by a trio of AVCA All-Americans. Senior Nikki Fowler was the team’s most decorated player, claiming AVCA Third-Team All-America accolades to go along with being named the 2010 SEC Co-Scholar Athlete of the Year, an ESPN/CoSIDA Academic All-American and an All-SEC First Team selection for the third straight year. Earning AVCA Honorable Mention All-American status were junior Kayla Jeter and senior Leah Hinkey. Jeter joined Fowler on the All-SEC First Team, while Hinkey was tabbed to the league’s second team. Junior Amanda Friday, meanwhile, was named to the SEC Community Service Team, and first year Lady Vol Kelsey Robinson was chosen as a member of the conference’s all-freshman squad. Tennessee has now finished the season with a top-25 ranking in each of the past two years and sixth time in program history. Prior to last season, the Orange and White last did so in 2005 when it finished sixth after a run to the NCAA Final Four. It also finished 10th in 2004 and 14th in both 1982 and 1983. For the complete poll, visit: http://www.avca.org/divisions/division-one-women/poll-12-21-10/ ##LADY VOL VOLLEYBALL##
Georgia State volleyball standout Vineece Verdun Earns CAA Volleyball Scholar-Athlete of the Year
RICHMOND, Va. -- Georgia State volleyball standout Vineece Verdun has been named the 2010 CAA Volleyball Scholar-Athlete of the Year, the league office announced on Tuesday.
The award is just the latest in a long list of awards for the redshirt-junior this season, as Verdun was also named All-CAA First Team, CoSIDA/ESPN Academic All-District Third Team and COBRA Magazine all-southeast region.
Verdun, who carries a 3.78 GPA in public policy, became just the second Panther to earn first team All-CAA accolades after Alex Blenche did the same in 2005.
She becomes the first Panther volleyball player to earn the CAA's Scholar-Athlete of the Year award.
This season the Bloomfield Hills, Mich., product led the CAA during the regular season in kills (372), kills per set (3.38), points (460.5) and points per set (4.19). Verdun also finished second in hitting percentage (.317), fifth in blocks (112) and blocks per set (1.02). Verdun's 93 block assists tied her for tenth all-time in a single season in GSU history.
Following the end of the conference and NCAA Tournaments, Verdun still led the CAA in points per set, while finishing second in hitting percentage, kills per set and points, third in kills and fifth in total blocks and blocks per set.
The conference honors a scholar-athlete in each of its 23 sports. Nominees for the award must be a starter or important reserve on their team and must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.25. The winners were selected by a vote of the sports information directors at each CAA institution.
Three Hawks Named to America East Volleyball All-Academic Team
WEST HARTFORD, CONN. – The University of Hartford volleyball team’s success off the court has once again been recognized as three members of the team have been named to the America East All-Academic Team, the most from any one school among the eight total honorees. Senior Lindsay Ford was one of two members of the All-Academic team who are repeat members from last season. She is joined by junior Lindsay Makowicki and sophomore Kami Nethersole.
Ford has amassed a cumulative grade point average of more than 3.5 as a physical therapy major. The Carson City, Nev. native will continue her education at the University, despite using her four years of athletic eligibility. Ford will continue working towards a doctorate in physical therapy, a seven year program at Hartford.
Ford completed her eligibility with the third most assists in school history, finishing with 3,456 total assists. She finished her senior season with a career-high 977 assists, while earning second team all-conference honors, her first collegiate postseason honor for athletics.
Makowicki posted the highest single grade point average on the 2010 All-Academic Team, with a cumulative grade point average of 3.88 as a marketing major. She is one of four juniors represented on the team. She finished the season with 88 total kills.
Nethersole, who led the Hawks on the court as a sophomore, is as one of two student-athletes on the All-Academic Team with a combined grade point average of 3.87. She is the youngest member of the 2010 All-Academic Team and is a communications major.
On the court, Nethersole led the Hawks with 325 kills, a career-high. She closed out the season hitting double figure kills in the last nine matches of the season, earning a postseason honor for the second-straight season as she joined Ford on the second team all-conference. The Cortlandt Manor, N.Y. native posted a career-high 28 kills in a five set match against Navy, finishing with the most kills for a Hawk since November of 2002. The All-Academic squads are a product of the June 2005 Athletics Directors meeting where faculty representatives and athletics directors from each of the conference’s nine member institutions decided to honor the league’s top student-athletes, who excel equally in the classroom as they do on the playing field. For the third straight year, America East will select the All-Academic teams using CoSIDA’s Academic All-America program as a model. Student-athletes worthy of consideration are nominated by member sports information directors and voted on by a committee of SIDs, academic advisors and faculty representatives from all nine member institutions. All-Academic squads for team sports are based on the maximum number of athletes that participate in a contest at one time (e.g., seven on the court in volleyball) but can be more if there is a tie in voting. To be nominated for the distinction, student-athletes must be a starter or important reserve for their team and participate in at least 50 percent of their team’s games or competitions. In the classroom, student-athletes must have a 3.30 GPA and have completed at least one calendar year at their institution. Freshmen are not eligible for consideration.
Robert Morris University Colonials Volleyball Team Signs Hannah Hoffman to NLI All-Colorado player won state championship Moon Township, Pa. - December 21, 2010 – Robert Morris University head volleyball coach Dale Starr has announced the signing of Hannah Hoffman (Parker, Colo. / Ponderosa) to a National Letter of Intent (NLI).
Hoffman compiled a highly-decorated high-school career in which she received numerous individual honors and also reached the pinnacle in team success by winning a state championship with Ponderosa High School.
“We are really excited about having Hannah join our program here at RMU,” Starr said. “She is very talented and will bring a lot to the table at the setter position. She comes from very successful high-school and club programs in Colorado—she led her team to the 2009 Colorado 5A State Championship and was back to defend the title again this year. We look for her to come in and compete right away for playing time as a freshman.” Hoffman was one of only six players named to the All-Colorado Team in 2010 after she led the state with 962 assists as Ponderosa went 27-3 and reached the state semifinals. She also earned the prestigious distinction of being named all-state first team 5A and collected numerous other accolades. Hoffman was named the best senior volleyball player in the Continental League, securing a spot in the 2010 All-Star Games, and was also a member of the Under Armour All-American High School Watch List. Hoffman earned All-Continental First Team honors for the third consecutive season and was chosen as MVP of the Bruin Classic as she tallied her third All-Tournament Team nod. Hoffman was selected all-state honorable mention in 2009 while leading the state of Colorado in assists as Ponderosa claimed the state championship. Hoffman has also played at the club level for Colorado Juniors of Monument, Colo. and has competed in the USA Volleyball Junior Olympics National Championships on three occasions. Hoffman will join a Robert Morris program that went 13-3 in Northeast Conference (NEC) play in 2010 and qualified for the NEC Tournament for the 12th consecutive season, the longest active streak in the league. Robert Morris advanced to the championship match of the tournament and played for a NCAA Tournament berth before dropping the rubber match of its season series to Sacred Heart. -- sidga02@rmu.edu --
Duke Volleyball Team Ranked No. 18 in Final AVCA Poll
Duke Ranked No. 18 in Final AVCA Poll December 21, 2010 DURHAM, N.C. – After a run to the NCAA Regional Final and an ACC Championship, the Duke volleyball team landed the No. 18 rank in the final AVCA Division I Coaches Poll, as announced by the American Volleyball Coaches Association on Tuesday. The Blue Devils (27-7, 16-4 ACC) won their third ACC Championship in the past five years before embarking on the best NCAA Championship run in program history. The Blue Devils defeated High Point 3-0 and Ohio 3-2 in the opening rounds of the 64-team national tournament and took down Missouri 3-1 to reach the NCAA Regional Final in University Park, Pa. Only the third team in ACC history to reach the Regional Final and the fourth to reach the Round of Eight, Duke fell to eventual NCAA Champion Penn State, but not before becoming the only team in the entire tournament to win a set against the Nittany Lions. Penn State, which won its fourth consecutive NCAA Championship after sweeping both opponents at the National Semifinals and Finals, took down Duke 3-1 on its home court to end the Blue Devils’ season. Duke was last ranked in the AVCA Coaches Poll on November 26, 2007, at No. 22 during a season that saw the Blue Devils reach as high as No. 13. Duke has received votes in the poll for the entire 2010 season and cracked it for the first time on Tuesday. -d-u-k-e-
Washington Huskies Volleyball Team Finishes Sixth In Final AVCA Poll
LEXINGTON, Kent. – Husky volleyball head coach Jim McLaughlin has led Washington to yet another Top-10 finish, as the Dawgs came in sixth in the final American Volleyball Coaches Assocation poll, released today. This is the seventh Top-10 finish for the Huskies in the past eight years. Washington capped its season with a 24-9 record, making a dramatic NCAA tournament run to the Elite Eight, where it fell to eventual NCAA runner-up California. The Huskies defeated three Top-25 teams on their home court, sweeping 23rd-ranked Michigan and 7th-ranked Hawaii, and then knocking off third-ranked and second-seeded Nebraska, 3-1, to reach the Regional final. Penn State came out on top for the fourth straight year, defeating California in the final last Saturday. Four of the top-six teams in the final four hail from the Pac-10. After the Nittany Lions and Bears, USC comes in third, Texas is fourth, Stanford finishes fifth, and Washington is sixth. Nebraska checks in at No. 7, and Florida is No. 8 after entering the tourney ranked first. No. 9 Illinois and No. 10 Minnesota round out the final Top-10. It was a five-spot jump for the Dawgs, as they entered the tournament ranked 11th, though they were not among the NCAA’s top-16 seeded teams. Since 2003, the Huskies have finished in the Top-10 in the final rankings every year but 2009, when they wound up 13th after falling in the NCAA second round. The Elite Eight appearance was the sixth for McLaughlin’s Huskies in the past eight years.
