Volleyball Voices

Women's College Volleyball Game Information Week 5: LSU Tigers

Volleyball Continues Road Swing at Georgia

ATHENS, Ga. – The LSU volleyball continues its four-match SEC road swing Sunday at Georgia. The Tigers have won six of the last seven matches against the Bulldogs.

LSU (8-4, 2-1 SEC) is coming off a 3-0 sweep of Auburn where Brittnee Cooper and Marina Skender teamed for 28 of the Tigers 43 kills. Sam Dabbs dished out a match-best 37 assists as LSU connected for a .356 team hitting percentage. It marked the fourth time that the Tigers have hit over .300 as a team.

Cooper paces LSU with 163 kills and has cranked double-digit kills in 11 of 12 matches this season. Her .376 hitting percentage and 3.54 kills per set ranks third and fourth in the SEC, respectively.

Skender has reached double-figure kills in seven straight matches. She matched a season-best with three aces against Auburn and her 0.33 aces per set are eighth in the SEC.

Dabbs has strung together double-doubles in three of her last five matches. She ranks second in the SEC and has passed out 10.39 assists per set, improving on her 9.22 clip from 2008. 

Georgia (10-3, 1-1 SEC) knocked off Mississippi State after falling to Alabama on SEC opening weekend. The Bulldogs defeated Western Carolina during its mid-week match.

Kathleen Gates averages 10.06 assists per set and has fueled four UGA players to over 100 kills highlighted by Valentina Gonzalez, who ranks second in the league connecting for a .381 hitting percentage. Erika Clark has recorded a team-best 150 kills en route to a 3.12 per set ratio and also has reeled in 2.48 digs per set.

First serve against the Bulldogs is slated for 12:30 p.m. CT with live stats available on LSUsports.net. Fans also can follow in-match updates of the defending four-time SEC Western champions via www.twitter.com/lsuvolleyball.

Women's College Volleyball Game Information Week 5: Kentucky Wildcats

September 26, 2009

Volleyball Back in Action Sunday Hosting Arkansas
UK is a perfect 5-0 at home this season

LEXINGTON, Ky. – After the most impressive offensive performance of the season in a 3-0 sweep of Ole Miss Friday night, Kentucky is set to welcome Arkansas to Memorial Coliseum on Sunday.

The match is the second of six matches set for live television broadcast for the season. Last week, UK handed LSU a 3-0 sweep in Baton Rouge on ESPNU. Dick Gabriel and former Kentucky coach Kathy DeBoer will be on the call. Match time is set for a 1:38 p.m. start on CWKYT – Lexington Channel 5.

Kentucky used a season-best .420 attack percentage to take down Ole Miss in front of the season’s largest crowd at Memorial Coliseum Friday. Junior Sarah Mendoza led the way with 16 kills on an impressive .500 hitting percentage. Three Wildcats hit over .400 for the match including Mendoza, sophomore Gretchen Giesler and junior Lauren Rapp.

Senior BriAnne Sauer paced the back row effort with 16 kills—the second consecutive match she has tallied 16 digs in a three-set match. Senior Sarah Rumely continued to distribute the ball effectively as seven Wildcats registered a kill with five posting six or more.

Arkansas was in action Friday night in Knoxville, Tenn. Tennessee swept the Razorbacks 3-0 (25-19, 25-20, 26-24) despite a late charge by Arkansas.  The Razorbacks post 12.68 kills per set and 2.19 blocks. Jasmine Nortan leads the squad with 3.47 kills per frame. Phoebe Bautista leads the back row with 3.98 scoops a stanza.

The Razorbacks are coached by former UK assistant Robert Pulliza.

Live stats, Extreme Access video feed and a live blog will all be available as the match is happening at UKathletics.com. Following the conclusion of the match a complete recap will be provided by Kentucky’s official website.


Promotions for the Arkansas Match
- FREE admission with football ticket stub from UK vs. Florida game
- Camper Reunion Day
-  AVCA Day
- Kids, arrive early to play on the inflatable games on the concourse, get your faces painted, and get your picture taken with Scratch!
- FREE stadium cups for the 1st 50 UK Students


‑ GO CATS ‑

Women's College Volleyball Game Information Week 5: Conference USA

UCF at Marshall Sunday on CBS College Sports.

	Marshall will play host to Southern Miss and UCF this weekend.

 

Sept. 25, 2009

IRVING, Texas - - A full slate of Conference USA volleyball action is on tap for the weekend as all 12 teams will be in league play. Six matches take place Friday night, one Saturday and five Sunday, including a CBS College Sports match between UCF and Marshall at 1 p.m. CT in Huntington, W.Va. CBS C will broadcast that match on Wednesday, Sept. 30 at 6 p.m.

The top two teams in the league face off tonight as the Thundering Herd will play hostess to Southern Miss at 6 p.m. The programs sport identical records of 13-2 overall and 1-0 in C-USA play.

The Golden Eagles head into the match having played 12 of their first 15 contest on the road. Southern Miss (13-2, 1-0) is coming off a second-place finish at the Radisson-UCF Classic with five-set wins over UCF and Florida A&M. Sophomore Caitlin Clarke leads the Golden Eagles offensively with 161 kills, followed closely by Mell with 157 kills and Lauren Sears has 119. Maia Ivanova, who became the all-time dig leader at Southern Miss, controls the back row action, totaling 241 digs. Seymour is averaging 10.15 assists per set to go with 164 digs. Sarah Jane Bowden and Sears have 47 and 44 total blocks, respectively.

Marshall (13-2, 1-0) is 3-0 at home including 3-1 wins over East Carolina and West Virginia. The Herd is led offensively by the senior-junior trio outside hitters of Kristin Marcum, Emily Sullivan and Elizabeth Herman. Herman leads the team with 169 kills, followed by Marcum with 167 and Sullivan 157. Elizabeth Fleming leads the league in assists with 11.33 per set average.

UPCOMING MATCHES (ALL TIMES CENTRAL)
Fri., Sept. 25
* UCF at East Carolina 6 p.m. 
* Southern Miss at Marshall 6 p.m. 
* Houston at UAB 6 p.m. 
* Rice at Memphis 7 p.m. 
* Tulsa at Tulane 7 p.m. 
* SMU at UTEP 8 p.m.

Sat., Sept. 26
* Houston at Memphis 7 p.m.

Sun., Sept. 27
* Southern Miss at East Carolina 1 p.m. 
* UCF at Marshall (CBS C) 1 p.m. 
* SMU at Tulane 1 p.m. 
* Rice at UAB 1 p.m. 
* Tulsa at UTEP 1 p.m. 

* C-USA matches.

C-USA IN THE NCAA TOP 50 RANKINGS 
TEAM
(SEPT. 21)
ACES/SET
East Carolina (35th/1.77)

ASSISTS/SET
Rice (16th / 13.17) 
Tulsa (19th / 13.04) 
Marshall (23rd / 12.92)

DIGS/SET
Rice (15th /17.31) 
Marshall (24th / 16.73) 
Memphis (50th / 15.65)

HITTING PERCENTAGE
Tulsa (18th / .279)

KILLS/SET
Marshall (10th / 14.31) 
Rice (21st / 13.98) 
Tulsa (24th / 13.94)

MATCH W-L PERCENTAGE
Southern Miss (13-2) (24th / .867) 
Marshall (12-2) (25th / .857) 
Tulsa (10-3) (49th / .769)

INDIVIDUAL 
(SEPT. 21)
ASSISTS/SET
Elizabeht Fleming, MAR (14th / 11.35) 
Meredith Schamun, Rice (19th / 11.19)

DIGS/SET
Tracey Lam, Rice (14th / 5.29) 
Jessica Adams, Tulsa (25th / 4.91) 
Becky Shaffer, Memphis (43rd / 4.71)

HITTING PERCENTAGE
Hannah Stout, Tulsa (9th / .433) 
Emily Sullivan, Marshall (26th / .392) 
Natalie Bogan, Rice (38th / .383)

KILLS/SET
Dana Powell, SMU (31st / 4.13) 
Jennifer Eichler, Tulsa (32nd / 4.11) 
Visnja Djurdjevic, Tulane (43rd /4.00)

POINTS/SET
Jennifer Eichler, Tulsa (35th / 4.63) 
Amy Sanders, UTEP (37th / 4.59) 
Visnja Djurdjevic, Tulane (43rd / 4.56)

Women's College Volleyball Game Information Week 5: Samford vs. UNC Greensboro, Elon

Volleyball Opens Conference Play At Home With UNC Greensboro, Elon

--- Bulldogs take on tough conference opponents in opening weekend ---

 

Sept. 25, 2009

 

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ---- The Samford University volleyball team opens the Southern Conference season at home this weekend as they play host to UNC Greensboro and Elon on Saturday and Sunday. Both matches will begin at 2 p.m.

 

Samford (6-7) comes off the heels of a weekend in which it went 3-1 at the Memphis Tiger Invitational. After losing their seventh consecutive match on the season to UNO on Friday night, the Bulldogs put together three straight wins against Memphis, UALR and UAB to take second in the Tiger Invitational. Freshman libero Alexis Bauer and senior middle blocker Sheriden Stangohr were named to the All-Tournament team. 

 

“Losing six in a row was not an indication of weakness in the program as much as it was a measuring stick of our maturation as a young team,” Samford head coach Derek Schroeder said. “We were not focused on ‘snapping a losing streak’ as much as we were on getting better every week and every match we played. Staying that course and not panicking was what allowed us to turn the corner and win three in a row last weekend against some good teams and a cross-town rival.”

 

Now, the Bulldogs jump head first into league play with a three-match home stand beginning with UNC Greensboro and Elon this weekend.

 

“We are all excited to start league play and as much to play another match at home,” Schroeder said. “There really is nothing more to expect than to see a focused, alert, determined team on the floor. If we play every point as hard and focused as we can, the results will take care of themselves.” 

 

The preseason No. 1-picked Bulldogs are lead by freshman Allie Bettinger who boasts 3.21 kills per set and 1.74 digs per set. Stangohr also shares the lead as she is ranked 17^thnationally in blocks per set with 1.43. She also has posted 170.0 points for the Bulldogs so far this season. Hillary Fountain leads the offense at setter with 8.35 assists per set and is second on the team in digs with 2.28. Bauer leads the back row defense with 3.85 digs per set while also serving up 0.26 aces per set.

 

UNC Greensboro enters the weekend tied for third place in the North division with Samford. Last weekend, the Spartans hosted their UNCG Tournament at Fleming Gym and went 2-1 in the event, falling to Georgetown before sweeping La Salle and winning a five-set match with North Carolina State.

 

Last year was the first time that the two teams had met in program history. Each team walked away with a win, Samford at home and UNC Greensboro at home. So far this season, UNCG is 1-3 on the road.

 

The Spartans are led by Catherine Hanners who boasts 2.90 kills per set and 3.65 digs per set. She is flanked by Caley Redden who has posted 2.23 kills per set. Emily Lindborg leads her team in hitting with a.272 average while Kayleigh Knerr leads the defense with 4.06 digs per set. Ari Lysacek averages 9.69 assists per set while Kayren Finney has 1.00 block per set.

 

Elon (12-1) comes into Samford in the top position in the North division. The Phoenix have only lost one match so far this season, a five-set match to Georgia State last weekend at the Phoenix Classic. Elon won 11 straight to open the season.

 

Samford leads the series with Elon, 2-1. The first meeting between the two teams was in 2005 at the UNC-Asheville Tournament when Elon defeated Samford, 3-1. The Bulldogs then won both meetings last season, a 3-1 victory at home and a sweep at Elon to close out the season.

 

The Phoenix are led by Traci Stewart and Lauren Copenhagen who both average well over 2.00 kill per set. Emily Regan runs the offense at setter averaging 8.18 assists per set while Ali Deatsch leads the back row with 3.28 digs per set.

 

“UNCG returns a large portion of its starters from 2008 and Elon returns all of its,” Schroeder said. “Both these teams will be hungry to knock off the preseason number one and start their conference play. We will need to play tough-minded and make plays when we need to. Hopefully home court can pull us through some of those situations.”

 

After this weekend, Samford will host Chattanooga on Wednesday. However, both of Samford’s weekend opponents must meet Chattanooga this weekend. The Mocs are currently in second place in the league standings, sandwiched between first place Elon and third place UNC Greensboro and Samford.

 

“What we may be talking about next week is Chattanooga and not just because we play them on Wedensday,” Schroeder said. “Right now, the buzz is UNCG and Elon coming to Samford, but both those teams have to play Chattanooga this weekend too. It would be a mistake for us to forget about them.” 

 

 Both matches begin at 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Admission is free for all home events. A full recap and results will be available on www.samfordsports.com upon the completion of each match.

 

*** SAMFORD BULLDOGS ***

Women's College Volleyball Game Information Week 5: Georgia State vs. UNC Wilmington This Weekend

Georgia State Athletic Department Goes Pink

ATLANTA - The Georgia State athletic department went pink on Friday in
support of breast cancer awareness. The volleyball team will host its
annual “Dig for a Cure” against UNC Wilmington on Saturday at 2 p.m.
to culminate a week of raising awareness for the cause.

Proceeds from the match are going to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure
Greater Atlanta Affiliate. Donations are now being accepted and will be
through Saturday’s match. For more information, fans can contact
assistant coach Ada Bazin aolt 404-413-4068.

The events started with the distribution of pink glazed donuts to
members of the staff on Tuesday. The entire athletic department was
covered with pink balloons, as well as pink Now & Later candies on
Wednesday morning. The “pink-out” continued on Thursday with pink
drinks and pink ribbon covered cookies in the break room on Thursday.

The work week events culminated on Friday with members of the athletic
department staff wearing pink. The range of outfits was from the very
stylish to the outrageously strange. Fans can get a behind the scenes
look by viewing photos from the photo album. The best dressed member of
the athletic department received a $250 adidas gift certificate.

The team is hoping to surpass last year’s total donation of $1845.
Athletic department members were also permitted to make a $10 donation
and could come to work in jeans for casual Friday in hopes of raising
last year’s total.

Fans are encouraged to wear pink and come out to the Sports Arena for
Saturday’s match. The first 100 fans in attendance will also receive a
pink rally towel. Pink Powerade will be the drink of choice and 10 cents
from every bottle sold will go to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure
Greater Atlanta Affiliate. Donations will also be accepted on-site.

---www.GeorgiaStateSports.com---

Women's College Volleyball Game Information Week 5: William and Mary vs. VCU

WILLIAMSBURG - The William and Mary volleyball team returns home Saturday after nearly a month on the road to open play in the Colonial Athletic Association against Virginia Commonwealth. Match-time is set for 2 p.m. at Kaplan Arena. 

Live Stats 
Live Video 

Scouting the Tribe 
William and Mary is 7-6 in non-conference play this season, with a tournament victory at the Appalachian State Invitational September 5-6. The Tribe enters this weekend looking to better last year's 4-0 start to conference play, and will once again start the CAA season against VCU. 

Through the first month of play, William and Mary is the only team in the conference to rank fourth or better in every defensive category: first in opponent hitting percentage (.138), fourth in blocks per set (2.02), and third in digs per set (15.10). Senior libero Lindsey Pflugner (Sarasota, Fla.) leads the league in digs at 4.70 per set, while the hitting duo of Erin Skipper (Yorktown, Va.) and Lauren Powell (Tulsa, Okla.) rank fifth and eighth, respectively, in points per set (3.47 and 3.22). 

Scouting the Rams 
Virginia Commonwealth is 10-5 so far in 2009, including a season-opening win in it's own tournament. The Rams lead the league in kills per set (12.67) and assists (11.47), while ranking second in both blocks (2.24) and service aces (1.84). Kelsie Clegg is the defensive leader along the net, and ranks second in the CAA with 1.16 blocks per set, while Mariel Frey is the major point producer at 3.21 points per set. 

The Series 
William and Mary is up in the all-time series, leading Virginia Commonwealth 40-30 since 1975 and 6-5 since 2004. Last fall, each won on the other's court, W&M opening the conference season with a 3-2 win in Richmond, before VCU won by the same count in Williamsburg on October 16. 

News and Notes 
- The Tribe's three-match win streak to start the year tied for the fifth-longest in school history. Last year's squad also opened the season 3-0, but before that, the last extended winning streak to open the year was in 1992, when the Tribe won four before being handed its first loss. The school record of 16 wins in a row to start the season was set in 1988, head coach Melissa Aldrich Shelton's ('91) sophomore year. 

- Ginny Bray's (Cary, N.C.) blocking efforts against Georgetown ranked highly in several all-time lists for W&M. Her 12 total blocks are tied for seventh-most in a single match, and tied for fifth-most in a five-set match. Four of her blocks were solo, which is tied for 11th all-time. It was also the single-best blocking performance of the year so far in the CAA, and earned her Defensive Player of the Week honors. 

- The Tribe has three players with sisters currently playing on other Division I teams. Ginny Bray's younger sister, Katie, is a freshman at Navy; Lauren Powell's sister, Dana, is a sophomore at SMU; and freshman Gina Lang (Valparaiso, Ind.) is the younger senior of Virginia Tech senior Michelle Lang.

Women's College Volleyball Game Information Week 5: Nicholls State vs. Southeastern Louisiana

THIBODAUX - After three consecutive weeks on the road, the Nicholls State University women's volleyball team (5-8) returns home for the first time since Sept. 1 when the Colonels open the 2009 Southland Conference season against in-state rival Southeastern Louisiana (4-7) on Friday night at 7 p.m. in Stopher Gym.

The Colonels, coming off victories over Prairie View A&M and Arkansas-Pine Bluff over the weekend, will try to stretch their winning streak to three matches when they face off against the Lions on Friday.

Nicholls will look to continue a strong streak of play that has seen the Colonels claim wins in five of their last nine matches. Nicholls boasts several league leaders on offense and defense heading into the weekend. Senior Amy Beshir leads the Southland with a .339 hitting percentage, senior Rachel Spreen leads the league with 0.43 aces/set (46 aces/20 sets) and sophomore Danielle Daigle tops the conference with a 4.62 dig/set average (217 digs/47 sets).

After recording a 6-10 record in Southland competition and earning a trip to the postseason tournament for the first time in five seasons, the Colonels are hoping a strong start to the Southland season can help lead to even better results.

Nicholls will be looking for its third consecutive win over the Lions after sweeping their in-state rivals in a pair of contests in 2008.

First serve is set for 7 p.m. in Stopher Gym. Admission is free for all Nicholls students with a valid student ID and all children five and under.

Following Friday night's match, the Colonels will hit the road once again, visiting Central Arkansas on Oct. 1 and Northwestern State on Oct. 3 before hosting a three-match homestand, their longest of the season, against Jackson State (Oct. 6), Stephen F. Austin (Oct. 9) and McNeese State (Oct. 10).

Women's College Volleyball Game Information Week 5: Tulsa vs. Tulane Tonight, UTEP On Sunday

Tulsa Volleyball Opens C-USA Play at Tulane & UTEP

Golden Hurricane Tulane 7 p.m. Friday and at UTEP at 1 p.m. CT Sunday

 

TULSA, Okla. – The University of Tulsa volleyball team opens Conference USA play this weekend when it travels to take on Tulane Friday at 7 p.m. at Fogelman Arena in New Orleans, and UTEP Sunday at 1 p.m. CT at Memorial Gym in El Paso, Texas.

 

Live stats via Gametracker will be available at www.TulsaHurricane.com.

 

The Golden Hurricane won its first three tournaments to open the 2009 season for the second straight year, including a 2-1 record at the UT Arlington Hilton Invitational last week. TU, which went 8-8 in C-USA play a year ago, will attempt to get off to a good start to the league schedule this weekend on the road.

 

Tulsa (10-3), is hitting .279 as a team (655 kills-219 errors-1560 attempts), with 655 kills (13.94 k/set), 613 assists (13.04 a/s), 56 service aces, 695 digs (14.79 dig/s) and 92.0 total blocks (1.96 per set).

 

Tulane (5-4) enters the weekend hitting .210 (446-183-1254) with 446 kills (12.74 k/s), 419 assists (11.97 a/s), 35 service aces, 510 digs (14.57 dig/s) and 66.0 total blocks (1.89 b/s).

 

UTEP (7-6) enters the weekend with a .234 attack percentage (534-211-1378), 534 kills (11.87 k/s), 488 assists (10.84 a/s), 66 service aces, 553 digs (12.29 dig/s) and 107.0 total blocks (2.38 b/s).

           

Tulsa is led by the on the outside by senior Jennifer Eichler, who has 193 kills (4.11 kills per set), a .340 attack percentage, 31 total blocks and 217.5 points for the Hurricane. Freshman Tyler Henderson has 180 kills (3.91 k/s), hits .295, has 14.0 blocks and has scored 188.0 points.

 

At middle blocker, junior Hannah Stout hits .433 with 122 kills and 36 blocks, while senior Julia Kenealy is hitting .324 with 59 kills, and leads the team with 46 total blocks. Freshman libero Jessica Adams leads the Hurricane with 231 digs (4.91 d/s) and has five service aces. Setters Rachel Vukson and Jordan Clampitt have 273 (5.81 a/s) and 284 assists (6.04 a/s), respectively, and Clampitt adds 98 digs.

 

Tulane is led by Visnja Djurdjevic who has 140 klls (4.00 k/s), 122 digs and 13 blocks, and Ksenija Vlaskovic who has 123 kills (3.51 k/s). Lindsey Sheppard leads the Green Wave with 35 blocks, while Milica Jovic carries the best hitting percentage at .420 (26-5-50). Rachel Lindelow has 351 assists and Jenn Miller leads Tulane with 140 digs.

 

UTEP is led by Amy Sanders, who has 175 kills (3.89 k/s), a .199 attack percentage, 10 aces, 102 digs and 35 blocks. Aidan Mooney hits .288 with 68 kills, and she leads the team with 38 blocks. Patty Jarmoc has 415 assists, as well as 17 aces, 69 digs and 35 blocks, while Jennifer Nolasco paces the Miners with 135 digs, and Catherine Chavez adds 110 digs with 105 kills.

 

Tulsa and Tulane have played 12 times; Tulane leads the series, 9-3. The Golden Hurricane last won in 2006, and Tulane has won the last four meetings. The Hurricane also won both regular season meetings in 2005. Tulsa is 1-5 all time at Tulane.

 

Tulsa and UTEP have played 44 times; UTEP leads the series, 26-18. The Golden Hurricane has won the last six meetings, and 11 of the last 14 times the two teams have played, dating back to 2002. Tulsa is 4-11 all time at UTEP.

 

For all Tulsa volleyball news and information, visit www.TulsaHurricane.com. Follow Tulsa Athletics on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/TulsaHurricane. Become a fan of the Tulsa Golden Hurricane page on Facebook – search “Tulsa Golden Hurricane.”

 

-TulsaHurricane.com-

Women's College Volleyball Game Information Week 5: Arizona State vs. UCLA Tonight, USC Tomorrow

TEMPE, Ariz. - The Arizona State Sun Devil Women’s Volleyball Team (10-2 overall) return to the home parquet this weekend as they set to bust open the door on the 2009 Pac-10 conference slate. Up first for the Sun Devils are the 14th-ranked UCLA Bruins on Friday, Sept. 24 followed with the 13th-ranked USC Women of Troy on Saturday Sept. 25. Both matches are at 7 p.m.

Coming Soon To A Court Near You:

The Arizona State Sun Devil Women’s Volleyball Team (10-2 overall) return to the

home parquet this weekend as they set to bust open the door on the 2009 Pac-10

conference slate. Up first for the Sun Devils are the 14th-ranked UCLA Bruins on

Friday, Sept. 24 followed with the 13th-ranked USC Women of Troy on Saturday

Sept. 25. Both matches are at 7 p.m.

Follow The Sun Devils Live!:

All of ASU’s fans can follow all of ASU’s home matches, and some road matches,

via the free statistical GameTracker at www.thesundevils.com. Just click on the

Women’s Volleyball schedule.

Recapping Last Weekend:

Against Harvard: The Sun Devils took it to the Harvard Crimson early and

never looked back as Katie Crosby posted 34 assists with Sarah Reaves coming

in for 10 kills and Sofie Schlagintweit with seven to lead ASU to a 25-16, 25-16

and 25-7 win over those wicked smaht Harvard kids.

Against Wyoming: The Cowgirls came in to put up a fight against A State, but

the Sun Devils rose to the challenge hitting .444 and .464 respectively in the

first two sets to come out with 25-20 and 25-12 wins to go 2-0 into the break.

ASU lost their composure a bit in the third set, hitting only .073 to fall to the

Cowgirls, 25-22, but came back to finish it off in the fourth set

Against New Hampshire: Against host, New Hampshire, ASU left no doubt

as they hit .324 overall in the match with their second set attack percentage

landing at an astoundng .526 while rattling off a 25-16, 25-6 and 25-17 sweep

of the Wildcats to take the tournament crown.

www.TheSunDevils.

Scouting This Weekend’s Competition/Series History:

UCLA: The Sun Devils will face-off against the Bruins for the 67th time in history

where UCLA holds a 60-6 all-time record over ÅSU with 13 straight matches going to the

Bruins.

USC: The Women of Troy come to town with a 55-10-1 record against

A State, for their 67th all-time match-up as well.

Starting Out on the Right Foot

There’s been a marked change in the tides of the ASU Volleyball program as

they posted a 10-2 record to open the 2009 season, which is their best opening

record since 1993, where they finished with a 20-8 record overall and tied for

second in the Pac-10 as well as taking a dance into the NCAA Tournament.

Bring The Heat!

In addition to bringing in some powerhitters this season, the Sun Devils

also see their kill leader from the past two seasons return for only her junior

campaign as Sarah Reaves takes to the court as an upperclassman. Reaves

finished the 2008 season with 431 kills on the year, and 71 in 2009 already

to bring her career tally to 1,030,to enter the 1,000 mark club where only 11

others in ASU history stand as well as place her 6th in active Pac-10 leaders.

Reaves also led the 2007 squad as a freshman with 418 kills, something a

Sun Devil froshie hasn’t done since Christine Gardner in 1992 who holds

the all-time record in ASU history. In addition to smashing some freshman

ASU records, Reaves decided to break another ASU all-time record as she

bested Juliana Escobar’s 27 kills against Oregon in 2002 with 28 of her own,

also against Oregon on Sept. 27. But Reaves wasn’t going to stop there. She

bested her own mark of 28 last season with 30 against Western Kentucky.

Swing for the fences junior!

Ready, SET, Go:

Marina Mercer returns for her senior season after three stellar seasons

which saw her dish out 1,183 assists in 2006 and 1,277 in 2007, good

for fifth place in ASU single-season records. Her current career total

of 3,643 also ranks third all-time in ASU career records...with a season

left to better them. She is also ranked FIRST in active Pac-10 career

leaders.

Brains and Brawn These Girls Have It All:

The Sun Devil Volleyball team has proven year after year that they are some of the best on the court

and also in the classroom. ASU holds the proud title of MOST Pac-10 All-Academic selections in

history with 43 over every other Pac-10 school. They also have a twelve-year streak of at least one

honor on the Pac-10 All-Academic team. Leading the list was Marina Mercer, who was named to the

first-team Sarah Reaves who also received a honorable mention. Last season, Marina Mercer was

also named to the ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA All-District Academic Second Team.

A Tough Schedule:

As always, ASU is set to face a tough slate for the 2009 season, their conference schedule alone sets the

standard high in terms of RPI as the all-powerful Pac-10 who have captured 13 NCAA titles and 11 of the

last 19. In both 2006 and 2007, THREE Pac-10 teams made it to the Final Four. The Sun Devils will go

head-to-head with a Top 25 team nearly every week of the season. Currently six of the ten teams are ranked

in the nation’s top-25 teams.

The Kids Are Alright:

A new year brings new faces to the mix and 2009 is no exception for A State. Five newbies to the team include

transfers Cat Highmark (Long Beach State) and Malia Marquart (BYU) and Erica Wilson, Ashley Kastl

and Alexis Pinson join the froshies as well looking to post a banner year. In addition the underclassmen are

out to get some this year with Sonja Markanovich, Sofie Schlagintweit, Katie Crosby and Camri Zweisler

throwing it down for ASU. Thus far this season, underclassmen have contributed for 304 kills (54%), 456

assists (88%), 45 service aces (66%) and 346 digs (59%).

Double the Pleasure, Double the Fun!

ASU Sun Devils tend to have an affinity for double-doubles. Sophomore Sarah Reaves already has two

double-double on the year and 25 in her career already...as a junior.

Logging in double-doubles this year as well are:

Sofie Schlagintweit with three and Cat Highmark with two. 

NCAA-tionally Famous!

The Sun Devils love printing their names all over the stat books, currently ASU has team and indivdual

NCAA rankings in:

Team:

• Ranked FIFTH in blocks per set (3.03) - Highest in the Pac-10

• Ranked 30th in W-L percentage (.833)

• Ranked 39th in hitting percentage (.254)

• Ranked 93rd in aces per set (1.51)

Individual:

Paige Mittelstaedt

• Ranked 35th in blocks per set (1.29)

Sonja Markanovich:

• Ranked 43rd in blocks per set (1.26)

Sarah Reaves:

• Ranked 15th in points per set (5.04) - Second in Pac-10

• Ranked 22nd in kills per set (4.31)

Sofie Schlagintweit:

• Ranked 112th in aces per set (.39)

Taking the Lead:

This season, when ASU wins the first set the Sun Devils are 8-0.

Pac It Up Pac It In...Let Me Begin...

The Sun Devils are also making an impact on the Pac-10 stats where they lead in the following:

Team:

• FIRST in blocks (3.03 per set)

• 3rd in opp hit % (.134)

• 4th in service aces (1.51 per set)

Individual:

• Sarah Reaves is ranked 2nd in points (5.04) and 3rd in kills (4.31 per set)

• Paige Mittelstaedt is ranked 7th in blocks (1.29 per set) & 4th in hitting percentage (.415)

• Sonja Markanovich is ranked 8th in blocks (1.26)

• Sarah Johnson is ranked 6th in service aces (0.41 per set)

• Sofie Schlagintweit is ranked 5th in service aces (0.39 per set)

Women's College Volleyball Game Information Week 5: Kansas State vs. Baylor Tomorrow

Kansas Volleyball Travels to Baylor Saturday

Coming off a thrilling 3-2 victory versus Oklahoma Wednesday night, the University of Kansas volleyball team (8-3, 1-1 Big 12) will face its first ranked opponent of the season Saturday, Sept. 26 when it travels to No. 24 Baylor (13-1, 2-1 Big 12). First serve for the Jayhawks and Bears is set for 1 p.m. at the Ferrel Center.



Free live stats via Gametracker will be available at www.KUAthletics.com. In addition, fans can access Baylor's free audio broadcast of the match on the Jayhawks' website.



About Kansas

Kansas notched a thrilling 3-2 victory versus Oklahoma Wednesday night to capture its first Big 12 win of the season and knot its conference record at 1-1. The Jayhawks, who are 8-3 overall, are led by Karina Garlington's 4.00 kps, which ranks fourth in the Big 12. Senior Paige Mazour is also listed at fourth in the conference for her .374 attack percentage. Driving the KU offense is sophomore setter Nicole Tate, who is third among league players averaging 11.05 aps. The Kansas defense is anchored by junior libero Melissa Manda's 4.02 dps, good enough for eighth in the Big 12. Freshman Tayler Tolefree also ranks eighth in the standings with 1.10 bps.



Scouting Baylor

Baylor opened up the season with 11 straight wins to work its way into the top 25 in the Sept. 14 poll release. In their second week at No. 24, the Bears have recorded conference wins over Kansas State and No. 11 Iowa State and suffered its lone loss of the season to No. 2 Texas as it brings a 13-1 overall record into this weekend's match.  Baylor is led by senior Katie Sanders' 3.19 kps. Senior Anna Breyfogle is hitting a team-best .372 attack percentage while adding 2.50 kps. She also leads the Big 12 with 1.59 bps. As a team, Baylor is second in the conference averaging 2.65 bps. Sophomore Allison King digs up a team-high 4.22 dps. Jim Barnes is in his sixth season as head coach of the Bears and owns a 90-82 record at Baylor.

Series Info: Baylor leads KU 18-11 in the all-time series history. While KU does have an 8-6 advantage over Baylor at home, the Bears own an 11-2 advantage over the Jayhawks in Waco and have won the last five consecutive matches in Waco. The Jayhawks have topped BU just two times in on the road- 2002 and 2003.



Bechard Approaching Milestone

Kansas head coach Ray Bechard is just two wins shy of hitting 900 career victories. Bechard, who is in his 12th season at KU, is 898-223 (.801 percent) in his 25th season as a head coach. He spent 13 seasons at Barton County Community College prior to coming to Kansas, where he accumulated a 716-60 mark at the school.



Up Next

The Jayhawks return to Lawrence on Wednesday, Sept. 30 to host Colorado at 6:30 p.m. KU then has back-to-back road games at Texas A&M and Nebraska on Oct. 3 and 7, respectively.

Women's College Volleyball Game Information Week 5: Tulane vs. Tulsa

Watch as Tulane head volleyball coach Sinisa Momic discusses his team and the upcoming weekend: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24M_4v_Nq94

 

Sept. 24, 2009

TULANE VOLLEYBALL TO BATTLE C-USA FOE TULSA FRIDAY AT FOGELMAN

Green Wave look to improve on 5-4 start in 2009 and remain unbeaten in league play

 

NEW ORLEANS – Through the first three weeks of the 2009 season, the Tulane University volleyball team has learned its fair share of ups and downs.

 

In nine matches, the Green Wave has experienced the high of defeating in-state rival LSU on Sept. 11 and rallied from a 2-1 deficit to down New Mexico in five last weekend in Tucson, Ariz. The Tulane team has also gone through the lows of dropping straight-set matches to a pair of nationally-ranked programs, losing a 2-0 lead in a five-set decision to Long Beach State on Sept. 12 and seeing a team it had down 2-1 rally late before holding on for a five-set win at UTEP on Sept. 17.

 

On Friday, the Green Wave will look to put their combined experience to a good use when the team plays host to Conference USA foe Tulsa at 7 p.m. at Fogelman Arena. The match is one of two league contest Tulane will host over the weekend as the Green Wave will play SMU on Sunday at 1 p.m.

 

“It’s our first conference matches at home, so obviously everyone is excited,” first-year Tulane head volleyball coach Sinisa Momic said. “We’ve beaten some good teams like LSU and New Mexico, but still not consistent. That is something we’ll work on. We definitely can’t take anyone lightly, especially not Tulsa or SMU. We know that we can beat probably any team in the conference, but if we’re inconsistent, we can get in trouble. Our goal is to open up our home conference matches the right way.”

 

The Green Wave enter the weekend 5-4 on the year and 1-0 in Conference USA after a 2-1 performance last week on the road. Tulane opened the C-USA portion of its schedule with a 3-2 win at UTEP on Thursday, dropped a 3-0 decision to then-No. 21 Arizona on Saturday and rallied back for a five-set win over New Mexico on Sunday.

 

As a team, the Green Wave are averaging 12.74 kills, 11.97 assists, 14.57 digs and 1.89 blocks per set. Sophomore outside hitter Visnja Djurdjevic leads the squad with 4.00 kills per set, while senior setter Rachel Lindelow has a team-best 10.03 assist-per-set average. Senior libero Jenn Miller paces the club with 4.00 digs per contest and junior middle blocker Lindsey Shepard headlines the team with 1.00 blocks per outing.

 

Tulane is hitting .210 (446-183-1254) on the young season while allowing opponents to attack at a .219 clip (436-173-1201). Green Wave opponents, meanwhile, are averaging 12.46 kills, 11.69 assists, 15.69 digs and 2.34 blocks per set so far in 2009.

 

“We definitely have to play more consistently,” Momic said. “We can’t play as up and down as we have so far. That’s the first key. We have to control our passing and our setting. If that happens, our offense will work fine against anybody. We just have to be consistent and play at a high level at all times, not go from a high level to not playing so well and losing points in a row. That is the biggest issue we have right now.”

 

Tulsa comes to New Orleans 10-3 on the year and will play its first C-USA match of the year on Friday in Fogelman Arena. Last weekend, the Golden Hurricane went 2-1 at the Texas-Arlington Hilton Invitational with a 3-1 loss to TCU on Friday and back-to-back 3-0 wins over Arkansas State ad Texas Southern on Saturday.

 

As a team, the Hurricane are averaging 13.94 kills, 13.04 assists, 14.79 digs and 1.93 blocks per set. Jennifer Eichler paces Tulsa with 4.11 kills per set while Jordan Clampitt and Rachel Vukson average 6.04 and 5.81 assists per stanza. Jessica Adams leads the team with 4.91 digs per set and Jullia Kenealy headlines the front-row defense with 1.02 blocks per set.

 

Tulsa is hitting .279 (655-219-1560) for the year while holding its opponents to a .153 clip (535-286-1626). Golden Hurricane opponents, meanwhile, are averaging 11.38 kills, 10.60 assists, 12.34 digs and 1.80 blocks per set.

 

“It looks like our conference is getting stronger and we’re not in a position to think about having an easy match against anybody,” Momic said. “We’re going to take everybody seriously and just prepare the best that we can. The biggest thing for us is playing our game and not worrying about who we play. I think if we can control our side of the court, we’ll be fine against anybody.”

 

Friday’s match marks the 13^th meeting between Tulane and Tulsa, and the Green Wave hold a 9-3 lead in the all-time series. Tulane had never lost to the Golden Hurricane prior to their first season in C-USA, but the Green Wave dropped a pair of regular-season matches to Tulsa in 2005. The Green Wave exacted a bit of revenge in that year’s C-USA Tournament with a 3-2 win in the quarterfinals and have now won five of the last six regular-season meetings. Tulane is 2-0 against Tulsa in C-USA matches in Fogelman Arena.

 

Following Friday’s C-USA match against Tulsa, the Green Wave return to action on Sunday, Sept. 27, when they play host to league foe SMU at 1 p.m. at Fogelman Arena. From there, Tulane will hit the road for three straight road matches in Texas as the Wave will battle Stephen F. Austin on Thursday, Houston on Friday and Rice on Sunday. For ticket information, contact the Tulane Athletics Ticket Office at 504-861-WAVE.

 

COACH MOMIC’S COMMENTS HEADING INTO THE WEEKEND

 

On this weekend’s matches against Tulsa and SMU

“It’s our first conference matches at home, so obviously everyone is excited. We’ve beaten some good teams like LSU and New Mexico, but still not consistent. That is something we’ll work on. We definitely can’t take anyone lightly, especially not Tulsa or SMU. We know that we can beat probably any team in the conference, but if we’re inconsistent, we can get in trouble. Our goal is to open up our home conference matches the right way.”

 

On Friday’s opponent, the Tulsa Golden Hurricane

“They’re tough as usual. They have a freshman outside that is playing very well for them. They also have a senior outside, a lefty. That’s they’re two primary hitters, and they also have a big middle blocker who’s 6-3. Those are the three players we’re going to pay attention to as far as their offense goes.”

 

On what it will take for Tulane to come away with a pair of wins this weekend

“We definitely have to play more consistently. We can’t play as up and down as we have so far. That’s the first key. We have to control our passing and our setting. If that happens, our offense will work fine against anybody. We just have to be consistent and play at a high level at all times, not go from a high level to not playing so well and losing points in a row. That is the biggest issue we have right now.”

 

On the addition of Milica Jovic to the lineup last week against New Mexico

“Her performance was a difference maker against New Mexico. I know she is capable of playing at that level. That is a great performance for not only for a freshman but also for any hitter. Now the question is can she repeat that every single match. It worked for New Mexico and hopefully it will work again. If not, we will find whatever works best for the team at that point.”

 

On the overall level of play around Conference USA

“It looks like our conference is getting stronger and we’re not in a position to think about having an easy match against anybody. We’re going to take everybody seriously and just prepare the best that we can. The biggest thing for us is playing our game and not worrying about who we play. I think if we can control our side of the court, we’ll be fine against anybody.”

 

--www.TulaneGreenWave.com--

 

Women's College Volleyball Game Information Week 5: UAB vs. Houston, Rice

UAB Set To Host Houston, Rice In C-USA Volleyball Action
Blazers and Cougars open conference weekend Friday at 6 p.m.

Sept. 24, 2009 

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The UAB volleyball team begins conference play in earnest this weekend when the Blazers welcome two league opponents to Bartow Arena.

UAB (7-8, 1-0 C-USA) will play host to Houston (3-12, 0-0 C-USA) on Friday at 6 p.m. CT, and Rice (8-3, 0-0 C-USA) comes to town for a 1 p.m. CT contest on Sunday.

UAB has one Conference USA match under its belt, having opened league play last Wednesday with a 3-2 win at Memphis. Friday’s match will serve as the conference opener for Houston, while Rice opens its league slate Friday at Memphis before heading on to Birmingham.

On the heels of Tuesday’s 3-0 loss to Middle Tennessee, UAB enters the Houston contest looking to snap a three-match losing streak. Freshman middle blocker Sam Serley finished with eight kills against the Blue Raiders and has led UAB in that category in each of the past five matches. Libero Heather Thomas continues to lead the Blazers defensively with 4.56 kills per set.

Houston went 1-2 at last weekend’s Stephen F. Austin Ladyjack Invitational with a win over Alcorn State and losses to Stephen F. Austin and Miami (Ohio). In addition to the win over Alcorn State, Houston’s victories this season have come against Southeastern Louisiana and Boise State. Houston leads 15-2 in the all-time series with UAB, including a 3-2 win last season on its home floor.

The Cougars are paced offensively by Kinsey Cave with 3.54 kills per set and defensively by Amanda Carson with 3.53 digs per frame.

Friday is Blazer Pride Night. Members of the UAB National Alumni Society who show their NAS membership card and any fans who present a ticket stub from one of UAB’s first two home football games will receive $2 admission to the UAB-Houston match. The first 25 students in attendance will receive a free UAB foam finger.

Rice enters the weekend with three players averaging 2.90 kills per set or better, led by Ashleigh McCord at 3.64. Meredith Schamun owns an 11.19 assists-per-set average, and Tracey Lam checks in with 5.29 digs per frame. All three players were preseason all-conference selections with Schamun earning preseason co-player of the year honors.

Rice’s match Friday at Memphis will be the first for the Owls since Sept. 12. The team cancelled its trip to the UTSA Classic last weekend because of a flu outbreak on the team. In their last action, the Owls went 1-2 two weekends ago at their own Mizuno Invitational II with a win over Harvard and losses to South Carolina and Wichita State.

UAB trails 7-4 in the all-time series with Rice, and the teams split two meetings last year. Rice earned a 3-2 regular-season victory in Houston, and UAB rebounded for a 3-1 win in the semifinals of the Conference USA tournament. Both teams went on to receive at-large bids to the NCAA tournament.

Sunday is UAB’s Camper Appreciation Match. All UAB volleyball campers wearing their camp t-shirt will receive free admission to Sunday’s game.

Women's College Volleyball Game Information Week 5: Marshall vs. Southern Miss, UCF

Volleyball Hosts Two Conference Matches this Weekend
Southern Miss on Friday at 6 p.m.; UCF on Sunday at 2 p.m.

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – After defeating rival West Virginia in the battle of the Golden Ball trophy for the eighth-consecutive season on Wednesday night, Marshall volleyball will host Conference USA opponents Southern Miss on Friday at 6 p.m. and UCF on Sunday at 2 p.m.

SOUTHERN MISS – Friday at 6 p.m.

Southern Miss (13-2, 1-0 C-USA) travels to Huntington after winning two-of-three at the Radisson-UCF Classic, including wins against UCF and Florida A&M.  Ashley Mell, an outside hitter, was named C-USA Player of the Week on Monday, Sept. 21 for her individual performance in the tournament.  Mell was named to the all-tournament team and averaged 4.08 kills-per-set in the three match tournament. 

Kelsea Seymour was named C-USA Setter of the Week after dishing out 10.31 assists-per-set and 3.50 digs-per-set to join Mell on the all-tournament team.  She has registered 10 double-doubles, which is tops in the C-USA and also ranks fourth in the conference in helpers per set at 10.15.

UCF – Sunday at 2 p.m.

UCF (8-6, 0-1 C-USA) hosted the Radisson-UCF Classic, dropping all three matches, two of which lasted five sets (Southern Miss and Florida A&M).  The Knights have been a streaky team, with five-straight victories to open the season and four-straight losses entering the weekend.  UCF will play in Greenville, N.C., to take on East Carolina on Friday prior to playing the Herd.

Outside hitter Erin Campbell tops the Knights in kills with an average of 3.42 per set. Meredith Murphy leads the squad in digs on the season, 231, while Sara Rex averages 1.02 blocks-per-set, good for fourth in C-USA.

Marshall (13-2, 1-0 C-USA) enters the weekend slate of games, winners of three in a row, with victories at Morehead State (3-1) and vs. East Carolina (3-1) and WVU (3-1) at the friendly confides of the Cam Henderson Center. 

Emily Sullivan, Elizabeth Herman and Kristin Marcum continued to provide a balanced attack on the offensive side of the court in the win against the Mountaineers.  Sullivan and Herman tied for match-high honors with 14 kills each, while Marcum sported a double-double of 12 kills and 11 digs.  It marked her sixth double-double of the season.   Sullivan chipped in with five block assists and a pair of digs, with Herman adding four digs and a block assist.

Fleming recorded her team-best seventh double-double of the season with a match-high 44 assists and 10 digs, along with four kills and two block assists.  It marked the ninth time this season that Fleming has surpassed the 40 assist plateau. 

Both matches can be viewed on Game Tracker by logging onto www.herdzone.com.  The match against UCF can be viewed on CBS College Sports.  For more information on match reruns, log onto www.cbscollegesports.com.

Women's College Volleyball Game Information Week 5: McNeese State vs. Northwestern, Central Arkansas

McNeese Volleyball Advance For Friday, Sept. 25

Cowgirls Open Southland Conference Play This Weekend

     McNeese State's volleyball team (12-2) begins Southland Conference play this weekend by hosting Northwestern State (1-8, 0-1 SLC) at 7 p.m. Friday and Central Arkansas (12-2, 1-0 SLC) at 4 p.m. Saturday.

    The Cowgirls were picked to finish in third place in the East Division by the league's coaches and sports information directors.  Northwestern State was was picked to finish fourth.  

     Saturday's match against Central Arkansas is one that will pit the league's two teams that have the best overall record at 12-2.  Central Arkansas is undefeated in league play at 1-0 with its straight set victory over Northwestern State on Sept. 19.  The Sugar Bears were picked to win the East Division and finish third overall. behind Texas State is the preseason favorite.  Central Arkansas won the East Division last season and won the NCAA Postseason Invitational and returns the SLC's Player of the Year, Chloe Smith and Freshman and Setter of the Year Robyn Smith.

     The Cowgirls are looking to get off to a good conference start and are led by preseason all-SLC picks in senior outside hitter Chanel Tyler and setter Sarah Cartie.  Both players have reached the 1,000 mark in respective categories and have helped the Cowgirls to their best overall start in head coach Dale Starr's tenure. 

     Tyler leads the Cowgirls and ranks sixth in the league in kills and fifth in service aces.  Cartie leads the team with 425 assists which is good for second behind UCA's Smith.  Sophomore Nicole Bowden is having an impressive season and ranks third in the league in blocks and ninth in hitting percent.  Freshman Whitney Ellisor ranks fifth in the SLC in digs and is tied for fifth in service aces.