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West Coast Conference Women's Volleyball Digs Pink For Another Successful Year All eight teams become part of effort to promote breast cancer awareness nationwide
SAN BRUNO, Calif. --- Another year has gone by, and every WCC volleyball team still has not forgotten what it means to "Dig Pink."
This past October, each WCC volleyball team hosted a Dig Pink match to promote breast cancer awareness. Some teams dressed their gyms up in pink. Some hosted community-wide events for fans, students and others to participate in. Some even pledged to reach out to local businesses to raise money to donate to the cause. All together, WCC volleyball raised over $11,400 to be donated to the Side-Out Foundation and other local breast cancer research organizations.
Funds donated to the Side-Out Foundation, the founders of the Dig Pink campaign whose goal is to unite volleyball players and coaches nationwide around furthering breast cancer awareness, education, and patient service, will be used for clinical trials with a focus on translational research.
Now that the conference season has come to an end, some teams look forward to the postseason as the fight for the cure still continues. Next season will serve as another opportunity for some great volleyball across the WCC and the chance to once again "Dig Pink" and make a difference in the lives of many.
Washington State University volleyball team: COUGARS HOME FOR WEAR PINK WEEKEND
The Washington State University volleyball team (6-11 overall, 0-7 Pac-10) is home in Bohler Gym for the first time in 3 weeks...Cougars host Arizona State (8-11, 3-4) Friday, Oct. 22 and meet No. 25 Arizona (14-6, 3-4) Saturday, Oct. 23...ASU is on a 3-match win streak including upset wins over No. 10 UCLA and No. 5 USC last weekend in Tempe...first 100 fans in the door Oct. 23 receive a free WSU Pink t-shirt. ABC PINK CAMPAIGN & BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MATCH For the ninth consecutive year, the WSU women’s volleyball team is conducting the Attacking Breast Cancer (ABC) Pink Campaign Pledge Drive to raise fund for the Breast Cancer Support Group of the Palouse, known as the Bosom Buddies…last year Cougar volleyball raised over $2600, bringing the 8-year total to more than $11,405 donated to Breast Cancer Support Group of the Palouse and its educational programs...to donate, contact Kara Kiefer (509-335-7169) or Jen Fry (509-335-0275) in the volleyball office. WSU VOLLEYBALL WEBCASTS For the second year, several WSU home matches will have live-streaming webcasts this season…these eight webcasts are available for the cost of a subscription to Cougar All-Access on the official WSU website, www.wsucougars.com...selected webcasts featured exclusive audio play-by-play and color commentary from broadcast major students at the renowned Edward R. Murrow College of Communication…Cougar All-Access subscribers will also be able to hear the radio broadcasts of all Cougar road matches online...webcast schedule is: 9/14 Gonzaga 10/22 Arizona State 11/12 Stanford 10/1 UCLA 10/23 Arizona 11/13 California 10/2 USC 11/5 Washington GANZER IS COUGS’ OFFENSIVE WEAPON Junior outside hitter Meagan Ganzer (Black Diamond, Wash.) is second in the Pac-10 with a 5.29 kills per set average (4th nationally) and 5.94 points per set (4th nationally)...Ganzer has tallied three 30-point matches this season...tallied double-digit kills in all 17 matches this season and ended 2009 season with four double-figure matches...has 781 career kills...Ganzer played the NCAA No. 1 offensive player, Tulsa’s Tyler Henderson (6.61 kps and 7.16 pps) and the No. 2 player in Stanford’s Alix Klineman (5.76 kps). COUGAR COACHING STAFFHead Coach Andrew Palileo is in his third season at WSU...returned Cougars to NCAA Championship tournament in 2009...Palileo has a 34-43 overall record at WSU, and a 14-year career record of 273-184…named 2009 Pac-10 Conference Coach of the Year after guiding the Cougars to their first winning season (18-13) since 2002, with six league wins, the most since 2002…associate head coach Brian Lamppa (third season)...assistant coach Jennifer Fry (first season)...Kara Kiefer, coordinator of operations (second season)...Tina Martin, volunteer coach (second season). LISTEN TO COACH PALILEO PODCAST Hear Cougar Head Coach Andrew Palileo’s weekly comments every Tuesday afternoon...go to www.wsucougars.com, click on the Multimedia pull-down link, click on Podcasts.
Northern Illinois Huskies Volleyball Team Set for Homecoming Weekend, Pink Match Saturday Sporting five-game winning streak, NIU hosts Akron and Buffalo Northern Illinois (19-2, 5-1 MAC) vs. Akron (13-5, 5-1 MAC) The Match-Up | Match 22 Date(s): Fri., Oct. 15 @ 7:00 p.m. Central Location: DeKalb, Ill. | Victor E. Court Coverage: GameTracker on NIUHuskies.com | Live video on Huskie All-Access Promotion(s): Match sponsored by RE/MAX agent Katherine Gannon All-Time Series: NIU leads, 17-8 Northern Illinois (19-2, 5-1 MAC) vs. Buffalo (14-8, 2-4 MAC) The Match-Up | Match 23 Date(s): Sat., Oct. 16 @ 7:00 p.m. Central Location: DeKalb, Ill. | Victor E. Court Coverage: GameTracker on NIUHuskies.com | Live video on Huskie All-Access Promotion(s): Pink Match: Free pink NIU t-shirts given away with a $5 donation to the American Cancer Society (ACS); 50-50 ACS raffle; Alumni Night; Football ticket offer: $1 admission with ticket stub from the NIU-Buffalo football game All-Time Series: NIU leads, 12-2 The Opening Serve An eventful two days are in store for the first place Huskies, who are winners of their last five contests. On NIU’s homecoming weekend, the Huskies face a Mid-American Conference first place foe for the second time in a row on Friday against Akron. Then, two Buffalo teams come to town on Saturday as the NIU volleyball squad takes on the Bulls shortly after the NIU-Buffalo football game. Saturday’s match marks the Huskies’ annual Pink Match during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, where free pink NIU t-shirts will be given to those who donate $5 to the American Cancer Society. Fans will also have a chance to donate to the ACS through a 50-50 raffle, where half the pot will go to the cancer research organization. Additionally, the Huskies will welcome back several players from the past as Saturday represents Alumni Night as well. The former Huskies will be recognized at the break between the second and third sets. The cross-divisional weekend puts the Huskies up against the MAC East Division’s top team in the Akron Zips, who have won 10 of their last 11 matches. The Huskies are on a similar hot streak, winning eight of their last nine. NIU returns home for the first time in nearly two weeks after an unblemished three-match road swing. Most recently, the Huskies took care of then-West Division first place Eastern Michigan in four sets. NIU will look to keep up its exceptional play at Victor E. Court, where the Huskies hold a 10-2 record and have sizeable advantages over their opponents in kills (603-460), hitting percentage (.278-.169), assists (565-432), aces (76-31), digs (610-539), blocks (80-56), and points (759-547). Akron enters the weekend after a split, defeating Buffalo on the road in three and falling to Toledo at home in five. Buffalo will take on Western Michigan prior to it trek to DeKalb. The Bulls also split last weekend, and opposite of the Zips, are coming off a win as they took down Ball State at home in five. The All-Time Series The Huskies own a 17-8 lead in the all-time series over the Zips. NIU has won each of the last six meetings. In the all-time tilt versus the Bulls, NIU holds a 12-2 edge. The Huskies have come out on top in the last seven matches. Last Meeting Against The Zips The Northern Illinois volleyball team extended its winning streak to five matches and earned its second consecutive Mid-American Conference road win as the Huskies defeated Akron in four sets on October 17, 2009 at James A. Rhodes Arena. After losing the first set 25-22 to the Zips, the Huskies stormed back to win the second set 25-18 to set up the important swing set after the break. In the third set, NIU came out strong with a 10-5 advantage after a kill from Kristin Hoffman. Several plays later, the Huskies extended their lead to 19-12 following a kill by Allison McGlaughlin. From there, the NIU cushion was enough to hold off a late run by Akron that narrowed the Huskie lead to 22-20 as Cassie Yates gave NIU a 2-1 advantage in the match after her power-tip on NIU's second set-point ended it, 25-22. Similar to last night's fourth set against Buffalo, the Huskies jumped out to a large early lead in the fourth frame against the Zips as they led 7-1 after a kill from Meagan Schoenrock. However, Akron would climb within one point, 11-10, after a kill from Liz Martin. But NIU then went on a 9-3 run to open it up again and help claim the match after a 25-18 win. Three Huskies reached double figures in kills as Schoenrock led the way with 20 and added a season-high five blocks. Yates tallied 13 kills with a .579 attack percentage and McGlaughlin had 11. Hoffman paced the offense with 44 assists and had nine digs. Maddie Hughes led the defense with 18 digs, while Monica Lang added 11. Last Meeting Against The Bulls The Northern Illinois volleyball team earned its first Mid-American Conference road win of the season as the Huskies defeated Buffalo, 25-23, 22-25, 25-22, 25-17, on October 16, 2009 at Alumni Arena. The key sequence in the match for NIU came in the first set as the Huskies led for most of the way until they saw a 21-18 lead turn into a 23-21 Buffalo advantage after a kill from Kelsey Lueders. NIU fired right back with a kill by Allison McGlaughlin and an ace by Sue Hayes to knot the score. After an attack error by the Bulls' Lauren Fensten, McGlaughlin ended the set with another kill to give the Huskies momentum and confidence heading into the second set. Even though NIU lost the second set, the Huskies' confidence remained high as they came out after the break and claimed an early 14-9 lead in the third set following a kill from Meagan Schoenrock. From there, NIU was able to keep scoring to take a 2-1 advantage in the match. In the fourth set, NIU kept the pressure on Buffalo by taking a 6-0 lead after an overpass kill by Schoenrock. With all of the momentum on their side, the Huskies were able to keep pace and end the match. Schoenrock led the Huskies with 25 kills and hit .377, while McGlaughlin tallied 18 kills and 17 digs for her 10th double-double. Kristin Hoffman also notched a double-double with 47 assists and a career-best 16 digs. Additionally, Mary Kurisch totaled a season-high five blocks. On defense, NIU was led by Maddie Hughes, who had 24 digs. Additionally, Hayes had a season-high 14 digs. Historic Start With an 11-0 run to start the season, NIU established its best start in program history and longest winning streak since 2001. In that stretch, the Huskies claimed first place at three tournaments (NIU Invitational, UIC Invitational, Elon Classic) over the course of the first three weekends. Of the 37 sets during the streak, NIU was victorious in 33, winning eight three-set matches, two four-setters, and one five-setter. Statistically, the Huskies held an edge in all 11 matches over their foes in hitting percentage (.297-.160), kills (533-371), digs (531-423), and aces (93-24). NIU’s 14-1 non-conference run also marked the best pre-conference play stretch in school history. Record Crowd The 3-0 Sept. 14 loss to undefeated Wisconsin ended NIU’s 11-0 run in front of a sold out Victor E. Court crowd of 954, with some being standing-room-only. That number set a new attendance record at Victor E. Court and was the first time it had been sold out in its nine-year history. Big Ten Breakthrough Just five days after falling to the Big Ten’s Badgers, NIU swept Iowa on Sept. 19 to give Gooden his first triumph over a Big Ten team, and the program’s first such win since 2001. All-Tournament, All The Time In winning three straight tournaments in as many weekends to kick off the 2010 campaign, several Huskies have taken home all-tournament honors. At the NIU Invitational, senior libero Maddie Hughes (St. Charles, Ill./North), sophomore middle blocker Mary Kurisch (LaCrosse, Wis./West Salem), and freshman outside hitter Lauren Wicinski (Geneva, Ill./Geneva) were honored. Wicinski then took the MVP of the UIC Invitational as Hughes was again recognized for her outstanding play. At the Elon Classic from September 10-11, Hoffman claimed the MVP, while Kurisch and Wicinski garnered all-tournament nods once again. Living Up To The Hype: The Wiz Kid The first high school All-American to join the NIU volleyball program and daughter of two former Huskie student-athletes has lived up to the hype thus far. In her first weekend of collegiate competition, Wicinski took home the Mid-American Conference West Division Offensive Player of the Week award on August 30. She then won the award again on September 20, October 4, and October 11. She has also made three all-tournament teams, including being named MVP of the UIC Invitational. As of October 11, she leads the MAC in points (5.74/set), kills (4.83/set), and aces (0.64/set). Additionally, as of October 11, she ranks fifth in the nation in aces, sixth in points, and eighth in kills, leading all freshmen in all three categories. Wicinski’s mother, Gina (Graf), was an impact outside hitter for the NIU volleyball team from 1983-87 and ranks in the program’s top 15 for career aces (165, fourth), kills (1,328, sixth), points (1,641.5, seventh), solo blocks (66, 11th), and digs (1,019, 12th). Her father, Rob, was a linebacker on the Huskie football team from 1981-85 and has a ring on his finger from NIU’s 1983 California Bowl win. Third Time’s A Charm, Four’s Another Record In just a matter of seven weeks, Wicinski has won four MAC West Division Offensive Player of the Week accolades. After claiming the honor for the third time last week, no freshman had ever won the award twice in a season at NIU and no Huskie had ever taken home the honor three times in a career. With her fourth, became the fourth Huskie to garner the award in consecutive weeks. In her initial weekend as a Huskie, Wicinski took home the award after she led the team with 86.5 points (5.77/set), 63 kills (4.20/set), and a whopping 18 aces (1.20/set) as she helped the Huskies go 4-0 to win the NIU Invitational, earning an all-tournament selection. She also hit .274, with four assists, eight blocks, 34 digs (2.27/set), had only two errors in 55 reception attempts, and notched two double-doubles. In a sweep of Chicago State, she hit .500 with nine kills, six aces, and three blocks for 17.5 points. In a four-set win over Oakland, she had 17 kills, 14 digs, two aces, and one block for 19.5 points. In a sweep of South Dakota, she totaled 15 kills with a .345 attack percentage, five aces, and two blocks for 21.5 points. In a five-set win over 2009 NCAA Tournament qualifier College of Charleston, she tallied 22 kills, 15 digs, five aces, and two blocks for 28 points. Three weekends later, Wicinski netted the accolade again as she registered a team-high 42 kills (4.67/set) to lead NIU to a 2-1 record during the week. She tallied double-figure kills in all three matches and has done so in 13 straight, while leading the team in points with 45.5 (5.06/set). Against Wisconsin, she put up 15 kills and a .294 attack percentage. In a 3-0 win over Youngstown State, she notched 15 kills and a .310 attack percentage. With 12 kills and an ace in a 3-0 win over Iowa, she led the Huskies to their first win over a Big Ten opponent since 2001. Two weekends after that, Wicinski completed the record-trifecta, sharing the award with Eastern Michigan's Rachel Iaquaniello. Wicinski totaled a team-best 47 kills (4.70/set) and .321 attack percentage, while also adding 18 digs (1.80/set), two aces, and four blocks for 52 points (5.20/set). She notched a season-high 29 kills at home against Western Michigan with a .309 hitting percentage, while also adding 12 digs, three blocks and an ace for her eighth double-double. She hit .342 with 19 kills, one block and an ace versus Miami (Ohio). A weekend later, Wicinski came up huge in two road wins for Northern Illinois last weekend, totaling 59 points (6.56/set), 52 kills (5.78/set), and five aces (0.56/set). She put up 28.5 points, 25 kills, and two aces in a five-set win over preseason MAC West favorite Central Michigan. She then did even better by tallying 30.5 points, 27 kills, and three aces in a four-set win against then-MAC West first place Eastern Michigan, including ending the match with four kills in a row for the Huskies. Unders Performing The underclassmen quadruplet of sophomore middle blocker Mary Kurisch (LaCrosse, Wis./West Salem), sophomore outside hitter Meghan Romo (Valparaiso, Ind./Valparaiso), Wicinski and freshman middle blocker Sarah Angelos (Waukegan, Ill./Waukegan) have combined to make up over 70 percent of NIU’s total kills (76%), blocks (79%), and points (73%). Kurisch and Wicinski alone make up 49 percent of NIU’s total aces. The Victor E. Court Advantage The Huskies are 85-50 at Victor E. Court and 8-1 in home and season openers since 2002. In those nine seasons, NIU has finished with a home record above .500 eight times. In that same span, Northern Illinois also owns a 38-30 home advantage over MAC foes. The Huskies are 10-2 at home this season. They Can Play Away From Home, Too The Huskies have won each of their first five road matches. The feat has not been accomplished by NIU since 1992. Five-Set Galore-y NIU is 4-1 in five-setters thus far. During their current winning streak, the Huskies put together three five-set wins in a row, something that hadn’t been done by NIU since 2006. Illinois Dominance Since 2002, NIU is 30-14 against intrastate opponents. The Huskies are 4-0 against Illinois opponents this season. NCAA Leaders (As of October 11) NIU ranks ninth in the nation in aces (1.91/set) and winning percentage (.905), 23rd in hitting percentage (.272) and kills (14.03/set), and 27th in assists (13.00/set). In addition to Wicinski’s national presence, the Huskies feature four other players high in the national rankings. Junior setter Kristin Hoffman (Batavia, Ill./Batavia) ranks 24th in assists (11.16/set). Angelos ranks 66th in hitting percentage (.351), while Kurisch ranks 110th (.333). Senior libero Maddie Hughes (St. Charles, Ill./North) stands 81st in digs (4.59/set). MAC Leaders (As of October 11) NIU ranks at the top of the MAC in hitting percentage, kills, and aces. The Huskies also rank second in assists, fifth in opponent hitting percentage (.177), seventh in digs (14.61/set), and eighth in blocks (1.78/set). On top of Wicinski’s league-leading status, Angelos, Hoffman, Kurisch, and Hughes all rank in the league’s top 10 in several statistical categories as well. Angelos ranks second in hitting percentage, while Kurisch is fourth, and eighth in blocks (0.95/set). Hoffman ranks second in assists. Hughes ranks fifth in digs. Streaks Hoffman has piled up over 45 assists in each of the last four matches, including a career-best 67 helpers September 30 in the five-set win at home over Western Michigan. She also has four matches in a row with at least one kill. Romo has totaled one or more blocks in eight straight matches and has three in a row with, while Angelos has had at least one block in six straight. Additionally, Kurisch has tallied five-plus blocks in three consecutive. Wicinski has registered double-figures in points in every match. She has also had 20 straight matches with double-figure kills. Additionally, she has tallied an ace in eight straight and has had one or more blocks in six in a row. Hughes has reached double figures in digs in each of her last eight matches, including 20 or more in her last four. Junior outside hitter Allison McGlaughlin (Morton, Ill./Morton) has totaled double figure points in seven straight matches and has had double digit kills in four in a row. Gooden Plenty With the stellar start to the 2010 campaign, ninth-year head coach Ray Gooden moved into second place on the program’s all-time win list after claiming first place at the NIU Invitational with a win over College of Charleston on Aug. 28. His career record now stands at 148-123. Additionally, the 2006 Mid-American Conference Co-Coach of the Year has a 2006 MAC West Division regular season championship under his belt, along with NIU’s first All-American selection (Kate McCullagh, 2006), two MAC Player of the Year selections (Kate McCullagh in 2006, Maddie Hughes in 2009), 14 All-MAC selections, four MAC All-Freshman selections, and nine Academic All-MAC selections. A Class Above The NIU volleyball team has held the highest grade-point average of all Huskie sports for each of the last two years and in five of the last six semesters. In the latest academic progress report, the Huskies score of 991 ranks in the top 20 percent of all volleyball teams in the country. With nine Academic All-MAC honorees since 2004, the Huskies have taken home back-to-back American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic awards for the first time in school history. Additionally, since 2002, the program has had 26 Victory Scholars (3.50+ GPA) and 32 Huskie Scholars (3.00-3.49 GPA).
Up Next The Huskies hit the road again, this time for their longest conference trip of the season. The four-game swing will begin with a contest on Friday, October 22 against Kent State in Kent, Ohio at 6 p.m. CT.
Arkansas State Volleyball Team Hosts Arkansas-Little Rock Friday Night, Fans Encouraged to Wear Pink in Support of Breast Cancer Awareness
Oct. 15 vs. UALR 7:00 pm Livestats Available at AStateRedWolves.com
SERVING IT UP: The A-State volleyball squad returns to Jonesboro after a four-match road swing to take on in-state SBC rival UALR Friday night at the ASU Convocation Center at 7:00 p.m. Arkansas State will not have a Sunday match this week. Livestats will be available at AStateRedWolves.com. THE TEAMS: Arkansas State enters the UALR contest at 9-9 overall and 3-3 in Sun Bent Conference action. The Red Wolves are coming off a 2-0 weekend on the road at North Texas and Denver. ASU topped UNT 3-1 and swept Denver for its first-ever win on the road against the Pioneers. UALR stands at 2-14 overall with an 0-6 mark in Sun Belt Conference play. The Trojans travel to Jonesboro after suffering two road losses at Denver and North Texas last weekend. The Trojans matchup with the Red Wolves is also their only action of the weekend. THE UALR SERIES: Arkansas State holds a 41-15 advantage in the all-time series against the Trojans. Last season, the Red Wolves took both matches winning in five sets at home and four sets in Little Rock. During the 2008 season, the two teams split a pair of matches with each team winning on the road. ASU topped UALR in five sets in Little Rock, but the Trojans posted a three-set win in Jonesboro. THINK PINK: ASU Volleyball fans are encouraged to wear pink to Friday’s match in support of October being National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Pink ribbons will be given out by the team, and the Red Wolves will warm up in pink jerseys. Donations will also be collected for the Susan G. Komen Foundation. BASKA NOTCHES SECOND SBC DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK AWARD: Freshman libero Megan Baska earned her second Sun Belt Conference Defensive Player of the Week award after helping the Red Wolves to a 1-1 conference record on the road last weekend, the league announced Monday. Arkansas State topped Troy Friday night by a score of 3-1 and forced the South Alabama Jaguars into five sets Sunday afternoon. USA held on for the five-set win. Baska totaled 55 digs on the weekend, posting 25 against Troy and 30 against South Alabama. She averaged 6.11 per set and added five assists, a service ace and her second kill of the season. The Overland Park, Kan. native now has 333 digs to her credit this season for an overall average of 5.20 per set, which ranks third in the league. She also owns a team-high 14 service aces on the year. ALL-TOURNEY HONORS: Three Red Wolves earned all-tournament honors during ASU’s nonconference schedule. Junior Cayla Fielder racked up three selections at the ASU Invitational, the Radisson Tulsa Airport Invitational and the Rice Invitational II. Sophomore setter Allison Kearney was selected at the IU adidas Classic, and freshman libero Megan Baska earned the honor at the Radisson Tulsa Airport Invitational as well. BASKA EARNS SBC DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORS: The Sun Belt Conference announced Aug. 30 that Arkansas State freshman libero Megan Baska earned SBC Defensive Player of the Week honors after helping the Red Wolves to a 2-1 record at the ASU Invitational Aug. 27-28. In her first weekend as a Red Wolf, Baska tallied 71 digs, averaging 5.92 digs per set. "Megan is a talented young player who will increasingly get better as our team learns our defensive package," said ASU head coach Justin Ingram. She racked up 13 digs and a service ace in her first collegiate match as ASU swept Arkansas-Pine Bluff 3-0. Against Northwestern State, she posted 34 digs to lead the team and added two service aces and three assists. The Overland Park, Kan. native chalked up 24 digs in ASU's five-set victory over Louisiana Tech Saturday afternoon, adding four assists. RED WOLVES VOLLEYBALL PICKED SECOND IN PRESEASON COACHES' POLL, FIELDER EARNS SECOND PRESEASON ALL-SBC HONOR: The Arkansas State volleyball team was picked to finish second in the Sun Belt Conference West Division preseason poll, the league announced Thursday morning, and ASU's Cayla Fielder was named to the preseason All-SBC team, as voted on by the league's 12 head coaches. The Red Wolves received 57 points in the poll with four first place votes, while Denver topped the West Division with 68 points. Middle Tennessee totaled 66 points to land as the favorite in the East Division just three points ahead of Florida International. Fielder's selection to the preseason All-SBC team marks the second of her career. She was named to the All-SBC First Team following the 2009 season, after leading the Red Wolves in kills (373), hitting percentage (.341) and total blocks (128), including a team-high 33 unassisted. Fielder was named the 2008 Freshman of the Year and earned Second Team All-SBC honors that same season. "We feel honored to have received some first place votes and to have a player recognized on the preseason All-Sun Belt team," said ASU head coach Justin Ingram. "A lot of that recognition has to do with what we did last season, and we'll have to work extremely hard to repeat as Division Champions. Great things are happening at practice, and we are anxious to get started." A-State opens the 2010 season Friday, Aug. 27 when they host Arkansas-Pine Bluff at noon and Northwestern State at 7:00 p.m. in the ASU Invitational at the HPESS facility on the ASU campus. Louisiana Tech will face Northwestern State in the opening match of the tournament at 10:00 a.m., while UAPB and Louisiana Tech will meet on the hardwood at 5:00 p.m. HEAD COACH JUSTIN INGRAM: Justin Ingram enters his second year as head coach of the Red Wolves with a 22-11 overall record and a SBC West-Division Co-Championship under his belt. Ingram became the sixth head coach in ASU Volleyball history last season, and his Red Wolves' .667 winning percentage was the highest ASU has seen since the 2004 season. He led A-State to a 12-6 (.667) conference record and a 10-1 (.909) record in home matches, also the highest percentage since 2004. Two of Ingram's 2009 Red Wolves garnished post-season conference honors including the SBC Defensive Player of the Year award, and ASU chalked up six SBC Player of the Week accolades last season. Ingram came to ASU after serving eight years as an assistant coach at Kansas State. During his time at Kansas State, he served as the recruiting coordinator and offensive coordinator for the Wildcats who posted a 171-79 record and made seven NCAA tournament appearances during his time with the program. While at Kansas State, the Wildcats earned American Volleyball Coaches Association top-25 final rankings six different seasons including a No. 11 final ranking in 2003. The Wildcats also had seven 20-win seasons in his time there, including a 30-win season and a first-place finish in the Big 12 in 2003. Kansas State's final RPI ranked in the top-30 nationally during seven of Ingram's eight seasons with the Wildcats. Ingram served the previous two years as an assistant coach at the University of Houston. He served as a junior college recruiting coordinator, travel coordinator and assistant director of camps. The Cougars posted a 42-24 record and made back-to-back NCAA tournament appearances and posted consecutive 20-win seasons in 1998 and 1999. The Cougars were the Conference USA National Division Runners-up in 1998 and C-USA National Division Champions in 1999. During his career, Ingram has helped lead teams to nine NCAA Tournament appearances including a trip to the Sweet Sixteen in 2003. He has coached eight All-America selections, 22 All-Big 12 selections, 55 Academic All-Big 12 players, six All-Conference USA selections, four Big 12 Libero of the Year winners, a Big 12 Player of the Year, a Big 12 Newcomer of the Year and a C-USA Player of the Year. Ingram earned his bachelor's degree in Community and Regional Planning from Iowa State University in 1995 and a master's degree in City and Regional Planning from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in 1998. "Arkansas State is a tremendous university with an excellent volleyball program and I'm thrilled to be here," said Ingram. "I think the program is heading in a very positive direction and I'm excited to be part of its future. Not only does ASU have a strong volleyball program, it's in a strong conference and has great support from the community. So, this is a great situation and opportunity and I look forward to the challenges ahead." ASSISTANT COACH SHAWN TAYLOR: ASU head volleyball coach Justin Ingram announced March 19 that Shawn Taylor had joined the Red Wolves coaching staff as assistant coach for the 2010 season. "I feel fortunate to have attracted Shawn to Arkansas State," said Ingram. "He is a very knowledgeable and hard working coach who understands the demands it takes to be successful." Taylor comes to Arkansas State from Independence Community College in Independence, Kan. where he served as the head coach for the 2009 season. Prior to working at ICC, he coached as an assistant at Valparaiso and spent the 2007 season as the head coach at Kansas Wesleyan University. Taylor was a volunteer assistant coach at Kansas State for three seasons and served as the head women's junior varsity and a men's assistant coach at Graceland University from 2002-2004. Taylor also apprentice coached with the U.S. national team in 2007. Taylor earned his master's degree in college student personnel from Kansas State and his bachelor's degree in liberal studies from Graceland. He played for the Graceland Yellowjackets from 1999-2002. LOOKING AHEAD TO 2010: With just three returning Red Wolves, Arkansas State will have a crowd of new faces on the hardwood in 2010. Head coach Justin Ingram and the new A-State team are looking to follow a great season with an even greater one. The Red Wolves received 57 points in the preseason Sun Belt Conference poll with four first place votes and were predicted to finish second in the West Division behind Denver. Returning junior middle blocker Cayla Fielder was selected to the preseason All-SBC team. Fielder and sophomores Taylor Coughlin and Kelsie Hodges were part of a 22-11, Sun Belt Conference West Division Co-Championship team last season that posted ASU Volleyball's highest winning percentage since 2004. ASU welcomes five freshmen and four transfers from all over the country, spanning from Utah to Ohio. Fielder returns as the most experienced player on the roster, and her selection to the preseason All-SBC team marks the second of her career. She was named to the All-SBC first team following the 2009 season, after leading the Red Wolves in kills (373), hitting percentage (.341) and total blocks (128), including a team-high 33 unassisted. Fielder was named the 2008 Freshman of the Year and earned Second Team All-SBC honors that same season. The team will also welcome new assistant coach Shawn Taylor and graduate assistant coach Jen Malcom. Taylor comes to Arkansas State from Independence Community College in Independence, Kan. where he served as the head coach for the 2009 season. Prior to working at ICC, he coached as an assistant at Valparaiso and spent the 2007 season as the head coach at Kansas Wesleyan University. Malcom graduated from Iowa State in 2008 where she played two years on the Cyclone volleyball team. She was named a Strength and Conditioning All-American, as well as AVCA All-Central Region and All-Big 12 Honorable Mention following her senior season. The Red Wolves will open the season Aug. 27-28 when they host Louisiana Tech, Northwestern State and Arkansas-Pine Bluff in the ASU Invitational at the HPESS complex on the ASU campus. A-State will visit Bloomington, Ind. for the Indiana University Tournament Sept. 3-4, Tulsa, Okla. for the University of Tulsa Invitational Sept. 10-11 and Houston, Texas for the Rice University Invitational Sept. 17-18. Arkansas State will return to the Convocation Center to open Sun Belt Conference action, hosting Western Kentucky Sept. 24 and Middle Tennessee Sept. 26. The Red Wolves will spend the next two weekends on the road, traveling to Troy Oct. 1 and South Alabama Oct. 3 before visiting North Texas Oct. 8 and Denver Oct. 10. In-state rival UALR will visit the Convocation Center Oct. 15 for a matchup with ASU, while Florida Atlantic and Florida International will make stops in Jonesboro the following weekend (Oct. 22 and 24). Oct. 29 and 30 will mark a road swing through the state of Louisiana for the Red Wolves as they meet ULM Friday and Louisiana-Lafayette Saturday before returning to Jonesboro for matches against Denver Nov. 5 and North Texas Nov. 6 at the HPESS complex. ASU will travel to Little Rock to take on the UALR Trojans for a second time in their only midweek action of the season Nov. 9 at the Jack Stephens Center. The Red Wolves will then wrap up their season Nov. 12 and 13, hosting ULM and Louisiana-Lafayette at the HPESS complex. This year's SBC Tournament will be hosted by Middle Tennessee in Murfreesboro, Tenn. Nov. 18-20, and the NCAA Tournament first and second rounds are set for Dec. 2-4. Ingram said, "We are all optimistic about the direction of this team. The girls have been working hard all summer, and we are certainly seeing the rewards." The Red Wolves also have some changes to their home facility this season. ASU's locker room got a makeover during the offseason to include a lounge area with a flat screen television, refrigerator and two computer work stations. The lockers now have a personalized touch with each player's name, jersey number and picture displayed in them, and the walls are adorned with custom graphics. "I am extremely grateful for the locker room renovation," said Ingram. "Facility improvements are important in the recruitment of student-athletes, and specifically it shows the administration's support and positive direction of its programs. Our volleyball team is fortunate and we are all thankful." RED WOLVES VOLLEYBALL TAKES FOUR-SET WIN AT NORTH TEXAS: The Arkansas State volleyball Red Wolves (8-9, 2-3) topped the Mean Green of North Texas (11-9, 3-2) in four sets on the road in Sun Belt Conference action Friday night. UNT started strong with a 25-18 first set victory, but the A-State squad rallied to take the following three sets for the match victory (25-19, 25-20, 25-21). In set three, ASU went up 4-1 early but landed in a 21-21 deadlock before four consecutive Mean Green attacking errors sealed the win for the Red Wolves. Three ASU players saw double-digit kills, including sophomores Jasmine Terry with 13 and Taylor Coughlin and Kelsie Hodges each with 10. Freshman Megan Baska chalked up a team-high 25 digs, while sophomore Allison Kearney led the team with 41 assists and five blocks. ASU VOLLEYBALL PICKS UP ROAD WIN OVER DENVER: The Arkansas State Red Wolves (9-9, 3-3) rolled past Denver (9-12, 3-4) for a 3-0 Sun Belt Conference victory Sunday afternoon at Hamilton Gymnasium in Denver, Colo. The win marked the first in program history for A-State on the road against the Pioneers. "We couldn't have been more prepared today," said ASU head coach Justin Ingram. "The entire team not only understood the scouting report, but they performed the tasks needed at a very high level. Our servers put constant pressure on DU the entire match, and that really set the tone for the day. This was a great road win, and our performance was exceptional." Set one was a back-and-forth scoring game with the two teams deadlocking at 23-23, but the Red Wolves sealed the win (25-23) with a kill from sophomore Kelsie Hodges and a block from Hodges and sophomore Jasmine Terry. Arkansas State cruised to an early 4-0 lead in set two, and the Pioneers never came within two as the Red Wolves won 25-17. Set three came up tied at 10-10, but ASU rattled off five straight points to coast to a 25-18 win. Terry led the team with 12 kills, followed by freshman Ashley Tipps with 10. Hodges contributed nine kills and added a team-high five blocks, while sophomore Allison Kearney put up 35 assists and a team-high 11 digs.
No. 13 Iowa State Cyclones Volleyball Team To Dig Pink Against Aggies AMES, Iowa – The No. 13 Iowa State Cyclones host their 2010 Dig Pink match on Saturday when Texas A&M comes to Ames High School for a 3 p.m. first serve. The Cyclones (12-4, 5-3 Big 12) are coming off a three set win over the Kansas State Wildcats on Wednesday and senior libero Ashley Mass is looking to become the Big 12 record holder for most digs in a career. Mass is currently second in the Big 12 digs record book with 2,020, 12 off former Wildcat Angie Lastra’s record of 2,032. Another Cyclone to watch during Saturday’s match is Victoria Henson, who will become only the third Cyclone to ever reach 1,500 kills if she posts at least five against the Aggies (9-9, 3-5 Big 12). Fans are encouraged to wear pink to the Dig Pink match Saturday, which supports breast cancer awareness. For more information and for complete coverage of Iowa State volleyball, visit cyclones.com. Cyclone Notebook • Saturday’s match with Texas A&M is the Cyclones’ 2010 Dig Pink match, supporting breast cancer awareness. • Senior Ashley Mass holds the No. 2 spot on the Big 12 all-time digs list with 2,020. She needs 12 digs to tie the record of 2,032 set by former Kansas State Wildcat Angie Lastra • Saturday’s match with Texas A&M has been moved to 3 p.m. from 6:30 p.m. • Victoria Henson is five kills away from becoming only the third Cyclone to ever record 1,500 kills. • Wednesday Iowa State held Kansas State’s kills leader, JuliAnne Chisholm, without a kill. Chisholm went 0-for-22 with five errors against the Cyclones; it was her first match without a kill since 2008. • Debbie Stadick tied her season-high in block assists against the Wildcats with seven. • Kansas State’s 0.085 hitting percentage on Wednesday was the second-lowest percentage allowed by the Cyclones this season (Iowa hit -0.049) • Henson leads the Big 12 in kills per set this season with an average of 4.25. •Against Big 12 opponents, Carly Jenson leads the league with 0.33 service aces per set and Mass is tops in the conference with 5.00 digs per set. • Iowa State is currently ranked second in the conference in hitting percentage (.274), assists per set (13.33) and kills per set (14.07). • The team is ranked third in the Big 12 in opponent hitting percentage (.164) and digs per set (15.46). • Jamie Straube tied her season-high in aces in a match against Kansas State with two. Streaks and Trends • The Cyclones 53-match win streak over unranked teams ended with their 3-1 loss to the Jayhawks on Oct. 6. • Iowa State has beaten at least one ranked foe in each of Johnson-Lynch’s six years at the school. • ISU opponents have hit over .300 just 14 times in 179 matches under Johnson-Lynch. Topping .300 has happened just eight times in 116 matches since 2007. • Mass has posted double-digit digs in 105 of the 109 matches she has started at libero. Overall, she has been in double-digits 106 times. Series Notes • Texas A&M leads the all-time series 24-6. • The Cyclones swept the Aggies in 2009, winning both matches in three sets. • In the Christy Johnson-Lynch era, Iowa State is 6-4 against the Aggies. • Texas A&M is hitting .190 on the season and is holding opponents to a .167 hitting percentage. • Last year, the Aggies were the only team other than Nebraska that hit over .200 in Ames (.211) • Texas A&M’s Allie Sawatzky earned Big 12 Rookie of the Week honors on Sept. 13. Sawatzky has 629 assists this season, and average of 9.68 per set, which is fifth in the league. • Kelsey Black of A&M is the only Big 12 player averaging more points per set than Victoria Henson. Black averages 4.90 points per set while Henson sits at 4.63.
Iowa State Cyclones Volleyball Team Wins in Three Against Kansas State Wildcats AMES, Iowa – Senior Ashley Mass moved into second place on the Big 12 all-time digs list on Wednesday, grabbing 18 digs to give her 2,020 in her career as the 13th-ranked Cyclones (12-4, 5-3 Big 12) beat the Kansas State Wildcats (9-10, 3-5 Big 12) in three sets (25-20, 25-22, 25-16) at Ames High School. After posting only eight blocks against the Kansas Jayhawks on Saturday, the Cyclones came to life on defense Wednesday with 11 blocks in the match, including eight in the first set. The team also held the Wildcats to .086 hitting. Victoria Henson led the team on offense once again with 15 kills and 17.5 points. “I generally thought we showed some improvement in areas we have been working on,” Cyclone head coach Christy Johnson-Lynch said. “We have had to improve our blocking numbers and we did that tonight. We have not seen that for a while so I am very excited for that.” Middle blockers Debbie Stadick and Jamie Straube were instrumental in Iowa State’s win with six kills each. Stadick had a season-high seven block assist on the night as well. “The thing we have been trying to address this week is more kills from our middles and right side,” Johnson-Lynch said. “Technically, we were a lot better. We tried to have our middles stay more balanced so once our setter set the ball they were not tricked in going the wrong way.” The first set was a tale of defense for both teams as Iowa State collected six of its blocks but was held to .136 hitting by the Wildcat defense which posted 3.5 blocks. Iowa State took control in the second set, allowing only one tie and never giving up the lead. A similar story played out in the third set as the Wildcats managed one tie and one lead before falling behind and letting the Cyclones take charge. Iowa State is back in action on Saturday afternoon against Texas A&M in the 2010 Dig Pink match. Match time is set for 3 p.m. at Ames High School. For more information and for complete coverage of Iowa State volleyball, visit cyclones.com.
Texas Volleyball Team Preview: Texas Tech The No. 11 Longhorns look to extend their winning streak to four matches when they host Texas Tech on Saturday, Oct. 16. Match 17: No. 11/11 TEXAS (11-5, 6-2 Big 12) vs. Texas Tech (3-14, 1-7 Big 12) When: Saturday, Oct. 16 at 6:30 p.m. Central Where: Austin, Texas (Gregory Gymnasium) Live Stats: GameTracker Internet Audio/Video: Watch Texas Volleyball home matches FREE on TexasSports.TV SERIES INFO All-Time Series Record: Texas leads Texas Tech, 68-9-2 (H: 31-3, A: 30-2, N: 7-4-2) Last Meeting: Texas defeated Texas Tech, 3-1 on Nov. 11, 2009 Current Streak: Texas has won the last 18 meetings TICKETS Tickets can be purchased at TexasBoxOffice.com. Fans can purchase their tickets online, print them at home and skip all lines at the match. Tickets can also be purchased at the match or by calling the UT Athletics ticket office at 512-471-3333. PROMOTIONS Public Service Day: $3 general admission tickets for all police, fire, EMS employees and military personnel along with their guests -- ADVANCE SALE ONLY by calling (512) 232-3865. The deadline to order is Thursday, Oct. 14 at 4 p.m. LONGHORN NOTABLES TEXAS IN THE AVCA POLL The Longhorns are ranked No. 11 in the most recent AVCA Division I Coaches Top 25 Poll (Oct. 11) ... Texas has now been ranked in the AVCA Top 25 for 102 consecutive weeks, dating back to 2004 ... ... UT fell out of the Top 10 on Sept. 20 for the first time in 62 straight weeks ... Texas fell out of the top five on Sept. 13, snapping its 34-week streak in the top-five ... UT opponents in the poll include No. 1 Florida, No. 2 Stanford, No. 3 Nebraska, No. 8 Illinois and No. 13 Iowa State ... UT was No. 3 in the preseason poll. HORNS IN THE VOLLEYBALL MAGAZINE POLL Texas holds the No. 11 spot in the latest Volleyball Magazine Poll (Oct. 5) ... Big 12 foes in the poll include No. 3 Nebraska and No. 13 Iowa State ... three of Texas’ non-conference opponents are ranked (No. 1 Florida, No. 2 Stanford and No. 7 Illinois ). LONE STAR STATE DOMINANCESince head coach Jerritt Elliott arrived in Austin, the Longhorns have emerged as the dominant volleyball program in the state of Texas ... the Longhorns have posted a 75-8 (.904) record against in-state opponents during the Elliott era, including an 18-0 mark against Texas Tech and an 18-1 mark against Baylor ... before Texas’ loss to Texas A&M on Sept. 16, 2010, UT had won 47-straight matches versus in-state foes with the streak dating back to Oct. 16, 2004. LAST TIME OUT Texas used a quintet of double-digit kill efforts as it fought its way to a 3-1 (19-25, 30-28, 25-17, 25-23) road win at Oklahoma ... junior middle blocker Rachael Adams led the Longhorns attack in the win with 16 kills on .393 hitting and posted a team-best seven blocks ... senior All-America outside hitter Juliann Faucette and junior outside hitter Amber Roberson added a pair of 13-kill outings, while sophomore opposite hitter Sha’Dare McNeal and senior middle blocker Jennifer Doris each connected for 10 kills. ADAMS EARNS BACK-TO-BACK BIG 12 HONORS Junior middle blocker Rachael Adams was named Big 12 Player of the Week (Oct. 11) for the second consecutive week after leading the Longhorns to sweeps of Colorado and Kansas State last week ... Adams headlined No. 11 Texas’ attack last week, hitting at a blistering .688 clip, while recording 4.17 kills, 5.33 points and 2.00 blocks per-set ... she committed just three attack errors on a combined 32 swings in two matches and recorded a career-high 10 total blocks in UT’s sweep of Kansas State. TEXAS IN THE BIG 12 STATS Through eight Big 12 matches the Longhorns are blanketing the conference only stats and lead the league with .272 team hitting percentage ... junior middle blocker Rachael Adams headlines the conference with a .455 hitting percentage, ranks second with 1.48 blocks per-set and ranks sixth in kills (3.72) and fifth in points with 4.55 per-set ... senior middle blocker Jennifer Doris ranks second in hitting (.430). ADAMS LEADING THE CHARGEJunior middle blocker Rachael Adams has continued to grow as a go-to player for Texas in 2010 ... she leads Texas in hitting percentage with a .433 mark, while ranking second in the Big 12 and tying for fifth-best in the NCAA ... during league play she leads the conference with a .455 attack mark ... her 1.29 blocks per-set lead the Horns and rank fourth-best in the league ... Adams ranks second on the club with 2.98 kills per-set ... she began her hot streak at No. 4 Florida (Sept. 11), posting a career-best 14 kills on .455 hitting ... in her last nine matches she is averaging 3.59 kills and 1.50 blocks per-set and is hitting a team-best .455. SUCCESS IN BIG 12 PLAYIn 14 years of Big 12 Conference play the Longhorns own a 217-68 (.761) mark in league action ... Texas’ all-time Big 12 record ranks second to only Nebraska ... during head coach Jerritt Elliott’s nine-year tenure, Texas has posted a 142-45 (.759) record against Big 12 foes ... the Longhorns’ 19-1 record in 2007 and 2009 are their best marks since the inception of the league.
SAN BRUNO, Calif. --- Throughout October, also known as "Breast Cancer Awareness Month," all eight WCC volleyball teams will be hosting a "Dig Pink" match to help promote breast cancer awareness and raise funds to benefit the Side-Out Foundation, a national 501(c)(3) located in the Washington DC Metropolitan Area that has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for Breast Cancer research nationally through volleyball tournaments, clinics, and rallies.
Each WCC team will wear its official WCC Dig Pink T-shirts and reach out to fans and local communities to fundraise money as part of the nationwide effort supported by the Side-Out Foundation, which was established in 2004 to unite volleyball players and coaches around the common goal of increasing breast cancer education and finding a cure.
The Saint Mary's Gaels hosted the first 2010 WCC Dig Pink match in Moraga, CA last Saturday and invited fans to donate online and participate in both a raffle and silent auction. Today, Pepperdine will be hosting its Dig Pink match at 7 PM and will be giving away 100 free Dig Pink T-shirts to the first 100 women in the stands, while USF will be hosting its Art & Wine Festival on Saturday at 5 PM (before the USF-SMC conference matchup) in the upper level hospitality area of War Memorial Gym. Admission to the festival is $25.
To join the WCC in the Dig Pink campaign, attend any of the upcoming WCC Dig Pink matches or donate directly online at digpink.org.
2010 WCC Dig Pink Dates October 14 - GON @ PEP @ 7 PM October 16 - SMC @ USF @ 7 PM October 22 - USF @ SCU @ 6 PM October 23 - GON @ POR @ 1 PM October 23 - PEP @ USD @ 1 PM October 30 - SCU @ LMU @ 1 PM October 30 - USD @ GON @ 12 PM
University of Memphis Volleyball Team Joins Side-Out Foundation with Dig Pink Game on Sunday Tiger Volleyball to participate in Breast Cancer Awareness Rally Event Host: University of Memphis Volleyball Opponent: Rice OwlsEvent Date: Sun., Oct. 17Event Time: 7 p.m.Location: Elma Roane Fieldhouse (Memphis, Tenn.)
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — This fall, thousands of teams from around the country will be participating in the Side-Out Foundation’s Dig Pink® National Breast Cancer Awareness Rally. The University of Memphis volleyball team will join the cause to promote breast health education in the community as well as raise funds to further research, with its annual “Dig Pink” game on Sun., Oct. 17. The Tigers will host the Rice Owls at 1 p.m. at the Elma Roane Fieldhouse. The Tiger’s Dig Pink® event will give spectators the opportunity to get involved by making donations to the cause and by pinking out the events. Admission will be free for all fans wearing pink. All fans will be given Breast Cancer Awareness ribbons and the first 100 fans will get a pink stress reliever. Pink pom-poms and blue and pink cups will be given away at the U of M marketing table. Memphis Tigers Dig Pink® event t-shirts will also be thrown out throughout the course of the match. For more information about the event, please contact University of Memphis marketing assistant, Erin Shaw at elshaw@memphis.edu or (901) 678.4324. To donate to the cause, log onto Memphis volleyball's Dig Pink team page at https://www.side-out.org/application/teams/team_page/3066. That link is also located on the sidebar of the volleyball page at www.gotigersgo.com. The proceeds from all donations will benefit the Side-Out Foundation, a national 501(c)(3) non-profit organization located in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. The Side-Out Foundation is a national 501(c)(3) non-profit organization located in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. It has raised millions of dollars for breast cancer research nationally through volleyball tournaments, clinics, and rallies. Funds are currently devoted to cutting edge targeted therapies and molecular profiling. Side-Out also devotes a portion of the funds to local and national cancer support organizations.
Its name underscores the purpose of the organization: a “side-out” in volleyball occurs when one team wins a point while its opponent is serving, thereby regaining serve or control of play. Likewise in the war against breast cancer, the Side-Out Foundation will support health care professionals in their pursuit of practical solutions for women and men with this dreaded disease, thus enabling those affected to regain control of their lives. ***www.gotigersgo.com***
Celebrate Breast Cancer Awareness Month with the Waves this Thursday at 7 p.m. Inside the
Firestone Fieldhouse MALIBU, Calif. - The Pepperdine women’s volleyball team (12-5, 3-0 West Coast Conference) opens a two-match home stand beginning this Thurs., Oct. 14 with a 7 p.m. match against Gonzaga (2-19, 0-4 WCC). The Waves welcome Portland (8-12, 1-3 WCC) to the Firestone Fieldhouse on Sat., Oct. 16 at 1 p.m. CAN YOU DIG IT? — Each October, the Waves take part in Breast Cancer Awareness month by hosting a “Dig Pink” match to show their support and promote fundraising for research. The Waves’ volleyball team, in conjunction with the Pepperdine chapter of Colleges Against Cancer (CAC), will be working together to host this season’s “Dig Pink” match against WCC foe Gonzaga at the Firestone Fieldhouse on Thurs., Oct. 14 at 7 p.m. The match is the culminating event of Pepperdine’s “Pink Week,” a week in which the CAC has daily reminders to students on campus regarding breast cancer. All fans are encouraged to wear pink to show their support. The first 100 female Pepperdine students to arrive at the Firestone Fieldhouse will receive a FREE Dig Pink shirt. To help raise money, the athletic department is sponsoring a bake sale, and will also be selling commemorative pink mini volleyballs. Donations will also be accept at the match, or you can show you support online at the Pepperdine Dig Pink Homepage. All money raised will benefit the Sideout Foundation for breast cancer research. Help the Waves reach their goal of $3,000 and make a difference in the lives of those affected by breast cancer! LOOKING BACK - The Waves extended their win streak to five, with wins over UCSB and LMU last week. With the win over the Lions on the road, Pepperdine added 1.5 points to their total in the PCH Cup tally and are currently tied with LMU in the standings. The Waves are just one of two schools (the other being San Diego) in the WCC that remains undefeated in league action after two weeks of play. LOOKING AHEAD - Pepperdine hits the road next week for two important matches versus Saint Mary’s and San Diego. The Waves first go up against Saint Mary’s on Wed., Oct. 20 in Moranga, Calif. The match will be covered live by ESPNU, as part of their Wednesday Night Women’s College Volleyball Coverage. Both SMU and USD have been making appearances in the AVCA Top-25 Coaches poll all season long and reside in the top-three of the WCC standings along with the Waves. ON THE WEB — This week’s matches will be broadcasted live and for free via Wave Casts. Live stats will also be available through GameTracker and can be accessed at www.PepperdineSports.com, where you can also find links to available media for Pepperdine road contests. SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS - Gonzaga is 2-18 (0-4 WCC) and has lost the last l6-straight matches ... The Bulldogs defeated San Jose State and CS Bakersfield during the first weekend of the season ... Caitlin Cozad leads the Bulldogs with 2.02 kills per set while contributing 1.16 digs per set ... Setter Denise Van de Mortel ranks sixth in the WCC with 8.71 assists per set ... Gonzaga ranks third in the lead with 2.14 blocks per set ... With 4.11 dps, libero Allyson Powell ranks fourth in the conference ... The last time Gonzaga defeated the Waves was on Nov. 2, 1996 by a score of 3-1. PORTLAND POINTS - The Pilots are 8-12 this season and 1-3 in the WCC ... Portland is coming off its first conference win of the season, a 3-2 victory over USF on Oct. 9. ... Kati Hronek and Ariel Usher both average around 3.00 kps to lead the offense ... Danielle Dupar ranks first in the WCC and fifth in the nation with 5.60 dps ... The Pilots last win over the Waves came on Oct. 15, 1994, when Portland edged Pepperdine 3-2. IT COULD HAPPEN - Kim Hill and Lilla Frederick could play in their 73rd and 74th career match this week ... Stevi Robinson sits in sixth place in the Pepperdine record books with 1,150 digs ... She needs 16 more to move into the five spot ... Kellie Woolever needs 40 more assists to reach 700 ... With 19 more kills, Brittney Clark will become the fifth Wave to reach the century mark this season ... Adelhelm, Woolever, Hill, Frederick, and Robinson have appeared in every set this season ... Emily Cook needs eight more digs to reach the 100 season milestone ... Woolever ranks fifth in Pepperdine history with a career average of 11.38 assists per set ... Hill ranks fourth in the record books with a career attack percentage of .354 ... Adelhelm ranks fifth with .353 ... Robinson’s career average of 4.56 dps ranks first in Wave history ... Brittney Clark ranks fifth with a career average of 1.14 blocks per set. STREAKING - Brittney Clark has tallied at least five kills in the last five matches ... Kellie Woolever has tallied a digs-assist double double in the last three matches ... Victoria Adelhelm has eclipsed double-digit kill totals in the last three matches ... Kim Hill has reached the double-digit kill plateau the last 27 or the last 29 matches dating back to last season ... Stevi Robinson has reached the double-digit dig plateau in seven of the last eight matches. WCC OVERALL RANKS - Pepperdine continues to tout the best hitting percentage in the WCC with a .263 (812-287-1995) clip ... The Waves holds opponents to a league-best .170 attack percentage ... The Waves rank second with 13.07 assists per set and a league-high 2.71 blocks per set ... Pepperdine has the second-best kill average (14.00) and third-best service ace average (1.50) ... Victoria Adelhelmhas the second-best hitting percentage in the league with .387 ... Kellie Woolever averages 11.38 assists per set to rank second ... Brittney Clark and Adelhelm rank No. 1 and 3 with 1.32 and 1.00 blocks per set, respectively ... Stevi Robinson ranks fourth in the WCC with a 3.98 digs per set average. WCC ONLY RANKS - Pepperdine also ranks high when considering only matches against league opponents ... Victoria Adelhelm boasts a hitting percentage of .479 to rank second ... Kellie Woolever averages 12.50 assists per set in league to rank second ... Kim Hill has the number one service ace per set average with .90 and the second best kills average (4.20 kps) ... The Waves are second in overall hitting percentage (.318), assists (14.90 aps), blocks (3.00 bps), kills (15.80 kps), service aces (2.10) and opponent hitting percentage (.146) WCC PLAYER OF THE MONTH - Victoria Adelhelm was named WCC Co-Player of the Month for her performance in September. During that month, she led the team with a .343 hitting percentage and 42 total blocks to help the Waves to a 6-3 record. WCC PLAYER OF THE WEEK - Victoria Adelhelm was named WCC Co-Player of the Week on Sept. 6 after hitting a team-best .520 (30-4-50) attack percentage, while denying attackers on defense on 12 occasions. This is the first weekly award for the sophomore, and the first for the Waves during the 2010 season. RETURN TO SENDER - Brittney Clark kept UC Santa Barbara attackers at bay, tallied a career-best 12 blocks versus the Gauchos on Oct. 6. The total ranks tied for second in the single match Pepperdine record books (rally scoring era only) Victoria Adelhelm returned 10 attacks to the New Mexico State side of the net on Sept. 17 to also rank top-five in the single match record books along with Clark. TOURNAMENT SEASON RECAP - Pepperdine went 8-4 in its four tournaments this fall. The Waves won the UNLV Invitational, and took second at the Arizona Invitational and the Asics Classic. Kim Hill received all-tournament team honors at MCM Elegante Lobo Classic, the UNLV Invitational, and the Arizona Invitational. Victoria Adelhelm and Lilla Frederick both earned recognition at the Asics Classic and the UNLV Invitational. Emily Cook was named to her first all-tournament team of the season at the Arizona Invitational. 1K CLUB - Stevi Robinson tallied 52 digs during the Asics Classic including a season-best 27 versus Missouri. Her 26th dig of the match gave the junior her 1,000 career dig. She currently ranks first in the Pepperdine history books with a career average of 4.56 dps. FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING - Known for her offensive prowess, Kim Hill showed her versatility on against Rice at the Asics Classic, recording a career-high 10 digs. Coupled with her 12 kills, the junior registered her first-ever double double. RANKINGS — Pepperdine did not receive a ranking on the latest installment. 8/17 8/30 9/6 9/13 9/20 9/27 10/4 10/11 10/18 10/25 11/1 11/8 11/15 11/22 11/29 rv rv nr nr nr nr nr nr AVCA TOP-25 - Pepperdine routinely faces some of the top opponents in the county. The Waves, who received votes in the first two AVCA Coaches Polls, have faced #4 Stanford and #13 UCLA already this season. Since the ranking system was established in 1982, Pepperdine has amassed 84 victories over top-25 squads. PRESEASON WCC COACHES’ POLL - The Waves were voted to finished third in the West Coast Conference in the coaches’ preseason poll. San Diego was picked as the favorite with six first-place votes, while 2009 WCC Champion Saint Mary’s was predicted to finish in second. In fourth, behind Pepperdine, is Santa Clara, followed by San Francisco, Gonzaga, Portland and Loyola Marymount. The Waves finished third in the league last season with a 9-5 record. PRESEASON ALL-WCC - Kim Hill was voted to the Preseason All-WCC Team. Last season Hill led the conference with .425 hitting percentage and was awarded All-WCC first team honors. In addition, she was named an honorable mention All-American by the AVCA. Nina Matthies — Now in her 28th season as head coach of the Waves, Nina Matthies enters the 2010 season with a career record of 522-310 (.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. Matthies was among the world’s top players and is a member of the Beach Volleyball Hall of Fame. In 2009, 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 2009 squad. Twelve returners (11 letterwinners and one redshirt) are joined by three newcomers (all true freshmen) to bring the squad total to 15. What was once considered a young team has given way to experienced veteran status as the squad breakdown includes two seniors, four juniors, five sophomores, and four freshmen in terms of eligibility. 2009 RECAP — It was another solid year for the Pepperdine women’s volleyball team. Kim Hill earned AVCA All-American honorable mention honors. She led the conference with a .425 attack percentage and ranked fifth in the NCAA. The Waves finished the league in third place after posting a 9-5 record and finished with an overall record of 16-11. Kiah Fiers, Rachel Grochmal and Hill claimed All-WCC first team honors, while Victoria Adelhelm and Stevi Robinson were named to the All-WCC honorable mention squad. 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. PEPPERDINE TWEETS — To receive all the latest up-to-date information on the Waves, follow the Pepperdine Athletics Twitter at www.twitter.com/peppsports VOLLEYBALL HISTORY — The Pepperdine women’s volleyball program is synonymous with the word excellence, as the Waves are a perennial national power. The Waves have advanced to postseason play 25 times in 35 seasons, including 11 trips to the NCAA Championships in the last 13 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). 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.
Indiana University Volleyball Team: 'Dig Pink' Night at U-Gym Friday Evening
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - It's a double dip weekend at University Gym, beginning with a Friday evening match versus Ohio State (14-3, 2-2), followed by the three-time defending national champion Penn State Nittany Lions (13-2, 3-1) coming to town for a Saturday night showdown. Both contests are set for 7 p.m. starts.
In addition to the strong competition presented by No. 4 Penn State and Ohio State (receiving enough votes to slot them in the top-30), Friday night is also IU Volleyball's annual "Dig Pink" night. The event is designed to create more Breast Cancer Awareness and fans are encouraged to wear pink to the match. In fact, all fans donning pink clothes earn a discounted admission of just three dollars, and the first 500 fans arriving to the gym will receive FREE Pink IU Volleyball shirts.
Friday's dual will be streamed live on BigTenNetwork.com for a fee of $2.99. Fans can head over to IUHoosiers.com on Saturday for a free audio broadcast of that match. Dave Leno will be on the call for both.
