Volleyball Voices

Phil Bush: SEC “The Rotation” Volleyball Blog with Phil Bush

 

Phil Bush: SEC “The Rotation” Volleyball Blog with Phil Bush

 

By: Phil Bush
SEC Digital Network Volleyball Insider

Phil Bush is an SEC volleyball analyst for SportSouth and Comcast Sports South and writes this weekly column for the SEC Digital Network.

ATLANTA - It was another very competitive week in the Southeastern Conference.

And look at the team records from just the weekend:

·         Florida 2-0
·         Tennessee 1-0
·         Kentucky 1-0
·         LSU 1-0

Not surprising that this turned out this way. All are the teams that are traditionally at the top of their game, but it was NOT easy.  See below:

·         Auburn 0-2 – Lost to LSU in four, and then had to take on the Razorbacks of Arkansas, who were smarting from a loss to the Georgia Bulldogs. It was a hard time for the Tigers, but they fought like crazy. 
·         Alabama 0-2 – The Tide had to play the Gators and then the suffered the dreaded “Gator Hangover” and played South Carolina in three VERY close sets, one of them losing 26-28.
·         Georgia 1-1 – Two five-set matches at home against two teams bound for the NCAA Tourney in Athens: LSU won in five and Arkansas lost in five.  A VERY good situation for the Bulldogs as they build for the future.
·         Arkansas 1-1 – Tough weekend, but the young Razorbacks kept fighting on the road.
·         Ole Miss 1-1 – Went on the road and played at the top of their game on Friday against the Gamecocks, but had to then face the Gators at home.  If the Rebels had been a little more consistent and healthy, I think they would be right in the mix for the NCAA Tourney.
·         South Carolina 1-1 – A tough loss on Friday but then the Gamecocks battle back to even the season series with the Crimson Tide of Alabama.  That’s right 1-1
·         Miss State 0-2 – Yes they lost, but they had Kentucky, which wanted revenge from losing in Starkville, and then the Bulldogs took the Lady Vols to four Sets. These Bulldogs may not have a great record, but they have been VERY competitive in many matches. They were 1-1 against the Wildcats!

The number of close, competitive sets and matches indicates where the SEC is going.  There are very few “easy” matches in this conference, and that is why, at the end of the season, five SEC Teams should go to NCAA Tourney.  The RPI might not indicate such, but anyone who has been watching the SEC for a while can look at these scores below and know that this conference is going to really come on strong during postseason play.

Last weekend scores – Home Team in Bold

Friday Matches

Auburn lost to LSU 26-28, 35-33, 25-27, 23-25
Florida def. Alabama 25-16, 25-12, 25-21
Georgia def. Arkansas 25-15, 23-25, 25-23, 21-25, 15-12
Kentucky def. Mississippi State 25-19, 25-22, 25-20
Ole Miss def. South Carolina 25-18, 25-14, 25-21

Sunday Matches

Auburn lost to Arkansas 20-25, 18-25, 19-25
Florida def. Ole Miss 25-13, 25-22, 25-10
Georgia lost to LSU 25-20, 17-25, 16-25, 25-21, 16-18
South Carolina def. Alabama 25-14, 28-26, 25-22
Tennessee def. Mississippi State 25-22, 23-25, 25-16, 25-14

Standings

SEC East:

                            SEC                 All
Tennessee      14-1                  22-3     
Kentucky          13-2                   22-4     
Florida              12-3                  19-5    
Georgia            6-10                 10-16   
USC                  3-12                 12-13

SEC West
                      
                          SEC                 All
LSU                  10-5                 17-8

Arkansas         9-6                   17-9

Miss State       5-11                 10-15
Ole Miss          5-10                 9-15

Alabama          4-12                 11-16
Auburn            4-12                 12-16

Why at these records in italics?  Because they are not that bad!  I am sure all of these coaches want the teams to be better and they are working on it all the time.  I am confident that teams will continue to climb up both in the SEC and in the national RPI in the future.  It may take some time, but with addition of two former Big 12 Schools in Texas A&M and Missouri to the SEC fold, the competition will keep getting better.

The teams in bold I believe are in the Tourney right now!

Most interesting matchups of the week:

Friday, November 11

·         Florida vs. LSU (Baton Rouge, La.) 7:00 p.m. CT – No such thing as an easy time on the road, and LSU will be waiting trying to solidify their standing at the expense of the Gators.  The PMAC will be rocking.  At least four sets here, if not all five
·         Georgia vs. Mississippi State (Athens, Ga.) 7:00 p.m. ET – Look for a touch match-up here.  Georgia pushing for .500 in conference, and Mississippi State pushing to get closer to the top of the SEC West. Another five-setter.
·         Ole Miss vs. Tennessee (Oxford, Miss.) 7:00 p.m. CT – Ole Miss, if they can play the way they played last week is going to be handful on their home floor.  Wells, Craven, Thomas bring a lot.  Not that Tennessee will be intimidated, but I see this going at least four sets

Sunday, November 13

·         Arkansas vs. Florida (Fayetteville, Ark.)(CST) 1:00 p.m. CT – Arkansas will try to beat the Gators, but Florida will be pushing hard to play their best volleyball in the late part of the season.  Going at least four.
·         Auburn vs. Mississippi State (Auburn, Ala.)(SPSO) 1:00 p.m. CT I will be doing this match on Sports South.  Two teams that may look a different to each other very different to each out other than last time they played.  Should go five.
·         Kentucky vs. Ole Miss (Oxford, Miss.) 1:30 p.m. CT A very tough for Ole Miss to have two top-25 teams back-to-back.  But, they are tough at home, and I think Kentucky will have really bring it all to beat the Rebels

Next Week: The SEC vs. the Top 25 and vs. other Conferences!

No. 18 Lady Vol Volleyball Drops Five-Set Thriller at No. 25 Kentucky

No. 18 Lady Vol Volleyball Drops Five-Set Thriller at No. 25 Kentucky

 

 

By Todd Mounce, Media Relations Graduate Assistant

 

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The No. 18 University of Tennessee Lady Vol volleyball team did its best to subdue a rowdy crowd of 1,959 rowdy Kentucky fans, but came up just short, falling in five set, 24-26, 26-24, 20-25, 26-24, 13-15, to No. 25 UK in a Wednesday evening match televised nationally by ESPNU at Memorial Coliseum.

“It was a match that was, on both sides, kind of a gritty match,” UT Head Coach Rob Patrick said. “I don’t think either side played their best volleyball, but I thought both sides played hard. It was two pretty evenly matched teams going at it. My hat’s off to Kentucky, they made some plays when they needed to and that was the difference in the match.”

“I’m proud of my team. We’ve been on the road for what seems like forever and I think it is starting to catch up to us a little bit. We gave everything we could out there. We’re still 8-1 and tied for first place (in the SEC). We’ll take that. We’ve played arguably our three hardest SEC matches on the road in the first half of the season and we still have a lot of tough matches left and a lot of volleyball to go. The reality is that we are still tied for first place and we are excited about that.”

The heartbreaking defeat halts UT’s winning streak at 11, along with putting an end to eight straight SEC wins. The Orange and White now stand at 15-3, 8-1 in Southeastern Conference play, while still controlling its own destiny in the league.

Three Lady Vols recorded double digits in kills, as reigning AVCA National Player of the Week Kelsey Robinson led the way, recording her SEC-leading 13th double-double on the season with 19 kills and 15 digs. Along with Robinson, junior DeeDee Harrison slammed down 15 balls and fellow junior Leslie Cikra tallied 11 kills. Harrison and Cikra also led the team in blocks, as Harrison registered six, two being solo, while Cikra batted down four.

Sophomore libero Ellen Mullins continues to be a force in the back row, digging a career-high 31 balls, which is the most in an SEC match this season.

After the two teams split four incredibly close frames to open the match, it became a race to 15 in the fifth and final set. An already tense match only increased in intensity as the score was tied at points two though seven.UK scored the next two to grab a 9-7 lead, but a miscue on the part of the Wildcats got Tennessee to within one, 9-8. The Big Orange got within a point again at 10-9 as a result of another UK miscue.

As a result of back-to-back Wildcat points, UT called a timeout down 12-9. Robinson put the team on her back, registering the next three points, all kills, to even the score at 12. Kentucky would go on to score the next two, but a laser by Cikra cut the deficit to one and gave UT the serve. The ensuing serve had a tab too much adrenaline and landed just long however, giving UK the win and Tennessee its first conference loss. 

The opening frame proved to be a sign of things to come as Kentucky barely outlasted the Lady Vols, 26-24, to take an early lead. With the score at two apiece early in the first frame, back-to-back kills from Cikra and a UK attack error gave the Lady Vols a 5-2 lead. The Lady Vols would again extend their lead to three, 7-4, after an attack error. The Wildcats would rally, scoring the next three to even things up at seven.

A blast by Robinson regained the lead for UT, 8-7, but the Wildcats would rattle off the next five points to grab a 12-8 advantage. A serving error long ended the Wildcat streak and cut the UK lead to three, 12-9, and on three more occasions, 13-10, 14-11 and 15-12 before going on a run of their own.

Down four, 16-12, two kills by Carly Sahagian cut the Wildcat lead to two, 16-14. UK would score three of the next four to make the score 19-15 in its favor. Not to be outdone, a bomb by freshman Shealyn Kolosky ignited a Lady Vol rally, as the team went on to score five and regain the lead, 20-19. During that 5-0 rally, Kolosky, Harrison and Robinson all had kills to go along with two UK miscues.

As comebacks were the theme of the set, the Wildcats would score five of the next six, giving them the lead 24-21 and the serve for the set. A serving error and an attack error by Kentucky forced the Wildcats to call a timeout, leading 24-23. Cikra and Harrison combined to send a UK attack back, evening the set at 24-24. It was not meant to be, as two Tennessee errors ended the set, as the Wildcats took the first point of the match by winning the opening frame, 26-24.

Kentucky outhit the Lady Vols .267 to .171, but Harrison was a perfect 3-3 on attacks. Robinson led the team in kills, registering four.

In the second set, the two squads traded points until the score was 4-4, when the Lady Vols went on a 3-0 run behind two blasts from freshman Tiffany Baker and a kill from Kolosky to give UT a 7-4 lead. UK would score the next four to regain the lead, 8-7, but its lead would not last long as another kill from Baker and two Wildcat errors made the score 10-8 in favor the Big Orange.

After UK scored the next two, a Robinson kill and a UK miscue gave UT another two point lead, 12-10. Kentucky would rebound, evening the set up at 12, before a kill from Robinson and a block by Harrison and Cikra allowed the Orange and White to regain the lead at 14-12. Another put back from Harrison and Cikra gave the Lady Vols a three point lead, 16-13.

The Wildcats scored the five of the ensuing six, as UK regained the lead, 18-17. The lead didn’t last long, as after a UT timeout; a kill from Baker knotted the match back up, this time at 18. The Wildcats would regain and extend their lead to three, 23-20, forcing Patrick to call a timeout.

The break in the action was just what the Lady Vols needed, as they scored the next four points by way of kills from Robinson and Harrison and two Wildcat errors. With the lead, 24-23, the Big Orange hit the ensuing serve into the net, but back-to-back kills from Harrison propelled Tennessee to grab the second set, 26-24.

It was the first time all season UK lost a set when the set went beyond 25 points. In the second frame, the Orange and White defense limited Kentucky to a mere .104 hitting percentage, while Harrison and Robinson notched four kills in the set.

The third set was won by the Wildcats in dominating fashion, grabbing the first point and never looking back. UK lead wire-to-wire, as UT could get no closer than within four. After scoring the first four points of the set and 10 of the first 12, the Orange and White cut the deficit to four, 10-6, behind a kill and a solo block from Harrison, plus two UK errors.

At 17-11, a smash by Harrison and a UK attack error again got UT within four, 17-13, but UT couldn’t cut any further into the deficit. Back-to-back kills by Baker and Pollmiller made the score 23-19, but UK scored the two of the next three to claim the set, 25-20, and regain the match lead at 2-1.

The Lady Vols showed their resiliency in the fourth set, in a battle of wills all the way to the end. The Orange and White scored four of the first six points in the fourth frame, as Harrison, Sahagian and Cikra all contributed kills. A miscue on the part of UK and a blast from Cikra pushed UT’s lead out to three, 6-3.

Kentucky would score the next five however, before kills from Baker and Kolosky evened the match at eight apiece. The Wildcats would regain the lead at 11-8, but two Robinson kills, a block by Robinson, a Harrison kill and a bad set by UK put the Lady Vols back on top, 13-12. The teams would be deadlocked at points 13 and 14 before Tennessee, down 15-14, scored the next five, as three Wildcat errors and kills from Baker and Cikra gave the Orange and White the 19-15 advantage.

Late in the set, with UT up 23-20, the Wildcats made things interesting, going on a 4-0 rally to grab the lead, 24-23. Tennessee would not be denied however, as a Robinson kill, a UK attack error and a solo block from Harrison gave the Lady Vols the set 26-24, and evened the match at two apiece to set up the dramatic fifth frame.

The team will look to rebound when it returns to court on Sunday, as it travels to Starkville, Miss., to take on the Bulldogs of Mississippi State at 1:30 p.m. CT.

##Tennessee Lady Vol Volleyball##

 

LSU Volleyball Falls to No. 13 Florida

LSU Volleyball Falls to No. 13 Florida

 

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Kristy Jaeckel and Stephanie Ferrell provided 11 kills each and No. 13 Florida totaled an impressive .368 team hitting percentage to notch a 3-0 sweep over the LSU volleyball team [16-25, 23-25, 8-25] Sunday in-front of 2,331 fans at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center.

The Tigers (11-6, 4-3 SEC) had an opportunity to even the match at a set apiece during the second stanza. Down 21-19, Helen Boyle and Michele Williams connected for out-of-system kills on consecutive plays to rally LSU and even the tally at 21-21.

The Gators were forced to burn a timeout. Out of the break, Williams teamed with Marissa Maas for a block of Jaeckel to vault LSU ahead, 22-21. The Tigers carried a 23-22 edge before Florida tallied three straight points to end the frame. Ferrell knocked back-to-back spikes, while a Madie Jones sideout attempt rolled along the tape of the net and ended on the LSU side to hand Florida a 25-23 win. 

“We had a window of opportunity in the second set, but the window slammed shut after the break,” head coach Fran Flory said. “You have to give Florida credit for that. The disappointing thing is that we didn’t do a good job of controlling things on our side of the net. That was the message to the team before the match. It didn’t matter who was on the other side. If we were able to control things and play our style, we could have been successful. We did that during the second set and stood toe-to-toe with them. We weren’t as resilient and as tough as we needed to be in a tough environment.”

Florida (13-3, 6-1 SEC) jumped out to early 10-4 advantages during the first and third sets. The Gators didn’t look back and won each of the frames going away by 25-16 and 25-8 margins.

UF tallied a 79 percent sideout percentage for the match. Kelly Murphy distributed 21 assists to go along with six digs and four kills, while Tangerine Wiggs slapped eight kills on 13 flawless swings for a .615 hitting clip. Defensively, Taylor Unroe recorded 16 digs to pace the Gators. 

“Murphy is a great player,” Flory said. “When her offense isn’t working, she’s going to find a way to influence play and help others. I have a ton of respect for her as a player. Jaeckel and Ferrell also are two outstanding outside hitters. Both are very physical, they hit the ball extremely quick and hard.”

Jones, Williams and Desiree Elliott paced the Tigers with six kills each. For Elliott, it ended her run of 12 straight matches with 10 or more kills.

Malorie Pardo finished with 21 assists, but LSU was limited to a season-low .027 hitting percentage. On the back row, Meghan Mannari reeled in 14 digs and has reached double figure scoops in 14 of 16 appearances.

“We can be successful and beat just about anybody,” Flory said. “Our kids have to understand and listen to play the way we need them to. The bottom line is we need a little more time with people doing different things. I’m very proud of how we played Friday, we knew we had to get at least 1-of-2 on the road this weekend. We fought hard through portions of this match, but couldn’t sustain our effort.”

LSU returns to the friendly confines of the Maravich Center and opens a four-match homestand Friday against Georgia. First serve for the program’s annual “Pink Match” is slated for 7 p.m. with live video and live stats offered through the Geaux Zone on LSUsports.net. In-match updates also are available via the program's social media outlets at http://twitter.com/lsuvolleyball or LSU Volleyball on Facebook.

Fans can take advantage of the second of four “Friday Night Meal Deal” featuring broiled Fish, rice pilaf, and ratatouille. The three-course meal is available for $7 starting at 6 p.m. inside the Courtside Club located at the Northwest Corridor entrance of the arena. Fans can preorder the meal by emailing promotions@lsu.edu or by calling Katie at (225) 578-5050 with the quantity and names.

For every home match, LSU volleyball also will be collecting books as part of its season-long book drive to benefit Everybody Reads Program through Volunteer in Public Schools. Fans are asked to bring new or used elementary level books to help local students. For more information, visit www.lsusports.net/geauxbooks.

 

 

Tennessee Volleyball Surges Back, Defeats Ole Miss in Five

Tennessee Volleyball Surges Back, Defeats Ole Miss in Five

 

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The No. 19 University of Tennessee Lady Vol volleyball team proved it was resilient group on Sunday, overcoming a 2-1 deficit in the match to defeat Ole Miss in five sets, 25-22, 17-25, 21-25, 25-21, 15-13, in front of the ninth-largest UT crowd of 1,244 fans at Thompson-Boling Arena.

“There is a lot of experience and a lot of athleticism on Ole Miss and to be honest with you, I don’t know how they don’t have more wins in the SEC,” Lady Vol head coach Rob Patrick said. “This was the type of match I was afraid that they were going to play. I didn’t think they played over their heads. I thought they played the way Ole Miss plays.”

With the win, the Orange and White improves to 15-2 overall and are still perfect in Southeastern Conference play, with an 8-0 mark against league foes. The win is also the 11th in a row for the Lady Vols, which is tied for the second-longest current winning streak in the nation.

“The most pressure that a team could have is when they are supposed to win and then are in a position to lose,” Patrick said. “This team plays very fearlessly. You wouldn’t know by looking at their faces and the way they are reacting if the match is in the fifth game or in the third game. They look and play the same and usually that is what you get with very mature, very experience teams.”

Sophomore Kelsey Robinson notched her 12th double-double of the season, as she had a 20-20 match, blasting 20 kills and digging up 20 against the Rebels. By having 20 kills versus OM, she has now registered 20 or more kills in nine matches this year.

Junior Leslie Cikra and freshman Tiffany Baker were also offensive forces for the Big Orange. Cikra connected on 16 kills, while Baker converted on 10 of her 19 swings to notch a hitting percentage of .368.

DeeDee Harrison, a junior, hit a team-best .462 against the Rebels, as she blasted eight kills and led the team in blocks with six, including one solo putback. Sophomore Ellen Mullens was only behind Robinson in digs, as she had 14 on the afternoon. Freshman Nikki Brice just missed tallying double digits in kills, as she dug up nine Ole Miss attacks.

Assists wise, freshman Mary Pollmiller again led the way for the Lady Vols with 52, in addition to nine digs. Sophomore Kylann Scheidt appeared in her just her second match of the season after recovering from surgery. Against OM, she registered six kills and a dig.

After Ole Miss scored the first point of set one, the Lady Vols rattled off the next three by way of a Harrison kill that tied the match at one, a block by Harrison and Cikra and another Harrison kill off an overpass. Tennessee would keep the lead at two, 4-2 and 5-3, before Ole Miss rallied to score the next four and take a 7-5 lead.

A Rebel service error, followed by an Ole Miss attack error knotted the match at seven all. OM would rebound, scoring the next two to take a 9-7 lead. The Lady Vols cut the deficit to one on five occasions, 9-8, 10-9, 11-10, 12-11 and 13-12 before they could even the match at 13-13. The Rebels then scored three straight to make the score 16-13.

An OM miscue and a Robinson blast cut the Rebel lead to one, 16-15, but the Rebels countered by notching the next two points. With the score at 18-15, the Lady Vols rallied, scoring five of the next six to grab a 20-19 advantage, which was their first lead since the match was 5-4. During that run, the Lady Vols got a pair of kills from Harrison, along with Harrison and Robinson combining for a block.

The opening frame was tied at 20, 21 and 22 before the Big Orange obtained the lead by way of a Cikra kill that made the score 23-22, followed by a Robinson kill and a Kolosky block, which gave UT the set, 25-22.

During the opening set, Robinson had six kills, while Harrison registered five of her own. The Lady Vols outhit OM, .371-.189, with Robinson hitting at a clip of .750.

In the second set, the Rebels responded in a big way, as it lead wire-to-wire. Kills by Cikra and Harrison evened things at two apiece, but Ole Miss would score the next three and never look back. Down four, 11-7, UT looked as if it would storm back, scoring the next four to even the set at 11. In that span, the Lady Vols took advantage of two OM miscues in addition to a block by Sahagian and Harrison and a service ace by Robinson.

However, Ole Miss returned the favor, going on a 4-0 rally of its own to make the score 15-11. The Lady Vols could not get closer than four down the stretch, 18-14, 19-15 and 20-16, as the Rebels scored the last three points of the set, winning 25-17 and evening the match at one apiece.

Following the second set break, the squads traded 3-0 runs early in the third frame. With the score 2-0 in UT’s favor, Ole Miss would score the next three to take the lead, 3-2. Tennessee bounced back with a 3-0 rally of its own, by way of a Robinson kill, a Robinson ace and an OM attack error, as UT regained the lead 6-4.

The Rebels tied the match at six, as the teams proceeded to trade the next four points. At 8-8, Ole Miss would score the next two and five of the next seven to grab a 13-10 lead. A kill by Baker got the Lady Vols to within two, 13-11, but it would be the closest the team would get for the remainder of the set.

With OM leading 15-11, the two squads went back and forth until the Rebels led the set, 19-16. An attack error by the Rebels along with a Robinson blast kept the Lady Vols in the set, 22-19, but Ole Miss would score the next two to get itself within a point of winning the set, 24-19. After another Robinson scorcher and a block from Cikra and Harrison, Ole Miss won the set off of a kill by Kara Morgan, 25-21, and took a 2-1 lead in the match.

Down but not out, the Orange and White gutted out the fourth set. Robinson and Cikra led the charge, combining for nine kills. The set opened with a Rebel service error and a solo block by Harrison to get UT out to a quick 2-0 advantage. Ole Miss would however rattle off the next three, but a kill by Robinson evened the score at 3-3.

With the set tied at five all, OM went on another 3-0 rally, but a Baker blast and an OM miscue cut the Lady Vol deficit to one, 8-7. The Lady Vols finally caught up to Ole Miss at 12, when Mullens registered her 11th serving ace of the season.

Another 3-0 run by the Rebels that made the score 15-12, UT tied the match up at 15 after a Cikra kill and back-to-back blasts from Baker. Down 16-15, UT rallied to score the next four, as kills from Baker and Robinson, plus a block by Robinson and freshman Shealyn Kolosky and a OM attack error gave UT a 19-16 advantage.

That would be all that Tennessee would need as a pair of Cikra kills made the score 23-19 and she ended the set with another, as UT won the set 25-21, to force a fifth set.

The fifth and final set was not for the faint of heart, as it was a back-and-forth battle from beginning to end, featuring 11 ties and three lead changes. Down 2-1, Cikra propelled the Lady Vols with three straight kills to give UT the lead at 4-2. Ole Miss tied the match at four, but blasts from Baker gave Tennessee the lead twice, 5-4 and 6-5.

All tied up at six, a service error gave the Orange and White the lead 7-6. After OM again knotted the match up, this time at seven, a Robinson kill regained an 8-7 advantage for UT.  Knotted up at nine all, Ole Miss would score the next two to force Tennessee to call a timeout. Cikra, who had four kills in the final set, cut the OM lead to one, 11-10, and an attack error by the Rebels made the score 11-11.

After back-to-back service errors that made the score 12-12, Ole Miss would grab its final lead of the set off a Whitney Craven kill that made the score 13-12. A kill from Baker tied the set a 13 apiece and a huge solo block from Kolosky gave the Lady Vols a slim 14-13 lead.

With junior Jasmine Brown serving for the set and match, a ball handling error by OM gave Tennessee the win, 15-13, and a thrilling comeback victory.

Tennessee will quickly return to action, as the team travels to Lexington, Ky., for a showdown with the Wildcats on Wednesday evening. The battle of the top two Eastern division teams will be televised by ESPNU, with first serve slated for 8 p.m.

##Tennessee Lady Vol Volleyball##

 

 

 

Phil Bush: SEC “The Rotation” Volleyball Blog with Phil Bush

Phil Bush is an SEC volleyball analyst for SportSouth and Comcast Sports South and writes this weekly column for the SEC Digital Network.

 

 

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This was an exceptional and interesting week of volleyball in the SEC.  Here are few key items that were exceptional and may set the tone for the rest of the season:

1.     Tennessee’s win at Florida means that they are how the Favorite, especially in the ultra competitive SEC East.  A great match that went 5 sets, but the now number #23 in the country outlasted the Gators.

2.    The number of Road Victories was SMALL.  This is important because as I have said, defending the home court is so critical in every sport.

3.    Friday, Tennessee was the ONLY Road team that won, and nearly had to go 5 sets in Columbia, as the Gamecocks showed what defending the home Floor is all about.  Every home team won and it wasn’t because they were all necessarily better that the opposition.  Winning on the Road has gotten to be harder and harder as the conference has gotten better and better.

4.    Sunday, Kentucky over came the “Gator Hangover” losing in 4 to the Gators, taking the long road trip to Columbia, and winning at USC.

There is a lot of Volleyball to be played and there are some very interesting match-ups.  I am partial to one in particular, as my first Sports South (Fox) match of this young season will be #23 Tennessee at the young but talented Arkansas Lady Backs on Sunday at 2:00 EST.  Pete Pranica and I will have the call of what should be a really fun match on a Sunday afternoon.

For more Go to the SEC Blog for more of Phil Bush's SEC Rotation Volleyball Blog

Phil Bush: What Texas A&M Joining The Southeastern Conference Means For SEC Volleyball

 

 

 

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The SEC Digital Network caught up with SEC Volleyball Insider Phil Bush on Tuesday to get his take on the addition of the Aggies.

 

 

 

SEC Volleyball News by Phil Bush

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SEC Volleyball News by Phil Bush

 

ATLANTA - We are three weeks into the Division I volleyball schedule and it is time for conference play. I wanted to do a short review of each team’s progress through non-conference play. In nearly all cases, the Southeastern Conference teams have made themselves better by playing tough opposition.

You don’t go through non-conference play undefeated most years and, if you do, it usually comes back to bite you when you start playing conference matches. I think the conference teams have all set themselves up for success by doing two important things:

·         Going on the road to play tough teams. Nearly every team has gone on the road and played at least one team from a “Power Conference.”  It is easy to say, “They lost; they clearly are not very good.” I disagree, because the teams that go on the road and play tough teams get better faster in almost every case. You learn much more about your team from most losses.  The SEC coaches know this and that is why the SEC is getting better year after year.

·         Winning a few matches you were not supposed to win. Again, you don’t win them all, but you do continually learn. The SEC teams have all learned a lot during the last few weeks, and the travel and the tournaments have given the fans of all the teams something to look forward to.

Reminder: If you are in a town where the SEC home teams are playing, get out there and support the team. Defending the home court is job No. 1 for every team, and they need the fans out to carry that advantage when they are at home. They need that “7th Fan” advantage because winning on the road in SEC volleyball is just plain hard!

So, what happened last week the teams?  Well you can read all the news in the SEC weekly press release, but some important highlights:

Alabama: Won some big matches on the road against Toledo, an Ivy League perennial power Penn, and lost a closely contested four-set affair with No. 25 Ohio State – a great week of prep getting ready for the SEC.

Arkansas: On the road at West Point, the Razorbacks took out three teams and only dropped one set doing it. Going 9-1 in sets in three days of play including taking out the tourney host Army gets this team ready for conference play.

Auburn: After a strong week of play last week, the Tigers ran into No. 20 Miami and No. 22 Oklahoma on back-to-back nights, and that that was a tough task when you are playing Miami at home. Still, the start for this team as has been solid, with some good wins along the way.

Florida: The Gators played three five-set matches and there was not a bad team near their schedule.  They lost at home to No. 12 Iowa State, beat No. 8 Texas, and barely lost to home-standing No. 2 Stanford. That all took place in one week. The Gators got ready as they usually do; they basically put up as sign that says “Will take on all comers” and play them at home or on the road.  The Gators may not be undefeated, but they are the pick to win the SEC for this reason: No team in the country gets better like the Gators do - every year, every match - and the Gators get always better.

Georgia: The Bulldogs have been on the road for two weeks, and while their record is not perfect, they are playing teams on the road, and making every team they play sweat. The Bulldogs are building up and I suspect that they are going to pull off some big victories in conference. Why?  Because they will not be intimidated and will fight back every match.

Kentucky: After starting out slowly on the road, the Wildcats have been dynamite at home, including beating Houston, Louisville, Loyola Marymount, Ohio, and West Virginia. The Wildcats are ready for the SEC wars, that is for sure.

LSU: A little bit of a hard week for the Tigers, once again, on the road. Losses to Xavier and homestanding Western Kentucky were speed bumps for this team. The Tigers always have great athletes and will be ready as they hit the road again this week, this time in their own conference.

Ole Miss: Hosted and beat teams last week, including never bad Big 10 team Northwestern. The Rebels may have started a little slow, but they have gotten better as each week goes by.

Mississippi State: Speaking of getting better on the road, these Bulldogs go to Texas and take out three Texas-based teams to win the tourney. Again, this speaks to rapid growth for the SEC teams.

Here’s the quote of the week from Jenny Hazelwood at Mississippi State: “This was another solid all-around match to build on.” Notice the words and how they are phrased. Not how good or bad we were, but the art of building. That is what makes great volleyball coaches and great volleyball teams.

South Carolina: With one exception, the Gamecocks have been on their game every match. They are 9-1 to start the season, and they have only lost to in-state rival and ACC power Clemson. Other than that, they have won, and posted a bunch of 3-0 wins. This team is ready for significant steps in their climb up the SEC ladder.

Tennessee:  The Lady Vols have played their usual tough early-season schedule and most of it on the road again. This past week, they went to Virginia, and took out three teams, posted a 9-1 record in sets, and defeated the host team, Virginia Tech, to win the championship. Rob Patrick’s teams tend to always come ready to compete.

I have been very impressed it the performances of each of the 11 teams in the pre-conference season.  Now we get to the really fun part of the year, as the SEC Teams get ready to do battle.

To put it another way, based on teams in the top 25, the SEC has played 12 of the currently-ranked teams. Tell me what other conference prepares by playing this many hard matches and, typically on the road? 

Interesting First Week Match-ups
Without going through every battle, what catches my eye this weekend? How about these great match-ups:

Alabama hosts Arkansas and then LSU: I can look at this in one of two ways: Tough weekend to host two hot teams or teams on the road will have to know they will get their opponents’ best shot.

Auburn at Kentucky then at Tennessee:  This is a tough road trip to start the season for the Tigers. It should be two excellent matches for the Tigers to prove themselves.

LSU on the road to take on Ole Miss and then Alabama: A hard road trip, but a chance for the Tigers to put a stake in the ground on the SEC West.

Mississippi State: Hosts No. 7 Florida and then the hot South Carolina Gamecocks: Two tough matches for the Bulldogs, but don’t think for a minute this team will lay down. They have played difficult teams on the road, and I expect a big Bulldog crowd, particularly on Friday when the Gators come to call.

Top SEC Performers – bring on the youth again!

In what is becoming a joyful habit, each week, we have younger players who are getting these awards. This week, look the Players of the week:  Two juniors take home Player of the Week honors.

SEC OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Amanda Philpot
Setter, Ole Miss
5-8 • Jr. • Cincinnati, Ohio

• Had 33 assists, 20 digs and 10 kills in a win over Northwestern, a team receiving points in the latest AVCA Coaches Poll. It was her first triple-double of the season and third of her career
• Named MVP of the Magnolia Invitational after helping her team to a 3-0 mark
• Averaged 32 assists, 12 digs and 6.7 kills per match in three contests over the weekend; added eight blocks on the defensive end
• Turned in five service aces; had a .325 attack percentage during action at the Magnolia Invite

SEC DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Stephanie Klefot
Libero, Kentucky
5-7 • Jr. • Louisville, Kentucky

• Had a match-high 24 digs in a win over Houston; became the 10th player in school history to post 1,000 or more digs in a career
• Totaled 69 digs in four matches at the UK Invitational, earning All-Tournament Team honors
• Posted 21 digs in a 3-0 sweep of Louisville, a team receiving votes in the latest AVCA Coaches Poll
• Added 15 digs, three aces and three assists in a sweep over West Virginia

SEC FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK
Mary Pollmiller
Setter, Tennessee
5-10 • Fr. • Littleton, Colorado

• Named to the Hokie Invite All-Tournament Team
• Totaled 110 assists in three matches over the weekend, including a 53-assist output in a win over Virginia Tech
• Has five matches with at least 50 assists this season
• Also added 22 digs and two blocks on the defensive end during action at Hokie Invite
• Had 12 kills with just one error for a .440 attack percentage in three matches
• Aided the Lady Vols to its highest team hitting percentages of the season in wins over Virginia Tech (.392) and American (.412)

OTHER TOP PERFORMANCES

·         All Tangerine Wiggs (RS, Florida) did last week was hit .387 with 45 kills against three ranked opponents.  Those are some big time numbers when you play Iowa State, Texas, and Stanford in the same week.
·         Kelli Stipanovich (OH, Arkansas) – Posted a career-high 16 digs in a win over Dartmouth; named MVP of the West Point Challenge
·         Michele Williams (MB, LSU) – Blocked a career-high nine shots in a loss to Western Kentucky
·         Caitlin Rance (OH, Mississippi State) – Recorded a double-double (23 kills, 12 digs) in a win over Baylor
·         Regina Thomas (MB, Ole Miss) – Averaged 1.90 blocks per set in three matches over the weekend
·         Betsy Smith (MB, Florida) – Averaged 1.27 blocks per set in three matches last week
·         Paige Wheeler (DS/L, South Carolina) – Totaled 55 digs in three matches at the Carolina Challenge
·         Malorie Pardo (S, LSU) – Posted 50 assists, 10 digs and a career-high four blocks against Xavier
·         Christa Alvarez (L, Arkansas) – Tallied a career-high 20 digs in a win over Dartmouth
·         Tirah Le’au (OH, Georgia) – Had 20 kills and nine digs in a win over Samford

This week is about going on the road or defending the home court. 

Anyway you look it, there are going to be a bunch of four and five-set matches that will be talked about all over the country this week.

See you on the courts - support the SEC and go see one of these great teams play.

No. 19 Iowa State Cyclones Volleyball Team Upsets No. 9 Gators on the Road

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No. 19 Iowa Cyclones Volleyball Team Upsets No. 9 Gators on the Road

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The No. 19 Cyclones (7-0, 0-0 Big 12) scored their first win over a top-10 team since the 2009 season on Monday, upsetting No. 9 Florida (6-1, 0-0 SEC) in five hard-fought sets (25-19, 29-27, 17-25, 18-25, 16-14).

“Florida is a great team,” Cyclones head coach Christy Johnson-Lynch said. “The Gators are a very physical team and I thought we did a good job of staying aggressive in fifth game. We did a good job of keeping the pressure on them. The win is a team effort.”

Senior Kelsey Petersen led the Cyclones with a career-best 15 kills. Setter Alison Landwehr recorded her first double-double of the season with 52 assists and 11 digs and redshirt freshman Hannah Willms had a career day with 12 kills and 12 digs for her first career double-double performance.

Jamie Straube added 13 kills for the Cyclones and Carly Jenson and libero Kristen Hahn were in double-digits with 15 digs and 11 digs, respectively.

Despite the well-balanced attack from Iowa State, in the deciding set it was mistakes that crippled the Gators and gave the Cyclones the edge. The Gators had nine errors, five off serves, during the set and an attack error by Kelly Murphy ended the match.

A battle from the start, Iowa State collected five blocks and held Florida to .029 hitting to take the first set.

Offense saved the day in set two as the Cyclones came back from facing two set points to win the set 29-27. Tenisha Matlock, Petersen and Willms each had four kills in the set to lead the Cyclones to a .361 hitting percentage and the 2-1 match lead.

Set three belonged to Florida as the Gators jumped on Iowa State early and hit .469 in the set behind four kills each by Kristy Jaeckel and Tangerine Wiggs. The Gators recorded three blocks in the set, slowing the Iowa State offense to .229, the first set of sub-.300 hitting for the Cyclones on the day.

The Gators held strong in set four, grabbing six blocks and halting the Iowa State offense which hit .060. Petersen had four kills for the second-straight set and Straube added four kills in the 25-18 set loss.

Overall, Jaeckel led the Gators with 16 kills and Murphy scored a double-double with 29 assists and 21 digs.

 Next weekend the Cyclones are in Fargo, N.D. to face North Dakota State on Friday and Saturday. Friday’s match is slated for 7 p.m. CDT with Saturday’s to follow at 1 p.m.

LSU Volleyball Preview Part 1: Outside Hitters

Volleyball Preview Part 1: Outside Hitters

 

BATON ROUGE – LSU volleyball has garnered an impressive 140-44 mark and is one of 18 programs in the nation to secure six consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances en route to the nation's 11th-best winning percentage going back to the 2005 season.

 

A core group of returnees fueled by 2011 All-SEC Preseason performers Michele Williams and Desiree Elliott coupled with a top 20 recruiting class from PrepVolleyball.com has positioned the Tigers to continue their championship tradition by making a run at its unprecedented seventh straight SEC Western Division title and NCAA Tournament berth.

 

First in a four-part series previewing the upcoming season takes a glance at what LSU fans can expect from the Tiger outside hitters this fall.

 

Junior Madie Jones is the lone upperclassmen and headlines a young group of gifted outside hitters. She broke into the starting lineup during the final 11 matches of the season and popped 10 of her 13 double digit kill performances in SEC play. Her 283 kills at a 2.64 per set ratio ranked third on the team in both categories.

 

Freshmen Helen Boyle and Avery Striebel also will compete for time on the outside. Boyle won a pair of 4A state championships while at St. Joseph’s Academy in Missouri and was a three-time 4A All-State First Team pick. She also claimed 2010 St. Louis Post-Dispatch Player of the Year and participated at the 2010 USA Volleyball's Women's Junior A2 Program.

 

Coming off a medical redshirt, Striebel looks to show her talents after she picked up 2009 Carolina 3A Conference Player of the Year for Cardinal Gibbons High School in North Carolina. She also collected three state championships during her prep career.

 

“We’re pleased with Madie’s development,” head coach Fran Flory said. “We’ll rely upon her to do a lot for us this season, and I believe she can take that next step like Angela did for us last season to become an All-SEC caliber player. Both Avery and Helen know how to win. They have a enormous amount of shot-making ability and can make good things happen on the court.”

 

On the right side, Nicole Willis is looking to take the next step after seeing limited action as a freshman last season. The southpaw chipped in seven kills, eight digs and four blocks over 12 sets of action. She came away with three CAP All-Conference First-Team selections during her prep career at Needham Broughton High School in North Carolina.

 

Peska, a multiple All-District 5A-17 performer from Taylor High School in Texas, will be in the mix on the right side when not taking swings in the middle.

 

“We feel great about the progress that Nicole continues to make,” Flory said. “I’m confident she’s ready to step forward and rise to the challenges that are ahead.”

 

LSU plays host to its annual Purple & Gold Scrimmage Saturday at 7 p.m. before the Tigers open the regular season by welcoming Alcorn State, Louisiana-Lafayette, Jacksonville State and 2010 NCAA Tournament participant Miami, Fla. to the Maravich Center for the Tiger Classic on Aug. 26-27.

 

Fans are encouraged to take advantage of the Geaux Free program for all home matches this season compliments of The Advocate. The Tigers have compiled a 62-10 home mark since 2005.

 

For all of the latest information on LSU volleyball, log on to http://www.lsusports.net/volleyball or follow the program's social media outlets at http://twitter.com/lsuvolleyball or LSU Volleyball on Facebook.

 

UK Volleyball Notebook: Two Named Preseason All-SEC

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UK Volleyball Notebook: Two Named Preseason All-SEC

Blue/White scrimmage set for Sunday, Aug. 21, at 3 p.m. ET

 

LEXINGTON, Ky. –  Senior Becky Pavan and junior Stephanie Klefot represented the University of Kentucky on the Southeastern Conference’s preseason volleyball team it was announced by the league office Tuesday. The UK duo is one of three pairs of teammates to earn early season honors as voted on by the league’s 11 coaches.

 

The preseason All-SEC team consists of a minimum of nine players, which are voted on by the league’s coaches.  Ties are not broken.  Florida, Kentucky and LSU led all schools with two selections each.  In addition, Alabama, Arkansas, Ole Miss and Tennessee each had a student-athlete named to the team. 

 

Pavan is a three-year starter at middle blocker for the Blue and White. She returns as UK’s leader in career kills and blocks. The Kitchener, Ontario, native averages more than two kills per set and nearly a block per frame. She has tossed down 10 or more kills in 25 career matches and rejected five or more opponent attacks on 28 occasions in her career.

 

Klefot is the reigning SEC Libero of the Year after pacing the Wildcat defensive effort in her first season as the squad’s defensive engineer. The Louisville, Ky., native has posted more than 830 career scoops and is nearing the century mark for career digs. She is on pace to achieve that milestone this season and will become the school’s 11^th player to tally 1,000 or more career digs.

 

2011 Preseason All-SEC Team             

Kayla Fitterer, OH, Alabama.               

Jasmine Norton, OH, Arkansas   
Kristy Jaeckel, OH, Florida

Kelly Murphy, S/RS, Florida

Becky Pavan, MB, Kentucky

Stephanie Klefot, DS/L, Kentucky

Desiree Elliott, MB, LSU
Michele Williams, MB, LSU

Regina Thomas, MB, Ole Miss

Kayla Jeter, OH, Tennessee

 

Blue/White Scrimmage set for Sunday, 3 p.m. ET

 

Fans will have a chance to come out and see the first glimpse of the 2011 edition of the UK volleyball team on Sunday, Aug. 21 at 3 p.m. ET in the annual Blue-White scrimmage.

 

Head coach Craig Skinner’s squad will compete in an intra-squad contest and fans may view the action at free of charge. Parking is available in the “E” lots surrounding Memorial Coliseum. Fans are asked to pay close attention to parking instructions, as incoming Kentucky students will be arriving to campus this weekend.

 

Kentucky’s opening home contest is Tuesday, Aug. 30 at 7 p.m. ET. UK will take on Cincinnati to begin three consecutive weeks of action in the friendly confines of Memorial Coliseum. In the 31-year history of UK volleyball the Wildcats own a winning percentage of .700 in the legendary building.

 

UK Receiving Votes in AVCA Poll to Being 2011 Season

 

Following its sixth-consecutive season of advancing to the NCAA tournament and returning a total of five starters the Kentucky volleyball team was among those receiving votes in the opening American Volleyball Coaches Association poll.

 

This marks the third consecutive season the Blue and White are either ranked or receiving votes to open the season.

 

Eight of UK’s 2011 opponents are among those ranked or receiving votes to begin the year including: Florida, Tulsa, Tennessee, LSU, Florida State, Louisville, Cincinnati and Western Kentucky.

 

2011 AVCA Preseason Poll
1)  Penn State

2)  Southern California

3)  California

4)  Texas

5)  Nebraska

6)  Stanford

7)  Washington

8)  Illinois

9)  Florida

10) Hawai’i

11) UCLA

12) Minnesota

13) Purdue

14) Northern Iowa

15) Colorado State

16) Oklahoma

17) Duke

18) Iowa State

19) Dayton

20) San Diego

21) Ohio State

22) Long Beach State

23) Tulsa

24) Michigan

24) Tennessee

 

Receiving Votes: Pepperdine, LSU, Oregon, Missouri, Florida State, Indiana, St. Mary’s (Ca.), Louisville, Arizona, Kentucky, Cincinnati, Miami (FL), Clemson, Wichita State, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Cal Poly, Michigan State, Northwestern, Western Kentucky

 

Visit UKathletics.com for the most up-to-date information on the UK volleyball team and all of Kentucky’s 22 teams.

 

 

Alabama’s Kayla Fitterer Named To Preseason All-SEC Volleyball Team

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Alabama’s Kayla Fitterer Named To Preseason All-SEC Volleyball Team

Crimson Tide Season Slated to Begin On August 26

 

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama junior outside hitter Kayla Fitterer was named to the 2011 Volleyball Preseason All-SEC Team, which was announced by the Southeastern Conference office on Tuesday. Fitterer was selected as one of the top 10 players in the SEC entering the 2011 season.

 

Fitterer is coming off a stellar sophomore campaign for Alabama where she led the SEC in kills per set with 3.92 in conference play. For her outstanding play, she earned All-SEC Second Team honors, becoming the 18th player in Crimson Tide history to be recognized by the conference.

 

“It’s great for Kayla to be recognized as one of the top players heading into the season by the SEC coaches,” head coach Ed Allen said. “Kayla’s coming off an injury, so for us to be successful we will need her to return to the form that’s garnered All-SEC awards. She’s going to be a cornerstone for this program over the next two years.”

 

The Edwardsville, Ill., native finished the 2010 season with 403 kills (3.73 kps), ranking second in the SEC in total kills and kills per set. Fitterer racked up 11 double-doubles last season, nine of which came against SEC opponents, bringing her career total to a dozen. She started all 30 matches for the Tide in 2010 and led the team in kills on 17 occasions.

 

She was named SEC Player of the Week on Nov. 8, 2010, following a 34-kill, 24-dig performance in the Tide’s five-set win over Kentucky on Nov. 7. Fitterer’s 34 kills were the highest of the season in a match of all SEC teams and the most by an Alabama player since 2004.

 

On Monday, the SEC announced the preseason coaches’ poll. The Tide was picked to finish fifth in the SEC West.

 

The season begins with the Hampton Inn Bama Bash on August 26-27 at newly renovated Foster Auditorium. Alabama opens the tournament, and the season, against Alabama State at noon on Friday, Aug. 26. The six-match tournament also features Texas State and Austin Peay.

 

The Crimson Tide will play 14 home matches this season and opens SEC play against Arkansas on Sept. 16 at 7 p.m. Other key SEC matches include Sunday contests against Florida (Oct. 16) and Auburn (Oct. 30). The final home weekend of the season has the Tide hosting Kentucky on Nov. 11 and Tennessee on Nov. 13.

 

Season tickets for the 2011 Alabama women’s volleyball team are on sale now. Full season ticket packages are $35 and can be purchased online through RollTide.com/tickets or by calling the Alabama ticket office at 205-348-2262 or toll free at 1-877-TIDETIX (843-3849). Single game tickets will go on sale Monday, Aug. 22. Single game prices are $5 for adults, $3 for youths (18 and under) and free for UA students with their ACTion card.

 

Alabama Crimson Tide Volleyball Team News (SEC Conference)

Alabama Crimson Tide Volleyball Team News

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Alabama Crimson Tide Volleyball Team News

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Arkansas Razorbacks Volleyball Team News (SEC Conference)

Arkansas Razorbacks Volleyball Team News

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Arkansas Razorbacks Volleyball Team News

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Florida Gators Volleyball Team News (SEC Conference)

Florida Gators Volleyball Team News

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Florida Gators Volleyball Team News

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