Volleyball Voices

Eastern Washington University Volleyball: Todorovich and Hamilton honored for pair of perfect single match hitting performances

Senior Ashley Hamilton was named MVP and won two other team awards as the Eastern Washington University volleyball team had their 2009 season banquet on Jan. 10.

Besides MVP honors, she was named Teammate of the Year, which is an award voted on by the players and is a reflection of that student-athlete and the impact on her teammates.

Hamilton also won the Eagle Award, which is earned by the player who exemplifies the qualities that are valued by the team as a whole, including leadership, commitment and work ethic. She also won that award in 2008.

Eastern also presented special awards for Hamilton and junior Sara Todorovich for tying an NCAA Division I record with 1.000 hitting efficiency in separate matches. Hamilton had 12 kills in 12 attempts with no errors, which equals the fourth-best hitting performance in the history of NCAA Division I Volleyball. That performance on Oct. 23 against Weber State was the best performance in Division I since the 2005 season.

Todorovich had 10 kills in 10 attempts on Nov. 14 against Northern Arizona, which equals the seventh-best hitting performance in Division I. It is the first time in Division I women's volleyball history that teammates have accomplished this feat in the same season.

The Most Inspirational honors went to senior setter Amanda Yausie, for being an energetic player who showed a high level of enthusiasm every time she stepped on the court. She also won the award in 2008.

Junior Chenoa Coviare was named Most Improved for her performance on the court.

The banquet was also the final farewell for seniors JaNae Mortensen, Hamilton, Yausie and Hayley Hills.

 

It's Official! NCAA Sand Volleyball Remains a Reality, Override Voted Down

An override to eliminate the sport from the NCAA list of emerging sports for women was voted down Friday. 

               

ATLANTA, Ga. (UCFAthletics.com) – In what could possibly be a landmark decision, an override to eliminate sand volleyball from the NCAA Division I list of emerging sports for women was voted down Friday at the 2010 NCAA Convention in Atlanta, Ga.

 

“I think this is a big victory for young women who want to play sand volleyball collegiately, and more importantly I think this is a huge victory for women’s athletics,” UCF head volleyball coach Todd Dagenais said. “In the future, the opportunity will exist for many more young volleyball players to represent their university in intercollegiate competition.”

 

With sand volleyball now set to remain on the emerging sports list, the NCAA could possibly conduct its first national championship in the sport as early as 2011. In order to sponsor the sport for a championship, 40 or more universities must start the program within the next 10 seasons. But, having been in the pipeline for so long and having gone through many positive voting stages, the minimum amount of schools are anticipated to commit to starting programs for the 2010-11 athletics season. 

 

“Although UCF has been a big supporter of the sand volleyball movement, it is yet to be determined exactly if or when sand volleyball would become a sport at UCF,” Dagenais said. “But, I remain very optimistic that if sand volleyball is added at UCF, we are in a unique position to be a national championship contender shortly after its inception.”

 

UCF is no stranger to the successes of the sport of sand volleyball, as two prominent names in the sport are alumni of the university.

 

A member of the UCF volleyball team from 1994-97 and a 2004 UCF Athletics Hall of Fame inductee, Tyra (Harper) Turner has experienced immense success on the AVP Tour since her time as a Knight. In seven seasons on the tour, Turner has finished in the top-three in standings in 22 of her 85 total tournaments played. Following the 2009 season, Turner ranked sixth on the tour with a .465 attack percentage and ninth with 0.79 blocks per game.

 

One of the most recognized names in men’s beach volleyball, Phil Dalhausser played on the men’s club team while at UCF, before going on to win the gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics with partner Todd Rogers. On the AVP Tour, the duo of Dalhausser and Rogers posted four-straight seasons with the most team wins, which included nine in 2009.

 

For the latest news on the Knights, log on to www.UCFAthletics.com – the official site for UCF varsity sports. The site, which also contains ticket and Golden Knights Club donor information, is also the home of UCF’s new online apparel store. Also visitwww.UCFPhotos.com, the exclusive fan source for UCF action sports pictures.

 

-UCF-

 

 

BYU Women's Volleyball Players: 2009 Volleyball Season In Review

2009 BYU Women’s Volleyball Season Review

 

In the 40^th winning season in BYU women’s volleyball history, the Cougars finished the season with an overall record of 15-14 and 1,046 all-time wins. In the 41-year recorded history of the program, the Cougars rank sixth among NCAA Division I teams.

 

BYU earned a fifth-place Mountain West Conference finish, also with a winning regular-season record of 9-7 in head coach Shay Goulding’s second year. With injuries plaguing the team in the middle of the season, the Cougars were unable to grasp an NCAA Tournament berth for only the fifth time in the Tournament’s history.

 

The Cougars kicked off the season at the Missouri Tournament in Columbia, Mo., taking on Ole Miss, Texas State and Missouri. The team had a 2-0 start in the tournament before falling to host Missouri in four sets. Senior Kayla Walker and junior Christina Measom earned all-tournament honors, Walker averaging 3.70 kills and 1.9 digs per game while Measom averaged 1.90 kills and 0.90 blocks while hitting .350.

 

On the road for one more game before beginning the home season, the Cougars traveled to Utah State where they lost a hard fought, five-set match to in-state rival Utah State. At the Smith Spectrum in front of 1,557 USU fans. Despite the loss, Walker posted a then season high 25 kills and nine digs.

 

Preseason tournaments hosted by BYU have been a tradition since 1977. With the exception of two years (1993 and 1999), the Cougars have hosted at least one tournament each year. In 2009 BYU hosted the Nike Classic with No. 23 Kansas State, Weber State and Cal Poly in attendance. The Cougars started the tournament with a 3-2 win over Cal Poly and a win over Weber State in three until dropping the championship game to No. 23 Kansas state in five sets. Although the team didn’t finish first in the tournament, Walker and sophomore Christie Carpenter were named to the all-tournament team.

 

With one more preseason tournament, the Cougars traveled to Nebraska for the Ameritas Players Challenge to take on three of the best teams in the country. Starting out against No. 8 UCLA, the Cougars lost in four. Against No. 5 Nebraska in front of the largest crowd the Cougars faced all season (4,124), BYU hushed the crowd by winning set one, 25-18. The Huskers came back to win the match in the next three sets. The next day of the tournament brought Virginia, with BYU also losing to the Cavaliers 1-3.

 

Mountain West Conference play began for the Cougars hosting San Diego State and Air Force, posting back-to-back wins. In the 3-2 win over SDSU, Walker had a career night with 32 kills at .500 hitting. She also added 12 digs for her third double-double of the season. The 32 kills marked the third highest total in MWC history.

 

The Cougars next traveled to in-state rival Utah where head coach Beth Launiere looked for her 300^th win. After reaching match point in set four, the Cougars battled hard but fell in sets four and five. Despite the loss, Walker came out with 19 kills on the night and 11 digs, her fourth double-double of the season. Camilla Phillips had a then career-high eight kills while Kiana Rogers posted 41 assists. Morgan Lloyd Sorensen held up the back row with 24 digs, tying her career high.

 

Coming back home to Provo to finish up September, BYU hosted North Dakota State, sweeping the Bison in three sets to bring the BYU record to 7-7 overall. With big comebacks in two of the sets, the Cougars came out with a win thanks to Walker’s fifth double-double of the season with 16 kills and 13 digs. Setter Rogers also had a double-double, racking up 38 assists and a season-high 16 digs.

 

Two more MWC wins gave the Cougars a winning record again. BYU was first on the road against UNLV where they swept the Rebels. The next week the Cougars came back home to take on New Mexico and TCU. BYU beat UNM in three, followed by a tough 0-3 home loss to TCU to bring the Cougar record to 9-8 overall and 4-2 in the MWC.

 

Next traveling to Colorado State and Wyoming to finish the first half of MWC play, the Cougars split road wins. CSU was up first, then boasting a perfect 6-0 MWC record for first place in the conference. BYU battled, but the Ram defense was too much for the Cougar squad. Busing up to Laramie, Wyo., the Cougars crept past the Cowgirls in five with three spikers in double digits. Christie Carpenter led the way with a career-high 21 kills, Christina Measom had 13 while Nicole Warner added a career-high 12. On the defensive side of the ball Morgan Lloyd Sorensen led the team with 18 digs, accompanied by Melissa Lake Wright with 12 and Carpenter, Chelsea Goodsell and Kiana Rogers all tallying eight digs each.

 

Coming back to the Smith Fieldhouse, the Cougars took on in-state rival Utah only to fall again in five in front of a season-high 2,249 fans in attendance. With only five miles separating Utah Valley University and BYU, the Wolverines came to campus looking for a win, but only scaring the Cougars by coming out with the third set. BYU again established a winning record with the victory at 11-10 overall and 5-4 in the MWC.

 

BYU finished November with a 3-1 win against UNLV at home to then be defeated on the road in back-to-back matches against TCU and New Mexico to bring the Cougars down to fifth in the MWC rankings. In the last two home matches of the season the Cougars beat Wyoming in three and then fell to Colorado State in five, putting up a good fight.

 

Ending the season with three road games the Cougars came out 2-1 with wins over Air Force and SDSU and a loss to No. 21 Saint Mary’s College. The Cougars came out with a winning record both overall and in the MWC (15-14, 9-7).

 

Demonstrating the strength and competitiveness of the MWC, BYU finished first in the league and 19^th in the country in blocking with 2.66 blocks per set. The Cougars were also fourth in service aces (1.15 per set), second in opponent hitting percentage (.164), fifth in hitting percentage (.201) and sixth in digs (13.42 per set).

 

While BYU’s 14 losses were uncharacteristic, four of those defeats came to ranked teams and five came to teams that competed in the NCAA Tournament. On the other side of the coin, the Cougars were dominant in victory, recording nine of their 15 wins in just three sets.

 

The Smith Fieldhouse once again proved magical as the Cougars averaged of 1,198 fans per match, the 34th-best home attendance mark in the nation. BYU was 9-4 at home, 9-7 in conference play, 4-8 on the road and 2-2 in neutral court contests.

Several Cougars made an impact on the court in 2009 as both newcomers and returners made their presence known.

 

Junior defensive specialist Melissa Lake Wright finished 10^th in the MWC for tallying 2.88 digs per set. She chalked up double-digit digs in 15 matches, including one with 20.

 

Freshman middle blocker Nicole Warner boasted the best hitting percentage for the Cougars, ranking third in the MWC averaging .346. She also finished eighth in blocks in the MWC with 1.10 per set and 42^nd in the nation for her overall 1.22 blocks per set.

 

Junior middle blocker Christina Measom ranked second in MWC play for blocks at 1.37 per game. She also played in all 110 sets for the Cougars, recording nine matches with double-digit kills.

 

Junior setter Kiana Rogers made the most of her second year as the full-time setter with a team-best nine double-doubles. She averaged 9.50 assists per set overall and ranked fifth in MWC play with 9.79 assists per set. Rogers also tallied 2.13 digs per set to rank third on the team.

 

The Cougars also said goodbye to two talented seniors at the conclusion of the season, rightside hitter Kayla Walker and libero Morgan Lloyd Sorensen.

 

Senior Kayla Walker began her second and final year as a Cougar on the rightside, where she had been since midway through the 2008 season. The 6-foot-5 All-MWC honoree ranked second overall among the league leaders and second in MWC play in kills per set at 3.68 and 3.70, respectively. She finished the season with six double-doubles and had at least 20 kills in a match three times among 20 matches with double-digit kills. Her climax of the season came against SDSU on Sept. 17 when she recorded 32 kills and only three errors on .500 hitting, which was the third-highest total in MWC history.

 

Senior Morgan Lloyd Sorensen started in the libero position for most of the year, finishing seventh in the MWC with 3.50 digs per set. She tallied double-digit digs in 19 matches, including five over 20. On Sept. 12 against Virginia she tallied 21 digs in four sets, which ranks fourth in the BYU record book.

 

New 2010 Women's College Volleyball Recruits: William and Mary Adds Two to Incoming Volleyball Class

Julia Swalchick, Celine Alasomuka to Play for Tribe in 2010

WILLIAMSBURG - William and Mary head volleyball coach Melissa Aldrich Shelton '91 added two more freshmen to next year's incoming class on Friday, bringing the total number of newcomers to five for 2010. In the early signing period, Paulette Grand Pre (Aliso Viejo, Calif.), Alexandra Ciaccio (Houston, Texas), and Monika Stanciauskas (Wheaton, Ill.) all committed to play for the Tribe. 

"When assembling our incoming class," said Shelton, "we searched for players who were determined to succeed; possess high level athletic ability; and love to work hard. We believe our efforts on the recruiting trail have resulted in a group of student-athletes who each have the potential to be major contributors to the success of our team during their careers." 

Celine Alasomuka (Centreville, Va.) -- 5'8" OH/DS 
Centreville High / NVVA 

Prep: Earned three varsity letters at Centreville for coach Ken Moser ... Captain ... Honorable mention All-Met by the Washington Post as a senior ... Named first-team all-district and second-team all-region ... Region Player of the Month for September 2009 ... Twice named to the Virginia Volleyball Showcase All-Tournament Team ... Second-team all-district as a junior ... Played for the Virginia Elite club volleyball team, qualifying for the National Junior Olympics each of the last three years ... National Honor Society and National German Honor Society ... Member of Centreville's Student Government. 
Personal: Daughter of Ruth Sendrowski and Alaso Alasomuka ... Enjoy travel, music, and family activities ... Plans to major in international relations. 

"Celine is a player I have been aware of for a very long time. I have seen her grow from a great athlete who happens to play volleyball into to a volleyball player who can take over games. She's an amazing athlete in terms of agility, balance, quickness and strength - abilities she must maximize to make up for her smaller stature. We're not yet sure where she'll be on the court for us, but her energy and enthusiasm will be hard to keep off the floor." 

Julia Swalchick (Melbourne, Fla.) -- 6'1" OH 
Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy / Orlando Volleyball Academy 

Prep: Space Coast Player of the Year in 2008 and 2009 ... Led Holy Trinity to the district and regional titles as well as the 3A State Title game as a senior ... FACA and Space Coast All-Star teams in 2009... Team Captain in 2008 and 2009, and MVP each of the last four years ... Florida Region High Performance Team in 2007 and 2008 .... Bronze medalist at the 2008 USA High Performance Championships ... USA Volleyball Junior Olympics qualifier in 2009 ... Vice President of the French National Honor Society ... Member of the National Honor Society and National Art Honor society ... Highest Honor Roll. 
Personal: Daughter of Lydia and Jeffrey Swalchick ... Has had three cousins play Division I volleyball ... One, Kim Zschau Whitney, went on from Kansas State to be a member of the U.S. Women's National Team ... Enjoys painting, swimming, and baking ... Plans to major in psychology. 

"During the recruiting process, Julia is the kid I kept coming back to time and time again. Whenever I watched her team play in big games, the coach had her on the court and the setter was giving her the ball. This kid takes huge swings at critical times, shining most when the pressure is on. I am thrilled she's chosen to attend W&M and I am confident she has the physical and mental potential to develop into a very good leftside attacker for us."

Beach Volleyball Photos: Only 7 People Needed To Donate $10 Today; Please Support Eric Fonoimoana's Dig 4 Kids In Global Giving Race

Please TWEET and Retweet!

Its a race and there are eight hours left....

Olympic gold medalist Eric Fonoimoana's organization Dig 4 Kids is  in a contest with 55 other athletes trying to raise money for their respective causes. 

Seven (7) new people are needed to donate $10 only.

If you haven't donated previously PLEASE HELP it's the Last day of the Global Giving  contest. 

$10 donation can earn D4K $10,000. 

Dig 4 Kids only needs seven donations of $10. 

http://goto.gg/4381 or http://www.globalgiving.org/projects/dig4kids/.

Show up and show out.  What can volleyball people do to support a great cause. 

NEW people only. 

More about Dig 4 Kids

"D4K helps the kids in low-income communities by teaching them the importance of exercising and education. The children also learn life lessons such as team work, nutrition, discipline, and how to set and obtain goals."

"D4K will be conducting 6 after-school programs located in Florida, Washington, and California. Through the after-school programs, we will work with over 280 kids to instill in them the importance of higher education & an active lifestyle."

Thank you  for your time and consideration. 

Happy New Year,

April

Yale Women's Volleyball: Kelly Ozurovich Elected Yale Volleyball Captain

Libero Ranks Fifth All-Time in Digs

NEW HAVEN, Conn. —

 Head Coach Erin Appleman has announced that Kelly Ozurovich ’11 will serve as captain of Yale Volleyball for the 2010 season, as decided by a team vote. Ozurovich, a libero from Playa del Rey, Calif., has earned All-Ivy recognition in all three of her seasons in a Bulldogs’ uniform.

 

“As a three-year starter at Yale, Kelly has shown all of the leadership qualities I look for in a captain”, said Appleman. “She has a strong relationship with me and with her teammates, and she understands what it takes to be successful in the Ivy League. The team is in very reliable hands with Kelly as its captain”.

 

Ozurovich, the starting libero on the 2008 Ivy League Championship team, earned her second consecutive All-Ivy Honorable Mention in 2009 after finishing the season ranked second in the Ivy League and 13th in all of Division I with 5.38 digs per set. An All-Ivy Second Team honoree in 2007, Ozurovich will enter her senior campaign ranked fifth on Yale’s all-time digs list with 1,241. Her 449 digs in 2007 marked the second-highest single season total in program history, while her 41 aces in that season were the eighth-best in 27 seasons of varsity volleyball at Yale.

 

The 2009 Bulldogs finished with a 21-4 mark, the best record in program history. Ozurovich will lead a 2010 squad that returns six letterwinners from that season, including fellow All-Ivy honorees Bridget Hearst and Kerry Clavadetscher.

 

 

 

Volleyball Voices Featured on Entrepreneur Life Radio Show, Check out the Podcast

EntrepreneurLife1-13-10

Listen To The Podcast!

I had a blast yesterday as a guest on the Las Vegas The Entrepreneur Life Radio Show. 

Thank you to Emmet, JD and Dave! 

You guys are awesome, supportive, encouraging and really "got" my vision for Volleyball Voices.

The Entrepreneur Life is on Wednesdays 1-2 pm on 970 AM KNUU.

Tune in for The ONLY radio show made just for Entrepreneurs and Business Owners. Join Business Coach Extraordinaire Emmet Scott, Entrepreneur Counselor JD Stacey, and The Businessmen’s attorney David Grant in discussing the serious and not so serious issues of running a business. Finally, a show JUST for Entrepreneurs. 

Georgia State Volleyball Team Players Help Victims in Haiti

College Volleyball Team News

ATLANTA - The Georgia State college volleyball team spent Thursday afternoon helping to raise money and awareness to go to the victims of the
earthquake in Haiti earlier this week. In just over 90 minutes, the team
raised $963 on the campus library plaza.

Support from around the world is heading into the nation with every
little bit being needed as quickly as possible.

“I was overwhelmed by the amount of giving there was on campus
today,” commented assistant coach Ada Bazin. “I wasn't sure what to
expect when we started collecting donations. Students were stopping and digging in their wallets and pockets for anything they could give. One gentleman slipped a $100 bill in the bucket without wanting any praise.
That was truly amazing. I think this tragedy has pulled at a lot of
heart strings and we all hear the call for help in Haiti.”

The donations will be given to the Metro Atlanta Red Cross chapter for
Haiti Relief. The team also encouraged students and faculty to text
‘Haiti’ to 90999 to make a $10 donation.

Rescue workers have struggled to clear rubble from the streets of
Haiti's "flattened" capital of Port-au-Prince, where one government
official said the death toll from Tuesday's 7.0-magnitude earthquake may
exceed 100,000.

The earthquake struck shortly before 5 p.m. Tuesday, centered about 10
miles southwest of Port-au-Prince, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.
It could be felt strongly in eastern Cuba, more than 200 miles away.

About 3 million people -- one-third of Haiti's population -- were
affected by the quake, the Red Cross said. About 10 million people most
likely felt shaking from the earthquake, the U.S. Geological Survey
said.

This continued a trend of working in the community by the college volleyball team. During the season, the squad raised over $2000 for breast cancer awareness. When all of the funds were finally collected, the team raised $2009.35, surpassing the total of $1,845 from 2008. The money was given to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Greater Atlanta Affliate.

For more information or to donate money or supplies, please visit
www.RedCross.org. If you want to donate TANGIBLE items like clothing,
medical supplies, non-perishable food items or water, there is a Haitian
Church in Atlanta collecting. The fraternity, Phi Beta Sigma, has teamed
up with the Haitian Ministry Theophile Church (http://www.hmtcc.org/) to
provide collection boxes on campus in the University Center starting
tomorrow and all next week. You can find their room in the University
Center (#1914) and a collection box will be there.

-www.georgiastatesports.com-

Alabama A&M Women's College Volleyball Players: Madinah Abdullah, Natalie Rodriguez, and Clarissa Moore named to COBRA Magazine All-National Team

Madinah Abdullah, Natalie Rodriguez, and Clarissa Moore were named to the first ever COBRA Magazine All-National Team. 

Abdullah and Rodriguez were second team selections, while Moore received third team accolades. 

COBRA Magazine is an internet volleyball publication that is read in 10 different nations including, Slovakia, Mexico, Brazil, Turkey and Czech Republic.

LSU Women's Volleyball: LSU Volleyball's Cooper to Train with U.S. National Team

BATON ROUGE – Former LSU middle blocker Brittnee Cooper is one of 18 players selected to train with the United States Women’s National Team Team during its second winter training block. The session begins Monday and ends on April 9th held at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.

 

“I’m very excited about this opportunity but at the same time I’m nervous,” Cooper said. “I know that with the support of my family, friends, LSU coaching staff, teammates and God that I’ll do just fine.”

 

Cooper, the 2009 SEC Player of the Year, also became the third player to notch AVCA First-Team All-America honors as LSU won its first SEC championship since 1991. She powered home 1,110 career kills and racked up 504 blocks, one of four players to accomplish that feat in program history. Her .329 career hitting percentage ranks third in the LSU record book. The Houston native has already won a pair of medals as a member of the 2008 & 2009 USA Women’s National A2 Team.

 

“We’re extremely proud of Brittnee for getting this chance to train and compete with the nation’s best volleyball players,” head coach Fran Flory said. “She was a key part to our program’s success and developed into one of the nation’s elite players during her time at LSU. We wish her nothing but the best of luck as she continues her career.”  

 

USA Volleyball could expand the training group at the end of February following the U.S. National Team Open Tryouts set for Feb. 19-21. 

 

 

Middle Blocker

Mekana Barnes

Brittnee Cooper

Alexis Crimes

Jennifer Joines Tamas 

Tracy Stalls

Cheryl Weaver

 

Outside Hitters/Opposite

Jill Collymore

Heather Hughes

Brittany Moore

Angie Pressey

Katie Wilkins Kimmich

Airial Salvo

 

Setter

Bryn Kehoe

Nellie Spicer

Courtney Thompson

 

Libero

Jessica Fine

Jaimi Gregory

Tamari Miyashiro

Kylann Scheidt Named to ESPN Rise High School All-America Second Team

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Just one day before officially beginning her collegiate career, University of Tennessee volleyball signee and Knoxville product Kylann Scheidt has been named to the 2010 ESPN RISE High School All-America Second Team, the publication announced on Tuesday.

                                                                                                                                         

A 6-1 setter, Scheidt graduated from Farragut High School in December and will begin classes at UT on Wednesday. She was previously named an Under Armour Girls High School First Team All-American by the American Volleyball Coaches Association.

 

As a member of that team, she was selected to participate in a match and skills competition at the St. Pete Times Forum on Dec. 20 in Tampa, Fla., in conjunction with the 2009 AVCA Annual Convention, where she recorded three digs in two sets of action.

 

Ranked No. 21 on PrepVolleyball.com's Senior Aces chart, Scheidt has spent the past three seasons with the Lady Admirals. As a sophomore at Farragut, the she was named the District 4-AAA Newcomer of the Year and was a member of the region all-tournament team.

 

Just one year later, Scheidt led her squad to a 48-7 record and the sectional round of the playoffs, picking up all-state accolades, earning MVP honors in the district and region tournaments and being selected as the Knoxville News Sentinel's 2008 PrepXtra Player of the Year.

 

During her senior season, Scheidt was a nominee for the Gatorade Player of the Year after guiding the Lady Ads to their third straight district title and a 41-10 record. She also took home league MVP accolades for the second consecutive season and has spent time with USA Volleyball's Junior National Training Team in Chula Vista, Calif., in each of the past two years as well.

 

For more information, including a complete list of the 2010 ESPN RISE All-America teams, visit http://myespn.go.com/blogs/highschoolvolleyball/0-14-53/ESPN-RISE-Volleyball-All-America-Team-2010.html.

 

##LADY VOL VOLLEYBALL##

 

Beach Volleyball Video: Nicole Branagh: The Importance of Beach Volleyball Team Chemistry

Here's Seven Reasons Why Players Will Gossip About The New Nfinity Volleyball Shoe

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New 2010 Women's College Volleyball Recruits: TCU Volleyball Has Signed Two for 2010

Jordan Raines Transfers To TCU
Volleyball has signed two for 2010

FORT WORTH, Texas – TCU volleyball head coach Prentice Lewis has announced the signing of Jordan Raines. Raines transfers to TCU after two seasons at Denver. A 6-0 outside hitter, she becomes the second member of the 2010 signing class, joining Yvonne Igodan who was signed in November. Raines will be a junior next fall.

"Raines’ accolades show what a great athlete she is and we are happy to add to our roster," said Lewis.

A native of Coppell, Texas, Raines played in 222 sets for the Pioneers over the last two seasons. After a successful freshman campaign in which she earned the team’s Most Valuable Freshman honors, she followed up with an even stronger sophomore season. She ranked second on the team with 337 kills, an average of 2.79 per set.

In high school, Raines helped guide her squad to a district championship as a senior and was named the district’s Most Valuable Player. She was a first-team all-area, all-district and all-state performer as a senior. Raines also spent seven years playing club volleyball at Texas Advantage Volleyball (TAV).

Texas Volleyball: Destinee Hooker Signs Contract To Play in Korea

Hooker signs contract to play in Korea

Texas’ three-time All-American inks a deal to play for the GS Caltex professional volleyball club in Korea.

AUSTIN, Texas – Texas senior All-America outside hitter Destinee Hooker has signed a professional contract to play for GS Caltex professional volleyball club in Seoul, Korea. Hooker has begun play with GS Caltex and in her first match she was named most valuable player.

 

“We are very excited for Destinee,” head coach Jerritt Elliott said. “She had a tremendous four years here, learning the game and growing as a player. Now she is able to take the next step in an incredible volleyball community. I know she will continue to improve and I’m excited about the possibility of her competing for a U.S. roster spot for the 2012 Olympics.”

 

In 2009, the San Antonio, Texas, native was named a Honda Award Finalist, AVCA All-America First Team, AVCA All-Central Region First Team and All-Big 12 First Team honors. She also earned NCAA Championship and NCAA Omaha Regional Most Outstanding Player honors.

 

Hooker’s 6.09 points per-set ranked No. 1 in the NCAA, while her 5.06 kills per-set ranked fourth nationally. The senior hit .358 on the season, ranking second in the Big 12 and tops among all outside hitters.

 

Hooker will forgo her final season of track and field eligibility to pursue volleyball. On the track, Hooker claimed four individual national titles, six All-America honors and six individual Big 12 titles. She also set school and NCAA records in the indoor high jump (6-6, 1.98m) and tied the UT outdoor high jump record (6-4.75/1.95m).

 

Visit the GS web site and check out volleyball photos at: 

http://www.gsvolleyball.com/

 

 

Volleyball Conditioning Video: Create Balance in Your Body Strength, Tips from Duke Volleyball

Volleyball Conditioning Video: 

Create Balance in Your Body Strength, Tips from Duke Volleyball

Here's Seven Reasons Why Players Will Gossip About The New Nfinity Volleyball Shoe This Season

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UCLA Women's Volleyball: Legendary UCLA Volleyball Coach Andy Banachowski Announces Retirement

LEGENDARY UCLA VOLLEYBALL COACH ANDY BANACHOWSKI ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT

Jan. 11, 2010 

UCLA women’s volleyball coach Andy Banachowski, the winningest Division I women’s volleyball coach in history, today announced that he will retire on June 30. 

“I am grateful to UCLA for allowing me to be the head coach of the women’s volleyball team for all these years,” said Banachowski.  “I have always realized that there would come a time for this wonderful journey called coaching to come to an end, and I have decided to retire when my contract expires at the end of this school year.”   

“There will never be another Andy Banachowski,” said UCLA Athletic Director Dan Guerrero. “He has represented this University with class and dignity for over four decades. When we speak of ‘image and substance,’ Andy epitomizes that slogan. He has been instrumental in the growth of his sport during his tenure at UCLA and has left a legacy that will be hard to match. He will always be a Bruin.” 

“It has been my honor to work side-by-side with Andy from an administrative standpoint these past few years,” said Sr. Associate Athletic Director Petrina Long, Banachowski’s sport supervisor. “He is an icon to many coaches in his sport. Just as important, he has been a great ambassador for UCLA. All you need to do is speak with the young women he has coached throughout his career and hear the respect with which they speak of Andy to understand the impact he has had on the sport.” 

Banachowski and UCLA women’s volleyball have been synonymous since the program’s inception in 1965. He has directed the Bruins for all but two of those seasons, the 1968-69 and 1969-70 campaigns, which directly followed his graduation. 

Last month, Banachowski, the first women’s volleyball coach inducted into the National Volleyball Hall of Fame, concluded his 43rd year as the head coach of the Bruins’ women’s volleyball program. UCLA finished the season with a record of 24-9, its 11th consecutive 20-win season, and placed in a tie for second in the Pacific-10 Conference. 

On Oct. 31, Banachowski, the winningest coach in women’s volleyball history, won his 1,100th match in a five-set triumph at Stanford. He holds a career record of 1,106-301 (.786). 

In 2006, Banachowski led the Bruins to their first Final Four appearance and 30-win season since 1994. UCLA won its first 20 matches of the year and breezed through the first four rounds of the NCAA Tournament with four straight three-game sweeps. Following the 2006 season, Banachowski was honored as the Tachikara/AVCA Division I National Coach of the Year, the second time he has been named Coach of the Year, with the other coming in 1989. He also received Volleyball Magazine Coach of the Year honors for the fifth time and AVCA Pacific Region COY accolades for the fifth time (1989, ‘92, ‘93, ‘98). On five occasions, Banachowski has been named Pac-10 Conference Coach of the Year (1988, ‘89, ‘93, ‘94, ‘98). 

Banachowski has coached at least one All-American in each of the last six seasons, including three in 2006 with first-teamers Nana Meriwether and Spicer and third-teamer Katie Carter. In 2006, Meriwether became the first player in Division I history to lead the nation in two statistical categories, finishing first in hitting percentage and blocks per game. 

UCLA women’s volleyball has earned 42 AVCA All-American honors, to go with 50 Under Armour/Volleyball Magazine All-American awards. Banachowski has also coached players to numerous other awards, including 49 All-Pacific Region honors, 98 All-Conference awards, five Pac-10 Players of the Year and the National Player of the Year in 1992 (Natalie Williams). Eighteen Bruins have earned All-NCAA Tournament accolades, including Williams, who was named Most Outstanding Player in both 1990 and 1991. Williams also won two Honda Awards under Banachowski’s tutelage in 1992 and ‘93, with Liz Masakayan earning the honor in 1985. 

The Bruins have won six national championships over Banachowski’s tenure, winning the program’s first title in 1972 while affiliated with the Division of Girls and Women’s Sports (DGWS). In 1974 and 1975, UCLA combined for a record of 60-4, winning back-to-back Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) championships. Since 1981 when the NCAA began sponsoring women’s sports, the Bruins have appeared in 11 Final Fours, winning championships in 1984, 1990 and 1991 and earning runner-up finishes in 1981, 1983, 1992 and 1994. 

Banachowski has more victories than any other collegiate volleyball coach in history, with the exception of UCLA men’s volleyball coach Al Scates. On Nov. 12, 2005, Banachowski became the first Division I women’s coach to reach 1,000 career victories when the Bruins handed eventual national champion Washington its only loss of the season in a five-game thriller at Pauley Pavilion. 

In February 2007, Banachowski was named head coach of USA Volleyball’s Junior National Team. That July, he guided Team USA to a fourth-place finish at the FIVB U-20 Junior World Championships, the best-ever finish for the United States in that tournament. 

Banachowski has been involved with the U.S. Olympic Team as a coach many times. He is a former advisor with the U.S. National Team, helping teams during the 1990 Goodwill Games, the 1992 Summer Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain, the 1995 Pan-American Games in Argentina and the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta. Additionally, he coached the West Team in the 1986 Olympic Festival. In 1993, Banachowski was the head coach of the U.S. World University Games squad, a group which achieved the highest American finish in WUG history, earning a silver medal in Buffalo. N.Y. 

A total of 22 former Bruins have trained with the U.S. National Team following their UCLA careers. The group includes five indoor and eight beach Olympians. The beach team of former Bruins Annett (Buckner) Davis and Jenny (Johnson) Jordan, as well as former Bruin Holly McPeak, comprised three of the four members of the U.S. Beach Volleyball Team for the Sydney Olympics in 2000. Additionally, Elisabeth Bachman was a member of the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team (indoor) for the Athens Games. On the beach in `04, a team of former Bruins (McPeak and Elaine Youngs) won a bronze medal with Masakayan as their coach. Youngs (with partner Nicole Branagh) returned to the Beijing Games in 2008 with Masakayan as their coach. 

Many Bruins have also been involved in the Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) Tour on the beach, including Davis, Jordan, McPeak, Youngs, Ashley Bowles, Lauren Fendrick and Chrissie Zartman. From 1993-2000, former UCLA players competed in 83 straight professional tournament finals, winning 70 of those events. Bruin former players have won more FIVB International events than players from any other college. 

On Oct. 24, 1997, Banachowski became the first women’s volleyball coach in history to be inducted into the National Volleyball Hall of Fame as a coach. He has since become the first volleyball inductee into the Serra High School and San Mateo County Halls of Fame and was inaugurated into the National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame in June 2009. 

In May 2000, Banachowski was presented with USA Volleyball’s highest honor, the All-Time Great Coach Award, and was simultaneously honored with the George L. Fisher “Leader in Volleyball” award, recognizing his off-court endeavors on behalf of volleyball. 

The Volleyball Festival has recognized Banachowski with its “Distinguished Service to USA Volleyball” award, and he has also been recognized with the Founders Award for his role as a co-founder of the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA). 

As a player, Banachowski was a two-time All-American under Scates, winning USVBA National Championships in 1965 and 1967. After his graduation, Banachowski pulled double-duty with the UCLA women’s and men’s volleyball programs, serving as Scates’ chief assistant from 1972-77, a period in which the Bruins won four NCAA titles (1972, ‘74, ‘75, ‘76). On three occasions (1972, ‘74 and ‘75), Banachowski won titles with both the men and women. 

Originally from San Mateo, Banachowski now resides in Los Angeles. He has two grown children, Bret, who played volleyball at UC Santa Cruz, and Amy, who was a three-year letterwinner from 1991-93 on the Bruin women’s volleyball team. 

--- UCLABRUINS.COM ---

Beach Volleyball Photos: 2010 FIVB Beach Volleyball Calendar Confirmed

“The FIVB has developed the latest calendar in order to ensure the best symmetry with continental and national tours throughout the world,” President of the Beach Volleyball Commission Dr. Ary Graça said. “In fact, apart for the month of August, all remaining months in the calendar will have at least one free week to accommodate the continental and national activities. We hope that now, FIVB confederations and federations will seize this great opportunity, exploiting the potential that Beach Volleyball can offer to all of them, by involving more teams and the best partners which will help increase the overall Beach Volleyball audience. This will also help to further boost the SWATCH FIVB World Tour as well.”

Dr. Ary Graca, President of the Beach Volleyball Commission

National Championship Match Earns No. 2 Rating: Penn State Volleyball DVD Available for Order

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa., Jan. 10, 2010 – On Dec. 19, 2009 the Penn State women’s volleyball won its third consecutive and fourth overall NCAA National Championship. The championship match between the Nittany Lions and the Longhorns was the No. 2 rated NCAA women’s volleyball championship match of all time. 
 
More than 12,000 fans attended the national championship match between No. 1 Penn State and No. 2 Texas, while more than 780,000 homes nationwide tuned in to the broadcast. The rating for the 2007 final between Penn State and Stanford was 0.53 and the 2008 match between the same two squads earned a 0.66 rating. The highest ever NCAA Division I women’s volleyball championship match was the 1982 match between Hawaii and USC, which was tape-delayed on ESPN. It earned a rating of 1.40. 
 
A highlight DVD is now available for pre-order on GoPSUsports.com covering the team’s journey to the 2007, 2008 and 2009 national championships. The 2009 DVD will highlight the numerous accomplishments of the Penn State women’s volleyball players and their coaching staff from the past three championship seasons. The DVD will be ready for shipment by late February. The highlight DVD is available for $19.99 plus shipping.
 
To celebrate the team’s unprecedented accomplishments, additional commemorative products are also available in the online store, the Penn State Photo Store and the GoPSUsports.com auctions.
 
For more information on the Penn State women’s volleyball team, please visit www.GoPSUsports.com<http://www.GoPSUsports.com> . The Penn State women’s volleyball 2009 season is presented by Rockvale Outlets and The Outlets at Hershey. 

College Volleyball Player Awards: Ivana Rich Named To Cobra Magazine National Third Team

IVANA RICH NAMED TO COBRA MAGAZINE NATIONAL THIRD TEAM 

RICHMOND, Va. – Virginia Commonwealth University senior Ivana Rich (Cumberland, Va.) was recognized as one of the best African American volleyball players in the country in COBRA Magazine’s January 2010 issue. 

Rich was selected to the COBRA Magazine All-National Third Team. The magazine is dedicated to the coverage and promotion of African American volleyball. 

In 2009, Rich led VCU to a 27-9 mark and CAA Championship Match berth. She set a school record by hitting .332. She also averaged 2.32 kills and 0.85 blocks per set for the Rams. Rich was named All-Colonial Athletic Association Second Team. 

A 5-11 middle, Rich also established a new school record for career blocks with 384. Rich’s .284 career hitting percentage is tied for second best in program history, and her average of 0.91 blocks per set ranks seventh. She was also a member of the All-CAA First Team in 2008. 

Additionally, Rich has been invited to the USA Women’s Volleyball National Team Tryout at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs Feb. 19-21. 

  

College Volleyball Player Awards: Three Huskies Selected to Volleyball Academic All-MAC Team

Meagan Schoenrock garners honor for second time, firsts for Kristin
Hoffman and Allison McGlaughlin

DeKALB, Ill. - Three Northern Illinois volleyball players earned
selections to the Mid-American Conference 2009 Volleyball Academic
All-MAC Team Tuesday, as voted on by faculty athletic representatives at
MAC institutions, marking the most honorees in a single season in
program history.  Receiving the honor for the second year in a row was
senior Meagan Schoenrock (Sylvania, Ohio/Northview), as she was joined
by first-timers sophomores Kristin Hoffman (Batavia, Ill./Batavia) and
Allison McGlaughlin (Morton, Ill./Morton).

The award for Schoenrock rounds out her career in fine fashion, as she
was also named to the first team All-MAC before heading into the
conference tournament at the end of November.  In her four years as a
Huskie, the outside hitter set a first at NIU by becoming the only
player in program history to earn first or second team All-MAC
recognition four times in a career, as she was a second team and
all-freshman team selection in her first year, a second teamer again as
a sophomore and a first team selection in her final two years.

In all 108 of NIU’s sets in 2009, she ranked fourth in the MAC in
kills (3.90/set) and points (4.31/set) during the regular season and had
double-digit kills in all but seven matches, tallying 20 or more five
times.  She finishes ranked third all-time at NIU with 1,690 kills, and
holds a 3.36 GPA as a visual communication major at Northern Illinois.

In their first year of eligibility for the award, Hoffman and
McGlaughlin own two of the three 4.00 GPAs from the 19 selections.

Hoffman set career-marks nearly across the board as the setter in 2009
with 748 assists (10.11), which ranked third in the MAC during league
competition, 161 digs (2.18/set), 27 kills, 25 blocks and 14 aces for 55
points.  The history major tallied a career-best five double-doubles and
also set individual match-highs with six kills against Western Michigan
on Nov. 5 and 16 digs against Buffalo on Oct. 16.

McGlaughlin, who also was a 2009 second team All-MAC selection, is one
of two Huskies all-time (Schoenrock) to earn All-MAC and all-freshman
selections in her first year and a second team selection as a sophomore.
 In all 108 of NIU’s sets in 2009, the outside hitter finished the
regular season ranking sixth in kills (3.50/set) and points (3.83/set)
and had a career-high 12 double-doubles.  She set career-marks for
points (412), kills (375), digs (319) and blocks (30).  The elementary
education major also set new single match highs with 26 kills against
DePaul on Sept. 22 and 20 digs against Western Michigan on Nov. 5, in
addition to having a career-best three blocks on two different
occasions.

The Academic All-MAC honor is for a student-athlete who has excelled in
athletics and academics. To qualify, a student-athlete must have at
least a 3.20 cumulative GPA and have participated in at least 50 percent
of the contests for that particular sport. First-year students and
junior college transfers in their first year of residence are not
eligible for the award.