Volleyball Voices

(video)UCSB Women's Volleyball Swept UC Riverside Tuesday at the Thunderdome.

UCSB women's volleyball swept UC Riverside Tuesday at the Thunderdome.

UC Santa Barbara Women's Volleyball: 11/2: UCSB 3, UCR 0

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Samford Volleyball Players Begin Spring Workouts

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Samford Volleyball Players Begin Spring Workouts

--- Bulldogs to play in four tournaments this spring ---

 

 

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ---- The Samford University volleyball team has begun spring workouts and now looks forward to seeing some action beginning in late March.

 

The Bulldogs will compete in springs tournaments at Alabama (March 27), at the Ohio Valley Volleyball Center (April 10) and at Ole Miss (April 24). The tournaments will be all-day events. Samford head coach Derek Schroeder hopes to add a fourth date at home but that has not been determined yet.

 

“All three of these tournaments will afford us ample opportunities to compete,” Samford head coach Derek Schroeder. “I am glad that after two years of training and recruiting, we have gotten to a place with this team where I am looking to play and compete in as many spring matches as possible.”

 

Samford will have 13 of its 15-player roster on campus this spring while adding two this spring to its already talented squad. The first is Lauren Hutchinson, a transfer from the University of Georgia who enrolled in January and is ready to begin workouts with the Bulldogs in the spring. The second is Lyndsey Holt, who redshirted in the fall due to an Achilles injury. She has worked hard throughout the season to get in shape, and is ready to finally get back on the court.

 

Schroeder hopes that with the amount of action his team will see this spring, the duo will get comfortable on the court with the team so they can add to the success that Samford has had in the last three years.

 

“This schedule will help Lauren get acclimated to our blocking schemes and transition speed,” Schroeder said. “It will also help Lyndsey get back into volleyball gradually and not have to risk further problems. I am excited to add both these kids into the solid foundation we already have.”

 

The Samford Bulldogs two-time North Division Volleyball Champions in the Southern Conference after just two years in the league. In the past two years, under the direction of Schroeder, the Bulldogs have posted a .703 winning percentage. Samford also put together a string of 21 straight wins since the opening of Pete Hanna Center before having that streak snapped by the College of Charleston on Oct. 17.

 

 

 

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College Volleyball Team Information This Week: LSU vs. UT Lady Vols This Weekend in SEC Action

Volleyball Opens SEC Action with Tennessee

 

BATON ROUGE – The LSU volleyball team opens Alumnae Weekend by heading into Southeastern Conference action Friday against Tennessee. First serve is slated for 7 p.m. at the Maravich Center.

 

“Tennessee is a very difficult opponent to start SEC play with,” head coach Fran Flory said. “They’re a veteran team on a roll right now. We’re going to have to do an excellent job of controlling the first contact on both sides whether it’s serving or passing to be successful.”

 

The Tigers (6-3, 0-0 SEC) are receiving 30 votes in the latest edition of the AVCA Top 25 and have tallied votes during the first four polls after turning in a trio of 2-1 showings at the Shamrock Invitational , Tiger Classic and Allstate Sugar Bowl.

 

LSU’s offense is fueled by Brittnee Cooper and Marina Skender, who have combined for 49.1 percent of the team’s kills. Cooper has built on her 2008 AVCA All-America Honorable Mention form and claimed All-Tournament Team honors in all three of LSU’s appearances.

 

A 2009 All-SEC Preseason Team honoree, Cooper has powered home 127 kills at a 3.63 per set clip on an impressive .393 hitting percentage. She has turned in over a .400 clip in six of her last seven matches highlighted by a pair of 20-kill performances against Long Beach State and No. 6 Nebraska.

 

Skender is well on her way to returning to her 2007 form where she ripped double-digit kills 20 times and added 13 double-doubles. She missed all of the 2008 season due to injury and has already knocked double-digit kills in seven of nine matches this season.

 

Skender has come away with All-Tournament Team accolades in each of the last two weekends. She also has compiled three double-doubles and became the fifth player in program history to join the historic 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs club.

 

“Brittnee and Marina did a tremendous job preparing for the season and they’re reaping the benefits of all their hard work,” Flory said. “It’s no secret that they’re our leaders. We have to establish a little more balanced in SEC play if we’re going to be the team that we’re capable of being.”

 

Sam Dabbs strung together consecutive double-doubles against Long Beach State and New Orleans to conclude the Allstate Sugar Bowl Classic last weekend. She ranks third in the SEC and has passed out 10.09 assists per set, improving on her average from 9.22 in 2008.

 

Brittney Johnson also has seen time at the setter position and has posted 8.86 assists per set in her 14 frames as the primary setting option. The Baton Rouge native also takes swings from the outside and has already registered 26 blocks in nine matches after tallying 39 blocks during all of last season.

 

Lauren DeGirolamo has popped five or more kills on better than a .500 hitting percentage in three of her last four matches sparked by a 13-kill, nine-dig effort against Long Beach State last weekend. After being eased back into the lineup to start the season,DeGirolamo worked extremely hard on her back row defense during rehab and has corralled seven or more digs in seven of nine matches.

 

Lauren Waclawczyk and Sam Delahoussaye anchor the back row for the Tigers and have combined for seven double-digit dig performances.  Waclawczyk secured a career-best 17 digs against No. 6 Nebraska, while Delahoussaye reached the same feat at Notre Dame. 

 

Friday’s match kicks off LSU’s involvement in the 2009 SEC Together We CAN Food Drive. The Tiger softball team will be on-hand to collect can donations prior to the match. There will be five barrels inside the Maravich Center between the Lower Southeast and Southwest entrances. All proceeds benefit the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank.

 

Friday’s match also serves as Student Point Night and the annual Gold Diggers Match. There will be 300 T-Shirts handed out throughout the match.

 

Tickets are now on-sale at www.LSUSports.net, the official Web site of LSU Athletics. Tickets also can be purchased at the ticket office on the first floor of the Athletics Administration Building or by calling (225) 578-2184. LSU students, faculty and staff are admitted free with a valid LSU ID.

 

LSU volleyball also is offering the Friends and Family Pass where fans receive four tickets, four hot dogs and four drinks for only $20. Live stats and video for the Tennessee match is available on LSUsports.net in the Geaux Zone.

College Volleyball Team Information This Week: TEXAS Volleyball preview: No. 10 Iowa State

 

The No. 2 Longhorns play host to the Cyclones in a Top 10 showdown on Friday, Sept. 18. 

First serve is set for 6:30 p.m.

 

Match 7: No. 2/2 TEXAS (6-0, 1-0 Big 12) vs. No. 10/10 Iowa State (9-1, 1-0 Big 12)

When: Friday, Sept. 18 at 6:30 p.m.

Where: Austin, Texas (Gregory Gymnasium)

Live Stats: Follow the play-by-play on GameTracker

Internet Audio/Video: Watch Texas Volleyball home matches FREE on TexasSports.TV. 

 

SERIES INFO

All-Time Series Records: Texas leads Iowa State, 26-2 (H: 15-0, A: 11-2, N: 0-0)

Last meeting with Iowa State: Texas defeated Iowa State, 3-1 (25-19, 25-19, 17-25, 25-12) on Dec. 13, 2008 in the NCAA Austin Regional finals

Current Streak: Texas has won the last eight meetings

 

TICKETS

Great seats are available for fans wanting to purchase season or single match tickets. For information or to order, call the UT Athletics ticket office at 512-471-3333 or visit TexasBoxOffice.com.

 

PROMOTIONS

• Government Night: $3 for city, state, or federal employees - ADVANCE SALE ONLY by calling 512-232-3865 
• Faculty/Staff Night: $3 general admission ticket available to all UT faculty and staff. Faculty and staff may purchase tickets at Bellmont Hall (M-F; 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.) or at the Gregory Gym box office before the match. Valid UTID must be presented at time of purchase.
• FREE player trading Cards courtesy of Money Box

 

TEXAS IN THE AVCA POLL

The Longhorns are ranked No. 2 in the most recent AVCA Division I Coaches Poll (Sept. 14) ... UT received six first-place votes ... Texas’ No. 2 preseason ranking was its highest ranking in the AVCA poll since UT finished the 1995 season ranked second ... UT has now been ranked in the Top 10 for 46 straight weeks ... UT opponents in the poll include, No. 4 Hawaii,  No. 8 Nebraska, No. 10 Iowa State, No.13 California, No. 22 Saint Louis, No. 23 San Diego and  No. 24 San Diego ... Texas is 5-0 against ranked opponents in 2009.

 

LONGHORNS IN THE VOLLEYBALL MAGAZINE POLL                      

Texas holds the No. 2 spot in the current Volleyball Magazine Poll (Sept. 15) ... the Horns trail two-time defending NCAA Champion Penn State in the poll by 10 points 218-to-208 ... Big 12 foes Nebraska and Iowa State hold the No. 8 and No. 10 positions, respectively ... four of Texas’ non-conference opponents are ranked (No. 4 Hawaii, No. 12 California, No. 20 Saint Louis).

 

STREAKING

Texas is currently riding a 15-match regular-season winning streak that dates back to Nov. 1, 2008 against Texas A&M ... Texas also currently owns a 10-match home winning streak at Gregory Gymnasium dating back to Nov. 1, 2008.

 

SUCCESS IN BIG 12 PLAY

In 14 years of Big 12 Conference play the Longhorns own a 193-65 (.748) mark in league action ... during head coach Jerritt Elliott’s nine-year tenure , Texas has posted a 118-42 (.738) record against Big 12 foes ... the Longhorns 19-1 record in 2007 was its best mark since the inception of the league.

 

STOUT COMPETITION

Texas’ victory improved the Longhorns to 6-0 on the season with all six wins coming against ranked opponents ... the Horns have defeated No. 4 Hawaii, No. 10 California, No. 15 San Diego, No. 19 Saint Louis, No. 23 Long Beach State and No. 24 Baylor to date.

 

IN THE BIG 12 STATS

 The Longhorns rank atop the Big 12 and rank third in the nation with their .319 team hitting percentage ... Senior All-America setter Ashley Engleleads the conference in hitting with a .418 attack mark, while senior All-America outside hitter Destinee Hooker leads the league with 4.50 kills and 5.43 points per-set ... Sophomore middle blocker Rachael Adamsand junior middle blocker Jennifer Doris rank third and fourth in blocking with 1.32 and 1.22 blocks per-set, respectively.

 

Hook'em

Women's College Volleyball Team News: Ohio Volleyball Schedule, Rankings, Players Honored this Week

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UPCOMING SCHEDULE

 

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14

UT Martin at Evansville - 7:00 p.m.

 

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15

Troy at Jacksonville State  - 6:00 p.m. (OVCSports.TV)

Marshall at Morehead State - 6:00 p.m.

SIU Edwardsville at Illinois State - 7:00 p.m.

 

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18

Tennessee State at Austin Peay*  - 7:00 p.m.

Eastern Kentucky at UT Martin* - 7:00 p.m. (OVCSports.TV)

Eastern Illinois at Jacksonville State* - 7:00 p.m. (OVCSports.TV)

Morehead State at Murray State*  - 7:00 p.m.

Southeast Missouri at Tennessee Tech* - 7:00 p.m.

SIU Edwardsville at Saint Louis - 7:00 p.m.

 

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19

Morehead State at UT Martin*  - 12:00 p.m (OVCSports.TV)

SIU Edwardsville vs. UC Davis (@St. Louis, Mo.) - 1:00 p.m.

Eastern Kentucky at Murray State*  - 2:00 p.m.

Eastern Illinois at Tennessee Tech*  - 2:00 p.m. (OVCSports.TV)

Southeast Missouri at Jacksonville State* - 2:00 p.m (OVCSports.TV)

SIU Edwardsville vs. Toledo (@St. Louis, Mo.) - 5:00 p.m.

 

 

* - OVC Games

ALL TIMES CENTRAL

 

 

2009 OVC Players of the Week - September 14 2009

 

Offensive:

Stephanie Champine, OH, Sr., 5'10

Lambertville, Mich. - Austin Peay

 

Champine was named to the Chattanooga All-Tournament Team after leading the Lady Govs with 53 kills. She recorded 16 kills in both the Lady Govs' three-set victories (Chattanooga and SIU Edwardsville). Champine had 21 kills in the five-set loss to eventual tourney champ Loyola. In addition she did not post an attack percentage lower that .219 during the tournament - Chattanooga (.286), Loyola (.219) and SIUE (.295).

 

Defensive:

Molly Davis, L, Jr., 5'3

Muncie, Ind. - Southeast Missouri

 

Davis recorded just three receiving errors from her defensive position over the weekend. She extended her double-digit dig match streak to 29. Davis also played in her 100th match of her career against Ole Miss. She recorded a single-match school record with 30 digs against Ole Miss while not registering a single receiving error. It was her second 30-plus dig match of the season and eighth of her career. Davis had a team-high 22 digs in the match against Georgia Tech. She finished the weekend with a match-best 20 digs versus Clemson.

 

Setter:

Melanie Culp, S, Jr., 5'6

Indianapolis, Ind. - Tennessee Tech

 

Culp dished out 124 assists in the Louisville Tournament, including a career-best 59 versus Liberty. She registered 37 assists against Louisville and 28 against Toledo. She totaled 13 digs and a pair of blocks over the three matches.

 

 

2009 Ohio Valley Conference Volleyball Team Notes

 

Austin Peay (0-0 OVC; 6-4 overall): Austin Peay went 2-1 to finish second at the Chattanooga Invitational. The Lady Govs defeated Chattanooga (25-18, 25-23, 25-15) and SIU Edwardsville (25-13, 25-18, 25-16) while falling to Loyola (23-25, 17-25, 29-27, 13-15). Senior Stephanie Champine and junior Taylor Skinner were named to the all-tournament team. Champine recorded 53 kills and 46 digs over the three matches. Four different Lady Govs recorded a 10-kill performance at Chattanooga, led by Champine's performance. Junior Kayla Granthan recorded 14 kills against SIUE, Ilyanna Hernandez had 11 kills against Chattanooga and 12 versus Loyola. Junior Jessica Mollman recorded her first double-digit kill effort of the season with 10 in the Loyola match. Junior Sarah Alisaleh, tallied 92 assists in the tourney, including 44 in the loss to Loyola. Austin Peay will open up Conference play at home with Tennessee State on Friday.

 

Eastern Illinois (0-0 OVC; 6-6 overall):  Eastern Illinois went 2-2 last week, including going 1-2 at the ISU Classic. The Panthers defeated UIC (19-25, 25-20, 25-23, 25-22) andChicago State (25-13, 25-11, 25-20) while also falling to Indiana State (23-25, 22-25, 25-27) and Ball state (14-25, 22-25, 17-25). Alex Zwettler earned her second straight all-tournament team honor at the ISU Classic it also marks the fifth of her career. Eastern Illinois will travel to Jacksonville State on Friday and Tennessee Tech on Saturday to open up Conference play. Both matches can be seen on OVCSports.TV.

 

Eastern Kentucky ( 0-0 OVC; 0-9 overall):  Eastern Kentucky lost three matches at the Hampton Inn Invitational hosted by Ohio University. The Colonels dropped a trio of three-set matches to Missouri State (23-25, 17-25, 26-28), Indiana (22-26, 21-25, 22-25) and Ohio (13-25, 17-25, 20-25). Lindsey Loescher and Lauren Synder each had a team-high 11 kills in the Missouri State match. Against Indiana, three Colonels had 10 kills including Loescher, Synder and Autumn Harms. Hannah Groudle led the team against Ohio with nine kills. Eastern Kentucky will travel to UT Martin on Friday and Murray State on Saturday to kick off Conference play. The match with UT Martin can be seen on OVCSports.TV.

 

Jacksonville State (0-0 OVC; 6-5 overall): Jacksonville State defeated Auburn (25-21, 15-25, 17-25, 25-21, 15-9) before going 0-3 at the Arkansas Tournament. The Gamecocks fell to Arkansas (20-25, 18-25, 20-25), Kansas (15-20, 12-15, 16-25) and North Texas (23-25, 20-25, 21-25). Senior Brittney Whitten registered 40 kills and 43 digs over the four matches. Jacksonville State will host Troy on Tuesday before welcoming Eastern Illinois(Friday) and Southeast Missouri (Saturday) to open up Conference play. All three matches can be seen on OVCSports.TV.

 

Morehead State  (0-0 OVC; 7-3 overall):   Morehead State went 2-2 at the Michigan Challenge, falling to Missouri (15-25, 25-23, 19-25, 8-25) and No. 7 Michigan (22-25, 16-25, 22-25) before defeating Fairfield (25-26, 25-17, 25-20, 25-15) and VCU (32-30, 18-25, 25-23, 25-12). Freshman Annie Gruenschlaeger led the Eagles with 20 total blocks and now has 52 blocks in her first 10 matches. Junior Kaitlin Craven led the team with 43 kills and posted three double-doubles. Junior Holly Evans recorded a team-best .275 hitting percentage and also had 36 kills. Sophomore Liz Schuler posted her first career double-double with 15 kills and 10 digs. Junior Kristie Brangers dished out 124 assists last week while also posting a .355 attack percentage. Morehead State will host Marshall on Tuesday before kicking off Conference play at UT Martin (Friday) and Murray State(Saturday) this weekend. The match with UT Martin can be seen on OVCSports.TV

 

Murray State (0-0 OVC; 0-9 overall):  Murray State dropped three matches at the Saluki Invitational. The Racers fell to Valparaiso (14-25, 16-25, 17-25), Southern Illinois (24-26, 25-22, 13-25, 25-10, 10-15) and UAB (25-27, 23-25, 16-25). Junior Sarah Hayden was named to the all-tournament team after recording a .410 hitting percentage while adding 11 blocks and two service aces. Hayden also moved on to the school's all-time total block list in the first match versus Valpo. She is currently in the 10th spot with 150 blocks. Sophomore Logan Su tallied a career-best five blocks against SIU. Sophomore Kayleah Sauer recorded 4.64 digs per set last week. She recorded a season-best 18 digs against both Valpo and Southern Illinois. Sophomore Jade Guo dished out 106 assists over the three matches. Murray State will host Morehead State on Friday and Eastern Kentucky on Saturday to kick off Conference play.

 

Southeast Missouri (0-0 OVC; 3-6 overall): Southeast Missouri dropped three matches at the Georgia Tech Courtyard Classic, falling to Ole Miss (16-25, 18-25, 25-18, 20-25), Georgia Tech (24-26, 25-22, 13-25, 20-25) and Clemson (16-25, 23-25, 17-25). Senior Karleigh DeLong was named to the all-tourney team after she averaged 2.64 kills and 1.64 digs over the three matches. She recorded a season-high 18 kills in the loss to GeorgiaTech. Senior Molly Davis registered 81 digs, including a single-match school record 39 versus Ole Miss. She has extended her double-digit dig match streak to 29. Freshman Brittney Kalinoski averaged 2.18 kills and 1.64 digs for the week. Southeast Missouriopens Conference play on the road as the Redhawks travel to Tennessee Tech on Friday and Jacksonville State on Saturday. Both matches can be seen on OVCSports.TV.

 

SIU Edwardsville ( 0-11 overall): SIU Edwardsville dropped a trio of matches in theChattanooga  Country Inn & Suites Invitational. The Cougars fell to Loyola (25-23, 23-25, 16-25, 25-27), Chattanooga (21-25, 25-13, 22-25, 25-27) and Austin Peay (13-25, 18-25, 16-25). Senior Tiffany Turner earned all-tournament honors after recording 35 digs over the three matches. SIU Edwardsville will travel to Illinois State on Tuesday before playing in the Saint Louis Tournament.

 

Tennessee State (0-0 OVC; 1-9 overall): Tennessee State fell to Chattanooga (25-27, 22-25, 25-17, 13-25) before going 0-3 at the Western Kentucky Tournament. The Tigers dropped matches to Western Kentucky (22-25, 22-25, 13-25), Memphis (19-25, 18-25, 18-25), and Northern Illinois (25-27, 20-25, 20-25). Senior Vicmari Prospero was named to the all-tournament team after leading the team in kills and points. She finished the week with 39 kills and a .318 attack percentage. Freshman Calasia Williams tallied 44 digs last week, including 16 against Northern Illinois. Senior Yamari Padilla-Collazo recorded 20-plus assists in each of the matches last week, including dishing out 35 againstChattanooga. Tennessee State will travel to Austin Peay on Friday to open up Conference play.

 

Tennessee Tech (0-0 OVC; 1-8 overall): Tennessee Tech went 0-3 at the Louisville Invitational last week, falling to Louisville (18-25, 25-20, 14-25, 14-25), Liberty (27-29, 25-22, 18-25, 25-10, 14-16) and Toledo (18-25, 16-25, 25-21, 23-25). Junior Leah Meffert finished with 18 or more kills in each of the three matches and notched two double-doubles. Senior Katie Kenline surpassed 2,000 career digs over the weekend and has now 2,037. She posted double-digits in each of the Golden Eagles' three matches. She finished the week with 46 digs. Junior Melanie Culp dished out 124 assists, including a career-high 49 versus Liberty. Tennessee Tech will host Southeast Missouri (Friday) andEastern Illinois (Saturday) to kick off Conference play. Both matches can be seen on OVCSports.TV.

 

UT Martin (0-0 OVC; 5-3 overall): UT Martin fell to Arkansas State (22-25, 18-25, 17-25) in its only  match of the week. At 5-3, the Skyhawks have matched its best start since 200. UT Martin will travel to Evansville on Monday before opening Conference play at home this weekend with Eastern Kentucky (Friday) and Morehead State (Saturday). The matches with Eastern Kentucky and Morehead State can be seen on OVCSports.TV.

 

OVC News and Notes

 

OVCSPORTS.TV:  All home matches for Eastern Illinois, Jacksonville State, TennesseeTech and UT Martin will be available on OVCSports.TV. Other select matches will also be web streamed throughout the season. Volleyball packages are available for $24.95 which includes all matches that are streamed and the OVC Championship.  For more information and to sign up visit www.ovcsports.com.

 

 

 

College Volleyball Team Weekly News: Ball State

► VOLLEYBALL ON ROAD FOR FOUR THIS WEEK: The Ball State women's volleyball team returns to the road this weekend for four matches starting Tuesday at IUPUI . . . The Cardinals and Jaguars will do battle at 7 p.m., with WCRD 91.3 FM covering the match live both over the air and online at the link above . . . BSU will then travel to Towson, Maryland for the Towson Invitational . . . During the tournament, BSU will face Penn (Friday @ Noon), George Washington (Friday @ 4:30 p.m.) and Towson (Saturday @ 10 a.m.).

 

► TOURNAMENT TITLE: Last weekend, the Cardinals swept their way to the Best Western ISU Classic title with victories over Chicago State (3-0; 25-8, 25-10, 25-12), Eastern Illinois (3-0; 25-14, 25-22, 25-17) and host Indiana State (3-0; 25-19, 25-18, 25-20) . . . BSU's Alisha Green was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player and was joined on the all-tournament team by Charde' Phillips and Kaylee Schembra.

 

► SWEET SEPTEMBER: Ball State enters Tuesday's match at IUPUI with a 5-1 record in the month of September . . . BSU went 2-1 at the Active Ankle Challenge (Sept. 4-5) while going a perfect 3-0 at the Best Western ISU Classic (Sept. 11-12) to capture its first tournament title since the 2005 Georgetown Hoya Classic.

 

► OFFENSIVE EXPLOSION: The Cardinals offense exploded for a .325 hitting mark in the Best Western ISU Classic, including a .423 rate of success versus Chicago State . . . BSU's hitting mark versus CSU was the team's best since a .425 showing versus Northern Illinois Oct. 28, 2005.

 

► SCOUTING THE CARDINALS: Ball State enters the 2009 Towson Invitational with a 5-4 record after winning last weekend's Best Western ISU Classic . . . Senior Alisha Green enters the week as BSU's top attacker with a 2.89 kills-per-set average, while junior Charde' Phillips leads the team with a .421 attack percentage . . . Sophomore Brittany McGinnis has set the Ball State offense to a .231 rate of success this season, while producing two of BSU's three double-doubles to date . . . Christie Waters leads the Cardinals' backcourt with a 3.57 digs-per-set average, while Kelsey Brandl is the team's top blocker averaging 0.64 blocks per set . . . As a team, BSU is averaging 12.67 kills, 13.83 digs and 1.63 blocks per set . . . The Cardinals' opponents are hitting .190, while averaging 11.70 kills, 12.30 digs and 1.67 blocks per set.

 

► SCOUTING IUPUI: The Jaguars enter the week with an 8-1 overall record . . . Last week, IUPUI topped Butler in five, while sweeping Western Illinois to open The Summit League season . . . Kalyse Reimbold is IUPUI's top attacker, racking up 107 kills for a 3.24 kills-per-set average . . . Danielle Goodnight has set the Jaguars offense to a .205 attack percentage this season, while leading the team with a .329 hitting mark herself . . . Shari Bernhardt leads the team with a 4.45 digs-per-set average, while Ashley Johnson is the program's top blocker averaging 0.68 blocks per set . . . As a team, IUPUI is averaging 13.30 kills, 17.82 digs and 1.39 blocks per set . . . The Jaguars' opponents are hitting .155, while averaging 11.06 kills, 16.70 digs and 2.11 blocks per set.

 

► SCOUTING PENN: The Quakers enter the week with a 6-1 record after going 3-1 at last weekend's Houston Baptist Tournament, scoring wins over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (3-1), Cal State Bakersfield (3-1) and Houston Baptist (3-0), while being swept by Lamar . . . Elizabeth Semmens is Penn's top attacker, racking up 114 kills for a 4.07 kills-per-set average, while Ashley Hawkins paces the team with a .361 attack percentage . . . Megan Tryon has set the Penn offense to a .212 attack percentage this season, while dishing out 11.18 assists per set . . . Madi Wojciechowski leads the Quakers' backcourt with a 5.54 digs-per-set average, while Ashley Hawkins has a team-best 1.00 blocks-per-set average . . . As a team, Penn is averaging 14.14 kills, 17.14 digs and 2.04 blocks per set . . . The Quakers' opponents are hitting .187, while averaging 12.36 kills, 15.75 digs and 1.71 blocks per set.

 

► SCOUTING GEORGE WASHINGTON: The Colonials enter the week with a 5-4 record after going 2-1 at the Villanova Classic where they topped Princeton (3-2) and the University of Maryland-Baltimore County (3-1) before falling in the championship match to Villanova (3-1) . . . Leah Hill is George Washington's top attacker, racking up 124 kills for a 3.54 kills-per-set average, while Abby Syverson paces the team with a .318 attack percentage . . . Alyssa Valentine has also set the GW offense to a .186 attack percentage this season, while dishing out 9.97 assists per set . . . Canda Silva-Martin leads the Colonials' backcourt with a 5.29 digs-per-set average, while Katie Zulandt has a team-best 0.82 blocks-per-set average . . . As a team, GW is averaging 12.46 kills, 17.97 digs and 1.80 blocks per set . . . The Colonials' opponents are hitting .208, while averaging 13.77 kills, 16.89 digs and 1.83 blocks per set.

 

► SCOUTING TOWSON: The Tigers enter the weekend with a 7-4 record after going 1-2 at last weekend's Binghamton Tournament . . . Towson lost to Binghamton (3-0) and Cornell (3-0) before topping Fairleigh-Dickinson (3-0) . . . Britney Loomis is Towson's top attacker, racking up 103 kills for a 2.51 kills-per-set average, while Shelynne Hoyt paces the team with a .259 attack percentage . . . Katee Luecke and Evan Schulz have combined to lead the Tigers to a .166 attack percentage, averaging 7.31 and 5.77 assists per set, respectively . . . Missy Rohrbaugh leads the Towson backcourt with a 3.51 digs-per-set average, while Hoyt has a team-best 0.88 blocks-per-set average . . . As a team, Towson is averaging 11.02 kills, 13.78 digs and 1.91 blocks per set . . . The Tigers' opponents are hitting .141, while averaging 11.20 kills, 13.63 digs and 1.40 blocks per set.

 

► SERIES VERSUS THIS WEEK'S OPPONENTS: BSU owns a 9-3 advantage in the all-time series versus IUPUI despite losses in three of the last four meetings . . . Last season, the Jaguars topped the Cardinals 3-1 (23-25, 25-19, 25-19, 25-20) Sept. 9 at Worthen Arena . . . Ball State is 2-2 in matches played in Indianapolis, with losses in its last two trips down I-69. . . BSU will be playing all three of its weekend opponents for the first time.

 

► OFFENSIVE TURNAROUND: After finishing the first weekend of play with a .130 attack percentage, the Cardinals have found their offensive rhythm of late, hitting .282 in September, which has equated to a 5-1 record for the month . . . Junior middle blocker Charde' Phillips leads the offense with a .519 hitting mark during the span.

 

► PHILLIPS TOPS THE MAC: For the season, Charde' Phillips ranks first in the Mid-American Conference with a .421 attack percentage . . . In the Best Western ISU Classic Championship match, Phillips smashed a career-high 16 kills while hitting a career-best .696 (16-0-23) versus Indiana State . . . Phillips, who did not play versus Chicago State, was named to the all-tournament team after racking up 24 kills and a .590 (24-1-59) attack percentage for the weekend.

 

► WATERS LEADING THE D: Sophomore defensive specialist/libero Christie Waters continues to pace the club with a 3.57 digs-per-set average which ranks eighth in the league . . . In BSU's three matches last week, Waters tallied 30 digs, including 11 in the win over Eastern Illinois and 10 versus Indiana State.

 

► KAKATOLIS APPROACHING MILESTONES: Senior opposite attacker Elaina Kakatolis enters the week with 197 career block assists, which is four shy of breaking into the top 20 in BSU annals . . . Her 218 career blocks are 16 shy of breaking into the top 20 in program history . . . In addition, her 708 career kills leave her 63 markers away from the top 20 in BSU history.

 

► BREIVOGEL GOING FOR NINTH: Senior outside attacker Julie Breivogel, who recorded her 1,000th career kill versus Dayton (Aug. 29), enters the week with 1,075 career kills after smashing 21 in the Best Western ISU Classic . . . Breivogel needs 61 more kills to pass Mindy Stanley's (1993-96) career total of 1,135 kills for ninth on BSU's all-time list.

 

►OVER THE AIR WAVES: The Ball State women's volleyball team has the most comprehensive radio package in the Mid-American Conference, as WCRD 91.3 FM will once again be the radio home of the Cardinals for the 2009 season . . . The station is slated to cover all 11 of the Cardinals home matches this season, as well as select road contests and all of BSU's 2009 MAC Tournament action . . . The state-of-the art WCRD studio will be the home of "Serving It Up" with Dave Boos, a weekly volleyball report which airs Monday nights from 7 to 8 p.m. beginning Aug. 31.

 

►ON THE TUBE: The Ball State Sports Network will televise a pair of BSU matches (Oct. 24 versus Miami and Nov. 12 versus Toledo), while Ball State Sports Link is slated to webcast at least one match.

College Volleyball Team Weekly News: Virginia Cavaliers

Virginia Opens ACC Play Hosting Marriott Cavalier Invitational This Weekend
Cavaliers to face Virginia Tech Friday, Villanova and Albany on Saturday

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - The Virginia volleyball team returns home this weekend to host the inaugural Marriott Cavalier Invitational. Virginia Tech, Albany and Villanova will all visit Memorial Gymnasium for the two-day tournament. Live stats will be available for all matches.

Play will kickoff at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, with the Cavaliers taking the court for the first time at 7 p.m., to face in-state rival Virginia Tech. The Hokies enter the tournament with a 9-0 record. Virginia leads the all-time series with its conference-foe, 29-23, winning 14 of the last 17 meetings.

Virginia will then face Villanova (8-3) on Saturday at 1 p.m. The Cavaliers lead the Wildcats, 4-3, in the all-time series. The last meeting came in 1997, with the Cavaliers topping the Wildcats in five frames.

In the tournament nightcap, the Cavaliers will take on Albany (4-6). The Great Danes won the lone meeting between the two schools in five sets during the 2005 Jefferson Cup.

The Marriott Cavalier Invitational will mark the end of the non-conference portion of the Cavaliers’ schedule. Virginia will head to Miami and Florida State next weekend for ACC contests.

Tournament Schedule
Friday, September 18
Villanova vs. Albany 4:30 p.m.
Virginia Tech vs. Virginia 7 p.m.

Saturday, September 19
Albany vs. Virginia Tech 10:30 a.m.
Villanova vs. Virginia 1 p.m.
Villanova vs. Virginia Tech 4:30 p.m.
Albany vs. Virginia 7 p.m.

Tickets
Virginia Volleyball season tickets for adults are $50, while youth, senior and faculty staff season tickets are $35. For a single match, general admission is $5. Youth, senior and staff general admission is $4 and group ticketing of 20 or more will be $3 per ticket.

Fans can purchase tickets online, in-person or by telephone. To purchase tickets online, visit VirginiaSports.com. In-person sales can be made at the Virginia Athletics Ticket Office in Bryant Hall at Scott Stadium on weekdays between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Telephone purchases can be made by calling 1-800-542-UVA1 (8821) or locally at 434-924-UVA1 (8821).

Concession Stand
There will be a concession stand available at each of Virginia's home matches this season. As a reminder, no outside food or drink will be allowed in the gymnasium.

Parking
Fans attending this weekend's events can park for free on the weekend and after 5 p.m. on Friday at the new Culbreth Road Parking Garage, located behind Carr's Hill Field.

Women's College Volleyball Team News: Kentucky vs. Louisville, A Renewed Rivalry

 

Rivalry Renewed: Kentucky Travels to Louisville

First meeting between the schools since 2005

LEXINGTON, Ky. –After a four-year absence from the series, the Kentucky and Louisville volleyball programs will meet once again on Wednesday, Sept. 16. The 16^th-ranked Kentucky Wildcats hit the road and will travel northwest to Cardinal Arena for a midweek matchup with the Cardinals. Match time is set for 7 p.m. ET.

The Wildcats are off to the second best start in school history with a perfect 10-0 mark to begin the year. UK has tallied three straight tournament titles including a title at the Kansas State Invitational this weekend. The Wildcats took down No. 21 Kansas State, Purdue and Portland to capture the crown. Senior Sarah Rumely was named MVP of the tournament and juniors Blaire Hiler and Sarah Mendoza earned All-Tournament team honors. Additionally, Rumely claimed SEC Player of the Week honors for her efforts.

Rumely has led the Wildcats to an impressive .298 hitting percentage for the season, which leads the SEC. Additionally, Kentucky tops the conference in opponent hitting percentage (.154), kills (14.81) and assists (13.81). The Wildcats’ rate of 14.81 kills per frame is the third highest in the country. Kentucky also ranks fifth nationally in assists and eighth in the country in hitting percentage. Rumely’s average of 11.94 assists per stanza is the fourth highest in the nation.

Senior BriAnne Sauer and freshman Stephanie Klefot are both Louisville natives. The match with Louisville marks the first time Sauer will play in front of her hometown.

Louisville enters the matchup with the Wildcats holding a 6-3 record, having won five of its last six matches. Lola Arslanbekova paces the attack with an average of 4.17 kills per frame. As a unit Louisville has tallied over 13 kills a set while limiting their opponents to just 11 a stanza. Two players average over three assists per set while Lindsey Mango paces the defensive effort with 3.31 scoops a set.

The series history is tied at 23-23 with the last meeting between UK and Louisville coming in 2005 which resulted in a 3-0 sweep in favor of the Cardinals.

Complete coverage of Kentucky at Louisville can be found at UKathletics.com, the source for all of your Wildcat news.

‑ GO CATS ‑

Women's College Volleyball Team News: Kentucky vs. Louisville, A Renewed Rivalry

 

Rivalry Renewed: Kentucky Travels to Louisville

First meeting between the schools since 2005

LEXINGTON, Ky. –After a four-year absence from the series, the Kentucky and Louisville volleyball programs will meet once again on Wednesday, Sept. 16. The 16^th-ranked Kentucky Wildcats hit the road and will travel northwest to Cardinal Arena for a midweek matchup with the Cardinals. Match time is set for 7 p.m. ET.

The Wildcats are off to the second best start in school history with a perfect 10-0 mark to begin the year. UK has tallied three straight tournament titles including a title at the Kansas State Invitational this weekend. The Wildcats took down No. 21 Kansas State, Purdue and Portland to capture the crown. Senior Sarah Rumely was named MVP of the tournament and juniors Blaire Hiler and Sarah Mendoza earned All-Tournament team honors. Additionally, Rumely claimed SEC Player of the Week honors for her efforts.

Rumely has led the Wildcats to an impressive .298 hitting percentage for the season, which leads the SEC. Additionally, Kentucky tops the conference in opponent hitting percentage (.154), kills (14.81) and assists (13.81). The Wildcats’ rate of 14.81 kills per frame is the third highest in the country. Kentucky also ranks fifth nationally in assists and eighth in the country in hitting percentage. Rumely’s average of 11.94 assists per stanza is the fourth highest in the nation.

Senior BriAnne Sauer and freshman Stephanie Klefot are both Louisville natives. The match with Louisville marks the first time Sauer will play in front of her hometown.

Louisville enters the matchup with the Wildcats holding a 6-3 record, having won five of its last six matches. Lola Arslanbekova paces the attack with an average of 4.17 kills per frame. As a unit Louisville has tallied over 13 kills a set while limiting their opponents to just 11 a stanza. Two players average over three assists per set while Lindsey Mango paces the defensive effort with 3.31 scoops a set.

The series history is tied at 23-23 with the last meeting between UK and Louisville coming in 2005 which resulted in a 3-0 sweep in favor of the Cardinals.

Complete coverage of Kentucky at Louisville can be found at UKathletics.com, the source for all of your Wildcat news.

‑ GO CATS ‑

College Volleyball Team Weekly News: Pepperdine Waves

Click on the below link for a video interview with the Waves’ Krista Friedman.

 

http://www.pepperdinesports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=18500&ATCLID=204794628

 

September 15, 2009

 

THE FACTS — The biggest week of the non-conference season looms for the #25 Pepperdine women’s volleyball team as the Waves host #7 UCLA on Wednesday before traveling to #4 Hawaii for two matches this weekend. The Waves are coming off a victory in their own Pepperdine Asics Classic, where Nina Matthies won the 500th match of her career. After these three matches, Pepperdine takes a week off before beginning conference play in October.

 

MATCH #10 — Wednesday (Sept. 16) at Firestone Fieldhouse: #25 Pepperdine (7-2) vs. #7 UCLA (8-1) at 7 p.m.

 

MATCH #11 — Friday (Sept. 18) at the Stan Sheriff Center in Honolulu, Hawaii: #25 Pepperdine at #4 Hawaii (7-2) at 7 p.m. HT/10 p.m. PT.

 

MATCH #12 — Saturday (Sept. 19) at the Stan Sheriff Center in Honolulu, Hawaii: #25 Pepperdine at #4 Hawaii at 7 p.m. HT/10 p.m. PT.

 

ON THE WEB — Live video of all home matches are available to Wave Casts subscribers at www.pepperdinesports.com. Live statistics will be available for all home matches free of charge, and links are provided to the home team’s website when the Waves are on the road. Go to the “Wave Casts” link toward the top of the home page for more information.

 

TICKETS — Single-match tickets to all home women’s volleyball games are $8 for adults, $5 for students and seniors and free to all Pepperdine students and faculty with a university ID.

 

PROMOTIONS — Wednesday’s match vs. UCLA is an “Orange Out” event. Pepperdine fans are encouraged to wear orange, and those that do will get $2 off the regular price of a ticket. There are also “Buy 1, Get 1 Free” flyers available at the following Malibu restaurants: Lily’s Cafe, Malibu Yogurt, Subway and KFC.

 

RANKINGS — The Waves dropped back six spots in the rankings but still held on to #25 in this week’s AVCA poll.

 

8/18    8/31     9/7     9/14    9/21     9/28    10/5     10/12     10/19    10/26   11/2    11/9    11/16    11/23   11/30

  rv      #21     #19     #25

 

OPPONENTS — Pepperdine is 11-47 all-time against UCLA. The Waves enjoyed a five-match win streak between 2001-04, but the Bruins have won the last four meetings. Pepperdine last won at home in 2003. UCLA’s only loss this season is to Hawaii, and the Bruins are coming off a win over then-#5 Nebraska where they ended the Cornhuskers’ 90-match home win streak. UCLA has also beaten WCC rivals Loyola Marymount and Santa Clara ... Pepperdine is 3-25 all-time against Hawaii. All three Wave victories have come in Honolulu, with the last one in 1997. The Rainbow Wahine have won the last seven meetings, with the last coming in 2006. Hawaii’s only two losses are to top 10 teams (Texas and California) and the school has also beaten two top 10 teams (UCLA and Stanford).

 

LAST WEEK — It went to the tiebreaker, but the Waves won the title at their own Pepperdine Asics Classic over the weekend. Pepperdine, Seattle and Army all went 2-1, but the Waves had the best head-to-head set record among the three teams. The Waves swept both Seattle and UC Riverside but lost to Army in five sets. Nina Matthies won the 500th match of her career in the opener against Seattle on Sept. 11. Stevi Robinson (5.55 digs per set) was named Tournament MVP and she was joined on the all-tournament team by Kristen Seaton (2.50 kills, .310 hitting pct.). Lilla Frederick led Pepperdine in kills in each match and averaged 3.18 per set. Pepperdine held opponents to .143 hitting, while the Waves hit .218 themselves.

 

WCC STATS — Pepperdine is first in service aces (1.53) and opponent hitting percentage (.166), second in digs (15.03), fourth in hitting percentage (.250) and fifth in blocks (1.87) ... Stevi Robinson is first in digs (5.40) and service aces (0.50) ... Kim Hill is second in hitting percentage (.379) ... Rachel Grochmal is second in service aces (0.45) ... Victoria Adelhelm is third in hitting percentage (.379) ... Kiah Fiers is third in assists (10.40) ... Lilla Frederick is fifth in kills (3.27).

 

NATIONAL STATS — According to the NCAA, Stevi Robinson ranks 11th in the nation in digs (5.40).

 

2009 HONORS — Kiah Fiers and Kim Hill were named to the preseason All-WCC team ... Fiers was named Tournament MVP at the Colorado State Asics Classic and was joined on the all-tournament team by Lilla Frederick and Rachel Grochmal ... Fiers was also named WCC Player of the Week on 8/31 following the Colorado State event ... Stevi Robinson was named WCC Player of the Week on 9/7 after the Pepperdine-USC Tournament ... Robinson and Frederick made the all-tournament team for the Pepperdine-USC Tournament ... Robinson was the Tournament MVP at the Pepperdine Asics Classic and Kristen Seaton also made the all-tournament team.

 

FIERS — The leader of Pepperdine’s attack is senior setter Kiah Fiers (Palos Verdes Estates, Calif./Peninsula HS), who is averaging 10.40 assists per set. She is a three-time All-WCC selection (once on the first team, twice on honorable mention). She has 3,625 career assists, which is #4 on Pepperdine’s all-time list.

 

GROCHMAL — Pepperdine’s other senior starter is outside hitter Rachel Grochmal (Brea, Calif./Brea Olinda HS). Formerly Rachel Lumsden, she got married this past summer. She is a two-time All-WCC honorable mention selection and is Pepperdine’s all-time leader in service aces per set (0.37). In 2009, she is averaging 2.66 kills and 2.83 digs.

 

ROBINSON — Possibly one of the best liberos in the country, sophomore Stevi Robinson (Hermosa Beach, Calif./Mira Costa HS) was the WCC Defensive Player of the Year in 2008 after averaging a WCC-leading 4.81 digs per set. She’s off to an even better start in 2009 at 5.40 digs and 0.50 service aces per set.

 

FREDERICK — The Waves’ leading hitter thus far is sophomore Lilla Frederick (Huntington Beach, Calif./Cornelia Connelly HS) at 3.27 kills per set. She made the WCC All-Freshman team last season and played on the USA Junior National Team the past two summers.

 

HILL — After earning WCC Freshman of the Year honors last season, sophomore middle blocker Kim Hill (Portland, Ore./Portland Christian HS) should shoulder an even bigger load in 2009. She is hitting .379 and is averaging 2.48 kills and 0.72 blocks.

 

SEATON — Back in the lineup after redshirting 2008 due to a foot injury, sophomore Kristen Seaton (Terre Haute, Ind./South Vigo HS) is expected to be a potent force at opposite. She is averaging 2.18 kills and 0.82 blocks.

 

FRIEDMAN — An occasional starter in the back row, junior Krista Friedman (La Verne, Calif./St. Lucy’s Priory HS) has carved out a role as a defensive specialist. She is averaging 1.59 digs per set.

 

ADELHELM — Of Pepperdine’s seven newcomers, only one has been asked to step into the starting lineup, and that’s freshman middle blocker Victoria Adelhelm (Rancho Santa Fe, Calif./Santa Fe Christian HS). She has made a nice transition to Division I volleyball, hitting .361 and averaging 1.79 kills and 0.83 blocks.

 

MORE NEWCOMERS — Among the other six newcomers, freshman Brittney Clark (San Jose, Calif./Presentation HS) has seen the most playing time at either middle blocker or opposite. Redshirt sophomore Janea Rosell (Los Angeles, Calif./Bishop Montgomery HS), a transfer from Arizona State, is competing at middle blocker. The other four newcomers are true freshmen. Justine Hunter (Hollister, Calif./San Benito HS) is the backup at setter, Caitlin Racich (Santa Barbara, Calif./Dos Pueblos HS) and Ashley Broadwell (Bothell, Wash./Archbishop Murphy HS) will push for time at outside hitter and Kelli Branning (Menlo Park, Calif./Menlo-Atherton HS) is a libero. The website prepvolleyball.com rated Pepperdine’s recruiting class as #12 in the country and listed Racich at #70 and Adelhelm at #85 on its Senior Aces list.

 

NINA MATTHIES — Now in her 27th season as head coach of the Waves, Nina Matthies entered the 2009 season with a career record of 494-294 (.627), which includes 10 conference championships and 18 NCAA Tournament appearances.  She is by far the WCC’s all-time winningest coach and is a nine-time WCC Coach of the Year. On Sept. 11, 2009, she won the 500th match of her career with a victory over Seattle. Matthies was among the world’s top players and is a member of the Beach Volleyball Hall of Fame. Earlier this fall, Dig Magazine rated her and former partner Linda Hanley as the second-best women’s beach team of all time. She won two AIAW national championships as a player at UCLA.

 

ROSTER — The Waves return four starters plus the libero and lost only two starters from the 2008 squad. Seven returners (six letterwinners and one redshirt) are joined by seven newcomers (six true freshmen and one transfer) to bring the squad total to 14. It’s a fairly young team, as the eligibility breakdown is two seniors, one junior, five sophomores and six freshmen.

 

WCC PRESEASON POLL — San Diego received seven of the eight first-place votes and was picked to win the title. Pepperdine was second, followed by Saint Mary’s, Santa Clara, San Francisco and Loyola Marymount, and then Gonzaga and Portland tied for seventh place. Kiah Fiers and Kim Hill were named to the All-WCC preseason first team.

 

VOLLEYBALL HISTORY — The Pepperdine women’s volleyball program is synonymous with the word excellence, as the Waves are a perennial power. The Waves have advanced to postseason play 25 times in 34 seasons, including 11 trips to the NCAA Championships in the last 12 seasons. Pepperdine’s best finishes in recent years came when the team made the regional final of the 2002 NCAAs, and then in 2003 when the Waves posted 27 victories (most in the Nina Matthies era).

 

2008 RECAP — It was another solid year for the Pepperdine women’s volleyball team. Julie Rubenstein earned AVCA All-American third team honors and became Pepperdine’s first All-American since 2003. She led the conference in kills and points. The Waves advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the fourth year in a row but suffered a first-round loss to Long Beach State. There was a school-record-tying 13-0 start, and though they tied for fourth in the WCC with an 8-6 record, the Waves finished 20-8 overall, the 17th 20-win season in program history. Kim Hill earned WCC Freshman of the Year honors and Stevi Robinson was the WCC Defensive Player of the Year.

 

ABOUT PEPPERDINE — Pepperdine boasts a one-of-a-kind athletic department with unprecedented success for a school of its size. The Waves have won a total of nine NCAA championships in five different men’s sports — one of just 14 schools to have accomplished this feat. Of the 14, Pepperdine is the only non-BCS school and has by far the smallest enrollment. The majority of Pepperdine’s teams are ranked nationally year after year and compete for conference and national titles.

 

College Volleyball Team Weekly News: Purdue

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Boilermaker volleyball team kicks off a
three-week homestand as it plays host to the Active Ankle Challenge this
weekend. Purdue welcomes No. 14 Illinois, Louisville and Ohio to Belin
Court for the event, which will pit the Boilermakers and Fighting Illini
against the Cardinals and Bobcats.

The Book on the Boilermakers
       At First Glance: The Boilermaker squad features nine returning
players, including three starters, and eight newcomers, collectively
ranked as the eighth best recruiting class in the nation. Head coach
Dave Shondell is in his seventh season with the team. The Boilermakers
posted a 26-9 mark, a fourth-place Big Ten finish and advanced to the
NCAA Sweet 16 a year ago.

       Last Time Out: Purdue went 2-1 at the Varney's Kansas State
Invitational last weekend. The Boilermakers topped Portland and #21
Kansas State, but fell to #17 Kentucky. Senior outside hitter Carrie
Gurnell and junior middle blocker Kristen Arthurs received
all-tournament team honors.

       Statistically Speaking: Outside hitter Carrie Gurnell paces the
Purdue offense with 3.81 kills per set, while also adding 1.67 digs and
0.75 blocks per set. Middle blockers Kristen Arthurs and Tiffany Fisher
and outside hitter Ariel Turner follow with 2.58, 2.45 and 2.21 kills
per set. Fisher is hitting at a team-best .390 clip while adding 0.91
blocks per set, while Arthurs is hitting .370 with 0.94 blocks per set.
       Defensively, defensive specialist Blair Bashen leads the way
with 3.97 digs per set and eight aces. Defensive specialist Emily Ehlers
has accounted for 2.56 digs per set and six aces. Junior setter Jaclyn
Hart adds 1.89 digs per set, while also dishing out 10.56 assists per
set.

Series Information
Ohio (Purdue leads the series 3-0): The Boilermakers have taken all
three meetings in the series with the Bobcats, which began on Oct. 15,
1977 in Oxford, Ohio. Purdue then swept Ohio at the 2005 Mortar Board
Premier and downed the Bobcats in the 2007 NCAA First Round in Athens,
Ohio.
Louisville (Purdue leads the series 6-0): Purdue has taken all six
previous meetings with the Cardinals in the series which began on Oct.
11, 1977. The Boilermakers swept UofL in three matches during the 1984
and 1985 seasons. Purdue then added two more victories in 2008, one at
the Dayton Flyer Classic on Sept. 20, and the other in the NCAA
Tournament First Round in West Lafayette.

An Overview of Ohio
       At First Glance: The Ohio Bobcats (8-2) are riding a three-match
win streak into the Purdue Active Ankle Challenge. The Bobcat roster
features nine returning players, including six starters, and four
newcomers. Head coach Ryan Theis is in his second year with the team,
after guiding the Bobcats to a 24-8 mark in 2008.
       Last Time Out: The Bobcats went 3-1 in home contests last week,
while hosting the Hampton Inn Invitational. Ohio dropped the tournament
opener to Indiana in five sets, but rebounded with wins over Eastern
Kentucky, Delaware and Missouri State.
       Statistically Speaking: Outside hitter Ellen Herman paces the
Ohio offense with 4.31 kills per set, while also adding 2.18 digs per
set and 10 aces. Outside hitter Sue Jacobi (2.77), middle blocker Jane
Sytsma (2.33) and middle blocker Meghan Simons (1.74) follow. Simons has
put a team-best 1.26 blocks per set, while Sytsma boasts a .367 hitting
effort and adds 1.13 blocks per set.
       Defensive specialist Sarah Petrulis leads the way in the back
court with 3.44 digs per set, while also serving up a team-leading 14
aces. Herman contributes 2.18 digs per set, while defensive specialist
Meryl Bender adds 1.95 digs per set. Setter Michelle Jantsch has dished
out 10.26 assists per set, while serving up 12 aces and adding 1.49 digs
per set.

Learning About Louisville
       At First Glance: The Louisville Cardinals (6-3) face off with
No. 16 Kentucky on Wednesday before travelling to West Lafayette for the
Active Ankle Challenge. The Cardinal roster features six returning
players, including two starters, and five newcomers. UofL went 19-11 in
2008, including a third-place finish in Big East play and an NCAA
Tournament appearance. Head coach Leonid Yelin is in his 14th year with
the team.

       Last Time Out: Louisville posted a 2-1 record at their own
Cardinal Classic last weekend.  The Cardinals topped Tennessee Tech and
Liberty to bookend a five-set loss to Toledo.
       Statistically Speaking: Outside hitter Lola Arslanbekova is
UofL's top offensive weapon, averaging 4.17 kills per set. Middle
blocker Lecia Brown and outside hitter Anastasia Artemeva add 2.26 and
2.19 respectively. Middle blocker Gwen Rucker paces the team at the net
with 1.23 blocks per set, while Brown adds 1.20 stuffs per set.
       Libero Lindsey Mango pulls up 3.31 digs per set to lead the
Cardinal defense. Outside hitter Justine Landi follows with 2.20 digs
per set, while also handing out 7.29 assists per set and serving up
seven aces. Louisville has served up 42 aces, led by setter Kimi Hohl's
10. Hohl also has contributed 3.45 assists per set.

Information About Illinois
       At First Glance: The No. 14 Illinois Fighting Illini (6-1) bring
a four-match win streak into the Active Ankle Challenge. Eleven
letterwinners, including seven starters, return from the 2008 team which
posted a 26-8 mark, including a third-place Big Ten finish and NCAA
Tournament Sweet 16 appearance, while four newcomers join the mix. Head
coach Kevin Hambly is in his first season in the position after spending
five years as an assistant for the Illini.

       Last Time Out: The Fighting Illini went 3-0 en route to the
tournament title at their own State Farm Illini Classic last weekend.
Illinois swept Cincinnati and Illinois State before topping then-No. 16
Saint Louis in four sets.
       Statistically Speaking: Outside hitter Laura DeBruler has racked
up a team-best 5.64 kills per set on a .342 hitting effort, while also
serving up a team-leading eight aces and adding 2.14 digs per set.
Outside hitters Michelle Bartsch and Kylie McCulley also add more than
two kills per set, posting 3.41 and 2.55 respectively. Middle blocker
Johannah Bangert has tallied 1.23 kills per set on a team-best .364
hitting effort, while also leading the Illini at the net with 1.09
blocks per set.
       Defensively, libero Ashley Edinger has pulled up a team-leading
4.00 digs per set. McCulley (2.82), Bartsch (2.73) and DeBruler (2.14)
also add more than two digs per set. Setter Hillary Haen has dished out
12.55 assists per set, while also pulling up 1.59 digs per set.

Against the Top 25
       The Boilermakers are slated to face six ranked teams in 2009,
based on the preseason AVCA Top 25 poll. No. 1 Penn State, No. 10
Illinois, No. 11 Minnesota, No. 16 Michigan, No. 21 Kentucky and No. 22
Kansas State make up the group.
       During the Dave Shondell era, Purdue has beaten 14 Top 25 teams,
including three Top 10 opponents. The Boilermakers posted wins over No.
10 Wisconsin and No. 9 Minnesota in 2005 and a victory over No. 9
Colorado State in the first round of the 2004 NCAA Tournament. Purdue
owns a 52-162 all-time record in matches against the Top 25.

Comparing the Teams
Statistic    Purdue    Ohio     Louisville     Illinois
Hit. %       .239      .267     .297           .269
Kills        13.72     13.36    13.31          14.45
Assists      12.56     12.05    11.91          14.00
Aces         0.81      1.54     1.20           1.27
Blocks       2.28      2.90     2.81           2.00
Digs         13.72     12.33    11.43          14.55

What a Difference a Win Makes...
       If the Boilermakers top Ohio on Friday ...
* They will move to 7-3 on the season, while taking their
fourth-straight match from the Bobcats.
* They will improve to 239-140 all-time when playing in the month of
September and 161-53 all-time in non-conference contests at home.

Rank And File
       The Boilermakers are receiving votes in this week's AVCA poll.
This is Purdue's second week among the vote getters after. dropping down
from No. 24 in the Aug. 31 listings. Purdue was ranked 19th in the
preseason listings after wrapping 2008 ranked 15th in the final AVCA
poll
       Since rankings began in 1982, Purdue has been ranked in 96
polls, including preseason and postseason listings.

Triple Play
       Junior setter Jaclyn Hart became the 14th Boilermaker in program
history and first since 2005 to post a triple-double when she tallied 12
kills, 41 assists and 10 digs against UCF on Sept. 5. The last
Boilermaker to achieve the feat was setter Renata Dargan, who tallied 13
kills, 61 assists and 13 digs against No. 8 Wisconsin on Sept. 30, 2005.
       After just over two seasons directing the Purdue offense, setter
Jaclyn Hart is already among those in the career record books, ranking
ninth in assists with 2,586. The sophomore racked up 1343 assists in
2008, while also adding 124 kills (0.91 per set), 239 digs (1.76 per
set) and 98 blocks (0.72 per set).

Perfect 10
       Middle blocker Kristen Arthurs joined elite company as she tied
the Purdue, Big Ten and NCAA records with a perfect 1.000 hitting
percentage vs. Ball State on Friday. The junior tallied 10 kills on 10
swings in the match, making her one of just four conference players and
one of just 23 players in NCAA Division I history to achieve the
distinction of a 1.000 hitting mark.

Purdue now boasts two of the 22 players, as Debbie McDonald went
13-for-13 at North Carolina State on Sept. 25, 1987. Stanford is the
only other school with two players on the record list.

Preseason Picks
       Junior middle blocker Kristen Arthurs was among 14 players named
to the Preseason All-Big Ten volleyball listing on Thursday, as voted on
by the conference's coaches.

Arthurs, an honorable mention All-Mideast Region selection in 2008,
started all 35 matches for Purdue last season, averaging 2.12 kills per
set, while hitting .338 and tallying 0.84 blocks per set. The Newport,
Mich., native posted double-digit kills on 13 occasions and ranked ninth
in the conference for hitting percentage, including a .344 effort in Big
Ten, which ranked seventh among league players. Arthurs recorded a
hitting percentage of .300 or better 19 times, including .400 or better
17 times and .500 or better 12 times. She also tallied a career high
.733 hitting percentage in three sets against Louisville last year.

Arthurs' selection marks the sixth-straight year Purdue has had a
preseason All-Big Ten honoree. Setter Renata Dargan earned the nod in
2004 and 2005, while middle blocker Stephanie Lynch garnered the honor
in 2006, 2007 and 2008.

As a team, the Boilermakers were picked to finish sixth by the league
coaches. The Big Ten's coaches elected to vote only on the conference's
top six teams beginning this year. Those top six squads combined to
produce 12 players on the 14-member Preseason All-Big Ten team, led by
Penn State's four honorees.

Purdue Volleyball Turns 35
       The 2009 season is the 35th in the history of the Boilermaker
volleyball program. The Purdue program, which began in 1975, has
accumulated 682 wins and four Big Ten Championships. The Boilermakers
have made 12 NCAA Tournament and two AIAW National Tournament
appearances. Seven Purdue players have combined to earn 19 All-America
honors, while six players have been named as Academic All-Americans.
       One hundred and fifty-one players have donned the Old Gold and
Black in program history, while four coaches have guided the program on
its journey. Four members of the Purdue Intercollegiate Athletics Hall
of Fame also are affiliated with Boilermaker volleyball: Jane (Neff)
Myers (inducted in 1994), Marianne (Smith) Orr (inducted in 1999), head
coach Carol Dewey and Debbie McDonald (both inducted in 2003).
       The Boilermakers will celebrate their 35th anniversary with
alumnae and friends during Alumni Day festivities on Sept. 27, when the
team takes on Michigan at 1 p.m.

Quiet Experience
       The Boilermaker roster features nine returning players, many of
which have flown under the radar the last few seasons. Head coach Dave
Shondell said that he sees the fact as an advantage for his team. "One
of the major things we have going for us is that we have a lot of
players that have been in the shadows or been role players for a year or
two. Now is their chance, their opportunity to step forward and lead
Purdue volleyball."
       Junior middle blocker Kristen Arthurs is the most decorated of
the returners, having garnered honorable mention All-Mideast honors in
2008. Arthurs will be stepping out from behind graduated All-American
Stephanie Lynch. Outside hitters Lisa Pierce and Carrie Gurnell each
bring three years of experience to the court.

Fabulous Freshmen
       Eight highly-touted and talented newcomers will vie for spots on
the court in 2009. The freshman class, which was ranked as the eighth
best in the nation by PrepVolleyball.com, features six players that were
listed among the website's Top 250 Senior Aces, as well as three Fab 50
players.
       The new Boilermakers have received several honors as prepsters.
Middle blocker Anna Drewry, outside hitter Katie Griffin and outside
hitter Ariel Turner were among Volleyball Magazine's Fab50.
       Setter Rachel Davis, defensive specialist Courtney Gosewisch and
middle hitter/outside hitter Catherine Rebarchak along with Drewry,
Griffin and Turner were listed among prepvolleyball.com's Top 250 Senior
Aces, including three in the Top 35. Gosewisch and defensive specialist
Carly Cramer also were named to the site's Defensive Dandies list as
juniors.
       Drewry was one of 24 players named as an Under Armour First Team
All-American by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA).
Meanwhile, Lee was one of 40 players that garnered Academic All-America
honors from PrepVolleyball.com. The listing, which boasts "the best of
the best at combining big brains and athletic brawn", was split into
five teams of eight, with Lee earning second team accolades.

Sticking Around
       All-American middle blocker Stephanie Lynch and honorable
mention All-Mideast Region selection Kelli Miller finished their
eligibility in 2008, but will be mainstays on the Purdue bench for one
more semester as the two will act as student assistant coaches this
season. The pair had a major impact on the Boilermaker record books
during their four-year careers. Lynch is the career record holder for
hitting percentage, block assists and total blocks, while Miller owns
the top marks for digs and digs per set. Lynch also owns the season mark
for hitting percentage and block assists, while Miller boasts the
single-match digs mark.

Small Screen Stars
       The Boilermaker volleyball team is set to play five televised
matches in 2009, four on the Big Ten Network and one on ESPN2.
Sept. 30 - vs. Indiana, 7 p.m., Big Ten Network, LIVE
Oct. 9 - at Illinois, 8 p.m., ESPN2, Tape Delayed until 1 p.m. on Oct.
11
Oct. 24 - at Penn State, 7 p.m., Big Ten Network, Tape Delayed until 8
p.m. on Oct. 25
Nov. 4 - at Indiana, 7 p.m., Big Ten Network, LIVE
Nov. 8 - at Minnesota, 2 p.m., Big Ten Network, LIVE and again at 8 p.m.


Packing The House
       The Boilermakers sold out both nights of their home opening
Mortar Board Premier tournament, packing in 2,431 fans on Friday night
vs. Ball State and 2,386 on Saturday night against Dayton.
       In 2008, The Boilermakers ranked eighth in national attendance
average with 2,485 per match. In 15 home matches, 37,277 fans watched
the team play. Purdue's Oct. 17 Mackey Madness event, which saw the
volleyball team take on No. 19 Wisconsin prior to the basketball tipoff
celebration, brought in 10,579 fans, the second most ever to see the
Boilermaker volleyball team play at home in program history. The tally
was second only to the Pack Mackey event on Oct. 29, 1985, when a
then-NCAA record 10,645 people came to watch Purdue take on Western
Michigan.
       The Boilermakers have ranked among the top 20 in attendance
average each of the last six seasons.

Tracking The Boilermakers
       Follow Purdue volleyball on the web with streaming video, live
audio and live statistics on purduesports.com. Live statistics are
available via the GameTracker feature, while free audio broadcasts are
available by clicking the listen links on the schedule page. Streaming
video is available for a monthly fee via the Purdue All-Access Pass.
       Be a part of Purdue volleyball online via the social networking
services Facebook and Twitter. Join the Official Purdue Volleyball group
on Facebook, or follow Boilermaker coach Dave Shondell's tweets at
twitter.com/PurdueVB.

College Volleyball Team Weekly News: University of Texas El Paso (UTEP)

UTEP VOLLEYBALL

Miners Open C-USA Schedule Against Tulane

EL PASO - The UTEP volleyball team will kick off league play this week when they host the 2008 Conference USA regular season and tournament champions Tulane on Thursday, Sept. 17, at 7 p.m. at Memorial Gym.

UTEP will close out the preseason with matches against the University of New Mexico and Arizona in Tucson, Ariz., at the Arizona Invitational presented by Marriott this weekend.

With a record of 7-3, the Miners go into this week’s action after claiming the team’s second tournament championship this season at last weekend's Bradley CEFCU Invitational in Peoria, Ill. UTEP recorded wins over Bradley, 3-0, and Coppin State, 3-0, and dropped a five-set match to Montana State. Senior middle blocker Aidan Mooney was named the tournament’s MVP and setter Patty Jarmoc was selected for the all-tournament team, her second this season.

Scouting the Competition
-Tulane comes to the Sun City with 3-3 record after claiming the 2009 Allstate Sugar Bowl Classic this past weekend. The Green Wave posted 3-1 victories over the University of New Orleans and Louisiana State, before dropping a five-set match to Long Beach State.

Sophomore Visnja Djurdjevic leads the Green Wave with a team-high 89 kills averaging 4.05 per set. She ranks second in the team in digs with 81 and is first with nine serving aces through six matches.

-UNM opens the conference part of their schedule on Wednesday night against TCU at home before traveling to Arizona for matches against UTEP, Arizona and Tulane. The Lobos took second place at the 2009 Comcast Lobo Challenge in Albuquerque, NM, with wins over Cal State-Fullerton, 3-0, and Pittsburgh, 3-1, and suffered the team's lone loss this season to Baylor, 3-2.

Junior Lisa Meeter leads the team with 81 kills and is second with 78 digs. Senior Anna Lehne is second on the team with 72 kills for a .319 attack percentage.

-Arizona, ranked No. 21 in this week's Bison/AVCA Coaches Top 25 poll, will open their own tournament against Tulane riding an eight-match win streak and having won three consecutive tournaments this season. The Wildcats are led by junior outside hitter Tiffany Owens with a team-high 91 kills (3.50k/s) and 75 digs.

Record Watch
Sanders’ 14 kills in the Miners' last match against Coppin State matched and surpassed Kari Stacy’s 1,218 career kills to rank second in UTEP history. The senior entered this season with 1,086 career kills and surpassed third-ranked Cynthia Ruelas-Macias earlier this season. She currently has 1,223 and will need 289 more kills this season to dethrone UTEP’s all-time leader Jennifer Abbruzzese (1,511). With 19 matches left Sanders will need to average 15.16 kills per match to reach the feat.

UTEP in National Rankings
The Miners’ .267 hitting percentage ranks 34th in NCAA team rankings. Sanders is 47th in the nation averaging 4.03 kills per set this season.

In C-USA Standings
UTEP’s 1.53 blocks and 10.85 digs allowed per set are a Conference USA best.

The Miners 34th ranked hitting percentage is the league’s second best this season, UTEP’s 2.29 blocks per set and 1.56 service aces are also second amongst all C-USA teams.

Patty Jarmoc is the league’s best at the service line averaging .44 aces per set with a total of 15 in 34 sets for 2009. Three other conference players have posted 15 aces, only SMU’s Carly Bergquist has tallied more with 16, but the Mustangs have played a conference-high 47 sets.

Sanders is tops amongst league players with 4.74 points per set with a season total of 161.

All-Tournament Teams
Four Miners have received all-tournament team accolades this year through three tournaments played. Senior middle blocker Aidan Mooney was the latest UTEP player honored after being named the Bradley CEFCU Invitational MVP. Patty Jarmoc picked up her second honor at the Bradley CEFCU Invitational. Jarmoc was also selected to the season-opener Sun Bowl Volleyball Invitational all-tournament team where Catherine Chavez was also selected. Mooney was the team’s second tournament MVP as Sanders was the Sun Bowl Invitational’s MVP.

Sanders Named to C-USA Preseason Team
Amy Sanders enters her senior year as a C-USA Preseason Team selection, the first in program history since UTEP joined the league in 2005.

Familiar Faces
The Miners return eight letterwinners to the 2009 squad, adding depth and experience to the roster. Among the eight returners are three regular starters (Sanders, Cat Chavez, Patty Jarmoc) and three rotating starters (Irma Blanco, M.T. Joyce, Aidan Mooney).

Jarmoc’s 1,112 assists last season were the fourth best in a season in UTEP history. With a career total of 2, 217 and two years left of eligibility, Jarmoc is 31 assists short of entering the top five all-time leaders in career total assists.

Returning full strength to the Miner lineup is outside hitter Catherine Chavez. Prior to going down with a knee injury that kept her out of most of the 2008 Conference USA schedule, Chavez was the league’s leader in kills.

Junior Jennifer Nolasco earned the starting nod at libero after the spring season, backing her up will be defensive specialists KeAnne Langford and Stephanie Sierra.

New in Orange and Blue
Three freshmen will come out of redshirt status to join the Miners on the floor. Middle Blockers Cassandra Burruel and Kelsey Moore and outside hitter Bridget Logan add depth and height to the UTEP roster.

Melissa Toth, Jeane Horton, Ashley Mullens and Sierra enter their first season in a Miner uniform.
El Paso Flavor
The Miners have six natives on the roster this season - Blanco, Chavez, Nolasco, Sierra, Mullens and Sanders. Blanco, Nolasco, Chavez and Sanders are from Bel Air, Horizon, Eastwood and Burges, respectively...three are seniors (Blanco, Chavez and Sanders), Nolasco enters her junior season, while Mullens and Sierra are newcomers. Chavez, Nolasco, Mullens, Sierra and Sanders all played for the club team - Sun Spots - coached by UTEP assistant, Angela Mooney.

Oh Canada!
Aidan Mooney and Patty Jarmoc are Canadian natives along with assistant coach Azadeh Boroumand...the Miners have not had a northern neighbor on the team since Krystal Gabriel during the 2003 season...Gabriel, a setter, left after just one season with the Miners. Joining the staff from Yellow Grass, Regina is program coordinator Falin Schafer. Additionally, assistant coach Angela Mooney is engaged to Dave Herman...also a Canada native!

Price’s Creameries
Realizing the challenging economic climate, UTEP has teamed up with Prices’ Creameries to provide a year-long promotion for all 2009 Miner home matches. Any fan who brings in the milk caps from Price’s milk will receive a free youth ticket to the contest. One cap will result in one ticket. Stay healthy and save money, courtesy of Prices’ and UTEP Athletics.

Miner All-Access Pass
All of UTEP volleyball home games this year will be available through subscription on UTEPAthletics.com as part of Miners All-Access. Additionally, all of the Miners’ Conference USA road tilts are tentatively slated to be available as well.

Schedule
Fans will have 13 opportunities to catch their Miners in action at Memorial Gym. UTEP will open the 2009 conference schedule against Tulane on Sept. 17 at 7 p.m. and the I-10 Rivalry game against the Aggies at home is slated for Sept. 22 also at 7 p.m.

Pete’s Pass
Fans can attend all UTEP volleyball home matches, in addition to every women’s basketball, softball, tennis, track & field and soccer home events, by purchasing a Pete’s Pass for only $35. For more details on the Pete’s Pass, in addition to season-ticket information for football and men’s basketball, please call (915) 747-6150.

College Volleyball Team Weekly News: Santa Clara

Santa Clara Volleyball Travels to UCSB and Cal Poly Tournament

Santa Clara, Calif. - Sporting a 5-3 record Santa Clara will again hit the road and travel to Santa Barbara to
play UC Santa Barbara, 5-2, on Wed., Sept. 16 at 7 pm before playing at the Cal Poly Tournament Sept 18-19 in San Luis Obispo, Calif.  At Cal Poly Santa Clara will play Idaho, 4-4, on Fri., Sept. 18 at 2:30 pm and then host-Cal Poly, 2-8, at 7:30 pm. On Sat., Sept. 19 SCU will play Seattle, 3-7, at 4:30 pm.

The Broncos are 4-16 lifetime vs. UCSB, with SCU winning 3-1 last year's Sept. 11 contest.  It is 3-1 vs. Idaho, defeating the Vandals 3-1 in its last match-up on Sept 16, 2005. It is 6-10 vs. Cal Poly with the Broncos winning 3-1 on Oct. 22, 1996 in their last meeting.  Santa Clara will play Seattle for the first time this weekend.

Cal Poly's coaching staff includes Caroline Walters '07, a former All-WCC Bronco performer. Walters broke the Santa Clara and WCC all-time digs record as a senior. She holds the record with 1,932 career digs and also tops the digs average list.

Bronco head coach Jon Wallace likes what he has seen with his young Bronco team the last few days after taking a step back in their effort level vs. then-No. 25 Arizona last Thursday at home in a 3-0 loss before returning to the Leavey Center on Saturday to defeat Utah 3-0.  He said his team had their best practice of
the year on Tuesday and hopes that propels them into playing with a lot of energy at UCSB on Wednesday.

"We are still working on our execution. We did a real nice job of changing that energy to a real positive in the win over Utah on Saturday," said Wallace.  "The Santa Barbara match will be a really good test for us because they have good ball control and they are going to make us have to beat them.  That is going to make us better as a team and hopefully we'll execute and come away with a W."

Wallace likes the growth of his team which features 11 underclassmen and believes the growth comes in different areas at different times with different players with everyone improving overall.

"In kids that redshirted last year, like Dana Knudsen, she is so different than last year and that's a plus.
Tanya Schmidt, who played last year as a freshman, has gotten better," said Wallace. "Our freshmen have gotten better over the course of the last three weeks as well. We are still working on their comfort level and it's going to be shaken up again next week with our return to classes, but we've had some good talks with
them about time management, priorities, choices and what a privilege it is to be on a Division I volleyball team.  They seem to understand that.  We want them to learn to always make the right choices."

Santa Clara's offense is led by Knudsen, who is hitting .320 with 2.1 kpg. Krista Kelley, looking to make her fourth straight all-tournament team this weekend after being named the Sac State Invite MVP, leads the team with 3.7 kpg, hitting .258 with 2.3 dpg and .31 bpg.  Lindsy Davigeadono, an all-tournament selection
last weekend at the right-side, is hitting .226 with 2.2 kpg and 1.1 bpg after working as the team's setter last year.  Freshman Katherine Douglas averages 2.6 kpg and has had four double-doubles this year.

In practice Wallace is working to expand the playbook with a few new plays for each rotation as the coaches continue to fine-tune their strengths. With so many young players, practice has been very competitive with a lot of energy and the team's confidence seems to be building.  He said Kim Courtney will get the nod as the
libero on Wednesday at UCSB with Libby Morrison and Bridget O'Hara continuing to fight for the job.

"Prior to starting WCC play in two weeks, we are going to take the players we have and continue to work to put them in the right spots and make them feel real comfortable," said Wallace.  "We just moved Lindsy with a different setter which means Lindsy and Kayla switched.  Going forward we really like that so we have to
get adjusted to that.  It will be a strength."

Santa Clara will continue to run the 6-2 offense with setters Emily Burke and Alexandra Palmer quarterbacking the team. Burke is hitting .438 with .30 kpg, 6.4 apg and 1.6 dpg.   Palmer is averaging 6.0
apg and 1.2 dpg.

While Wallace isn't a huge fan of the 6-2 offense, he feels it's the best thing for the type of players he has this year and for this season.

"I feel as a coach you always want the ability to make adjustments personal wise and the 6-2 kind of limits you with that because you are kind of locked into a certain rotation," said Wallace.  "But it is working for us."

 

College Volleyball Team Weekly News: University of Arkansas Pine Bluff

-15-09   UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS PINE BLUFF ATHLETICS SET TO HOST COMMUNITY DAY   PINE BLUFF, Ark.- On Thursday, October 1st the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff Football team will host Alcorn State at 6:00 pm at Golden Lions Stadium in a game that will be televised nationally on ESPNU. The UAPB Department of Athletics in conjunction with Wal-Mart has tabbed the game “Community Day”.   Various free health screenings will be available on the stadium grounds at Community Day. In addition all fans that bring a canned good to the game will be admitted into the stadium for $5. Children and youth ages 0-18 will be admitted into the game free of charge with a paying adult (limit 5 children per adult).   The UAPB Athletics Department has also received confirmation that Nerjyzed Game Studios will be at the contest on Thursday night allowing football game enthusiast a free chance to play its newest version of Black College Football 2010 on its BCFX Tour Bus which is equipped with 12 flat screens televisions.   “We have teamed up with Wal-Mart to bring Community Day to Pine Bluff,” said UAPB Athletic Director Louis “Skip” Perkins Jr. “We encourage all of our fans to take advantage of the variety of free health screenings that will take place on this day as well as the reduced ticket prices that will be offered for admission into the game. All local businesses and school districts are invited to take full advantage of our special ticket pricing as these specials will also be extended to group rates for parties of 10 or more.”   UAPB’s game versus the Braves has also been tabbed a “Black Out.” Golden Lions supporters are asked to wear black shirts to the contest in support of the Arkansas-Pine Bluff football team. All fans that would like to gain admittance into the game with a canned and children/youth should enter Golden Lions Stadium thru Gate 6.   For more information please call (870) 575-8601 or visit us online at www.uapblionsroar.com.   .   -UAPB-