Volleyball Voices

Week 12: Today's Women's College Volleyball Scores and News

No. 21 Baylor Women's Volleyball Team Stumbles at University of Kansas Women's Volleyball Team in 3-1 Loss

Barnes records second triple-double of season

 

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Despite a triple-double by setter Taylor Barnes, No. 21 Baylor couldn’t find its stride in a 3-1 loss (18-25, 25-19, 20-25, 20-25) to the University of Kansas at the Horejsi Family Athletics Center in Lawrence, Kan.

 

The Baylor attack struggled through the first set, but pieced together the offense in the second set for their only win of the day, then reverted in sets three and four as KU got theirs rolling.

 

Barnes had 40 assists and 10 kills to go along with 12 digs on defense to lead the Bears. Senior Katie Sanders and freshman Torri Campbell each had a team-high 12 kills on the match, but Baylor hit just .176 (51-24-153) on the match, compared to KU’s .252 (60-21-155).

 

Baylor had 10 fewer digs and six fewer blocks than Kansas. Allison King had a team-high 16 digs for Baylor, and Campbell, Elizabeth Graham and Anna Breyfogle each had three block assists.

 

On the other side, the Jayhawks were led by Karina Garlington’s match-high 19 kills and Allison Mayfield’s 16 kills. Libero Melissa Grieb had 19 digs and setter Nicole Tate had 16 digs to go along with her 45 assists.

 

 The Bears recorded the first two points of the first set with kills by Sanders and Campbell, but Garlington put KU on the board with two kills and a block. Tied at 4-4, KU put on a 9-1 run with two blocks and two Mayfield kills. The Bears got as close as 16-11 with two kills by Campbell and one by Graham, but KU scored five of the next six to control the set. The Jayhawks finished it off 25-18 with a kill by Garlington.

 

In the second set, Baylor came out determined on offense with a kill by Sanders and a Breyfogle service ace for a 2-0 lead. The Bears extended the lead to 11-6 with a kill and block by Breyfogle. As the Baylor block got back in the match, KU was forced into hitting errors after closing to within 16-14. Baylor responded with back-to-back kills by Barnes and Sanders after two Mayfield hitting errors to take a 21-16 lead. After Garlington recorded two more kills, BU got a kill from Barnes and stuffed Mayfield with Campbell and Graham to end the set 25-19.

 

Baylor controlled the third set early on as Breyfogle teamed up with Barnes and Christenson on back-to-back blocks for a 6-4 lead. KU answered to tie the match at 7-7 and the teams traded points until Baylor took a 16-14 lead with two kills by Barnes. From that point it was all KU, as the Jayhawks scored eight of the last 11 points to win the set 25-20.

 

In the fourth, Baylor put themselves in position to stay in the match. Breyfogle gave the Bears a 9-5 lead with a kill, then Qian Zhang made it 14-12 with her only kill of the match. But, just as they had done all afternoon, KU got three kills in a row by Mayfield to take a 19-16 lead. The Jayhawks didn’t look back from that point, finishing off the match with two Garlington kills to make 25-20.

 

Baylor (21-7, 10-7 Big 12) will be back on the road on Wednesday, Nov. 18 against No. 8 Nebraska in Lincoln, Neb. The match is set for 7 p.m., and will be streamed live on audio on BaylorBears.com.

Long Island University Women's Volleyball Team Wins Ninth Straight with Sweep of CCSU

BROOKLYN, N.Y. – The Long Island University volleyball team extended its win streak to nine matches and stayed unbeaten in Northeast Conference action with a 3-0 (25-21, 25-17, 25-12) win over Central Connecticut State at the Wellness Center. Senior Svetlana Simic (Klek, Serbia) led all players with 16 kills and 20 digs.

 

After leading throughout a tight first set and securing a 25-21 win, Long Island (18-13, 15-0 NEC) took an 8-1 lead in the second frame and never looked back. The Blackbirds extended their lead to 19-10 en route to a 25-17 win.

 

After the teams opened the third set battling to a 10-10 tie, Long Island rattled off nine straight points to take a firm grasp of the frame. All told, the Blackbirds used a 15-2 run to close out a 25-12 victory.

 

Senior Martina Racic (Pula, Croatia) added 14 kills and eight digs, while classmate Zuzana Buchlova (Pelhrmov, Czech Republic) tallied eight kills and 10 digs. Sophomore Chelsey Stanton (Macungie, Pa.) registered 10 digs.

 

Long Island hit .311 for the match, while Central Connecticut State hit just .081. The Blackbirds enjoyed a 49-27 advantage in kills.

 

The Blue Devils were paced by seven kills by Blaike King and 14 digs from Amanda Bayer.

 

Long Island will wrap up the regular season on Sunday, Nov. 15 hosting Bryant at noon. Senior Day festivities will precede the match.

 

 

 

- LIU -

 

 

No. 11 Kentucky Wraps Up Weekend at Auburn

Kentucky earned a sweep over the Tigers earlier in the season

 

LEXINGTON, Ky.  –  Both squads will enter the Sunday afternoon matchup after tallying impressive wins as the 11^th-ranked Kentucky volleyball team earned a sweep of Georgia and Auburn upset Tennessee Friday night. Kentucky visits Auburn for a 2 p.m. ET matchup at the Student Activities Center to wrap up its final two match road swing of the regular season.

 

Kentucky (25-2, 15-1) powered its way to a sweep at Georgia Friday night behind a complete collective effort. Juniors Sarah Mendoza and Blaire Hiler struck for 12 and 10 kills respectively. Auburn pulled off an upset over Tennessee by taking the final three sets of a five-set match Friday.

 

UK had a pair of players achieve career milestones in the victory as Mendoza tossed down her 1,000^th career kill. Senior BriAnne Sauer became just the second player in school history to amass over 1,500 digs in a career when she led the match with 24 scoops.

 

Senior setter Sarah Rumely needs 28 assists to break the all-time school assist record. Rumely entered the weekend needing 68 to tie the record and she posted 41 assists in the win over Georgia to inch closer to the record.

 

Auburn improved to 15-12 overall record and a 7-9 conference clip with the win over the Lady Vols. The Tigers are led by three players who average over 2.25 kills per set. Auburn uses a two-setter rotation with both setters registering over 450 assists for the season. Liz Crouch anchors the defensive unit with 4.06 digs per set.

 

In the first match-up of the season, Kentucky head coach Craig Skinner tallied his 100th career victory in a 3-0 (25-18, 25-20, 25-11) UK sweep of Auburn. Kentucky defensively, registered nine blocks on the night led by sophomore Gretchen Giesler who matched a career-high effort with seven stuffs.

 

For the most up-to-date news, highlights and features about the Kentucky volleyball team please visit UKathletics.com.

 

‑ GO CATS ‑

Marshall Women's Volleyball Team Defeats East Carolina University College Team in Regular Season Finale
Thundering Herd Sweeps Season Series Against Pirates

GREENVILLE, N.C. – The Marshall University volleyball team defeated East Carolina, 3-1 (25-22, 25-21, 23-25, 25-16) to conclude its regular season and sweep the season series on Saturday afternoon at Minges Coliseum.  The Herd will take part in the Conference USA tournament, hosted by Rice University, which starts on Friday, Nov. 20.

MU ends the regular season with a 22-8 overall record, while finishing 10-6 in C-USA play.  ECU wrapped up the year 9-19, 2-14 C-USA.

“It’s always tough to overcome the emotions that a team plays with when they have five players celebrating their senior day,” head coach Mitch Jacobs said.  “So I’m very proud that we were able to overcome that obstacle and give us the opportunity to come away with a victory.”

An Elizabeth Fleming kill followed by a Katy Schad service ace gave MU a 10-5 lead in the early goings of the first set.  The Herd led 13-10, when Elizabeth Herman highlighted a 4-0 rally.  The outside hitter recorded three kills and teamed up for a block with Emily Sullivan during the spurt to take a commanding 17-10 advantage.  MU held on in the set for a 25-22 first-stanza victory.

The Herd jumped out of the gates quickly to own a 7-2 cushion in the second set. The Pirates worked their way back in the frame, slicing the MU lead to one point, 15-14.  Holding the upper hand at 19-17, the pair of Sullivan and Elizabeth Fleming combined for a block, before Sullivan laced a service ace to increase the lead to four, 21-17.  Herman ended the set by connecting for a kill to help earn the win, 25-21.

In the third set, ECU held the lead until the Herd recorded consecutive points thanks to a block from Cameron Yoho and Herman and an attacking error by the Pirates.  The score was squared at 21-21, but the Herd was outscored 4-2 as ECU won the third frame, 25-23, to send the match to a fourth set.

MU rolled in the fourth set, 25-16, to knock off the Pirates for the second time this season.

Herman led the offensive charge for the Herd connecting for 19 kills and adding seven digs.  Sullivan contributed 13 kills on a .345 attacking percentage (13K-3E-29TA), while Schad chipped in with 10 kills.

Libero Ryanne Milligan collected a career and match-high 22 digs for the Herd, while classmate Andrea Booker tallied three digs of her own.  Fleming garnered match-medalist honors in assists with 47.

“Looking at the season as a whole, all I can say is that this group has been as fun a group to be around and coach as any I’ve had,” Jacobs said.  “Excellent regular season, but now its tourney time and one-and-done time!  A 22-8 record and 10 conference wins is a great start to our rebuilding.  Now it’s easy to stay focused on match 31 and only match 31.”

The Herd will take part in the eight-team C-USA tournament, which begins on Friday, Nov. 20 in Houston, Texas at Rice University. Specific game times are TBA.

www.HerdZone.com

Ben Warnick

Stony Brook University Women's Volleyball Team Secures Postseason Seed Despite Loss to New Hampshire 

Stony Brook, N.Y. (Nov. 14, 2009) – Despite losing its final regular season match, 3-2 (23-25, 20-25, 25-20, 25-17, 15-10), to New Hampshire on Saturday afternoon, Stony Brook University’s volleyball team secured itself a seed in the 2009 America East Championship next week. Senior Harmonie Calinda(Huntington, N.Y.) was one of four Seawolves to record double-digit kills, leading the way with 21 while also picking up 19 digs. With the loss, SBU drops to 13-13 (5-5 America East) while UNH improves to 12-14 (4-5 America East). Where the Seawolves will be seeded in the four-team tournament will be determined after tomorrow’s matchup between UMBC and New Hampshire. 

After falling behind 3-1 to start the first set, the Seawolves scored three straight to take its first lead at 4-3. The two teams traded points before senior Lisa Doremus (Glendale, Ariz.) gave the Seawolves the lead again at 6-5. SBU would stay on top until the Wildcats used a 6-3 run to knot the score at 16-16. A block by Doremus and junior Ashley Headen (Alexandria, Va.) on the next play would put the Seawolves back on top for good as they held on for a 25-23 win. Calinda had a huge first set, recording seven kills and seven digs. 

A back-and-forth start to the second set found the two teams knotted at five. SBU then went on to score five straight points, including three kills by Doremus, to break the game open. While the Wildcats kept within striking distance and did pull within one at 21-20, a kill and an ace from Doremus helped the Seawolves hold on for a two set advantage. 

Stony Brook’s offense faltered in the third set, committing a match-high seven errors on its way to a .114 attack percentage. The Seawolves hung tough, however, and were leading at 11-9 on a kill from Calinda. Behind the attack of Lindsay Fogarty, UNH then went on a 9-1 run though, giving them a seven point advantage. SBU would fight its way back to within one at 20-19 on a block from Headen and freshman Sally Downs (Coppell, Texas), but a pair of kills from Kirsten Bates helped UNH hold on for the 25-20 win. 

Riding the momentum of the third set, the Wildcats came out on fire in the fourth, jumping out to a 10-4 lead. UNH, which led from start to finish, would commit just one error the entire frame as it hit .455 as a team and forced a deciding fifth game. 

The two teams opened the fifth set by trading kills back-and-forth. Stony Brook received a balanced offensive attack as four different players recorded kills on its way to a 7-6 lead. Stony Brook’s seventh point, a kill by senior Lindsey Gordon(N. Patchogue, N.Y.) would be the last kill recorded by the Seawolves, however, as they committed four attack errors down the stretch. UNH on the other hand committed just one error as it finished the match on a 9-3 run to complete the come from behind victory. 

Stony Brook could be seeded anywhere from second to fourth depending on tomorrow’s outcome. 

University of Utah Women's Volleyball Sweeps Wyoming on Senior Day

Sandberg and Silva honored in pre-match ceremony.

 

SALT LAKE CITY – Chelsey Sandberg and Cinthia Silva both had impressive performances on Senior Day to help the University of Utah volleyball team sweep Wyoming (25-17, 25-18, 25-20) in the final regular-season home match of the 2009 regular season Saturday at Crimson Court.

 

Utah (16-10, 9-5 MWC) hit for a .231 hitting percentage while limiting Wyoming to a .028 mark, the lowest percentage for a Utah opponent this season. The Utes also came up with a season-high 12 blocks for a three-set match this season.

 

Silva tied teammate Karolina Bartkowiak for match-high honors with nine kills. The San Paulo, Brazil native also added nine digs and two blocks.

 

Sandberg totaled six kills and six block assists to go with three digs and a pair of service aces.

 

Sophomore middle blocker Jennifer Lanting posted a career-high six blocks.

 

The Utes travel to San Diego State for a 6:30 p.m. PT match on Thursday. The MountainWest Sports Network will televise the match live from San Diego.

 

- UU -

CONWAY, Ark - The University of Central Arkansas became just the fourth
team since 1994 to run the table in Southland Conference play as they
defeated Lamar in the season finale on Saturday to go 16-0 in the
league. The Sugar Bears (27-3), the 2009 Southland regular season
champions, beat the Lady Cardinals (14-13, 9-7) 25-21, 25-21, 25-19 in
front of 345 fans at the Prince Center.

UCA completed their most successful season with a .900 winning
percentage, breaking the season mark for the third consecutive year. The
Sugar Bears also ended the season with a school record 18 sweeps and a
13-0 record at home.

The match was the final in the careers of four Sugar Bear seniors –
Evaree Franklin, Jennifer Hauskey, Robyn Smith and Amicha Williams.

"First off, I am proud of our four seniors," said head coach Steven
McRoberts. "They have meant so much to this program and I love the fact
that they are going out as undefeated champions.

"Second, this team left no doubt that it was the best in the the
Southland this year. To end with four straight sweeps at home is just
outstanding. This has been such a competitive group all year they really
wanted to go unbeaten. This team has set the bar very, very high for the
teams that are following them."

For the match, the Sugar Bears outhit the Lady Cardinals .245 to .198.
UCA held a 42-30 kills advantage. Central Arkansas also held the edge in
aces (8-5) and digs (37-28), but Lamar had more blocks (8-3).

Sophomore outside hitter Jessica Hays paced the UCA offense with a
season-high 18 kills and a .419 hitting percentage to go with two aces
and seven digs. Williams and junior Chloe Smith had seven kills each.
Setter Robyn Smith recorded her seventh double-double of the season with
33 assists and 12 digs.

Lamar was led by Lauren Holdorff with 11 kills and Adrianne Meengs with
21 assists and 10 digs.

Robyn Smith ended her career as UCA's career assists leader with 5,148.
She is also the only player in Southland history to lead the league in
assists for three consecutive seasons.

Williams finished third in school history with 1,192 kills and second in
attacks 3,642.

Franklin finished 10th in career kills and had the fifth best
single-season hitting percentage at .350.

Chloe Smith set a new school record with 4.46 kills per set this year
and tied for the third most kills with 442.

University of Denver Pioneers Women's Volleyball Team Close Out Regular Season at Arkansas State Tonight

SBC West Division Title hopes on the line heading into tonight’s match

 

DENVER – The University of Denver volleyball team (16-15, 11-6 SBC) closes out the regular season tonight on the road against the Arkansas State Red Wolves in Jonesboro, Ark., at 6 p.m. MT.

 

The Pioneers sit in a three-way tie for first place in the Sun Belt Conference West Division Standings with the Red Wolves and New Orleans, heading into tonight’s match.

 

SCOUTING ARKANSAS STATE:      

Arkansas State will host North Texas and Denver to wrap up its regular season Sun Belt Conference schedule.  ASU will face the Mean Green Friday, Nov. 13 and the Pioneers Saturday, Nov. 14.  Both matches will be held at Jonesboro High School and will begin at 7:00 p.m. ASU will enter its final weekend of the regular season at 20-10 overall and 10-6 in conference action.  The Red Wolves topped UALR for the second time this season 3-1 in their only match last week.

 

RACE TO THE SBC CHAMPIONSHIP:        

Claiming the SBC East Division regular season title, FIU leads the Division with a perfect 16-0 record in league play and it currently riding a 20-match overall win streak. In the West Division, Denver currently sits in a three-way tie for first place as Arkansas State, New Orleans and the Pioneers all have an 11-6 record in conference action.

 

PIONEERS AT-A-GLANCE:  

Playing arguably one of their toughest schedules to-date, the Pioneers finished the week 3-0 as it turned in a 3-1 (25-22, 29-27, 17-25, 25-19) win over New Orleans, and back-to-back sweeps of Louisiana-Lafayette and Louisiana Monroe. For the week, Denver averaged 14.90 kills, 13.30 assists, 14.50 digs and 1.70 blocks per set. Senior Emmy Davidsmeyer (Colorado Springs, Colo.) led the Pioneers with 48 kills for the week as she finished with a 4.80 kills per set average and 10 blocks. Defensively, libero Kacie Wikierak (Crystal Lake, Ill.) finished with 51 digs, while senior Alexis Ninos (Cypress, Texas) added 29. Junior Kresson Vreeman (Raymond, Minn.) finished the week with 117 assists to go along with six blocks.

 

For the season, Davidsmeyer leads all scorers with 483 kills and a .358 hitting percentage. Davidsmeyer also leads the way with 105 total blocks, while freshman Faimie Kingsley (Brooklyn, N.Y.) is second on the team with 82. Wikierak is averaging 3.85 digs per set, while setter Kresson Vreeman (Raymond, Minn.) is averaging 8.77 assists per set.

 

- PIONEERS -

 

 

Canisius College Volleyball Team Ends Season with Loss at Niagara

The Canisius College volleyball team finished the 2009 season with a three-set loss at Niagara in the Galllagher Center on Saturday. The Golden Griffins lost 26-24, 25-17, 25-22 and finish the year with a 11-18 overall record and 8-10 record in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.

Junior Renee Lettow had a team-high 10 kills to go along with 10 digs for her 10th double-double of the season. Sophomore Janelle Davis had 19 assists while freshman Allyson Severyn tied for a match-high with 22 digs.

The teams had 14 ties and four lead changes in a tightly-played first set. Canisus jumped out to a quick 6-2 lead on service ace from Michelle Godfrey, but the Purple Eagles responded with an 8-1 run to take a 10-7 lead on a service ace from Sam Morgan. Canisius tied the match at 12-12 and no team took more than a two-point lead the rest of the way. The Griffs were up 23-21 after a Niagara attack error, but the Purple Eagles scored three straight points to take a set point 24-23. Canisius came back with a kill from Danielle Brawn to tie the match at 24-24, but Niagara won the last two points to take the first set.

After Niagara (21-8) easily won the second set, the teams stayed close throughout the third set. Niagara went up 10-7 and the Griffs came out of a timeout with a 6-1 run, to take a 13-11 lead on a kill from Davis. The teams were tied at 21-21 before Niagara won two consecutive points to go up 23-21 and would win the match on a service ace.

Kari Honomichi had a match-high 14 kills while Hannah Hedrick had a double-double with 10 kills and 10 digs. Michelle James had 37 assists while Morgan had 22 digs.

Match Notes: Lettow’s 10 double-doubles are the most since Aislinn Hayes had 12 during the 2005 season… Freshman Samantha Good finished the season with 289 kills, the second most in program history by a freshman… Severyn finished the year with 554 digs, the third most in program history by any Golden Griffin… The match was the final Battle of the Bridge competition between the schools during the fall seasons, with Niagara holding an 8-4 lead.

Roos Advance to Summit League Championships With 3-2 Win Over Oakland

Rochester, Mich. – The UMKC volleyball team advanced to The Summit League Championships on Saturday afternoon with a, 3-2, victory over Oakland.  This will be the first trip to the postseason for the ‘Roos since the squad qualified for the Mid-Continent Tournament in 2003.  With the win, the team finishes the regular season with a 15-15 record overall and 10-8 mark in league play, while Oakland falls to 17-10 overall and 10-8 in league action.
Elizabeth Beck led the way for the ‘Roos in the match, as the outside hitter registered a season-high 17 kills against the Golden Grizzlies.  Senior Jamie Hagerman and sophomore Kelsey Knoche added 12 and 10 kills, respectively, while sophomore Erin Wellwood finished with 27 assists.
The ‘Roos dropped the first set to the Grizzlies, 25-20, after falling behind early, 7-1.  The team fought back from the early deficit though to take a 10-9 lead.  Oakland, however, would use a 5-0 run midway through the set to retake the lead at 16-13 and would not trail again.  Wellwood led the squad in the set, as the setter finished with a team-high seven assists, while Beck added four kills for the Kangaroos.
UMKC evened up the match in set two with a, 25-21, win.  The ‘Roos took the lead early in the set, scoring 11 of the first 15 points, but Oakland would battle back to take the lead 13-12.  The lead was short lived though as the Kangaroos reeled off three straight points to recapture the lead.  The squad would extend its lead to four at 20-16, but Oakland again fought back to tie the match up late at 20.  UMKC would not be denied though, as the team scored five of the final six points, ending the set on back-to-back kills from Knoche and Beck.  Senior Jamie Hagerman led the team in the set, as the outside hitter finished with four kills and a block, while Beck and Knoche added three kills each.
In the third set, the ‘Roos fell, 25-23, after battling back from a four point deficit to tie the set late at 23.  Wellwood led the squad with five assists, an ace and a kill in the set that featured eight ties and five lead changes.  Hagerman and Beck added three kills each to the team’s effort.
The ‘Roos again evened the match in set four, this time downing the Grizzlies, 25-20.  The squad trailed early, 4-3, but used an 11-5 run to take a 14-9 lead.  UMKC did not allow Oakland to get within three in the set until late, when Oakland cut the deficit to two at 21-19.  The Kangaroos held off the charge though, scoring four of the final five points to force a fifth set.  Beck again paced the team, ending the set with four kills, while Hagerman, Knoche and Christiana McQuin added three kills each.
UMKC cemented its place in the league championships, after taking the fifth set, 15-12.  The teams alternated the first nine points of the set, as the ‘Roos took an early 5-4 lead.  The squad would extend its lead to four at 9-5, before ending the match on a kill from Knoche.  Wellwood and junior Holly Schmidt led the effort in the final set, as the duo finished with four and three set, respectively.  Beck’s three kills were tops on the team, while sophomore Brittany Fossier chipped in two.
In the match, Hagerman and Knoche each recorded double-doubles, as the pair each added 16 digs to their kill totals, while Wellwood and Schmidt finished with 27 and 16 assists, respectively.  Defensively, UMKC out-blocked Oakland 15 to 7, while Nicole Kerkman 14 digs and two aces.
The Blue and Gold will be in action again in next weekend’s Summit League Championships in Fargo, N.D., with the final seedings still to be determined.

               

 

Week 12: Today's Women's College Volleyball Scores and News

Mastodons Sweep Thunderbirds on Senior Night

 

IPFW has nine service aces in three-set win

 

Fort Wayne, IN – The IPFW Mastodons capped the regular season portion of their 2009 schedule in grand fashion, sweeping the Thunderbirds of Southern Utah University (25-14, 25-23, 25-18) to secure at worst a third seed in the upcoming Summit League tournament, in Fargo, North Dakota.

 

“This game was really important,” said IPFW women’s volleyball coach Kelley Hartley Hutton. “We played well, and took care of the ball. We were able to get some confidence back, and head out to North Dakota with a ‘W’. It was especially important on senior night, with all of the family and friends at the match.”

 

Leading the way for the ‘Dons was senior middle hitter Rebekah Roehm who had a match-high 11 kills, while Maya Schlindwein added nine. Another senior, Shannon Reuter, led the team in assists with 20, as freshman Megan Steenhuysen dished out 11 in the winning effort.

 

Roehm and Schlindwein tied for tops in the match in digs, each missing double figures by one with nine, as senior Jamie Schwartz and Steenhuysen had five apiece. Taryn Parker led the team with five blocks in the win. Each of the three seniors had at least one service ace in the win, as Schlindwein led the way with three.

 

“The three seniors have won a heck of a lot of matches,” said Hartley Hutton. “Not only that, but they helped us to the conference tournament in our first three years in the league. All three of them, if you walk into practice on any given day; those are the three that day-in and day-out are really working hard and competing. They set a really good example for our freshman class, which is very important.”

 

The Mastodons never trailed in the opening set, jumping ahead 4-2 and never looked back. The Thunderbirds closed the gap to two at 15-13, before IPFW capped the set on a 10-1 run, ending the set on back-to-back Reuter service aces, giving the ‘Dons the 25-14 first-set win.

 

Southern Utah jumped ahead early in the second set, before IPFW seemed to put the set on cruise control, leading by nine at 20-11. The visiting Thunderbirds would not go down without a fight, scoring nine straight points to tie the score at 20 apiece. IPFW followed with two straight points on a service error that ended the run and a Tessa McGill service ace, as SUU was unable to tie the score again, with a Schlindwein kill closing the door on the late Thunderbird comeback.

 

The Thunderbirds seemed to take control of the third set, leading 14-12, before IPFW used a methodical stretch of small runs to out-score the visitors 13-4 the rest of the way and secured the school’s eighth straight victory on senior night, and sending the Mastodons to the conference tournament with some momentum behind them.

 

“IUPUI is a really good team, and they took it to us a week ago,” noted the head coach. “We need a couple of good practices under our belt before we leave for Fargo on Wednesday. We didn’t practice well last week, so on Monday when we get back into the gym, we have to get after it and start preparing for IUPUI.”

 

The Mastodons were able to hold Summit League leading attacker Analaine Pelaez to just seven kills, her second lowest output of the season, as Jasmine Ma’afala also had seven kills in the losing effort. Brittney Clark dished out a match-high 22 assists as Courtney Lelepali had eight digs, with Megan Clyde having a hand in three blocks, best on the team.

 

IPFW will face off against the Jaguars of IUPUI in the opening round of the Summit League tournament, hosted by North DakotaState University. The first game is slated for Friday, November 20.

 

~Dons~

Clemson University Women's Volleyball Team Sweeps Miami on Saturday Night

Murphy moves past 5,000 career assists and Rand breaks freshman block record in the win.

 

CLEMSON, S.C. – Clemson volleyball earned their 21^st win of the season and their 15^th sweep of the season, taking out the Miami Hurricanes, 3-0, (25-20, 25-22, 25-23) on Saturday night. Lia Proctor and Sandra Adeleye each had 13 kills as Clemson (21-8, 11-6 ACC) held Miami’s (16-11, 9-8 ACC) league-leading attacker Lane Carico to nine kills.

 

Kelsey Murphy recorded her 5,000^th career assist in the second set, and led Clemson to a .271 hitting mark on the night with her 37 assists in three sets. Alexa Rand broke the freshman single-season blocks record with her 144^th block of the season. She broke the mark of 143, held by former All-American and current volunteer assistant coach Danielle Hepburn.

 

Didem Ege had 15 digs on the night, leaving her only two shy of the ACC career digs record of 2,238. Fellow Istanbul native Cansu Ozdemir had 13, as Clemson had 50 digs to Miami’s 33.

 

Clemson won their sixth match in their past seven outings, keeping NCAA tournament hopes alive, as Miami was ranked 50^th in the RPI entering the match. Clemson’s holding Carico was no small task, as she exploded for 36 kills in a five-set match earlier in the season. Tonight, however, Clemson held the Hurricanes to 38 kills as a team.

 

Clemson jumped out to a 1-0 lead with a 25-20 win in the first set. Freshmen Natalie Patzin and Sandra Adeleye each had four kills in the set as the Tigers and Hurricanes exchanged blows early and often. Clemson came out quickly, taking a 12-6 edge early in the set. Miami fought back, coming within two at 12-10, and within one at 18-17 and 20-19. However, a Hoover timeout sent the Tigers on a 5-1 run to close out the set behind two Adeleye kills and a Patzin score.

 

The Tigers took a 2-0 set lead after hitting .273 in the second set and holding Miami to a .125 mark. Adeleye and Patzin again recorded four kills apiece to lead the Tigers, who recorded three blocks in the set. Kelsey Murphy added 13 assists to move past the 5,000 assist career milestone.

 

In the third set, Alexa Rand broke the freshman block record with her 144^th block of the season. The third set saw several sideouts as the teams battled for the match. A night earlier, Miami had come back from a 2-0 match deficit against Georgia Tech on Friday night. Miami took a lead at 9-6, but the Tigers responded to tie the score at 11. The teams traded points throughout the set. Miami had a 20-19 lead, prompting a Hoover timeout, which sparked a 4-1 run, giving Clemson a 23-21 lead. Kelsey Murphy found Lia Proctor for the match-clinching kill and a 25-23 set victory.

 

Clemson returns to action on Nov. 20 and 21 against Virginia Tech and Virginia. The Tigers will play host to the Hokies at 7:00 pm, and the Saturday match with the Cavaliers is tentatively scheduled for 6:00pm.

Wake Forest Volleyball: Jones Records Fourth-Straight Double-Double But Tech Tops Wake 3-1

BLACKSBURG, Va. – Wake Forest junior setter Kelsey Jones recorded her fourth-straight double-double but it wasn’t enough as Virginia Tech took the momentum in the second set and never looked back in a 3-1 victory Saturday evening in Cassell Coliseum.

 

The Hokies improve to 18-10 on the year and 8-9 in the conference as Wake falls to 9-19 and 7-10 in the ACC.

 

Three Hokies recorded double-digit kills led by Justine Record’s match-high 15. Record also recorded nine digs and had one service ace in the match. Felecia Willoughby notched five blocks to go along with 13 kills while Cara Baarendse chipped-in with 12 kills. Setter Erin Leaser dished out 52 assists and collected seven digs for Tech.

 

Jones led the Deacons for a fourth-straight match with 42 assists and 11 digs. Sophomore Carlin Salmon had a great match for Wake, posting 13 kills with a solid .565 hitting percentage on no errors while also blocking five attacks. Junior outside hitter Kristen White finished the match with a team-best 14 kills and six digs.

 

Junior Lauren McIntyre, sophomore Kadija Fornah and freshman Andrea Beck all recorded six kills on the night for Wake while Megan Thornberry led the team with 17 digs and Abby Miller chipped-in with 13.

 

Tech finished the match with a solid .284 hitting percentage with 62 kills while the Deacs managed just 51 kills and hit .197. Each team finished with eight blocks as Wake held the edge in digs 60-56 but the hosts had six service aces compared to just one for the Deacons.

 

With the score tied at 6-6 in the first set, a kill from McIntyre sparked a 5-2 Deacon-run that gave them an early 11-8 lead. McIntyre also teamed-up with Salmon for a block while White added a solo block of her own in the spurt. VT then responded with their own 3-0 run to even the score at 11-11.

 

The teams would then trade sideouts back and forth for the rest of the set. A kill from White made the score 23-22 in favor of Wake and a block from White and Salmon gave the Deacs set-point at 24-22. White then finished-off the set with her fifth kill of the opening set. Wake hit a solid .244 in the set with 15 kills while Thornberry collected seven digs.

 

Wake kept the momentum at the start of the second set as kills from Salmon and a service ace from White helped the Deacs build an early 4-1 lead. Tech evened the score at 7-7 but a block from Beck and a kill from McIntyre spurred Wake on a 3-0 but once again, VT responded to tie the score at 11-11.

 

The teams then traded blows back and forth until a kill from Baarendse and a block assist from Willoughby and Parrish gave Tech an 18-16 edge and forced the Deacons to take time. The run continued out of the break as another block from Willoughby was followed by kills from Willoughby and Parrish to force a second Wake Forest timeout trailing 21-16.

 

In all, Virginia Tech finished the set on 9-1 run to even the score at 1-1. Baarendse and Parrish each had four kills in the set as the Hokies hit a solid .297 with 16 kills.

 

Tech rolled the momentum into the third set as the Hokies took an early 7-3 lead, forcing Wake to call time. VT built as much as a much as a seven-point lead at 11-4 but a kill from Salmon along with a block from Salmon and White helped cut the lead back to four at 13-9.

 

Back-to-back kills from White and Jones trimmed the lead to 13-11 but two kills from Record pushed the lead back to four at 17-13. The lead stayed at four until a block from Willoughby and Parrish forced Wake to burn its second timeout trailing 21-16. Tech would ride that five-point advantage to a 25-19 victory.

 

Virginia Tech hit .233 in the set as White and Salmon each had three kills in the frame for the Deacs.

 

Neither team could take more than a one-point lead early on in the fourth set but with the score tied at 8-8, a kill from Record sparked a 7-2 Hokie run to give the hosts a commanding 15-9 lead. Tech would keep the Deacs at arms length the rest of the way  and would close out the match with a 25-18 victory.

 

Wake will return home next weekend for its final two home matches of the year. On Friday night, the Deacons will entertain NC State at 7 pm and then will celebrate senior night in a 6 pm match on Saturday against North Carolina.

 

 

 

- WakeForestSports.com -

 

McNeese Volleyball

Cowgirls Drop Home Finale In Five Sets

LAKE CHARLES--  McNeese State's volleyball season came to an end here Saturday with a five set (26-24, 25-22, 18-25, 18-25, 16-18) loss to Southeastern La.   The Cowgirls end the season 17-13, 5-11 in league play.  

     McNeese took a 2-0 set lead but let the next three sets slip away as the Lions won the next three sets following the break to clinch the eighth and final spot in next week's Southland Conference Tournament.

     Freshman Priscilla Massengale led all players with a career high 22 kills while senior Chanel Tyler ended her career with 13 kills.  Setter Sarah Cartie's also concluded her career with 38 assists and 14 digs.  Also recording double figure digs was Whitney Ellisor and Becky Bekelja with 18 and 11, respectively.  Senior Deanna Sanchez was credited with one kills and seven digs who also played in her final game as a Cowgirl.

-30- 

RMU Overpowers Fairleigh Dickinson in 3-1 win
Graham captures three match-highs in the win


Hackensack, N.J. - Nov. 14, 2009 – The Robert Morris University
Colonials, led by seventh-year head coach Rob Thomas, topped the
Fairleigh Dickinson Knights on Saturday afternoon at Stratis arena, 3-1.
The Colonials defeated the Knights with a solid 25-18 score in set one,
but had to fight through the next three sets to earn the win by scores
of 28-26, 13-25 and 25-21. With the victory the Colonials improve to
10-5 in NEC play and 13-19 overall, while the Knights drop to 5-11 in
league play and 8-24 overall.

RMU started off the first set with two blocks to earn the two point
advantage. FDU fought back and tallied the next two points and the two
squads traded points for the next several plays. At 7-7 the Colonials
started to pull away when the Knights suffered a service error and
freshman Amanda Craig (Houston, Texas / St. Agnes Academy) tallied a
kill. The Colonials continued to lead for the remainder of play and
captured a 17-11 lead after middle blockers Amanda Graham (Melbourne,
Fla. / Eau Gallie) and Hannah Veith (Columbus, Ohio / Worthington) each
registered a kill. A ball handling error by FDU set the score at 19-12,
giving RMU their largest advantage of the contest. Graham ended the
contest 25-18 with a kill followed by a service ace.

FDU posed quite a challenge for the Colonials in set two, but Robert
Morris prevailed with a 28-26 win. The Colonials and the Knights swapped
side-outs to start the set, but a kills by Veith and senior Jessy Nelko
(Aliquippa, Pa. / Hopewell) and an attacking error by FDU gave RMU a 7-4
lead. However, FDU’s Kelsey Semler went on a five point serving run to
give the Knights a 10-7 advantage. The Colonials continued to trail the
Knights for the majority of play, but slowly were able to catch up to
FDU. A kill by Graham deadlocked the score at 23-23 and the two squads
battled back and forth until a kill by sophomore Alyssa Bennett (Ramona,
Calif. / Ramona) ended the set with an RMU victory.

Fairleigh Dickinson dominated the entirety of the third set and held
the Colonials to negative hitting, while it secured a .435 hitting
percentage in route to a 25-13 win. Veith led the Colonials in the third
set with three kills.

The Colonials did not let the third set defeat discourage them and came
back and topped the Knights 25-21 in the fourth. Junior libero Corinne
Moser (Meyersdale, Pa. / Meyersdale) started off play with a service ace
and a FDU error gave RMU a 2-0 lead. FDU and RMU fought back and forth
until a serving run by Craig at 12-12 gave Robert Morris a 16-12
advantage. Bennett scored two kills during the run. The Knights sided
out after an RMU error, but Graham tallied three consecutive kills to
give RMU a six point lead. Fairleigh Dickinson was never able to get
within reach of the Colonial lead and another kill by Graham ended the
set, giving RMU the match win.

Graham finished with three match-highs, included 18 kills, a .536
hitting percentage and four blocks. Veith also had a solid performance
and tallied 13 kills on a .500 hitting percentage and added three
blocks. Bennett registered nine kills, 38 assists and three blocks.
Moser and freshman Nicole Wiechecki (Wilmington, Del / Ursuline Academy)
both tallied double-digit digs with 14 and 10, respectively.

The Colonials return to action tomorrow to take on Sacred Heart at
12:00 p.m. in Fairfield, Conn.

Bulls Fall In Final Regular Season Match, 3-1

BUFFALO, NY  The University at Buffalo volleyball team fell in its final
regular season match on Saturday night, as it lost to Toledo, 3-1, at Alumni
Arena.  The Bulls finish the regular season at 15-15 and 5-11 in the MAC as
they head into the Mid-American Conference Tournament.
   The Rockets took the match 25-20, 25-16, 19-25, 25-18 as they hit .207,
opposed to UB¹s .128.  The Bulls got down early in multiple sets and
although they were able to fight back in each set, the Bulls ran out of
energy in forcing a comeback.
   ³I thought we gave a better effort tonight than we had the past few
matches, but when you can¹t match that with execution, you are still going
to fall short,² said head coach Todd Kress.  ³I am disappointed for our
seniors, but at the same time we have to get right back to work because
everyone starts the MAC Tournament with a clean slate.  No matter who we
play, we will be ready come Tuesday.²
   The Bulls were led by 12 kills from senior Dani Silvers (Waynesville,
NC/Tuscola/Mars Hill), who was one of four seniors playing in her final
match at Alumni Arena.  Junior Kristin Bignell (Drayton, Ontario/Norwell
District) added 10 kills and seven total blocks, while junior Marisa
Hornbaker (Colorado Springs, CO/Colorado Springs Christian) added eight
kills and just one error on 32 attempts, while also recording three service
aces.  Junior Lindsey Schlegel (Lancaster, NY/Lancaster) had three kills, 36
assists and nine digs, while freshman Tori Beckman (Kansas City, MO/Park
Hill) had 20 digs on the night, putting her over 500 digs on the season.
Sophomore Abby Niekamp (Celina, OH/Marion Local/Florida State) had seven
total blocks on the night.
   Toledo had three players in double figures in kills, led by 12 from
Sarah Wilson and 10 from Amber DeWeerdt and 10 from Liz Sundburg. Kassie
Kadera had 45 assists, while Katie Westerfeld added 20 digs.
   Prior to the match, UB honored it senior class of Silvers, Maria
Mezzadri (Livonia, MI/Livonia Stevenson), Lauren Fensten (Centennial,
CO/Smoky Hill) and Ellen Robertson (Middle Island, NY/Longwood).
   The Bulls will now hit the road for the 2009 Mid-American Conference
Tournament.  The Bulls are still waiting to see where they will travel for a
first round match on Tuesday night.

Colonels Secure No. 7 Seed for Southland Tournament

NACOGDOCHES, Texas - After claiming a five-set thriller on Friday night to clinch a tournament spot, the Nicholls State University women's volleyball team (12-18, 6-10 Southland Conference) looked to improve their seeding and gained momentum against the Stephen F. Austin Ladyjacks (22-12, 11-5 Southland). However, it would be the homestanding Ladyjacks who would claim a 3-0 win on Saturday in the regular season finale for both teams.

The Colonels' loss, coupled with Texas-San Antonio's 3-0 win over Texas-Arlington, placed Nicholls seventh overall in their second consecutive trip to the Southland Conference Tournament.

Nicholls was led by freshman outside hitter Jennifer Brandt, who totaled seven kills on 22 attempts while recording just two attack errors.

However, Stephen F. Austin dominated the match, claiming the straight set win by scores of 25-12, 25-16, and 25-15 and outhitting the Colonels .402 to .125.

The Colonels, who qualified for the postseason tournament last season, made the postseason field in consecutive seasons for the first time in school history.

When Nicholls returns to action, they will square off against No. 2 seed Sam Houston State. The Colonels will try to rebound from a 3-0 loss at the hands of the Bearkats back on Oct. 16.

First serve between the Colonels and Bearkats is set for 4 p.m. on Friday at UTSA's Convocation Center in San Antonio, Texas.

Live stats and streaming video for every match of the tournament will be available online at www.southland.org. The Southland Conference Television Network will broadcast the championship match. Check your local listings for station information.

Bowling Green University Women's Volleyball

Falcons Lose To Ohio And Finish Tied For Ninth In MAC

 

Bowling Green, Ohio – The Bowling Green volleyball team completed its regular season Saturday evening, losing to Mid-American Conference regular season champion Ohio in three sets on Senior Day 25-19, 26-24, 25-21.

 

The Falcons honored their three seniors after the match in Corey Domek, Shari Luther, and Kaitlin Jackson. But during the match, Ohio hit .337 and held Bowling Green to just a .179 attack percentage. Domek led the team with 11 kills and Jackson added nine, followed by Luther with six.

 

Bowling Green took an early 6-5 lead in the first set but Ohio scored the next three points and never trailed again. The Bobcats built a five-point lead at 14-9 but Bowling Green rallied to get within two points on numerous occasions, including at 21-19. Ohio, though, answered with blocks on three consecutive points and won the set 25-19.

 

The Falcons were much more aggressive in the second set, turning a 15-11 deficit into a 23-21 lead and forcing Ohio to burn a timeout. Coming out of the break, the Bobcats struck again at the net, picking up a key block and kill to tie the score. Ohio had a set point at 24-23 before a service error tied the score, but the Bobcats executed with a 25-24 lead, getting a Mandy Nichols kill for the set.

 

In the third set, neither team was able to get a lead larger than two points until Ohio scored two in a row to go on top 21-18. Lauren Mizgalski and Jackson had back-to-back kills to make it 21-20 but Ohio answered with two straight points and finished off the match with kills by Nichols and Faith Robins.

 

Ohio finishes the regular season with a record of 23-5 overall and 15-1 in MAC play. Bowling Green ends the regular season at 12-19 overall and 5-11 in the MAC. The Falcons will go on the road for the first round of the MAC Tournament Tuesday against an opponent yet to be determined.

UTA takes on Lamar in First Round of SLC Tournament

 

November 14, 2009

 

ARLINGTON, Texas – Just hours after the UT Arlington volleyball team completed its regular season it was announced that the Mavericks would open the Southland Conference Tournament taking on defending tournament champion Lamar in the first round on Friday, Nov. 20, at 1:30 p.m. at the Convocation Center in San Antonio, Texas.  

 

The Mavericks, who finished the regular season 12-16 overall and 8-8 in the SLC, grabbed the No. 5 seed in the tournament and will face fourth-seeded Lamar (14-13, 9-7 SLC).

 

UT Arlington, who makes its 26th appearance at the SLC Tournament, has won the most tournament titles (10) and also owns more tournament wins (44) than any other program in the Southland Conference. Overall, the Mavericks have made 15 appearances in the tournament finals and made its last finals showing in 2006 (lost to Stephen F. Austin) and won its last title in 2002 (defeated Lamar).  

 

Central Arkansas, who won the SLC with a perfect 16-0 record, is not eligible for postseason play due to the NCAA D-I transition period.

 

The SLC Western Division is well represented in the SLC Tournament with No. 1 seed Texas State, No. 2 seed Sam Houston State, Lamar, UT Arlington and No. 6 seed UTSA all joining the tourney field.

 

Teams from the SLC East are No. 3 seed Stephen F. Austin, No. 7 seed Nicholls and No. 8 seed Southeastern Louisiana.

 

The Mavericks own a 5-6 record against the tournament field, having won at least one match against every team except Texas State (0-2) and Stephen F. Austin (0-1).

 

For more information on Mavericks Volleyball check out their new official website @ http://www.utamavs.com/sports/w-volley/txar-w-volley-body.html

2009 Southland Volleyball Tournament Field Set

 

FRISCO, Texas - Texas State earned the top seed in the 2009 Southland
Conference Volleyball Tournament which gets underway Friday at the
Convocation Center in San Antonio, Texas.

The Bobcats (19-12, 13-3) make their sixth consecutive tournament
appearance and take the No. 1 seed for the second straight season. Texas
State is slated to play in the tournament opener Friday at 11 a.m. against
No. 8 seed Southeastern Louisiana. The Lady Lions (9-18, 5-11) make their
first postseason appearance since 2002 and played their way into the
tournament in the last match of the season with a five-set win over
McNeese State.

Sam Houston State claimed the No. 2 seed and will play in match three
against No. 7 seed Nicholls at 4 p.m. The Bearkats (20-13, 12-4) 20
overall wins are the most by an SHSU squad since the 1996 season (25). The
Colonels (12-18, 6-10) appearance in the conference tournament marks the
first time in school history that Nicholls has qualified for the league
postseason event in consecutive seasons.

No stranger to postseason play, Stephen F. Austin enters the tournament as
the No. 3 seed and will play in match four against the No. 6 seed and
tournament host UTSA. The Ladyjacks (22-12, 11-5) have reached the
conference tournament a league record 23 consecutive seasons. The
Roadrunners (12-18, 7-9) make their sixth appearance in the conference
tournament in the last seven seasons.

Lamar, the defending tournament champion, will begin its title defense as
the No. 4 seed and will face No. 5 seed UT Arlington in match two Friday
at 1:30 p.m. The Lady Cardinals (14-13, 9-7) have qualified for the
conference tournament the last five seasons, all under Coach Justin
Gibert. The Mavs (12-16, 8-8) lead the Southland with 10 tournament titles
and 45 match wins.

Central Arkansas, the Southland regular season champion, is ineligible for
postseason play due to a five year transition period from Division II to
Division I. The Sugar Bears will be eligible next fall for the 2010
season.

All seven matches of the 2009 tournament will be streamed live for free on
SLC NOW and the championship match will be televised by the Southland
Conference Television Network.

Doug Anderson, who has handled football play-by-play on Southland TV, will
call the championship match. Color commentation will be done by Jenny
McGhee, the Southland’s Associate Commissioner for External Affairs.

Ticket prices for a day session are $8 for an adult and $5 youths. A
tournament pass is $16 for adults and $10 for youths (age 3-18). There is
no charge for Southland Conference students with a valid institutional
I.D.

Virginia Volleyball Drops Hard-Fought Match to Duke on Senior Night

Cavaliers Drop Hard-Fought Match to Duke on Senior Night
Dickson, Hester and Rendina play final match at Memorial Gymnasium

Charlottesville, Va. – The Virginia volleyball team dropped a hard-fought match to the Duke Blue Devils on Senior Day Saturday evening in Memorial Gymnasium. Despite winning a thrilling first set and dropping a close second set, the Cavaliers weren’t able to hold on, as Duke escaped with a 3-1 (24-26, 27-25, 25-15, 25-22) victory.

“The match was very tightly fought,” head coach Lee Maes said. “It was a very intense match with a lot of high quality volleyball. The difference that reflected the outcome was primarily based on serving and passing. Duke was more aggressive and efficient in their serving and passing than we were with ours. When both teams passed the ball well, both offenses were scoring a lot of points. We just didn’t side out enough to be able to limit the scoring runs that Duke had.”

Following a short ceremony to honor Virginia’s three seniors, Lauren Dickson, Tara Hester and Brittani Rendina, the Cavaliers used their energy to battle the Blue Devils to the end of the opening set. The two squads exchanged the early points, working the score to an even 11-11 tie. The Cavaliers then went on a 4-0 run to break the stalemate and force Duke to call a timeout.

Out of the break, the Cavaliers’ attack was able to top the Blue Devils, riding seven kills on seven swings from junior Kendahl Voelker, Virginia won the set, 26-24.

The second set picked up where the first let off. With 13 tie scores, neither team was willing to give in. Down one, freshman Jessica O’Shoney landed a service ace to knot the score at 23 all, before a block from junior Sydney Hill and Voelker brought the crowd to their feet and gave Virginia the first set point opportunity. The Blue Devils responded with a block to even the score at 24, before Voelker knocked down a kill to keep Virginia on top. It wouldn’t be enough though, as the Blue Devils found a way to land three-straight kills and escape with a 27-25 victory.

Duke started strong in the third set, taking a four-point lead early in the frame, and it was over from there. The Cavaliers rallied to put together a 3-0 run, but were unable to take an advantage in the set as the Blue Devils cruised to a 25-15 victory.

Duke jumped out to an early advantage again in the fourth, leading by as many as seven in the frame. Virginia used a timely three-point run to pull within two points of the Blue Devils, at 22-24, but it was not enough as Duke called a timeout, and landed a kill out of the break, to take the 25-22 victory.

Sophomore Simone Asque once again led the Cavaliers’ attack, knocking down 17 kills and collecting 16 digs for her sixth double-double this season. Voelker provided assistance on the attack, ending with 15 kills, while O’Shoney added 10.

Defensively, Hester and Rendina – playing in their final match at Memorial Gymnasium - and junior AJ Cushman each contributed 13 digs. Freshman Rachel Gray dished out 45 assists.

The match marked the final home game for Lauren Dickson, Hester and Rendina.

“I think our fourth years have done themselves proud,” Maes said. “I think it was really evident tonight in how much they’ve given to this program with their leadership and the examples that they’ve displayed. Tonight, our team played with a level of intensity and energy to honor our seniors. It was our way to show our thank you to what they have given to this program. Our team really came together and it showed in how hard we competed tonight.”

The loss drops the Cavaliers to 12-16 on the season and 7-10 in the Atlantic Coast Conference, while Duke – led by Rachael Moss’s 17 kills and 21 digs - improves to 24-5 on the year and 14-3 in the league.

Virginia will close out this season with three road matches. The Cavaliers will head to Georgia Tech (Fri, 7 p.m.) and Clemson (Sat., 6 p.m.) this weekend, before facing to Virginia Tech on Wednesday, Nov. 25 for the regular-season finale at 6 p.m.

Week 12: Women's College Volleyball Scores: Stony Brook, UNLV, Holy Cross, UTA, Lafayette, Yale,

Stony Brook University Women's Volleyball Team Drops Final Regular Season Match 

Stony Brook, N.Y. (Nov. 14, 2009) – Stony Brook University’s volleyball team dropped its final regular season match, 3-2 (23-25, 20-25, 25-20, 25-17, 15-10), to New Hampshire on Saturday afternoon. Senior Harmonie Calinda (Huntington, N.Y.) was one of four Seawolves to record double-digit kills, leading the way with 21 while also picking up 19 digs. With the loss, SBU drops to 13-13 (5-5 America East) while UNH improves to 12-14 (4-5 America East). Stony Brook now has to wait and see if they qualify for the America East Championship. The only way the Seawolves will be eliminated from the four-team tournament will be if New Hampshire defeats UMBC by a score of 3-2 tomorrow. 

After falling behind 3-1 to start the first set, the Seawolves scored three straight to take its first lead at 4-3. The two teams traded points before senior Lisa Doremus (Glendale, Ariz.) gave the Seawolves the lead again at 6-5. SBU would stay on top until the Wildcats used a 6-3 run to knot the score at 16-16. A block by Doremus and junior Ashley Headen (Alexandria, Va.) on the next play would put the Seawolves back on top for good as they held on for a 25-23 win. Calinda had a huge first set, recording seven kills and seven digs. 

A back-and-forth start to the second set found the two teams knotted at five. SBU then went on to score five straight points, including three kills by Doremus, to break the game open. While the Wildcats kept within striking distance and did pull within one at 21-20, a kill and an ace from Doremus helped the Seawolves hold on for a two set advantage. 

Stony Brook’s offense faltered in the third set, committing a match-high seven errors on its way to a .114 attack percentage. The Seawolves hung tough, however, and were leading at 11-9 on a kill from Calinda. Behind the attack of Lindsay Fogarty, UNH then went on a 9-1 run though, giving them a seven point advantage. SBU would fight its way back to within one at 20-19 on a block from Headen and freshman Sally Downs (Coppell, Texas), but a pair of kills from Kirsten Bates helped UNH hold on for the 25-20 win. 

Riding the momentum of the third set, the Wildcats came out on fire in the fourth, jumping out to a 10-4 lead. UNH, which led from start to finish, would commit just one error the entire frame as it hit .455 as a team and forced a deciding fifth game. 

The two teams opened the fifth set by trading kills back-and-forth. Stony Brook received a balanced offensive attack as four different players recorded kills on its way to a 7-6 lead. Stony Brook’s seventh point, a kill by senior Lindsey Gordon(N. Patchogue, N.Y.) would be the last kill recorded by the Seawolves, however, as they committed four attack errors down the stretch. UNH on the other hand committed just one error as it finished the match on a 9-3 run to complete the come from behind victory. 

UNLV WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL KNOCKS OFF TCU ON SENIOR DAY 

Rebels sweep second-place Horned Frogs Saturday afternoon. 

LAS VEGAS – The UNLV Rebels (8-15 overall, 5-9 Mountain West) knocked off the TCU Horned Frogs (23-6, 12-3) in sweeping fashion with a 3-0 (25-18, 25-22, 26-24) decision Saturday afternoon on “Senior Day” from the Cox Pavilion. The Rebels snapped a two-match losing streak to the Horned Frogs and improved its head-to-head record to 9-3 in the all-time series. The loss ended an eight-match winning streak TCU brought to Las Vegas. 

The Rebels out-hit the Horned Frogs by a .252 to .157 margin. TCU notched one more kill (43 to 42) in the match, but was hampered by recording seven more errors (21 to 14). The Rebels hit a staggering .457 in the first frame, while only amassing one error. They stayed in the .100s the final two sets with their .162 in the second and .154 in the third. TCU, on the other hand, hit its best in the first with a .227 showing followed by a .163 (second) and .111 (third). 

“I was very impressed that we were able to comeback from such an intense five-set match we played last Thursday,” said UNLV head coach Allison Keeley. “We played with a lot of intensity today and learned from our mistakes and won the match. It was a good win for our four seniors, who have been the heart and soul of this team for the past few years.” 

Samantha Richard closed out her home career with her sixth double-double of the season. Richard combined 28 assists and 14 digs for the feat, both numbers were team-highs. She pitched in four kills and two assisted blocks, as well. 

Kelsey Keeler was the top hitter for UNLV with 13 kills to her credit, while hitting at a .303 clip. Keeler added seven digs, three assists and two assisted blocks. 

“Kelsey is a work horse for us. She gets a lot of touches since she plays in the front and the back. She has gotten better every match. She has handled pressure well and is coming into her own.” 

Senior Erin Greenwood had nine kills on .240 hitting to follow Keeler’s lead. 

Sara Nehf netted eight kills on .333 hitting with four digs and one assist. 

“Sara has been playing much smarter and consistently lately. She has made some great plays for us.” 

Cursty Jackson led the Rebels at the net with five blocks (two solo) and chipped in a career-high seven digs. Jackson collected seven kills and two aces. 

Kela Lau Hee joined Richard in the double-figure dig category with 11 of her own. 

TCU got a double-double from Irene Hester, who combined 12 kills and 12 digs. Hester also had two assists and one assisted block. 

Christy Hudson racked up a match-high 14 kills on .440 hitting in a losing effort. Hudson also had two assisted blocks and one assist. 

Megan Munce dished out a match-high 32 assists and added seven digs, five kills and one ace for the Horned Frogs. 

Katelyn Blackwood topped all defensive players in digs with 15. 

The Rebels will hit the road for the remainder of the season with four matches away from the friendly confines of the Cox Pavilion. UNLV will close out conference play next weekend a match at Wyoming on Thursday, Nov. 19 (7:00 pm MT/6:00 pm PT) and Colorado State on Saturday, Nov. 21 (1:00 pm MT/12:00 pm PT). 

-UNLV- 

HOLY CROSS WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL

ENDS SEASON WITH LOSS TO LAFAYETTE, 3-0

Senior Samantha Surface records nine digs on Senior Day

 

 

For Immediate Release

November 14, 2009

 

WORCESTER, Mass. – Alana Taylor posted 14 kills for the Leopards as the Holy Cross volleyball team fell to Lafayette, 3-0, on Saturday afternoon at the Holy Cross Field House by scores of 25-21, 25-14 and 25-18. With the loss, the Crusaders conclude the season 5-24 overall (3-11 Patriot League), while the Leopards end the season 14-13 (5-9 Patriot League).

 

Senior Samantha Surface (Fresno, Calif.) recorded nine digs and added two kills on Senior Day. Freshman Megan Lynch (Mendham, N.J.) led the Crusaders with eight kills and 10 digs. She concludes the season with 371 kills which are the second most at Holy Cross for a single-season and the most ever by a Crusader freshman. Junior setter Chelsey O’Donnell (Pittsburgh, Pa.) had 16 assists and six digs as she ends the season with 893 assists which are the second most all-time for a single-season at the school. Junior libero Angela Chisholm (Millis, Mass.) recorded five digs giving her 360 which are third all-time.

 

Cara Mulholland also had a strong match for Lafayette with nine kills, while Ashton Rossi was impressive with 31 assists. Kari Horn was outstanding defensively with 19 digs.

 

Before the match the Holy Cross Athletic Department and the entire volleyball program took a moment and recognized Surface for her dedication to the team-on and off the court-over the past four years. A native of Fresno, Calif., Surface was outstanding on the court over the last four seasons. This season she continued to be a major contributor as she ranked third on the team with 188 kills and 1.86 kills per set, while she was also third with a career-best 221 digs. Earlier this season she was named to the Beanpot Classic All-Tournament Team. As a junior captain, Surface was once again an offensive force as she led the Crusaders with a career-best 209 kills, while as a sophomore she was third on the team with 187 kills. For her career, Surface played 97 matches with 673 kills, 519 digs, 88 blocks and 37 service aces.  

 

For all the latest updates on the Holy Cross volleyball team or any other of the school's 26 varsity sports, log on to www.GoHolyCross.com.

Yale Volleyball Bulldogs Pound Cornell in Senior Day Sweep

Dailey Records Second Straight Double-Double

 

 

NEW HAVEN, Conn. — Senior Cat Dailey hit a scorching .500, tallying 12 kills and 13 digs to lead the Yale volleyball team to an impressive sweep of Cornell on Saturday at the John J. Lee Amphitheater in New Haven. Dailey’s double-double, her 11th of 2009, led an well-rounded Bulldogs’ attack as they took the match by set scores of 25-14, 25-15 and 25-11.

 

Senior Alexis Crusey continued to make her mark on the Yale history books with her seven kills and nine digs in the contest. Crusey is now tied with Pauline Mu ’94 for third place all-time in kills with 1,279 and now ranks seventh in digs with 1,204 after passing Sarah Christianson ’93.

 

The match was the final home contest in the careers of seniors Dailey, Crusey, Laurel Johnson, Lydia Mailander and captain Julia Mailander.

 

“This class has done some extraordinary things,” said Yale Head Coach Erin Appleman, who took her 2008 squad to an Ivy League Championship and a victory in the NCAA Championship First Round. “They have meant so much to Yale volleyball over the last four years, and the program will be better off for years to come because of their contributions.”

 

With the win, Yale improves to 20-4 overall and 10-3 in the Ivy League. The Bulldogs’ 20th win marks the first time that Yale teams have won 20 matches in back-to-back seasons since the 1995 and 1996 seasons- a period in which teams played upwards of 30 regular season matches. Cornell falls to 6-19 on the season with a 3-11 Ivy League record. Elsewhere around the Ivy League, Penn knocked off Dartmouth in four sets to knock Yale out of contention for an Ancient Eight crown.

 

Joining in on the Bulldogs’ attack was sophomore Bridget Hearst, who hit .308 with six kills. Freshman Haley Wessels tallied four kills, while Johnson, sophomore Taylor Cramm and freshman Kerry Clavadetscher each had three finishers. Clavadetscher also ran the offense from the setter position and distributed a game-best 29 assists. The Bulldogs swung at a solid .275 (38-10-102) rate for the contest.

 

Defensively, junior libero Kelly Ozurovich led all players with 21 digs. With her performance, she gains sole possession of sixth place in the Yale record book with 1,223 career digs. Lydia Mailander chipped in in the backcourt with seven digs, and Wessels led the way at the net with four blocks. As a unit, the Yale defense held Cornell to a meager -.009 (23-24-112) hitting percentage.

 

Big Red jumped out to a quick 3-2 lead in set one, but Yale then caught fire as two Dailey service aces and two kills from Hearst sparked a 6-0 run to give the Bulldogs a 9-3 advantage. Cornell would not get closer than within five points of Yale, and the Bulldogs extended their lead to as many as 11 points en route to a 25-14 win in set one.

 

Set two was a much more tightly contest affair in the early stages, as the score ran to a 6-6 deadlock. At that point, the Bulldogs ran off three straight points to gain an advantage, and an ace by sophomore Katie Cordell punctuated a run that saw Yale take a five point lead at 12-7 and force a Big Red timeout. The Bulldogs ran off three more points after the stoppage, and Cornell Head Coach Sarah Bernson was soon calling her second timeout of the frame with her team trailing by seven points, 19-12. The final stretch of action saw Dailey and Hearst land service aces, as Cornell committed a host of attack errors to close out set two with Yale taking a 25-15 decision.

 

The third set was more of the same, as Yale took an early lead thanks to kills from Dailey, Johnson, Hearst and Wessels, and kept Cornell at bay to a score of 7-5. At that juncture, the Bulldogs fired off seven straight points, capped by Cordell’s second service ace of the match, to take a commanding 15-5 lead. It was all academic from that point forward, as a pair of late Ozurovich aces wrapped up the frame with Yale taking a comfortable 25-11 victory to close out the match in straight sets.

 

Cornell was led by six kills from Kelly Hansen and Deveney Pula. Jordan Reeder distributed 17 assists for Big Red, and Megan Mushovic had a team-best 16 digs from the libero slot.

 

The Bulldogs are back in action on Tuesday, as they wrap up the 2009 regular season with a 7 p.m. contest at Ivy League foe Brown.

 

###

 

Lafayette Volleyball Squad Ends Season on Winning Note

Take 3-0 decision from Holy Cross

 

WORCESTER, Mass.  —   The 2009 Lafayette volleyball squad ended its campaign on a positive note, taking a 3-0 road decision from Holy Cross in the final match of the fall. Sophomore Alana Taylor had a solid all-around performance to help secure a winning record for the Leopards this season.

 

Lafayette (14-13, 5-9) took 25-21, 25-14 and 25-18 decisions from the Crusaders (5-24, 3-11). Taylor led all players with 14 kills and a season-high .722 attacking percentage. She also added seven blocks, three of which were solo efforts. Senior Ashton Rossi had a match-high 31 assists and classmate Kari Horn added 19 digs.

 

The first set was the only one in which Holy Cross topped the 20-point plateau but the Leopards scored the final three points of the set to clinch the win and go up 1-0.

 

Lafayette fell into an early 2-0 hole in the second set but went ahead 3-2 on a kill fromKayly Elmer and never looked back en route to the 11-point margin of victory.

 

The Leopards never fell behind the third and final set, clinching the match on a kill from Katrina Racibarskas, who finished the night with nine kills.

 

Lafayette has now recorded six straight seasons of double-digit wins under head coach Terri Dadio Campbell. 

 

 

University of Texas Arlington Women's Volleyball Team Drops Regular Season Finale at UTSA

 

November 14, 2009

 

SAN ANTONIO, Texas – University of Texas Arlington Women's volleyball team closed the regular season with a 22-25, 18-25, 19-25 loss at University of Texas San Antonio volleyball women on Saturday afternoon at the Convocation Center in San Antonio. The Mavericks enter the postseason as the No. 5 seed in the upcoming Southland Conference Tournament (Nov. 20-22 – San Antonio, Texas) and will play the fourth match on Thursday, Nov. 20, at 6:30 p.m. against an opponent who has yet to be determined.

 

UT Arlington closes the regular season with a 12-16 overall record and 8-8 record in SLC play. UTSA (12-18, 7-9) will be the host school for the upcoming league tournament while entering the postseason winning three of its last five matches.

 

“I was a little disappointed in our play today,” UT Arlington head coach Diane Seymour said. “I felt like today was the first time we really missed Teena (Sobczak) since she went down a week ago (with an injury). We were just really inconsistent. We never got off to a good start. When you are playing chase the whole time things usually don’t go your way.”

 

Amanda Aguilera led UTA with 11 kills and finished with six digs, Tara Frantz notched 10 kills and two digs while Bianca Sauls led the Mavericks with 13 digs. Raegan Daniel collected 18 assists and just missed a double-double with nine digs while Shaffer joined Sauls in double-figure digs with 11.

 

Four Maverick errors and eight Roadrunner kills led to UTSA grabbing a 12-7 lead in the early going during the opening set to force Seymour into calling the match’s first timeout. UT Arlington later trailed by eight (10-18), but answered going on a 10-3 run to cut UTSA’s lead to a point, 20-21.

 

The Mavs couldn’t complete the first-set comeback as the Roadrunners finished the set on a 4-2 run with three kills and an ace to win the set 25-22. UTA never held a lead in the set.

 

Frantz tallied five kills and Aguilera notched three kills in the opening set. Shearin had two kills and an ace for the Mavericks.

 

UTSA jumped ahead in the second frame and never looked back. The Roadrunners grabbed leads of 10-3, 14-7 and then extended their lead following a 6-0 run to take a 22-10 advantage.

 

The Mavericks tried to rally late going on an 8-2 run before the Roadrunners won the set, 25-18. Frantz posted her eighth kill of the match and then a bad set by UTSA made the score 16-24. Shaffer added back-to-back service aces to make the score 18-24 before a UTSA kill gave the Roadrunners a 2-0 lead in the match going into intermission. Frantz totaled three kills in the set while Aguilera added a pair.

 

The Mavericks took their first lead in the match early in the third set with a 6-2 lead. That is when Amber Brooks toed the service line and led UTSA to a 9-0 run with three kills, three aces and with three UTA errors to regain the lead, 11-6.

 

“We got off to a good start in the third set which set the tempo for us,” Seymour said. “We were playing a little more sharp than we had in the first two sets and then Amber Brooks stepped back there to serve and we didn’t handle that very well.”

 

UTA came within two points at 11-9 but never led again as UTSA closed out the match with a 25-19 third-set victory.

 

MATCH NOTES:

UT Arlington drops to 26-12 all-time against UTSA with an 8-10 record in matched played in San Antonio, Texas... Mavericks are 1-6 during their last seven matches against UTSA at the Convocation Center dating back to 2003... the last time UTA lost to the Roadrunners in three sets was in San Antonio on Nov. 9, 2004.

 

For more information on Mavericks Volleyball check out their new official website @ http://www.utamavs.com/sports/w-volley/txar-w-volley-body.html

Kansas Volleyball Upsets No. 21 Baylor

 

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Junior Karina Garlington collected a match-high 19 kills, while sophomore Allison Mayfield chipped in 16 to help lead the Kansas volleyball team to a 3-1 upset versus No. 21 Baylor Saturday afternoon. KU won by scores of 25-18, 19-25, 25-20 and 25-20.

 

The Jayhawks recorded their first victory over a top 25 foe since defeating No. 18 Oklahoma on Nov. 3, 2007, while also earning their most victories since 2005.

 

Kansas improved to 15-11 overall and 7-9 in the Big 12, while Baylor dropped to 21-7 on the season and 10-7 in league play.

 

KU out-played the Bears in every statistical category during the match. BU ranks second in the Big 12 in blocks per set and attack percentage but the Jayhawks out-blocked Baylor 12.0-6.0 and recorded a .252 attack percentage compared to just .176 for the Bears.

 

In the fourth and final set, Kansas played from behind as it was unable to find a spark until senior Brittany Williams ignited a 5-1 run for the Jayhawks with a kill to tie the set at 16-16. Mayfield proceeded to tally three-straight kills and a Baylor service error put Kansas ahead 20-17.

 

From there, Garlington helped seal the victory with three kills to score three of KU’s final five points.

 

Kansas hit a match-best .333 attack in the fourth set and took advantage of five Baylor service errors. The Bears struggled from the service line throughout the match recording nine serving errors total.

 

The Jayhawks’ defense saw three players with double figure digs led by senior Melissa Grieb with 19. Sophomore setter Nicole Tate followed with 16 to go along with 45 assists in her 11^th double-double of the season.

 

Senior Katie Martincich also finished with double-digit digs as she became the 11^th Jayhawk in Kansas volleyball history to reach 1,000 career digs. Her 14 digs versus Baylor gave the setter turned defensive specialist 1,010 digs for her career so far.

 

KU’s defense also saw four players finish with at least four total blocks. Sophomore Lauren Hagan swatted a team-high five, while Williams, Garlington and freshman Tayler Tolefree each chipped in with four.

 

In the first set, Garlington and Mayfield tallied five kills a piece to pace KU to a 25-18 win. With the score knotted at 4-4, the Jayhawks went on a 9-1 run to pull out of reach. Baylor put on the pressure at the end scoring seven of the last 10 points but it was too late as Garlington capped the set with a kill.

 

Baylor took the lead at the first point in set two and never let go of its advantage using a team-best .237 attack to take a 25-19 win.

 

Following the break, both teams battled for momentum in a rollercoaster set three. The set featured 13 ties and four lead changes. KU took a lead three times, including 14-13 and 18-17, but it wasn’t until 19-18 that Kansas gained the upper hand and kept the advantage.

 

Two Baylor attack errors and kill from Garlington gave the Jayhawks their biggest lead of the set at 21-18. After giving up two more points to the Bears, Kansas scored the final four points to earn a 25-20 win.

 

Kansas will play its second of three-straight ranked opponents Wednesday, Nov. 18 when it travels to Iowa State. The Cyclones have been ranked in the top 10 the last three weeks and currently ranked No. 9.

 

 

Week 12: Today's Women's College Volleyball Scores and News, Washington State Over USC, St. Louis 3-1, UAB Sweeps Tigers, Bucknell Loses To American, Temple, Duke, Virginia NCAA Volleyball Results

DAYTON CLINCHES SHARE OF A-10 TITLE IN SWEEP OVER GEORGE WASHINGTON

DAYTON, Ohio -- The University of Dayton women’s volleyball team swept the George Washington Colonials  27-25, 25-22, 25-21 on Saturday to secure at least a share of the Atlantic 10 regular season championship.  For the Flyers, it was their 11^th consecutive win at the Frericks Center as they improved to 26-3 and 14-1 in the Atlantic 10.

“I thought both teams played well defensively. That was a different team that we played tonight than we did a month ago, and that is a real credit to them,” head coach Kelly Sheffield said. “We had a lot of service errors, but we weren’t missing by much. This was a fun weekend on Dayton’s campus. It is fun to be a Flyer and for our part we are just trying to hang in there with the other sports.”

Redshirt freshman Rachel Krabacher had a great night against GW, despite a very strong blocking effort by the Colonials. Krabacher had 13 kills and 12 digs for her fifth double-double of the season. The Cincinnati, Ohio native also added two block assists for UD.

“Rachel started out a little tight, and about halfway through game one she really came alive. She was better than what her numbers show. I thought it was her best match that she has played in the past couple of weeks,” Sheffield said. “We needed her tonight and she came through when the games were on the line. She is a great weapon for us. She is fun to watch when she is on top of her game.”

Dayton was able to overcome GW’s 11.5 team blocks on the night, edging them in three straight sets. The Flyers registered nine blocks against George Washington attackers.

All-American middle blocker Lindsay Fletemier was included in the block fest, tallying four blocks (1 solo, 3 assist) in addition to a 12 kill night for the Red and Blue.

“Lindsay was a beast early on. I thought as the match went on we under-set her and she lost her aggressiveness, and that took its toll,” Sheffield said. “Our connection was a little bit off for most of the night with her and we will clean that up.”

Junior outside hitter Amanda Cowdrey led Dayton’s passing with 19 digs on the night. Setter Kacie Hausfeld and rookie libero Paige Vargas tied Krabacher with the second-highest dig total of 12.

Hausfeld tallied her seventh double-double of the year combining her digs total with 20 assists. Hannah Clancy finished the match with 15 assists.

“Right now we need to get ourselves ready for the Atlantic 10 tournament. We are excited to host and our fans are excited to see us play,” Sheffield said. “It should be six really good teams coming to Dayton and a great weekend of volleyball. We are looking forward to getting that here.”

Dayton remains at home to host the Atlantic 10 Championship Nov. 20-22 at the Frericks Center. Admission is $6 for adults and $3 for students. An all-session pass is available for $15 dollars.

-UD-

Duke University Women's Volleyball Outduels Virginia 3-1 In Final Road Game

November 14, 2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - Rachael Moss posted her second straight double-double with 17 kills and 21 digs to lead Duke past Virginia 3-1 (24-26, 27-25, 25-12, 25-22) Saturday evening in Memorial Gymnasium.

Moss' 21 digs were a season high, surpassing the 20 she collected in her last match against Virginia Tech on Friday. The consecutive 20-dig outings brought Moss' career total to 1,505 digs, making her just the fourth Duke player in school history to reach 1,500 career digs.

Moss, a 5-10 senior outside hitter, was just as effective on the offensive end, leading Duke (24-5, 14-3 ACC) in kills and attacks. She collected her 27th service ace of the year and was one of four Blue Devils to reach double-digit kills. Duke's offense, directed by sophomore setter Kellie Catanach's 50 assists, got 16 kills from Sophia Dunworth and 12 apiece from middle blockers Becci Burling and Christiana Gray. Catanach also picked up a double-double with 11 digs and added two service aces.

Gray was unstoppable, connecting 12-of-16 attacks without making an error. That effort produced a career-high .750 hitting percentage for the 6-5 freshman, who leads Duke with a .346 clip. Dunworth also went without an attack error, finishing with a .485 clip on 33 attacks.

"Virginia played great defense tonight, they were very scrappy and the rallies were really long," Duke head coach Jolene Nagel said. "Our team did a great job of being disciplined during those long rallies."

Duke hit .338 in the match, compared to a .272 mark posted by Virginia (12-16, 7-10 ACC). The Cavaliers hit over .300 in the second and third sets, but were outpaced by a Duke team that hit at least .500 in both of those games. Virginia hounded by Duke libero Claire Smalzer, who picked up 20 digs, and the middle-blocking duo of Gray and Amanda Robertson, who each finished with four blocks.

Virginia used a three-headed attack led by Simone Asque, who took a team-high 54 attacks and put down 17 of them on Duke's side of the court. Kendahl Voelker, meanwhile, was Virginia's most efficient attacker with 15 kills and .419 hitting percentage, while Jessica O'Shoney also reached double digits with 10 kills.

Virginia jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead after taking the first set 26-24 on the strength of a perfect 7-for-7 outing from Voelker. Duke had no answer for the Virginia outside hitter and also had trouble getting anything past Asque, who totaled 10 digs in the opening game. Duke hit just .156 in the opener, but would rebound in the second game.

Already in a 1-0 deficit, the Catanach-led Blue Devils went to work in set two and posted a .500 hitting percentage on the way to a 27-25 win. Catanach dished out 18 assists and set up her teammates for 20 kills while chalking up three of her own. Duke made just two errors in the second game and saw Burling finished 5-for-10 without an error.

That pace continued into the third set, as Duke hit .516 with just one attack error to take game three 25-15. This time, Dunworth had her way with the Cavaliers and finished 6-for-8. Smalzer, meanwhile, collected six digs, a service ace and two assists in the 10-point victory.

The Blue Devils went back to Moss in the fourth set and let her put the match away with her final eight kills. Moss' .400 hitting percentage led Duke to a match-winning 25-22 win in the final frame which gave Duke its 16th road win of the season.

Duke will now close out the 2009 regular season with three home matches, beginning on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 20-21 against NC State and North Carolina in Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Blue Devils will then host Wake Forest on Tuesday, Nov. 24 to close out the season before awaiting their NCAA postseason assignment.

-d-u-k-e-

Temple University Women's Volleyball Team Drops Hard-Fought Four-Set Match to #20 Saint Louis
Owls’ defense keeps Temple alive in two-hour match against the Billikens

PHILADELPHIA – Recording the most digs since September of 2008, the Temple volleyball team hung tough with the 20th-ranked team in the nation, Saint Louis (22-6, 14-1), losing in a tight four-set match by scores of 23-25, 32-30, 25-22 and 25-17.

It was the final regular season match for the Owls (13-11, 9-6), who have secured the fourth seed among six teams in next weekend’s Atlantic 10 Tournament at Dayton. Temple will face fifth-seeded George Washington on Friday, Nov. 20. Each team swept the other on its home court in the regular season.

Playing in the final home matches of their careers, seniors Jackie Morrison and Yun Yi Zhang were both impressive for Temple, recording double-doubles. Morrison tallied 45 assists to go along with a career-high 23 digs, while Zhang led all players with 23 kills and also recorded 12 digs. Ariel Pierre tied for team-high dig honors with Morrison, also recording 23.

Four players recorded double-figures in kills for Saint Louis, led by Megan Boken with 20. Whitney Roth notched a double-double of 54 assists and 23 digs for the Billikens.

Temple out-hit Saint Louis .225 to .122 in the first set, which saw eight ties, the final one at 20-20. The Owls led 24-21 before the Billikens fought off two set points, but Temple’s Jovana Radojevic knocked down a kill to end the set in the Owls’ favor.

Fighting back from a 24-19 deficit in a dramatic second set, Temple went on to have four set points of its own. But Saint Louis rallied each time, and after a service error at 29-29 on the Owls, Boken evened the match at 1-1 with a kill for Saint Louis.

Temple looked to gain momentum back in the third set, leading by as many as five points at 18-13, but after rallying back to tie the score at 20-20, Saint Louis took over. The Billikens never trailed in the fourth set as the Owls lacked offense in comparison to their earlier performances.

The appearance in the A-10 Tournament will be the 14th straight for Temple. The Owls have earned a berth every year under 15th-year head coach Bob Bertucci, except for his first at the helm of the program.

Just Four Points Separate Hoosiers and No. 14 Michigan

ANN ARBOR, Mich.- The Indiana University volleyball team (15-15, 4-12) split a pair five-set matches this weekend, dropping their five-setter Saturday night on the road at No. 14 Michigan (21-7, 10-6). The Hoosiers dug themselves out of a two-sets-to-none hole to force a fifth set. The scoreboard read 25-23, 25-14, 23-25, 16-25, 15-11, in favor of the Wolverines.
 
Indiana’s contributors were aplenty inside Cliff Keen Arena as four players recorded 10 or more kills and five Hoosiers compiled double-digit digs. 
 
For the second night in a row, Ashley Benson was on the top of her game. In addition to a team-high 15 kills and .406 hitting efficiency, she also ran her weekend total to 20 blocks with nine against Michigan. Jordan Haverly and Kelsey Hall each recorded their second double-double in as many nights. Haverly did so with 14 kills and 11 digs while Hall gathered 10 put-aways and dug 12 balls.
 
The Hoosiers showed a high level of resiliency in the third set, scratching and clawing their way to a 25-23 set victory after dropping the first two. Indiana then stepped it up a notch in set number four, rolling to a 25-16 lopsided win. 
 
In the truncated 15-point final set, there were four lead changes and five tie scores. Indiana’s latest lead came at 10-9 following a Wolverine attack error. Michigan’s Alex Hunt then went on an impressive run at service line, earning the next five points and earning a 14-10 lead. Haverly’s subsequent kill kept the Cream and Crimson alive for a moment before UM’s Michigan Bower clinched the victory on the next point.

BUCKNELL UNIVERSITY WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL TEAM CLOSES OUT SEASON WITH 3-1 LOSS TO AMERICAN

Segal Leads All Players with 12 Kills, 15 Digs

 

LEWISBURG, Pa. – Kaitlin Segal (Pacific Palisades, Calif./Harvard-Westlake) recorded a match-high 12 kills, but Bucknell volleyball was unable to end its season on a high note, falling 3-1 (26-24, 15-25, 25-17, 25-18) to American in Davis Gym on Saturday night. The Bison close out 2009 at 8-18 overall and 4-10 in the Patriot League.

 

Trying to recover from a sweep a night ago at the hands of Navy, Bucknell was looking for a solid start against American. It got that as it took a three-point lead following four consecutive kills for 6-3. A Lindsay Regruto (Atlanta, Ga./Marist School) service ace at 11-6 got the advantage to five, but the Bison’s largest lead of the set was not safe. American (17-11, 11-3) chipped away at the score until, little by little, the frame was tied at 14.

 

Heidi Kamp (Eugene, Ore./Henry D. Sheldon) eventually put the Bison back up by five at 20-15, but history repeated itself with the Eagles working their way back in the contest. American took 12 of the last 16 points to go up one set to none.

 

After a close but disappointing 26-24 result in the first set, Bucknell finally got things going its way in the second. The Bison jumped out to a quick seven-point lead at 12-5 with the help from several players. Katie Baumgarten (South Pasadena, Calif./South Pasadena), Segal and Kamp all had a pair of kills during that stretch, and Allison Gittings (Dayton, Md./Glenelg) topped it off with a service ace. A block assist by Ragin Jackson (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y./Hendrick Hudson) and Lindsay Smith (Boulder, Colo./Monarch) kept the lead at eight, and another by Kamp and Baumgarten improved it to nine points at 18-9.

 

A timeout by American did little to slow Bucknell’s momentum and Jackson capped off the 25-15 second-set win with a kill.

 

Buckenll posted its best hitting percentage during that set at .423. American came in at .107.

 

Undeterred, American, which was fighting for the No. 1 seed in the Patriot League Tournament, came back in the third set with much more success. The Eagles recorded their best hitting percentage of the night at .348 with the help of an early lead. Bucknell stayed within striking distance through the first half of the set, but poor hitting spelled disaster in the end. American took a 10-7 lead after a kill from Magdalena Tekiel and, following a 16-8 run, closed out the set at 25-17.

 

The fourth and final set was much the same as Bucknell stayed close in the early goings. Segal’s kill brought the Bison to within one at 9-8, and Regruto tied the set at 15 with two consecutive service aces. Tekiel reclaimed the lead with a kill on the next point, however and American finished off the regular season with a 10-3 streak for a 25-18 fourth-set victory.

 

In addition to her match-best 12 digs, Segal also outdid all other players with 15 digs. Kamp had nine digs and a match-high six blocks. Gittings and Rachel Rodriguez (Sagamore Hills, Ohio/Walsh Jesuit) split the setting duties, with Gittings earning 19 assists and Rodriguez adding 14.

 

Tying Segal with 12 kills was Tekiel. Angelina Waterman also finished in double figures with 10 kills. Krysta Cicala led all players with 41 assists.

 

Despite the loss, head coach Cindy Opalski was pleased with the fight her team showed and optimistic about the future.

 

“I was really proud of our competitive spirit throughout the entire matchtonight.  There is great determination and enthusiasm in the hearts of our underclassmen,” said Opalski. “The potential to challenge for a championship next year is evident in the way our young people competedtonight. And as we say goodbye to two terrific seniors, we will turn to leadership of our three juniors to take us back to a Patriot League Championship in 2010.”

 

BucknellBison.com

 

Blazer Volleyball Sweeps Tigers, 3-0, Saturday On Senior Night

UAB closes out regular season with win over Memphis

 

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Behind 11 kills and nine blocks from freshman Sam Serley, the UAB volleyball team defeated Memphis, 3-0 (25-15, 25-20, 25-7), in Saturday night’s regular season finale at Bartow Arena.

 

The Blazers started off the night by honoring four players on Senior Night, and each one contributed significantly to the victory. Seniors Andrea Lalic and Savannah Pegg recorded 11 and 10 kills, respectively. Classmate Patty Paniagua posted six kills and four blocks. And graduating junior Aley Tallman, who was also honored, tallied eight digs.

 

UAB libero Heather Thomas finished with a match-best 19 digs, and Jordan McDonald added 12. Blazer setter Alison Woods led all players with 33 assists.

 

With the win, UAB finishes the regular season at 17-15 (9-6 C-USA), having won six of its past eight matches. Memphis closes its season at 7-24 (3-13 C-USA).

 

The Blazers will now travel to Houston, Texas, for the Conference USA volleyball tournament, which begins Friday, Nov. 20. UAB has earned the No. 7 seed and will play second-seeded Tulsa in the opening round of the event, which is hosted by Rice.

 

“This was a good win for us heading into the conference tournament,” UAB head coach Kerry Messersmith said. “We played some pretty strong volleyball this week to sweep both Marshall and Memphis. Hopefully we’re peaking at the right time.

 

“I’m also glad we were able to send our seniors out with a win in their final home match. This was just a good all-around win.”

 

UAB dominated every aspect of Saturday’s victory over Memphis. The Blazers out-hit the Tigers, .288-.026, out-blocked them, 13-4, and out-dug them, 56-48. The Blazers led from start to finish in both the first and third sets and pulled away late in the second frame.

 

The 25-7 third-set margin of victory was the second-largest single-set margin for UAB this season, only falling short of a 25-2 set earlier this year against Alcorn State. With the Blazers leading 5-2 in the third, Thomas served 10 consecutive points to put UAB in complete command.

 

Eight of UAB’s 13 total blocks came in the final set as the Blazers held Memphis to a -.267 attack percentage over the final frame. Meanwhile, UAB turned in its best hitting performance of the night with a .435 percentage on 11 kills in 23 attempts with just one error.

 

While UAB placed three players in double-figure kills on the night, Memphis was led offensively by Altrese Hawkins with nine kills and Rebekah Strickland with six. Memphis setter Christine Bach handed out 22 assists, while libero Becky Shaffer led the team with 13 digs.

 

For UAB, Thomas continued to close in on the Blazer single-season record for digs. With 19 in Saturday’s match, Thomas now has 569 on the year and is 23 shy of Brianna Galvin’s 2006 school record of 592.

-- CALL US UAB --

Saint Louis Billikens Women's Volleyball Team Earns Share of A-10 Regular-Season Title

No. 20 SLU finishes 14-1, tied atop A-10 standings with Dayton

PHILADELPHIA – No. 20 Saint Louis escaped a tough match at Temple with a 23-25, 32-30, 25-22, 25-17 win and a share of its third Atlantic 10 Conference regular-season title in the last four seasons. Megan Boken led the Billikens with a career-high 20 kills and Whitney Roth turned in the second 20+ dig match of her career as SLU (22-6 overall) finished 14-1 in league play. This is the second time since 2006 that the Bills have finished tied with Dayton atop the A-10 standings.  

Boken hit at a .378 clip and committed just three errors, while also tallying six digs. Roth completed a double-double with 54 assist and a match-high tying 23 digs, while also adding two aces and two blocks. Sammi McCloud registered a double-double with 11 kills and 11 digs to go with four assists, two aces and two blocks. Bridget Fonke almost gave SLU three players with double-doubles with 10 kills and nine digs along with two aces. Alyssa Deno finished with 12 kills and two blocks, Casey Chernin contributed eight kills and two blocks andWhitney Behrens collected 17 digs and two aces.

The Owls scored the first three points of the opening set before Saint Louis knotted the score at 4-4. TU scored the next point but the Bills took advantage of a Temple error and a Boken kill to claim their first lead at 6-5. SLU was up 14-11 when the Owls were able to record four of the next five points in the set to tie things up at 15-15. The teams endured five ties before Temple went up 22-20 on consecutive kills from Jasmin Waters and Jovana Radojevic. A Boken kill trimmed the margin to one but back-to-back Billiken errors gave TU its first chance at set point. McCloud terminated and then served an ace to cut the score to 24-23 and prevent the Owls from earning the win. But Radojevic managed to put down a kill to give her team the one-set lead. Temple outhit SLU .225 to .122, as Boken registered a set-high tying five kills.  

Saint Louis and Temple tied 13 times in the second set the lead changed hands five times before the Billikens came out on top to tie the match at one set apiece. The teams tied six times en route to a 7-7 score. Then SLU broke ahead on a Deno kill and two Temple hitting errors. The Bills built a lead of 15-10 after getting kills from Deno and Boken and a block from McCloud and Chernin as well as two more Owl hitting miscues. Two kills from Yun Yi Zhang and two SLU hitting errors cut the Owls’ deficit to one at 15-14. However, Temple was unable to bring the set to a stalemate. Saint Louis was up 20-19 when it exploded for four points. A Boken kill started the rally and was followed by a Roth termination. Then a bad set by Temple and another Boken kill appeared to put the Billikens in control of the set at 24-19. But TU got contributions from four different players as it put the next six points on the board to earn a 25-24 edge. The next time SLU led was when McCloud and Fonke record back-to-back kills for a 27-26 lead. Temple was unable to end the set when it had the next two attempts at set point. Boken’s kill gave the Bills the 30-29 advantage but an Ashley Clark kill re-tied the score. Finally Saint Louis scored consecutive points on kills from Boken and McCloud to complete the second set. The Billikens hit .200, while the Owls managed a .167 hitting percentage. Zhang led all players with 10 kills, while Boken led SLU with eight.    

  Temple responded to its set-two loss by taking a commanding lead in the third set. The Owls scored the first two points and cruised from there using small runs to build a lead of 14-8. Saint Louis put together a 5-1 run to cut it to 15-13. But TU was able to score the next three points to push the margin back out to five at 18-13. A Fonke kill and a kill and an ace from Boken made it 18-16 before a Billiken service error halted the spurt. But Fonke terminated and McCloud served an ace to get SLU to within one point, at 19-18, for the first time since it was 2-1. Temple scored out of a timeout prior to a 4-0 charge that put the Billikens on top for good at 22-20. The Owls scored the ensuing point to trim the margin to one but that was as close as they would get the rest of the way. SLU claimed the victory despite being outhit .268 to .191, and Temple posting three blocks to none from the Billikens.

Saint Louis got back to Billiken volleyball in the final set. Fonke pounded home a kill and served an ace before a Temple hitting error and combo block from Deno and Chernin gave SLU a 4-0 lead that it would not relinquish. A SLU hitting error interrupted the rally and was followed by a kill and a solo block from Boken to make it 6-1. The Bills let the margin dwindle down to one on just two occasions at 7-6 and 8-7. Saint Louis finished the set on a 6-1, which included three straight kills from Chernin for points 21, 22 and 23. The Billikens put up three blocks and hit at a .243 rate in the final set to Temple’s .083 hitting percentage.

No. 25 Washington State University Women's Volleyball Team Drops Match at No. 17 USC

 

LOS ANGELES, CALIF. -- The No. 25 Washington State volleyball team suffered a disappointing loss at No. 17 USC Saturday night as the Trojans (17-9, 6-8) had five players in double-figure kills to win the match at the Galen Center with set scores of 24-26, 25-18, 28-26, and 25-16.

 

Washington State falls to 16-10 overall, 5-10 in Pacific-10 Conference action and has not won a match since Oct. 23 when the Cougs upset No. 4 Washington in Pullman.

 

USC’s Lauren Williams led the match with 19 kills and had no errors in 34 attacks for a .559 hitting percentage. Alex Jupiter added 14 more kills as Kendall Bateman had 60 assists. Jupiter and Alli Hillgren combined for 31 digs. Audrey Eichler had five blocks. USC hit .265 for the match.

 

Meagan Ganzer led the Cougars with 14 kills while WSU’s middle blockers, Cassie Robbins and Brittany Tillman, combined for 24 kills with Robbins hitting .571 and Tillman hitting .300 forth match. Tillman led the match with seven blocks. Robbins and Ganzer each added four blocks. Oceana Bush led the match with 24 digs and Jackie Albright added 14 digs. WSU hit .200 for the match and out-blocked USC 11 to 9.

 

“We had our chances tonight and we gave ourselves opportunities, like I thought we would. I thought we played similar to the way we played last night and I thought we would handle things a little bit better. This was a tough one,” WSU Head Coach Andrew Palileo said.

 

USC took an early five-point lead in the first set but the Cougars battled back with a five-point run to take an 19-17 lead. After trading pairs of points, WSU went ahead 21-19. The teams traded scores and timeouts. WSU had the 22-20 advantage when a Cougar attack error and a kill from Williams tied the set at 22. Ganzer and Roleder traded attacks to keep the score knotted. Robbins’ attack took the Cougs to serving for set but Gysin’s kill stopped that, and tied the set at 24. Gysin’s next attack was not successful and Tillman landed a big kill to give WSU the 26-24 win. The Cougars hit .323 with Ganzer and Tillman both landing four kills and Tillman hitting .800 in the set. USC hit .184 and was led by Gysin’s five kills.

 

Obviously taking umbrage to the first set loss, USC came on strong in the second set, roaring out to an 18-7 lead. WSU tallied five consecutive points to close the gap to six. USC answered with a run of four points to take a 22-12 lead. After trading scores, the Cougs found some life on the court with three consecutive points but a block by Williams and Roelder placed USC with the serve for set at 24-16. A kill from Robbins and a block by Ganzer gave WSU 18 points. Audrey Eichler’s attack ended the set in USC’s favor, 25-18.

 

The third set was a tight one with seven ties up to 17 points. WSU took the 24-21 lead but USC tagged three straight points to tie the set at 24. Tillman’s attack placed the Cougs in control again, up 25-24 but Gysin tied it up at 25. Ganzer’s kill was again a lifesaver for WSU but Roleder answered and the score was tied at 26. Back-to-back kills from Jupiter gave the home team the 28-26 win.

 

The Cougars and Trojans were tied at nine early in the fourth set when USC went on a 15 to 5 scoring run. WSU managed to lace two points together but USC took the win 25-16, and the match, 3-1, avenging an earlier loss to WSU in Pullman.

 

The Cougars will host Eastern Washington University Tuesday in 7 p.m. match at Bohler Gym. The Cougars play at No. 4 Washington Saturday, Nov. 21, in Seattle.

 

www.wsucougars.com

 

Week 12: Today's Women's College Volleyball Scores and News,

Washington State Huskies Volleyball Team Earns Huge Road Sweep At No. 6 UCLA

Fox Sports Northwest will air the match Sunday at 1 p.m. Pacific.

LOS ANGELES – What a difference a day made for the fourth-ranked Washington volleyball team, as it shook off a five-set heartbreaker Friday night to power to a sweep of No. 6 UCLA tonight at Pauley Pavilion. The Huskies jumped back in front of the Bruins for the Pac-10 lead with a 25-19, 25-18, 25-21 victory.

 

Washington rebounded in the best way possible from two-straight five-set defeats, including last night at USC, by stifling the Bruins on defense, holding UCLA to a season-low .101 hitting percentage. The Huskies move to 21-4 on the year and 11-4 in the Pac-10 while UCLA falls to 20-7 and 10-4. UCLA had won seven-straight matches since Washington handed UCLA its last loss, 3-1, in Seattle.

 

“Offensively, defensively, we put the whole package together and sustained it,” said head coach Jim McLaughlin. “I was proud of how the team prepared and the way they came back from last night. You never know how a team is going to respond but they were on it all day from both film sessions to pregame warm-ups. We blocked well, dug well, transitioned well, kept pressure on them and maintained complete focus.”

 

Junior Kindra Carlson had a match-high 18 kills, hitting .283 and adding 11 digs. Junior Jenna Hagglund dished 40 assists along with a season-high 18 digs, while senior Tamari Miyashiro’s 23 digs led both teams. UW’s middle blockers both had big nights, as sophomore Bianca Rowland hit .412 with eight kills, and sophomore Lauren Barfield had seven blocks and five kills on six swings for an .833 attack percentage.

 

UW outhit the Bruins .245-.101, and had 10.5 blocks to just 6.0 for UCLA. Mari Hole led UCLA with seven kills, the first time all year the Bruins had no players with double-figure kills. Washington will now play its final three matches at home over the next two weeks, and controls its own destiny in terms of the Pac-10 title.

 

The first set was tight early, with Hagglund distributing the ball for kills by Carlson, junior Becky Perry, Rowland, and senior Airial Salvo in the first six UW points. Washington took time after UCLA took an 11-8 lead, but Rowland and Perry terminated the next two points out of the break to get UW back going. UCLA pushed the lead back to three at 15-12, but then the Huskies started to dominate. Hagglund got a kill of her own assisted by freshman Kelly Holford, then Carlson, Barfield, and Salvo were credited with a three-way block. Carlson and Salvo had another block on the next point, then Salvo kept the run going with a kill that gave UW the lead and forced a Bruin timeout. Salvo put down yet another ball after a UCLA miscue, and the run was six points before the Dawgs made an error. Salvo then assisted a Barfield finish, and UW was up 20-16. Carlson, Salvo, and Perry strung three more kills together to bring up set point, and Rowland finished off the 25-19 win with a put-away. Carlson and Salvo both had five kills in the set and UW outblocked UCLA, 5.5 to 1.0.

 

An ace by Miyashiro got UW off and running in the second set. The Dawgs took the lead with a four-point string on Collymore’s serve, starting with a kill by Perry. Collymore sandwiched an ace between two errors by UCLA’s Katie Camp and UW took a 6-4 lead. The Bruins brought things back to 8-8, but another three-point Husky run was started by a Barfield kill, then a Hagglund-Carlson connection, and a Bruin miscue. An ace from Carlson stretched UW’s advantage to 16-11. The Huskies then broke it open with two kills from Carlson and a Rowland blast on three-straight points to make it 19-12. The Bruins battled back and forced a UW timeout at 22-18, but the Huskies fired back with three-in-a-row to capture the set. Barfield and Carlson shared a block, Perry found the floor, and UCLA’s Gil misfired to end it, 25-18. Carlson was outstanding in the set, finishing with seven kills and a .467 hitting mark, and Bruins were limited to just .026 hitting as a team.

 

After the break, the third set would prove to be the closest, as the teams were tied 12 times overall. With UCLA leading 4-3, the two teams traded sideouts for 17 points in a row, until UW finally took a 13-12 lead after block by Barfield and Salvo, and a kill from Carlson. The media timeout came after a Rowland kill gave the Dawgs a 15-13 edge. Washington sustained its run with kills by Salvo and Perry on the Miyashiro serve. Carlson backed up a Salvo slam with one of her own and suddenly it was 21-16 Dawgs and the Bruins needed time. UCLA quickly needed timeout again, however, after a block by Carlson and Barfield made it 23-17. But on the very next point the very same duo stuffed another Bruin attempt to bring up match point. UCLA saved four match points in a row and the Dawgs called time, but Salvo finally secured the final point with her ninth kill of the match as UW pulled out the set, 25-21.

 

Washington will be back at home next Saturday for a showdown with Washington State, who upset the Dawgs earlier this year in Pullman. The Huskies will try to return the favor at Bank of America Arena at 7 p.m. on November 21.

 

 

Riverside, CA - Two nights removed from moving into a tie for second place all-time in career assists, senior Brittney Murrey tallied 39 assists for the UC Riverside volleyball team on Saturday night in their 3-1 loss to UC Irvine to take a firm hold of the second slot with 3,446 career assists. She surpassed Kym Murphy '04 and is below Regina Carbajal '90 at the top spot.

The Anteaters (21-6, 10-4) won the first two sets 25-22 and 25-20 before the Highlanders (6-19, 3-11) won the third set 25-21, hitting .265 while limiting UC Irvine to .175. Down the stretch, UCR broke open a 19-18 set and ran off seven points compared to the Anteaters three to force a game four.

In the fourth, however, UCI turned a 17-17 tie into a 20-17 advantage as they went on for the 25-19 victory.

Dominique Cowling led the Highlanders with 17 kills while Shelby LeDuff added 11. Kari Pestolesi led the Anteaters with 18 kills while two other UCI players tallied double-digit attacks.

Cowling also led four UCR players in double-digit digs with her 23, while Murrey recorded a game-high five blocks and LeDuff added four blocks.

UC Riverside has two matches remaining on their 2009 docket. They travel to Long Beach State on Friday, Nov. 20 and return home for senior night at the Student Rec Center on Saturday, Nov. 21 as they take on Cal State Fullerton. Both matches are slated for 7:00 pm.
--

#4 Washington Women's Volleyball Team Snaps Sixth-Ranked Bruins’ Seven-Match Win Streak

Nov. 14, 2009 

LOS ANGELES - Sophomore Lainey Gera had 20-plus digs for the fifth straight match, posting 22, but the sixth-ranked Bruins saw their seven-match winning streak come to an end in a sweep at the hands of #4 Washington on Saturday at Pauley Pavilion. Scores were 25-19, 25-18, 25-21. 

One night after moving into first place in the Pac-10, the Bruins drop to third with a 10-4 mark and a 20-7 overall record. Washington, which is tied with Stanford atop the conference standings, is 11-4 in league and 21-4 overall. 

The Bruins were led offensively by freshman Mari Hole, who had seven kills. Freshman Bojana Todorovic posted 15 digs, while senior Kaitlin Sather was also in double figures with 12. UCLA hit .101 as a team. 

The first set was a tale of two halves, as the Bruins controlled the first part, but the Huskies turned it on at the end to take the opener. UCLA scored three of the first four points on kills by junior Dicey McGraw, Todorovic and sophomore Katie Camp and led by as many as three at 11-8. Tied at seven, the Bruins received a kill from sophomore Amanda Gil and a combo block from Gil and freshman Lauren Cook to make it 9-7. After a Washington sideout, a Todorovic kill and a Husky attack error put UCLA on top 11-7. 

UCLA maintained its lead until Washington went on a 6-0 run to take control of the first set. The Huskies trailed 15-12, but their run gave them an 18-15 advantage. The Bruins scored just four more points for the rest of the set to drop the opener 25-19. Camp had four kills in the first, as the Bruins were out-hit .275 to .130. 

Like the first, the Bruins led early in the second, scoring four of the first six. After dropping the first point of the set, a Gil/Cook block and a Cook kill gave UCLA the lead. Following a Washington sideout, a spike by Camp and a Husky attack error put the Bruins on top 4-2. Washington rallied with four in a row though to give the visitors a 6-4 edge. The Huskies wouldn’t trail for the rest of the set. 

The Bruins tied it at six and eight, but the Huskies went on an 8-3 run to go ahead 16-11. UCLA forced Washington into a timeout late in the set, closing its deficit to four at 22-18 thanks to three in a row on a Gil kill and two Husky errors. But Washington netted the last three points of the second to win it 25-18. The Bruins had just eight kills in the set, as Gil led the way with a pair. Washington out-hit UCLA .244 to .026. 

The third set was similar to the first two, as the Bruins were in it early, but the Huskies pulled away to finish off the sweep. UCLA’s biggest lead was two at 3-1. Gil had a hand in two of the first three points on a kill and a combo block. Tied at three, the teams sided out the next 18 points before Washington scored two in a row to take a 13-12 advantage. The Huskies would not trail for the rest of the set. 

Tied at 13, the Huskies scored four straight to take a 17-13 lead. Washington’s advantage got up to as many as seven at 24-17. UCLA staved off the first four match points on kills by Camp and Hole, a Washington attack error and a Sather/Camp combo block. But the Huskies finally won it on their fifth attempt, 25-21. Hole led the Bruins with five kills in the third, while Gil had three. Washington out-hit UCLA .216 to .127. 

Kindra Carlson had a double-double for Washington with a match-high 18 kills to go with 11 digs. The Huskies hit .245 as a team. 

The Bruins head to Oregon for their final regular-season road trip next weekend, taking on Oregon State on Friday and Oregon on Saturday. First serve for both contests is at 7 p.m. 

--- UCLABRUINS.COM --- 

For additional notes and information, go to http://www.byucougars.com/swimming_diving/ or

http://www.byucougars.com/volleyball_w/

Last Home Match Ends in Defeat

PROVO, Utah (Nov. 14, 2009) – In front of 1,590 fans for senior night, the BYU women’s volleyball team (13-13, 8-6 MWC) fell in five to the No. 1 Mountain West Conference ranked Colorado State Rams (21-5, 13-2 MWC) (25-21, 23-25, 25-20, 25-27, 12-15). 

“We out-played them but had just enough lulls to lose the match,” BYU head coach Shay Goulding said. “We were very aggressive on the serve and had nine service aces, something we have been working on. Colorado State is a great team and they pushed us to our limits.” 

Camilla Phillips led the Cougars with a career-high 14 kills, also posting a .500 hitting percentage. Christina Measom was right behind her, also hitting .500 and tallying 13 kills. Setter Kiana Rogers chalked up 49 assists and 12 digs, her ninth double-double of the season. Melissa Lake Wright led the back row in digs with 17 while three other Cougars had double digit digs on the night. Christie Carpenter added 13 digs and seven kills while libero Morgan Lloyd Sorensen tallied 14 kills. 

The beginning of the match stared with both teams trading points until the Cougars went on an 11-3 run to put them up 14-6. With Melissa Lake Wright serving, Measom posted three-straight kills, causing a Ram timeout during the 11-3 run. Although the Cougars had a 14-6 lead, CSU bounced back with an 11-2 run of its own to take the lead at 17-16. 

BYU knotted the score at 17 and 18, next going on a 4-0 run to keep the lead for the rest of the set. The Cougars started the match taking set one 25-21. Measom led the Cougars on the attack in the first set with four kills, hitting at .800, Carpenter and Phillips both tallied .500 hitting percentages with three and two kills, respectively. 

The Rams came out strong in the second with an 8-2 start, causing BYU to take a timeout. Coming out of the break, Nicole Warner posted back-to-back kills, along with one kill apiece from Carpenter and Phillips to give cut the Ram lead to three at 9-6. 

The Cougars gently chipped away at the score, eventually posting a 5-0 run with Carpenter back to serve. Measom and Rogers had back-to-back blocks to score the 11th and 12th points of the set, ending the run at 13-15. The Cougars got the sideout right back to knot the score at 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 and 22, but coming up short, Colorado State taking the second 25-23. 

In the second, three players had three kills with Measom continuing to lead hitting at .667 for the match, as well as Carpenter and Phillips (.625 cum). 

Coming out of the break Phillips pounded one down to begin set three. Both teams traded points until Rogers stepped up to the serving line, knocking down three service aces. During that 9-0 serving stint, Phillips posted a kill along with multiple CSU hitting errors and violations to give the Cougars a 12-4 lead. 

CSU gradually chipped away at the score, but was unable to catch up with the Cougar lead, Measom pounding down the last point at 25-20. 

Set four proved to be the toughest set for both teams. With 10 ties and seven lead changes, the Rams came out on top, both teams battling to the end, 27-25. 

After both teams had two sets apiece, the Rams came out with a 5-1 run. The Cougars scored points two and three off of a block from Warner and Walker and a solo block by Warner. Phillips scored points four and five and Measom tallied the last kill of a 4-0 run, tying the score at eight. The score was knotted again at nine and 10, but after a 3-0 Ram run, the Cougars couldn’t retaliate. Walker and Measom came out with the last Cougar points, but outside hitter Jacque Davisson slammed down the last two points for the 15-12 win. 

The Cougars are next on the road to finish off the MWC season facing Air Force on Thursday at 7 p.m. and San Diego State Saturday at 7 p.m.

Eastern gains measure of revenge against Northern Arizona on Senior Night as Eagles move back into second

Box Score 

Six-foot-5 junior middle blocker Sara Todorovich had a perfect night with 10 kills in 10 attempts with no errors as the Eastern Washington University volleyball team swept Northern Arizona 3-0 in a Big Sky Conference match Saturday (Nov. 14) at Reese Court in Cheney, Wash.

Her effort tied the NCAA Division I record, which, incidentally, Eastern's Ashley Hamilton equaled earlier this season with a 12-of-12 effort with no errors. A minimum of 10 attack attempts is needed to be considered the record. Todorovich also added one block solo and five block assists.

"We talked to her and told her she needed to have a good match," said Eastern head coach Miles Kydd. "She came out ready to play."

Senior Hayley Hills added 13 kills and nine digs for EWU, and Chenoa Coviare had 11 kills and six block assists. Hamilton, one of four seniors honored in pre-game ceremonies, added 39 assists and nine digs. The other two seniors are Amanda Yausie (five digs) and JaNae Mortensen (11 digs).

"I'm proud of those girls -- they have been a big part of our team," said Kydd of his senior class. "In her first year, Amanda was our starting setter, and she has accepted and actually requested to contribute as a defense specialist. Ashley has been a great setter for our school and Haley obviously is a great player. I am blessed to have coached them all and I liked that we went out on a winning note for them."

The Eagles are 9-1 at home this year. In the past three seasons (2007, 2008 and 2009) all four seniors have played at EWU, the Eagles are 26-5 at Reese Court, including 19-2 the last two seasons.

"The times they have lost at home is a very small number," added Kydd. "That's a tribute to those seniors."

The victory helped avenge a five-set loss to the Lumberjacks on Oct. 15 in Flagstaff, Ariz. The Eagles are now 17-9 overall and 11-4 in the Big Sky, while NAU slipped to 8-16 overall and 5-10 in the league. Coupled with Northern Colorado's loss at Portland State Saturday, the Eagles are now tied in the league standings with UNC at 11-4, while PSU leads the way at 13-2.

Eastern plays a non-conference match at Washington State on Nov. 17 and then concludes regular season play in the Big Sky at Sacramento State on Nov. 21. The Eagles have two league matches left before hosting the four-team Big Sky Conference Championships Nov. 27-28 at Reese Court.

Jennifer Berwanger led the Salukis with a match-high 17 kills and 24 digs.

Nov. 14, 2009

www.SIUSalukis.com

Box Score

DES MOINES, Iowa - The Southern Illinois volleyball team took Drake to five sets on the Bulldogs home court, but couldn't pull out the victory, 24-26,25-22,25-17,19-25,8-15, Saturday night in Missouri Valley Conference play in the Knapp Center.

Drake (21-10, 9-7 MVC) pulled out the first-set victory, 26-24, before Southern (18-10, 7-9 MVC) picked up wins in the next two for the 2-1 set advantage.

The Bulldogs combined for just seven attack errors in the final two sets for their ninth league victory, now sitting tied for fourth with Creighton, heading into the final weekend of regular-season play.

Drake put three players in double-figure kills, led by Alisa DeBerg Roth with 12. Emily Heffernen and Angela Bys added 11 each.

The Salukis were led by outside hitter Jennifer Berwanger with a match-high 17 kills and 24 digs, adding two block assists. Middle blocker Chandra Roberson added 13 kills and five block assists, while setter Rachael Brown paced the Saluki offense with a match-high 45 assists and 11 digs.

Jasmine Conner came off the bench for eight kills, hitting a team-high .571 with zero errors.

Libero Lauren Blumhorst led the Saluki defense with a match-high 29 digs.

The Salukis return to action Friday, Nov. 20, when they travel to Evansville for the final match of the regular season. 

Liberty Seeded No. 2 for BSC Championship

 

     LYNCHBURG, Va. – The Liberty volleyball team, which earlier this evening clinched a share of its third consecutive Big South Conference regular-season championship, will be the No. 2 seed for next week’s Big South Volleyball Championship. The three-day tournament will be hosted by Radford at the Dedmon Center.

     Liberty tied UNC Asheville for the Big South regular-season crown, as the two teams finished with matching 13-3 conference records. The Bulldogs received the No. 1 seed by virtue of their two victories over the Lady Flames this season.

     The two-time defending tournament champion Lady Flames will face No. 7 seed Gardner-Webb Thursday at noon, in the first of four quarterfinals. The winner will advance to Friday’s semifinal round and meet the winner of No. 3 seed Winthrop/No. 6 seed Charleston Southern at 4:30 p.m. The championship match is slated for Saturday at 2 p.m.

     The Lady Flames will open the Big South Championship against Gardner-Webb for the second straight year. Last season, Liberty ended the Bulldogs’ season with a 3-0 quarterfinal victory at the Justice Center. The Lady Flames, who swept the season series from Gardner-Webb, are 6-0 all-time against the conference’s newest member.

     Liberty has only been seeded No. 2 once previously in the Big South Championship. In 1999, the Lady Flames headed to Charleston Southern as the second seed and came away with their second Big South title.

     Following UNC Asheville and Liberty in the seeding was No. 3 Winthrop, with an 11-5 conference record, and No. 4 Coastal Carolina, who finished 10-6. High Point and Charleston Southern ended up with matching 6-10 Big South records. After a tiebreaker, the Panthers were seeded No. 5 and the Lady Buccaneers No. 6. Gardner-Webb finished 4-12 to take the No. 7 seed, while tournament host Radford is No. 8 after going 2-14 in conference action.

 

2009 Big South Volleyball Championship

Dedmon Center – Radford, Va.

 

Thursday, Nov. 19 – Quarterfinals

Match 1 – No. 2 seed Liberty vs. No. 7 seed Gardner-Webb, Noon

Match 2 – No. 3 seed Winthrop vs. No. 6 seed Charleston Southern, 2:30 p.m.

Match 3 – No. 4 seed Coastal Carolina vs. No. 5 seed High Point, 5 p.m.

Match 4 – No. 1 seed UNC Asheville vs. No. 8 seed Radford, 7:30 p.m.

 

Friday, Nov. 20 – Semifinals

Match 5 – Match 1 winner vs. Match 2 winner, 4:30 p.m.

Match 6 – Match 3 winner vs. Match 4 winner, 7 p.m.

 

Saturday, Nov. 21 – Championship

Match 7 – Match 5 winner vs. Match 6 winner, 2 p.m.

 

Volleyball Sweeps FAU To End SBC Regular Season Unbeaten
FIU wins 21^st straight match and is a perfect 17-0 in league play

BOCA RATON, Fla. – The FIU volleyball team ended the Sun Belt Conference regular season on Saturday night with a 3-0 (30-28, 25-14, 25-22) sweep of Florida Atlantic at FAU Arena in Boca Raton, Fla.

With the win, the Panthers improve to 28-2 overall and end the SBC regular season with a perfect 17-0 record. The unblemished record in league play is the second in FIU history with the first occurrence coming in 1990 when FIU went 3-0 versus SBC opponents.

Set one saw both teams come out strong, as the Panthers fought through six tie scores and a pair of lead changes on their way to a 30-28 set-win. The final tie score came at 28-28 before a service ace by senior Yarimar Rosa and a kill by freshman Jovana Bjelica, assisted by junior Natalia Valentin, closed out the set to put FIU up 1-0 for the match.

The Panthers took control in the second set, allowing FAU to tie the score on just one occasion at 8-8, as the Owls never saw a lead for the stanza. With the score at 21-14, FIU went on a 4-0 run on the strength of a Rosa kill, a block by Bjelica and sophomore Andrea Lakovic and a pair of service aces by Valentin, as the Panthers took away a 25-14 set win.

Up 2-0 for the match, FIU came out of the break ready to play, but so did FAU, as the set saw 11 tie scores and six lead changes. The Panthers held a 15-13 advantage before the Owls went on a 5-0 run to take an 18-15 lead. Following an FIU timeout, the Panthers tallied four of the next five points to knot the score at 19-19 and force an FAU timeout.

Out of the break, the squads traded points before a kill by Valentin gave FIU a one-point advantage at 21-20. Once again the teams traded points and a kill from Rosa gave the Panthers a 23-21. The Owls managed another point but an FAU attack error gave FIU a 25-22 set win and a 3-0 match victory.

Three Panthers reached double-digits in kills on the night, led by Rosa’s 13 kills while Bjelica added 11 and Lakovic chipped in with 10, as FIU hit at a clip of .299 for the contest. Senior Olga Vergun had a stellar offensive night, contributing nine kills against just one error for an attack percentage of .471.

The Panthers recorded 10 service aces versus the Owls, led by Valentin’s six aces, while FAU managed just a pair of aces. Valentin also led FIU in assists with 43 and contributed a team-high tying 11 digs along with Rosa.

Leading FIU in blocks was Bjelica with three on the night, while Lakovic added two, and the Panther defense held FAU to a hitting percentage of .198 for the match.

FIU has tallied 21 consecutive wins to give the Panthers the fourth-longest win streak in the country among NCAA Division I women's volleyball teams. Defending back-to-back national champion and No. 1 Penn State has won 92 straight matches dating back to Sept. 21, 2007, while No. 22 Northern Iowa has won 24 consecutive matches this season dating back to Sept. 4. Lipscomb has been victorious in 23 straight contests, with its last loss coming to FIU on Sept. 5.

FIU will be in action next weekend at the Sun Belt Conference Championships, held Nov. 19-21 in Bowling Green, Ky., and hosted by WKU. As regular season champions, the Panthers will be the No. 1 seed for the tournament and will square off against the No. 8 seed in the 12 Noon match on Nov. 19.

 

-FIU-

Ball State Women's Volleyball Battles Past Akron, 3-2

AKRON, Ohio - - In a hard-fought match on both sides, the Ball State women's volleyball team secured the No. 8 seed and a first round home match in the 2009 Mid-American Conference Tournament with a 3-2 (25-21, 20-25, 25-14, 23-25, 15-9) victory over Akron Saturday night at James A. Rhodes Arena.
  With the victory, the Cardinals finish the regular season with a 14-15 overall record, including a 7-9 mark in league play. Akron ends the regular season with 14-17 (5-11 MAC) record.
  The Cardinals will host No. 9 seed Akron in MAC Tournament first round play Tuesday at 7 p.m. in Worthen Arena.
  Ball State was able to spread out its offensive attack on the night, with five players smashing double-figure kills. Kelsey Brandl (Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville North H.S.) paced the Cardinals with 16 markers, while hitting .536 (16-1-28) in the contest. She also added five digs and five blocks.
  Hannah Sullivan (New Albany, Ind./New Albany H.S.) added 14 kills and a .265 (14-1-49) attack percentage, while Charde' Phillips (Elyria, Ohio/Elyria H.S.) and Jennifer Boyd (Evans City, Pa./Seneca Valley H.S.) scored 11 kills each. Alisha Green (Country Club Hills, Ill./Hillcrest H.S.) rounded out BSU's double-digit kill scorers with 10, including the match winner.
  As a team, the Cardinals finished the night with a .262 (65-17-183) attack percentage, as setter Brittany McGinnis (Fraser, Mich./Fraser H.S.) led BSU to above .400 marks in each set they won.
  On the defensive side Alyssa Rio (Wayne, Ill./St. Francis H.S.) paced the Cardinals with 26 digs, while Kaylee Schembra (Indianapolis, Ind./Roncalli H.S.) posted 21. Sullivan added 18 for her second double-double of the season, while McGinnis tallied 11 for her fifth double-double on the year.
  Akron's Brionna Patterson paced all players with 20 kills in the contest, while Jackie Goleman added 14 and Liz Martin tallied 10. Chelsea Harvey earned a match-high 34 digs for the Zips, while both Megan Rodriguez and Courtney Jarvis added 14.
  As a team, Akron finished the match with a .189 (65-28-196) attacking percentage.
  The opening set saw the teams battle to an 11-11 deadlock before a BSU error and a kill from Jarvis gave the hosts a 13-11 edge. The Cardinals answered with a kill from Boyd and a Schembra service ace to tie the set once again at 13.
  With the score knotted at 14, an ace from Rio sparked a 4-0 run to give the Cardinals an 18-14 advantage. Moments later a kill from Brandl gave Ball State a five-point lead at 20-15. The Cardinals would win the set 25-21 on a kill from Phillips.
  Three early kills from Goleman would help the Zips pound out the first five points in the second frame and force an early Ball State timeout. BSU cut the gap to three at 6-3 on a block assist from Brandl and Sullivan, but Akron pushed the lead back to five at 9-4 with a block of their own.
  From there, the hosts built a nine-point advantage at 16-7 off another Goleman kill. Back-to-back kill from Boyd helped the Cardinals cut the lead to six at 17-11, while a Phillips and Green block assist got the Cardinals within five at 21-16.
  Akron would reach set point at 24-18 after a BSU error. Boyd kept the Cardinals alive on the next two plays, with a kill and block, but it was not enough as Akron's Goleman used the BSU block to score the frame-winning kill at 25-20.
  After scoring just six kills in the entire second set, the Cardinals came out firing in the third frame, as two kills from both Phillips and Boyd plus a Sullivan marker helped BSU establish a 5-1 edge. With the lead still at four, kills from Rio and Brandl led to a Zips timeout at 11-5.
  The Cardinals added the first three points after the break to extend their lead to nine at 14-5. Later, three straight markers from Green and an Akron attack error led to the hosts' second timeout at 18-6. While Akron was able to battle back within eight, at 22-14, the Cardinals scored the final three points to win the set 25-14 on a Brandl kill.
  Akron came out strong once again in the fourth set, pulling ahead 4-1 early after a Patterson kill. The Zips continued to lead by four at 12-8, only to see the Cardinals rally off the next four points thanks in part to an ace from Rio and a Sullivan kill. A few plays later, an Akron attacking error gave BSU its first lead of the set at 14-13.
  Following three straight Akron points, BSU called its first timeout trailing 16-14. From there, the teams battled to a 19-19 stalemate. The Zips would regain their two-point lead at 21-19 after a kill from Liz Martin and a BSU error, only to see kills from Boyd, Sullivan and Phillips push the score to 22-21 in favor of the Cardinals.
  Ball State extended its lead to a pair of points following a Zips' timeout and error. However, Akron's Jarvis blasted back-to-back slams to tie the score at 23. Following a Ball State timeout, the Zips used kills from Goleman and Jarvis to win the set 25-23 and force a deciding fifth frame.
  Despite a kill from Boyd giving the Cardinals the first point of the fifth set, a 4-0 run from Akron led to a Ball State minute break at 4-1. BSU responded with a 4-0 run of its own, using a pair of kills from Sullivan, a Green marker and an Akron error to force a Zips' timeout at 5-4.
  After Akron tied the set on a kill from Jarvis, a McGinnis dump and back-to-back Sullivan kills lead to an 8-5 BSU lead at the side switch. Three plays later, Akron used its second timeout as a kill from Brandl and a Sullivan solo block pushed Ball State's advantage to 10-6.
  The Cardinals extended their lead to six points, at 13-7, after a pair of Akron errors, while reaching match point at 14-8 after a Brandl kill. Following a block from the Zips, Ball State secured the No. 8 seed and home court advantage in the first round of the 2009 MAC Tournament as a swing from Green hit the floor.

Week 12: Today's Women's College Volleyball Scores and News, Samford, Denver, Arkansas State, Northern Illinois, North Texas, Tulsa,

James Mason University Women's Volleyball Team Drops Volleyball Season Finale at George Mason 3 - 1 

 

FAIRFAX, Va., Nov. 14, 2009 – George Mason hit .350 as a team, including .575 in the final two sets, along with 18 blocks to defeat James Madison 3-1 in the Colonial Athletic Association volleyball regular-season finale for both teams on Saturday night.

 

GMU improved to 21-8 overall and 10-4 in the CAA.  The Patriots won by set scores of 23-25, 25-16, 25-11, and 25-13.  JMU finished its season at 11-19 overall and 4-10 in the league.

 

Junior Lindsay Callahan (Virginia Beach, Va./Landstown) registered eight kills and seven digs for the Dukes.  She became just the third player in JMU history to surpass 1,000 kills for her career as a junior, the ninth to reach the mark overall.  She also climbed from sixth to fourth in career attack attempts with 2,993.

 

Sophomore Holly Wall (Kaukauna, Wisc./Kaukauna) posted nine kills on .273 hitting with eight digs.  Sophomore Kelly Turner (Ontario, N.Y./Wayne Central) had team-high honors with 10 kills.  FreshmanMegan Wiechmann (Sunland, Calif./Village Christian) tallied 38 assists, seven digs, and three kills.

 

Rebecca Walter led George Mason with 12 kills on .522 hitting with eight digs and six blocks.  Five other Patriots had at least eight kills. Holly Goode totaled nine kills, five digs, and nine blocks.  Kelsey Bohman had eight kills on .583 hitting with nine blocks.  Laura Turner accumulated eight kills, three aces, and nine blocks.  Noelle Fanella posted eight kills and four digs.  Fernanda Bartels added 40 assists and seven digs.

 

JMU hit .238 in the opening set and built a 14-9 lead on Mason.  The Patriots responded with a 13-6 run to push ahead 22-20.  Kills by Callahan and Wiechmann, as well as a block, put the Dukes back in front 24-22.  After a service error, Turner’s kill finished the set 25-23.

 

The second set was tight in the early going with eight ties.  Mason held a slim lead at 14-13 before the Patriots scored 10 of the next 11 points to pull ahead 24-14 en route to a 25-16 victory.

 

Mason maintained the momentum for the rest of the match, pulling ahead 11-3 and never trailing in a 25-11 win in the third set.  The Patriots also jumped ahead 6-2 in the fourth set, then used a 9-1 run to extend the lead before winning 25-13.

 

 University of Tulsa Women's Volleyball Team Ends Regular Season with 3-1 Win at SMU

Golden Hurricane (24-6, 13-3 C-USA) locks up #2 seed in C-USA Championship

 

DALLAS – Three players totaled 13 or more kills and four players had 15 or more digs to lead The University of Tulsa to a 3-1 win (27-25, 25-22, 16-25, 25-21) at Conference USA rival SMU Saturday evening at Moody Coliseum.

 

The Golden Hurricane (24-6, 13-3 C-USA) matched its best C-USA record since joining the conference in 2005, and locked up the No. 2 seed in the C-USA Championship that will take place next weekend, Nov. 20-22, in Houston. Head coach Ed Allen earned his 100^th victory in his fourth season at Tulsa.

 

Freshman Tyler Henderson tallied 17 kills and five blocks, while junior Hannah Stout had 13 kills and four blocks. Senior Jennifer Eichler recorded 15 kills, 15 digs and five blocks for her 12^th double-double of the season. Sophomore Kelsey Hancock got a career-high 20 digs and eight kills.

 

Freshman Jessica Adams recorded 23 digs, while freshman Shelbi Pitcher tallied 19 digs. Sophomore Rachel Vukson recorded 28 assists, and freshman Jordan Clampitt contributed 23 assists.

 

The Golden Hurricane hit .113 for the match (60-37-204) with 60 kills, 57 assists, 97 digs and 12 blocks. SMU (19-11, 9-7 C-USA) hit .117 as a team (47-26-180) with 47 kills, 44 assists, 88 digs and 20 blocks.

 

Tulsa’s opponent and match time for the C-USA Championship will be announced when the entire eight-team field and pairings are determined.

 

North Texas University Women's Volleyball Team Snags No. 8 Seed At Sun Belt Tournament

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (11/14/09) – The North Texas volleyball team will make its return to the Sun Belt Conference Tournament as the No. 8 seed following a heartbreaking 3-2 loss at UALR (20-25, 25-21, 15-25, 25-23, 15-11).

The Mean Green (12-20, 8-10 Sun Belt) opened the match with a first-set win, and forced 11 UALR (16-13, 10-8 Sun Belt) attack errors in a dominating victory in the third set. North Texas will face No. 1 seed Florida International in the first round of the SBC Tournament next weekend in Bowling Green, Ky.

Last year, the Mean Green missed the conference tournament for the first time since joining the league in 2000.

NT trailed by as many as six points in the fourth set, and nearly completed the late comeback attempt. Brittany Brown posted one of her team-high 18 kills to bring NT to within a point at 24-23, but UALR’s Anita Bucur slammed the door with one of her 23-kills.  

Brown not only recorded 18 kills, but tallied her first double-double with a career-best 10 blocks. Brittani Youman and Kati Dillard racked up 14 and 11 kills each.

Amy Huddleson, NT’s top offensive weapon, turned into the squad’s best defender against the Trojans. The junior led four player in double-digit digs with 18. Kayla Saey also had a double-double with 52 assists and 14 digs.

Lady Flames Liberty Volleyball Team Earn Share of Big South Title

 

     CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Liberty volleyball team successfully came back from a 2-1 deficit Saturday evening at Charleston Southern, pulling out a hard-fought 3-2 (19-25, 25-17, 22-25, 25-17, 15-9) victory. With the win, the Lady Flames claim a share of their third consecutive Big South regular-season championship.

     Five Liberty players reached double figures in kills, helping the Lady Flames close the regular season with an 18-11 overall record. Liberty ends up 13-3 in Big South play, equaling the program record for conference wins in a single season. The 2003 and 2008 Lady Flames also tallied 13 Big South victories.

     Meanwhile, Charleston Southern drops to 16-16 overall and 6-10 in conference action, after dropping its second straight home match at the CSU Field House.

     The evening began auspiciously for the homestanding Lady Buccaneers. CSU led from start to finish in the opening set, hitting an impressive .412 as a team. The Lady Buccaneers’ 25-19 victory featured an individual battle between outside hitters. Liberty’s Karyl Bacon (Jr., OH, Temecula, Calif.) hit .500 with a set-high seven kills, while CSU’s Amanda Hill hit .600 with six kills.

     Liberty countered quickly in the second set, reeling off the stanza’s first three points on kills by Brittany Pacella (R-Sr., RS, Reading, Pa.) and a service ace by Hannah Anderson (Fr., OH, Rocklin, Calif.). The Lady Flames never trailed, leveling the match at 1-1 with a 25-17 decision.

     Chelaine McCarty (Sr., MB, Houston, Ala.) stepped up in set two, pacing the Lady Flames with six kills on a .556 attack percentage. Her contribution helped Liberty post a .306 team hitting percentage for the set. Blocking was also a key to the Lady Flames’ success, with the 5-6 Bacon recording four of Liberty’s five rejections.

     Liberty owned a 9-7 edge in the third set, before CSU setter Sam Sasan instigated a pivotal 5-0 surge. Her kill started the run, and she served for the remaining four points. Liberty never led again, and the Lady Buccaneers closed out a 25-22 win with a combined block from Nichole Diller and Cori Holeman.

     Loren Thomas’ (Fr., MB, Ocoee, Fla.) six kills led the Lady Flames, who actually recorded more kills than the Lady Buccaneers in set three, 13-11. However, Liberty was victimized by a dozen attack errors. Hill and Diller sparked CSU’s offense with three kills apiece.

     The Lady Flames’ advantage stood at just 8-7 in the fourth set, before they gained some breathing room with a 7-1 run. Pacella contributed two kills to the surge and Nicki Scripko (Jr., OH, Fayetteville, N.C.), who had just entered the match in the third set, had a kill and a service ace. Liberty was not threatened for the remainder of the stanza, which ended when another Scripko kill closed out a 25-17 Lady Flames triumph.

     Scripko hit .312 with a set-high six kills, as part of Liberty’s .326 team attack percentage in the fourth session. McCarty chipped in with five kills on a .714 attack percentage, while Lady Flames setter Courtney Boggs (So., Marysville, Ohio) notched 15 assists and six digs. Diller’s three kills led CSU in set four.

     Kills by Thomas and Bacon gave Liberty a 2-0 lead to open the decisive fifth set, and the Lady Flames never trailed the rest of the way. CSU evened the score at 3-3 on Amberle Trinder’s kill, but Liberty responded with an ensuing 7-1 burst. Scripko had four kills during the run, which ended with the Lady Flames owning a 10-4 lead. Shortly thereafter, McCarty’s kill put the finishing touches on Liberty’s 15-9 set victory and the Lady Flames’ fourth 3-2 match win this season.

     Scripko led all players with five kills in the fifth set, while Thomas hit a perfect 1.000 with a trio of kills for the Lady Flames. For CSU, Trinder hit .750 with a team-leading three kills in the stanza.

     Despite the tightly contested nature of the match, Liberty won every statistical battle on Saturday. The Lady Flames recorded 20 more kills than the Lady Buccaneers (season-high 73 to 53) and hit .229 to CSU’s .216. Liberty also led the way in aces (5 to 3), digs (season-high 90 to 85) and blocks (9 to 8).

     McCarty led all players with 17 kills, while hitting .412 with six digs and four blocks. Bacon added 15 kills and completed her fourth straight double-double with 19 digs. The junior also tallied four blocks, equaling a career high.

     Bacon was just one of three Lady Flames to record a double-double on Saturday, with Boggs and Pacella also accomplishing the feat. Boggs put up a season-high 60 assists and 13 digs. Meanwhile, Pacella’s first career double-double featured a season-best 10 kills and a career-high 14 digs.

     Liberty’s final two players to reach double figures in kills were Scripko with a dozen and Thomas with 10. Scripko’s kills increased her season total to a career-high 397.

     Not to be overlooked amidst her teammates’ offensive fireworks was another fine defensive effort by sophomore Kelly Haseman (L/DS, Three Rivers, Mich.). She paced the Lady Flames with 22 digs, bringing her season figure to a career-high 455. The Michigan native now has the fourth-most digs by a Lady Flame in a season since rally scoring was instituted in 2001.

     Three Lady Buccaneers ended the night with 10 or more kills, led by Hill’s 14. Diller added 13 kills and a match-best five blocks. Tricia Rodl came up with a match-high 25 digs for CSU, while Sasan contributed 42 assists and 15 digs.

     Liberty garners the No. 2 seed for the 2009 Big South Volleyball Championship, which will be contested at Radford’s Dedmon Center. The Lady Flames, seeking their third consecutive Big South title, will face No. 7 seed Gardner-Webb Thursday at noon in the first of four quarterfinals.

     No. 6 seed Charleston Southern will meet No. 3 seed Winthrop in the opening day’s second quarterfinal match, slated for a 2:30 p.m. start.

Northern Illinois University Women's Volleyball Team Drops A Tough Match To Central Michigan In Three Sets

Huskies push CMU to extra points in both second and third sets

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. - After earning an important win last night over
Eastern Michigan, the Northern Illinois volleyball team could not do the
same on Saturday night against Central Michigan in the final
Mid-American Conference match of the regular season, as the Huskies fell
in three sets at Rose Center.

“The biggest difference was we were able to capitalize on Friday and
we weren’t able to capitalize tonight,” said NIU head coach Ray
Gooden.

NIU (14-15, 8-8 MAC) started slow in the first set and had to call a
timeout, down 13-8, after a kill by Kaitlyn Hurt.  However, NIU was not
able to regroup, as CMU (15-11, 8-8 MAC) opened a 17-11 lead following a
kill from Lauren Krupsky that helped the Chippewas take the set, 25-17.


“They took it to us in the first set,” Gooden said.  “They were
at a high level in all phases of the game.”

In the second set, the Huskies narrowly led for a majority of the way,
but CMU tied the score, 18-18, after a Val DeWeerd kill.  Eight lead
changes and four set-points later, the score was tied again, 27-27,
after a kill from NIU sophomore Allison McGlaughlin (Morton,
Ill./Morton).  Then CMU went up again after another DeWeerd kill, and
finally ended the set, 29-27, on the next sequence on a Krupsky
put-away.

After the break, the teams exchanged points in the third set until
senior Cassie Yates (LaPorte, Ind./LaPorte) put the Huskies up 16-14,
and following a Krupsky attack error, the Chippewas took a timeout that
helped them refocus.  Hurt tallied a kill on the next play, Yates had an
attack error and Krupsky notched a kill to force the Huskies to take a
timeout with the score tied, 17-17.  The teams then exchange points
again until an attack error by NIU freshman Mary Kurisch (LaCrosse,
Wis./West Salem) gave CMU a 23-21 advantage, causing NIU to take another
timeout.  The Huskies came right back to tie the score after a
McGlaughlin kill and a DeWeerd error.  Hurt then gave the Chippewas a
chance for match-point with a kill, but Yates and sophomore Kristin
Hoffman (Batavia, Ill./Batavia) teamed up for a block to keep NIU alive.
 Then a DeWeerd attack error gave NIU a chance for set-point, but after
a CMU timeout, McGlaughlin’s serve hit the net.  Hurt followed with a
kill on the next play and Krupsky backed it up with another kill to end
the match, 27-25.

“We just didn’t take advantage of our opportunities tonight,”
said Gooden.

Senior Meagan Schoenrock (Sylvania, Ohio/Northview) led the Huskies
with 11 kills, while Hoffman notched her fifth double-double with 29
assists and 10 digs.

On defense, junior Maddie Hughes (St. Charles, Ill./North) led NIU with
17 digs.  Two other Huskies had double-digit digs, as McGlaughlin had 11
and senior Monica Lang (Chicago, Ill./Marist) had 10.  Additionally,
Yates tied a season-high with six blocks.

Despite losing the chance to take the fourth seed outright in the MAC
Tournament and falling back into a three-way tie with Toledo and CMU,
the Huskies were awarded the fourth spot based on tiebreaker rules.  The
Huskies will then return to action on Friday at 10 a.m. (CDT) to face
the winner of the No. 5 Central Michigan-No. 12 Eastern Michigan match
at the SeaGate Centre in Toledo, Ohio.

“As crazy as the MAC season has been for everyone, one of our team
goals was to be a top-four seed going into the MAC Tournament,” Gooden
said.  “It’s nice for our team to be able to achieve that.”

-NIU-

Arkansas State University Women's Volleyball Team Tops Denver in Five-Set Thriller, Claims SBC West
Division Co-Championship

JONESBORO, Ark. (11/14/09) – The Arkansas State Red Wolves (22-10,
12-6) defeated the Denver Pioneers (16-16, 11-7) in a five-set (20-25,
25-13, 22-25, 25-23, 15-7) thriller at Jonesboro High School to close
out the regular season and claim the Sun Belt Conference West Division
Co-Championship.

“This win is absolutely huge,” said ASU head coach Justin Ingram.
“They got us the first time up at their place, but we had a little
redemption.  We knew coming into it that it would be very challenging.
 Denver is a well-coached, very physical team.  We struggled early but
evened out as the match went along, and the seniors were huge tonight,
all three of them.”

The Pioneers pulled away from an 11-11 tie in the first set, scoring
three straight points.  The Red Wolves could not recover as Denver
took the set 25-20.  Arkansas State fired back, cruising past the
Pioneers 25-13 in set two.

Tied at 21 in set three, DU used two ASU errors and a kill to take the
lead 24-21.  The Red Wolves took the next point on a DU attacking
error, but the Pioneers recovered, winning 25-22.  Sophomore Cayla
Fielder pounded out two consecutive kills to sway the fourth set 25-23
in favor of the Red Wolves, forcing a fifth set.

ASU jumped out to an early 7-2 lead in the fifth set and soared past
the Pioneers, taking the match with a 15-7 fifth-set victory.

Fielder led the Red Wolves with 22 kills and a .471 hitting
percentage.  Freshman Brittany Hoag added 13 kills, while senior Mandy
DeWalt posted ten.  Hoag and senior Erin Neeley each put in two
service aces in the match.

Senior libero Heather Bowman topped the team 28 digs, followed by Hoag
and Neeley with 11 each.  Fielder led the team with six blocks,
including five unassisted.

“Fielder was ‘the deal’ tonight,” added Ingram.  “It seemed like each
time we could get her the ball, she took advantage of the situation.”

Seniors Bowman, DeWalt and Neeley were honored following the match for
their efforts while at Arkansas State.  Bowman said, “Usually when you
go out as a freshman, sophomore or junior, you think ‘well, maybe next
game.’ Tonight there wasn’t a next game, so it was so important for us
to come out on top.  This is the last memory I’ll have at home, and I
wanted to end it just like we did.  15-7 in the fifth game, there is
no better way to end it, and I’m so proud of everyone.”

The Red Wolves will be seeded fifth going into the SBC tournament and
will face fourth-seeded New Orleans.  The tournament begins Thursday,
Nov. 19 and is being hosted by Western Kentucky in Bowling Green.

University of Denver Women's Volleyball Falls 3-2 to Arkansas State on the Road

Seniors Emmy Davidsmeyer and Alexis Ninos led Pioneers with 13 and 12 kills, respectively

 

JONESBORO, Ark. – The University of Denver volleyball team (16-16, 11-7 SBC) fell 3-2 (25-20, 13-25, 25-22, 23-25, 7-15) on the road to the Arkansas State Red Wolves (22-10, 12-6 SBC) on Saturday evening at Jonesboro High School as seniors Emmy Davidsmeyer (Colorado Springs, Colo.) and Alexis Ninos(Cypress, Texas) led the Pioneers with 13 and 12 kills, respectively.

 

“We played much better volleyball tonight, but we were unable to capitalize and get the win,” said head coach Beth Kuwata. “It’s unfortunate that we ended the regular season the way we did, but this will serve as great motivation for us as we head into the SBC Tournament.”

 

Along with Davidsmeyers’ and Ninos’ performance, sophomore Jordan Raines(Coppell, Texas) finished with nine kills and 14 digs, while freshman Faimie Kingsley (Brooklyn, N.Y.) added eight kills and six total blocks, including four solo blocks.

 

Setter Kresson Vreeman (Raymond, Minn.) finished with 41 assists and 19 digs, while junior libero Kacie Wikierak (Crystal Lake, Ill.) also finished with 19 digs.

 

Cayla Fielder led all scorers with 22 kills, while Brittany Hoag and Mandy DeWalt both finished with 13 and 10 kills, respectively. Setter Laura Bennett finished with 53 assists and eight digs, while libero Heather Bowman tallied 28 digs.

 

Denver now awaits its selection to the Sun Belt Conference Tournament, hosted by Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, Ky., from Nov. 19-21.

 

- PIONEERS -

 

Samford University Volleyball Falls In Season Finale, Still Wins North Division Outright

--- Elon’s loss helps Bulldogs win North Division Championship despite loss to Georgia Southern ---

 

Nov. 14, 2009

 

STATESBORO, Ga. ---- The Samford University volleyball team fell to Georgia Southern, 3-0 (25-16, 25-17, 25-19) in the teams’ season finale on Saturday night. The Bulldogs fall to 17-13 overall and 11-5 in Southern Conference play while Georgia Southern improves to 21-10 overall, 11-5 in the league.

 

Despite the loss to the Eagles, Samford still wins the North Division title for the second year in a row. The Bulldogs went into the weekend sharing the title with Elon. The only thing that would leave Samford standing alone with the championship would have been a Phoenix loss. That happened when Appalachian State defeated Elon earlier Saturday.

 

Samford was led by Allie Bettinger who knocked down eight kills and hit .318 on 22 attempts with one error. She also added seven digs. Sheriden Stangohr had six kills along with three block assists and two digs. Casey Garvey led the Bulldogs in assists with 11 while Hillary Fountain added nine. Garvey and Fountain also added two kills. Garvey had two aces and three digs while Fountain had two digs and two block assists. Alexis Bauer led the back row with eight digs.

 

Rachel Gadberry added two kills and one block assist while Elizabeth Neisler had two kills, two digs and two block assists. Sarah Gardner had two digs while Katie Luckman had two kills. The Bulldogs out-blocked the Eagles, 4-0.

 

Bethany Sanford led the Eagles in kills with nine followed closely behind by Kirby Monson and Parker Small with seven each. Monson also led in hitting with .357 while adding two assists and one dig. Cristin Haines led the back row with 15 digs while Lauren Claybaugh had seven. Kat Van Dyke led in assists with 27.

 

Samford will begin Southern Conference Tournament play next Saturday, Nov. 21, against the No. 2 seed in the South Division at 2:30 p.m.  Currently, the standings show College of Charleston as the No. 2 seed in the South. Furman, the top seed in the South, will take on the No. 2 seed in the North at 12 p.m. earlier that day. The championship match will be played between the winners of those matches at 2 p.m. on Sunday.

 

The tournament will be held at Furman’s Alley Gym. Adult single session passes are $5 while student single session passes are $3. For more information, visitwww.soconsports.com.

 

Georgia Southern 3, Samford 0

 

Georgia Southern jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead due to two Samford errors, an ace by Van Dyke and a kill by Monson. The Bulldogs then got on the board with a block by Stangohr and Fountain and a kill by Bettinger. However, the Eagles soon pulled ahead by eight, going on a 7-0 run at one point. The Bulldogs were able to get back within seven, but Georgia Southern forged ahead and won set one, 25-16.

 

Samford grabbed the first point of the second set and its first lead of the match on a kill by Luckman before Georgia Southern answered back with a kill of its own by Small. The Bulldogs regained the lead though on a kill by Stangohr and an Eagle error. However, a service error by Gardner followed by a service ace by Sanford tied the score at three a piece. Samford regained the lead again but the Eagles tied the score at seven, eight, nine and ten before going on a 3-0 run to take the lead and forcing Samford to call its first timeout of the entire match.

 

Georgia Southern came out of the break with a 6-1 run to go ahead by eight causing Samford to call its second timeout. But nothing doing, as the Eagles scored two more points out of the break to go ahead by 10. Samford fought back to get within seven, but Georgia Southern would go on to win, 25-17.

 

Garvey started the third set with two service aces to put the Bulldogs ahead by two early. Samford then took a three-point lead before Georgia Southern answered back with 9-3 run to take its own three-point lead. After Samford called a timeout, the Bulldogs came back with a 4-1 run to get within one, but the Eagles forged ahead, going on to win the third set by six, 25-19.

 

*** SAMFORD BULLDOGS ***

Week 12: College Volleyball Game Results

Lions Drop PCH Challenge Match to Pepperdine, 3-1
 
LMU fell in four sets in its final home match of the season.
 
LMU (12-14, 3-9) dropped its final home match of the season on Friday night to cross-town rival Pepperdine (15-10, 8-4) in Gersten Pavilion.  The Waves earned the 3-1 victory, and 1.5 points for a road win in the PCH Challenge standings, by a count of 25-19, 25-19, 23-25, 25-11.  Pepperdine now leads the PCH Challenge standings, 4-3.5.
 
Freshman Alaina Bergsma once again led the Lion attack with 12 kills on 53 attacks.  Her best mark came in LMU’s third-set victory, as she posted five kills on 18 swings.  The native of Chandler, Ariz. teamed the kills mark with 16 digs to record another double-double. Sophomore Ariana Covington and freshman Kenna Crouse chipped-in 11 kills in their own right, but it was not enough for the Lions over the course of the match.  Covington joined Bergsma as one of two Lions with a double-double, collecting 10 digs to accompany the 11 kills.  Freshman Nikki Lane made her first collegiate appearance, starting at setter for the Lions and dishing-out 28 assists.  LMU hit just .133 as a team over the course of the four sets, allowing a .285 mark on the other side of the net.
 
Kim Hill led all players with an efficient 14 kills on just 28 attacks for a stellar .464 hitting percentage.  Even better in terms of percentage, Victoria Adelhelm connected at a .476 clip with 10 kills on 21 attacks and no errors.  Rachel Grochmal added 12 kills of her own to help Pepperdine to the win.  Senior Kiah Fiers continued her solid play at the setter position, collecting 40 assists, six digs and two block assists.  Grochmal (12 kills and 14 digs) and Caitlin Racich (10 kills and 12 digs) each collected double-doubles in the win.
 
The Lions never led in set one, as Pepperdine opened-up a 9-4 lead early on back-to-back Lion attack errors.  Despite a set-best seven kills from Crouse in the opener, LMU hit just .180 as a team and could not make up the ground it allowed early in the period.  With the score at 10-6, the Waves posted four unanswered points to take a comfortable 14-6 advantage, forcing the final LMU timeout of the set.  The Lions managed to inch back into the contest, cutting the deficit to five points at 18-13, highlighted by kills from Crouse and Covington to bookend a four-point swing.  Now trailing by just three points at 22-19, LMU saw Pepperdine regain its composure and score each of the final three points to take the set.
 
The second set mirrored the first as the Lions trailed virtually from the beginning.  After earning the first point of the period, LMU quickly found itself in an 11-4 hole as Pepperdine rattled-off six straight points from 5-4 to 11-4. LMU refused to surrender so easily on its home court, crawling within three points at 16-13, highlighted by three of Bergsma’s four kills in the period.  Just as it did in the first set, Pepperdine regained control when the pressure was heightened, opening-up a 22-16 lead on back-to-back swings from Hill and Lilla Frederick.  The Waves took the set to set-point at 24-18 before Adelhelm found the floor two plays later for the win.
 
The Lions came out of the intermission fighting en route to a 25-23 victory in the third set.  Bergsma led the way with five kills on 18 swings, but it seemed to be the serving that truly made a difference.  The Lions did not have another player with more than one kill in the set, but they did record three service aces in the period after failing to record one in each of the previous two sets.  Junior Becky Stehling had two of the three, while Covington collected the third.  The two teams played even to 10 before LMU earned a 17-11 lead that forced a Pepperdine timeout.  The break served its purpose as the Waves cut the deficit to two points at 19-17, highlighted by three of Hill’s six kills in the set.  The momentum continued in Pepperdine’s direction after a Lion timeout, as the visitors evened the tally at 19 to make things very interesting.  Fortunately for LMU, the Lions would right the ship by scoring four unanswered from that point to take a 23-19 lead.  Showing a high level of fight, Pepperdine spoiled three straight set-point attempts for the Lions before LMU found Bergsma for the final swing of the period.
 
The fourth set was all Pepperdine as the Waves cruised to a 25-11 victory in the period to take the match.  Racich contributed five kills, while Adelhelm and Grochmal each added four for Pepperdine.  The Waves hit a blistering .481 in the period, while LMU managed a -.038 mark on the other side of the net.  Although the set started close, with the team playing even to five and then to a 9-8 Pepperdine lead, the Waves quickly took momentum.  Leading 11-9, Pepperdine scored nine unanswered points with Fiers in the service area to take a 20-9 lead.  LMU would score just two more points in the period before succumbing to the loss.
 
LMU returns to action next week when in travels to Northern California to complete WCC play with matches against San Francisco and Santa Clara.

Denver Volleyball Women Fall 

3-2 to UALR on the Road

Freshman Faimie Kingsley finishes with a career-high 16 kills, while senior Emmy Davidsmeyer add 16 kills and five blocks

 

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The University of Denver volleyball team (16-15, 11-6 SBC) fell 3-2 on the road to the Arkansas-Little Rock Trojans (15-13, 9-8 SBC) on Friday evening in the Jack Stephens Center in Little Rock, Ark.

 

“We struggled tonight with execution,” said head coach Beth Kuwata. “We had some great rallies and both Faimie and Emmy turned in a great performance tonight, it was just a little disappointing that we couldn’t come away with a win.”

 

Freshman Faimie Kingsley (Brooklyn, N.Y.) finished with career-high 16 kills, while senior Emmy Davidsmeyer (Colorado Springs, Colo.) added 16 kills and five blocks for the Pioneers. Also turning in strong performances was seniorAlexis Ninos (Cypress, Texas) and Jordan Raines (Coppell, Texas) who finished with 14 and 10 kills, respectively.

 

Setter Kresson Vreeman (Raymond, Minn.) finished with 45 assists, while liberoKacie Wikierak (Crystal Lake, Ill.) finished with 12 digs. To go along with her 10 kills, Raines also contributed defensively for the Pioneers with 16 digs and three blocks.

 

Anita Bucur led the way for the Trojans with 20 kills and a .327 hitting percentage, while Becky Mann and Eva Chunyan added 16 and 12 kills, respectively.

 

Denver closes out the regular season on the road as they play their final match of the regular season on Saturday, Nov. 14 against Arkansas State in Jonesboro, Ark., in a 6 p.m. (MT) match.

 

- PIONEERS -

 

 

San Diego State defeats Air Force 3-1 in Colorado Springs this evening (19-25, 25-11, 25-18, 25-22).

The Aztecs improve to 12-13 overall (6-8 MWC) while Air Force falls to 8-19 (0-14 MWC)

SDSU's Kyley Sexton led all players with 18 kills and hit .457 while adding five blocks. Andrea Hannasch and Paije Pearson set career highs with 11 and seven blocks respectively.

San Diego State will next host Cal State Bakersfield on Sunday, Nov. 15, at 2:00 p.m. in Peterson Gym.

No. 6 UCLA Volleyball Edges No. 25 Washington State in Four

 

LOS ANGELES, CALIF. -- The No. 25 Washington State volleyball team fell at No. 6 UCLA Friday night at Pauley Pavilion with set scores of 25-23, 25-14, 23-25, and 25-23.

 

“We have to execute down the stretch and we made some critical decisions at the end of the fourth set. We had an opportunity to win this set and take it to a fifth,” WSU Head Coach Andrew Palileo said. “We did play better (than last week). Mostly steady. We hung in there. The difference between early in the season to where we are now is that we are not closing out sets. Players are not making the plays. We are putting ourselves in position (to win) but we have to keep battling.”

 

Jackie Albright’s double-double of 16 kills and 22 digs was not enough as Washington State (16-9, 5-9) lost its fifth consecutive Pacific-10 Conference match. Meagan Ganzer added 16 kills and both Albright and Ganzer had three blocks. Brittany Tillman’s nine kills and seven blocks, and Cassie Robbins’ seven kills and four blocks helped keep the Cougs in contention. Oceana Bush contributed 15 digs and Renee Bordelon had 51 assists. The Cougars hit .173 and had 13 blocks for the match.

 

Kaitlin Sather and Dicey McGraw combined for 31 kills to lead UCLA (20-6, 10-3). Lainey Gera had 26 digs as the Bruins had five players with double-digit digs. Amanda Gil (5), Sara Sage (4), Katie Camp (4) and Rachel Kidder (4) put up a potent block on the night. Lauren Cook had 54 assists. The Bruins did not land on ace on the night but hit .258 as a team and had 16 blocks.

 

WSU held the lead for most of the first set until UCLA tied it at 14-all and moved to an 18-16 advantage. The Cougars scoring three in a row to wrestle back the lead at 19-18. The teams traded scores but UCLA went up 21-20 on a block. After a WSU timeout, Albright’s attack found the back line to knot the set at 21. The teams traded scores again but Cougar errors placed the Bruins serving for set, 24-22. McGraw’s attack went long but Sather landed the final attack and the home team won the opener, 25-23. Albright had five kills, hit .400 and had six digs in this set. McGraw had five kills.

 

The Bruins raced out to a commanding 20-10 lead in the second set. Kills from Conley Kipp, Bordelon, Tillman and Ganzer could only get the Cougars to 14 while UCLA hit .385 on the way to its 25.

 

In the third set, WSU took an early lead at 11-6 and extended the lead to 19-16. UCLA chipped away to tie at 20-all. The Bruins went ahead 21-20 and again at 22-21. Back-to-back kills from Albright and Ganzer forced a UCLA timeout. On the next play the Cougars block attempt went out of bounds and the set was tied at 23-all. Ganzer finished the set with a solo block of Sather and a slam. WSU wins the set 25-23.

 

UCLA took a 14-9 led in the fourth set but WSU battled back, scoring six straight to take the 15-14 lead and forcing both UCLA timeouts. The teams tied it five more times before Ganzer landed three attacks to give WSU the 21-20 lead. Bordelon won a blocking joust at the net for the 22-21 lead but a UCLA kill and a Robbins attack that went long tied the set at 22. Gil’s two blocks put the Bruins serving for set. Robbins blocked Gil to stop the first set point but the set and match ended with a kill from Sather. UCLA takes the four of the final five points to get the 25-23 win.

 

The Cougars will play at No. 17 USC (16-9, 5-8) at the Galen Center at 5:30 p.m. Saturday. USC upset No. 4 Washington 3-2 Friday night.

 

www.wsucougars.com

 

EWU Volleyball -- Eastern Knocks Northern Colorado Out of BSC Lead

Eagles have chance to move into second on Saturday when Eagles have rematch with Northern Arizona on Senior Night

Box Score

Senior Hayley Hills had 17 kills and 14 digs as the Eastern Washington University volleyball team swept co-Big Sky Conference leader Northern Colorado Friday (Nov. 13) at Reese Court in Cheney, Wash. The scores were 27-25, 25-21, 25-19.

Eastern snapped a two-match losing streak, and now stands at 10-4 in the Big Sky Conference and 16-9 overall. On Saturday (Nov. 14), Eastern hosts Northern Arizona on Senior Night at 7 p.m. Pacific time. The Eagles have two league matches left before hosting the four-team Big Sky Conference Championships Nov. 27-28 at Reese Court.

"I think overall Hayley Hills played really well -- she needed that bounce-back game and that was good," said Eastern head coachMiles Kydd. "We defended our home court and we have one more chance tomorrow.

"It felt a lot like when we played them down there," he said of his team's season sweep of the Bears. "We played pretty good, but we just gave up stretches of points with two or three unforced errors. Our six-point lead would become a two-point lead -- that is the part we need to clean up."

Chenoa Coviare added 13 kills and eight block assists, and JaNae Mortensen chipped in nine digs. Setter Ashley Hamilton had 39 assists, four digs and five block assists.

Kydd thought the play of Coviare and Hills was the key.

"This was a flip-flop I think of last weekend when we lost to Portland State," he said. "Because my comment to our coaching staff was when your best players are not your best players, you are going to struggle. So last weekend they were not our best players and tonight they were. If they do well then it helps the rest of the team."

The Eagles out-hit Northern Colorado .280 to .221, led by the .414 hitting percentage of Hills. The Eagles also had 9 1/2 blocks to just four for the Bears.

Eastern took a 5-0 lead in the first set, but the Bears battled back to knot the score at 22. However, Eastern scored the last two points of the set on a pair of kills by Hills.

The second set was tied at 10, but Eastern opened a 20-15 lead. A kill by Hills and her block assist along with Sara Todorovichprovided EWU's final points.

The final set was tied at nine before the Eagles took the lead for good. Eastern built a six-point cushion before scoring the final three points for the 25-19 win.

Eastern is currently third in the league standings behind Portland State at 12-2 and UNC at 11-3, and those two teams square off Saturday in Portland. Having defeated the Bears earlier this season in Greeley, Colo., victories by Eastern and PSU Saturday would move Eastern into a second-place tie with the Bears.

However, a UNC win would keep alive Eastern's hopes of repeating as Big Sky Conference regular season champions.

Saturday will be a rematch of a five-set match the Lumberjacks won on Oct. 15. Eastern responded with a four-match winning streak, but had lost its last two matches to Montana (3-1 on Oct. 31) and Portland State (3-0 on Nov. 6) prior to Friday's win. The Vikings also defeated EWU 3-1 in Portland on Oct. 9.

"We don't think we played very well and we're about to find out what the difference will be in the rematch," said Kydd, whose team allowed NAU to hit .556 in a pivotal second-set victory on Oct. 15. "This is a match we feel like we should come out on the positive side. They beat us once before, and they hit a higher percentage than what we would like to allow. But we were able to force it to a fifth game and then it's always a crapshoot."

Following this week's matches, Eastern plays a non-conference match at Washington State on Nov. 17 and then concludes regular season play in the Big Sky at Sacramento State on Nov. 21.

 

Eagles to Honor Four Seniors on Saturday -- Four seniors -- all of them starters for the Eagles -- will be honored in pre-game ceremonies prior to Eastern's game Saturday versus Northern Arizona. Leading the way is Hayley Hills, who ranks second in school history and in the top 20 all-time in the Big Sky Conference with 1,383 career kills. She has started all 25 Eastern matches this season and is averaging 3.63 kills and 2.66 digs per set with a .166 hitting percentage.

Ashley Hamilton has also started all 25 matches and is averaging 9.48 assists and 1.30 kills per set, and Amanda Yausie has started 18 of 24 matches. She is averaging 1.67 digs per set while JaNae Mortensen, a defensive specialist who is the team's libero, is averaging a team-high 3.20 digs per set. Yausie has a team-leading 20 ace serves, followed by Hills with 18, Mortensen with 17 and Hamilton with 15.

"All four of our graduating seniors are starters and that speaks well for them," said Eastern head coach Miles Kydd. "They have made a tremendous commitment to Eastern and have been major contributors to our program. We hate to lose such a great group of seniors, but that's the nature of college athletics -- they come and then they go."

#1 - JaNae Mortensen - DS - Pleasant Grove, Utah (Snow College / Pleasant Grove H.S. '06)

#3 - Ashley Hamilton - S - Alpine, Utah (Arizona / Lone Peak H.S. '06)

#9 - Amanda Yausie - S - Colonsay, Saskatchewan (Colonsay H.S. '06)

#13 - Hayley Hills - OH - Quesnel, B.C. (Correlieu Secondary '06)

 

Eagles to Host Big Sky Championships -- After claiming the Big Sky Conference's regular-season title in 2008, the Eagles earned the right to host the league's 2009 Tournament.

The semifinals will take place at 5 and 7 p.m. on Nov. 27, while the title contest will start at 7 p.m. the following evening. The winner of that match will earn the league's automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament, which starts the following weekend.

The Eagles previously hosted the tournament in 2004, 2003, 2002 and 1989.

 

Oregon State Volleyball Women Fall in Four to No. 12 California

 

Berkeley, Calif. – The Oregon State volleyball team outblocked No. 12 California 13.0-8.0, but fell in four (14-25, 25-23, 17-25, 20-25) on Friday evening in Haas Pavilion.

 

“What really held up tonight was our blocking,” head coach Taras Liskevych said. “But our defense and blocking never worked together. I thought we let Cal off the hook in set three when we led 16-13 and then it was 16-19. We had 13 missed serves – that’s the biggest stat.”

 

Senior Rachel Rourke (Queensland, Australia) killed a team-high 16 balls, adding eight digs. And junior Jill Sawatzky (St. Andrews, Manitoba) struggled early but came on strong in the final set, recording four of her six kills.

 

Defensively, Sawatzky led all blockers with five, including a pair of solos, followed closely behind by senior Lexie Rathgeber (White Rock British Columbia) and freshman Ashley Eneliko (Seattle, Wash.) with four each. In the backcourt, sophomore Betsy Devich (Kirkland, Wash.) had 14 digs.

 

Freshman setter Megan McBride (Auburn, Wash.) earned her first career double-double with 16 assists and 10 digs.

 

Oregon State took the first point of the second set after falling behind by a set on a McBride kill. The two teams traded points until the Beavers took the lead at 4-3, holding on to a small lead. Sitting at 23-18, Cal battled back to tie the score at 23 all. But a big Rourke kill and a block by Sawatzky and Eneliko against the Bears’ Hana Cutura tied the match up with both teams holding a set win.

 

California’s Tarrah Murray posted a match-high 18 kills, while libero Kirsten Kathan had 22 digs.

 

Oregon State is now 12-13, 3-10 Pac-10, while the Golden Bears improve to 16-8, 9-5 Pac-10.

 

The Beavers wrap up business in the Bay Area against No. 7 Stanford on Saturday evening at 7:00 p.m.

 

Oregon State Notes – Freshman Megan McBride recorded her first double-double with 16 assists and 10 digs.

 

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 Southern Miss Volleyball Team Seals the Deal, Claims First Conference USA Regular Season Title

HATTIESBURG, Miss. – The Southern Miss volleyball team won its first regular season Conference USA title outright with a 3-1 (25-23, 22-25, 25-14, 25-25) victory over UCF Friday on senior night at Reed Green Coliseum.

Southern Miss improved to 26-4 and 14-2 in C-USA, while UCF dropped to 11-18 overall and 3-13 in league play. The Golden Eagles had already sewed up the No. 1 seed last weekend after a win over Tulsa.

“Obviously, we are very happy to win the regular season title outright, we didn’t want to share it,” Coach Ricci Luyties said. “This was a big match because we didn’t want to wait and see if Tulsa lost. We just wanted to go out and win the title at home.”

Ashley Mell led the way offensively with 14 kills, followed by Sarah Jane Bowden with 13 and Angela Hlavaty added 10. Kelsea Seymour handed out 49 assists to go with 17 digs. Maia Ivanova recorded a team-high 23 digs and Hlavaty and Mell added 14 and 11, respectively.

Both teams battled back and forth throughout the first set.  After Southern Miss led 5-3, UCF’s Erin Campbell sparked a 4-0 run that put the Knights up, 7-5. The Golden Eagles tied the set on a Seymour kill and UCF error. Once again, Campbell put the pressure on the Eagles with her tough serving as the USM could not get any offense going and UCF had pushed ahead 14-9. Following a Southern Miss timeout, Lauren Sears ended the UCF fun, but the Knights came right back to add two more points for a 16-10 lead.

With UCF leading 21-16, Luyties called another time and, once again, Sears answered with a kill to get within 21-17. A USM service error gave UCF a five-point advantage. After a hitting error and a block by Bowden and Seymour, UCF was forced to take a time out, leading 22-19. Fisher then answered with a kill to give UCF a 23-19 lead. From there, UCF had back-to-back errors that helped Southern Miss get within two, 23-21. The UCF offensive woes continued as the Eagles closed out the, scoring the last four points for a 25-23 win.

I’m very pleased with the way our team played,” Luyties said. “I thought UCF played well in the first two sets. They were digging a lot of balls and serving us really tough so we never got into our offense. They caused us a lot of problems, but the girls kept fighting. We were scrappy in that first set and came back to win. We played well in the third set. We knew UCF would challenge us and not just let us win. They came back and played us tough, but again, like we’ve done all year, played tough at the end of the match. We didn’t take bad swings and we were mentally tough and we finished well.”

UCF came back to take the second set, 25-22. UCF opened the set scoring the first point. Southern Miss never led in the set, but was able to keep the set close. UCF eventually took the lead on two consecutive kills by Campbell. UCF led by as many as three points early, but Southern Miss made a run to tie the set at 13-13. Back-to-back kills by Campbell gave UCF the lead for good, as the Knights went on to win, 25-22.

After the 10-minute intermission, UCF came out and scored the first three points to start the set. The Golden Eagles rallied to take an 8-5 lead on an 8-2 run. Southern Miss continued its run, pushing its lead to 13-6 and cruising to a 25-14 win.

In the fourth set, Southern Miss ran out to an 11-5 lead to start the third set. UCF fought back to tie the set at 12-12, behind Campbell’s tough serving and taking advantage of several USM attack errors. The teams battled back and forth for the next 12 points between the two teams. With the set tied at 18-18, USM finished off the set with a 7-2 run.

“I’m just really happy with everybody,” Luyties said. “Ashley Mell had a good match, and so did Kelsea. She had a lot of digs as well. I thought those two stood out this match.”

Southern Miss finished the match with a .269 attack percentage and 13.0 team blocks.

“Everything just came together this year,” Hlavaty said. “We have worked hard all season and the dividends have paid off. It’s been a total team effort every night when we are on the court. It’s very exciting and it feels really great, especially for me.”

Campbell led UCF with a match-high 17 kills and 15 digs, while Kristin Fisher had 16 kills. Meredith Murphy tallied 24 digs.

“I’m very excited tonight,” Ivanova said. “I can’t believe that we won. It’s such a great feeling to go out as winners my senior year.”

Roos Keep Postseason Hopes Alive With 3-0 Win Over IPFW

 

Fort Wayne, Ind. – The UMKC volleyball team kept its postseason hopes alive on Friday night by beating IPFW, 3-0.  The win, along with Oakland’s five set loss against Southern Utah, sets up a winner-take-all match between the ‘Roos and the Golden Grizzlies on Saturday, with a spot in The Summit League Championships on the line.  With the win, the team improves its record to 14-15 overall and 9-8 in league play.
In a match featuring the top two blocking teams in the league, the ‘Roos out-blocked the Mastodons, 14 to 4.5.  Offensively, a trio of ‘Roos led the way, as sophomores Elizabeth Beck and Kelsey Knoche and senior Jamie Hagerman all finished with double figure kills.
The Kangaroos took the early lead in the match, winning the first set in a come from behind win, 25-23.  The ‘Roos scored three of the first four points in the set, but IPFW would go on a five point run to take a 6-3 lead.  The ‘Dons would not allow UMKC to take the lead from that point, until the ‘Roos went on a 6-1 run with the score at 22-19, to take set one.  Knoche’s six kills in the set paced the squad, while Erin Wellwood tallied seven assists.
The ‘Roos extended their lead in the match to 2-0 heading into halftime with a, 25-17, win over the Mastodons.  The ‘Roos fell behind early in the set, dropping four of the first five points, but quickly rebounded with a 16-6 run to take a 17-10 lead.  The ‘Dons did not get within four again in the set, as the ‘Roos closed it out on back-to-back IPFW errors.  This time it was Beck’s turn to lead the squad, as the outside hitter notched six kills for the team.  Setters Wellwood and Holly Schmidt added eight and six assists, respectively, while Nicole Kerkman finished with seven digs.
UMKC would close out the match in the third set with a, 25-22, win over the ‘Dons.  IPFW led early in the set, but could never gain more than a one point advantage over the ‘Roos, as UMKC took its first lead at 5-4, and never trailed again.  The ‘Dons did not go away quietly though, as the score was tied up late at 22, until UMKC used a 3-0 run, featuring two Hagerman kills, to take the match.  Hagerman and Beck led the way offensively for the squad, as each finished with four kills in the set.  Schmidt and Wellwood, meanwhile, each registered six assists.
In the match, Knoche recorded her 16th double-double of the season, finishing with 11 kills and 13 digs, while Kerkman chipped in a team-high 17 digs.  At the net, Brittany Fossier finished with a team-high six blocks, while Christiana McQuin added five, Knoche added four, Hagerman and Schmidt added three each and Beck added two to the team’s total.
The match with Oakland will take place tomorrow at 3 p.m., with the winner advancing to The Summit League Tournament and the loser finishing its regular season.

Buckeyes Defeat Northwestern, 3-1

Related:    Ohio State Box Score

Courtesy: OhioStateBuckeyes.com           Release: 11/13/2009

COLUMBUS, Ohio - The Ohio State (21-7 overall, 9-6 Big Ten) women's volleyball team, behind a 25-point performance by Katie Dull, defeated Northwestern (14-13, 5-10), 3-1 (25-16, 25-27, 25-10, 25-15) Friday night in St. John Arena. Dull posted match-highs of 20 kills (.333), six total blocks (two solo, four assists) and had one ace serve in the victory. OSU's Anna Szerszen added 12.5 points with nine kills (.304), two ace serve and three assist blocks. Alexandra Ayers had a team-high 13.5 points for Northwestern with 11 kills, two ace serves and one assist block. Sabel Moffett added 12 points with 10 kills, one solo block and two assist blocks for the Wildcats. Set one opened with six ties and five lead changes. Tied at six, the Buckeyes would score six consecutive points to open a 12-6 lead. The run began with a kill from Dull, two ace serves from Szerszen and a Kristen Dozier-Katie Dull block to make it 10-6. Kills from Ashley Hughes and Dull made it 12-6. The run was stopped by a Naomi John kill at 12-7.  A Wildcat error, a Dull solo block and a Dull-Kelli Barhorst block made it 15-7. The Buckeyes expanded the lead to 11 at 21-10. At 23-12, an Ariel Baxterbeck kill and an OSU error cut the lead to nine at 23-14. The lead was eight, at 23-15, with a kill from Kathryn Chrystal. A Wildcat error made it 24-15 and set point for Ohio State. Baxterbeck, with a kill, stopped the set point at 24-16. A Wildcat error ended the set at 25-16 for Ohio State, giving the Buckeyes a 1-0 lead in the match. Ohio State hit .231 for the set to .108 for Northwestern. Northwestern opened set two with a Naomi John ace serve, a Moffett-Ayers block and an OSU error for a 3-0 lead. A Wildcat error, an Emily Danks kill and a Szerszen-Barhorst block tied the set at three. At five-all, two ace serves from Ayers and an OSU error gave Northwestern an 8-5 lead. At 12-9 Wildcats, two kills from Dull cut the lead to one at 12-11. At 13-12, a Wildcat error tied the set at 13. A Buckeye error and a Susan Oxnard ace serve put Northwestern ahead, 15-13. OSU trailed 21-17 when a Dozier kill, a Wildcat error, a Chelsea Noble ace serve and a Hughes-Barhorst block tied the set at 21. A Northwestern error and a Noble ace serve gave Ohio State a 23-21 lead. A Baxterbeck kill made it 23-22. OSU reached set point at 24-22 with a kill from Hughes. A Kathryn Chrystal kill stopped the set point and a Moffett kill tied the set at 24. A Buckeye error gave Northwestern set point at 25-24. OSU stopped the set point with a kill from Dull at 25-25. A Buckeye error made it 26-25 with Northwestern serving set point. An OSU error ended the set at 27-25 for Northwestern to tie the match at 1-1. Ohio State hit .143 for the set to .122 for the Wildcats. A kill from Dull, a Sarah Mignin ace serve and a Wildcat error gave OSU a 3-0 lead in set three. A kill from Ayers and a Moffett block cut the lead to 3-2. OSU scored the next 10 points to open a 13-2 lead. The run began with a kills from Dozier and Dull, two Wildcat errors and an ace serve from Noble to take the lead to 8-2. Two kills from Dull, one from Barhorst and two Wildcat errors completed the run. At 16-6, kills from Barhorst and Allie Schwarzwalder, two from Szerszen, a Szerszen solo block and a Szerszen-Hughes block gave the Buckeyes a 22-6 lead. Kills from Natalie Taylor and Ayers cut the lead to 22-8. Kills from Szerszen and Hughes gave OSU set point at 24-8. An OSU error and a Johnson-Chrystal block stopped two set points at 24-10. Ohio State won the set, 25-10, with a Dozier-Hughes block to take a 2-1 lead in the match. Ohio State hit .423 for the set to -.120 for Northwestern. Ohio State opened set four with a kill from Dozier and a solo block from Dull for a 2-0 lead. An Ayers kill cut the lead to 2-1. A Barhorst-Hughes block, a kill from Schwarzwalder and a Schwarzwalder-Dull block gave Ohio State a 5-1 lead. An OSU error and a kill by Schwarzwalder made it 6-2. A Dull-Barhorst block and an OSU error made it 7-3. Kills from Szerszen and Schwarzwalder gave OSU a six-point lead at 9-3. At 18-12, two Szerszen kills made the lead eight at 20-12. A Johnson kill and a Northwestern error made it 21-13. An OSU error and two kills from Dull made it 23-14. Ayers, with a kill made it 23-15. OSU reached match point at 24-15 with a Wildcat error. The Buckeyes won the set, 25-15 with a Schwarzwalder kill to win the match, 3-1. Ohio State hit .424 for the set to .088 for Northwestern. For the match, Ohio State hit .291 to .066 for Northwestern. OSU had a 53-41 advantage in kill and an 8-4 margin in ace serves. OSU's Noble posted a match-high three aces. The Buckeyes gave up eight service errors to five for Northwestern. Defensively, the Wildcats had a 50-49 edge in digs. OSU's Noble posted a match-high 20. At the net, Ohio State had a 13 to five margin in team blocks. OSU's Dull posted a match-high six blocks with two solos and four assists. At setter, Hughes posted a match-high 39 assists for Ohio State. Elyse Glab recorded 32 for Northwestern. Ohio State continues the home stand when they host fifth-ranked Illinois (20-4, 12-3) at 2 p.m. Sunday afternoon in St. John Arena. ### OhioStateBuckeyes.com ### Colonels Prevail in Five-Set Thriller to Secure Tournament Spot LAKE CHARLES - The Nicholls State University women's volleyball team (12-17, 6-9 Southland Conference) slugged it out with McNeese State (17-12, 5-10 Southland) over five sets on Friday night. Fortunately, the Colonels prevailed 3-2 (21-25, 27-25, 22-25, 25-20, 15-11) to clinch their second consecutive Southland Conference Tournament trip. After making the 2008 conference tournament, this marks the first time in school history that the Colonels have qualified for the league championship tourney in consecutive seasons. Nicholls entered the weekend tied for seventh with the Cowgirls. After beating McNeese 3-0 in Thibodaux on Oct. 10, Friday's win over the Colonels gives Nicholls a 2-0 sweep of the Cowgirls and a head-to-head tiebreaker over McNeese, thereby ensuring the Colonels will be no lower than the No. 7 seed at the conference tournament next week in San Antonio. A Nicholls win over Stephen F. Austin, or a loss by Texas-San Antonio at Texas-Arlington, would allow the Colonels to lay claim to the No. 6 seed at the Tournament. Senior outside hitter Manieka Golden (match-high 26 kills and 15 digs) and sophomore outside hitter Rachel Yezak (13 kills and 14 digs) each posted double-doubles to help the Colonel cause. Meanwhile, sophomore libero Danielle Daigle averaged 5.0 digs/set with 25 digs on the night, freshman middle blocker Jasmine Harris had a hand in four of the Colonels 7.0 blocks and senior setter Amy Whitehead posted a career-high 64 assists. McNeese struck first with a 25-21 win over the Colonels. However, Nicholls battled back by claiming a 27-25 victory in the second. The Cowgirls claimed a 2-1 lead with a 25-22 third set win, but the Colonels forced a fifth and decisive set with a 25-20 win in the fourth. In the fifth, McNeese got off to a fast start by jumping out to a 6-2 lead. However, the Colonels rallied once again. Nicholls went on a 7-4 run to take an 11-10 lead. The Colonel defense kept the Cowgirls in check the rest of the way as McNeese managed just one more point and the Colonels claimed a 15-11 win in the finale. The Colonels will return to action on Sunday when they head to Stephen F. Austin. First serve for the regular season finale for both teams is set for 3:30 p.m. Live stats will be available online at www.sfajacks.com.

Cats Sweep Aside Sun Devils

 

No. 18 Arizona takes the season series over rival ASU with a 3-0 victory

 

TUCSON, Ariz. – Whitney Dosty went for 14 kills on .333 hitting while Courtney Karst  and Tiffany Owens both tallied 11 kills as the No. 18 Arizona Volleyball team swept Arizona State 3-0 in front of 2,321 in McKale Center.

 

With the win, the Wildcats (18-7, 7-7) took the season series between the two in-state rivals. UA had last beaten ASU (13-13, 3-11) twice in one season in 2005.

 

The first set was close early as the score would find itself tied eight times. At 8-8, the Wildcats went on a 7-3 run to open things up and move comfortably ahead.  After a comeback attempt from the Devils, Arizona closed the set on a 10-6 run to win, 25-19.  Dosty recorded four kills and a block in the first set while setter Paige Weber dolled out 11 assists.

 

In set two, play was a bit more back-and-forth with ASU ripping off four consecutive points to close an early deficit.  The Sun Devils would get no closer than a tie however as the Wildcats earned the big points when they counted and won the set, 25-21.  Weber was instrumental in the set win with 14 hand-outs, most going to Dosty, who had seven kills over set two. 

 

After the set break, ASU was determined not to go down without a fight and would jump out to an early 4-1 lead.  Following an Arizona timeout, the Wildcats would chip away at the ASU lead, finally knotting things up at 12-12. 

 

The Sun Devils looked to be in the driver’s seat after opening a 17-13 lead.  UA then brought in backup libero Danielle Holloway to serve and the Cats would go on to rip off six unanswered points and lead 19-17.  Arizona never looked back as Dosty put the exclamation point on the match victory with the deciding kill to end the set, 25-20.

 

Leading the Cats in digs was senior libero Alanna Resch, totaling 19 digs while also handing out five assists.  Weber led the team with 40 assists.  Owens’ 11 kills and 14 digs were good for another double-double, her sixth in a row and 14^th on the season.

 

Next week, the Cats face Stanford and Cal to close out its home schedule.  They’ll face the Cardinal at 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 20 and the Golden Bears at 1 p.m. on Nov. 22.  Sunday’s match against Cal will honor seniors Resch and Jacy Norton.

Week 12: Who Signed Who? College Volleyball Recruits News From Baylor, Washington State, UNLV, Utah, Samford, Alabama, McNeese

Week 12: Who Signed Who? College Volleyball Recruits News From Baylor, 

Washington State, UNLV, Utah, Samford, Alabama, McNeese

Baylor University Women's Volleyball Team Inks Two Volleyball Recruits for 2010

Barnes signs one setter, one middle blocker for the 2010 recruiting class

 

WACO, Texas – Baylor head volleyball coach Jim Barnes announced the signing of Sam Skryd and Courtney Windham to National Letters of Intent for the 2010 season on Friday.

 

Skryd, a 5-9 setter Naperville, Ill., will join the Bears from Neuqua Valley High School where she was ranked in Prepvolleyball.com’s Top 150, while Windham, a 6-3 middle blocker from Cypress, Texas, spent her high school career at Houston’s Cy-Creek High School, earning recognition on PrepVolleyball.com’sTop 115.

 

During her high school career, Skryd helped her team to three consecutive Upstate Eight Conference championships, earning all-conference, all-area, andChicago Sun-Times all-state honors. Skryd was named to the all-tournament team at the Wheaton Classic and the Warrior Blast Invitational, and helped Neuqua Valley High to a school record 23 wins as a senior.

 

“What we are going to get with Sam is a real highly-trained setter, highly-skilled setter,” Barnes said. “We are excited we are getting in a player that has a work ethic that is second-to-none.”

 

While at NVHS, Skryd lettered in volleyball three times, and was named the team captain and team Most Valuable Player three times. She also earned recognition in the Chicago Sun-Times’ “Top 50”, as well as being named an Under Armour Preseason All-American.

 

“Sam plays the game gritty and determined, a real competitor,” Barnes said. “She will fit in with the way we like to run things. She is really dynamic and fast, and brings a lot of energy to the court.”

 

While at Cy-Creek High School, Windham helped her team to the Texas UIL 15-5A District championship as a freshman, as well as a berth in the District playoffs each of the next three years, finishing among the top four each time. Windham earned Lone Star all-state honors as a junior and senior, while also being named the 15-5A Blocker of the year and all-district first team as a senior. She lettered in volleyball all four years at CCHS, also serving as the team captain.

 

“Courtney brings a lot of versatility as far as being able to play multiple positions,” Barnes said. “She brings a lot of height at 6-3, and plays at a real high point above the net. She can play middle or right side, and she may even be able to develop on the left side. It is rare to have a player of those capabilities.”

 

Windham earned PrepVolleyball’s All-American honors as a sophomore and senior, as well as Under Armour Preseason All-American accolades as a senior. During her career, Windham earned a spot on USAV’s High Performance A-1 team as a junior, and Junior National A-2 team as a senior.

 

“Courtney is real competitive, goal-driven, just a real competitor,” Barnes said. “She loves to play, just absorbs the game. It will be really fun to have an athlete of her talent in our gym.”

University of Utah Women's Volleyball Signs Four Volleyball Recruits

Yiting Cao, Charlee Dyroff, Morgan Odale, and Erin Redd will join Utes in 2010.

 

SALT LAKE CITY - The University of Utah volleyball team has signed four student-athletes for the 2010 season, head coach Beth Launiere announced.

 

Right-side hitter Yiting Cao, libero Charlee Dyroff, outside hitter Morgan Odale, and outside hitter Erin Redd have signed to play for the Utes in 2010.

 

"This class is filled with great athletes as well as highly skilled players,” Launiere said. “We feel like as a group they can have an immediate impact on our team and we’re excited to have all four join our program as they are quality people as well as athletes."

 

Below is a look at the incoming recruiting class:

 

Yiting Cao (OH/OPP, 6-0, Shanghai, China, Shanghai Institute, Illinois Central College)

 

Launiere on Cao: "Yiting joins us from one of the top junior college programs in the country (Illinois Central College) and plays for highly respected coach Sue Sinclair. [Yiting] is a polished player and her experience with the Chinese Junior National team and ICC will allow her to be ready to play at the Division I level immediately." 

Member of the Chinese Junior National team … team won the 2007 World Junior Championship … helped Chinese Junior National team to a third-place at the 2007 Asia Junior Championship … 2008 NJCAA First-Team All-American and National All-Tournament Team selection … was an AVCA Second Team All-American in 2008 … two-time First-Team All-Region … hitting .370 with 3.7 kills and 2.7 digs per set at Illinois Central College … has 12 double-doubles, 23-double-figure-kill matches, and 14 double-digit-dig performances this season at ICC … member of third-place team at the 2007-2008 Chinese National Championship … recognized on the Dean’s List at Illinois Central College and a member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society.

 

Charlee Dyroff (L, 5-6, Boulder, Colo., Boulder HS)

 

Launiere on Dyroff: "Charlee is a tremendous athlete who comes from a club program that trains well. She will bring tremendous defensive skills into the gym and will add to our team’s ability to stop opponents." 

Served as team captain at Boulder High School … set high school record with 401 digs during senior season … posted career-high with 41 digs in five-set match against Horizon H.S. … three-year letterwinner … played club for Juggernaut Volleyball … served as team captain for four years … was named MVP during 15’s year … honor roll student during all four years of high school … carries a 4.2 GPA … started club for environment and community called ClassAction that spread to three other high schools ... mother, Wendi Hill, was an NCAA Women’s Skiing champion at Colorado University … father, Matt Dyroff, played semi-pro hockey for the Dayton Bombers.

 

Morgan Odale (OH, 6-1, Eagle, Idaho, Eagle HS)

 

Launiere on Odale: "Morgan comes to Utah after a decorated high school career, which included winning four Idaho state championships. She is a tremendous athlete and highly skilled and as a daughter of a volleyball coach, she grew up in the gym. Her experience with the USA Junior A2 team prepared her well for the Division I level. Morgan will join her sister, current Ute McKenzie Odale, on the team. They will be the third set of sisters to play for Utah during my time here (the others are Amie and Emillie Toone and Brenda and Brooke Barton)." 

Helped Eagle High School win four state championships … two-time Idaho State Gatorade Player of the Year … three-time first-team all-conference selection … second-team all-conference selection during freshman season … hit .431 with a .518 kill percentage during senior year … member of the USA Junior A2 Team as a junior … member of the Idaho Stars Club Team … team qualified for junior nationals five times … recognized as an honor student for three years … intends to major in dentistry … sister Morgan is currently a freshman on the Utah volleyball team.

 

Erin Redd (MB, 6-2, Spanish Fork, Utah, Spanish Fork HS)

 

Launiere on Redd: "Erin is one of the best athletes coming out of high school we have had join our program. She is a physical player and that will allow her to play at the Division I level and have success high above the net. She joins a long list of great players from the state of Utah who have helped our program become a perennial top-25 team." 

4A State All-Tournament, Academic All-State, and First-Team All-Region team in 2009 … 2008 second-team all-region … hit .388 during her career at Spanish Fork … hit .410 with 54 service aces and 1.5 digs per set during senior season … Four-time Academic All-Region selection … voted Varsity Rookie of the Year during freshman season … Female Athlete of the Year during sophomore and junior years … three-time volleyball MVP … four-year letterwinner … played club volleyball for the Utah Thunder … four-year honor roll student … member of Lettermen’s Club and Spirit Club … also was a two-time honorable mention all-state and 2008 all-region first-team selection as a four-year letterwinner in basketball … finished fourth in the state in 2008 in the javelin and was a 2008 regional champion as a two-year letterwinner in track & field.

 

- UU -

 

 Veronica Chandre Signs National Letter of Intent with 

Georgia State University Women's Volleyball Team 

ATLANTA - Georgia State volleyball head coach Mike Webster has inked
his first signee during the early signing period, as Veronica Chandre of
Oak Creek, Wisc., signed a National Letter of Intent to play for the
Panthers starting in 2010.

The 5-foot-11 Chandre is a two-sport star from Oak Creek High School.
This past season, Chandre broke the school’s career assist record with
1949, while also setting a new mark for career aces with 184. She has
served as varsity captain for the last two seasons. The Wisconsin native
has lettered in volleyball four times, while also earning three track &
field letters in discus.

Chandre earned all-conference first team honors during her junior
season, earning team MVP honors and scoring the most kills, assists and
blocks on the team. In 2007, Chandre earned all-conference honorable
mention honors. She has also set the Oak Creek single season marks for
assists and was named to the Whitewater and Dells All-Tournament teams.

“Veronica is a very exciting addition to our program,” commented
head coach Mike Webster. “Her experience, size and athleticism put her
in a great position to make an immediate impact in our program. For the
past two years she was the starting setter for her regional High
Performance team competing against both domestic and international
competition. She is vocal and competitive. We look forward to her
arrival next fall.”

Chandre is one of four children to David and Lisa Chandre. She has an
older brother Zac and a pair of younger sisters, Sonja and Evangeline.
She intends to major in physical therapy in the fall.

Chandre is Georgia State’s lone early signee, but Webster and the
Panthers plan to add to the group in the spring when the late signing
period begins in early April.

-www.georgiastatesports.com-

 

Washington State University Volleyball Welcomes Three Notable 

Prep Volleyball Recruits for 2010 Season

 

PULLMAN, Wash. -- A trio of outstanding high school seniors from around the country have committed to play volleyball at Washington State University in the fall of 2010, Head Coach Andrew Palileo announced Friday.

 

Stephanie Hagins, a 6-4 middle blocker from Elverta, California, and Marcelina Glab, a 6-2 middle hitter from Watertown, South Dakota, have signed National Letters of Intent. Both Hagins and Glab were named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Under Armour Girls’ High School All-America volleyball athlete Watch List for the 2009-10 season. Heather Wilson, a 6-0 setter from Concord, North Carolina, has been accepted for early admittance to WSU and will begin classes in January 2010.

 

“I’m excited to have Marcelina, Stephanie and Heather join the Cougar volleyball family,” Palileo said. “We have started the process of turning Coug volleyball into a competitive program and they will be an important part of the core players that will continue the success as future leaders. We have enjoyed getting to know these players both on and off the court. With their strong academic foundations, I am confident that they will become complete student-athletes here at WSU.”

 

Hagins’s 273 kills led the East Nicolaus High volleyball team to the Mid-Valley League title this fall. The Spartans have a 16-1 record and are currently in the state qualifying playoffs. Hagins was named to several all-tournament teams during the season and to the Mid-Valley League all-tournament team. She is a member of the Force Volleyball Club 18-Blue team and played on the Regional High Performance Youth Team and was an alternate to the USA Youth High Performance national team.

 

“Steph comes to us from a high-level club experience, playing for coach Bruce Boyle’s Force Volleyball Club,” Palileo said. “I like her size and athleticism in the middle blocker position which we will need to compete in the Pac-10 level.”

 

Glab is a highly-honored three-year, three-sport letterwinner at Watertown High. She is an all-conference and all-state player in volleyball, a starter on the two-time state champion basketball team, and has been a state-qualifier as a long, triple and high jumper on the track team. The Arrows’ volleyball team is headed to the state championships after accumulating a 17-5 record and winning the district title. Glab leads the team with 393 kills, 22 aces, 245 digs and 75 blocks so far. She was named the AVCA/Max Preps Player of the Week after landing 38 kills against the No. 2-ranked team in the state, Sioux Falls Roosevelt. Glab played for Coach Palileo’s SoDa Volleyball Club team.

 

“Marcelina will provide us with middle blocker depth and will fit into our system very well. I have seen her play over the course of the last three years and I am excited to finally be able to coach her at the college level. We look forward to working with her,” Palileo said.

 

Wilson is a four-year volleyball letterwinner at Concord High where the Spiders have a 23-8-1 record this season and have had winning records during her entire career. She has been an outside hitter in addition to her setting duties and has accumulated 328 kills, 298 assists and 145 aces this season. Wilson was ranked first in the state for service aces the past two years. She attended the A2 National High Performance camp in 2009 and has played for both the Piedmont and Carolina Juniors Volleyball Club teams. Wilson is an excellent student, carrying a 4.31 grade point average as a junior. She is a member of the National Honor Society, a senior scholar-athlete, a class representative to student government, and a member of the Keystone Club. She plans to major in pre-veterinary medicine at WSU.

 

“Heather will enroll at WSU in the spring semester and will have the opportunity to learn the volleyball system and get acclimated to college life before the fall season,” Palileo said. “She will have the opportunity to lead this team as a freshman setter and I am confident that with hard work and preparation Heather will continue the momentum that we gained during the 2009 season.”

 

www.wsucougars.com

 

Samford University Women's Volleyball Adds Michigan Standout Volleyball Recruit To 2010 Roster

--- Katie Murphy is Samford second Michigan signee in two years 

and an Under Armour Watch List member ---

 

Nov. 13, 2009

 

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ---- The Samford volleyball team signed two standout recruits to the 2010 roster, announced Samford head coach Derek Schroeder on Thursday. Over the next two day, each signee will be profiled on the Samford Athletics website.

 

Friday’s profile is on Katie Murphy, a 6’2” middle blocker from Sterling Heights, Mich., who has the great honor of being on the Under Armour All-America watch list. This year's watch list includes 383 players.

Later in the month, the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) will name 48 student-athletes as an Under Armour All-American, with 24 players being selected to both a First-Team and Second-Team. Each of the 24 players on the First-Team will be invited to play in the Under Armour All-America Volleyball Match & Skills Competition.  The event will be held at the St. Pete Times Forum, December 20 in Tampa, Fla., in conjunction with the 2009 AVCA Annual Convention.

 

“I am very excited about Katie’s size and athleticism,” Samford head coach Derek Schroeder said. “From what we have seen from her in the recruiting process, it will be hard to keep her off the floor as a true freshman. As a middle blocker, Katie will be playing maybe the most demanding position in college volleyball. If she can handle those demands, she can be a special player for us right away.”

 

Murphy comes to Samford by way of Warren Mott High School in Warren, Mich. Warren Mott is a school the size of about 1900. She is ranked 39^th scholastically in her class of 411. She has been an honor roll student throughout her high school career. She also received the Academic Honor Award for GPA (3.5 or above) her freshman, sophomore and junior years.

 

Along with her success in the class room, Murphy has been very successful on the court as well.

 

As a freshman at Warren Mott, Murphy was selected to play on the varsity volleyball team by then head coach Kevin Bullis. That year, her team won the Mott Community College Bear Classic and was named the Macomb Area Conference All-Academic Team. Also as a freshman, Murphy received All-County Honorable Mention honors, her first varsity letter and was voted by her team Most Improved Player and Team Practice Player. She was named Macomb Area Conference Honorable Mention for the White Division and posted a team-high in solo blocks (68) for the season.

 

During her sophomore year, Murphy received her second varsity letter and recorded a team-high 89 solo blocks and a team-high 350 kills on the season.

 

She was named All-Region, Class-A First Team All-County and was also voted onto the Macomb Area Conference White Division first team during her sophomore, junior and senior seasons.

 

Murphy helped her team to second place in the Swan Valley Invitational as a junior. She ended her junior season just two solo blocks shy of breaking a school record for solo blocks in a season. Her 2008 total was 126 while the record stands at 127. However, she did break the school record for career kills with 822 while matching the school record for solo blocks in a match with nine. She set a new school record for career solo blocks with 283 as she received her third varsity letter and was nominated for All-State Honorable Mention. Her team was also named Macomb Area Conference All Academic Team for the second time in three years.

 

In 2009, as a senior, she was named the Macomb Area Conference White Division Most Valuable Player while earning her fourth varsity letter. She also set a new school record for kills in a match with 23 in a five-set match and recorded a new school record twice for solo blocks in a match with 11 and 13, respectively, both in three-set matches. She helped her team set a new school record for team wins in a season (39-9-2) while leading them to championship titles at the Roseville Invitational and U of M Dearborn Tournaments as well as a second place finish in the Hartland Invitational.

 

In club, Murphy has played four years with the Legacy Volleyball Club out of Rochester Hills, Mich., most recently with the 18-National team under the direction of Bryan Lindstrom. Last year, her team qualified for the Junior Olympics.

 

Murphy can hardly contain her excitement about signing with Samford. She is counting the days until she will arrive on campus.

 

“The minute I arrived at Samford, I knew it was where I was meant to be,” Murphy said. “Samford is an opportunity I just cannot pass up. Not only will I get a great education, but I will also be part of a great volleyball team. From the minute I met the coaching staff and the team, I felt like I was already a Bulldog. I am so excited to be coming to Samford and cannot wait to get there.”

 

Murphy looks to major in exercise science with plans to go on to physical therapy school.

 

She is the daughter of Ken and Dory Murphy. Ken is a musician and manages the drum department for Guitar Center in Roseville, Mich. Dory is retired after 30 years with Becker Group-Tooling Division.

 

*** SAMFORD BULLDOGS ***

 

Alabama Women's Volleyball Team Inks Two in Early Volleyball Recruit Signing Period

 

Crimson Tide welcomes Morgan Hendrix and Brianne Vande Griend to 2010 Signing Class

 

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama head volleyball coach Judy Green announced the signing of Morgan Hendrix and Brianne Vande Griend to national letters of intent on Friday. The two will join the Crimson Tide in the fall of 2010.

 

“Overall I am very pleased with the addition of Morgan and Brianne to our program,” said Green. “Both of these players have an unprecedented passion for volleyball, are extremely competitive and will help use re-create the culture we expect from our program. If you spend any time around Morgan and Bri you can feel their enthusiasm and their burning desire to help make Alabama volleyball better. They are both well-rounded people who are driven to succeed not only on the volleyball court but in the classroom and the community.”

 

Hendrix, a 6-3 middle blocker/right side from Austin, Texas, is ranked as one of PrepVolleyball.com’s Senior Aces 2010 “The 150”. Recently, she helped guide the Lady Cavaliers to a 3-0 win in the regional quarterfinals to advance Lake Travis High School to the 4-A Region IV Semifinals. Hendrix’s team has compiled an overall record this season of 45-3 ranking them 11^th in the state of Texas. She was a 2008 USA High Performance Youth Gold Team member as well as an Honorable Mention All-District honoree. In 2007, Hendrix was an Honorable Mention Academic All-District selection. Her club career has been spent as a member of the Austin Performance team.

 

Off the court, she has been just as involved being honored with the U.S. Presidential Gold Medal Service Award that is given to students with over 100 hours of service. Hendrix is also a member of the National Society of High School Scholars. She is the daughter of Larry and Patsy Hendrix and has one younger brother, Hunter.

 

“Morgan brings depth to our middle and right side positions,” explained Green. “We just found out last week she is still growing, so we are definitely going to be able to put up an enormous block with her at the net.  She is an emotional leader on the floor for every team she has played on, and we expect her to bring that leadership to our practice gym starting next August. She is driven to excel and is hungry to become the best volleyball player she can be.”

 

Vande Griend joins Hendrix on PrepVolleyball.com’s Senior Aces 2010 “The 150” list. The outside hitter from Colorado Springs, Colo. will be playing for Colorado Springs Christian School’s sixth consecutive state championship this weekend in Denver. The Lions captured the 2009 Region A Championships with a 3-0 sweep last weekend and enter the tournament as the No. 1 3A seed. As a member of the Colorado Juniors, Vande Griend placed eighth at the USA Junior Nationals in 2008 in the National Division and came in 13^th in 2009.

 

Away from volleyball, Vande Griend enjoys working on the yearbook committee. She is also an accomplished basketball player earning First Team All-League honors following the 2008-09 season and Second Team All-League honors at the conclusion of the 2007-08 year. She is the daughter of Brian and Lori Vande Griend and has one older sister, Heidi.

 

“Brianne is a tremendous multi-sport athlete who impressed us with her competitive intensity and work ethic on the floor last club season,” added Green. “She is a springy athlete who will become a solid six rotation player for us as her career develops. She, too, has the ability to impact a game and she looks to be a natural at the outside hitter position.”

 

--UA--

 

McNeese State Women's Volleyball Team Signs 

Three Volleyball Recruits In Early Signing Period 

     McNeese State's volleyball team signed three players to a National Letter of Intent Monday for the 2010 season.  Outside hitter Amy Moyer and middle blocker Sarah Behrens of Dulles High (Sugar Land, Texas) and outside hitter/right side Regina Trapp of Santa Fe High in Santa Fe, Texas. 

     "I am very pleased with this recruiting class.  This class, along with our talented 2009 class, will go a long way in establishing this program as one to be reckoned with in the Southland Conference.  These three players are very talented and will bring a great competitive presence into the gym everyday.  We are thrilled that they have bought into our vision for this program, and we look for great things from them in the years to come," said head coach Dale Starr. 

     Moyer and Behrens are members of the 2009 district 25-5A Co-championship team who have advanced to the regional semifinals.  

     Moyer is a member of three district championship teams and is a four-time first team all-district selection, 2009 Player of the Year and two-time team MVP as well as being named the district offensive player of the year last season.  She was named to the Prep Volleyball Freshman 59 list in 2006 and was a member of the Houston's Juniors 16's National Championship team and was a 2007 USAV All-American.  Behrens has been a member of the varsity team from 2008-09 and is also a member of the basketball team.

     "Amy comes in as a polished all-around player who is leading her team in several categories this season.  She was an All-American as a sophomore, but suffered an elbow injury that sidelined her for her junior club season.  She is healed up and leading her team deep into the state playoffs this season.  Amy is going to be a very solid all-around player for us.  She brings a great volleyball IQ and a great skill set to our program.  She should be able to step right in and compete for playing time right away on the outside.  We are very excited that Amy chose to join our program and feel that she will be able to help us get to the next level during her career.  She brings a ton of talent and intensity to our program, along with a winning attitude that will really help our program.  I am looking forward to coaching her and watching her improve over the next four years."

     “Sarah comes to us from Dulles High school, and has been a high school teammate of Amy Moyer for the past 4 years.  Sarah is a little bit raw in her skill set, but has a tremendous upside.  Once she starts training exclusively in the sport of volleyball, Sarah has the potential to be a dominant player for us.  She is extremely athletic and fast, and will provide us with great depth at the middle blocker position.  With both of our starters returning next year in the middle, Sarah will have a great opportunity to learn the game and grow in her volleyball knowledge.  I see great things from Sarah once she adjusts to the speed of the college game.  I am really looking forward to watching her development over the next year or so, and then I really anticipate her just taking off.  She has great tools to work with, and her ceiling is very high.  We are pleased that Sarah has decided to join us here at McNeese."  

     Trapp is a four year varsity letterwinner who leads her team in kills and blocks and is third on the team in digs.  She has been named to the all-district team and team MVP.  She is a member of the AVA of Texas club team.  Trapp has been named to several all-tournament teams and was the districtOffensive Player of the Year in 2009 and defensive Player of the Year in 2007.  In 2008, Trapp was named to the first team all-county and was the team MVP.  In 2007 she was also named to the first team all-district, second team all-county and in 2006 she was an all-district honorable mention selection.  Trapp chose McNeese State over Central Arkansas and Lamar.

     “Regina comes in as another polished all-around player who led her team to a deep run in the state playoffs this season.  She comes from a great club program that also produced Priscilla Massengale and Becky Bekelja, so there is some familiarity there.  Regina will give us great options both on the outside and the right side next year.  She is a very solid offensive player and is very good at the net.  She has a tremendous arm swing and will be able to compete right away at both positions for playing time.  We are excited about Regina’s potential, and I am looking forward to working with her over the next four years.”

UNLV VOLLEYBALL SIGNS THREE VOLLEYBALL RECRUITS

Rebels bring in three into the mix for 2010.

LAS VEGAS – The UNLV Rebels added three student-athletes to its 2010 lineup with the signing of Stephanie Thelen, Madeline Westman and Kaitlin Winters to National Letters of Intent. The trio will enroll at UNLV in the fall of 2010 and will be eligible to participate with the Rebels announced head coach Allison Keeley. 

“We are really proud of the accomplishments and the character of our 2010 recruiting class,” noted Keeley. “This group of student-athletes has proven throughout their scholastic careers that they have the integrity, skill and dedication necessary to find success at the collegiate level.”   

Thelen, who is 5-11 and from Atlanta, Ga., will graduate from Milton High School in 2010. She has helped guide her Eagles to Elite 8 tournament showings in 2008 and 2009, while reaching the Final 4 in 2007. She split time as a setter and right-side hitter, As a junior and senior she notched 1,210 assists, 366 digs, 254 kills, 92 blocks and 91 aces. The past two years she earned all-area team honors, while being named to the 2009 all-state team. She was chosen as the 5A Area 6 Setter of the Year and named a senior all-star for 2009. 

“Stephanie poses a double threat as both a setter and a hitter. As a setter, she brings competitiveness, leadership and composure. At the net, she adds a strong block and aggressive swing. Stephanie's game knowledge and commitment to the game will ensure her rise as a star in the Rebel program.   

Westman, a 6-3 middle blocker/outside hitter from Wauconda, Ill., will graduate from Wauconda High School in 2010. She helped the Bulldogs to 21 straight wins in 2009, while guiding the team to an undefeated record in the North Suburban Conference. The Bulldogs won the division for the second consecutive year, while taking home the program’s first regional championship in school history. She broke the single-season record in kills with 338 this past year. She was named to the all-conference squad in 2007, 2008 and 2009, while taking home all-area honors the past two seasons. 

“Maddie is the go-to type of player that will be the backbone of our program. She is a very fluid athlete with a quick arm who will be a six rotation player. Maddie's studious approach to the game will ensure that she quickly adapts to the level of the Mountain West Conference.” 

Winters, a 6-3 middle blocker from St. Clair Shores, Mich., will graduate from South Lake High School in 2010. She helped the Cavaliers to three straight district championships beginning with her sophomore season. As a senior, she was the team’s captain, while earning all-county and all-region first team honors. She was on the AVCA’s All-America watch list. As a junior, she was first team all-county and all-conference and the team’s MVP. She took home second team all-county honors as a sophomore, while earning most improved player status as a freshman. Besides lettering four years in volleyball, she lettered twice for the varsity basketball team. She was named to the all-county second team as a junior.   

“Kaitlin is a physically imposing athlete with the ability to dominate the front court. She is the most skilled middle blocker to be recruited by our staff to date. Her experience gives her a strong foundation on which to launch a career following the footsteps of former great Rebel middles.” 

-UNLV-  

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College Volleyball Game Results Yesterday 11/13: Saint Louis Billikens Over Rams, aubrun Tigers Volleyball 3-2 over Tennessee Volleyball Women, kentucky Sweeps Georgia, HPU Women's Volleyball over Charleston Southern

Saint Louis Women's Volleyball Billikens Turn Away Rams 3-0

Boken posts double-double

 

        ST. LOUIS – The No. 20 Saint Louis Billikens women's volleyball recorded a .304 hitting percentage, including a .500 clip with no errors in the opening set, while holding Rhode Island to a -.011 mark in a 25-7, 25-12, 25-16 sweep in Atlantic 10 Conference match. Megan Boken’s double-double of 10 kills and 14 digs led the Billikens.

 

        The Billikens scored the first eight points of the match and 12 of the first 13 in rolling to a commanding lead in set one. Alyssa Deno pounded down a kill for the first point, and URI committed two straight errors. A Bridget Fonke ace kept the Billikens going and forced a Rams’ timeout. Boken’s kill pushed the score up to 8-0. Kayla Wilson finally got URI on the board, but another Deno kill sparked a 4-0 SLU run. At 12-2, the Billikens stretched the advantage to 15-2 and cruised to a 25-7 win. The Billikens had 12 kills on 24 swings and did not commit an error, while the Rams hit

-.030.

 

        The Rams led set two 2-1, but the Billikens scored seven unanswered points to bolt to an 8-2 lead. Casey Chernin started the run with a kill, and Boken converted down the line. After a Sammi McCloud kill, URI committed a ball handling error. Two more SLU kills pushed the margin to six. The Rams chipped away at the lead and closed to 9-6, but the Billikens answered with four consecutive points. Fonke and Deno had back-to-back kills, and URI hurt itself with two errors to boost the Billiken advantage to 13-6. The Rams were down 16-11 before the Billikens closed the set by scoring nine of the last 10 points. SLU hit just under .300 in the set but again held the Rams to a negative hitting percentage at -.077.

 

        With set three tied at 2-2, the Billikens scored five in a row to take the early advantage. After a URI service error, McCloud notched a kill and she teamed with Boken on a block. Whitney Behrens served an ace, and a Rams’ hitting error gave the Billikens a 7-2 edge. URI cut the gap to 9-4, but the Billikens scored four straight points to jump out to a 13-4 lead. After URI recorded a kill, the SLU advantage reached double digits at 16-5. The Rams never got closer than eight points the rest of the way as the Billikens completed the sweep 25-16.

 

        Deno had eight kills on 14 swings for a .571 hitting percentage, and Fonke recorded six kills and hit at a .545 rate while adding 11 digs. Whitney Roth led all players with 29 assists. The Billikens win their eighth straight match and improve to 21-6 overall, 13-1 in the A-10. The Rams fall to 10-17, 3-11 in conference.

University of Auburn Tigers Women's Volleyball Team 

Comes From Behind To Top Tennessee, 3-2

AUBURN, Ala. – Down two sets, the Auburn volleyball squad battled
back and defeated Tennessee, 3-2 (11-15, 20-25, 25-22, 25-21, 17-15),
Friday at the Student Activities Center. The win marks just the second
time this decade the Tigers have bested the Lady Vols.

“It was a great, gutsy win for our young squad,” Wade Benson, head
volleyball coach, said. “It showed us that not giving up pays off.
They worked very hard today and all week at practice. It is a nice
victory for this team.”

With the win, Auburn improves to 15-12 overall and 7-9 in the SEC,
while Tennessee is now 19-7 and 12-4 in conference play.

“We stuck it out and fought hard as a team,” junior Morgan Johns
said. “We came together and matured a lot as a squad over the season
and this game showed it tonight.”

Johns led Auburn offensively with 17 kills, while libero Liz Crouch
finished with a team-best 19 digs. Freshman Sarah Bullock picked up her
sixth double-double of the year, finishing with 10 kills and 11 digs.
Classmate Katherine Culwell added 10 kills and four blocks for the
Tigers.

Setting duo Christina Solverson and Sara Shanks each recorded
double-doubles on the evening. Solverson had a career-high 18 digs to go
with 27 assists, while Shanks finished with 12 assists and 15 digs.
Junior Lauren Mellor led the squad with six blocks and Alyssa Davis
added four.

Tennessee’s Nikki Fowler finished with a match-high 22 kills and 15
digs. Kayla Jeter tallied 15 kills, while libero Chloe Goldman had a
match-best 23 digs. Setter Kelsey Mahoney recorded 53 assists and 19
digs for the Lady Vols.

Tennessee opened the match with 4-0 run in the first set and pushed
forward to go up 10-3. A kill from Bullock cut the Lady Vols’ lead to
six at 10-4, but the visiting team put together another big run to take
a 15-5 lead. The Lady Vols went on to take the set, 25-11.

A handful of Tennessee attack errors, with kills from Johns and Davis
gave Auburn a 6-3 lead at the start of set two. A small run brought the
Lady Vols within one at 10-9, but a 5-1 Tiger rally gave Auburn the
15-10 advantage. Tennessee fought back and tied the set at 16 and with
the set locked at 19, a 6-1 Tennessee run gave the Lady Vols the 25-20
win.

Tennessee started the third set just as the first, opening with a 4-1
lead. A kill from Culwell, however, brought Auburn within a point at 5-4
and a service ace from Crouch tied the set a nine apiece. The squads
battled back a forth through the middle of the set until a pair of
Tennessee errors and a Culwell kill pushed Auburn to a 20-18 lead. A
trio of kills from Johns and a pair from Bullock propelled the Tigers to
a 25-22 set three win.

The teams fought in the beginning of set four, seeing seven ties. Down
a point at 8-7, a kill from Shanks sparked a three-point rally to give
Auburn its first lead of the set at 10-8. Another big Tiger run gave
Auburn its largest lead at 18-12 and a kill from Davis solidified a
25-21 victory.

In the final set, Tennessee came out with a quick 6-3 lead and went up
by as much as four at 10-6. A pair of kills from Davis brought Auburn
within three at 11-8 and a kill from Mellor closed the gap even more,
seeing Tennessee up just 13-11. Facing match point, a kill by Johns and
a service ace from Chanelle Clark kept the Tigers alive and a Lady Vols
setting error tied the set at 14. With momentum on Auburn’s side, two
more kills from Johns pushed Auburn to a 17-15 match win.

The Tigers return to the Student Activities Center on Sunday as they
host No. 11 Kentucky at 1:30 p.m. Admission is free to the public.

November 13, 2009

 

Mendoza, Sauer Earn Milestones in UK’s 3-0 Win

University of Kentucky Women's Volleyball team sweeps Georgia behind collective effort

 

ATHENS, Ga.  –  Junior outside hitter Sarah Mendoza tallied the 1,000 kill of her career and senior libero BriAnne Sauer became the second player in school history to amass 1,500 digs in a career in helping No. 11 Kentucky to a 3-0 (25-21, 25-22, 25-14) victory at Georgia Friday. With the 3-0 win UK has posted 14 sweeps this season.

 

Kentucky (25-2, 15-1) charted the win behind a collective team effort. Mendoza led the way offensively with 12 kills and sophomore Blaire Hiler chipped in with 10. Sophomore middle blockers Gretchen Giesler and Becky Pavan tallied nine and eight kills, respectively. Junior Lauren Rapp struck for seven kills to aid the Wildcat cause. Senior setter Sarah Rumely dished out 41 assists and added four kills of her own.

 

Sauer led all defensive players with a match-high 24 digs for her 26^th career match with 20 or more scoops. Junior Laura Stokowski added eight and freshman Stephanie Klefot posted seven digs in the win for UK. Giesler led the front line with five blocks.

 

“I thought we got better as the match went on and in the third set our defense was playing really well,” Kentucky coach Craig Skinner said. “When our defense can keep pace with our offense we are a really tough team to beat. I’m extremely excited to pick up another road win and do it in a 3-0 fashion.”

 

Georgia grabbed the opening point of the match, but the Wildcats quickly responded by earning the next two points behind a Georgia hitting error and a kill from Mendoza. Georgia knotted the score at two apiece, but the Wildcats would then go on a 6-2 run to take a comfortable 8-4 advantage with a combined four kills in the opening portion of the set. After an early timeout by the Bulldogs, Georgia came back firing and used a 4-0 run of its own to pull to within 13-11 forcing UK into a timeout of its own.

 

Out of the break Georgia was able to take the next two points to tie the score at 13. The teams would trade points back and forth until UK claimed a 16-15 edge they would never relinquish behind a block from the duo of Giesler and Rumely. Pavan scored four straight points for the Blue and White in the run and the set concluded with kills from Rumely and Hiler for a 25-21 opening set win.

 

Kentucky charted 18 kills in the first set on a .333 attacking clip. Pavan led the way with six kills while Rapp and Mendoza both had four each.

 

Mendoza opened the scoring in the second set and UK quickly claimed a 5-1 advantage behind five kills forcing Georgia to burn an early timeout. The Bulldogs did not go away though as the home squad was able to pull together a run of its own and tie the score at eight. The two squads would continue to exchange points until UK captured a 14-12 advantage behind consecutive kills from Hiler and Rumely. UK would maintain a comfortable lead for the remainder of the set and claim a 25-22 set two win after a final kill from Hiler.

 

In the second stanza UK used a .342 hitting clip and tossed down 18 kills to take the second set. Giesler led all scorers with six kills in the set and Sauer posted 11 digs to aid the Wildcat cause.

 

Rapp began the scoring for the Blue and White in the third set to take the first point of the frame. Georgia was able to come back and knot the score at six apiece, but UK put together a 4-1 run to capture an 11-7 edge midway through the set with Rapp contributing a kill and the UK defense forcing a pair of Georgia hitting errors in the run.

 

In the opening portion of the set Sauer registered her 17^th dig of the match to tally the 1,500^th of her career. Mendoza struck for her 1,000^th career kill to cap a 6-0 run for the Wildcats to earn an 18-10 advantage. That run would be the decisive string of points as the Blue and White capped off the victory behind a final kill from Mendoza for a 25-14 win.

 

Kentucky hit .258 in the third set and posted 14 kills while limiting Georgia to a mere four kills on -.182 hitting.

 

UK will wrap up the weekend with a date at Auburn on Sunday. The Wildcats and Tigers are set for a 2:30 p.m. ET serve on Nov. 15.

 

For the most up-to-date news, highlights and features about the Kentucky volleyball team please visit UKathletics.com.

 

‑ GO CATS ‑

High Point University Women's Volleyball Tops Charleston Southern 3-1 in Regular Season Finale

The High Point University volleyball team finished the 2009 regular season with a 3-1 (25-23, 25-20, 25-27, 25-22) win at Charleston Southern. Sophomore setter Holly Fong (Sebastopol, Calif., El Molino) set a career high with 58 assists and junior Stephanie Wallin (Plymouth, Minn., Robbinsdale Armstrong) had a career-high 22 kills with a .341 attack percentage.

“I was really glad to see us play as a unit and not a group of individuals,” said head coach Jason Oliver. “We came out and made plays. We let down in the third and they made plays but we were able to play our game in the fourth set. It is good momentum going in to the conference tournament.”

High Point came out with energy in the first set, taking a 22-21 lead on back-to-back service aces from Megan Smith (Bellbrook, Ohio, Bellbrook). Wallin had three kills late in the set to lead HPU to the 25-23 set win. Megan Kaminskas (Flagstaff, Ariz., Flagstaff) and Wallin each had four kills in the second set as HPU took a 2-0 match advantage with a 25-20 win.

It took extra points but CSU topped High Point 27-25 in the third set. High Point tied the set 23-23 on a service ace from Breanna Holliday (Hendersonville, N.C., West Henderson). The Panthers took a 25-24 lead on a block by Anna Lott (Lincoln, Neb., Lincoln Northeast)and Courtney Johnk (Larkspur, Calif., Redwood) but Charleston Southern made the kills late in the set to win the set 27-25.

The Panthers were able to keep their composure and came back to win the fourth set 25-22 behind seven kills from Wallin and six from Smith.

Smith finished the game with 15 kills and 12 digs while Johnk put down 17 kills. Julie Hershkowitz (Scottsdale, Ariz., Seton Catholic) had 15 digs.

High Point finishes the season 17-16 (6-10). The Panthers will participate in the Big South Volleyball Tournament next weekend on the campus of Radford University. The quarterfinals will be Thursday, Nov. 19.

Charlotte University Women's Volleyball Uses Huge Crowd for Early Momentum, 

Falls in Four to Temple on Senior Night                                                                                           

 

CHARLOTE -- The Charlotte 49ers rode a wave of momentum to win the first set in front of a record crowd of 2,103 fans, but the Temple Owls recovered to win the match in a 3-1 decision (22-25, 25-21, 25-18, 25-23) Friday evening in Atlantic 10 Conference volleyball action. The 49ers are now 15-15 overall, with a 6-8 league record. Temple improves to 13-10 on the season, with a 9-5 conference mark. Both teams will qualify for the conference tournament next week, finishing in the top six.

 

The match was the first of a doubleheader with men’s basketball, providing a terrific backdrop of raucous students for the evening.

 

The Niners came out firing in the opening set, and won thanks to a 7-1 run in the latter stages to take the 1-0 lead. Charlotte held Temple to a .118 attack percentage in the opening frame en route to the one-set lead.

 

“I thought we came out with great defensive intensity tonight,” said Charlotte head coach Chris Redding. “We were able to take the first set behind that defense. After that first set, Temple made some adjustments and we were going up and down with our intensity. If we could have captured that consistently, we could have fared better than we did in the second and third sets.”

 

In the second and third sets, Temple was able to hold Charlotte to sub-.160 attack percentages, allowing the Niners a lead only in the opening points to surge to a 2-1 lead.

 

The fourth set was the best battle of the evening, with 12 ties and four lead changes. A late run by the Owls gave Temple a late lead and they hung on to finish out the match.

 

Two players stood out among some great performances in the match.

 

Charlotte freshman Bianca Rouse (Columbia, S.C. / Keenan HS) set or tied three career highs with 19 kills and 20 points scored in the match. She hit an amazing .405 attack percentage on 37 attempts. She added a pair of assisted blocks to record the 20-point night.

 

Three other 49ers had seven or more kills. Four Niners recorded 10 or more digs, led by senior co-captain Kaitlin Knight (Englewood, Colo. / Cherry Creek HS), who had 16 digs. Freshman Jenna Litoborski (Lemont, Ill.) contributed in all facets of the match with seven kills, 14 digs, four service aces and five blocks.

 

For Temple, Yun Yi Zhang amassed 28 kills on 71 attempts. Ariel Pierre had a match-high 27 digs, with Danielle Carrozza added 13 digs.

 

Charlotte sophomore setter Sheri Davis (Cape Coral, Fla. / Evangelical Christian HS) had 41 assists in the match, while Temple setter Jackie Morrison had 37 assists.

 

“We’re disappointed not to finish our Senior Night with a win,” said Redding. “These players have made a tremendous impact on our team both on and off the court. We will need them going forward in our next matches so we’re not ready to let them go just yet.”

 

Charlotte finishes the regular season Sunday, with a 1 p.m. match at Xavier. The Niners will be seeded sixth in the tournament, with an opponent to be determined. They will play on Friday night in Dayton, which is the host for the tournament.

 

 --charlotte49ers.com--

 

University of Texas Arlington Women's Volleyball Team Snaps Road Skid, Sweeps Texas A&M Islanders

 

November 13, 2009

 

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – UT Arlington put an end to its road struggles while winning its third straight match with a three-set sweep over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Thursday at Dugan Wellness Center in Corpus Christi. The Mavericks’ 25-23, 25-20, 26-24 victory guarantees them of the No. 5 seed in the upcoming Southland Conference Tournament while notching their first road win of the season.

 

UTA improves to 12-15 overall and to 8-7 in the SLC while Texas A&M-Corpus Christi falls to 9-21 overall and to 2-13 in the SLC.

 

“It was great to get the monkey off our back getting the road win,” UT Arlington head coach Diane Seymour said. “We felt like this was going to be the weekend where we would get that win, and we were able to accomplish that. Our team played really well and I thought Corpus Christi fought hard as well.”

 

Amanda Aguilera had a team-high 13 kills and a .346 hitting percentage with six digs, Bianca Sauls just missed a triple-double with nine kills, nine assists and eight digs while Emily Shearin had eight kills and a team-high five blocks. Alicia Shaffer led all players with 17 digs and Raegan Daniel notched a match-high 31 assists and six digs.

 

The Mavericks came from behind in the first set to win 25-23, despite playing from behind until taking a 23-22 lead on a Tara Frantz kill. Frantz and Aguilera each led the Mavs with four kills apiece in the set.

 

Aguilera sparked the Mavs with a team-high five kills in the second set while the Mavericks used 11 Islander errors and 13 kills to take a 2-0 lead in the match with a 25-20 victory. Three straight A&M-Corpus Christi errors started the frame and then UTA made it 6-2 after receiving kills from Aguilera, Frantz and Sauls. The Islanders cut UTA’s lead to a point (12-11), but a 5-1 run – which included four straight Islander errors – helped build another cushion for the Mavericks.

 

Shaffer went into intermission with 12 digs and Sauls collected five kills and six digs after two sets of play.

 

The Mavericks trailed for most of the third and final set before calling a timeout after falling behind by four points (17-21) late in the frame. UT Arlington answered going on a 9-3 run, highlighted by a pair of kills from Daniel, a kill from Shearin and a kill and ace from Aguilera. The Mavericks capped the match with a 26-24 third-set win after Aguilera’s final kill hit the floor.

 

“I was pleased to see us take that first set when the game was so close. I was pleased to see us keep that five-point lead in the second set, and I was even more pleased to see us come back in the third set and win that to get the sweep.”

 

UT Arlington will conclude its regular season with a 3:30 p.m. first serve on Saturday, Nov. 14, at UTSA in San Antonio at the Convocation Center, the host site for the upcoming SLC Tournament (Nov. 20-22).

 

MATCH NOTES:

UT Arlington improves to 10-1 all-time against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi with a 3-1 record in matches played in Corpus Christi, Texas... Mavericks swept the season series, which includes a five-set victory in Arlington (9/26/09)... Three-match winning streak is the longest for UT Arlington this season.

 

For more information on Mavericks Volleyball check out their new official website @ http://www.utamavs.com/sports/w-volley/txar-w-volley-body.html

 

Duke University Women's Volleyball Team Takes Down Virginia Tech 3-1



November 13, 2009



BLACKSBURG, Va. - Rachael Moss delivered her team-leading 10th double-double of the season with 15 kills and 20 digs to lead Duke past Virginia Tech 3-1 (25-20, 26-24, 23-25, 25-21) Friday evening at Cassell Coliseum.



Moss hit .293 in the match and made just three errors on her team-high 41 attacks. She had six kills in each of the first two sets and all 20 of her digs in the first three games. Along with 18 digs from libero Claire Smalzer, Duke's defensive play forced Virginia Tech (17-10, 7-9 ACC) to hit just .135 for the match.



Moss was one of two Blue Devils with double-digit kills, joining junior middle blocker Becci Burling, who finished with a team-high 17 on a .297 clip. Burling put away seven of those kills in game four to seal the win. She also had three of Duke's 12 blocks.



Freshman middle blocker Christiana Gray shut down Virginia Tech with eight blocks while fellow middle Amanda Robertson and setter Kellie Catanach also worked their way in on three stops apiece. Catanach directed the offense with 43 assists and a pair of service aces.



Virginia Tech's lone bright spots were Felicia Willoughby, who went 21-for-46 attacking for a .348 clip, and Cara Baarendse, who finished 11-for-21 with a .476 clip. The rest of the Hokies combined to hit just -.042, however, which proved to be the difference.



The Blue Devils could not gain much separation against the Hokies through most of the first set, but finally broke through with a 5-1 run that capped a 25-20 first set victory. The Hokies had no answer for Moss, who connected on six of her team-leading 14 attacks in the win. Moss also took care of Virginia Tech's offense, collecting seven digs to hold the Hokies to a .175 hitting percentage. Duke, meanwhile, hit .278 behind a 10-assist performance from Catanach, who also helped out on both of Duke's blocks.



The Hokies once again made it tough on Duke to pull out a win in the second game, but the Blue Devils again came through in the clutch, pulling out a 26-24 win. Virginia Tech never trailed by more than three points and came back to tie the match at 24-24, thanks to a six-kill performance from Willoughby. Duke, however, countered with the middle-blocking duo of Gray and Amanda Robertson, who scored the final two points on a joint block and a kill. After teaming up to put back an attack from Justine Record to run the score to 25-24, Robertson tossed up an ensuing set to Gray, who put it down for the game winner. The block was one of four in that set for Gray, who chalked up five stops through the first two sets.



The Hokies finally broke through with a 25-23 win in set three, however, thanks to a combined five team blocks, the last of which locked up the narrow win. Despite falling into a 14-9 deficit, Virginia Tech rallied with a 6-1 run that tied the game at 15-15. From there, the Hokies kept it tight, never trailing by more than three points. With the match tied at 19-19, Virginia Tech gave away three points on errors, two of which were on attacks and one of which was on a Duke block from Gray and freshman Megan Hendrickson. The Hokies stormed back with three straight points of their own, however, and battled to a 23-23 deadlock. Leaser then set up teammate Taylor Parrish for her third kill of the night to give Virginia Tech a 24-23 lead. From there, Virginia Tech put back Duke's final attack on a block from Willoughby and Parrish to take the game and cut the match deficit to 2-1.



The fourth set was all Duke, however, as the Blue Devils ended the match with a 25-21 fourth-set victory. The Hokies could not stop Burling, who delivered seven of her 17 kills in the final set while making just two attack errors. At the start of the game, Burling had four of Duke's five kills to give the Blue Devils a 5-2 lead which they never relinquished.



Duke continues its Virginia road trip with its last road match of the season on Saturday at 7 p.m. against Virginia. Duke will then return to Cameron Indoor Stadium on Nov. 20-21 to take on NC State and North Carolina.



-d-u-k-e-

Hokies fall in four to Duke
Willoughby racks up career-high 21 kills

BLACKSBURG, Va. -  The Virginia Tech volleyball squad battled Duke in all four sets, but fell to the Blue Devils, 3-1 (20-25, 24-26, 25-23, 21-25), on Friday night in Cassell Coliseum.

Junior Felicia Willoughby recorded a career-high 21 kills for the Hokies (17-10, 7-9 ACC), and freshman Cara Baarendse added 11 more in the effort. Willoughby also tallied six blocks, and senior Taylor Parrish notched five in the affair. Sophomore Erin Leaser doled out 48 assists, while senior Jill Gergen and sophomore Justine Record registered 21 and 16 digs, respectively.

The two squads battled in the early stages of set one, before a 4-0 run gave Duke (23-5, 13-3 ACC) a 12-8 advantage. The Blue Devils held the margin until Tech answered with a 4-0 run of their own to even the period at 16 apiece. Up 20-19, the Blue Devils reeled off a 5-1 spurt to close the door on the Hokies in the opening stanza, 25-20.

Another late rally doomed Tech in the second set. Both teams went back and forth until Duke pressed out to a 16-12 lead with a 3-0 streak. The Blue Devils extended the advantage to 21-17 when the Hokies battled back to match Duke at 22-22. An attack error by Duke's Becci Burling gave the Hokies a chance at taking the set with the service at 24-23, but the Blue Devils put together a late 3-0 run to steal the second, 24-26.

The Hokies fell behind by six points at 14-8 to start the third stanza, and the outlook appeared bleak. Tech began chipping away at the cushion though, and used a 4-0 spurt to cut the gap to two at 14-12. Eventually the Hokies tied the set at 17 all. Duke responded, taking a 22-19 advantage, but again Tech fought back to tie the period, 22-22. Down 23-22, Willoughby and Parrish recorded back-to-back kills to take the lead, and this time Tech put the Blue Devils away as Willoughby and Parrish teamed up to block Burling's attack and finish Duke in the set, 25-23.

Again the Blue Devils jumped out to an early lead at 12-8 in the fourth frame. The Hokies remained in within striking distance for the remainder of the set, never letting Duke lead by more than four. Tech cut the lead to one three times late in the period, at 19-20, 20-21 and 21-22, but the Blue Devils won the final three points of the match to take the final set, 25-21, and the match, 3-1.

Duke struck at a .206 clip, while the Hokies hit .135 in the match. The Blue Devils also out-blocked the Hokies. Duke blocked 12 attacks, while the Hokies totaled 8.5 stuffs.

Tech will return to action on Saturday in Cassell Coliseum against Wake Forest at 5 p.m. Results will be available at hokiesports.com.

-vt-

Georgia State Women's Volleyball Team Falls to VCU on Senior Night

ATLANTA - The Georgia State volleyball team fell 3-0 (20-25, 17-25,
23-25) to VCU on Friday night at the GSU Sports Arena. The Panthers
honored lone senior Jocelyn Waldern in pregame festivities before the
start of the match.

Waldern will play her final match in a Panther uniform on Sunday as
Georgia State takes on William & Mary at noon.

The loss dropped the Panthers to 16-13 overall and 3-10 in the CAA.
VCU, which entered Friday night’s contest tied for first place in the
CAA, improved to 23-8 overall and 11-2 in the CAA.

“This is a tough loss,” commented head coach Mike Webster. “You
have to give credit to VCU as they played very well and served extremely
well.”

Redshirt-sophomore Vineece Verdun led the Panthers will 11 kills and
just two errors for a .474 hitting percentage. The Bloomfield, Mich.
native added a pair of block solos and block assists.

“Vineece played a great match tonight. We really needed to get her
more balls and we just were not able to.”

Waldern, who has played in 110 matches in her career, scored a pair of
kills and three digs in the loss.

Freshman Jamiee Freeman added eight kills on 17 attempts for a .412
hitting percentage. Freeman added six digs and a pair of aces against
the Rams.

“Offensive, Jamiee did a very good job tonight.”

The Rams outhit the Panthers .301 to .192, while seven Georgia State
service errors were too costly to the first-place Rams. “We have to
step up if we are going to compete in this league. We have one more
chance on Sunday to knock off one of the top four teams in the CAA.”

Redshirt-junior Audrey Cantrell, who is attempting to break the single
season school digs record, scored 11 digs and will need 18 on Sunday to
tie Kumi Ishiyama’s 2002-mark of 513. The Rockwall, Texas native tied
Christen Garcia for the second most in a single season with 495 on
Friday night.

Sophomore Chelsea Perry finished the match with 25 assists.

VCU was led by Ivana Rich’s 10 kills, while Michala Kvapilova and
Mariel Frey added nine each. Lenka Melicharkova scored a match-high 34
assists.

The Panthers will return to the court for one last time in 2009 on
Sunday to face the Tribe at noon. Live stats and web-streaming of will
be available via GeorgiaStateSports.com.

---www.GeorgiaStateSports.com---

Week 12: College Volleyball Game Results

Clemson Tiger Women's Volleyball Team Defeated by #15 Seminoles

Clemson to play host to Miami Saturday at 6:00 pm.

 

Senior Lia Proctor had 22 kills and 10 digs and Sandra Adeleye had 19 kills and six blocks, but it wasn’t enough to propel Clemson (20-8, 10-6 ACC) past the 15^th-ranked Seminoles (24-2, 15-1 ACC). Florida State won, 3-1 (21-25, 25-19, 25-19, 25-19), extending their ACC winning streak to a school-best 12 games. Clemson return to action against Miami on Saturday at 6:00 pm in Jervey Gymnasium.

 

Didem Ege had 17 digs to lead the Tigers, and now needs just 20 to set the league career digs mark. Kelsey Murphy had 50 assists, and needs just 17 in tomorrow’s match to reach the 5,000 mark for her career.  

 

Clemson jumped out to an 11-4 edge in the first set behind three kills from Adeleye and Rand. Florida State responded with a run to pull within one point at 18-17 and 19-18, but Clemson went on a 4-0 run to take a 23-18 edge. Florida State scored the next three points, but a kills from Natalie Patzin and a Stephanie Neville attack error gave Clemson a 25-21 set win. Adeleye and Rand each had five kills in the set, and the team recorded four blocks as they hit .344.

 

Florida State evened the match at one apiece behind hot hitting of their own, with a .324 mark for the set. Brianna Barry had eight kills through the first two sets, as the Seminoles recorded four service aces against the conference’s stingiest service defense. Florida State turned an 11-10 deficit into a 14-11 lead and we able to maintain the cushion throughout the set, rattling off the final three points for a 25-19 win.  

 

In the third set, The Seminoles ran out to a 9-2 lead and were able to hold the cushion throughout the set. The Tigers hit .286, but Florida State had 19 kills and only three errors for a .364 hitting percentage. Lia Proctor had eight kills in the set to lead the Tigers, but Florida State was able to hold on, 25-19.  

 

Florida State opened the third set hot as well, coming out to a 12-6 lead. Clemson responded with a 3-0 run to pull within three, but a 6-1 Seminole run game them an eight-point working margin. Proctor led the Tigers back to within three at 20-17. A kill from Brianna Barry, the league’s leading hitter, opened a four point edge, and the Noles went on to win, 25-19. The Tigers had a five-match winning streak snapped in the process. 

IPFW Mastodons Women's Volleyball Team Swept by Kangaroos

 

Rebekah Roehm’s 18-kill, 10-dig double-double not enough in three-set loss

 

Fort Wayne, IN – The IPFW Mastodons, in their final home weekend of the 2009 season, fell in three sets to the Kangaroos of UMKC, 25-23, 25-17, 25-22.

 

Senior middle hitter Rebekah Roehm had a match-high 18 kills, while adding 10 digs for her 15^th double-double of the season, and 36^th of her four-year career. Maya Schlindwein added 10 kills for IPFW, who tallied 43 overall, one less than UMKC for the match. Roehm and Schlindwein had a service ace apiece, with Megan Steenhuysen picking up a double-double of her own with a match-high 35 assists and a dozen digs. Taryn Parker had a team-best four blocks, while she and Alli Hook each added five kills.

 

Despite the loss, IPFW remains in the running for a top-three seed in the upcoming Summit League tournament, after Southern Utah knocked off the Oakland Grizzlies tonight in five sets. IPFW and Oakland are currently tied at 10-7 in league play, with the Mastodons holding the tiebreaker over the squad from Rochester,Michigan, due to their pair of wins in the season series.

 

With an IPFW win tomorrow night at home on senior night against Southern Utah, the Mastodons will be guaranteed no less than the third seed overall, and depending on the result of the IUPUI/Western Illinois game in Macomb, Illinois on Saturday, they could move as high as the second seed in the tournament, which will be hosted by North Dakota State in Fargo, North Dakota.

 

IPFW used an early 5-0 run in the opening set to lead 6-3, and led by as many as three at 22-19, before the Kangaroos, who have won eight of their last 11 matches to end the season, scored five straight points to lead 24-22. A Stephanie Lamberti kill cut the deficit to one at 24-23, but a service error ended the hopes of a Mastodon comeback in the first set.

 

The Mastodons again jumped ahead early, scoring four of the first five points of the second set, leading 4-1 before a furious Kangaroo run saw the visitors from Kansas City out-score IPFW 16-6, leading by seven at 17-10. The hosts would only close to as few as four at 20-16, but a 5-1 run closed the door on the Mastodons in the middle set.

 

In the third set IPFW jumped ahead early at 4-2, but a 4-0 UMKC run pushed the Kangaroos ahead, and the Mastodons would be playing catch-up for the rest of the match. IPFW was able to tie the game at seven, 10, and 11, before the ‘Roos ran off four straight points to lead by four at 15-11. The feisty ‘Dons would not back down, as no lead in the third set would be comfortable for the visitors, with IPFW closing the gap to one at 19-18.

 

A quick 3-0 run put the ‘Roos ahead again by four at 22-18, but four straight points, on kills by Stephanie Lamberti and Roehm, a combo block by Parker and Roehm, and a ball handling error knotted the match at 22. UMKC effectively called a timeout to attempt to put an end to the Mastodon momentum, and it worked, as the visitors proceeded to score the next three points after the timeout, ending the match on a Jamie Hagerman kill, her 10^th of the match.

 

Kelsey Knoche and Elizabeth Beck each had 11 kills to lead UMKC, with Erin Wellwood and Holly Schmidt dishing out 21 and 16 assists, apiece. Nicole Kerkman had a match-high 17 digs, with Knoche adding 13 for the double-double. Summit League block leader Christiana McQuin helped her cause for the top spot in the conference with five blocks, as teammate Brittany Fossier chipped in six, as UMKC had 14 blocks in the three-set match.

 

The Mastodons return to action at the Hilliard Gates Sports Centerwith the final home match in the stellar career of IPFW’s three seniors, Roehm, Jamie Schwartz, and Shannon Reuter. First-serve is slated for 7:00 PM.

 

~Dons~

 

TENNESSEE EDGED BY AUBURN IN FIVE SETS ON THE ROAD

Nikki Fowler Records 10th Consecutive Double-Double in Loss

 

AUBURN, Ala. – Despite winning the first two sets, the University of Tennessee volleyball team (19-7, 12-4 Southeastern Conference) was unable to close out a spirited Auburn squad (15-12, 7-9), falling in five, 25-11, 25-20, 22-25, 21-25, 15-17, Friday at the Student Activities Center in Auburn, Ala.

 

“This was a tough loss,” UT Head Coach Rob Patrick said. “The injuries we’ve accumulated over the course of the season finally caught up to us tonight. We were playing with our third lineup in as many weeks and we just weren’t as consistent and comfortable as we normally are. Even with three starters out, I thought we did a good job staying in the match. We just shot ourselves in the foot too many times with missed serves and other unforced errors that stopped any momentum we could grab in the final three sets.”

 

For the second consecutive match, both junior Nikki Fowler and sophomore Kelsey Mahoney notched double-doubles, the 31st and 11th of their respective careers. Fowler pounded out 22 kills with just six errors on 55 swings for a respectable .291 attack average, while collecting 15 digs, four blocks and a pair of assists. Running a 5-1 for the first time in her career due to injuries to junior Emily Steinbeck and freshman Natalie Guerra, Mahoney tallied career-high totals of 53 assists and 19 digs.

 

Senior Kylie Marshall, meanwhile, just missed a double-double of her own with nine kills and nine digs, to go along with two blocks and an ace. Fellow classmate Chloe Goldman picked up a match-high 23 digs and sophomore Kayla Jeter added 15 kills, five blocks and an ace in the losing effort as well.

 

The Lady Vols came out of the gates on fire and absolutely dominated the opening frame, winning 25-11. They used a quartet of 4-0 runs and hit .308 (11-3-26) as a team, while limiting Auburn to a -.094 (6-9-32) attack average and allowing them to score consecutive points just once.

 

With Mahoney serving, the Big Orange wasted little time grabbing control of the contest, claiming the first four scores. Fowler got things started with a blast that bounced off the blocker’s head and long. Senior Farren Powe followed with a solo block before another Fowler kill and an attack error by Sarah Bullock finished off the run.

 

After the two squads traded the next five points, Tennessee embarked on another 4-0 tear. Once again it was Fowler that kicked it off, smashing one cross-court from the right side for a putaway. The final three points came on a pair of Tiger attack errors, sandwiched around a sharp block by junior Leah Hinkey and Marshall on a swing by Kelly Fidero.

 

Although Auburn got one back on a kill by Katherine Culwell, the Big Orange picked up right where it left off, notching four straight scores to finish off what amounted to an 8-1 spree. This time it was Hinkey that did the honors, hammering one down the right-side line. Back-to-back Tiger errors followed before Jeter gave Tennessee a commanding 14-4 advantage with a shot that ricocheted straight down off the block for a kill.

 

The Lady Vols put the finishing touches on the set with another four-point streak just moments later. With the scoreboard reading 17-7 in their favor, a service error by Courtney McDonald put the ball back in their hands. Jeter took full advantage of the opportunity, notching her eighth ace of the season with a jump-floater that landed just inside the back line. Powe and Fowler then joined forces to send back an Alyssa Davis attack on the next play, before a Morgan Johns swing found the net to mark the final point of the run and put UT ahead, 21-7.

 

The Orange and White continued to extend its lead, eventually reaching set-point after kills from Fowler and Marshall and an AU attack error. Consecutive Lady Vol miscues kept the frame going a little longer, however, but Marshall was able to put an end to it with a kill that landed wide off the left-side block.

 

Even though it allowed Auburn to control play in the first half of the second set, Tennessee asserted its dominance in the second half, claiming 15 of the final 20 points to emerge victorious, 25-20. Jeter and Fowler blasted out five and four kills, respectively, while Goldman paced the squad defensively with nine digs.

 

The Tigers used runs of five and three points to take their largest lead of the match at 15-10. That would be short-lived, however, as the Big Orange came racing back with six straight scores to take that lead right back. A ball-handling error by Christina Solverson proved to be just the spark UT needed. Marshall cut one down the left-side line on the next play before an attack error by Bullock prompted Auburn Head Coach Wade Benson to burn his first timeout of the set.

 

The tactic did little to halt the Orange and White’s momentum though, as they continued to roll with three more scores. A block by Powe and Marshall kept the ball on UT’s side of the court and Fowler blasted out back-to-back kills from the right side to give the lead back to the Big Orange at 16-15.

 

With the score tied at 19-all just moments later, the Lady Vols closed out the frame by winning six of the final seven points. Hinkey got things going for Tennessee by paintbrushing one over the Tiger block and teaming up with Jeter to send back an attack by Fidero. Jeter added a kill on the next play and Fowler followed with a monster swing that landed just inside the back line.

 

Another block, this time by Hinkey and Mahoney, brought Tennessee to set-point, but its first effort was unsuccessful due to a service error. An attack by Chanelle Clark landed long on the second attempt, however, to give UT the 25-20 triumph.

 

The Lady Vols were never able to get going in the third set, hitting just .091 as Auburn claimed the set, 25-22. Even with their offensive struggles, they still found themselves ahead late in the frame after Marshall notched a kill on a tip from the back row to put her team up 18-17. That would be the Orange and White’s last lead of the frame, however, as the Tigers got back-to-back blocks and a kill from Culwell to go up by two at 20-18.

 

Jeter put UT back within one with a kill from the outside, but Johns answered with one from the opposite side to return the deficit to two. Once again, Jeter slammed one home from the right side to put the Lady Vols back within one, but consecutive scores by the Tigers ended the threat. The two squads then traded the final four points to account for the final score.

 

Auburn won a slugfest in the fourth set, outhitting UT, .455 to .324, en route to a 25-21 victory that sent the match to a fifth and deciding frame. Both Jeter and Fowler recorded six kills on 11 swings, while Goldman scooped up four Tiger attacks and Mahoney dished out 13 assists. 

 

Once again, Tennessee found itself with a lead early on after a putaway by Hinkey and cross-court shot by Jeter, following Jasmine Brown’s first career dig, put the Big Orange up 8-7. At that point though, Auburn rattled off three straight scores to take a lead it would not relinquish the rest of the way. Shortly thereafter, AU turned a one-point advantage into six with a 5-0 run that featured a pair of blocks, a kill by Wallace and two Lady Vol attack errors.

 

Trailing by seven at 20-13, UT made one final push, narrowing the set to just a three-point difference, before the Tigers closed things out. Fowler smashed out consecutive kills and Jeter followed with a laser to the back-right corner, but Auburn responded with a kill by Sara Shanks. Although Tennessee would cut its deficit to three once more at 22-19, back-to-back putaways by Bullock and Johns effectively ended any hopes of a Lady Vol comeback. A blast by 6-5 middle blocker Alyssa Davis ended the set three plays later.

 

For the second straight season, Tennessee found itself not only needing to go to a fifth set on the road at Auburn, but into extra points. Unlike 2008 when it won 16-14, however, the Tigers squeaked out a 17-15 victory this season to win the match and split the season series.

 

The Big Orange looked strong in the early goings, staking claim to a 6-3 advantage after scoring three straight on a kill by Powe, an AU attack error and a blast by Fowler down the right-side line. After trading the next five scores with the Tigers, the Lady Vols moved ahead by four at 10-6 following a service error and a block by Hinkey and Jeter.

 

Just moments later, a cross-court kill from Fowler brought UT within a single point of winning the match at 14-11. It was not meant to be though, as Auburn rattled off three straight to tie it at 14-all. The Orange and White got one more shot at victory following Fowler’s 22nd kill of the contest, but the Tigers got back-to-back putaways from Johns before a Lady Vol attack found the net to end the match.

 

Tennessee will look to return to the win column Sunday at 2 p.m. when it finishes off the road portion of its schedule against Georgia at the Ramsey Student Center in Athens, Ga. The contest will be televised live on Comcast Sports Southeast.

 

Following its showdown with the Bulldogs, the Orange and White will return home to close out the 2009 regular-season slate with its longest homestand of the year. The Lady Vols will first take on No. 10 Florida at 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 20 in a match crucial to both squads in their quest for the SEC title. A 1:30 p.m. contest against South Carolina will follow two days later, before 11th-ranked Kentucky makes the trip to Rocky Top to finish off the regular season. The UT-UK face-off is set to take place at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 25.

 

##LADY VOL VOLLEYBALL##

 

KNIGHT, WHITNEY LEAD HOFSTRA VOLLEYBALL WOMEN PAST TOWSON

Courtesy: Hofstra Athletic Communications           Release: 11/13/2009

Box Score vs. Towson

Hempstead, NY - Senior outside hitter Monica Knight had a match-high 23 kills and added 13 digs, while junior middle blocker Anissa Whitney added 14 kills and seven digs to lead the Hofstra Volleyball team to a four-set win over Towson on Friday evening at the Physical Fitness Center.

The win improves Hofstra's record to 13-18 overall and 7-6 in Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) play, while Towson falls to 8-20 and 1-12 in conference action.

Set scores were 25-19, 22-25, 29-27 and 25-15.

Knight was on fire through two sets as the California native totaled 14 kills through the first two stanzas.  In the first set, a kill from graduate student outside hitter Marina Markovic broke a 13-all tie as Hofstra opened a 16-13 advantage en route to the 25-19 victory.  The Pride hit at a .371 clip in going up one set to zero in the match.

Markovic was on fire throughout the match as she slammed down 10 kills on 19 attempts with no errors for a .556 attack percentage in the four-set match.

The second set featured seven tie scores and three lead changes as Towson managed to earn 25-22 victory.  Hofstra led 14-11 after three straight kills from the Pride before Towson went on a 9-3 and led 20-17 after a ball handling error by the Pride.  The deficit would prove too much to overcome for Hofstra as a kill from Amanda Halls gave the Tigers the three-point victory.

Hofstra would regain the lead in the match as the Pride took the third set by the score of 29-27.  Neither squad could pull away in the stanza as a back and forth affair saw Hofstra trail 26-25 after a kill from Kelsey Hoefer.  After a service ace from the Tigers tied the score, Whitney put the Pride ahead 27-26.  The teams would be tied once more at 27, before a kill from Markovic and an attack error from Towson ended the set.

The Pride left no doubt in the final set as Hofstra used a 4-0 run to turn a 13-12 lead into a 17-12 lead and never looked back in posting the 25-15 win.  With the score 18-14 in favor of the Hofstra, the Pride put the finishing touches on the match as they closed the set with a 7-1 run to win 25-15.

Senior setter Chrissey Cruz had a season-high 59 assists for Hofstra, while freshman libero Kylee Maneja picked up 18 digs.  

Hoefer and Halls each posted 17 kills to lead Towson, with Halls adding 12 digs.  Missy Rohrbaugh had a match-high 23 digs for Towson.

Hofstra returns to action on Sunday when they host Delaware in their regular season finale at 1 p.m.

BUCKNELL WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL TEAM SWEPT 3-0 BY NAVY

Bison Knocked Out of PL Tournament Contention

 

LEWISBURG, Pa. – The superstition of bad luck on Friday the 13th turned out to be true for Bucknell volleyball as the Bison fell 3-0 to Navy (25-17, 25-19, 25-23) in Davis Gym on Friday night. A team-high 10 kills from Kaitlin Segal (Pacific Palisades, Calif./Harvard-Westlake) was not enough to keep Bucknell from dropping its sixth straight match.

 

Bucknell (8-17, 4-9) was slow to get out of the gates and never recovered. Despite opening with a 4-0 lead and holding on to a slight advantage through much of the first set, the Bison fell behind after a hot-serving Lauren Carpenter did her work at the service line. Carpenter led the Midshipmen (8-20, 3-10) to 10 straight points for on her serve, including three aces. By the time the Bison got a sideout, they trailed 21-15.

 

From that point on, it was just a matter of time before Navy earned the win in the first frame. Lindsay Smith (Boulder, Colo./Monarch) and Heidi Kamp (Eugene, Ore./Henry D. Sheldon) combined for a block assist to save match point, but it turned out to be too little, too late as Navy closed it out at 25-17 on a kill by Meghan Carpenter.

 

Bucknell women's volleyball team hit just .065 in the first set, compared to .205 for Navy. The Bison were unable to reverse their fortunes in the second, as the differential in attack percentage continued to grow as the match wore on. The Mids hit .450 in the second set, while the Bison came in at .115.

 

Bucknell had struggled to reclaim any momentum in the second set and fell behind early. Segal and Katie Baumgarten (South Pasadena, Calif./South Pasadena) peppered kills throughout play to keep their team close. Segal even threw in back-to-back aces to bring Bucknell to within a single point at 14-13. In the end, however, the Mids took the in on the serving of Lauren Carpenter, who served an ace to close the set, 25-19.

 

The Bison got their best look at a victory in the third. The score stayed close through the first few points before Ragin Jackson (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y./Hendrick Hudson) and Baumgarten found their offensive swing. Jackson twice gave Bucknell a four-point lead following kills, while Baumgarten gave her team its biggest lead of the night at five points with back-to-back strikes for 15-10.

 

Navy clawed its way back in the set, however, recording five straight points to tie it at 15 apiece. The two teams tied the score five more times before the end, but the Mids got the advantage when it counted. Meghan Carpenter gave Navy match point at 24-22, and a Bucknell attack error gave the Mids the match at 25-23.

 

Head coach Cindy Opalski was complimentary of the Navy squad following the match.

 

“I’d like to give some credit to Navy tonight,” said Opalski. “They’ve been racked with some injuries this year. After those injuries, they have been really resilient and they played well tonight.”

 

Baumgarten recorded seven kills on the night, setting a season-high. Kamp finished with just five kills, but led both squads with four blocks.

 

Meghan Carpenter led both teams with 11 kills, and Jenny Rudewicz did the same with 33 assists. Lauren Carpenter served five aces and posted a match-high 11 digs.

 

Bucknell will be back on the court for its final match of the season at 5 p.m. tomorrow. The Bison will face off in Davis Gym against American, which is fighting for the top seed in the Patriot League Tournament.

 

BucknellBison.com

Virginia Tops Wake Forest in Four Sets
Cavaliers to play final home match Saturday evening against Duke

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - The Virginia volleyball team won an exciting four-set match over Wake Forest in Memorial Gymnasium on Friday evening by scores of 25-16, 21-25, 26-24 and 25-17.

Sophomore Simone Asque notched her fourth 20-kill match in the past seven contests, leading the team with a match-high 24. The outside hitter also collected 11 digs to register her fifth double-double this season.

Junior Kendahl Voelker helped the attack, tallying 14 kills in 24 swings, while committing just one error, for a season-best .542 attack percentage. Freshman Rachel Gray dished out a match-high 49 assists.

Defensively, senior Brittani Rendina collected a match-high 27 digs, while senior Tara Hester notched her second career 20-dig match, tallying 20. Junior AJ Cushman also had a solid defensive game, picking up 14 digs.

At the net, Asque had a career-high seven blocks, including three solo, while junior Sydney Hill contributed five. Freshman Jess O’Shoney added four, while Voelker had three.

For Wake Forest (9-18, 7-9 ACC), Kristen White led the way with a double-double of 10 kills and 15 digs. Megan Thornberry led the team in digs, with 21, while Carlin Salmon, Kadija Fornah and Andrea Beck each knocked down 12 kills. Kelsey Jones dished out 43 assists and had 11 digs. Beck also had six blocks.

Sophomore Tess Udall led Virginia to a 13-point lead in the first set, knocking down a game-high five kills. The Cavaliers had 15 kills as a team in the set, while committing only two errors, and the defense held the Deacons to a .140 clip. Down 23-10, Wake Forest attempted a comeback, using a 6-1 run to cut Virginia’s lead to eight, but a kill from Hill secured a 25-16 win.

Wake Forest took a 7-4 lead in the second set, forcing a Virginia timeout. Out of the short intermission, the Cavaliers worked to tie the score at 13, but the Deacons would maintain their advantage, winning the set, 25-21.

The Demon Deacon’s again took an early lead in the third set, but the Cavaliers responded, putting together a 5-0 run to take a 16-13 advantage. Wake Forest worked back from the deficit, pulling head 24-23, but Virginia pushed the frame into extra points on a kill from Asque. The Deacons committed an attack error to give the Cavaliers the set-point opportunity and Asque capped off the 3-0 run with a thrilling solo block, giving Virginia a 26-24 win.

The squads were very evenly matched at the beginning of the fourth set, tying the score four times. But with the score tied at seven, the Cavaliers went on a six-point run and never looked back, taking the frame by a score of 25-17.

Virginia (12-15, 7-9 ACC) will return to action tomorrow evening, hosting Duke in its final match of the season in Memorial Gymnasium. First serve is set to begin at 7 p.m., with the Cavaliers’ three seniors, Lauren Dickson, Tara Hester and Brittani Rendina, being honored before the contest. Fans are encouraged to park in the Emmet/Ivy parking garage due to the conflict with the football game.

Binghamton can clinch playoff berth with a New Hampshire loss this weekend

link to story: http://www.bubearcats.com/sports/voll/hartford09-2.html

playoff situation:


Binghamton has completed its conference slate and will clinch an America East playoff berth outright if New Hampshire loses one of its final two matches this weekend.

If UNH were to win out, there would be a four-way tie for second place, involving Binghamton. Tiebreakers would then be used to determine slots 2-5. Only the top four teams make the postseason tournament, which will be held next week in Albany.

New Hampshire host Stony Brook on Saturday and UMBC on Sunday. Both matches are at 1 p.m.

Current Standings

Albany 9-0
UMBC 5-4
Stony Brook 5-4
Binghamton 5-5
New Hampshire 3-5
Hartford 0-9

Arkansas State Over North Texas Volleyball, UCF Volleyball Women Fall To Southern Miss, Virginia Floors Wake Forest in Four, Tribe Women 3-2 Over UNCW

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Arkansas State Blocking Too Much For North Texas Volleyball

JONESBORO, Ark. (11/13/09) - The Mean Green volleyball team dominated set three, but couldn't complete the comeback effort in a 3-1 loss at Arkansas State (25-11, 25-22, 14-25, 25-17).

 

Amy Huddleston notched yet another double-double and led the North Texas (11-19, 7-9 Sun Belt) attack with 11 kills and 10 digs. The Mean Green limited the Red Wolves (21-10, 11-6 Sun Belt) to .176 hitting, but never could manage to get its attack started. NT hit .321 in its third set win, but could only muster .014 overall - the squads second lowest of the year.

 

Kayla Saey posted a career-best 16 kills to go with her 17 assists on the night. The sophomore led three players in double-figure digs, including Huddleston and Sarah Willey (11 digs).

 

The Red Wolves kept NT off balance offensively with a potent defensive wall that sent back 18 Mean Green attacks. Four ASU players had at least four blocks in the match.

 

North Texas returns to action on Saturday at UALR with the No. 7 seed in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament on the line.

 

UCF Volleyball Falls to League-Leader Southern Miss in C-USA Finale

The Knights had three players post double-digit kills in the match.

               

HATTIESBURG, Miss. (UCFAthletics.com) – The UCF volleyball team put up a good fight, but would eventually fall to Conference USA-leader Southern Miss, 3-1 (23-25, 25-22, 14-25, 20-25), Friday night at Reed Green Coliseum in its final league contest of the season.

 

The loss dropped the Knights’ record to 11-18 on the season and 3-13 in conference play, while the Golden Eagles clinched the C-USA regular-season title with the victory, improving to 26-4 overall and 14-2 in league action. 

 

“Congratulations to Southern Miss on winning its first C-USA Championship,” head coach Todd Dagenais said. “They may not be the team that looks like they can physically dominate you, but what you cannot do is match their hustle and their heart. That is what makes a championship contender a champion.”

 

UCF had three players tally double-digit kills in the contest, with senior Erin Campbell (Kansas City, Mo.) leading the way with 17 kills, while sophomore Kristin Fisher (Clearwater, Fla.) totaled 16 and freshman Evija Vilde (Riga, Latvia) added 11.

 

“I thought that Evija Vilde finally found a lot of offensive rhythm tonight,” Dagenais said. “She was hitting nearly .700 through the first two sets, but Southern Miss did a really nice job of keying on her late.”

 

Campbell was also one of three players to record double-digit digs against the Golden Eagles with 15, while also posting a career-high five assists, for her 13th double-double of the year. Freshman Meredith Murphy (Austin, Texas) had a match-best 24 digs and junior Kristen Petrasic (Carrollton, Fla.) registered 15.  

 

The Knights looked like they would open the match with a first-set victory, leading Southern Miss 22-17 late, but seven errors from the visiting squad in the last nine points of the set let the home team come from behind to steal the win.

 

“It was very frustrating for us to hold another lead and see it evaporate on errors,” Dagenais said. “We have to get used to being in the lead if we want to be a championship team. If we are good enough to get a lead, we are good enough to win a set. The days of being happy with just being competitive are long gone and just being competitive is no longer acceptable as the standard.”

 

The Black and Gold would bounce back to hit .413 with 22 kills and only three attack errors to win the second set and even the match, 1-1. UCF and Southern Miss remained neck-and-neck though the majority of the game, before the Black and Gold took control with a 5-1 run, capped off by a Fisher block solo, to take a four-point lead. The advantage would stay with the Knights as a kill from Tory McCutcheon (Milton, Ontario) would close out the set.

 

“We really had to function at a high level in the second set to win,” Dagenais said. “To score 22 kills for 25 points total, that is a high level of volleyball. While we do not expect to sustain that for an entire match, we expect to sustain leads when we have them.”

 

McCutcheon finished the match just two kills shy of a double-digit performance, concluding the match with eight kills and a .312 attack percentage.

 

“I thought Tory McCutcheon was outstanding tonight,” Dagenais said. “She has been a huge bright spot for us these last four weeks of conference play and I am proud of how she has impacted this team, especially after thinking that she wasn’t going to play at all this year.”

 

After the second-set victory, the Black and Gold just could not find its rhythm again, dropping the final two sets to the home squad.

 

The Knights conclude the 2009 season on Wednesday, Nov. 25 when they make the short trip to Tampa for a showdown with in-state rival USF. The match is scheduled to get underway at 6 p.m.  

 

“I am thankful that there is only one match left in the season,” Dagenais said. “Not because I want the season to end, but because I don’t want the season to end. As long as this season is going we are striving to improve and we are striving to conquer these weaknesses. We are going to keep fighting everyday in practice, whether we have a game or not, until compliance says that we can’t practice anymore.”

 

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

Also visitwww.UCFPhotos.com, the exclusive fan source for UCF action sports pictures.

 

-UCF-

Wake Forest Volleyball Team Falls In Four To Virginia

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Three different Demon Deacons notched 12 kills Friday night but Virginia’s Simone Asque recorded a double-double to lead the Cavaliers to a 3-1 victory over Wake Forest in Memorial Gym.

 

Virginia improves to 12-15 on the year and 7-9 in the conference while to Deacons fall to 7-9 in the conference with the setback and are now 9-18 overall. UVa won the first set 25-16 but the Deacons would even the score with a 25-21 victory in set two. The Cavaliers then came out of the break and won a hotly contested third set, 26-24 and would roll to a 25-17 victory in the fourth.

 

Asque finished with a match-high 24 kills to go along with her 11 digs, seven blocks and two services aces. Kendahl Voelker also chipped in with 14 kills and three blocks. Brittani Rendina collected a match-best 27 digs for the Hoos while Tara Hester added 20 digs and AJ Cushman finished with 14.

 

For the second-straight match, the Deacons were led by double-doubles from juniors Kristen White and Kelsey Jones. White finished with 10 kills and 15 digs on the night while Jones dished out 43 assists to go along with 11 digs and three blocks.

 

Sophomore Carlin Salmon, Kadija Fornah and freshman Andrea Beck all recorded 12 kills in the match.  Beck also hit a solid .381 and had a team-best six blocks as Salmon chipped in with five blocks.

 

Junior libero Megan Thornberry led Wake with 21 digs on the night while senior Abby Miller collected 15 digs and notched two service aces.

 

As a team, the Deacs had a total of 12 blocks in the match, tying Virginia, but the Cavaliers led in just about every other stat. UVa had 62 kills compared to 48 for the Deacons and would record 81 digs on the night while Wake managed 75.

 

The Cavaliers came out of the gate hot, as they stormed to a 19-9 lead in the first set thanks to some hot hitting. The Hoos hit .342 in the opening frame with 15 kills and would cruise to a 25-16 victory.

 

The second set started out much closer as the teams found them tied at 12-12 midway through. With the score 15-14 in favor of the Deacs, kills by Fornah and Beck would spark a 5-2 Deacon run that gave them a 20-16 lead. UVa would close to within three at 22-19 but two more kills from Fornah and Beck would help Wake close out the set 25-21.

 

The third set was much like the second as neither team could take much of a lead. Virginia held a pair of three-point leads midway through but the Deacons would battle-back to tie the score at 20-20. The teams then traded sideouts until with the score knotted at 24-24, a pair of Deacon errors gave Virginia an emotional 26-24 victory.

 

UVa then rode that momentum into the fourth as it raced out to a 15-8 lead. Wake wasn’t going quietly as a pair of kills from Beck cut the lead to three at 17-14 and 18-15 but the Cavaliers finished the set on a 7-2 run to close out the match 25-17. Virginia hit a solid .361 with 16 kills in the fourth set.

 

The two teams have now split the season series each of the last two seasons with the home team winning each match by a score of 3-1.

 

Wake will continue its road trip Saturday evening in Blacksburg, Va., with a 5 pm match against Virginia Tech.

 

- WakeForestSports.com -

Tribe Volleyball Women Lock Up CAA Berth with 3-2 Victory at UNCW

WILMINGTON, N.C. - The William and Mary volleyball team was down 0-2 at UNC Wilmington Friday night, and down 21-24 in the third set where a single mistake could've lost the match. Four strong points gave the Tribe a 25-24 lead, however, and after winning the set 29-27, the College went on to rally and win the match 3-2 and clinch a spot in the CAA Championships for the third year in a row. With the win, the Tribe improved to 17-10, 9-4 CAA, while the Seahawks fell to 13-17, 3-10 CAA. 

Box Score 

"Tonight's win locks up our spot in the CAA Championship, the monkey is off our back," said Melissa Aldrich Shelton '91. "Lindsay Kresch was fantastic tonight, and Lauren Powell came on strong as a defender, attacker, and leader. Their play was crucial for us tonight." 

Sophomore Lindsay Kresch (Moon Township, Pa.) led the Tribe's comeback effort with a career-high 26 kills on a .303 attack, and reached a double-double with 15 digs. Senior Lauren Powell (Tulsa, Okla.) also had a double-double, scoring 16 kills with 14 digs and three blocks. 

On the defensive end, senior Lindsey Pflugner (Sarasota, Fla.) narrowly missed her fourth 30-dig match of the year, totaling 29 digs to do with two assists and a service ace. Junior Erin Skipper (Yorktown, Va.) had 14 kills and nine digs, along with three aces, two blocks, and an ace. Classmate Ginny Bray (Cary, N.C.) had six blocks and four service aces, both team-highs, while junior Cassie Crumal (Castle Rock, Colo.) had 51 assists, nine digs, and three blocks. 

In the first three sets, UNC Wilmington was able to build its leads early to force the College into playing catch-up. It was a dangerous game to play, as the Tribe was able to tie each and every match late, at 23-23 in the first and 24-24 in both the second and third sets, and had a chance to win each stanza. The breakthrough finally came in the third, as W&M went on a 16-4 run in the middle of the set and overcame three match-points to take a 25-24 lead. Powell had one and Kresch two kills from that point on to lead the Tribe to a 29-27 win and swing momentum permanently in favor of the visitors. 

The Tribe came out for the fourth set with renewed life, and kept UNCW close late, tying the set at 8-8 before closing on a 17-6 run to win 25-14. That run included stretches of five and seven consecutive points, as Kresch hit .625 with six kills in the period and Pflugner came up with nine digs. 

In the fifth and final set, UNCW went up 3-1 early, but another 7-0 run put the Tribe firmly in control. The Seahawks went on a mini-run of their own to make the match interesting, closing within one at 11-12, but two kills by Kresch and a block from Bray and freshman Shaylin O'Connell (Leesburg, Va.) closed the door and won the match for the Tribe. 

With the win, William and Mary assured itself of a spot in the CAA Tournament for the third year in a row, a first for the Tribe since the conference ceased inviting every team in 2001. W&M will either be the fourth seed, or can take the third seed with a win over Georgia State on Sunday and a loss by George Mason on Saturday night. 

The Tribe closes the regular season on Sunday afternoon, when it travels to Atlanta, Georgia to face Georgia State on 12 p.m.

Arizona State University Women's Volleyball Team Falls To No. 18 Arizona 3-0

TUCSON, Ariz. – A slow offensive night for the ASU Volleyball team proved to be the difference Friday night in Tucson as the Sun Devils fell in a tough 25-19, 25-21 and 25-20 loss to the No. 18 Arizona Wildcats to push their record to 13-13 overall and 3-11 in Pac-10 play. The ‘Cats advance to 18-7 overall ad 7-7 in conference play with only a few weeks remaining in the regular season.

Set one the Sun Devils hung tough with the ‘Cats in the first part of the set with eight tie scores through the early part of it before Arizona took advantage of some costly Sun Devil errors to go on a 7-1 run to take a 15-9 lead that ASU couldn’t recover from. UA also held the net with four blocks in the set as the Wildcats came out to take set one 25-19.

In the second set Arizona State University Women's volleyball team hung longer with the ‘Cats with eight tie scores again, with a higher hitting percentage as well as Sofie Schlagintweit led the offense with four kills in the set but the ‘Cats got crafty again in the end as they broke a 21-21 tie and never looked back to take a 25-21 win and a 2-0 lead into the break.

The final set saw the Sun Devils come out throttling as they took a 17-13 lead with four tie scores in the early part of the set. Another 7-1 stretch for the ‘Cats though cancelled the lead out and saw UA start a slow pull-away from the Sun Devils as they just edged ASU with a .255 to ASU’s .237 attack percentage to finish the sweep with a 25-20 win.

Head Coach Jason Watson on the match stated, “We obviously struggled today offensively, and we really went out and beat ourselves. This team and program is better than the one displayed tonight, but consistency has been a challenge for us this season. The talent and skill is there, but where we lack is in consistency and playing top tier volleyball from first point to last.”

The Sun Devils will now return home next weekend to host their final home matches of the 2009 regular season with the Cal Golden Bears and Stanford Cardinal coming in to knock on the door. ASU takes on Cal Friday, November 20 at 7:30 p.m. and Stanford on Saturday, November 21 at 7 p.m. Both matches will be held in Tempe at Wells Fargo Arena.

Red Wolves Volleyball Takes Four-Set Win Over North Texas

JONESBORO, Ark. (11/13/09) – The Arkansas State Red Wolves (21-10,
11-6) defeated North Texas (11-19, 7-9) in a 3-1 (25-11, 22-22, 14-25,
25-17) Sun Belt Conference decision Friday night at Jonesboro High
School.

“We just played North Texas a couple weeks ago and were not only
familiar, but extremely prepared for what kind of match it was going
to be,” said ASU head coach Justin Ingram.  “Containing their left
side hitter and holding her to below her average was a goal our team
had.  We made some blocking adjustment to our system and Char and both
middles (Fielder and Hodges) were outstanding and made it very
difficult for their left's to get into a good rhythm all night.”

ASU rolled past North Texas in set one 25-11, but the Mean Green
pushed back in the second set.  The Red Wolves held on to take set two
25-22, but UNT fired back with a third set win 25-14, forcing the
match into four sets.

The Red Wolves jumped out to an early 4-0 lead in set four on two Mean
Green errors, a service ace from junior Laura Bennett and a kill from
freshman Brittany Hoag.  Arkansas State never trailed in the set,
winning 25-17 to take the match.

Sophomore Cayla Fielder led the offensive effort with 11 kills on the
night followed by freshman Taylor Coughlin with ten and sophomore
Charlyn Ursell and Hoag each posting nine.  Senior libero Heather
Bowman tallied 29 digs on the night, while Bennett and Hoag each
landed in double-digits with 12 each.

Freshman Kelsie Hodges finished the match with six blocks, including
three unassisted.  Fielder and Ursell each put in five blocks as well,
while Coughlin added two.

Bennett served up a team-high three service aces.

The Red Wolves will hit the hardwood for their last match of the
regular season Saturday when they face Denver at Jonesboro High
School.  The match is set to begin at 7:00 p.m.

Yale Volleyball: Eight Players Record Kills as Bulldogs Sweep Columbia

Eight Players Record Kills as Bulldogs Sweep Columbia

Dailey, Crusey and Hearst Each Register Double Figures

 

 

NEW HAVEN, Conn. — Though the math may not be on the Yale volleyball team’s side as far as repeating as Ivy League Champion, the Bulldogs certainly played like a team on a mission on Friday, sweeping past Columbia at the John J. Lee Amphitheater in New Haven by set scores of 25-11, 25-12 and 25-18. Yale got kills from eight different players, led by 13 from senior Cat Dailey, in the straight-set victory.

 

With the win, Yale improves to 19-4 overall and 9-3 in the Ivy League. The victory, coupled with Penn’s five-set loss to Harvard, the Bulldogs are still alive in the chase of the Ivy League crown, trailing the Quakers by two matches in the standings with two left to play for each squad. Columbia falls to 11-15 overall and 2-11 in Ancient Eight play in the loss.

 

“It was great to see the team play with intensity and have fun playing volleyball again,” said Yale Head Coach Erin Appleman. “Having the [Yale Precision Marching Band] in the stands added to the atmosphere; they really boosted our energy level.”

 

Dailey added 11 digs to her baker’s dozen of kills to post her eighth double-double of the season and also chipped in with three service aces. She hit .478 (13-2-23) to lead an efficient Bulldog attack that swung at a .311 (47-14-106) clip for the match. Senior Alexis Crusey had 12 kills and sophomore Bridget Hearst hammered home 11 finishers. Sophomore Taylor Cramm had four kills, and the trio of Haley Wessels, Kerry Clavadetscher and Laurel Johnson each had two. Freshman Anya Cekauskas had one kill to round out a Yale attack that saw every player who took a swing record a kill.

 

Clavadetscher ran the offense from the setter slot, doling out a match-best 36 assists. Junior libero Kelly Ozurovich had a match-high 12 digs to move into sixth place all-time in Yale history and eclipse the 1,200-dig mark with 1,202 in her career. Wessels led the battle at the net with five blocks.

 

The Bulldogs came out firing in set one, grabbing an 8-3 lead to force a quick Lions’ timeout. Columbia took the first point after the stoppage, but Yale responded with a 7-0 run to take a 15-4 lead and put the set out of the reach. The Bulldogs coasted from that point forward to take set one, 25-11.

 

A 6-1 Yale run opened the second set, but Columbia battled back this time around. The Bulldogs kept their opponents at an arm’s length, but the Lions hung tough to a score of 15-10 in favor of the home team. At that point, Yale made its move with a six-point spurt to claim a commanding 21-10 advantage. A Hearst kill made it official, with the Bulldogs claiming victory in set two, 25-12.

 

Set three was the most competitive frame of the contest, with the score running to a 6-6 tie. The Bulldogs grabbed three quick points at that juncture to take a 9-6 lead, but the Lions played Yale to a dead heat over the next 14 points to stay within striking distance down 16-13. The Bulldogs, however, took the ensuing two points to take an 18-13 lead and pulled away late to wrap up the sweep with a 25-18 set-three victory.

 

Sarah Thompson had six kills to lead the Columbia offense. Alex Marchyshyn dished out 11 assists for the Lions, and a trio of players shared the team high of seven digs. Monique Roberts had five blocks, including three solo stuffs.

 

The Bulldogs are back in action tomorrow afternoon, as Cornell visits the Elm City for Senior Day. First serve is slated for 4 p.m.

 

###

 

McNeese Volleyball Cowgirls Fall To Nicholls In Five Sets...

Conclude Regular Season Against Southeastern La. Saturday.

LAKE CHARLES---  McNeese State's volleyball team dropped a thrilling five set Southland Conference match to Nicholls here Friday night 25-21, 25-27, 25-22, 20-25, 11-15.  The loss was the second of the season to the Colonels who defeated the Cowgirls in straight sets in Thibodaux on Oct. 10.

     Senior Chanel Tyler, who will be one of three seniors recognized prior to today's match against Southeastern La., led the Cowgirls with 16 kills and tied for a team high 18 digs.  Sophomore Erin Huckabay tied her career high with 15 kills and was the only other Cowgirl to record double figure kills.  Senior setter Sarah Cartie tied her career high with 48 assists and also had 12 digs.  Also recording double figure digs was Whitney Ellisor and Becky Bekelja with 18 apiece.  Nicole Bowden led all players with a match high seven blocks.  Deanna Sanchez is the other senior who will be honored Saturday.  Sanchez picked up one kill, one service ace and eight digs tonight.

     Nicholls State's Manieka Golden led all players with a match high 26 kills while Danielle Daigle recorded a match high 25 digs and setter Amy Whitehead dished out a match high 64 assists.

     McNeese (17-12, 5-10 SLC) enters today's regular season finale against Southeastern La. in eighth place, the final seed for next week's Southland Conference Tournament.  Southeastern La. is right behind the Cowgirls in ninth place with a 8-18 overall record and 4-11 in the Southland Conference.  McNeese defeated the Lions in four sets in Hammond on Oct. 8.

Indiana Hoosiers University Volleyball Team Triumphs Over Michigan State

EAST LANSING, Mich. - Three different Hoosiers recorded double-doubles en route to an exhilarating five-set triumph for IU Volleyball (15-14, 4-11). Indiana defeated the Spartans of Michigan State (16-11, 4-11) by scores of 23-25, 25-21, 21-25, 29-27 and 15-12. It marks the Hoosiers’ first win in East Lansing since 1991.
 
“I’m really proud of how hard our team fought tonight, and put it all out on the floor,” said Head Coach Sherry Dunbar. “That was our focus all week long at practice, and it showed in the match tonight.”
 
The Hoosiers sweep the season series with Michigan State, also the first time since ’91. A trio of Hoosiers in Jordan Haverly, Ashley Benson and Kelsey Hall led the way offensively, racking up a combined 49 kills. Benson hit .333 with 18 kills while Haverly accumulated 14 put-aways with her .324 attack percentage.
 
Defensively, Indiana constructed a wall in the frontcourt. Benson’s 11 block assists paced IU in a 15-team-block performance. Mary Chaudoin wasn’t far behind, teaming with Benson for eight block assists of her own. In the backcourt, Caitlin Cox dug 17 balls; joined by Haverly and Hall with double-digit digs. 
 
For the first time this season, Indiana had three players record double-doubles. Haverly (14 kills/13 digs), Benson (18 kills/11 blocks) and Hall (17 kills/10 digs) pulled off the feat.
 
“Tonight was not so much about the win, but more about turning the corner and playing as a team and playing for Indiana,” said Coach Dunbar. “Every time we step on the floor we need to set a standard of competing at a high level.”
 
Indiana rebounded from 25-23 loss in the opening set to even things up at one-set-apiece following a 25-21 winner in set number two. Benson put-away seven of 11 attacks in the frame, hitting at a .636 pace. As a team, Indiana posted a .367 hitting percentage (12-1-30). She also provided four block assists for a total of nine points scored.
 
The Hoosiers would have to battle back down a set again after dropping the third, 25-21. It would be much tougher this time, however, as extra points were needed to decide the fourth frame. 
 
It was a balanced offensive attack for IU with four different Hoosiers contributing three or more kills, including three by Whitney Thomas (.429, 3-0-7). Indiana transformed a 3-0 deficit into a 5-4 lead early on, thanks in large part to three blocks by the Hoosier duo of Benson and Chaudoin. Michigan State was able to fend off six IU set-points and even had a match-point at 27-26. Indiana continued to battle though, eventually forcing a fifth set at 29-27.
 
Hall pushed the Cream and Crimson ahead 3-0 in the final set, smashing two kills and a block to open it up. The Spartans would not go away, taking their first (and only) lead as the squads switched ends of the court as the scoreboard read, 8-7, in favor of Michigan State. Indiana then countered with a five-point run to go ahead for good at 12-8. A kill from Chaudoin to Benson would clinch the five-set win, 15-12.
 
Indiana remains in the Great Lake State for another night, taking on the No. 14 Michigan Wolverines (21-7, 9-6) Saturday evening at 7 p.m. in Ann Arbor. Live audio for that contest will be available right here at <i>IUHoosiers.com</i>.

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No. 19 LSU Volleyball Silences No. 10 Florida, Mustangs Prevail at Pacific in Five Sets, Washington Falls To USC

No. 19 LSU Volleyball Silences No. 10 Florida

Mustangs Prevail at Pacific in Five Sets

4th-Ranked Dawgs Fall In Five Sets In L.A.

UW drops its third five-setter despite a season-high 17.5 blocks.

LOS ANGELES – For the second-straight match, the 4th-ranked Washington volleyball team found itself in a fifth-set battle, but unfortunately the Huskies came up two points short on the road at 17th-ranked USC. The Trojans (16-9, 5-8 Pac-10) came back from 2-1 down to beat the Huskies 25-18, 24-26, 23-25, 25-21, 15-13. Washington falls to 20-4 on the season and 10-4 in the Pac-10.

 

The Huskies hit a season-low .196 for the match, but still were just a couple points from victory. Three of UW’s four losses have come in five sets this year, and this is the first time all season the Huskies have lost consecutive matches.

 

Senior Airial Salvo had one of her best performances of the year despite the tough result, racking up 17 kills and 18 digs and hitting a team-best .390. Junior Becky Perry saw her most action of the Pac-10 season, and responded with 13 kills, while junior Kindra Carlson also tallied 15 kills. Sophomore Lauren Barfield’s 11 blocks were a career-high and the most by any Husky this year. Alex Jupiter had a match-high 21 kills to lead the Trojans to the upset.

 

In the first set the Huskies trailed early, 8-2, and never quite recovered. Twice UW pulled to within three points, once at 12-9 and again at 20-17 but the Trojans used a 5-1 run at the end to pull away for the 25-18 victory. USC outhit UW, .276-.075 in the set as they blocked five UW balls and UW committed 11 total errors.

 

The second set didn’t start a whole lot better for the Huskies as the Trojans opened up a 7-3 lead, but a kill by Perry followed by an ace from senior Jill Collymore made it 10-9 USC and the Huskies were back in the match. USC maintained the lead and twice pulled out to a four-point margin, but after a UW timeout with USC up 18-14, Washington walked down the Trojans. Perry had a put-away followed by a Carlson ace, and senior Tamari Miyashiro registered a very rare kill from her libero position to make it 19-17. USC pushed back up to a 22-18 lead, but then the Huskies staged a 4-0 run to tie it up, with two kills from Salvo, a USC error, and a block from Barfield and Carlson. The teams traded sideouts, with the Trojans earning a set point at 24-23, but consecutive Jupiter miscues gave a set point to Washington, and Perry leveled the match with another finish. Washington limited USC to .091 hitting in the set and Salvo and Perry had four kills each.

 

USC led early in set three but never by more than three and Washington came back to force the first of 12 tie scores in the third set alone at 10-10. The final tie score came at 19-all, then UW had a 3-0 run keyed by a block by Rowland and Perry that forced a Trojans timeout. The next point ended in a Perry putdown as well and the Dawgs were up 22-19. USC got back to within one at 23-22 and UW took time, but out of the break, Salvo polished one off and then Barfield and Jenna Hagglund came through with another rejection at net to give the Huskies the 25-22 win. UW hit .250 to .133 for the Trojans and Perry and Salvo combined for 10 kills with just one error.

 

Washington finally got a quick start in set four, building a 6-2 lead on two kills from Perry and one each by Rowland and Hagglund. USC bounced back quickly though with five of the next six points to tie it at 7-7. The lead went back and forth, with UW taking an 11-10 edge on a Barfield kill. A USC error made it 14-13 UW, but then the Trojans went on a pivotal five-point run to take an 18-14 lead. A Salvo kill got the Dawgs back within one at 20-19, but four of the next five went USC’s way, and Jessica Gysin ended the set, 25-21, in USC’s favor. UW’s .300 hitting percentage was its best of any set, but the Trojans had their best offense as well at .393.

 

USC’s Lauren Williams helped her team out to a 3-0 lead in the decisive set with a kill and solo block. USC stretched its lead to 10-5 on another kill by Williams. Carlson got UW back moving forward with a kill, and then Rowland came through with back-to-back blocks, one with Collymore and one with Carlson to make it a 10-8 game and force a USC timeout. Soon after, a three-way block by Rowland, Salvo, and Hagglund brought UW to within 12-11 and the Trojans took their last time. USC earned two match points at 14-12, before a Carlson kill saved one. The Trojans went back to Jupiter, however, on the following point and she ended the match with her 21st kill.

 

Washington will try to regain the conference lead tomorrow night as they visit 6th-ranked UCLA for a 7 p.m. match.

 

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Marina Skender and Brittnee Cooper combined for 36 kills to fuel the No. 19 LSU volleyball team to a gritty 3-1 victory over No. 10 Florida [24-26, 25-23, 25-19, 25-17] Friday at the O’Connell Center in-front of 2,875 fans.

Skender powered home a season-best 20 kills and connected on 12 of her 27 swings without an attack error over the final two sets. She also tacked on 15 digs for team-leading 12th double-double. The Croatia native has provided a double-double in six of her last seven outings for the Tigers.

Cooper racked up 16 kills on a .500 hitting percentage. Sam Dabbs also notched a double-double with 46 assists to go along with 14 digs. She set LSU to a match-high.483 attack clip during the fourth set.

“This is a huge road win,” Dabbs said. “Marina and Brittnee played amazing and are clutch players that we can rely on anytime we’re in trouble. They made big plays for us when we needed them the most.”

Angela Bensend added seven kills, while Michele Williams knocked four kills and tallied a match-best five blocks. Lauren Waclawczyk, Lauren DeGirolamo and Sam Delahoussaye provided back-row support and chipped in 15, 13 and 11 digs, respectively.

With the victory, LSU (21-5, 15-2 SEC) took sole possession of second place in the overall SEC standings. The Tiger senior class of Cooper, Dabbs, DeGirolamo and Skender has won in every SEC road venue and joined the 1991 Final Four team as the last LSU squad to defeat Florida (20-4, 14-3 SEC) twice in the same season.

LSU also became the first SEC Western Division school to knock off the Gators at the O’Connell Center since the Tigers accomplished that feat back in 1990, a streak that stretched over 72 matches.

“I’m so happy for our four seniors and they have fought many battles,” head coach Fran Flory said. “Sam managed the offense well and we were able to get Cooper into the groove during the last two sets. Marina was phenomenal and Lauren did an excellent job of keeping us in critical rallies. The bottom line is that we proved that we’re mentally tough. Florida is a tough place to play and it was huge for us to fight through this type of a match.”
 
LSU jumped out to a 4-0 advantage in the first set aided by a pair of Cooper kills. A solo block by Skender on Lauren Bledsoe pushed the Tiger lead to 16-10. Florida used a pair of LSU attack errors and an ace to fuel a 6-1 spurt to pull back to 17-16. After a LSU timeout, the Tigers fired back with three straight points to retake a 20-16 lead. At 23-19, Florida put together a strong finishing kick as the Tigers made four hitting miscues en route to seven of the frame’s final eight points to claim a 26-24 win.

The two teams split the first 20 points of set two before the Gators received two blocks to go up 13-10. Down 18-14, LSU reeled off 11 of the final 16 points of the frame. A three-point run was capped by a Williams ace to make it 18-17. The Tigers continued its strong play with a Cooper spike and back-to-back Kristy Jaeckel hitting errors that allowed LSU to grab a 21-20 edge. Florida responded with consecutive kills from Callie Rivers and Jaeckel to retake a 23-22 lead. LSU charged back with a final surge behind a Gator service error, ball handling error and a Williams transition spike to take a 25-23 victory.    

LSU turned up the defensive pressure and forced the Gators into six early hitting errors to build a 15-9 advantage to start the third set. Florida would get no closer than five points as the Tigers came away with a 25-19 win. Skender popped seven kills, while LSU limited Florida to a .171 hitting percentage. Waclawczyk and DeGirolamo corralled five digs apiece in the frame for the Tigers.  
 
LSU saved its best offensive execution and cranked a match-best .483 hitting percentage in set four. At 13-13, the Tigers notched a 7-1 run as Skender and Bensend combined for five spikes as LSU surged ahead 20-14. Florida crept back to 22-17, but the Tigers received kills from Skender and Cooper coupled with a Waclawczyk ace for the 25-17 romp. Dabbs distributed 14 of her 15 helpers to Cooper, Skender and DeGirolamo. Cooper connected on all six of her swings in the frame.

“We were letting the ball get to us rather than getting to the ball,” Flory said. “We were a little passive and didn’t find the rhythm. The thing was we could feel it coming but we couldn’t finish. A couple of touches got us the confidence we needed to get rolling.”

LSU wraps up its four-match road swing Sunday at South Carolina. First serve is on-tap for 12:30 p.m. CT and live stats will be available on LSUsports.net. Fans can follow in-match updates of the five-time SEC Western Division champions via www.twitter.com/lsuvolleyball.

Cal Poly Mustangs Volleyball Women Prevail at Pacific in Five Sets

STOCKTON – Led by freshman middle blocker Jennifer Keddy’s team-high 15 kills, a season-best five Mustangs recorded double-digit figures Friday evening as the Cal Poly volleyball team posted a 25-22, 18-25, 25-21, 21-25, 15-7 victory against Pacific at the Spanos Center.

Junior Dominique Olowolafe added 13 kills, sophomore outside hitter Catie Smith delivered 11 and freshmen outside hitters Molly Pon and Chelsea Hardin totaled 10 apiece for Cal Poly (8-19, 4-10), which had dropped 19-straight matches at the Spanos Center between 1984 and 2006, but has now tasted victory in three of the program’s previous four visits. The Mustangs, who had lost a program-record five-straight five-set matches between Oct. 10 and 24, also enjoyed a .458 hitting percentage by Olowolafe and a .379 mark by Keddy. Cal Poly, in turn, held Pacific (16-10, 6-8) to .227 team hitting percentage.

Cal Poly, which committed just three hitting errors during the first set, utilized the second of back-to-back Keddy kills to snatch a 19-15 lead. The Tigers recovered to close their deficit to 22-21, but kills from Smith, Harden and Olowolafe helped vanquish Pacific.

The Tigers snatched the last of six lead changes during the second set at 16-15. Pacific then proceeded to produce a 7-1 run to square the match a set apiece. Trailing to open the third set, the Mustangs received a Hardin ace to break an 11-11 deadlock. Cal Poly then recorded nine of the ensuing 11 points en route to regaining their overall match advantage.

Pacific, held to a .167 hitting mark during the fourth game, responded in game No. 4 set by claiming seven of the initial nine points. An attacking error by Pacific’s Mallori Gibson knotted the scoreline at 13-13, but the Tigers failed to let Cal Poly encroach any further upon their lead.

Pacific knotted the scoreline on four occasions during the deciding set, but Cal Poly led the final frame wire-to-wire.

Smith recorded a match-high four aces for Cal Poly, which also received 52 assists from freshman setter Anuhea Keanini.

Cal Poly contests its final road match of the year Saturday, Nov. 14 against UC Davis at 7 p.m.

PEPPERDINE WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL BEATS LOYOLA MARYMOUNT IN FOUR SETS

 

LOS ANGELES, Calif. – The Pepperdine women’s volleyball team made a short trip down the coast to defeat rival Loyola Marymount in four sets (25-19, 25-19, 23-25, 25-11) in West Coast Conference play at Gersten Pavilion on Friday night.

 

Pepperdine improved to 15-10 overall and 8-4 in the WCC with two regular-season matches remaining. The Waves also swept the season series from LMU (12-14, 3-9) and have won seven in a row, 10 of the last 11 and 16 of the last 18 in the series.

 

Additionally, with the road victory, Pepperdine adds 1.5 points to its total for the newly created PCH Challenge, a season-long competition between the two local rivals. The Waves now lead the series, 4.0-3.5.

 

Sophomore middle blocker Kim Hill (Portland, Ore./Portland Christian HS) pounded down a match-high 14 kills while hitting .464 (14-1-28). She also had a match-high for blocks.

 

Senior outside hitter Rachel Grochmal (Brea, Calif./Brea Olinda HS) and freshman outside hitter Caitlin Racich (Santa Barbara, Calif./Dos Pueblos HS) both posted double-doubles. Grochmal had 12 kills and 14 digs, while Racich had 10 kills and 12 digs.

 

Freshman middle blocker Victoria Adelhelm (Rancho Santa Fe, Calif./Santa Fe Christian HS) contributed 10 errorless kills while hitting .476 (10-0-21). Senior setter Kiah Fiers (Palos Verdes Estates, Calif./Peninsula HS) had 40 assists and helped Pepperdine to a .285 team hitting percentage.

 

Sophomore outside hitter Lilla Frederick (Huntington Beach, Calif./Cornelia Connelly HS) and sophomore libero Stevi Robinson (Hermosa Beach, Calif./Mira Costa HS) played big defensive roles. Frederick had a career-high 22 digs, while Robinson added 21.

 

The Waves held LMU to .133 hitting for the match. After being edged in the third set, Pepperdine made sure the fourth set wasn’t close, hitting a match-best .481 (15-2-27) while holding LMU to a negative-.038 (6-7-26).

 

Pepperdine wraps up the regular season on the road next week with matches at Santa Clara (Thursday, Nov. 19) and San Francisco (Saturday, Nov. 21).

 

Sixth-Ranked Bruins Beat #25 Washington State, Move Into First Place in the Pac-10

Nov. 13, 2009 

LOS ANGELES - Senior Kaitlin Sather, junior Dicey McGraw and freshman Lauren Cook all had double-doubles, as the sixth-ranked Bruins defeated #25 Washington State in four on Friday and moved into first place in the Pac-10 thanks to a Washington loss at USC. Scores were 25-23, 25-14, 23-25, 25-23. 

The Bruins win their seventh in a row and improve to 20-6 overall and 10-3 in Pac-10 play. UCLA, which notches its 11th-straight, 20-win season, is a half-game in front of 10-4 Washington, which fell in five sets to the Trojans. Washington State drops to 16-9 and 5-9 in league play. 

Sather had a match and season-high 19 kills to go along with 12 digs for her team-best 14th double-double of the year. McGraw posted 12 kills and 10 digs for her seventh double-double and Cook tied a season-best with 54 assists to go with 10 digs for her 12th double-double. Sophomore Lainey Gera led all players with 26 digs, while freshman Bojana Todorovic added 15. The Bruins hit .258 as a team with 16 blocks. 

The first set was a close one, with 13 ties and six lead changes, as neither team led by more than three points. With the Bruins on top early 6-4, the Cougars scored six of the next seven to take a 10-7 advantage. Washington State maintained its three-point edge at 13-10, but a 4-1 Bruin run tied it up at 14. McGraw had three of the points on two kills and a solo block. UCLA finally got the lead back at 17-16 after a kill by Todorovic. 

A Sather kill made it 18-16, but a 3-0 WSU run gave the visitors the lead back at 19-18. Following a pair of sideouts, the Bruins got back-to-back points on a kill by Todorovic and a combo block by sophomore Amanda Gil and freshman Rachael Kidder to make it 21-20. The set would be tied up again at 21 and 22, but the Bruins scored three of the last four points on two kills by Sather, including one on match point, and another by McGraw to take the opener 25-23. McGraw had five kills in the first, Sather had four and Todorovic added three. The Bruins out-hit the Cougars .297 to .214. 

Despite five ties in the second, the Bruins never trailed to take a 2-0 match lead. Tied at seven, UCLA scored five of the next six to take a 12-8 advantage. Consecutive kills by Todorovic and Gil made it 9-7, and after a Washington State sideout, the Bruins netted three straight on another spike by Todorovic, a Cougar attack error and a combo block by Gil and McGraw. 

The Cougars sided out again, but another 5-0 run extended the Bruins’ advantage to 17-9. A kill by McGraw started the spurt, and after a WSU attack error, McGraw and Kidder posted back-to-back spikes with a solo block by sophomore Sara Sage closing out the run. The Bruins’ biggest lead was 11 on several occasions, as a Washington State attack error on UCLA’s second set point gave the home team a 25-14 win. McGraw had five more kills in the second, while Sather added four. The Bruins posted a .385 to .136 hitting advantage. 

Washington State led for most of the third set, gave up the lead late, but came back to force a fourth set. The Cougars jumped out to a 7-1 lead, but the Bruins closed the gap to one on several occasions before taking their first advantage at 21-20. Trailing 20-18, the Bruins scored three in a row on a kill by Sather, a combo block by Todorovic and sophomore Katie Camp and a Washington State attack error.

The score was knotted again at 21, 22 and 23, but the Cougars recorded the last two points of the set, winning it on a kill by Meagan Ganzer to take the third 25-23. Sather had six kills in the third, while Camp added five. The Bruins were out-hit .182 to .178. 

The Bruins scored four of the first five points to open the fourth set on kills by McGraw, Sather and Gil and a WSU ball handling error. UCLA maintained its lead until Washington State went on a run midway through the set to take its first advantage. Trailing 14-9, the Cougars netted the next six to take a 15-14 lead. The Bruins bounced back with three straight on a kill by Gil, a combo block by Kidder and Sage and a spike by freshman Mari Hole to go ahead 17-15, but the Cougars rebounded again and re-took the lead at 20-19. 

Washington State saw its lead grow to a pair at 22-20, but UCLA would not be denied in the fourth, scoring the next four to earn a match point. A kill by Todorovic began the run, and after a WSU attack error, the Bruins had back-to-back combo blocks by Gil and Todorovic and Gil and Sather to make it 24-22. The Cougars staved off the first match point, but Sather’s 19th kill of the contest gave the Bruins a four-set victory. Sather led the Bruins with five kills in the last set, while Gil posted four. The Bruins out-hit the Cougars .190 to .163. 

Ganzer and Jackie Albright each had 16 kills for the Cougars, who hit .173 as a team. 

The Bruins host #4 Washington on Saturday at 7 p.m. at Pauley Pavilion. Gametracker and free audio and video will be available on UCLABruins.com. The match will also be televised on a tape-delay basis by Fox Sports Net. 

--- UCLABRUINS.COM --- 

UC IRVINE VOLLEYBALL WOMEN SWEEP CAL STATE FULLERTON; 

COACH PAULA WEISHOFF WINS 20^TH

 

FULLERTON, Calif. --- Kari Pestolesi registered a team-high 13 kills to lead UC Irvine to a 25-23, 25-19, 25-22 sweep over Cal State Fullerton Friday at Titan Gym. The decision gave first-year head coach Paula Weishoff her 20^th win as the Anteaters improved to 20-6 overall and 9-4 in conference action while the Titans dropped to 15-11 (6-7) overall.

 

Pestolesi picked up 21 digs for her 18^th double-double of the season while Kristin Winkler topped the team with 23 digs. Juliane Piggott added 11 kills and fired three aces to pace the Anteaters to a 6-3 edge in service winners. Taryn Robertson dished out 30 assists to go along with eight digs while Larissa Nordyke added six kills and 10 digs in the winning effort. Alexandra Hauser, Riley Cropper and Robertson led all players with three blocks apiece.

 

The Titans were led by Kayla Neto, who had 13 kills while Cami Croteau had a match-high 24 digs. Andrea Ragan totaled 31 assists with 10 digs for a double-double and Alex Wolnisty was errorless, putting away eight of 20 attempts for a .400 hitting percentage.

 

The Anteaters built an 11-3 lead in the first set following a kill by Nordyke but the Titans mounted a 10-3 run to cut the lead to one at 14-13 on a UCI error. After the Titans tied the set (16-16) on a Wolnisty kill, the two teams would trade points. With the Titans leading by one at 22-21, Neto’s missed serve was followed by the block on Torrie Brown to put UCI ahead 23-22 and forced a CSF timeout. Hauser put the ball away on an overpass for set point and Robertson connected with Piggott for the kill and the win.

 

UCI reeled off four straight kills early in the second set to take a 7-0 lead. The Titans battled again, scoring four straight to close the gap to two at 10-8 and would eventually tie the score at 11-11 as Brown denied Nordyke at the net. The Anteaters took a slim 16-13 lead on back-to-back kills from Pestolesi and Robertson but CSF came to within a point at 17-16 on an attack error by Robertson. UCI then mounted a 7-2 run to reach set point at 24-17 and Nordyke put the ball away for the game-winning point.

 

The Titans pulled away from 9-9 tie in the third set to take a 12-9 lead on a kill by Erin Saddler. CSF looked to have control of the frame at 21-16 but Pestolesi put away three kills in a six-point run by the Anteaters as UCI took a 22-21 lead. Ragan found Wolnisty for a kill to halt the run but Robertson went to Pestolesi and Hauser on ensuing plays and Pestolesi’s service ace would seal the match.

 

The Anteaters travel to UC Riverside Saturday at 7:00 p.m.

 

UCI      25        25        25

CSF     23        19        22

 

Kills: Pestolesi (UCI) 13; Neto (CSF) 13

 

Records:

UCI 20-6, 9-4 Big West

CSF 15-11, 6-7 Big West

 

 

Volleyball falls on the road at Creighton

Lauren Blumhorst led the Salukis with a career-high 33 digs.

Nov. 14, 2009

Box Score

OMAHA, Neb. - The Southern Illinois volleyball team jumped out to win the first set at Creighton Friday night, but couldn't pull out the win, as the Bluejays won three straight on their home court for the 3-1 (23-25, 25-17, 25-18, 25-18) victory in Missouri Valley Conference play.

The Salukis (18-9, 7-9 MVC) hit .357 in the first set with just three attack errors for the win before being held to a stagnant, .088, .000 and .143 in the final three sets.

"We had problems with ball control in the final three sets tonight," Saluki head coach Brenda Winkeler said. "With poor ball control led to offensive problems."

At the net, the Salukis put up just 3.0 total team blocks to the Bluejays 13.5.

Jennifer Berwanger led the Salukis with 14 kills, seven digs and four service aces, while Chandra Roberson hit a team-best .364 with 11 kills, adding four digs and a block solo.

Rachael Brown recorded the Salukis' lone double-double of the night with 35 assists and 13 digs, while Lauren Blumhorst recorded a career-best 33 digs to pace the Saluki defense, tied for third all-time in SIU history..

The Bluejays (11-15, 8-7 MVC) had no problems with their offense, hitting .327 in the match with just 10 attack errors in 150 attempts. CU had a balanced attack with four players in double-digit kills led by Jessica Houts with 15 kills and zero errors, hitting a match-high .536 in 28 attempts. 

The Salukis return to action Saturday, when they travel to Des Moines, Iowa, to take on Drake. The team is currently sixth in the league standings with two regular-season matches left to play fighting with fourth-place Drake (8-7) and sixth-place Illinois State (7-9) and eighth-place Evansville (6-10) to get into the MVC Tournament Nov. 26-28.

4th-Ranked Washington Dawgs Fall In Five Sets In L.A. to USC

UW drops its third five-setter despite a season-high 17.5 blocks.

LOS ANGELES – For the second-straight match, the 4th-ranked Washington volleyball team found itself in a fifth-set battle, but unfortunately the Huskies came up two points short on the road at 17th-ranked USC. The Trojans (16-9, 5-8 Pac-10) came back from 2-1 down to beat the Huskies 25-18, 24-26, 23-25, 25-21, 15-13. Washington falls to 20-4 on the season and 10-4 in the Pac-10.

 

The Huskies hit a season-low .196 for the match, but still were just a couple points from victory. Three of UW’s four losses have come in five sets this year, and this is the first time all season the Huskies have lost consecutive matches.

 

Senior Airial Salvo had one of her best performances of the year despite the tough result, racking up 17 kills and 18 digs and hitting a team-best .390. Junior Becky Perry saw her most action of the Pac-10 season, and responded with 13 kills, while junior Kindra Carlson also tallied 15 kills. Sophomore Lauren Barfield’s 11 blocks were a career-high and the most by any Husky this year. Alex Jupiter had a match-high 21 kills to lead the Trojans to the upset.

 

In the first set the Huskies trailed early, 8-2, and never quite recovered. Twice UW pulled to within three points, once at 12-9 and again at 20-17 but the Trojans used a 5-1 run at the end to pull away for the 25-18 victory. USC outhit UW, .276-.075 in the set as they blocked five UW balls and UW committed 11 total errors.

 

The second set didn’t start a whole lot better for the Huskies as the Trojans opened up a 7-3 lead, but a kill by Perry followed by an ace from senior Jill Collymore made it 10-9 USC and the Huskies were back in the match. USC maintained the lead and twice pulled out to a four-point margin, but after a UW timeout with USC up 18-14, Washington walked down the Trojans. Perry had a put-away followed by a Carlson ace, and senior Tamari Miyashiro registered a very rare kill from her libero position to make it 19-17. USC pushed back up to a 22-18 lead, but then the Huskies staged a 4-0 run to tie it up, with two kills from Salvo, a USC error, and a block from Barfield and Carlson. The teams traded sideouts, with the Trojans earning a set point at 24-23, but consecutive Jupiter miscues gave a set point to Washington, and Perry leveled the match with another finish. Washington limited USC to .091 hitting in the set and Salvo and Perry had four kills each.

 

USC led early in set three but never by more than three and Washington came back to force the first of 12 tie scores in the third set alone at 10-10. The final tie score came at 19-all, then UW had a 3-0 run keyed by a block by Rowland and Perry that forced a Trojans timeout. The next point ended in a Perry putdown as well and the Dawgs were up 22-19. USC got back to within one at 23-22 and UW took time, but out of the break, Salvo polished one off and then Barfield and Jenna Hagglund came through with another rejection at net to give the Huskies the 25-22 win. UW hit .250 to .133 for the Trojans and Perry and Salvo combined for 10 kills with just one error.

 

Washington finally got a quick start in set four, building a 6-2 lead on two kills from Perry and one each by Rowland and Hagglund. USC bounced back quickly though with five of the next six points to tie it at 7-7. The lead went back and forth, with UW taking an 11-10 edge on a Barfield kill. A USC error made it 14-13 UW, but then the Trojans went on a pivotal five-point run to take an 18-14 lead. A Salvo kill got the Dawgs back within one at 20-19, but four of the next five went USC’s way, and Jessica Gysin ended the set, 25-21, in USC’s favor. UW’s .300 hitting percentage was its best of any set, but the Trojans had their best offense as well at .393.

 

USC’s Lauren Williams helped her team out to a 3-0 lead in the decisive set with a kill and solo block. USC stretched its lead to 10-5 on another kill by Williams. Carlson got UW back moving forward with a kill, and then Rowland came through with back-to-back blocks, one with Collymore and one with Carlson to make it a 10-8 game and force a USC timeout. Soon after, a three-way block by Rowland, Salvo, and Hagglund brought UW to within 12-11 and the Trojans took their last time. USC earned two match points at 14-12, before a Carlson kill saved one. The Trojans went back to Jupiter, however, on the following point and she ended the match with her 21st kill.

 

Washington will try to regain the conference lead tomorrow night as they visit 6th-ranked UCLA for a 7 p.m. match.

 

C'Tide Falls To Tennessee, Denver Sweeps Warhawks, Tulsa Volleyball's Win Streak Snapped, LSU Win In 5 At Arkansas

college volleyball game results sunday november 7, 2009

• Alabama Crimson Tide Volleyball Falls on the road to Tennessee 3-0
• Denver Volleyball Women Close Out Weekend with 3-0 Win Over Warhawks
• Samford Volleyball Clinches Share Of North Division Title On Senior Day
• Blazer Volleyball Team Closes Road Weekend With 3-1 Win At ECU
• DOUBLE-DOUBLES BY MAHONEY, FOWLER PACE UT TO SWEEP OF ALABAMA
• Five Seniors Honored Before Billiken Women's Volleyball Team Sweeps Musketeers

• Tulsa Volleyball Women See 12-Match Win Streak Snapped with 

  3-2 Loss at Southern Miss

• No. 19 LSU Volleyball Women Grind Out Five-Setter at Arkansas 

Alabama Crimson Tide Volleyball Falls on the road to Tennessee 3-0

 

Junior Kayla Schmidt notches ninth double-double of the season with 19 digs and 15 assists

 

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The Alabama volleyball team ended its final full Southeastern Conference road weekend with a 3-0 (25-20, 25-19, 25-23) loss at Tennessee Sunday in Thompson-Boling Arena. The loss drops the Crimson Tide to 7-19 overall and 5-11 against league opponents, while the Lady Volunteers improve to 19-6 on the season and 12-3 in the SEC.

 

“We gave a hard-fought effort for 80 percent of the match, but 80 percent effort isn’t good enough to beat any team at the top of the SEC.” said head coach Judy Green. “I thought we got very good play from our bench today, and that gave us a lift. We are going to expect, and need more, focus out of everyone over our last four matches.”

 

Junior Alyssa Meuth was the only Alabama attacker to notch double-digit kills as she finished the match with 10. Junior Kayla Schmidt collected her ninth double-double of the season leading the team in assists with 15 and digs with 19. Also scooping up double-figure digs in the match was senior Brooks Webster and freshman Kelsey Anderson with 10 a piece.

 

In the first, Alabama kept close eventually tying the set at 4-4 before Tennessee rattled off five unanswered points for the 9-5 advantage. The Lady Vols gradually built on their lead pulling ahead by as many as seven. The Tide notched back-to-back kills and capitalized on a pair of attack errors from Tennessee to cut the lead to three at 19-16, but the comeback would fall short as the Lady Vols closed out the frame on a block moments later by a score of 25-20.

 

Alabama found itself on top during the early stages of the second until a trio of Tide attack errors put Tennessee in front 7-6. Alabama led briefly again at 8-7 before Tennessee put together a 4-0 scoring drive to take the 11-8 edge. The Lady Vols managed to formulate another 4-0 mini run to extend their lead to six points at 15-9. Once again, the Tide would rally late in the set cutting its deficit to three, but Tennessee capitalized on solid hitting down the stretch for the 25-19 win in the second.

 

The Lady Vols started in front in the third, but a quartet of errors by the home team gave Alabama the 4-3 lead moments later. Tennessee rebounded with a pair of kills and found itself back on top, but that didn’t last long as the Tide countered with back-to-back kills from Webster to overtake the lead. Alabama continued to pace the frame until the midway point as the Lady Vols strung together a 5-0 run for the 14-13 advantage. After three additional lead changes, the Tide looked like it was primed to close out the third with a 22-19 edge, but Tennessee battled back and outscored Alabama 6-1 to finish off the match with a 25-23 victory in the set.

 

The Tide returns to Tuscaloosa for its final home weekend of the 2009 season when it hosts Mississippi and Arkansas. Alabama faces off with the Rebels Friday, Nov. 13 at 7:00 p.m. (CST) before taking on the Razorbacks, in a match to be aired on Fox Sports South, Sunday, Nov. 15 at 1:00 p.m. (CST). Prior to Sunday’s match, the senior class will also be recognized for its contributions to the program.

 

--UA--

Denver Volleyball Women Close Out Weekend with 

3-0 Win Over Warhawks

Pioneers conclude home season with a 3-0 win over the ULM Warhawks and improve to 11-5 in SBC action

 

DENVER – The University of Denver volleyball team (16-14, 11-5 SBC) closed out its three-match Sun Belt Conference weekend with a 3-0 (25-17, 25-19, 25-20) sweep of the University of Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks (3-27, 0-15 SBC) on Sunday afternoon in Hamilton Gymnasium. Denver finished the week 3-0.

 

“We struggled a little bit with our ball handling today but I am really proud of the performance we got out of Jordan today,” said head coach Beth Kuwata. “She stepped up for us and really gave us a presence on the left side of the net.”

 

Sophomore Jordan Raines (Coppell, Texas) led the Pioneers with 13 kills and a .550 hitting percentage, while senior Emmy Davidsmeyer (Colorado Springs, Colo.) added 12 kills, a .524 attack percentage and three blocks. Playing in her final home match for the Pioneers, Davidsmeyer moved up to eighth on the all-time kills list in the DU record books with a career mark of 1,075 kills and currently ranks first with a .326 career-hitting percentage.

 

Also playing in her final home match for Denver was senior Alexis Ninos(Cypress, Texas), who finished the day with five kills, 11 digs and three blocks. Setter Kresson Vreeman (Raymond, Minn.) finished with 38 assists, while liberoKacie Wikierak (Crystal Lake, Ill.) added 12 digs.

 

Mari O’Neal led the way for the Warhawks with nine kills and five blocks, while Michelle Messing added six kills and nine digs.

 

The first set proved to be a closely contested match between both teams throughout much of the action. With the score tied 15-15, the Pioneers strung together an impressive 11-2 run to close out the set. Sparked by a service ace from Wikierak and a kill from Davidsmeyer, the Pioneers’ rally included solid serves from Ninos and kills from Raines and Vreeman.

 

The action continued to remain tight in the second set as the Pioneers were unable to pull ahead by more than two points until the Pioneers went on a four-point rally to take a 19-13 lead and force the Warhawks to call a time out. Coming out of the break, both teams exchanged three points apiece before Ninos sparked a three-point rally for the Pioneers to give them a 24-16 advantage.

 

After giving up two points to the Warhawks on service miscues, the Warhawks grabbed their final point of the match off a kill from O’Neal before the Pioneers closed out the set on a kill by Davidsmeyer to take a 2-0 advantage into the locker room.

 

Coming out of the intermission, the Pioneers sealed the match with a 25-20 win in the third set as Ninos and Davidsmeyer led the Pioneer offense with four kills apiece, while Raines and sophomore Alyssa Bonelli (Superior, Colo.) added three and two kills, respectively.

 

Denver closes out the regular season on the road as it faces Arkansas-Little Rock on the road on Friday, Nov. 13 at 3:30 p.m. (MT). The Pioneers then plays their final match of the regular season on Saturday, Nov. 14 against Arkansas State in Jonesboro, Ark., in a 6 p.m. (MT) match.

 

- PIONEERS -

Samford Volleyball Clinches Share Of North Division Title On Senior Day

--- Senior Bulldogs shine in 3-1 win over Western Carolina in home finale ---

 

Nov. 8, 2009

 

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ---- The Samford University volleyball team clinched a share of the Southern Conference North Division title Sunday in a 3-1 (25-11, 17-25, 25-19, 25-22) win over Western Carolina on Senior Day. The Bulldogs go into the final weekend of regular-season play with a 17-12 overall record, 11-4 in league play. The Catamounts fall to 3-25 overall, 0-14 in the SoCon.

 

“I am very happy that a rebuilding year has lead us to at least a share of a division championship,” Samford head coach Derek Schroeder said. “We have a long road trip ahead of us next weekend. Let’s see what we can do to win the North Division outright.”

 

The seniors shined Sunday in their final match at the Pete Hanna Center. After a pre-match ceremony to honor their hard work from the past four years, the trio led their team to clinch a share of the North Division title.

 

Sheriden Stangohr just missed matching a career-best in kills with 18, but led the Bulldogs in hitting with a .469 average while also grabbing four block assists, one solo block, two aces and one dig. Sarah Gardner notched a career-high seven aces, contributing almost half of Samford’s 15 aces served on the day, falling just five short of a team record. She also added seven kills and one assist while Katie Luckman posted a career-high .385 hitting percentage along with six kills on 13 attempts with only one error, two digs, and one block assist. She also sealed the deal for the Bulldogs, knocking down the final kill in set three to win the match for Samford.

 

Freshmen Allie Bettinger and Elizabeth Neisler were the other two Bulldogs to post double digits in kills against the Catamounts. Bettinger knocked down 13, hitting .214 while adding six digs, two block assists, two aces and one assist. Neisler posted 11 kills while hitting a career-high .350. She also added one dig and one block assist. Sophomore Rachel Gadberry posted six kills along with three block assists and one dig.

 

Freshman Casey Garvey and junior Hillary Fountain shared time at the setter position, dishing out 25 and 24 assists, respectively. Garvey also added one kill, two aces and four digs while Fountain grabbed three kills, one ace, five digs and three block assists. Freshman Alexis Bauer led the back row with 13 digs which brings her season total to 382, just 30 shy of matching Gardner’s 2006 record of 412. Samantha Bland grabbed two digs while Alicia Roth added one dig.

 

Western Carolina was led by Amanda Kerr who posted nine kills and hit .318. Katie Hennessey dished out a team-high 23 assists for the Catamounts while Liz Rondone led the back row with eight digs. Abbey Scroggins led in blocks with six block assists while Carrie Minogue added five block assists and Rebecca Stoltz had four block assists.

 

The Bulldogs will take to the road next weekend to wrap up regular-season play in Statesboro, Ga. Samford will take on Georgia Southern Saturday, Nov. 14, at 6 p.m., to see if it can capture the North Division for its own for the second year in a row.

 

Samford 3, Western Carolina 1

 

Stangohr opened up the match with a kill to get Samford on the board first but Western Carolina’s Hennessey knocked down a kill to even the score. Hennessey came back with another kill to put the Catamounts up by one but a WCU service error evened the score again. After a kill by Kara Lynzee Brooks, the Bulldogs posted four straight points to grab a 6-3 lead on a block by Fountain and Stangohr, back-to-back aces by Gardner and a kill by Fountain. The Catamounts called for a timeout but Samford continued to pile on the points, going ahead by 10 on a 10-3 run. After another Western Carolina timeout, Samford forged ahead with a 9-5 run to win the first set, 25-11.

 

Neisler opened up the second set with a kill to get the Bulldogs on the board first but Stoltz answered back with a kill to tie the score at one. The Catamounts then put together a 13-6 run to take a seven-point lead and force Samford to take its first timeout of the match. WCU came out of the break and tacked on three more points to go ahead by 10 before Samford found a way to cut it to eight on kills by Stangohr and Bettinger. However, the Catamounts pushed the lead back out to 11, forcing Samford to take another timeout. Samford came back with a 5-1 run to get within seven again. The Catamounts called another timeout and the Bulldogs came back with an ace by Bauer to get within three. Yet with a 23-17 lead, WCU gained match point on a serve error by Bauer, and a kill by Stoltz clinched the 25-17 for the Catamounts in the second set.

 

An ace by Garvey and a solo block by Stangohr put the Bulldogs up by two early in the third set. A WCU block and a Samford error tied the score at two, but the Bulldogs went on an 8-5 run to take a10-7 lead before the Catamounts called a timeout. Fountain served up an ace out of the break and although WCU got within two points briefly, Samford forced another timeout after taking a 20-14 lead on kills by Stangohr and Gadberry. WCU got within five on a Samford error after the break but Samford held the lead as each team went back and forth scoring two points each twice over. However, with match point at 24-19, Stangohr knocked down a kill to win set three, 25-19.

 

The fourth set was a back-and-forth affair until Samford tied the score at seven on a kill by Fountain. A service error by Bettinger gave the Catamounts the lead and WCU scored two more points to go ahead by three. However, Samford answered back and grabbed three straight points on a kill by Neisler, a block by Stangohr and Neisler and a kill by Luckman to tie the score at 10. That sparked a 4-1 run to take a three-point lead before WCU called a timeout. A 5-1 run out of the break moved Samford ahead by seven and after another Catamount timeout, the Bulldogs went ahead by 10 on kills by Bettinger and Fountain, a block by Gadberry and Bettinger and a couple of WCU errors. However, two straight Samford errors followed by three blocks by the Catamounts got WCU back within five. Though after a Samford timeout, the Bulldogs managed to hold off the Catamounts and Luckman fired off the final kill, winning the set 25-22.

 

*** SAMFORD BULLDOGS ***

 

Blazer Volleyball Team Closes Road Weekend With 3-1 Win At ECU
McDonald records sixth straight double-double in UAB victory

GREENVILLE, N.C. -- Jordan McDonald led three players in double-figure kills Sunday with a UAB career-best 17 as the Blazer volleyball team defeated East Carolina, 3-1 (25-21, 25-16, 26-28, 25-20) on the road.

McDonald, a Birmingham native who hit for a team-high .300 percentage in the match, extended her double-double streak to six straight matches by also recording 11 digs.

“Jordan played another great match both offensively and defensively,” UAB head coach Kerry Messersmith said. “She’s really played well over the past few weeks, and we’re starting to see her do the things we know she’s capable of.”

UAB evened its record at 15-15 overall (7-7 C-USA) with a win in its final road match of the year, while East Carolina fell to 9-18 (2-13 C-USA). The Blazers will close out the regular season this week with home conference matches Thursday against Marshall and Saturday against East Carolina.

In Sunday’s victory, Andrea Lalic finished with 11 kills and Savannah Pegg added 10 as the other Blazers to reach double-digits. Sam Serley was close behind with nine.

UAB setter Alison Woods posted a match-best 47 assists, while libero Heather Thomas led the Blazers with 19 digs. Thomas, who now owns 542 digs on the year, is exactly 50 shy of Brianna Galvin’s UAB single-season record of 592 digs, set in 2006.

UAB out-blocked East Carolina, 11-7, led by seven total blocks from reigning C-USA Co-Defensive Player of the Week Patty Paniagua.

The Blazers were on the verge of ending Sunday’s match in three sets, but a late rally in the third came up just short. Trailing 24-21, UAB fought off three set points to even the score at 24-24 and then fought off two more before East Carolina finally converted its sixth set point to win the frame, 28-26.

But UAB bounced back to finish the match off in four. The fourth set was tight until late with the Blazers holding just a 21-19 edge before rattling off four straight points to close out the match on two McDonald kills, a block by Paniagua and Pegg, and a Lalic service ace.

Lalic tied a career-high with four aces, and UAB piled up eight aces as a team compared to two for East Carolina. For the match, the Blazers hit for a .224 percentage compared to .117 for the Pirates.

East Carolina also put three players in double-figure kills -- Stephanie Turner with 12, Lizzy Bruin with 11 and Melissa Zentner with 10. Turner also led all players with 20 digs on her way to a double-double, while setter Hannah Fenker led the Pirates with 42 assists.


-- CALL US UAB --

DOUBLE-DOUBLES BY MAHONEY, FOWLER PACE UT TO SWEEP OF ALABAMA

Fowler Earns Ninth Straight Double-Double, Mahoney’s is her Fifth of the Season

 

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee volleyball team (19-6, 12-3 Southeastern Conference) added another sweep to its résumé Sunday, downing Alabama (7-19, 5-11) in straight sets, 25-20, 25-19, 25-23, behind the strength of double-doubles from junior Nikki Fowler and sophomore Kelsey Mahoney at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville. The 3-0 victory marked the Lady Volunteers’ second of the weekend and 12th of the season.

“This was a very good win for us,” UT Head Coach Rob Patrick said. “I thought we played some solid volleyball in the first two sets. Alabama has three outside hitters that are really, really good, but we did a tremendous job shutting two of them down early on. They had a little more success in the third set, but we kept fighting and were able to withstand their attack.”

 

Fowler’s double-double marked the ninth consecutive match in which she has accomplished the feat, while Mahoney’s was her fifth of the season and ninth of her career. A 6-2 outside hitter, Fowler finished the contest with 16 kills and 16 digs, to go along with two blocks, a pair of assists and an ace. Mahoney, meanwhile, tallied a match-high 21 assists and season-best 14 digs, as well as two aces and a kill.

 

“Nikki has just been playing unbelievably well the last few weeks,” Patrick said. “She’s about as steady as they come. Even when everybody in the arena knows we are going to give her the ball, she’s able to get kills. We ask a lot out of her. She’s going to pass a lot of balls, she plays the middle-back position as well as anyone and, obviously, she’s going to hit a lot of balls, whether it is in the front row or out of the back when we are out of system.

 

“I was also very pleased with how Kelsey played today,” Patrick said. “We’ve been concentrating a lot on our offense and running tempo, so we haven’t really spent a lot of time with our setters on defense. I thought Kelsey did a great job making the right moves and being in the right positions defensively, which helped us score some real points. She also did a great job both serving and running our offense. She got the ball to the right people and put it in spots where our hitters could take some strong swings.”

 

Seniors Chloe Goldman and Kylie Marshall and junior Leah Hinkey also stood out on the stat sheet for the Lady Vols on Sunday. A native of Monterey, Calif., Goldman notched a team-high 18 digs from her libero position, while Marshall delivered a 15-dig, four-kill, three-block performance. In the middle, Hinkey finished off a stellar weekend of play by hitting .500 with nine kills and just one error in 16 swings and blocking four Tide attacks. That effort comes just two days after she hit at a .600 clip (10-1-15) and posted three blocks in a sweep over Mississippi State.

 

The Big Orange kicked off the contest with a strong showing in the initial frame, hitting .303 en route to a 25-20 triumph. While Fowler tallied four kills and three digs, Hinkey also recorded four putaways, doing so on only five swings to give her an .800 attack average for the set. Marshall and freshman Natalie Guerra collected three digs each as well.

 

With the score tied at 4-4, back-to-back errors by Alabama jumpstarted a 5-0 Lady Vol run that also featured a kill by Fowler and a block by Hinkey and Marshall before a Tide attack landed long to finish it off and give the Orange and White a 9-4 advantage. After a UT miscue gave the ball back to Bama, a pair of Hinkey smashes, sandwiched around another putaway by Fowler, increased the Tennessee lead to seven at 12-5.

 

Although Ashley Frazier ended that spree with a kill from the outside, consecutive Tide attack errors and an ace by Mahoney that just snuck in the back-right corner of the court, kept the Lady Vols rolling. While Alabama would cut its deficit to three scores with a 4-0 run just moments later, sophomore Kayla Jeter dashed any thoughts of a comeback with back-to-back blasts from the left side.

 

After the two squads traded the next three points, a Kelsey Anderson service error and a kill by freshman Leslie Cikra gave the Big Orange six opportunities to put away the set. It would need just three, as Hinkey and Fowler joined forces to send back a Frazier attack to finish off the frame.

 

Fowler continued her offensive onslaught in the second set, pounding out five kills to lead Tennessee to a 25-19 victory. Goldman, Marshall and Mahoney recorded five digs apiece and Hinkey, Marshall and Jeter each tallied a pair of blocks to pace a strong defensive effort as well.

 

Mahoney opened the frame with an ace, but Alabama bounced right back with three straight scores to take its first lead of the afternoon. Just seven plays later, however, UT began to assert itself with a 3-0 spree of its own. Marshall and Powe got it started with a sharp block on a swing by Frazier. Following an attack error by Brooks Webster, Marshall stuffed Frazier again, this time teaming with Hinkey.

 

Tennessee continued to extend its lead shortly thereafter, going on a pair of 4-0 tears, separated by just a single Tide tally, to go ahead, 15-9. Once again, Alabama handed the Orange and White two scores as a Kelsey Anderson serve found the net and an attack by Kayla Schmidt landed wide. Jeter followed by smashing a set from Guerra to the back-right corner before joining up with Hinkey to block a shot by Sarah Machen, prompting UA Head Coach Judy Green to call her first timeout of the set.

 

Although the short break netted the Crimson Tide a score on a solo block by Machen, the Lady Vols picked up right where they left off. Hinkey got UT back on track with a laser down the right-side line and Fowler followed with a solo block on an attack by Frazier. She then dropped consecutive hammers from the right side to force Green to burn her final timeout.

 

This time, her tactic was successful in halting the Orange and White’s momentum, but it was too little, too late, as her squad would not get closer than three scores the rest of the way. With the scoreboard reading, 19-16, in its favor, Tennessee would effectively end the set with a 4-1 run. The first two scores came on a kill by Hinkey and a Jeter solo block, while the second pair were the result of another blast by Hinkey and a Fowler putaway. Just moments later, senior Farren Powe sent her team to the locker room with a 2-0 lead after she smashed one down the center of the court for a kill.

 

Both Fowler and Goldman seemed to save their best for last, as they registered totals of seven kills and 12 digs, respectively, in the third and final frame. Those efforts, along with three kills and seven digs from Marshall and seven assists and seven digs by Mahoney, helped the Big Orange earn its second sweep of the weekend, as it squeaked by Alabama, 25-23.

After a pair of comfortable sets for UT, a back-and-forth battle ensued in the third frame, which included 14 tie scores and eight lead changes. Alabama took control early on, using a 6-1 run to go ahead by four at the 12-8 mark. Just three play later though, the Orange and White jumped back out in front by putting five straight tallies on the scoreboard. A service error by Mary Catherine Aune gave the ball back to the Lady Vols which then took advantage of an Alyssa Meuth attack error before Marshall slammed home a set from Mahoney. Two more Bama miscues, a ball-handling error and another attack error, finished off the spree that put UT up 14-13.

 

That lead would be short-lived, however, as a service error brought the frame back to a deadlock. Neither team could find any breathing room until the Crimson Tide went on a 5-1 tear to take a three-point lead at 21-18. After Fowler and Frazier traded kills, the Tennessee deficit remained at a trio of scores.

 

At that point, the Big Orange decided it had seen enough and rattled off six of the final seven points to win the set, 25-23, and sweep the match. The first three scores came on a putaway by Hinkey and back-to-back blasts from Fowler. Although Frazier picked up another kill to put Alabama up 23-22, she gave the point right back with a service error on the very next play. Fowler followed with another kill, as Webster was called for a blocking error, and Marshall sent one crashing to the floor from the right side to end the contest.

 

Tennessee will close out the road portion of its schedule with contests at Auburn and Georgia next weekend. The Orange and White will first take on the Tigers at 4 p.m. CT on Friday, Nov. 13 in Auburn, Ala., before making the trek to Athens, Ga., for a 2 p.m. showdown against the Bulldogs on Sunday, Nov. 15.

 

##LADY VOL VOLLEYBALL##

 

Five Seniors Honored Before Billiken Women's Volleyball Team Sweeps Musketeers

Fonke leads all players with 11 kills, four aces

 

        ST. LOUIS – Saint Louis enjoyed a successful Senior Day at Chaifetz Pavilion as it swept Atlantic 10 Conference rival Xavier (25-18, 25-19, 25-15) for the second time this season on Sunday. The Billikens (19-6, 12-1 A-10), who outhit the Musketeers .344 to .125, remain tied atop the A-10 standings, while the Musketeers fall to 17-11 overall, 9-4 in league play.

 

        Bridget Fonke led all players with 11 kills and four service aces and added eight digs. Her four aces moved her into a tie for third on SLU’s career aces list (144). Whitney Roth dished out 34 assists and tallied seven digs, while Alyssa Deno registered nine kills and two blocks. Casey Chernin collected seven kills, and Megan Boken posted a team-high nine digs to go with four kills and two aces.  

 

        The teams traded points in the opening set before a Fonke ace and two kills from Deno put SLU in front 5-2. The Musketeers got as close as two points before the Billikens erupted for four consecutive points, including two Sammi McCloud kills, an ace from Boken and a kill from Fonke, to make it 11-5. XU scored three of the next four points prior to back-to-back kills from Fonke and Deno making it 14-8. Saint Louis was up 17-12 when it mounted a 5-0 run. The spurt that brought the score to 22-12 included three Musketeer hitting errors and kills from Roth and Fonke. Sally Warning and Fonke posted kills to give SLU its first chance at set point, but Xavier fought off four Billiken set points before Deno’s kill her team the win. Fonke powered SLU’s offense, which hit .424 in set one, with five kills, while Deno added four. Meanwhile, the Musketeers hit .143.  

 

         Xavier raced out to a 4-1 advantage in the second set after the Bills committed a pair of hitting errors and Kelly Ruth notched two kills and a block. Saint Louis was trailing 6-3 when kills from Roth and Fonke combined with a Musketeer hitting error tied the score at 6-6. XU scored four of the next six points to claim a 10-8 edge. The Billikens rallied for three straight points on a Deno-Fonke block, another Xavier hitting error and a Chernin kill to regain the 11-10 lead. The teams endured five more ties before a McCloud service ace and another Musketeer mistake put Saint Louis ahead for good at 18-16. Alex Smith’s kill sliced the lead to one, but Fonke terminated, Roth served an ace and Chernin put down a kill to push the lead back out to 21-17. Following a SLU service error, Fonke tallied a kill and served an ace to make it 23-18. Ruth’s kill kept her team alive but the Bills managed to score the final two points on a Deno kill and another XU hitting error to take the two-set lead.  

 

        The Musketeers scored the initial point of the final set but that would be the only lead they would hold in set three. A pair of Xavier errors and a service ace from Fonke put the Billikens on top 3-1. XU cut the deficit to one at 4-3 and that was as close as the Musketeers would get for the rest of the match as Saint Louis answered with a three-point burst sparked by a kill from Chernin and ending with a Whitney Behrensservice ace. SLU scored two points to Xavier’s single point building a lead of 11-5. Then Ruth ignited a 3-0 Musketeer run with a kill, followed by a Billiken hitting error and Ruth-Michelle Matia block to cut it to 11-8. Kills from Fonke and Chernin kicked off a 5-1 run that finished with two kills from Deno and another ace from Fonke to put SLU in control 16-9. Saint Louis got kills from six different players to complete the set, while Xavier was unable to score back-to-back points the rest of the way. The Bills hit at a .393 clip to the Musketeers’ .048 rate in the final set. 

Duke Women's Volleyball Sweeps Miami 3-0

CORAL GABLES, Fla. - Christiana Gray totaled seven blocks and eight kills in just three sets to lead Duke to a 3-0 (25-17, 25-12, 25-18) win over Miami Sunday afternoon at the James Knight Complex.

Duke's season leader in hitting percentage, Gray hit .583 with just one attack error against the Hurricanes (15-10, 8-7 ACC). A 6-5 freshman middle blocker, Gray's team-leading seven blocks helped Duke (22-5, 12-3 ACC) surrender just 47 points to Miami, which is the fewest scored by an ACC team against the Blue Devils this season.

Setter Kellie Catanach led Duke to a .411 hitting percentage, dishing out 32 assists to reach 1,000 kills for the season. Catanach also took the offense into her own hands, connecting for six kills on 10 errorless attacks. She was one of seven Blue Devils to hit over .300 in the match, leading an effort that included a .429 (6-for-14) outing from Becci Burling, a .385 (7-for-13) day from Amanda Robertson, a .357 (11-for-28) showing from Rachael Moss and .312 (6-for-16) outing from Sophia Dunworth.

Duke made just six attack errors in the match while totaling four service aces, including three from Moss. Defensively, Duke held the Hurricanes to a .141 hitting percentage, thanks to 11 team blocks and a combined 25 digs from the defensive trio of Nailah Waterfield (11 digs), Claire Smalzer (9) and Alex Sall (5).

Miami got the bulk of its offense from ACC kills leader Lane Carico, who totaled 11 kills but hit just .194. Carico was the focus of the Hurricane gameplan, taking a team-high 31 attacks, but had trouble getting past Duke's block.

Duke hit at least .371 in every game, including a .483 clip in set two. The opening set saw Catanach account for 17 points, tossing out 12 assists while also spiking four kills and a block. In set two, Duke's attackers put down 12 of Catanach's 23 sets, including a combined eight kills from Moss and Robertson. Duke did not make a single attack error in the opening frame on the way to a 25-17 win.

Gray took over the final game, connecting on four of six attacks while also picking up two more blocks. Duke posted five blocks in the final frame, two of which were solo stops by Burling.

Duke continues its two-week road trip this Friday and Saturday, Nov. 13-14, in Virginia. Duke will face Virginia Tech on Friday in Blacksburg, Va., before trekking to Charlottesville, Va., on Saturday to face Virginia. Duke will then return home to Cameron Indoor Stadium for its final three matches of the season, all of which are against in-state rivals NC State (Nov. 20), North Carolina (Nov. 21) and Wake Forest (Nov. 24).

-d-u-k-e-

No. 19 LSU Volleyball Women Grind Out Five-Setter at Arkansas 

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Brittnee Cooper slapped 18 kills and added seven blocks as the No. 19 LSU volleyball team notched a gritty 3-2 victory over Arkansas [25-18, 27-25, 14-25, 21-25, 15-10] Sunday at Barnhill Arena.

Cooper’s 18 kills allowed her to become the 16th player in program history to eclipse 1,000 career kills. The Tigers have had a trio of players join this illustrious list over the last three seasons. 

“Brittnee was very effective, but we couldn’t get the ball to her as often as we wanted to,” head coach Fran Flory said. “Our team did a great job of battling back and Cooper led the way for us.”

LSU (20-5, 14-2 SEC) has won 12 of its last 13 matches and improved to 16-4 in five-set decisions against unranked opponents since the 2007 season. The Tigers also extended its winning streak to 28 matches over SEC Western Division foes.

Sam Dabbs distributed 46 assists and set the Tigers to a .389 hitting percentage in the fifth set. She also tacked on seven kills and six digs.

Arkansas (11-15, 5-10 SEC) was fueled by Jasmine Norton, who turned a solid all-around effort with a career-best 29 kills to go along with 17 digs, six blocks and four aces.

“We finally got on track in the fifth set, but you have to credit Arkansas,” Flory said. “They pressured us and the biggest problem was we didn’t have an answer for Norton. She was unbelievable and we couldn’t stop her.”

Marina Skender recorded 11 kills to go along with 11 digs and five blocks en route to her team-leading 11th double-double of the season. Angela Bensend chipped in 10 kills, while Michele Williams recorded nine kills and four blocks.

Lauren DeGirolamo matched a career-high with 16 digs. She also contributed a complete performance with five kills, six blocks and six assists. Lauren Waclawczyk tallied 17 digs and added three assists.

LSU raced out to 9-3 lead in set five as Dabbs passed out helpers to Bensend, DeGirolamo, Skender and Williams coupled with a trio of Arkansas miscues. The Razorbacks drew back to 12-9 before the Tigers regrouped with three of the final four points after a timeout. Bensend provided a pair of critical sideout spikes, while Cooper and Skender paired for the clinching block to secure the 15-10 triumph. 

“I thought Angela was the key,” Flory said. “She came through for us in the big situations and was the difference maker in the match that provided the key play when we needed to have it the most.”

“Our first contact was off for most of the match, but we got back in system in the fifth set,” Waclawczyk said. “We weren’t communicating and coach [Flory] told us we needed to open our months. We saw a huge change, and I think it’s a lesson learned on our part.”

LSU racked up four blocks, three involving DeGirolamo, to grab a 7-5 edge in the early stages of the opening set. The Razorbacks responded with seven of the next 10 points aided by three LSU attack errors to go up 12-10. LSU fired back with a 10-4 spurt of its own capped by a DeGirolamo kill to surge ahead 20-16. Arkansas sliced the deficit within two points on three occasions, the latest at 24-22, before a Dabbs dump gave the Tigers a 25-22 victory.

Four different Razorbacks picked up multiple kills highlighted by three kills apiece from Norton and Kristin Seaton allowed Arkansas to build a 15-9 advantage to start set two. LSU chipped away and caught the Razorbacks at 18-18 after back-to-back Bensend and Cooper spikes followed by consecutive Arkansas attack errors. After six ties and three lead changes, LSU fought off two set points. At 26-25, Williams connected for a transition spike for the 27-25 win. 

The two teams went back and forth to start the third set. At 12-10, Arkansas used a 13-4 finishing kick to pull away for the 25-14 victory. Norton belted seven kills and the Razorbacks converted on 13-of-15 sideout attempts in the frame.

The Razorbacks continued to ride Norton in set four. Arkansas grabbed a 17-12 edge and forced LSU to burn both of its timeouts. The Tigers charged back to 20-18 before Norton saved two of her seven spikes for the stretch run to close out the 25-21 win.

LSU opens the second leg of its four-match road swing Friday at No. 9 Florida. First serve is scheduled for 6 p.m. and live stats will be available on LSUsports.net.

The match also will be televised by Fox Sports Net Florida. It has yet to be determined if CST or FSN will pick up the match in the Baton Rouge area. Fans can follow in-match updates of the five-time SEC Western Division champions via www.twitter.com/lsuvolleyball.

Tulsa Volleyball Women See 12-Match Win Streak Snapped with 

3-2 Loss at Southern Miss

Golden Hurricane (22-6, 11-3 C-USA) led by Henderson’s 31 kills and Adams’ 30 digs

 

HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Freshman Tyler Henderson landed a career-high 31 kills and freshman Jessica Adams matched her career-high of 30 digs to lead The University of Tulsa volleyball team in a tough 3-2 defeat (9-25, 25-22, 22-25, 25-29, 15-17) at Conference USA foe Southern Miss Sunday afternoon at Reed Green Coliseum.

 

The Golden Hurricane (22-6, 11-3 C-USA) saw its 12-match win streak snapped. The winning streak tied for the longest in school history, matching a 12-win run by the 1976 team in the program’s first season of competition. Southern Miss improved to 25-4 overall and 13-2 in C-USA, and clinched first place in the conference. TU can finish no worse than third in the league standings.

 

Henderson’s 31 kills eclipsed her previous high of 26, which she reached twice this season. She added four blocks in the match. Adams’ matched her career-high 30 digs, which she set earlier this season at TCU.

 

“Terrific performance by Tyler Henderson with 31 kills,” Tulsa Head Coach Ed Allen said. “She has been a player that we can depend on all season.”

 

Senior Jennifer Eichler recorded her 11^th double-double of the season with 13 kills and 12 digs, and sophomore Kelsey Hancock added 10 digs in the match. Sophomore Rachel Vukson tallied 36 assists and freshman Jordan Clampitt had 23 assists. Senior Julia Kenealy and junior Hannah Stout got five and four blocks, respectively.

 

Tulsa hit .205 in the match (66-28-185) with 66 kills, 63 assists, 71 digs and 10.0 blocks. Southern Miss hit .240 as a team (66-24-175) with 66 kills, 60 assists, 70 digs and 14.5 blocks.

 

“It was a tough weekend,” said Allen, whose team had to fight from behind on more than one occasion in a 3-1 win Friday night at UCF. “The kids were struggling to handle the travels. We had not been on the road in a while.”

 

Tulsa dropped the first set, 25-9, committing nine errors with just three kills in the set. The Golden Hurricane bounced back in the second set, however, to win 25-22. In the second frame, the Hurricane broke open a 10-10 tie to take an 18-12 lead. Southern Miss came back to pull to within three points, but TU won the set, 25-22.

 

Southern Miss won the third set, 25-22. The Golden Eagles went out to a three-point lead in the middle of the set, and kept its distance late, fighting off a TU attempt to rally, to win by the three-point margin.

 

Tulsa fought off defeat by winning the fourth set, 25-19. The Golden Hurricane broke a tight set to take a three-point lead at 16-13, and kept a two- to three-point margin until it held a 20-18 lead. From there, the Hurricane scored five of the next six points to close out the set.

 

The fifth frame featured 12 ties and three lead changes in the short set. Southern Miss scored two straight to break a 9-9 tie, but Tulsa came right back with two of its own to tie the score at 11 apiece. Once again, the Golden Eagles score two in a row to take a 13-11 lead, and the Hurricane got a kill to make the score 13-12. USM scored again, but two straight attack errors allowed TU to tie at 14-14. After trading off points to a 15-15 ties, Southern Miss scored the final two points to win, 17-15.

 

The Golden Hurricane returns home Thursday to face SMU in its final home match of the season. The TU volleyball team will honor its two seniors – Eichler and Kenealy – in a ceremony before the match. Tulsa and SMU will play again Saturday at 7 p.m. in Dallas to complete the home-and-home series and end the regular season.

 

 

Wake Forest Falls to Florida State, Houston, Saint Louis, Tulane Sweep, Marshall Messes With Memphis 3 -1

College volleyball team game results sunday november 7, 2009

• Wake Forest Volleyball Pushes #16 Florida State To The Limit But Falls in Five
• Canisius Volleyball Women Drop Four-Set Match at Marist
• Temple Volleyball Comes From Behind in Five-Set Win at Fordham
• Houston Volleyball Women Fall to Tulane, 3-0
• UCF Women's Volleyball Falls to SMU on Senior Day 
• No. 21 Saint Louis Defeats Xavier Volleyball Women, 3-0
• UTEP Volleyball Falls 3-1 on Senior Day
• Seniors Lead The Marshall Volleyball Team Past Memphis, 3-1
• TULANE VOLLEYBALL RETURNS TO WINNING WAYS, DOWNS HOUSTON 3-0
• Southern Miss Volleyball Team Outlasts Tulsa' Team in Five Set;

Wake Forest Volleyball Pushes #16 Florida State To The Limit But Falls in Five

Kelsey Jones and Kristen White each post a double-double in the setback

 

November 8, 2009

 

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – After dropping the first two sets, Wake Forest battled-back to force a fifth-set but No. 16-ranked Florida State regained control in the deciding set and would hold on for a 3-2 victory Sunday afternoon.

 

The five-set victory was the second straight for Florida State, who extended their ACC-lead to two matches with another five-set win over Duke on Friday night. FSU improves to 22-3 on year and 14-1 in the conference while Wake falls to 9-17 overall and 7-8 on the ACC.

 

Wake Forest junior Kristen White led all attackers with 18 kills on the afternoon which was a season-high. She also notched her fourth double-double of the year with 12 digs. Junior setter Kelsey Jones recorded her second-straight double-double by dishing out 47 assists and collecting 19 digs, which is one shy of her career-high. The double-double was the 11^th of the season for Jones.

 

Sophomore outside hitter Kadija Fornah continued her solid play for the Deacons with 14 kills and five digs. She was coming off a career-best 22-kill performance on Friday night at Miami. The West Palm Beach, Fla., native has now recorded five-straight matches with 10 or more kills.

 

Stephanie Neville led four Seminoles in double-figure kills with 13 while Jordana Price chipped in with 11 and Rachel Morgan and Sareea Freeman each added 10. Price also totaled 10 blocks in the match as she had eight block assists and two block solos.

 

Setters Nikki Baker and Duygu Duzceler both had good matches for Florida State as Baker recorded a double-double with 25 assists and 12 digs while Duzceler was just one dig shy of her own double-double, finishing with 28 assists and nine digs. Libero Jenna Romanelli led the Seminoles in the match with 17 digs.

 

For Wake, junior libero Megan Thornberry tied Jones with a match-best 19 digs while senior Abby Miller added 14 digs, two service aces and two assists. Freshman Andrea Beck led the Deacs at the net defensively with a season-high tying seven total blocks to go along with her six kills and one service ace.

 

Middle blocker Carlin Salmon finished the match with eight kills and three blocks for Wake while junior Lauren McIntyre notched seven kills and four total blocks. Sophomore Cambrey Oehler saw action in all five sets and recorded eight digs and one kill.

 

Florida State came into the week with the best hitting percentage in the conference at .301 but the Deacs held the ‘Noles to just .201 on Sunday. Each team recorded five service aces in the match but the Seminoles held the advantage at the net, blocking 14 attacks compared to 10 for the Deacs.

 

The teams traded runs early on in the first set and neither side would take more than a two-point advantage until FSU went on a 3-0 run to break a 16-16 tie. The Seminoles would extend the lead to four at 21-17 and then would go on to win the first set 25-20.

 

Freeman had four kills in the set for FSU as White notched three kills for the Deacs. Jones also had eight kills and seven digs in the opening frame.

 

With the strength of that first set victory, FSU ran out to an early 7-4 lead in the second. The lead stayed around three until a pair of kills from Fornah and another by Beck evened the score at 15-15, forcing a Florida State timeout.

 

After trading attack errors, the hosts would get hot and go on a 6-0 run to take control of the set, 22-16. FSU would then go on to take the second set by the same score as the first, 25-20. Neville led all attackers in the set with four kills while White and McIntyre each had three kills for Wake.

 

The third set started out just like the first as neither team could shake free. The largest lead of the set came when Florida State took advantage of a couple of Deacon errors to build a 17-14 lead. Wake then got back-to-back blocks from Beck and McIntyre to help even the score at 17-17 only to see the Seminoles retake a two-point lead at 20-18.

 

Wake then scored three of the next four points thanks to kills from Fornah and White and a block from Salmon to take a 22-21 advantage, leading to an FSU timeout. The hosts were never able to even the score as kills from Beck and White gave Wake a 25-23 victory.

 

Fornah, White and Jones all had three kills in the set for Wake while Thornberry had eight of the team’s 22 digs in the stanza.

 

Florida State came out in the fourth set with a purpose and again opened-up a 7-3 lead. But three-straight Seminole errors and kill from Salmon and White would pull the Deacons to within one at 10-9. Wake stayed on the attack as two kills from White along with kills from Fornah and McIntyre gave the Deacs at 14-12 advantage and forced FSU to burn a timeout.

 

The break was helpful for the Seminoles as they would score the next three points to retake the lead at 15-14. A kill by Fornah evened the score at 15-15 and the teams would trade sideouts until a block by Freeman and Neville followed by a kill from Neville gave FSU a 20-18 lead and it was Wake’s turn to call timeout.

 

Just like the Seminoles did earlier in the set, Wake came out of the break and ran off three-straight points on a kill and a service ace from Beck along with a kill from McIntyre to take a 21-20 lead. Again, the two sides traded points until a kill by Salmon followed by a block by Salmon and Fornah gave the Deacons a set-point at 24-22. After a Florida State timeout, White registered her 15^th kill of the match to give Wake a 25-22 victory.

 

The Deacons recorded a total of 17 kills in the fourth set and hit a match-high .286. White and Fornah combined for 11 of the team’s 17 kills while Miller collected a total of six digs.

 

Wake started the fifth set with kills by Fornah and Jones to take a 2-1 lead but FSU responded with four-straight points to snatch a 5-2 advantage and force Wake Forest to burn its first timeout. Again, the break helped the Deacs as Fornah smashed home a kill while McIntyre and Beck followed with a block and White then evened the score at 5-5 with her first kill of the set.

 

That’s when FSU’s Brianna Barry, the conference’s leader in hitting percentage, pounded-home two kills to give the lead right back to FSU at 7-5. A service ace from Morgan followed by an error by Fornah extended the Seminole lead to 9-5 and Wake was forced to burn its second timeout.

 

In a race to 15, a four-point advantage is huge and the 16^th-ranked team in the country took full advantage, closing out the set and the match 15-9.

 

With the win, Florida State sweeps the season-series with Wake Forest and has now won nine-straight matches between the two teams.

 

Wake will continue to the road trip next weekend as it heads to the state of Virginia. The Deacons will face Virginia on Friday night at 7 pm followed by a 5 pm match in Blacksburg against Virginia Tech on Saturday.

 

 

 

- WakeForestSports.com -

Canisius Volleyball Women Drop Four-Set Match at Marist

The Canisius College volleyball team lost in four sets to Marist College in the McCann Center on Sunday afternoon in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. The Golden Griffins lost 25-19, 25-18, 19-25, 30-28 and are now 11-17 on the season and 8-9 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.

Freshman Samantha Good led the Golden Griffins with 18 kills in the match and also had five blocks for the second consecutive day. Junior Renee Lettow had her second straight double-double with 10 kills and 17 digs. Sophomore Janelle Davis also had a double-double with 32 assists and 10 digs. Senior Michelle Godfrey had eight kills and five blocks to go along with a .421 attack percentage while freshman Allyson Severyn recorded 18 digs.

“In today’s match, we had more emotion and effort, but didn’t take advantage of enough opportunities to get the win,” Canisius coach Cathy Hummel said. “Hopefully we can learn through this and our maturity catches up with our talent.”

Marist (16-11, 10-6 MAAC) jumped out to an 8-4 lead in the first set but Canisius battled back to take a 10-9 lead on a solo block from Godfrey. The teams stayed close until Marist won three consecutive points to take a 20-17 lead. Canisius came right back with a block from Godfrey and Good and a service ace from Severyn, but the Red Foxes won five straight points to close out the set.

After Marist won the second set, Canisius jumped out to a quick lead in the third set and never looked back. A kill from Good made it 10-5 in favor of Canisius, and the Red Foxes would get as close as 17-15 on a kill from Alexandra Schultze. The Griffs then won five straight points, capped by a service ace from Lettow and would win the set on an ace from Kaela Glenn.

Canisius played its longest set of the season in the fourth set. Marist had a match point at 24-23, but a block from Godfrey and Jasmine Brennan knotted the score at 24-24. The Griffs couldn’t convert on three set points to force a fifth set. The Red Foxes eventually won on their fourth match point, getting back-to-back kills from Schultze.

Canisius finishes its 2009 regular season at Niagara on Saturday, with match time set for 4 p.m.

Match Notes: Glenn had a career high in assists for the second consecutive match, recording 12 assists against the Red Foxes on Sunday… Lettow’s double-double was the ninth of the season for the junior, the second-most by a Canisius player in the last five seasons… Good recorded 15 or more kills in a match for the eighth time this season … Godfrey didn’t commit an attack error on the weekend, recording 17 kills and a .395 attack percentage.

Temple Volleyball Comes From Behind in Five-Set Win at Fordham

Yun Yi Zhang leads Owls with match-high 32 kills

 

BRONX, N.Y. - After narrowly losing to Fordham in the first two sets, the Temple volleyball team rallied to take the next three and win the A-10 match on the road against the Rams. Yun Yi Zhang recorded more than 30 kills for the second time this season, leading all players with 32 kills.

 

The Owls have secured a spot in the Atlantic 10 Tournament, which will be held at Dayton from Nov. 20-22. The seeding is yet to be determined, as the Owls could finish anywhere from third through sixth.

 

Temple won by scores of 23-25, 23-25, 25-18, 25-22 and 15-12 to improve to 12-10 overall and 8-5 in Atlantic 10 play, while Fordham drops to 13-17 overall and 3-10 in the conference.

 

Recording her 12th double-double of the season was Jackie Morrison with 54 assists and 10 digs. Ariel Pierre led Temple defensively with 14 digs, while Danielle Carrozza tallied 13 digs.

 

Temple led 17-13 in the first set before the Rams came back to tie the score at 17-17. After four more ties, Fordham's Sara Friede knocked down a kill to put her team up 24-23, and an attack error on the Owls put Fordham up 1-0 in the match.

 

Down 24-21 in the second set, Temple fought off two set points before a kill from Fordham's Kailee May put the Owls in a 2-0 hole.

 

Temple picked up the pace in the third set and held a solid lead throughout, with 12 team kills to Fordham's seven. The Rams were the ones who had to fight off two set points in the fourth set, but Temple's Cayleigh Ashman knocked down a kill to even the match at 2-2.

 

The teams were tied at 11-11 in the final set before Temple closed out on a 4-1 run with three kills from Zhang and one by Morrison.

 

The Owls have two regular season matches remaining. They will travel to Charlotte for a 5:30 p.m. match on Friday, Nov. 13, and return home for a 7:00 p.m. match against Saint Louis on Saturday, Nov. 14.

 

 

Houston Volleyball Women Fall to Tulane, 3-0

Sophomore Ingrida Zauere Records Team-High 10 Kills

 

New Orleans, La. – The University of Houston volleyball team lost its final match outside of the state of Texas Sunday afternoon, 3-0 (12-25, 22-25, 19-25) to the Tulane Green Wave at Fogelman Arena, falling to 9-21 on the season and 6-9 in league action.

 

With the win, Tulane improves to 16-8 and 11-4. Tulane also improves to 8-23  in the all-time series against the Cougars after UH won the initial meeting this season 3-2 at the Athletics/Alumni Center.

 

The match was also taped to air on Nov. 11 at 7 p.m. on CBS College Sports.

 

Sophomore Ingrida Zauere led all Cougars with 10 kills, while senior Kinsey Cave added six. Junior Amanda Carson continued to lead the Cougars in digs with 12 and senior Alik Cardoso de Sa had a team-high 19 assists.

 

The Cougars gave the opening four points in the first set to the Green Wave and that would set the tone for the remainder of the set. Tulane would go on the mount a 10 point lead, 20-10 and the Cougars would then only score two more points as the Green Wave took the first set, 25-12.

 

UH looked to even the match by playing a strong second set. They would play from behind but would pull within two, 24-22 but the comeback would fall short as the Green Wave took the second set on a Cougar attack error.

 

In their final chance to get back in the set, it would look like Houston would get their wish. They opened the set to a 4-0 lead but Tulane would storm back and regain the lead, eventually winning the set, 25-19.

 

Houston will wrap-up the regular season on Nov. 12 against Rice at 7 p.m. The match will be played at Autry Court on the Owls’ campus. The Conference USA Championship will also be held at Rice on Nov. 20-22.

UCF Women's Volleyball Team Falls to SMU on Senior Day  

The Knights honored seniors Erin Campbell, Lauren Williams and Andee Youngblood for their final home match.

               

ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) – The UCF (11-17, 3-12 C-USA) volleyball team held its 2009 Senior Day Sunday afternoon to honor its three seniors, Erin Campbell (Kansas City, Mo.), Lauren Williams (Lake Mary, Fla.) and Andee Youngblood (Castle Rock, Colo.) following a, 3-1 (25-23, 12-25, 20-25, 16-25), loss to visiting SMU at The Venue at UCF in Conference USA action.

 

“I think that it is unfortunate that the seniors couldn’t leave this match with the feeling that you hope your seniors do on Senior Day,” head coach Todd Dagenais said. “They certainly put forth the effort, the passion and all of the emotion we needed to rebuild and retool this program. I am proud that they were willing to stick it out and believe in a new mission and to be an active part of taking the program into a new direction.”

 

The match, which was broadcast by Bright House Sports Network, can be viewed tonight at 7 p.m. on Bright House channel 47 for digital cable subscribers in the central Florida area. 

 

The trio of fourth-years played their final home match against the Mustangs, with Campbell pacing the squad with a team-high 16 kills and 12 digs, her 12^th double-double of the year. Youngblood added her fifth double-double of the season with 48 assists and 10digs, while Williams contributed eight kills and two blocks.

 

Sophomore Kristin Fisher (Clearwater, Fla.) recorded 14 kills, nine digs and two blocks for the home team, with freshman Tory McCutcheon (Milton, Ontario) hitting a team-high .467 with nine kills and two blocks.

 

Libero Meredith Murphy (Austin, Texas) posted her seventh-straight match with 10 or more kills against SMU after registering a team-best 17 digs for the Knights.

 

The Black and Gold opened the match with a 25-23 victory in the first set. Behind the serving of Fisher, UCF jumped out to an early 13-8 lead and never looked back, carrying the advantage all the way to the finish. The Knights totaled 14 kills in the set, with Campbell accounting for seven kills and Fisher and McCutcheon posting three and two kills, respectively.

 

But, SMU regrouped to take the next three sets, 25-12, 25-20 and 25-16 and improved its record to 19-9 on the season and 9-5 in C-USA play.

 

When asked to say something about each of his departing players, Dagenais spoke of the three seniors with great passion.

 

“Lauren Williams never quit getting better and never stop improving,” Dagenais said. “That is all that you can ask for from an athlete is to just keep improving. I still feel like she is one year away from being one of the top two or three middles in the country, and yet we are going to lose her here at the end of this year.

 

“Andee Youngblood has done an admirable job of stepping into the setting role full time this year,” Dagenais said. “I have a lot of respect for Andee and all of the things she has gone through. She never quit and she always tried to find ways out of situations. She provided the excellent balance leadership to Erin, and we needed to have that second leader on our team. She stepped into that role wonderfully and has been a very important part of what we are trying to accomplish here.

 

“What can I say about Erin Campbell,” Dagenais said. “People have told Erin in the past that she is too small, that she is not skilled enough and she doesn’t have the right attitude, and those people are flat-out wrong. She plays bigger than what she is and she has all of the heart, compassion and toughness of a warrior. She brought it every single day. Not only is Erin a better volleyball player now than what she was, but I think Erin will tell you that she has really become a great person. She has always had that in her, but she has now become a giver, and that is a characteristic that helps out the volleyball team and that is a characteristic in life that is going to carry Erin a long way. Because now she has all of the grittiness, all of the determination, all of the heart and all of the compassion to go forth with compassion and I am really, really proud of where Erin has ended up.”

 

UCF concludes C-USA play Nov. 13, when it travels to Hattiesburg, Miss., to take on league-leader Southern Miss at 8 p.m. ET.

 

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

 

-UCF-

 

No. 21 Saint Louis Defeats Xavier Volleyball Women, 3-0

Loss Snaps Four-Match Winning Streak 

	Junior Claire Paszkiewicz

Nov. 8, 2009

Box Score

ST. LOUIS, Mo. - The Xavier volleyball team fell to No. 21 Saint Louis, 3-0 (18-25, 19-25, 15-25), Sunday afternoon at SLU's Chaifetz Pavilion in Atlantic 10 conference action. The loss snapped the Musketeers four-match winning streak but XU remains in third place in league standings.

Senior Kelly Ruth led the Musketeers with eight kills in the contest while freshmanStephanie Vorherr was the primary passer with 16 digs. Freshman Alex Smith added five kills and junior Claire Paszkiewicz set 26 assists.

Xavier (17-11, 9-4 A-10) scored the first two points of the match but Saint Louis answered with five straight to take the 5-2 lead. The Billikens never looked back as they held control for the remainder of the set. SLU led by as many as 10 but XU rallied near the end using a 3-0 run to pull within six, 24-18, but the Billikens took the frame with a kill from Alyssa Deno.

Saint Louis (19-6, 12-1 A-10) fell behind early in the second frame as Xavier jumped out to the 4-1 lead. A kill from SLU's Bridget Fonke even the teams at six apiece and the two squads battled from there. There were eight tied scores and three lead changes in the set and XU's last lead came at 16-15 on a kill from Smith. Saint Louis closed out the frame with a 10-3 run to take the 25-19 win, and the two-set advantage.

The only tie of the third set came at 1-1 but SLU scored on back-to-back plays to go ahead 3-1. The Musketeers cut the lead to five, 11-6, after a kill from Ruth and then consecutive Billiken attack errors set the score at 11-8. The SLU advantage would not be less than three again in the set as Saint Louis took the frame, 25-15, and the match, 3-0.

The Billikens were led by Fonke with a match-high 11 kills and Megan Boken with a team-high nine digs.

The Musketeers return to action Friday, Nov. 13 as they play host to George Washington. First serve is set for 1 p.m. at Cintas Center.

 

 

UTEP Volleyball Falls 3-1 on Senior Day

EL PASO – Seniors Catherine Chavez and Amy Sanders posted double-double performances as five Miners played their final game at home on Sunday afternoon at Memorial Gym.

Rice defeated the Miners 3-1 to improve to 18-8 and 10-4 in Conference USA competition, while UTEP fell to 11-17 and 4-11 in league play. With the loss the Miners are automatically eliminated from the 2009 Conference USA Volleyball Championships to take place in Houston, Texas, on Nov. 20-22. Host Rice secured a spot in the tournament last week.

Senior Aidan Mooney led all Miners with 12 kills with four total assists for the day. Chavez recorded her 12th double-double this season tallying 10 kills and digs. Sanders also had 10 kills against the owls and 11 digs in her last showing before her family and friends.

Irma Blanco had nine kills for a .500 hitting percentage while KeAnne Langford lifted six digs for the Miners.

The UTEP squad came out eager to play its final match at Memorial Gym before a crowd of 582. Three consecutive points put the Miners up early. The Miners retained the early lead before relenting it as the Owls evened things out at seven. The teams traded leads and five ties later the Miners again scored on three consecutive rallies to take a 16-13 lead and never fell behind. Rice came within one at 16-15 and 17-16 but kills by Mooney set the Owls back each time. The Owls threatened a tie once again down the stretch at 20-19, but an attack error put UTEP up by two once again. The Miners ran off with the 1-0 lead in the match at 25-20.

Freshman Cassandra Burruel got things started for the Miners in the second frame and the set remained close up until the midway point. Knotted up at 14, Rice went on a four-point run before UTEP sided out following a Miner timeout.  The Owls came back from the huddle to score three more points and take a four-point lead. UTEP responded with a point off a Patty Jarmoc kill and the Miner defense forced an attack error to bring the Miners within two at 19-17.  A serve later, however, started another rally for the Owls sealing things off with an explosive kill by Nancy Cole to even out the match with the scorea at 25-18.

The story repeated itself through set three as neither team was willing to give up a significant lead. An explosive Owl offense backed by a relentless defense proved too much for the Miners finishing the Miners 25-22 in the third and 25-17 in the fourth and final set.

UTEP will play its final game of the season on the road on Nov. 11 at Tulane.

Seniors Lead The Marshall Volleyball Team Past Memphis, 3-1
Marcum and Sullivan Shine on Senior Day

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Seniors Kristin Marcum and Emily Sullivan recorded 10 and 12 kills, respectively, in the pairs final home match of their careers as the Marshall University volleyball team rounded out its home schedule with a 3-1 (25-17, 25-22, 24-26, 25-19) victory against Memphis on Sunday afternoon at the Cam Henderson Center.

The Herd now stands at 21-7 overall and 9-5 in Conference USA play and concluded its home schedule with an 8-1 record on the season. 

Memphis dropped to 7-23 and 3-12 against conference opponents.

Along with her 10 kills, Marcum added 11 digs to total her 11th double-double of the season.  The senior added a match-best four services and one block assist on the afternoon.  Fellow senior Sullivan hit at a .310 (12K-3E-29TA) attacking average and chipped in with two solo blocks and four block assists.

“Kristin has learned how to be a player that puts it away when she’s got the swing and doesn’t hurt us when she doesn’t have the kill,” head coach Mitch Jacobs said.  “I think she is one of the best passers and ball control players in the entire league. She has to handle that for us and she does a good job.”

Leading 3-2 in the opening set of the afternoon, MU utilized an 8-3 rally to hold an 11-5 lead into the Tigers first timeout of the match.  Memphis would close the gap to three points (19-16) on a kill by Altrese Hawkins, causing the Herd to call a timeout.  The Herd would score four-straight points, three of which were service aces by Marcum, as MU won set one 25-17.

The Herd came out charging in the early goings of the second set, owning a 9-4 early advantage.  During the early run, Kelley Bugler picked up a pair of kills, while Marcum added a kill and a service ace.

After a timeout from the Tigers, the MU lead grew to as much as seven, 18-11, thanks to a pair of kills from Sullivan and Abby Tomas.  After Memphis burned its second timeout, the Herd advantage shrunk to three, 21-18.  A timeout by Jacobs calmed down his team, as the Herd closed out the set, 25-22.

In the third set both teams hit at an extremely high percentage, with Memphis posting a .692 (19K-1E-26TA) attacking average, while MU hit at a .517 (17K-2E-29TA) clip.  In the frame, a total of 16 ties occurred, with the last being at 24-all, thanks to an Elizabeth Herman kill.  The Tigers tallied back-to-back kills to close out the set and send the match into a fourth frame.  Herman connected for eight of her team-high 18 kills in the third set.

The Herd bounced back after dropping the third set, to hold a 10-3 cushion.  Memphis went on a 6-0 run to get within one point, 10-9, but an Emily Sullivan kill and four errors by the Tigers offense put the Herd back up six, 15-9.

Memphis got within five at 23-18, but Emily Sullivan sandwiched two kills around an attacking error to close out the set and match, 25-19.

Elizabeth Fleming helped orchestrate an efficient MU offense on the afternoon.  The setter dished out a match-high 45 assists, while the team hit at a .328 (55K-16E-119TA) attacking percentage.

Hawkins totaled a match-high 19 kills for the Tigers, while Marija Jovanovic just missed a double-double with nine kills and nine digs.

“We are a team that knows we didn’t have the depth going into this year, but we are doing a great job just playing and giving ourselves an opportunity to win,” Jacobs said.

MU is slated for two more matches in the regular season.  The first will be a trip to Birmingham, Ala., to play the UAB Blazers on Thursday, Nov. 12 at 8 p.m.; followed by a match against East Carolina in Greenville, N.C., on Saturday Nov. 14 at noon. 

 

www.HerdZone.com

TULANE VOLLEYBALL RETURNS TO WINNING WAYS, DOWNS HOUSTON 3-0

Djurdjevic, Milosavljevic combine for 24 kills as Green Wave snap two-match losing streak

 

NEW ORLEANS – Sophomore outside hitter Visnja Djurdjevic and freshman middle blocker Marija Milosavljevic combined for 24 kills as the Tulane University volleyball team swept Conference USA foe Houston, 3-0, Sunday afternoon at Fogelman Arena.

 

The Green Wave defense tallied 43 digs and 8.0 blocks on the day to help limit the Cougars to a .029 attack percentage. The win snapped a two-match skid for Tulane, which improves to 16-8 on the year and 11-4 in league play. Houston, meanwhile, falls to 9-21 overall and 6-9 in conference action.

 

“We played well, especially in defense and blocking,” first-year Tulane head volleyball coach Sinisa Momic said. “We came up with some good blocks. Overall, we were pretty steady. The offense was working, everyone was scoring and we hit .231. Basically, we were able to stop Houston’s offense and at the same time we were able to keep going. It was tough to come back after two losses in a row, but I thought we did a good job today.”

 

Djurdjevic led all players with 13 kills and chipped in with a pair of aces to finish the day with 15.0 points. Milosavljevic, meanwhile, connected at a .714 clip with 11 kills and just one errors in 14 swings. She also tallied eight block assists to tie Djurdjevic for team-high point honors.

 

Senior setter Rachel Lindelow led all players with 32 assists and senior outside hitter Ksenija Vlaskovic finished second to Milosavljevic with five block assists. Senior libero Jenn Miller posted a match-best 14 digs while Vlaskovic was next with 10.

 

The Green Wave opened the match in fine fashion, scoring the first three points and building a 13-8 lead which caused the Cougars to call a timeout. The halt in play did little to stop the Tulane momentum as the advantage swelled as the stanza progressed and the Green Wave cruised to a 13-point win.

 

Tulane ran out to a 6-1 lead early in the second set, but Houston found a way to get back into the match. While the Green Wave never lost the lead, the Cougars crept within two at 6-4, 9-7, and 21-19. Tulane used a 3-1 rally to make it set point, and following a pair of Houston sideouts, the Green Wave finally closed out the set on a Cougar error to take a 2-0 lead into the locker room at the break.

 

The momentum of Houston’s come-back attempt carried over to the early part of what proved to be the final stanza as the Cougars went up 4-0. Following a Tulane timeout, the Green Wave settled in and used a 6-1 rally to claim a one-point lead they would not relinquish. Houston hung around for a while, but with the score at 11-9 in Tulane’s favor, the Green Wave went on a 6-3 rally to create some separation and went on to win by six.

 

Ingrida Zauere led Houston with 10 kills and Ashley Applequist paced the Cougar defense with 12 digs. Alik Cardosa de Sa had 19 of Houston’s 27 assists while Erin Rice led the Cougar front-line defense with three block assists.

 

The Green Wave return to action on Saturday, Nov. 14, when they close out the 2009 regular-season against UTEP at 1 p.m. in Fogelman Arena. That contest will be the final home game for Tulane seniors Lindelow, Miller, Jaye Loyd and Stephanie Stromath, and the quartet will be honored with a special ceremony immediately after the match. For ticket information, contact the Tulane Athletics Ticket Office at 504-861-WAVE.

 

COACH MOMIC’S COMMENTS FOLLOWING SUNDAY’S 3-0 C-USA WIN OVER HOUSTON

 

Overall thoughts on the match

“It is a good come-back win. We played well, especially in defense and blocking. We came up with some good blocks. Overall, we were pretty steady. The offense was working, everyone was scoring and we hit .231. Basically, we were able to stop Houston’s offense and at the same time we were able to keep going. It was tough to come back after two losses in a row, but I thought we did a good job today.”

 

On the performance of freshman middle blocker Marija Milosavljevic

“She was blocking better than usual, which was nice to see. She put a lot of over passes away. Our servers were making them pass over and she was putting those away. On offense, she scored a couple there too. It was a good overall performance by her. Jovic had a couple of good blocks, Rachel was doing a good job of spreading the ball around. Overall, it was a good performance.”

 

On the performance of sophomore outside hitter Visnja Djurdjevic

“She had 13 kills and on top of that, there were probably another five that she could have done a better job with and wound up making errors. But she’s still just a sophomore so there are better things to come from her. Hopefully, she can put herself in a position to improve because she has a very high ceiling.”

 

On how high he thinks the team can finish in the final Conference USA standings

“Who knows? We can end up tied for first or finish as low as fourth. We’ll just get ready for UTEP and see how it develops.  Next weekend, a lot of the top teams play each other. Tulsa and SMU play each other twice in a row. Up until that last Sunday, we won’t know what our seed is going to be. Our job is to win and get the highest seed possible for the tournament.”

 

--www.TulaneGreenWave.com--

 

Southern Miss Volleyball Team Outlasts Tulsa in Five Set;

Wins at Least a Share of the C-USA Title

 

HATTIESBURG, Miss. – The Southern Miss volleyball team defeated Tulsa 3-2 (25-9, 22-25, 25-22, 19-25, 17-15) Sunday afternoon at Reed Green Coliseum to clinch at least a share of the Conference USA regular season championship.

 

The Golden Eagles have one game remaining in the regular season, while Tulsa has two. Should Southern Miss defeat UCF on Friday, they will win the title outright.

 

With today’s win over Tulsa, Southern Miss (25-4, 13-2 C-USA) captured at least a share of their first conference title since the sports inception in 1979. The loss today by Tulsa (22-6, 11-3) snapped their 11 match win streak, all in C-USA play.

 

“This was a great match,” Coach Ricci Luyties said. “I believe it was two good teams going back-and-forth throughout the whole match. We played probably our best set of the year in that first set. To beat them (Tulsa) 25-9, I felt good that we played that way, but I knew that it was going to go at least four, maybe five sets. I told my team that we were ready to go the distance.”

 

The Golden Eagles placed four players in double figure kills, led by senior Angela Hlavaty with 17, followed by Caitlin Clarke with 16, Ashley Mell and Sarah Jane Bowden added 12 and 11, respectively.

 

Maia Ivanova led a group of four defensively with double digit digs, tallying 16 followed by Kelsea Seymour with 13, Mell added 12 and Lisa Knecht chipped in 11. Seymour handed out 50 assists for her 18^thdouble-double of the season.

 

“I knew there were going to be ups and downs and I knew they (Tulsa) were going to get on runs and score bunches of points on us,” said Luyties. “We talked about being able to go through those stretches and we did. I thought our players did a fantastic job of that.”

 

The match went down to the wire with Southern Miss taking the fifth set, 17-15.

 

“At the end of the match when it all tied up at 13, our players again, they came through all the tough situations and did not let up at all,” Luyties said. “I thought Angela had a standout match with 17 kills. She dug balls and started out with a lot of blocks against their best hitter. I thought she set the tempo for this match. Brianna came in and did a good job for us blocking in the middle, including a great end of the match block.”

 

Southern Miss set the tone from the start with a decisive 25-9 victory in the first set including a 15-1 run to end the set. The Golden Eagles attacked the nets hard and often with 13 kills, five by Hlavarty, in the set. The black and gold flexed their muscles at the net as well with eight blocks, including two solos.

 

Tulsa took set two 25-22 in a game that was tied at five different points. The 
Golden Hurricane rallied behind 19 kills, including seven from Tyler Henderson. Southern Miss countered with 15 kills, spread among five players.

 

The Golden Eagles battled to take the third set 25-22. Southern Miss recorded 14 kills and forced seven Tulsa errors to take the set. The set saw four different lead changed and was tied at seven different times.

 

Tulsa rallied with four late points to tie the set at 22, before Southern Miss pulled away on a Tulsa serving error and attack error to force set point. At set point, it was a kill by Bowden on a set from Seymour that iced the set, 25-22.

 

With momentum swinging back and fourth in a critical game four, it was Tulsa who was able to grab the lead, maintaining it long enough to force a fifth and final set with a 25-19 victory. The Golden Hurricane used 18 kills in taking the set while Southern Miss recorded 12 kills, led by Hlavaty’s four.

 

The decisive fifth set was just what one would expect out of the top two teams in the conference. The two teams traded points back and fourth with neither team holding a two point advantage until Southern Miss rallied for three consecutive points to make the score 11-9. The first 13 points of the match featured seven lead changes and six tie scores.

 

After a timeout, Tulsa answered the Golden Eagles 11-9 advantage with two consecutive points to tie the game at 11. Southern Miss had match point at 14-12, but Tulsa answered right back to tie the set at 14.

 

With the Conference USA Championship on the line, Southern Miss answered with two points on a kill by Seymour and the match winning point came on a block by Hlavaty and Brianna Arvin.

 

The Golden Eagles came up big at the net, out blocking the Golden Hurricane 14.5 to 10.0. Four USM players recorded four or more blocks.

 

Tulsa’s Henderson posted a match-high 31 kills, while Jessica Adams controlled the back row for 30 digs for the Golden Hurricane. Jennifer Eichler added 13 kills to go with 12 digs.

 

Southern Miss concludes its regular season at home, hosting UCF, Nov. 13 at 7 p.m. Following the match, both seniors (Hlavaty and Ivanova) will be honored.

 

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