Volleyball Voices

(video) On The Road With Purdue Volleyball Sweet 16 Austin, Texas

On The Road With Purdue Volleyball Sweet 16 Austin, Texas

Loading

Loading

Texas’ Volleyball Player Juliann Faucette named Volleyball Honda Award Nominee

Loading

Loading

Texas’ Juliann Faucette named Volleyball Honda Award Nominee

Senior All-America outside hitter Juliann Faucette has been named a nominee for the 2010-11 Volleyball Honda Award.

AUSTIN, Texas – Texas senior All-America outside hitter Juliann Faucette has been named a nominee for the 2010-11 Volleyball Honda Award, marking the third-straight season a Longhorn has been nominated.
 
Faucette headlined the Longhorns offense in 2010 leading UT to a 27-5 record and its third straight NCAA Semifinal appearance.
 
The other nominees are California’s Carli Lloyd, Southern California’s Alex Jupiter and Penn State’s Blair Brown.
 
The San Diego, Texas, native garnered AVCA All-America First Team, AVCA All-Central Region First Team and All-Big 12 First Team honors in 2010. She also earned Big 12 Player of the Year honors and NCAA Austin Regional Most Outstanding Player honors.
 
Faucette’s 4.55 points and 3.94 kills per-set each ranked fifth-best in the Big 12 Conference. The senior hit .263 on the season.
 
Now in its 35th year, the Collegiate Women Sports Awards program recognizes annually the top woman collegiate athlete in each of 12 NCAA-sanctioned sports, each of whom receives the Honda Sports Award.
 
In addition, each year a single athlete from the group of 12 Honda Sports Award winners is chosen as the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year and is presented with the Honda-Broderick Cup.
 
Four Longhorns have previously been nominated for the volleyball honor with Destinee Hooker (2008-09, 2009-10), Katy Jameyson (1993-94) and Demetria Sance (1998-99) earning nominations and Sally Schlobohm (1981-82) winning the award. Kamie Ethridge (1985-86 women’s basketball) and Jill Sterkel (1980-81 swimming) are the only two Texas athletes to win the Honda-Broderick Cup award for Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year.
 
American Honda will donate $1,000 to the women’s athletic fund of each nominee’s university and the winner’s program will receive $5,000.
 
 

[Pac-10] Alex Jupiter and Carli Lloyd Named Honda Sports Volleyball Award Finalists

[Pac-10] Alex Jupiter and Carli Lloyd Named Honda Sports Volleyball Award Finalists

WALNUT CREEK, Calif. - USC junior outside hitter Alex Jupiter and CALIFORNIA senior setter Carli Lloyd have been named finalists for the 2010-11 Honda Sports Volleyball Award. The two are finalists along with Penn State’s Blair Brown and Texas’ Juliann Faucette.

Jupiter was named AVCA All-America first team and AVCA All-Pacific Region after leading the Women of Troy to a 29-5 overall record and a trip to the NCAA Final Four. It was USC’s sixth Final Four appearance in 11 seasons and the Trojans’ first appearance since 2007. The Paris, France, native had 532 kills (4.40 kps) this season while hitting .299 with 38 service aces (0.31 saps), 304 digs (2.51 dps), 77 blocks (0.64 bps) and 625.0 points (5.17 pps). She finished the season ranked 11th in the nation for points per set and 15th for kills per set. A two-time All-American, Jupiter is vying to become the third USC player to win the award, following Debbie Green (1977-78) and April Ross (2003-04).

Lloyd led the Golden Bears to their first national championship match this season and was named the 2010 AVCA Player of the Year, the first Cal player to garner the award. The Bonsall, Calif., native is Cal’s only All-American setter and is the second player in program history to receive three AVCA All-America certificates. A first team All-American this season, Lloyd was named to the NCAA Championship All-Tournament Team for her performance in the Final Four. She has been instrumental in the Bears’ success for the past four seasons, guiding the squad to its first Pac-10 Championship and a program-record 30 wins this year. Lloyd ranks sixth all-time among Pac-10 players with 5,697 career assists. She ranked eighth in the NCAA with 11.83 assists per set and led all active Pac-10 players in career assists and blocks (398) this season.

All NCAA senior woman administrators will decide the winner, which will be announced January 11, 2011. American Honda will donate $1,000 to each of the school’s women’s athletic fund with the winner’s program receiving $5,000.

- www.pac-10.org -

Penn State Women’s Volleyball Senior Opposite Blair Brown Named Honda Award Finalist

Penn State Women’s Volleyball Senior Opposite Blair Brown Named Honda Award Finalist

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa., Dec. 20, 2010 – Penn State women’s volleyball senior opposite Blair Brown (Purcellville, Va.) has been named one of four finalists for the 2010-11 Honda Sports Award to determine the top woman collegiate athlete in that sport. Brown joins Texas’ Juliann Faucette, USC’s Alex Jupiter and Cal’s Carli Lloyd as finalists.
 
After nationwide balloting, the Honda Award winner becomes a nominee for the Honda-Broderick Cup, given each year to the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year. American Honda Motor Co., Inc., which sponsors the program, donates $5,000 to each Honda Sports Award recipient’s school and $1,000 to the school of each nominee.
 
Brown, who became the sixth straight Nittany Lion to be named the Big Ten Player of the Year earlier this season, is a three-time AVCA All-American. A three-time All-Big Ten selection, Brown earned Second Team laurels in 2008 and First Team honors in 2009 and 2010. Brown has started all 37 matches this season and leads the Nittany Lions with 521 kills, averaging 4.24 kills per set on .320 hitting. She is second on the team with 281 digs (2.28 digs per set) and 113 total blocks (0.92 blocks per set). Her 4.24 kills per set ranks second in the Big Ten and 29th nationally, while her .323 attack percentage ranks ninth in the league. Also, her 4.72 points per set ranks 26th in the nation. In 2010, Brown was a Unanimous Preseason All-Big Ten pick and earned conference player of the week laurels three times. She surpassed the 1,000 career kills milestone this season and closed out her career with 1,295 kills.
 
A member of the 2010 National Championship All-Tournament Team, Brown became the ninth Nittany Lion to be named a finalist for the Honda Award for volleyball. Past nominees for Penn State include, Bonnie Bremner (’97, 98), Terri Zemaitis (’97), Lauren Cacciamani (’98, ’99), Sam Tortorello (’04, ’05), Christa Harmotto (’07, ’08), Megan Hodge (’07, ’09), Nicole Fawcett (’08) and Alisha Glass (’09).
 
The Nittany Lions made history again in 2010 winning an unprecedented fourth straight national title. Penn State swept California, 3-0, in the national championship match on Dec. 18 in Kansas City, Mo.

For more information on the Penn State women’s volleyball team, please visit GoPSUsports.com. The Penn State women’s volleyball 2010 season is presented by Rockvale Outlets and The Outlets at Hershey.
 
 
 
 
 

2010 Colonial Athletic Association Volleyball Final Report

2010 Colonial Athletic Association Volleyball Final Report 
 
CAA QUICK HITS:  Delaware rallied to knock off Northeastern in a five-set barnburner to capture its third conference tournament title in program history.
After claiming the conference crown, the Blue Hens received the CAA's automatic berth in the NCAA Championship, where they fell, 3-0, to Virginia Tech in the first round.
Delaware's Greta Gibboney capped a stellar senior campaign with an AVCA Honorable Mention All-America nod.
Gibboney joined Northeastern senior Britney Brown as selections to the AVCA All-East Region Team.
Four league players were chosen to COBRA Magazine's all-region teams.
 
CONFERENCE NOTES
DELAWARE FALLS TO VIRGINIA TECH IN FIRST ROUND OF NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP: A tremendous season, and an even greater career for Delaware's seniors, came to an end as the Blue Hens fell to Virginia Tech in the first round of the NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship on Friday, held in Rec Hall on the campus of Penn State.
 
Delaware was led by sophomore Alissa Alker, who tallied 15 kills on 31 swings and a .419 hitting percentage. Senior Jess Chason finished with 29 assists while classmate Greta Gibboney ended with a match-high 17 digs.

The game marked the conclusion of the career for four outstanding student-athletes, as Chason, Gibboney, Paige Erickson and Katie Dennehy closed out their senior season. The senior class won three CAA Championship titles and helped guide the 2007 team to Delaware's first NCAA Championship win with a victory over Princeton in the first round.

DELAWARE WINS THIRD CAA VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIP IN FOUR YEARS: Senior Katie Dennehy collected a team-high 21 kills and classmate Jess Chason served up a double-double to lift top-seeded Delaware to a 3-2 victory over third-seeded Northeastern in the CAA Volleyball Championship on Nov. 7 in Newark, Del. With the win, the Blue Hens have earned their third championship in the last four years and receive the league's automatic berth in the NCAA Championship.

Northeastern outhit Delaware .150-.143 in the league's third-straight five-set championship and nabbed a narrow 68-63 and 63-61 edge in kills and assists. The Hens held a 5-0 advantage in service aces.  Defensively, Delaware combined for 16 blocks to the Huskies' 12, while Northeastern finished the match with a 121-110 advantage in digs. The match featured 41 ties and 20 lead changes. Set scores were 23-25, 27-25, 25-27, 25-20, and 15-9.

Chason was the only Hen to record a double-double with a team-leading 52 assists and 25 digs. Dennehy paced Delaware with 21 kills and two aces, while fellow senior Paige Erickson skied for a squad-high eight blocks.

Freshman Janelle Tucker notched a double-double with 23 digs and a team-high 22 kills for the Huskies. Senior Britney Brown followed suit with 28 assists and 23 digs. Rookie Ina Kamenova paced the team with 33 assists, while redshirt freshman Nichole Kurz jumped for a team-best seven blocks.

Dennehy was named the CAA Championship Most Outstanding Player, while teammates Alissa Alker and Kim Stewart were also selected to the all-tournament team. Receiving all-tournament honors from Northeastern were Brown and Tucker. Rounding out the squad were VCU redshirt sophomore Kristin Boyd and James Madison sophomore Danielle Erb.

GIBBONEY EARNS AVCA HONORABLE MENTION ALL-AMERICA ACCOLADES: The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) announced the 30th annual AVCA Division I All-America Teams for women's volleyball on Dec. 15, and Delaware senior Greta Gibboney has received Honorable Mention accolades.
 
It is the first All-America nod for Gibboney in her four-year career with the Hens. The senior standout represents the CAA as the lone league player to be chosen to any of AVCA's top three or honorable mention teams. She is the first Blue Hen to be named to an AVCA All-American since Steph Barry made back-to-back appearances as an Honorable Mention selection in 2007 and 2008.
 
TWO CAA VOLLEYBALL PLAYERS EARN AVCA ALL-EAST REGION HONORS: Two CAA players were selected to the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-East Region Team as announced by the organization on Dec. 7. Delaware's Greta Gibboney received an outright nod to the team, while Northeastern's Britney Brown earned an honorable mention selection.

Gibboney receives her first AVCA all-region nod after completing a dominant year defensively for the Blue Hens. The Huntingdon, Pa., native was named the CAA Defensive Specialist of the Year and garnered First Team All-CAA accolades this season. She tallied 654 digs and averaged a league-leading 5.50 digs per frame while playing in all 119 sets for Delaware in 2010. Her digs-per-set average is the second best in school history. As of games through Dec. 5, the Hens' libero ranked 14th nationally in digs per set, which is less than .44 digs per frame off the national leader. With her defensive prowess on full display, Gibboney helped the Hens capture their third CAA championship in four years in November and finish the year with an impressive 26-6 overall record after a trip to the NCAA Championship's first round.

Brown earned an AVCA All-East Region Team honorable mention nod after wrapping up a stellar senior season with the Huskies. The Edwards, Colo., native was selected as CAA Volleyball Player of the Year after collecting 3.15 kills per set and dishing out 5.54 assists per frame in 2010, both of which ranked in the league's top 10. Brown also notched seven triple-doubles and 18 double-doubles in 30 matches this season and led the Huskies to the CAA Tournament's championship match, where they were edged by Delaware in a five-set barnburner.

LEAGUE HAS FOUR PLAYERS TABBED TO COBRA MAGAZINE ALL-REGION TEAMS: Four CAA players were named to COBRA Magazine's all-region teams on Dec. 2. Delaware junior Kim Stewart was tabbed to the All-Northeast Region Team, while Georgia State redshirt junior Vineece Verdun earned a spot on the All-Southeast Region Team. VCU sophomore Jasmine Waters and William & Mary freshman Celine Alasomuka were honorable mention selections to the All-East Region Team.

Stewart was third on the Blue Hens squad with 302 kills, 2.54 kills per set, 62 total blocks, and 3.11 points per game. The Kentwood, Mich., product also stood second on the team in digs (346), service aces (35) and digs per set (2.91). During her junior year, she was named to the Delaware Invitational All-Tournament Team, the Notre Dame/adidas Invitational All-Tournament Team and the CAA All-Tournament Team, guiding the Hens to their third conference championship in four years.

Verdun led the CAA during the regular season with 372 kills, 3.38 kills per set and 4.19 points per set. The Bloomfield Hills, Mich., native also finished fifth in blocks (112) and blocks per set (1.02) in 2010. Verdun helped lead Georgia State to a 14-14 record, including an 8-6 mark in conference play. The Panthers' eight league wins marked the team's most since 2005 and helped keep them in the running for the CAA Tournament until the final weekend of the regular season.

After a grueling nonconference schedule, VCU's Waters hit her stride during conference play this season. The Landover, Md., native notched 1.23 blocks per set in league matches, fourth best in the CAA, and hit .339.  On Sept. 25 against Hofstra, Waters recorded 13 total blocks. She logged at least four blocks in a match 10 times. Waters also delivered 10 kills and hit .769 with seven blocks in a pivotal conference victory at James Madison on Oct. 15 and would help lead the Rams to a CAA Tournament appearance.

Alasomuka was the Tribe's primary libero in 2010, and also saw action as an outside hitter. She was named to the CAA All-Rookie Team after collecting 350 digs, second-most all-time by a Tribe freshman. Her 3.72 digs-per-set average was the seventh-highest in school history. During the 14-match conference season, Alasomuka led the CAA with 0.36 aces per set and ranked fourth with 4.15 digs per set, all while playing as a defensive specialist for the first time in her career.

AMONG THE NATION'S BEST: As of matches through Dec. 11, Delaware's Greta Gibboney ranked 14th in the nation in digs per set with a 5.50 average, while her Blue Hens (17.05) came in at 35th nationally. Also on the defensive front, George Mason's Kelsey Bohman improved to 12th in Division I with 1.39 blocks per set, with Delaware's Paige Erickson (1.26) sliding in at 43rd. VCU (2.47) and Mason (2.44) cracked the top 50 in the team blocks-per-set category as well. Towson's Shelynne Hoyt (0.44) was ranked 17th with 0.43 service aces per set, while Mason's Noelle Fanella (0.40) at 22nd, James Madison's Danielle Erb (0.39) at 39th and Hofstra's Jenna Connell (0.38) at 48th are also among the top 50 nationally. Hoyt's Tigers (1.59) ranked 27th in the country in aces per set. With a 26-6 overall record (.813), Delaware owned the 19th-best winning percentage in the nation. JMU (.733) registered the 44th-best winning percentage in Division I.
 

(video) Penn State Women's Volleyball Team: 2010 National Volleyball Champions

Penn State Women's Volleyball Team: 2010 National Champions

 

Loading

Loading

(video) Four-Peat! Congratulations To The Penn State Women's Volleyball Team

Four-Peat! Congratulations To The Penn State Women's Volleyball Team

 

Loading

Loading

Chloe Smith Named Toyota/Southland Conference Volleyball Student-Athlete of the Year

Loading

Loading

Chloe Smith Named Toyota/Southland Conference Volleyball Student-Athlete of the Year

Smith is the first player in league history in any sport to be named both the conference player of the year and student-athlete of the year three times
 
FRISCO, Texas – Central Arkansas senior Chloe Smith was named the Toyota/Southland Conference Volleyball Student-Athlete of the Year, the league office announced Thursday in conjunction with the release of the All-Academic Volleyball Teams.
 
Smith, a native of San Diego, Calif., is the first player in Southland history in any sport to be named both the conference player of the year and student-athlete of the year three times. A three-time CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District VI selection, Smith maintains a 3.92 grade-point average in digital filmmaking. In UCA’s first year of postseason eligibility, Smith led the Sugar Bears to their second consecutive regular-season title and first No. 1 seed in the Southland tournament. Smith ranked second in the league in kills (433), 11th in hitting percentage (.269) and leaves her collegiate career as the all-time kills leader at UCA (1,689).
 
The Southland Conference awards committee, which consists of one administrator from each of the 12 member universities, voted for the student-athlete of the year. The Southland student-athlete of the year award is presented to the one student-athlete who achieves excellence in both academics and athletics. All nominees shall have earned at least a 3.2 GPA on a 4.0 scale, and demonstrated athletics achievement for at least two years at the nominating institution.
 
UT Arlington led all teams with four all-academic selections with two first-team and second-team members. Central Arkansas, Stephen F. Austin and UTSA have three selections, McNeese State and Sam Houston State have two and Nicholls has one.
 
Automatic selections include CoSIDA members and those who received first-team all-conference honors. This year, eight members on the first-team all-academic squad were automatic selections leaving 10 open positions to be filled by vote.
 
The Southland had four CoSIDA selections. Joining Smith on the CoSIDA team was first-team selection Stephen F. Austin sophomore Sabrina Burns. SFA sophomore Madison Hanlan received second-team honors and McNeese State sophomore Whitney Ellisor received third-team recognition.
 
The four remaining automatic selections were first-team all-conference members – Central Arkansas junior Jessica Hays, UTSA senior Kendra Rowland and juniors Kelsey Jewasko and Kelsey Schwirtlich.
 
Nine members are returning all-academic selections.
 
Smith, Rowland and UT Arlington senior Christy Driscoll led all players with their third consecutive all-academic appearance. Hays, Jewasko, Central Arkansas junior Cristin Curl, UT Arlington senior Bianca Sauls, junior Tara Frantz and Sam Houston State junior Kym Loving each make their second all-academic appearance.
 
Among the 18 student-athletes selected for academic recognition, 15 have GPAs of 3.5 or higher. Burns and Hanlan led all players with a 4.00 GPA.
 
The All-Academic teams are voted on by the head coaches, sports information directors and academic/compliance administrators from each Southland Conference university. Student-athletes must possess a 3.0 cumulative GPA, have completed one full academic year at the nominating institution and participated in at least 50 percent of the team’s competition to qualify for the all-academic squad.
 
Included in Toyota’s support of the Southland Conference Academic Awards Program is the F.L. McDonald Postgraduate Scholarship, the All-Academic Teams, the Student-Athlete of the Year, the Scholar-Athlete award and the Commissioner’s Honor Roll.
 
2010 Southland Conference Volleyball All-Academic TeamsFirst Team     
NameUniversityCl.PositionHometownGPAMajor
Chloe Smith^,%,1,3Central ArkansasSr.Outside HitterSan Diego, Calif.3.92Digital Filmmaking
Jessica Hays1,2Central ArkansasJr.Outside HitterFriendswood, Texas3.43Family and Consumer Sciences
Whitney Ellisor%,1McNeese StateSo.Libero/DSDeer Park, Texas3.86Math
Sabrina Burns%,1Stephen F. AustinSo.Middle BlockerMcAlester, Okla.4.00Accounting
Madison Hanlan%,1Stephen F. AustinSo.LiberoArlington, Texas4.00Biology
Kelsey Jewasko1,2UTSAJr.LiberoSan Antonio, Texas3.90Interdisciplinary Studies
Kendra Rowland1,3UTSASr.Outside HitterAntioch, Calif.3.59Communication
Kelsey Schwirtlich1UTSAJr.SetterCorpus Christi, Texas3.90Mechanical Engineering
Cristin Curl2Central ArkansasJr.LiberoAmarillo, Texas3.76Management
Bianca Sauls2UT ArlingtonSr.Outside HitterPflugerville, Texas3.69Broadcast Communication
Christy Driscoll3UT ArlingtonSr.Middle BlockerKeller, Texas3.95Exercise Science
Danielle DaigleNichollsJr.LiberoNapoleonville, La.3.37Communication Disorders
      
Second Team     
Alicia ShafferUT ArlingtonJr.LiberoMagnolia, Texas3.52Social Work
Kym Loving2Sam Houston StateJr.SetterHouston, Texas3.62Finance
Allison GideonStephen F. AustinSo.SetterGeorgetown, Texas3.83Psychology
Erin HuckabayMcNeese StateSr.Middle BlockerOmaha, Texas3.53Biology
Kaylee HawkinsSam Houston StateSo.Outside Hitter/LDickinson, Texas3.34Accounting
Tara Frantz2UT ArlingtonJr.Outside HitterSanta Fe, Texas3.61Kinesiology

 
^2010 Southland Volleyball Student-Athlete of the Year
%CoSIDA Academic All-District
1Automatic all-academic selection
2Two-time all-academic selection
3Three-time all-academic selection

Cal Volleyball Team Falls to Penn State in NCAA Volleyball Final

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

VOLLEYBALL

Cal Volleyball Team Falls to Penn State in NCAA Volleyball Final

Seniors Carli Lloyd and Meagan Schmitt complete their careers as the winningest class in Cal history

KANSAS CITY, Mo. –

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The seventh-seeded California volleyball team (30-4) fell in three sets (25-20, 27-25, 25-

20) to fourth-seeded Penn State (32-5) in the championship final of the 2010 NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball

Championship at the Sprint Center on Saturday, Dec. 18. The Nittany Lions secured their fourth consecutive NCAA title led by senior Blair Brown, who had 18 kills (6e, 38att, .316) and 10 digs. As 2010 Pac-10 champions, the Golden Bears posted the most wins in a single season by a Cal squad and will finished with the highest single hitting percentage (.308) in program history.

“This team has been so special. They are the most cohesive and hard-working team I’ve had,” said head coach Rich Feller. “I couldn’t be more proud.”

The Bears maintained a steady threat as senior setter Carli Lloyd notched her 13th double-double of the season on 33 assists and 11 digs. Lloyd completed her career at Cal ranked second for career assists with 5,697 and is only the third setter in program history to log more than 1,000 digs.

Lloyd went to her magnet—junior outside hitter Tarah Murrey—early and often and found her for a team-high 16 kills (8e, 56att, .143). Freshman outside Adrienne Gehan added seven kills (2e, 18att, .278) while sophomore middle hitter Shannon Hawari put in six kills (0e, 16att, .375) to go with six blocks. Hawari’s blocking total gave her 131 on the season for sixth most in Cal history. Sophomore middle hitter Kat Brown had five blocks to put herfinal season tally at 151; fourth most in program history. The Bears out-blocked the Lions, 11-8, in the match.

Sophomore libero Robin Rostratter put up 16 digs to finish the season with 495; third most at Cal in a single year.

The Lions found offense from everywhere on the court, led by Brown, but freshman outside hitter Deja McClendon earned Most Outstanding Player honors with 16 kills (6e, 40att, .250). Penn State senior middle hitter Arielle Wilson tacked on 12 kills (3e, 23att, .391) while freshman middle Ariel Scott put up seven kills (3e, 17att, .235). Senior libero Alyssa D’Errico led the Lions with 13 digs.

The Bears snatched the first point of the match, but Penn State broke a four-all tie as Scott recorded two straight kills and never trailed the rest of the way. Hawari’s kill pulled Cal within a point at 12-11, and Murrey’s cross-court kill kept the Bears within one at 13-12, but the Lions went up by four, 16-12, on an ace by D’Errico. Cal made one more short run to get within three points at 22-19, on a tip-kill by Murrey, but Penn State got a tip-kill of its own by Brown to put the first set away, 25-20. The Bears struggled on the attack in the opening frame to log a .143 rate (11k, 6e) on 35 swings and couldn’t keep pace with the Lions’ .324 hitting percentage (17k, 6e, 34att).

The teams traded barbs to open the second set to the tune of nine tie scores. The Bears led each time and went ahead by three points, 13-10, as Johnson went down the line for a kill. Cal continued to lead by three, 17-14, when Lloyd dumped her pass to the Penn State baseline for a kill, but the Lions fought back and tied the set at 17-all on McClendon’s 11th kill of the night. The Lions pushed, and got a two-point lead, 20-18, before the Bears tied the set for the 11th time on a block by Murrey and Hawari. Penn State broke the 16th tie of the set as Brown went down the line, and stayed on top, 27-25. The Bears started out hot, but concluded the second set with a .250 hitting percentage (18k, 7e) on 44 attacks as the Lions put up a strong block. Penn State took 47 swings and got 19 kills (5e) for a .298 rate.

Cal separated itself from Penn State in the third set when Rostratter served up one of her two aces to grab a 7-4 lead for the Bears. Lloyd and Brown met at the net to reject an attack by McClendon to put Cal up by four points, 10-6. McClendon went wide on an attack to give the Bears a 12-9 lead, but turned around to get a kill on the next rally to spark an 8-0 Penn State run. Murrey’s shot off the Lion block snapped Cal’s drought and helped the Bears move to within three points at 19-16 on a kill by Gehan, but the Lions were too much as Wilson’s slide-play kill gave them championship-point at 24-17. The Bears stayed alive for three more points, but Penn State freshman middle hitter Katie Slay got her only kill of the night on an overplayed dig to give the Nittany Lions a 25-20 win and their fourth straight NCAA title. Penn State had 18 kills (8e, 46att, .217) in the final set and out-paced the Cal attack’s eight kills (2e, 42att, .143).

Match and Season Notes:

  



 

 

 

 

 

Cal’s .882 winning percentage is the highest in school history.

  



 

 

 

 

Cal’s .308 hitting percentage is the highest single-season rate in program history.

  



 

 

 

 

Junior outside hitter Tarah Murrey logged the third-highest single-season mark for kills at Cal with 617.

  



 

 

 

 

Junior outside hitter Tarah Murrey completed the season with the second-highest single-season mark for

 

attacks at Cal with 1,454.



 

 

 

 

Senior setter Carli Lloyd secured the eighth-best single-season mark at Cal with 1,384 assists. She

 

completes her career with four of the top nine single-season performances for assists.



 

 

 

 

Sophomore libero Robin Rostratter completed the year with 495 digs, third most in a single season at Cal.

  



 

 

 

 

Sophomore middle hitter Kat Brown finished the year with 151 blocks; fourth highest in Cal history, and

 

the most since Ellen Orchard had 192 in 2007.



 

 

 

 

Sophomore middle hitter Shannon Hawari completed the year with 131 blocks; sixth-most in Cal history.

  



 

 

 

 

Sophomore middle hitter Shannon Hawari logged the highest single-season hitting percentage in Cal

 

history with a .419 rate (227k, 45e, 434att).



 

 

 

 

Sophomore middle hitter Kat Brown posted the fifth-highest single-season hitting percentage in Cal

 

history with a .358 rate (223k, 54e, 472att).



 

 

 

 

Sophomore opposite hitter Correy Johnson put up the 10th-highest single-season hitting percentage mark

 

in Cal history with a .327 rate (223k, 67e, 508att).



 

 

 

 

Senior setter Carli Lloyd became Cal’s second three-time AVCA All-American and the program’s first

 

National Player of the Year.

2010 NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship All-Tournament Team

 

Deja McClendon, Penn State – Most Outstanding Player

Juliann Faucette, Texas

Carli Lloyd, California

Tarah Murrey, California

Blair Brown, Penn State

Arielle Wilson, Penn State

Kristin Carpenter, Penn State

 

 

 

CalBears.com

 

 

Cal Volleyball Team Falls to Penn State in NCAA Volleyball Final

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

VOLLEYBALL

Cal Volleyball Team Falls to Penn State in NCAA Volleyball Final

Seniors Carli Lloyd and Meagan Schmitt complete their careers as the winningest class in Cal history

KANSAS CITY, Mo. –

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The seventh-seeded California volleyball team (30-4) fell in three sets (25-20, 27-25, 25-

20) to fourth-seeded Penn State (32-5) in the championship final of the 2010 NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball

Championship at the Sprint Center on Saturday, Dec. 18. The Nittany Lions secured their fourth consecutive NCAA title led by senior Blair Brown, who had 18 kills (6e, 38att, .316) and 10 digs. As 2010 Pac-10 champions, the Golden Bears posted the most wins in a single season by a Cal squad and will finished with the highest single hitting percentage (.308) in program history.

“This team has been so special. They are the most cohesive and hard-working team I’ve had,” said head coach Rich Feller. “I couldn’t be more proud.”

The Bears maintained a steady threat as senior setter Carli Lloyd notched her 13th double-double of the season on 33 assists and 11 digs. Lloyd completed her career at Cal ranked second for career assists with 5,697 and is only the third setter in program history to log more than 1,000 digs.

Lloyd went to her magnet—junior outside hitter Tarah Murrey—early and often and found her for a team-high 16 kills (8e, 56att, .143). Freshman outside Adrienne Gehan added seven kills (2e, 18att, .278) while sophomore middle hitter Shannon Hawari put in six kills (0e, 16att, .375) to go with six blocks. Hawari’s blocking total gave her 131 on the season for sixth most in Cal history. Sophomore middle hitter Kat Brown had five blocks to put herfinal season tally at 151; fourth most in program history. The Bears out-blocked the Lions, 11-8, in the match.

Sophomore libero Robin Rostratter put up 16 digs to finish the season with 495; third most at Cal in a single year.

The Lions found offense from everywhere on the court, led by Brown, but freshman outside hitter Deja McClendon earned Most Outstanding Player honors with 16 kills (6e, 40att, .250). Penn State senior middle hitter Arielle Wilson tacked on 12 kills (3e, 23att, .391) while freshman middle Ariel Scott put up seven kills (3e, 17att, .235). Senior libero Alyssa D’Errico led the Lions with 13 digs.

The Bears snatched the first point of the match, but Penn State broke a four-all tie as Scott recorded two straight kills and never trailed the rest of the way. Hawari’s kill pulled Cal within a point at 12-11, and Murrey’s cross-court kill kept the Bears within one at 13-12, but the Lions went up by four, 16-12, on an ace by D’Errico. Cal made one more short run to get within three points at 22-19, on a tip-kill by Murrey, but Penn State got a tip-kill of its own by Brown to put the first set away, 25-20. The Bears struggled on the attack in the opening frame to log a .143 rate (11k, 6e) on 35 swings and couldn’t keep pace with the Lions’ .324 hitting percentage (17k, 6e, 34att).

The teams traded barbs to open the second set to the tune of nine tie scores. The Bears led each time and went ahead by three points, 13-10, as Johnson went down the line for a kill. Cal continued to lead by three, 17-14, when Lloyd dumped her pass to the Penn State baseline for a kill, but the Lions fought back and tied the set at 17-all on McClendon’s 11th kill of the night. The Lions pushed, and got a two-point lead, 20-18, before the Bears tied the set for the 11th time on a block by Murrey and Hawari. Penn State broke the 16th tie of the set as Brown went down the line, and stayed on top, 27-25. The Bears started out hot, but concluded the second set with a .250 hitting percentage (18k, 7e) on 44 attacks as the Lions put up a strong block. Penn State took 47 swings and got 19 kills (5e) for a .298 rate.

Cal separated itself from Penn State in the third set when Rostratter served up one of her two aces to grab a 7-4 lead for the Bears. Lloyd and Brown met at the net to reject an attack by McClendon to put Cal up by four points, 10-6. McClendon went wide on an attack to give the Bears a 12-9 lead, but turned around to get a kill on the next rally to spark an 8-0 Penn State run. Murrey’s shot off the Lion block snapped Cal’s drought and helped the Bears move to within three points at 19-16 on a kill by Gehan, but the Lions were too much as Wilson’s slide-play kill gave them championship-point at 24-17. The Bears stayed alive for three more points, but Penn State freshman middle hitter Katie Slay got her only kill of the night on an overplayed dig to give the Nittany Lions a 25-20 win and their fourth straight NCAA title. Penn State had 18 kills (8e, 46att, .217) in the final set and out-paced the Cal attack’s eight kills (2e, 42att, .143).

Match and Season Notes:

  



 

 

 

 

 

Cal’s .882 winning percentage is the highest in school history.

  



 

 

 

 

Cal’s .308 hitting percentage is the highest single-season rate in program history.

  



 

 

 

 

Junior outside hitter Tarah Murrey logged the third-highest single-season mark for kills at Cal with 617.

  



 

 

 

 

Junior outside hitter Tarah Murrey completed the season with the second-highest single-season mark for

 

attacks at Cal with 1,454.



 

 

 

 

Senior setter Carli Lloyd secured the eighth-best single-season mark at Cal with 1,384 assists. She

 

completes her career with four of the top nine single-season performances for assists.



 

 

 

 

Sophomore libero Robin Rostratter completed the year with 495 digs, third most in a single season at Cal.

  



 

 

 

 

Sophomore middle hitter Kat Brown finished the year with 151 blocks; fourth highest in Cal history, and

 

the most since Ellen Orchard had 192 in 2007.



 

 

 

 

Sophomore middle hitter Shannon Hawari completed the year with 131 blocks; sixth-most in Cal history.

  



 

 

 

 

Sophomore middle hitter Shannon Hawari logged the highest single-season hitting percentage in Cal

 

history with a .419 rate (227k, 45e, 434att).



 

 

 

 

Sophomore middle hitter Kat Brown posted the fifth-highest single-season hitting percentage in Cal

 

history with a .358 rate (223k, 54e, 472att).



 

 

 

 

Sophomore opposite hitter Correy Johnson put up the 10th-highest single-season hitting percentage mark

 

in Cal history with a .327 rate (223k, 67e, 508att).



 

 

 

 

Senior setter Carli Lloyd became Cal’s second three-time AVCA All-American and the program’s first

 

National Player of the Year.

2010 NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship All-Tournament Team

 

Deja McClendon, Penn State – Most Outstanding Player

Juliann Faucette, Texas

Carli Lloyd, California

Tarah Murrey, California

Blair Brown, Penn State

Arielle Wilson, Penn State

Kristin Carpenter, Penn State

 

 

 

CalBears.com

 

 

Cal Volleyball Team Falls to Penn State in NCAA Volleyball Final

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

VOLLEYBALL

Cal Volleyball Team Falls to Penn State in NCAA Volleyball Final

Seniors Carli Lloyd and Meagan Schmitt complete their careers as the winningest class in Cal history

KANSAS CITY, Mo. –

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The seventh-seeded California volleyball team (30-4) fell in three sets (25-20, 27-25, 25-

20) to fourth-seeded Penn State (32-5) in the championship final of the 2010 NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball

Championship at the Sprint Center on Saturday, Dec. 18. The Nittany Lions secured their fourth consecutive NCAA title led by senior Blair Brown, who had 18 kills (6e, 38att, .316) and 10 digs. As 2010 Pac-10 champions, the Golden Bears posted the most wins in a single season by a Cal squad and will finished with the highest single hitting percentage (.308) in program history.

“This team has been so special. They are the most cohesive and hard-working team I’ve had,” said head coach Rich Feller. “I couldn’t be more proud.”

The Bears maintained a steady threat as senior setter Carli Lloyd notched her 13th double-double of the season on 33 assists and 11 digs. Lloyd completed her career at Cal ranked second for career assists with 5,697 and is only the third setter in program history to log more than 1,000 digs.

Lloyd went to her magnet—junior outside hitter Tarah Murrey—early and often and found her for a team-high 16 kills (8e, 56att, .143). Freshman outside Adrienne Gehan added seven kills (2e, 18att, .278) while sophomore middle hitter Shannon Hawari put in six kills (0e, 16att, .375) to go with six blocks. Hawari’s blocking total gave her 131 on the season for sixth most in Cal history. Sophomore middle hitter Kat Brown had five blocks to put herfinal season tally at 151; fourth most in program history. The Bears out-blocked the Lions, 11-8, in the match.

Sophomore libero Robin Rostratter put up 16 digs to finish the season with 495; third most at Cal in a single year.

The Lions found offense from everywhere on the court, led by Brown, but freshman outside hitter Deja McClendon earned Most Outstanding Player honors with 16 kills (6e, 40att, .250). Penn State senior middle hitter Arielle Wilson tacked on 12 kills (3e, 23att, .391) while freshman middle Ariel Scott put up seven kills (3e, 17att, .235). Senior libero Alyssa D’Errico led the Lions with 13 digs.

The Bears snatched the first point of the match, but Penn State broke a four-all tie as Scott recorded two straight kills and never trailed the rest of the way. Hawari’s kill pulled Cal within a point at 12-11, and Murrey’s cross-court kill kept the Bears within one at 13-12, but the Lions went up by four, 16-12, on an ace by D’Errico. Cal made one more short run to get within three points at 22-19, on a tip-kill by Murrey, but Penn State got a tip-kill of its own by Brown to put the first set away, 25-20. The Bears struggled on the attack in the opening frame to log a .143 rate (11k, 6e) on 35 swings and couldn’t keep pace with the Lions’ .324 hitting percentage (17k, 6e, 34att).

The teams traded barbs to open the second set to the tune of nine tie scores. The Bears led each time and went ahead by three points, 13-10, as Johnson went down the line for a kill. Cal continued to lead by three, 17-14, when Lloyd dumped her pass to the Penn State baseline for a kill, but the Lions fought back and tied the set at 17-all on McClendon’s 11th kill of the night. The Lions pushed, and got a two-point lead, 20-18, before the Bears tied the set for the 11th time on a block by Murrey and Hawari. Penn State broke the 16th tie of the set as Brown went down the line, and stayed on top, 27-25. The Bears started out hot, but concluded the second set with a .250 hitting percentage (18k, 7e) on 44 attacks as the Lions put up a strong block. Penn State took 47 swings and got 19 kills (5e) for a .298 rate.

Cal separated itself from Penn State in the third set when Rostratter served up one of her two aces to grab a 7-4 lead for the Bears. Lloyd and Brown met at the net to reject an attack by McClendon to put Cal up by four points, 10-6. McClendon went wide on an attack to give the Bears a 12-9 lead, but turned around to get a kill on the next rally to spark an 8-0 Penn State run. Murrey’s shot off the Lion block snapped Cal’s drought and helped the Bears move to within three points at 19-16 on a kill by Gehan, but the Lions were too much as Wilson’s slide-play kill gave them championship-point at 24-17. The Bears stayed alive for three more points, but Penn State freshman middle hitter Katie Slay got her only kill of the night on an overplayed dig to give the Nittany Lions a 25-20 win and their fourth straight NCAA title. Penn State had 18 kills (8e, 46att, .217) in the final set and out-paced the Cal attack’s eight kills (2e, 42att, .143).

Match and Season Notes:

  



 

 

 

 

 

Cal’s .882 winning percentage is the highest in school history.

  



 

 

 

 

Cal’s .308 hitting percentage is the highest single-season rate in program history.

  



 

 

 

 

Junior outside hitter Tarah Murrey logged the third-highest single-season mark for kills at Cal with 617.

  



 

 

 

 

Junior outside hitter Tarah Murrey completed the season with the second-highest single-season mark for

 

attacks at Cal with 1,454.



 

 

 

 

Senior setter Carli Lloyd secured the eighth-best single-season mark at Cal with 1,384 assists. She

 

completes her career with four of the top nine single-season performances for assists.



 

 

 

 

Sophomore libero Robin Rostratter completed the year with 495 digs, third most in a single season at Cal.

  



 

 

 

 

Sophomore middle hitter Kat Brown finished the year with 151 blocks; fourth highest in Cal history, and

 

the most since Ellen Orchard had 192 in 2007.



 

 

 

 

Sophomore middle hitter Shannon Hawari completed the year with 131 blocks; sixth-most in Cal history.

  



 

 

 

 

Sophomore middle hitter Shannon Hawari logged the highest single-season hitting percentage in Cal

 

history with a .419 rate (227k, 45e, 434att).



 

 

 

 

Sophomore middle hitter Kat Brown posted the fifth-highest single-season hitting percentage in Cal

 

history with a .358 rate (223k, 54e, 472att).



 

 

 

 

Sophomore opposite hitter Correy Johnson put up the 10th-highest single-season hitting percentage mark

 

in Cal history with a .327 rate (223k, 67e, 508att).



 

 

 

 

Senior setter Carli Lloyd became Cal’s second three-time AVCA All-American and the program’s first

 

National Player of the Year.

2010 NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship All-Tournament Team

 

Deja McClendon, Penn State – Most Outstanding Player

Juliann Faucette, Texas

Carli Lloyd, California

Tarah Murrey, California

Blair Brown, Penn State

Arielle Wilson, Penn State

Kristin Carpenter, Penn State

 

 

 

CalBears.com

 

 

(video)NCAA Volleyball Post Championship Match Press Conference: Cal Swept By Penn State, Penn State 4-Time NCAA Champions

NCAA Volleyball Post Championship Match Press Conference: Cal Swept By Penn State, Penn State 4-Time NCAA Champions  

The seventh-seeded California volleyball team (30-4) fell in three sets (25-20, 27-25, 25-20) to fourth-seeded Penn State (32-5) in the championship final of the 2010 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship final at the Sprint Center on Saturday, Dec. 18. The Nittany Lions secured their fourth consecutive NCAA title led by senior Blair Brown, who had 18 kills (6e, 38att, .316).

Loading

Loading

Four the Glory! Penn State Womens Volleyball Team Wins Fourth Consecutive National Championship!

Four the Glory! Penn State Womens Volleyball Team Wins Fourth Consecutive National Championship!

Loading

Loading

KANSAS City, Mo., Dec. 18, 2010 – The fourth-seeded Penn State women’s volleyball team made history one more time winning the 2010 NCAA National Title with a 3-0 (25-20, 27-25, 25-20) sweep of California. The Nittany Lions became the first team in Division I women’s volleyball to win four consecutive national championships.
 
This is the fifth NCAA championship of Coach Russ Rose’s career, the most national championships ever for a Division I volleyball head coach.  He joins Doug Dannevik of Division III UC San Diego and Teri Clemens of Division III Washington-St. Louis as the only collegiate volleyball coaches to have ever won at least five national championships.
 
Senior Blair Brown (Purcellville, Va.) led all players with 18 kills, while freshman Deja McClendon (Louisville, Ky.) tallied 16 and senior Arielle Wilson (Broadview, Ill.) posted 12. Sophomore setter Kristin Carpenter (Mechanicsville, Va.) dished out 46 assists and freshman Ali Longo (Littleton, Colo.) led all players with three aces. Senior Alyssa D’Errico (Byron, N.Y.) led the team with 13 digs, while Brown contribute 10. Freshman Katie Slay (Raleigh, N.C.) had a match-high seven total blocks and Brown was second on the team with four.
 
Penn State hit .276 for the match and held the Bears to .182 hitting. The Nittany Lions totaled 54 kills, four aces, 52 digs and 8.0 total team blocks. California finished the match with 37 kills, three aces, 45 digs and 11.0 team blocks.
 
NCAA Championship members included Penn State’s Brown, Wilson, Carpenter, California’s Carli Lloyd and Tarah Murrey, and Texas’ Julianne Faucette. McClendon was named the championship’s Most Outstanding Player. McClendon joins Stanford’s Kerri Walsh as the only freshmen to win Tournament Most Valuable Player honors.
 
The Nittany Lions opened the match taking a 3-1 lead, but the Bears fought back and tied it at 4-4. Back-to-back kills by Scott put Penn State back in the lead, 6-4. Penn State maintained the lead and was leading by five, 12-7, when Cal called its first timeout. The Bears came within one, 12-11, but kills from McClendon, Brown and Wilson and a D’Errico ace moved PSU up by four, 16-12. A 3-0 Cal run had the Bears trailing by one, 16-15, but two Cal errors and a Wilson putdown kept the lead out of Cal’s reach. McClendon pounded a kill to give PSU a 21-17 lead and send Cal to the bench for a second timeout. A PSU service error and a kill by Tarah Murrey had the Bears within three, 22-19, but two Brown kills and one from Scott closed out set one for PSU, 25-20.
 
The second frame was close from the start with neither team able to develop any momentum to take a strong lead. It was until midway through the set that Cal took a 14-10 lead on two kills and a PSU error. A Wilson kill cut off the Cal run and Brown followed it up with one of her own to move Penn State within two, 14-12. Despite a Cal kill, a Wilson kill and a huge block by Slay had Penn State behind by only one, 15-14. Cal’s lead grew to three, 17-14, but a net violation, a joint stuff by Brown and Slay and a McClendon kill had the score knotted at 17-17. After a timeout, another block by Brown and Slay put the Lions in the lead, 18-17. Penn State moved ahead by two, 19-17, but a kill by Cal kept the Bears just behind. McClendon gave PSU some breathing room with a kill, but Cal used another kill and a block to tie it up at 20-20. A Scott kill edged PSU ahead, but Cal was right there with a kill of its own to make it 21-21. The score tied twice more before two straight Bear kills put Cal in the lead, 24-23. After a timeout by the Nittany Lions, Brown and Wilson joined forces for a block to tie the set at 24-24. However, Cal’s Carli Lloyd tallied a kill to put Cal at set-point for a second time. Penn State burned its second time out. Carpenter and Slay teamed up for a block to tie the set at 25-25. Brown pounded a kill to give Penn State the lead and put down another to secure set two for Penn State, 27-25.
 
The third set started out close until a 4-0 Cal run gave the Bears a 7-4 advantage. Wilson cut off the run with a kill, but a PSU error and a Cal block moved the Bears ahead by four, 10-6.  Penn State called a timeout and used a 7-2 run to take a slim 13-12 lead forcing the Bears to call a timeout. The Nittany Lions followed the break with a 4-0 run, including two Longo aces for a 17-12 lead. Cal burned its second timeout. Murrey followed the timeout with a kill, but Brown fired back with her own to keep PSU up by five, 18-13. Two consecutive Cal points had the Bears within three, 18-15. The teams each registered a point before a 4-0 PSU run had the Lions leading by seven, 23-16. Cal cut off the PSU run with a block before a Wilson kill put Penn State in match-point position. The Bears held Penn State to three match-points before the Lions took a timeout. Slay closed out the set and the match with a kill.
 
For more information on the Penn State women’s volleyball team, please visit GoPSUsports.com. The Penn State women’s volleyball 2010 season is presented by Rockvale Outlets and The Outlets at Hershey.
 
 
 

California Golden Bears Volleyball Team Sets Sights on National Title

 

California Golden Bears Volleyball Team Sets Sights on National Title

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The seventh-seeded California volleyball team (30-3) will play for its first national championship when it faces fourth-seeded and three-time defending champion Penn State (31-5) in the 2010 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship at the Sprint Center on Saturday, Dec. 18. The Golden Bears have not dropped a set in postseason play and will be led into battle by Cal's first-ever AVCA National Player of the Year in senior setter Carli Lloyd.

Match Notes

-- Cal will play in its first-ever NCAA championship match.
-- The Bears posted the highest single-season win total with their 30th victory of the year against USC in the NCAA semifinal.
-- Cal is 5-0 in televised matches this season.
-- The Bears have not dropped a set in postseason play this year.
-- Cal is undefeated in 3-0 matches (21-0) this season.
-- Senior setter Carli Lloyd is Cal's first-ever AVCA National Player of the Year.
-- This is the first time that Cal has had two AVCA first-team All-Americans in the same year; senior setter Carli Lloyd, and junior outside hitter Tarah Murrey.
-- The Bears have posted a better hitting percentage than their opponent in 31 out of 32 matches this year. They are 30-1 in those matches.
-- Cal's .312 hitting percentage this year would finish as the highest single-season mark in program history. The school record was set by the 2008 squad at .287.
-- Senior setter Carli Lloyd not only leads the team in assists (11.85 aps), she is second in digs (2.49 dps), and third in blocks (1.08 bps).
-- Junior OH Tarah Murrey is the third player in Cal history to log 600 kills in a single season. Her 601 ranks third behind Mia Jerkov (701 in 2003) and Hana Cutura (628 in 2009).
-- Sophomore DS/L Robin Rostratter's 479 digs this season rank fifth for single-season records at Cal. She needs one more dig to tie for fourth.
-- Sophomore MH Kat Brown's 146 blocks this year rank fourth at Cal for a single season.
-- Sophomore MH Shannon Hawari's .421 hitting percentage would be the highest single-season mark in Cal history. Her .387 percentage as a freshman in 2008 is currently tops.
-- Rich Feller is the 2010 Pac-10, AVCA Pacific Region and National Coach of the Year.
-- Penn State is the only team that has been able to knock off the Bears in NCAA play each of the last three years. The Nittany Lions are 3-0, all-time, against Cal.
-- The Bears are one of just three teams to have advanced at least as far as the NCAA regional championship match in each of the last four years. The other two squads are Texas and three-time defending champion Penn State.