Volleyball Voices

Week 8: Tennessee Lady Vols Women's College Volleyball Team News

Week 8: Tennessee Lady Vols Women's College Volleyball Team News

LADY VOLS RANKED NO. 20 IN INITIAL NCAA VOLLEYBALL RPI OF 2009 CAMPAIGN 

UT Also Receiving Votes in Most Recent AVCA Poll

 KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The initial NCAA Division I Volleyball RPI of the 2009 campaign was released Monday evening and the University of Tennessee found itself in good position as it is ranked 20th in the nation. With a record of 12-5 overall and a 5-2 mark in Southeastern Conference action, the Lady Volunteers have also worked their way back into the American Volleyball Coaches Association’s weekly poll, earning nine votes in the most recent version of the rankings.

 

The NCAA RPI rankings take into account strength of schedule, as well as the team’s record both on the road and at home. The Big Orange recently completed a weekend sweep of league foes, taking out Georgia and Auburn in straight sets at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville. UT has now won six of its last seven contests dating back to a 3-0 victory over Arkansas on Sept. 25.

 

Tennessee is one of four SEC teams currently ranked among the top-20 in the nation, behind No. 9 Florida, 11th-rated LSU and No. 13 Kentucky. That number trails only the Big Ten and Pac-10 conferences which each have five squads in the top-20. Also included in that area of the rankings is No. 16 Notre Dame, which the Big Orange swept on Sept. 5 at the Xavier Invitational in Cincinnati, Ohio.

 

The Orange and White will hit the road once again next weekend as it is slated to take on Alabama at 7 p.m. ET in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Friday, Oct. 16 and Mississippi State at 2:30 p.m. ET two days later in Starkville, Miss. From there, the Lady Vols will make a brief return to Knoxville before making the trek up I-75 for a 7 p.m. showdown against No. 10 Kentucky in Lexington, Ky., on Wednesday, Oct. 21. That match will be televised live on ESPNU. 

 

The complete 2009 NCAA Division I Volleyball RPI rankings can be found at: http://web1.ncaa.org/app_data/weeklyrpi/2009WVBrpi1.html

 

##LADY VOL VOLLEYBALL##

Week 7: Arkansas State Women's College Volleyball Team News

Week 7: Arkansas State Women's College Volleyball Team News

ASU Student-Athletes Visit Local Elementary School

JONESBORO, Ark. (10/9/09) – Student-athletes from three Arkansas State
athletic teams visited the students at University Heights Elementary
School in Jonesboro to congratulate them on their good behavior and
attendance thus far in the semester.

Baseball players, volleyball players, bowlers and Howl joined the
students for lunch and signed autographs to reward them for their
efforts at school this year and to encourage them to continue working
hard.

“We think it was a real treat for the elementary students to be able
to have lunch with the ASU student-athletes,” said Julie Lessiter,
Associate Athletic Director for Student Support.  “Both groups had a
great time interacting with each other, and we hope this inspires
other children at the elementary school to be rewarded for their good
behavior.”

Week 7: Samford Women's College Volleyball Team News

Week 7: Samford Women's College Volleyball Team News

Volleyball Travels To North Carolina On First Conference Road Trip

--- Bulldogs will meet Western Carolina and Appalachian State on season’s first road trip ---

 

Oct. 9, 2009

 

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ---- The Samford University volleyball team takes to the road this weekend for the first time in two weeks as it travels to North Carolina on its first Southern Conference road trip of the season. The Bulldogs will meet up with Western Carolina on Saturday and Appalachian State on Sunday. Both matches start at 1 p.m. CT.

 

After the Bulldogs started the season with the Samford Invitational at home, they spent the three weeks on the road taking on tough non-conference opponents, including three NCAA Tournament teams. Although a non-conference road setting offers challenges of its own, league road matches hold much higher stakes. Besides fighting for a place at the top of the league standings in order to get one of four spots in the conference tournament, players are right in the thick of school life, and that includes everything from tests to group meetings.

 

“We have discussed being prepared to battle for points this week and practiced accordingly” Samford head coach Derek Schroeder said. “Tuesday’s practice was the best of the year and that preparation should lead to good things this weekend. I think these road trips are very difficult because school is just starting to get hard and the season is just starting to get long. The non-conference road trips are so early in the season that other factors do not play as big a role.”

 

This weekend will be Samford’s fifth and sixth matches in Southern Conference play, and Western Carolina and Appalachian State are only the second and third North Division opponents the Bulldogs have faced so far.

 

“Western Carolina, under a new coach, is going to run a very quick offense and play very a similar style to what we play,” Schroeder said. “Appalachian State always gives us fits because they match up very well at the net with us and against our style of play. Our motivation going in will be to start North Division play undefeated and gain a small cushion leading into the second half of conference play.”

 

Samford (10-7, 4-0 SoCon) comes off a week in which they secured two more conference wins and maintained its undefeated status in Pete Hanna Center. The Bulldogs have won 21 matches in the arena since the move from Seibert Hall at the end of the 2007 season. The Bulldogs swept North Division foe Chattanooga Wednesday before defeating Davidson on Sunday by a score of 3-1.

 

Samford is led by September’s SoCon Player of the Month Allie Bettinger. The freshman outside hitter leads the Bulldogs in kills with 3.35 per set while averaging just over two digs per set. She also leads in aces alongside junior setter Hillary Fountain. The pair has served up 16 aces each so far this season.

 

Fountain has dished out a team-high 9.03 assists per set while averaging 2.42 digs per set. Freshman libero Alexis Bauer leads the Bulldogs in digs with 3.76 per set. Senior middle blocker Sheriden Stangohr leads in hitting with a .287 hitting percentage and averages a team-high 1.30 blocks per set. Stangohr only committed three errors last week and hit over .500 against both Chattanooga and Davidson.

 

Western Carolina (3-16, 0-5) enters this weekend on an eight-match skid. The Catamounts have only won one of their last ten matches, and recently fell to Furman on Wednesday in a 3-0 sweep. Western Carolina has been swept in three of its last five losses, all to conference opponents.

 

Amanda Karr leads the Catamounts in kills with 2.41 per set while Carrie Minogue leads in hitting with a .196 hitting percentage as well as aces (22) and blocks (46). Katie Hennessey has dished out a team-high 7.18 assists per set while Liz Rondone averages 3.42 digs per set.

 

The Bulldogs lead the all-time series with the Catamounts, 5-4.  Last season, Samford swept Western Carolina in both of its meetings.

 

Appalachian State (6-12, 2-2 SoCon) comes off a winless weekend, falling to UNC Greensboro and Elon on the road. The Mountaineers have won three of their last five, with two of those wins coming at home. After taking a 3-2 victory over East Tennessee State, they opened conference play with a five-set win over The Citadel followed by a sweep of Western Carolina.

 

The Mountaineers are led by Maja Jechorek, who averages 2.98 kills per set while Becca Norris follows with two kills per set and leads in hitting with a .270 percentage. Kasey Sauls leads in assists with 8.88 per set while Cassie Engelgau posts 4.27 digs per set and Caroline Sedon boasts 1.28 blocks per set.

 

Last season was the first time Samford and Appalachian State had competed against each other. The Mountaineers visited Birmingham early in the conference season and the Bulldogs won, 3-1. Later in the season, Samford traveled to Boone, N.C., and secured the North Division title with a 3-2 win over the Mountaineers.

 

Both matches can be followed via live stats at www.catamountsports.com andwww.goasu.com. A full recap and results will be available onwww.samfordsports.com upon the completion of each match.

 

*** SAMFORD BULLDOGS ***

 

Week 7: Santa Clara Women's College Volleyball Team News

Week 7: Santa Clara Women's College Volleyball Team News

SCU Volleyball Gears Up for Road … Again

Santa Clara will finish playing 15 of its first 16 games on the road this weekend with WCC matches at Saint Mary's and San Diego.
Santa Clara, Calif. - Playing the first 15 of its 16 matches on the road, Santa Clara, 10-6 and 0-1 in the WCC, will finish up its road trip this week when it plays at Saint Mary's Thurs., Oct. 8 at 7 pm and then at No. 24 San Diego on Sat., Oct. 10 at 1 pm.  Santa Clara finally returns home on Thurs., Oct. 15 vs. Portland at 7pm and then vs. Gonzaga
on Sat., Oct. 17 at 1 pm when it hosts DIG PINK - to raise money and awareness during Breast Cancer Month.

Santa Clara fell at USF 3-0 on Oct. 2.  Santa Clara is hitting .225 and opponents are hitting .203.  Santa Clara averages 13.1 kpg and 12.9 dpg, with 2.2 bpg and 1.2 apg.  After falling at USF last Friday, Bronco head coach Jon Wallace delivered a Mike Singletary-like message to his team this week: 'Play Hard, Fight, Compete on Every Point'.
"That is what we are asking the girls to do this week," said Wallace.  "We play very tough opponents this week.  Saint Mary's is good and they are playing pretty smooth.  This will be a difficult match for us, but we are trying to get our team to just play as hard as they can and if they are going to worry about anything, it should be competing as hard as
they can."

Wallace echoed the speech Singletary message last week to the Bronco women's soccer team when he said the team needed to compete hard for every point, every ball.

"This week we started games at 20-20 and played until one scored 25," said Wallace.  "We talked to the team about the five point stretch between 20 and 25 and that's where we need to make the plays, be aggressive and stay
aggressive.  It did pay off yesterday in practice. We played about five or six of those and we got better at each one. It's about being comfortable from 20-25 and staying aggressive. Our team has to learn that lesson. And hopefully that kind
of play in practice will carry over into matches."

Individually, Dana Knudsen, who is hitting .369 with 2.38 kpg and .91 bpg, leads Santa Clara.  Freshmen Katherine Douglas has a team-high 146 kills on the year.  Setter Emily Burke scores 7.44 apg.  Playing a number of freshmen and sophomores, Santa Clara has 11 underclassmen on the team.

Wallace said he can see the Broncos are going to be a good team because they have really good kids, who are dedicated to getting better, care and certainly want to get better every day.

"Our kids were really down after losing last Friday," said Wallace.  "They came in on Monday and really wanted to work hard this week and get better.  That's really good. They have good work ethic and they are going to improve."

Saint Mary's enters the match on Thursday with a 10-3 record, having gone 2-0 on the road last weekend when it defeated Pepperdine 3-0 on Oct. 1 and LMU 3-0 on Oct. 3.

"Saint Mary's has the best chance of winning the WCC now after going on the road and getting two wins.  They are playing good volleyball," said Wallace.  "Looking at Pepperdine, USD and even us - there is a lot of volleyball left so anyone can win. No one is that much better than someone else. I would say two-six, they are going to have to play well
to beat Saint Mary's and those teams will probably beat up on each other home and away."

Sophomore Chanteal Satele was named WCC Player of the week last week. Satele's line for the weekend was a team-high 22 kills, four errors on 45 total attempts for a .400 attack percentage, she averaged 3.67 kills per game, she also notched two total blocks and one dig.

San Diego, who plays USF on Thurs., Oct. 8, is 9-4 and 1-1 in the WCC.  USD won 3-2 at LMU Oct. 1 before falling 3-0 at Pepperdine on Oct. 3. Carrie Baird paced the Torero offense as she tied a career-high with 13 kills on 28 attempts, while only committing two errors to hit for a .393 clip at LMU. Baird also recorded 10 digs to post her second double-double of the season. In Saturday's loss, Torey Ellick and Carrie Baird led the team with 10 kills apiece, with Ellick hitting at a .500 clip and Baird hitting at a .400 clip.

"Each week is about us learning how to control the things we can control and play the best volleyball we can," said Wallace.  "We also need better execution.  We will get better - we know that."



2009 Santa Clara University Volleyball
Santa Clara Combined Team Statistics (as of Oct 02, 2009)
All matches

Overall record: 10-6  Conf: 0-1  Home: 1-1  Away: 3-3  Neutral: 6-2

Attack    Set   Serve    Dig    Blocking
## Player     sp k k/s e ta pct a a/s sa se sa/s re dig dig/s bs ba total blk/s be bhe points
3 MORRISON, Libby   48 1 0.02 0  1 1.000 15 0.31 10 12 0.21 8 157 3.27 0 1  1 0.02 0 0  -
6 PETERS, Sam    6 14 2.33 0 20 .700 0 0.00 2 5 0.33 0 3 0.50 0 6  6 1.00 1 0  -
4 SELSKY, Samantha   2 2 1.00 0  5 .400 19 9.50 0 1 0.00 0 1 0.50 0 2  2 1.00 1 0  -
13 KNUDSEN, Dana   58 138 2.38 39 268 .369 1 0.02 0 0 0.00 1 16 0.28 4 49 53 0.91 4 1  -
14 SCHMIDT, Tanya   54 91 1.69 25 198 .333 3 0.06 9 23 0.17 1 21 0.39 1 49 50 0.93 7 0  -
5 BURKE, Emily   55 14 0.25 6 34 .235 409 7.44 10 7 0.18 0 82 1.49 0 8  8 0.15 3 5  -
10 DAVIGEADONO, Linds  49 117 2.39 53 283 .226 16 0.33 4 5 0.08 1 23 0.47 9 39 48 0.98 6 1  -
23 KELLEY, Krista   33 113 3.42 50 283 .223 2 0.06 2 15 0.06 12 75 2.27 1 9 10 0.30 1 1  -
1 WILLIAMSON, Lexi  28 50 1.79 22 128 .219 4 0.14 1 2 0.04 0 10 0.36 0 7  7 0.25 5 0  -
20 LOMMORI, Kayla   41 52 1.27 30 140 .157 17 0.41 10 6 0.24 0 18 0.44 2 20 22 0.54 7 0  -
21 PALMER, Alexandra  37 2 0.05 1  8 .125 208 5.62 4 5 0.11 0 46 1.24 0 0  0 0.00 1 2  -
11 DOUGLAS, Katherine  56 146 2.61 91 441 .125 6 0.11 11 17 0.20 8 132 2.36 6 17 23 0.41 3 1  -
12 COURTNEY, Kim   47 19 0.40 16 79 .038 8 0.17 5 11 0.11 14 94 2.00 0 4  4 0.09 0 0  -
8 DOHERTY, Morgan   4 0 0.00 0  0 .000 1 0.25 0 0 0.00 0 3 0.75 0 0  0 0.00 0 0  -
18 O'HARA, Bridget   28 1 0.04 1  2 .000 7 0.25 0 5 0.00 6 67 2.39 0 0  0 0.00 0 1  -
SANTA CLARA    58 760 13.10 334 1890 .225 716 12.34 68 114 1.17 64 748 12.90 23 211 128.5 2.22 39 12  -
Opponents    58 701 12.09 319 1882 .203 647 11.16 64 126 1.10 68 671 11.57 24 221 134.5 2.32 21 8  -

Team Statistics    SCU   OPP   Date  Opponent       Score Score by set      Att.
ATTACK             Aug 28 vs #9 UCLA     L 0-3 21-25,16-25,18-25     0
Kills       760   701   Aug 29 at #7 Hawai'i     L 1-3 19-25,27-25,28-30,13-25   6237
Errors      334   319   Aug 30 vs Western Michigan   W 3-2 19-25,25-14,18-25,25-17,15-11  0
Total Attacks    1890  1882   Sep 04 vs UC Riverside    W 3-0 25-21,25-16,25-15     72
Attack Pct     .225  .203   Sep 05 vs CSU Bakersfield   W 3-1 18-25,25-19,25-17,25-11   76
Kills/Set      13.1  12.1  %Sep 5  at Sacramento State   W 3-2 23-25,25-20,18-25,25-19,18-16  376
SET             Sep 10 #25 ARIZONA     L 0-3 23-25,15-25,19-25     471
Assists      716   647   Sep 12 UTAH       W 3-0 25-20,25-21,25-17     454
Assists/Set     12.3  11.2   Sep 16 at UCSB      L 1-3 17-25,25-22,23-25,23-25   288
SERVE             Sep 18 vs Idaho      W 3-1 25-21,25-23,19-25,25-23    0
Aces       68   64   Sep 18 at Cal Poly     W 3-1 25-16,24-26,25-19,25-14    0
Errors      114   126   Sep 19 vs Seattle University   W 3-0 25-22,25-22,25-23     0
Aces/Set      1.2   1.1   Sep 25 vs Albany      L 1-3 16-25,25-22,16-25,20-25   101
SERVE RECEPTIONS          Sep 25 at Penn      W 3-0 25-15,25-23,25-13     117
Errors      64   68   Sep 26 vs St. Francis    W 3-0 25-13,25-17,25-18     75
Errors/Set      1.1   1.2   *Oct 02 at San Francisco    L 0-3 24-26,15-25,20-25    1239
DEFENSE
Digs       748   671  Record in 3-set matches:5-3 -  Record in 4-set matches:3-3 -  Record in 5-set matches:2-0
Digs/Set      12.9  11.6
BLOCKING
Block Solo     23   24
Block Assist     211   221
Total Blocks    128.5  134.5
Blocks/Set     2.2   2.3
Block Errors     39   21
Ball handling errors   12   8
ATTENDANCE
Total      925  8257
Dates/Avg Per Date   2/462  6/1376
Neutral site #/Avg   8/40
Current win streak    0   -
Home win streak    1   -

 

Week 7: University of Central Florida Women's College Volleyball Team News

Week 7: University of Central Florida Women's College Volleyball Team News

October 7, 2009

 

UCF Volleyball Announces the Formation of the VolleyKnights Support Club

Knights supporters can join at six different levels.

               

ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) – The UCF volleyball team and head coach Todd Dagenais are welcoming fans to join the newly formed VolleyKnights Support Club. VolleyKnights is the official fundraising support-group for UCF volleyball, where supporters have the opportunity to receive exclusive volleyball benefits by contributing at one of six levels.

 

“Establishing the VolleyKnights program is extremely important for the future success of our program,” Dagenais said. “The funds raised through the program will directly benefit UCF volleyball and our student-athletes. We are excited to give our most loyal fans an opportunity to support out program.”

 

All members of the VolleyKnights will receive an e-newsletter, exclusive e-mail updates and invitations to volleyball special events. Additional benefits by level are included below:

 

Single ($100+)

Volleyball season ticket (1)

Official UCF volleyball t-shirt (1)

 

Family ($200+)

Volleyball season tickets (2)

Official UCF volleyball t-shirts (2)

 

Spike level ($500+)

Volleyball season tickets (2)

Official UCF volleyball t-shirts (2)

Autographed Team Poster

 

Black level ($1,000+)

Volleyball season tickets (2)

Official UCF volleyball t-shirts (2)

Autographed team poster

Reserved seats for home matches

 

Gold level ($2,500+)

Volleyball season tickets (2)

Official UCF volleyball t-shirts (2)

Autographed team poster

Reserved seats for home matches

Honorary team captain for one match, which includes two special seats

 

Coach’s level ($5,000+)

Volleyball season tickets (2)

Official UCF volleyball t-shirts (2)

Autographed team poster

Reserved seats for home matches

Honorary team captain for one match, which includes two special seats

Invitation to accompany team to an away match

 

For additional information, or to contribute to women’s volleyball, contact the UCF volleyball office at (407) 823-6229.  A contribution form is also available at www.ucfathleticfund.com/support-volleyball.

 

Season tickets for the 2009 season are still available for only $30, with the Knights hosting six regular-season matches remaining at The Venue at UCF this year.  

 

For the latest news on the Knights, log on towww.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-

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Week 7: University of Portland Women's Volleyball Team News

Week 7: University of Portland Women's Volleyball Team News

Pilots At Home This Week, Host LMU Then Pepperdine

 

Thursday, Oct. 3

Pilots (4-12, 0-1) vs. Loyola Marymount (9-7, 0-2)

Portland, Ore. – 7:00 p.m.

Series: LMU leads 37-8

Last season: 0-2, @POR 1, LMU 3 • @LMU 3, POR 0

Live stats/audio/video: portlandpilots.com

 

Saturday, Oct. 10

Pilots (4-12, 0-1) vs. Pepperdine (8-6, 1-1)

Portland, Ore. – 1:00 p.m.

Series: Pepperdine leads 42-2

Last season: 0-2, @POR 0, PEPP 3 • @PEPP 3, POR 2

Live stats/audio/video: portlandpilots.com

 

 

This Week in Pilots Volleyball...

The Portland Pilots are at home this week and will host two West Coast Conference matches at the Chiles Center starting with Loyola Marymount on Thursday Oct. 8 at 7:00 p.m. Portland then squares up against Pepperdine on Saturday, Oct. 10 at 1:00 p.m.

 

Game Day Coverage

All Portland home matches will once again be video streamed live atwww.pilotsvideo.com. A season pass is available for $40 (13 matches), while single-game matches are $8. Free audio streams and live stats will continue to be available at www.portlandpilots.com.

 

Scouting Loyola Marymount

LMU opened WCC action suffering two losses at the hands of No. 20 San Diego (25-23, 16-25, 25-18, 19-25, 15-9) and Saint Mary’s (25-21, 25-11, 32-30), extending their losing streak to four matches. Alaina Bergsma paces the attack with 4.23 kills per set, leading all freshman in the country. Bergsma also leads the team in blocks with 0.68 per set (38 total) and has a conference-leading 26 service aces. On defense, LaurDeGrandmont has 167 digs total (2.88 dps).

 

10 returning letterwinners and five starters are joined by seven newcomers this fall. Last season LMU went 13-17 overall and 3-11 in the WCC, good enough for sixth.

 

Steve Stratos enters his 19th year as head coach at LMU. 

 

Pilots/Lions Series

Pilots went 0-2 last season against LMU. The Lions own a 37-8 advantage in the all-time series with Portland. In their last meeting on Nov. 15, 2008, LMU beat the Pilots 3-1 at the Chiles Center in Portland, Ore.

 

Scouting Pepperdine

The Waves had a split to open conference play, falling to Saint Mary’s (25-14, 25-16, 25-22) before defeating San Diego (25-18, 25-23, 25-23). Senior Rachel Grochmal led the Waves, registering match-highs both times, with 11 kills against Saint Mary’s and 14 on .407 hitting against San Diego. Senior Kiah Fiers had 20 assists and a team-high 11 digs against SMC for a double-double alongside sophomore Stevi Robinson, who also had double-digit digs with 10. Robinson has had double-digit digs in all but one match this season and ranks second in the league with 227 digs on the season.

 

Last season, the Waves finished 20-8 (8-6, 4th WCC) and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the fourth year in a row but suffered a first-round loss to Long Beach State. Six letterwinners and four starters return this fall, as well as seven newcomers.

 

Head coach Nina Matthies is in her 27th season at the helm of the Pepperdine program.

 

Pilots/Waves Series

Pilots went 0-2 last season against the Waves. Pepperdine has the 42-2 advantage over Portland in the all-time series. In their last meeting on Nov. 13, 2008, the Waves defeated the Pilots 3-0 in Portland, Ore.

 

Looking Back

On Wednesday, the Pilots wrapped-up preseason competition with a 3-1 win over Seattle University (25-19, 25-20, 21-25, 25-13) and 4-11 overall mark. On Saturday, UP opened West Coast Conference play by falling to Gonzaga in three sets (25-12, 25-18, 26-24).

 

Against Seattle, junior Jessica Clemens paced the Pilots with nine kills and nine digs, both good enough for the team high. Sophomore Marissa Plummer posted six kills and one block assist, while senior ShelleySievers recorded five kills and two blocks total including a solo stuff. Freshman Ariel Usher registered six kills on 10 swings with no errors for .600 hitting efficiency to complement one block. Freshman Madison Smith had a team-high 17 assists.

 

Against the Bulldogs, junior Jessica Clemens recorded her sixth double-double of the season with a match-high 14 kills and 11 digs, while senior Maria Clemens posted 12 kills. In 14 of 15 matches this season, it has been a Clemens sister who has led the Pilots offensively. Marissa Plummer had 10 kills on a team-high .348 hitting percentage and also added three blocks and two digs. Leading the defense for the Pilots was junior Jessica Baty with a match-high 22 digs. Meanwhile ShelleySievers put up eight blocks total in addition to eight kills. At the setter position, senior Kaylyn Jones and Madison Smith shared duty dishing out 23 and 22 assists, respectively.

 

Where UP Stands

Junior libero Danielle Dupar currently sits at fifth in the conference in the digs per set category with 4.22 (156 total), while junior libero Jessica Batyis eighth with 3.25 dps and 91 total. Also making top-10 in the conference in the dig category is junior outside hitter Jessica Clemens in 10th with 2.91 and 154 total.

 

Jessica Clemens’ six double-doubles ties her for first in the conference so far this season. She moved up to eighth in the kills per set category with 3.06 and third in kills total with 162.

 

Freshman outside hitter Kate Bostwick sits at sixth in service aces with 0.29 per set (10 total). Bostwick’s four service aces during a match against American (9/3) ties her for the conference’s sixth-best match-high.

 

Senior Shelley Sievers jumped up to fifth in the WCC in blocks per set with 1.0, while sophomore Marissa Plummer is tied for the conference’s second-best blocking performance for a single match with nine blocks total against American (9/5).

 

As a team, Portland has the conference’s second-best performance in service aces for one match with 11 (vs. American, 9/3), behind Pepperdine’s 13 (vs. Northern Arizona, 9/3). The Pilots sit third in team blocks for one match with 15  (vs. American, 9/5), bettered only by Gonzaga (17 vs. Utah State, 8/29) and Santa Clara (17.5 vs. Western Michigan, 8/30).

 

All-Tournament Material

In tournament action this season, senior Maria Clemens was named to the Varney’s Kansas State Invitational All-Tournament Team (9/12). Junior Jessica Clemens and sophomore Marissa Plummer were selected to both the 2009 Nike Portland Invitational All-Tournament Team (9/6) and the 2009 Nike Cougar Classic All-Tournament Team in Pullman, Wash. (8/29).

 

Sister Act

In 15 of 16 matches this season, it has been a Clemens sister (senior Maria or junior Jessica) who has led the Pilots offensively.

 

The Firepower

The Pilots return a variety of talent this year, losing three starters from a year ago. Three seniors are playing their final season in Pilot purple. Senior setter Kaylyn Jones is averaging 5.53 assists per set this season, while middle blocker Shelley Sievers wreaks havoc at the net with a team-high 1.0 blocks per set and 48 blocks total on the season. Outside hitter Maria Clemens, who brings together an effective combination of work ethic and athleticism to average 2.38 kills per set, 1.60 digs per set and 0.45 blocks per set.

 

The Pilots bring back plenty of firepower with junior Jessica Clemens and 2008 WCC All-Freshmen selection sophomore Marissa Plummer. Jessica Clemens currently leads the team with 3.06 kills per set and also contributes 2.91 digs per set. She leads the team in service aces so far this season with 11 (0.21 per set). Plummer consistently puts up numbers on both sides of the net with 1.72 kills and a 44 blocks total (0.81 bps).

 

Leading the Pilots’ defensive effort is junior libero Danielle Dupar who has a team-high 4.22 digs per set and 156 total. Sophomore outside hitter Kati Hronek has helped out on the attack with 1.60 kills per set, a team fourth-best.

 

The Newest Pilots

Six newcomers are enjoying their first season on The Bluff in 2009 including two redshirts. Junior Libero/DS Jessica Baty and freshman outside hitter Rachel Femling have made their debut as Pilots after a redshirt season last fall. Baty currently has a team-second-best 3.25 digs per set.

 

Kate Bostwick (5-9, Pendleton, Ore.), an outside hitter, is already making an impact with 1.09 kills and 1.34 digs per set. Bostwick is second on the team in service aces with 10 so far. Coming to UP from Pendleton High,Bostwick was an Oregon 5A First Team All-State selection as a junior and Intermountain Conference Volleyball Player of the Year her senior year.

 

Madison Smith (5-10, Palos Verdes, Calif.) has been sharing duty at the setter position and posts a team-second-best 4.60 assists per set. Smith has also sent over eight service aces. Smith, from Palos Verdes High School, was co-MVP of the Division IAA Bay League during her senior year.

 

Middle blocker Ariel Usher (6-1, Forest Grove, Ore.) has a team-high .199 hitting percentage with 1.41 kills per set. Usher has been strong at the net with 36 blocks total, good enough for the team’s second best. From Glencoe High School, Usher was a first team All-State Selection as a junior and was named the Northwest Oregon Conference (NWOC) Volleyball Player of the Year during both her junior and senior seasons.

 

Rounding out the incoming class is Jessica Nguyen (5-2, Beaverton, Ore.), a DS from Southridge High who was the Metro League Co-Player of the Year as a senior and all-state honorable mention. The team looks well positioned to begin a new tradition with this core group and the additions to come in the future.

 

Pilots in the News

The sister act of Maria and Jessica Clemens was featured in The Oregonian on Sept. 28. For full article see portlandpilots.com.

 

Junior Danielle Dupar was featured in her hometown newspaper the Marin Independent Journal on Sept. 3.

 

Head Coach Joe Houck and the UP volleyball program were the focus of a Portland Examiner article entitled “Pilot Volleyball: Tomorrow’s Cinderella Story” on Aug. 20.

 

Read all articles at portlandpilots.com           

 

Challenging Schedule

With a schedule that has the Pilots slated to face seven opponents tabbed as Top 25 teams in the AVCA Division I Coaches Preseason Poll (8/31), its obvious Coach Houck is looking to make tremendous steps in making his team ready to compete in the WCC. Portland will square up against two ranked conference opponents in No. 15 San Diego and No. 25 Santa Clara. Other conference programs also receiving votes are Pepperdine, Saint Mary’s and San Francisco. UP also faces No. 14 Oregon early on in the season, followed by competition against three other Top 25 teams at the Kansas State Invitational Tournament in Manhattan, Kan. The Pilots will be tested by No. 19 Purdue, No. 22 Kansas State and No. 25 Kentucky. Rounding off the ranked-opponents is No.12 USC.

 

Pilots Steer Course to Digital World With Online Media Guides

The University of Portland athletics department unveiled the 2009 Digital Media Guides now available through portlandpilots.com for women’s soccer, men’s soccer and volleyball. The eco-friendly approach to Digital Media Guides gives access to the wealth of information typically found in a traditional media guide. Features include updated player and coach bios, interactive table of contents and navigational links on each sport specific page, as well as sortable living stats (meaning statistics are up-to-date rather than a typical guide which is set in ink).

 

Week 7: Washington State University Women's Volleyball Team News

Washington State University Women's Volleyball team profiled on ESPNU.com.

Week 7: Charlotte Volleyball Tallies More than $8,000 Towards Breast Cancer Research from Dig Pink




 

Charlotte Volleyball Tallies More than $8,000 Towards Breast Cancer Research from Dig Pink

 

CHARLOTTE -- The totals are in, and the Charlotte 49ers volleyball team, with the assistance of the athletics department, the University and the community, surpassed their goals and raised more than $8,000 with this year’s Dig Pink campaign to start Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

 

The collection total, which officially is at $8,059.55, was the product of several events leading up to and including the Dig Pink Night match last Friday, October 2, as Charlotte defeated Fordham in five sets.

 

"My reaction to this is Wow," said Niners head coach Chris Redding. "We set out to make it bigger and better this year. We had a terrific committee of people who put in a great amount of time and effort to help us raise money and awareness. We came close to doubling the amount of money we raised in the last two years combined. From the penny wars competition to the community involvement, it was great to see so many different groups get involved. The fans that came out were also incredible."

 

The Niners wore pink jerseys and other pink items and gave out pink t-shirts to fans at the game. The attendance was 1,429, a record for a single volleyball event (Charlotte drew 1,679 last November 11 and 2,188 on November 12, 2006 as a lead-in to a basketball game later that evening). Fraternities and sororities on campus, as well as the athletic teams competed in penny wars, where teams collected pennies toward their own total, and penalized other teams by putting other coins, which were counted against the penny total, in opposing team collections. The 12 Charlotte athletic programs raised over $800 in change towards the overall goal.

 

The team made appearances at Jersey Mike’s, which donated proceeds during one six-hour time period towards the goal, amounting to nearly $120. The team also went out to the Carolina Panthers home opener downtown and visited tailgates of Panthers and Philadelphia Eagles fans to raise another $1,450.

 

The Niners set up online donations through their Dig Pink-affiliated Web site, and collected $4,150 through that vehicle.

 

"As a volleyball program, we try to be successful on the court, in the classroom and in the community as good citizens. It’s not just about the money, but the way our athletes get to realize how much of an impact they can have on the world outside of our volleyball team."

 

The Dig for the Cure match was created by former head coach Lisa Marston for the 2003 season. This is the seventh-straight season that Charlotte has participated in a match for raising awareness towards breast cancer research.

Check out more college volleyball players stories on volleyballvoices.com!

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Week 7: Cleveland State Women's College Volleyball Team News

Week 7: Cleveland State Women's College Volleyball Team News

Matches 21-23

Cleveland State (15-5, 4-1) at Youngstown State (5-11, 3-3)

Date:   Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2009

Time:   7:00 p.m. EDT

Site:   Beeghly Center (6,300) - Youngstown, Ohio

Series: CSU leads, 44-13
Last Mtg.:      CSU 3, @YSU 1 (11/14/08)

Cleveland State vs. Milwaukee (5-10, 2-2)

Date:   Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009

Time:   7:00 p.m. EDT

Site:   Woodling Gym (3,000) - Cleveland, Ohio

Series: UWM leads, 30-7
Last Mtg.:       @UWM 3, CSU 0 (11/7/08)

Cleveland State vs. Green Bay (5-10, 1-3)

Date:   Sunday, Oct. 11, 2009

Time:   4:00 p.m. EDT

Site:   Woodling Gym (3,000) - Cleveland, Ohio

Series: CSU leads, 24-15
Last Mtg.:      CSU 3, @UWGB 0 (11/8/08)

QUICK SETS:  Cleveland State has another busy week ahead as the Vikings will be in action three times, beginning with a 7:00 p.m. contest at Youngstown State on Wednesday, Oct. 7. The Vikings will then return home to host Milwaukee on Saturday (Oct. 10) at 7:00 p.m. and Green Bay on Sunday (Oct. 11) at 4:00 p.m. The Vikings, who have won four straight matches, enter the week at 15-4 overall and in first place in the Horizon League at 4-1, one-half match ahead of Butler and Valparaiso.

REVIEWING LAST WEEK:  Cleveland State ran its win streak to four with three wins last week. Following are brief recaps of the four matches.

Match 17: CSU 3, Eastern Michigan 0 (Sept. 29, Cleveland, Ohio)
Jordan Goad handed out 40 assists and led the Vikings to a .430 attack percentage to lead CSU to a 3-0 win. Liz Fazio added a double-double of 14 kills and 12 digs, while Beth Greulich added 11 kills as the Vikings never trailed in any of the three sets.

Match 18: CSU 3, UIC 0 (Oct. 2, Cleveland, Ohio)
Amy Benz had 13 kills and Beth Greulich added 11 as Cleveland State earned a 3-0 sweep over UIC. Liz Fazio finished with eight kills and 12 digs, while Maggie Bonomini made a match-best 17 digs. The Vikings iced the match with a 10-3 run midway through the final set.

Match 19: CSU 3, Loyola 0 (Oct. 3, Cleveland, Ohio)
Cleveland State won its fourth straight match and moved into first place in the Horizon League with a 3-0 win over Loyola. Beth Greulich recorded 14 kills and Kara Koch added 10. Jordan Goad handed out 38 assists, while Maggie Bonomini finished with a match-best 15 digs.

PREVIEWING THE VIKINGS:  With one of the deepest and most talented rosters he has had during his tenure at Cleveland State, Chuck Voss has the Vikings off to a 15-4 start and in first place in the Horizon League. Leading the way is junior middle hitter Amy Benz (2.70 kpg, 0.86 bpg, .342) and senior right side Beth Greulich (2.89, 0.73, .323) who are both two-time first team All-Horizon League selections. Sophomore Megan Barhorst (1.02, 0.97, .209) joins Benz in the middle, while sophomore setter Jordan Goad (10.39 apg, 2.06 dpg, 1.07 kpg) is in her second season directing the Viking offense and continues to develop a good rapport with her hitters. Senior Liz Fazio (3.30 kpg, 2.61 dpg, .183) is the most experienced outside hitter on the team, while freshman Kara Koch (2.46, 1.00, .210) and sophomore Lindsey Griffith (1.54, 0.68, .062) are also in the mix, making up for the loss of senior Kayla Lefeld who is out of the season with a knee injury. Senior libero Maggie Bonomini (4.01 dpg) leads the backrow, while sophomore Amy Grabiec (2.17), junior Meghan Mental (1.84) and freshman Amanda Medvetz (1.15) are defensive specialists who can get the Vikings into their offense with good ball control and passing skills.

THE HEAD COACH:  In his 10th year at the helm of the CSU volleyball program, head coach Chuck Voss has methodically built the Vikings from the ground up and made them a perennial contender for the league title. The Vikings have advanced to the Horizon League semifinals five times under Voss, including three appearances in the league title match (2004, 2007, 2008). Ranked second on the all-time wins list at CSU, Voss has mentored the only two All-Americans in school history, the 2005 Horizon League Player of the Year, 14 first team all-league picks, nine all-newcomer team members and four league Newcomer of the Year choices.

GREULICH TABBED PLAYER OF THE WEEK:  Senior right side Beth Greulich was selected as the Horizon League Offensive Player of the Week after leading the Vikings to three wins last week. The Troy, Ohio, native averaged 4.00 kills per set, while hitting .471 (36-3-70) in three sweeps.

... AND IS HAVING A STRONG SEASON:  Beth Greulich is once again showing why she has established herself as one of the top players in the Horizon League during her four-year career. Greulich is ranked fifth in the league in hitting percentage (.323), while also averaging 2.89 kills, 0.73 blocks and 3.31 points per set, numbers that rank her just outside the top-10 in the league stats.

FAZIO CAN HIT & DIG:  Liz Fazio has always been a successful attacker and that has never been more evident than this season as she ranks fifth in the league with 3.30 kills per set. However, it has been her defense that has been even more impressive as Fazio is ranked second on the team with 175 digs after totaling just 134 over the last two seasons. Fazio had a career-high 20-dig effort against Wright State and leads the team with nine double-doubles this season.

WINNING WITH SWEEPS:  With at least 12 matches left this season, the Vikings have already won 15 matches, four more than they won all of last season. In addition, 12 of CSU's 15 wins have come via sweeps, including the last four wins.
BENZ ON TARGET:  Junior Amy Benz has been one of the most accurate hitters during her career and this year has been no different as she ranks fourth in the league in hitting percentage (.342). Benz, who led the league in attack percentage as both a freshman and sophomore, has hit better than .500 in nine matches this season, including a career-best .737 (14-0-19) against Robert Morris (Sept. 1).

... AND MOVING UP THE CHARTS:  Amy Benz is quickly making her way up the career charts at CSU, ranking third all-time in attack percentage (.324), fifth in block assists (324), sixth in total blocks (370) and tied for 10th in solo blocks (46).

IT'S ALL GOAD:  Sophomore setter Jordan Goad has the CSU offense rolling, leading the Vikings to a .242 attack percentage, the second best in the Horizon League. In addition, Goad is second in the league in assists (10.39 aps), while also averaging 1.07 kills, 2.06 digs and 0.46 blocks per set. Goad has been selected to a pair of all-tournament teams this season (La Salle and Western Carolina) and was the MVP of the La Salle Invitational. She is already ranked sixth on the all-time assist chart as CSU with 1,924, needing 121 helpers to move into the top-five.

SMOOTH TRANSITION:  Senior Maggie Bonomini has made a smooth transition in taking over as CSU's libero this season. The most experienced backrow player on the roster, Bonomini ranks seventh in the league in digs (3.70) and was the Horizon League Defensive Player of the Week in each of the first two weeks of the season. She has recorded double-digit digs in 11 of 15 matches this season, including 26 versus Syracuse which was one shy of equaling her career-high.

ACE, ACE, BABY:  One statistical category that the Vikings have dominated this season is serving, recording 95 aces to just 66 for opponents. Sophomore Megan Barhorst ranks sixth in the Horizon League with 0.29 aces per set, while sophomore Jordan Goad is ninth at 0.25.

WINNING WITH DEFENSE:  The Vikings have been very strong on defense this season as opponents are hitting a league-low .148 against CSU. In addition, the Vikings have surrendered a Horizon League low 66 aces this season, less than one per set, while also ranking second in the league with 2.11 blocks per set.

COUNTDOWN TO 200:  Now in his 12th season as a head coach, Chuck Voss is just 10 wins shy of reaching 200 career wins. He is 190-166 during his tenure as a coach and picked up his 150th career win at CSU in the Vikings win over Western Carolina on Sept. 12. Voss, who is 157-130 in 10 seasons at CSU, is second on the all-time wins list in school history, trailing only Mary Motley, who won 293 matches from 1978-92.

UP NEXT:  Cleveland State is back in action with two matches next week, beginning with a 7:00 p.m. contest at Bowling Green on Tuesday, Oct. 13. The Vikings will then play at Wright State on Friday, Oct. 16, to begin the second round of league play.

Week 7: Baylor Women's College Volleyball Team News

Week 7: Baylor Women's College Volleyball Team News

Oct. 6, 2009

MATCH 18

Complete Baylor Notes

vs. TEXAS TECH  •  Oct. 7, 2009  •  United Spirit Arena (Lubbock, Texas)

INTERNET AUDIO: live broadcast stream at BaylorBears.com

LIVE STATS: Live GameTracker stats at BaylorBears.com

SCOUTING THE RED RAIDERS
• Texas Tech is led by first-year head coach Trish Kissiar-Knight. She compiled a 670-170-3 record in 16 seasons at Missouri State-West Plains (NJCAA). 
• Karlyn Meyers sets the table for the Red Raider offense, amassing 280 set assists for an average of 7.57 per set. 
• Amanda Dowdy is Meyers' main target, as she has a team-leading 128 kills on 444 total swings. 
• Three Red Raiders have more than 70 digs on the season, with Jenn Goehry's 92 leading the way. 
• Also on defense Barbara Conceicao has given the opposition trouble, ranking second in the Big 12 in blocks per set at 1.38. She has totaled 10 solo and 48 block assists in 2009. 
• Dowdy, also a dangerous server, ranks second in the league in service aces with 0.38 per set, and 16 in 2009. 
• As a team, Texas Tech has compiled an 0-4 record in Big 12 play, and just a 2-11 record overall with wins against Southeastern Louisiana and Gonzaga. Tech has lost six matches in a row. 
• Baylor will be the third top-15 matchup for Texas Tech in the last five matches. The Red Raiders were swept by then-No.8 Nebraska on Sept. 16, and 14th-ranked Iowa State on Sept. 30.

LAST TIME AGAINST TEXAS TECH 
  Katie Sanders tallied her 12th kill-dig double-double of the season and Baylor over came a two sets to one deficit to defeat Texas Tech 3-2 (19-25, 25-22, 21-25, 25-14, 15-13) at the United Spirit Arena.
  Baylor opened the fifth set with consecutive kills and soon built a 4-1 lead on a Tech hitting error. After holding a two-point lead through the next 10 serves, three Tech errors on four Baylor points gave the Bears a 12-9 lead. Tech won two-straight points, cutting the lead to one before an Allison King kill gave Baylor a match point at 14-13. Baylor secured the win with a Red Raider service error to win the fifth set 15-13.
  Ashlie Christenson led the way for Baylor with 13 kills on .375 hitting. Sanders kill-dig double-double came on 12 kills and 10 digs. King recorded the first kill-dig double-double of her career with 11 kills and 12 digs. Briana Tolbert added nine kills on .375 hitting, while Taylor Barnes connected on seven kills on .429 hitting.

LAST TIME OUT
  No. 19 Baylor continued its torrid start in Big 12 play with its fifth-straight conference victory in a sweep (25-14, 25-19, 25-15) of Colorado on Saturday night at the Coors Events Center. SeniorKatie Sanders led the Bears with 12 kills, recording her ninth double-double of the season, also posting 13 digs. 
  Ashlie Christenson also recorded double-digit kills with 10 on the night. Anna Breyfogle added eight, and Torri Campbell and Taylor Barnes each had seven. Barnes tallied 41 set assists. 
  On defense, Baylor had three players in double digits in digs, led by Allison King's 18. The match marked the 14th consecutive match that King has recorded at least 10 digs. Sanders' 13, as well as 11 from Caitlyn Trice rounded out the back row for the Bears.

BREYFOGLE UP AND OVER 1,000
Senior Anna Breyfogle became just the 12th player in program history to record 1,000 kills. She entered the Sept. 26th match against Kansas needing just four kills to reach the mark, and took care of it with four in the first set. 
Also known for her defense, Breyfogle became just the second player in school history to rack up 1,000 kills and 500 blocks. Her career block total stands at 538, currently third all-time at BU and tied for ninth all-time in the Big 12. Desiree Guilliard Young also achieved the feat in her career.

THREE-HEADED MONSTER
Senior setter Taylor Barnes has been able to spread the ball around to her different options, but none moreso than the three-pronged attack of outsides Katie Sanders and Ashlie Christenson and middleAnna Breyfogle. Sanders leads the team with 185 kills, while Christenson has 160 and Breyfogle 143. 
Sanders has led the team in kills in eight matches, Christenson has led in five matches and Breyfogle has led the team in the other four.

BARNES EARNS BIG 12 HONOR
Senior setter Taylor Barnes was named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week for her spectacular performance in back-to-back conference wins last week for the 19th-ranked Bears. Barnes recorded her third career triple-double in a sweep over No. 11 Iowa State. For the week, she averaged 12.00 set assists per set, along with 2.50 kills per set and 2.67 digs per set, while hitting a robust .448 (15-2-29) from her setter position.
The Arlington, Texas, native had 10 kills, 11 digs and 38 set assists against the Cyclones, including a .474 hitting percentage (10-1-19). She also added two block assists in the match. Against Kansas, Barnes led the Bears to another sweep with 34 set assists, five kills, five digs, and two more block assists.
Barnes became just the second Baylor player to earn a weekly Big 12 honor this season. Middle blocker Anna Breyfogle was the named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week on Aug. 31 after put together a string of games which included a school-record 12 blocks in a three-set match.

LEAGUE LEADERS
Anna Breyfogle leads the Big 12 in blocks per set (1.51) and is second in hitting percentage (.388). The Buda, Texas native has totaled 82 blocks on the season, 21 more than any other blocker in the Big 12. Breyfogle also has the highest single-match block total in the league, when she had 12 against Houston earlier this season.
Taylor Barnes, who led the Big 12 in service aces per set in 2008, is on top of that category with 0.42 per set in 2009.
Breyfogle has also been a major key in helping the Bears to the best opponent hitting percentage in the league, holding opponents to a .127 percentage.

START ME UP
Winning 16 of its first 17 matches, Baylor is off to the best start in school history. The 1999 version of the Bears began the season 13-1, but suffered back-to-back losses to ranked teams.

DIGGIN' IT
Sophomore libero Allison King has been a model of consistency for the Bears' defense this season. The only Bear to play every set, King has recorded double-digit digs in 16 of the Bears' 17 matches. In her only match short of double figures, King had nine digs in a sweep over New Orleans. The Carrolton, Texas native has recorded 20 digs twice this season. Both efforts came on the same day with 22 against UTSA, and 20 against Purdue, as part of the Baylor Classic. 
King has also been nearly flawless in serve-receive for the Bears, making just seven errors in 201 total attempts for a .965 reception percentage.

HISTORY VS. RANKED OPPONENTS
• After beating No. 11 Iowa State, Baylor is 14-165 all-time vs. ranked opponents, with a 5-35 mark in the Barnes era
• The Bears are 3-7 (.300) as a ranked team against a ranked opponent including an 1-1 mark in 2009
• The win over No. 11 Iowa State on Sept. 23 was the highest-ranked team Baylor has ever beaten
• Baylor has now defeated two or more ranked in the same season for the third time in program history (1999, 2006)

BAYLOR VS. `09 RANKED OPPONENTS
Baylor is now 2-1 overall against ranked opponents after dismantling Iowa State in a 3-0 sweep over the 11th-ranked Cyclones on Sept. 23. It marked the highest ranked team Baylor has ever defeated.
The Bears win over 24th-ranked Purdue in the title game of the Holiday Inn & Suites Baylor Classic was the first over a ranked opponent since a five-set win at the Ferrell Center against 16th-ranked Missouri on Oct. 27, 2006. Baylor had lost 17 consecutive games against ranked opponents coming into the Purdue match. 
On Sept. 16, Baylor played its second ranked team of the season in No. 2 Texas, but fell 3-0 to an athletic Longhorns squad. The loss dropped Baylor's record against ranked teams to 1-1 in 2009.

MOVIN' ON UP
Baylor's win over 11th-ranked Iowa State and subsequential wins over Kansas, Missouri and Colorado vaulted the Bears to 17th in the latest AVCA Top 25 Coaches' Poll, released Monday. The ranking is the highest achieved in program history.
Entering the rankings on Sept. 14th marked the first time since the 2001 season that the Bears were in the top 25, climbing as high as 20th. The Bears first cracked the top 25 in 1999, finishing the season 20th. Baylor then entered the 2000 season ranked 21st and climbed as high as 19th.

DEFENSE, DEFENSE, DEFENSE
Baylor's defense has proved to be one of its strong points this season, holding opponents to a league-leading .127 hitting percentage.
The Bears have racked up 151.5 blocks for an average of 2.6 per set, and 901 digs for an average of 15.5 per set. Middle blockerAnna Breyfogle has been a force at the net averaging 1.51 blocks per set, while libero Allison King is leading the back row with 251 total digs for an average of 4.33 per set.

CLOSE CALLS
Baylor has been perfect this season in five-set matches, winning all three. The Bears came from behind to beat TCU on Sept. 1, then beat No. 24 Purdue at home, and knocked off New Mexico in five on the road.
It was the Bears fifth five-set win in a row dating back to last season. Baylor was 3-2 in five-set matches in 2008 with wins over Oklahoma, Texas Tech and Missouri, and losses to Kansas State and Oklahoma.

TOURNAMENT CHAMPS
Baylor won all three tournaments they entered this season, most recently taking the Comcast Challenge title at the University of New Mexico, defeating the host, as well as Pittsburgh and Cal State Fullerton.
Baylor won all three games at the Holiday Inn & Suites Baylor Classic on Sept. 4-5. The Bears opened with sweeps of UCF and UTSA, before handing 24th-ranked Purdue a five-set loss in the tournament title game. For their efforts, Katie Sanders was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player, while teammates Taylor Barnes and Ashley Byrd earned all-tournament team honors.
With a perfect 3-0 record at the Flo Hyman Invitational hosted by the University of Houston, the Bears claimed co-tournament champion honors. Baylor shared the title with the University of Indiana, as the two did not meet.

TOURNAMENT HONORS
Three Bears received tournament honors at the Comcast Challenge on Sept. in Albuquerque, N.M., led by tournament Most Valuable Player Taylor Barnes. The senior setter racked up 117 assists in three tournament matches, along with 11 kills, 23 digs, and six blocks. Barnes narrowly missed a triple-double against New Mexico with eight kills, 53 assists and eight digs.
Middle blocker Anna Breyfogle and outside hitter Ashlie Christensonwere named to the all-tournament team for their performances. Breyfogle was a force at the net with at least six blocks in all three matches, and totaling 31 kills with a career-high 21 against New Mexico. Christenson was also a go-to option on offense with double-digit kills in two of the three matches, and totaling eight blocks.

LIKE A BROKEN RECORD
Anna Breyfogle continued her legacy as one of the best blockers in BU history setting a school record for blocks in a three-set match with 12 against Houston in the Bears second match of the season. The senior recorded one solo and 11 block assists in a three-set sweep of the Cougars.
With 23 total blocks in nine sets at the Flo Hyman Invitational, Breyfogle, who led the Big 12 in blocks per set in 2008, averaged 2.56 bps in the team's first three games. Comparatively, in 2008, she averaged 1.45.

MAKE IT 11!
With three wins at the Comcast Challenge, Baylor ran its winning streak to a school-record 11 matches before losing to No. 2 Texas on Sept. 16. The streak set the record for most wins to open a season and ties the record for overall winning streak. 
The previous record of eight wins to open a season had been accomplished three times in school history with the most recent coming last season. The overall winning streak record was set in 2006 when Barnes' crew ripped off 11 in a row.

OUT OF THE GATES
In the Jim Barnes era, the Bears have become accustomed to starting the season off on the right foot. After losing the season-opener in Barnes' first season, Baylor has won its first match of the season each of the last five years with a win to open 2009 over Southeastern Louisiana.
In 2008, Barnes' crew ripped off eight consecutive wins to open the season, losing just three sets along the way. That streak included a 13-set winning streaking, starting with the last two sets at Texas State and ending with a third-set loss against Rice.

ALL-BIG 12 PRESEASON TEAM
For the second-straight season, Taylor Barnes and Anna Breyfoglewere named to the preseason All-Big 12 team.
Barnes, a senior setter, was named to the preseason team for the third-straight year. In 2008, she parlayed her preseason accolade into All-Big 12 First Team postseason honors, leading the Big 12 in service aces per set. Barnes also earned all-AVCA central region honors and ranked fourth in the Big 12 with 10.32 assists per set.
Breyfogle, a senior middle blocker, earned the preseason honor for the second-straight year. Like Barnes, Breyfogle also earned both All-Big 12 First Team and all-AVCA central region honors in 2008. The Buda, Texas, native led the Big 12 in blocks per set with 1.45, while ranking seventh in the nation in that category.

ADDITIONS AND SUBTRACTIONS
Baylor lost just one letterwinner from its 2008 squad, while adding the three recruits that make up the 14th-ranked class in the nation, accoring to Prepvolleyball.com. 
Amarillo's (Texas) Torri Campbell, ranked 30th in the country, enters Baylor as its second-highest ranked recruit in program history. Zoe Adom, an ultra-athletic outside hitter from Euless, Texas, and Kiley Sherman, a versatile outside and defensive player from Oswego, Ill., round out the class for the Bears.

LIVE ON THE WEB
Don't forget to check out live stats on Gametracker on BaylorBears.com. Baylor's official website will also feature a free live radio webcast with veteran play-by-play announcer Larry Little at home, and Todd Zeidler on the road.

 

Week 7: LSU Women's College Volleyball Team News

Week 7: LSU Women's College Volleyball Team News

Volleyball’s Flory Meets with Media

 

BATON ROUGE – LSU volleyball coach Fran Flory met with the media Tuesday to preview the week ahead for Tiger volleyball. LSU (11-4, 5-1 SEC) leads the SEC Western Division after stringing together four consecutive road victories highlighted by a trio of sweeps over Auburn, Georgia and Mississippi State. The Tigers face off with South Carolina Friday at 7 p.m. before taking on No. 6 Florida Sunday inside the Maravich Center. Sunday’s match against the Gators is set for 6 p.m. on ESPNU. 

 

 

LSU Volleyball Quotes

October 6, 2009

 

LSU VOLLEYBALL HEAD COACH FRAN FLORY

 

Opening Statement …

 

“We feel very good about where we are and we’re awfully thankful to be back home after two long, tough road trips. We’re fortunate enough to come back with four wins from places that we haven’t traditionally been successful. We were successful at Auburn and Georgia. Alabama is a place that we struggle all the time and we were able to knock them off last Friday night in a four set match with excellent execution from our team. We probably hit the highest level of execution that we have had all year Sunday at Mississippi State. If you equate turnovers in basketball to hitting errors in volleyball, we had six hitting errors in an entire match. That’s taking care of the ball and that’s one of the highest efficiency level that I’ve ever had at any level with any team. I’m very happy with where we are at. Defense needs to get a little bit better, but the most important thing is we have a huge weekend ahead. Florida [football] weekend is here and we’re playing Florida as well. 

We also have an important match on Friday night. South Carolina has struggled and they’re going to come in with a great record, but their star player [Ivana Kujundzic] has been out with an ankle injury and of course she’s back. We’re going to face a much better team Friday night than their record would indicate. They’re a very physical team and a great defensive team. They’re a team that keeps the ball off of the floor. They make you stay the course, push you to be impatient, make hitting errors and allows you to error yourself out. The fact that we’re coming off a weekend where we did a very good job of managing that side of our offense this would equate to a very interesting and tight match. 

The Florida match-up on Sunday is something that everyone points to every year. They’re the team that we all are continuing to chase. Kentucky beat them last weekend on their own home court in a great match. It’s too bad that match wasn’t on ESPNU because that would’ve been a great match to have. We’re fortunate enough to have an ESPNU match. Start time for Sunday is 6 p.m. which is very unusual and an odd time for a Sunday. When you get the opportunity to be on TV with a national audience, we’ll do whatever we need to do. The kids are playing well. 

Marina Skender is doing a tremendous job playing six rotations. She was the best server in league for two years before her knee injury and really hasn’t come back with that part of her game, but last weekend really showed signs of that returning. Brittnee Cooper, I think everyone is keying on her because she was the woman in the beginning of the season. Our outside [hitters] have done a great job of balancing that out. Our setters Sam Dabbs and Brittney Johnson continue to run a great offense so it will be an interesting weekend. It will be a very tough and very vital weekend as home matches in the SEC are the key to any championship so we have to take care of our own.”

 

On what question mark at the beginning of the season has been answered … 

 

“I think the biggest question mark was who was going to be our other outside hitter besides Marina Skender. I thought Madie Jones came in as a freshman and did a tremendous job in the beginning of the season. She is doing what most freshman do in October when the pressure is on academically and the volleyball pressure [on the court] increases. She has had a little lull and isn’t executing at the same level. The great thing for us is Angela Bensend, who is coming off  shoulder surgery and who has started for the last two years for us, fit perfectly together. As Madie kind of faded a little bit, Angela has stepped up. Her confidence level came around and she has been our most efficient outside hitter for the last four matches. She is ready and I think that was the biggest question mark that has been answered. “

 

On if they are where she wanted to be at this point in the season …

 

“I think we’re awfully close. We lost two five-set matches to [Top 10 teams] Stanford and Nebraska. I thought we would get one of those. I didn’t dream that we would get both, but I really believed that we would get one of those. I knew Kentucky here was going to be a touch match just by the combination of Tennessee and Kentucky because of the two different style of play. You only have one day to adapt so it’s awfully hard for teams to do that. I think that’s the toughest combination of two teams with two different styles that you play against in the SEC. I knew that would be tough, and having Kentucky second was even more difficult so that wasn’t surprising. We’re very fortunate that we have another shot at everybody. We play twenty [SEC] matches, we play home and away against everybody so we’ll get another shot so we’ll see what we can do. We get Kentucky on the front end of that one so hopefully that will be a better situation for us.”

 

On how much the team can feed off of the energy of the Florida game …

 

“Well, it’s very interesting to watch because as soccer goes and as volleyball goes, football goes as well. You know we set it off Friday night. I have been in athletics a long time, you watch what happens on campus. As teams begin to win through the middle part and end of the week, every team feeds off of that. Certainly, I don’t proclaim that football feeds off of us, but we certainly feed off them. When they overcome great deficits, and what a great game that was to watch at Georgia, they show that type of resiliency. We were celebrating and screaming in the hotel. They were telling us we needed to calm down a little bit. Attitude is [the] key in athletics. We all have great athletes but the team that truly believes and knows they can [win] is the team that is going to get it done. Certainly, the football team has shown great resiliency and hopefully we can mimic that as well.”

 

On if a win over Florida would be a signature win for the program …

 

“It would be a signature win on the season. We’ve waited a really long time to try and get that. I think this team physically matches up. The question is do we have the right attitude and do we have the right approach. Do we really believe that we can? I can’t answer that for you. The players have to answer that when the chips are down. We had them with their backs against the wall last year [at home], lost in five sets on two aces. One that hit the net and trickled over, just an unlucky play, and then the next ball our senior [Elena Martinez] gets aced on match point. That’s probably the closest and the best opportunity that we had. I don’t truly believe that we’re going to win that match. It’s going to depend on how our kids will respond to that. Much of that will depend on how we respond Friday night.”

Week 7: UT Arllington Women's College Volleyball Team News

Week 7: UT Arllington Women's College Volleyball Team News

UT Arlington Looks for Road Win at Texas State

 

October 6, 2009

 

ARLINGTON, Texas -

 

FIRST SERVE

UT Arlington finishes off its three-match road trip with a visit to Texas State on Friday, Oct. 9, at Strahan Coliseum for a 6:30 p.m. first serve. The Mavs have started their road trip with two losses after winning four of five to finish a seven-match homestand. UTA is now 0-5 on the road this season. Texas State enters with an 8-11 overall record, but does boast a 6-1 record on its home floor. Texas A&M is the only team to beat the Bobcats in San Marcos this season.

 

INSIDE THE SERIES

Friday marks the 61st all-time meeting between UT Arlington and Texas State as the Mavericks lead the all-time series 39-21. UTA holds a 12-10 lead in matches played in San Marcos. The Mavericks, however, have won only three matches at Texas State since 1998 (3-7) and the Bobcats have won nine of the past 13 matchups overall.

 

TAKING A LOOK BACK

UT Arlington fell in both road matches last week at Lamar and Sam Houston State. The Mavericks suffered a three-set loss at Lamar as the Cardinals posted 10 service aces and hit .271 as a team. The following day Sam Houston State picked up three straight set victories after the Mavs held an early 1-0 lead in the match. Amanda Aguilera and Raegan Daniel each had a double-double while Tara Frantz matched a career-high with 16 kills and Alicia Shaffer tallied a career best 25 digs in the loss. The Mavericks are searching for their first conference road win since Nov. 10, 2007 (3-2, at Sam Houston State).

 

ON THE HORIZON

The Mavs will return home to play Northwestern State on Wednesday, Oct. 14, at 7 p.m., marking their first home match since hosting Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Sept. 26.

 

PAIR OF ROAD LOSSES MOVE MAVS INTO TIE FOR 3RD PLACE IN WESTERN DIVISION

UT Arlington was among the leaders in the Southland Conference after opening league play with a 2-0 record with home wins over UTSA and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. Now the Mavericks find themselves in a tie for third place in the SLC Western Division with Texas State with a 2-2 record. Both Lamar and Sam Houston State - who each defeated the Mavs on their home courts - sit in a tie for first place in the West. UTSA is currently 1-3 in league play while Texas A&M-Corpus Christi sits at the bottom of the league with a 0-3 league mark.

 

SHAFFER HAS MOST DIGS IN A MATCH SINCE NOV. 10, 2007

Sophomore libero Alicia Shaffer finished with a career-high 25 digs in the Mavericks’ four-set loss to Sam Houston State on Saturday, Oct. 3. It was the most digs by any Maverick over the past two seasons. In fact, it was the most digs by a UTA player since Torie Dacus posted 30 digs in a five-set victory over Sam Houston State on Nov. 10, 2007. The last time a Maverick had at least 25 digs in a four-set match was when Dani Johnson recorded a school-record 27 digs in a three-set match against Stephen F. Austin on Nov. 7, 2007. Shaffer’s 25 digs are tied for the fourth most in a single-match among all SLC players this season.

 

SHAFFER LEADING THE MAVS, 9TH IN THE SOUTHLAND IN DIGS

Alicia Shaffer had a big week racking up 5.43 digs per set in two road matches. Shaffer is currently leading the Mavericks averaging 3.36 digs per set this season, which ranks ninth in the Southland Conference. Shaffer has two 20-plus dig matches this season and four for her career. She has led the Mavs in digs five times this season and 23 times during her career.

 

LIFE ON THE ROAD DOESN’T GET EASIER FOR MAVERICKS

The Mavs have started the season with a 0-5 record on the road with losses at Illinois State (1-3), Arkansas (0-3), Colorado State (0-3), Lamar (0-3) and Sam Houston State (1-3). UT Arlington still has six road matches remaining this season against opponents who at this moment have a combined 63-47 overall record, which includes a 28-9 record at home. The Mavs next two road opponents (Texas State and Central Arkansas) are a combined 13-1 at home this season.

 

SHEARIN IS MAVS LEADING HITTER DURING SLC PLAY

Emily Shearin has started the conference season with a team-high .250 hitting percentage. She is the only Mavericks player to hit at least .200 in all four Southland Conference matches. She had one of her finest overall performances in the Mavs’ last match against Sam Houston State where Shearin finished with seven kills, a .286 hitting percentage, only one attack error, three aces, three digs and three blocks. Shearin currently leads the Mavericks with 12 service aces, 47 total blocks and averaging 0.82 blocks per set this season.

 

FRANTZ LEADING THE WAY FOR MAVS OFFENSE WITH CAREER-HIGH 16 KILLS

Tara Frantz not only leads the Mavericks in kills per set (2.65) she has recorded two of the top three kill totals in all matches for UTA this season. Frantz equaled a career-high with 16 kills in the Mavericks’ four-set loss to Sam Houston State. She also recorded 16 kills in a five-set loss to Oklahoma at home earlier this season. Only the 19 kills by Bianca Sauls in four-sets against Illinois State have been more by any Maverick this campaign.

 

BIANCA SAULS ON THE 500 KILL/500 DIG DOORSTEP

Bianca Sauls needs just one kill and 12 digs to have 500 kills and 500 digs for her career. In two and a half seasons, Sauls is averaging 2.60 kills per set and 2.54 digs per set while playing in 56 matches (192 sets). Sauls had 271 kills (3.04) and 277 digs (3.11) in 2007, and last season added 96 kills (2.13) and 55 digs (1.22) in only 12 matches due to suffering an injury that forced her to miss 18 matches. This season Sauls has 132 kills (2.28) and 156 digs (2.69) in 16 matches.

 

FIRST TIME SINCE NOVEMBER 4, 2005...

It had been 111 matches since a UTA team had recorded at least 60 kills, 60 assists and 15 total blocks in a single match. In the Mavs’ four-set win over UTSA, UT Arlington recorded 63 kills, 60 assists and 16.5 team blocks. The last time this occurred was at Texas Hall on Nov. 4, 2005, when UTA lost to Louisiana-Monroe in five sets and the Mavs had 81 kills, 71 assists and 16.0 team blocks in five sets. No Maverick squad has accomplished this feat in four sets since 2004.

 

LOWEST OPPONENT POINT TOTAL IN A SET SINCE... ST FRANCIS - SEPT. 16, 2006

UTA held Texas Southern to just seven points in the first set which matched the lowest point total for a Mavericks’ opponent in a set (beside a fifth set) since rally scoring began in 2001. The last time a team scored seven points against UTA was St. Francis (9/16/06).

 

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

Week 7: Pepperdine Women's College Volleyball Team News

Week 7: Pepperdine Women's College Volleyball Team News

Please click the following link for a video interview with the Waves’ Lilla Frederick:

http://www.pepperdinesports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=18500&ATCLID=204808608

 

October 6, 2009

 

THE FACTS — The Pepperdine women’s volleyball team heads north for its first West Coast Conference road trip of the season. The Waves, who are coming off a victory over then-#20 San Diego, visit Gonzaga and Portland this weekend.

 

MATCH #15 — Thursday (Oct. 8) at the Martin Centre in Spokane, Wash.: Pepperdine (8-6, 1-1 WCC) at Gonzaga (5-8, 1-0 WCC) at 7 p.m.

 

MATCH #16 — Saturday (Oct. 10) at the Chiles Center in Portland, Ore.: Pepperdine at Portland (4-12, 0-1 WCC) at 1 p.m.

 

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

 

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

 

RANKINGS — After being ranked as high as #19 in the AVCA poll on Sept. 7, the Waves have been in the “others receiving votes” category the past three weeks.

 

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

  rv      #21     #19     #25      rv        rv       rv

 

OPPONENTS — Pepperdine is 41-3 all-time against Gonzaga and has won 24 in a row. The last Bulldog win was in 1996. All three Gonzaga wins have taken place in Spokane, where Pepperdine is 19-3 ... Pepperdine is 42-2 all-time against Portland and has won 28 in a row. The last Pilot win was in 1994. Both Pilot wins have taken place in Portland, where Pepperdine is 20-2.

 

LAST WEEK — The Waves lost their WCC opener to Saint Mary’s in three sets (25-14, 25-16, 25-22), but came back to sweep then-#20 San Diego (25-18, 25-23, 25-23) two days later in Firestone Fieldhouse. The Waves ended both a four-match losing streak in 2009 and a four-match losing streak to the Toreros. Rachel Grochmal averaged 4.17 kills and 1.83 digs and Lilla Frederick was at 2.83 kills and 2.17 digs.

 

WCC STATS — Pepperdine is second in digs (14.78), opponent hitting percentage (.197) and service aces (1.30) and fifth in hitting percentage (.223) and blocks (1.98) ... Stevi Robinson is first in service aces (0.48) and second in digs (4.93) ... Kiah Fiers is second in assists (10.04) ...Rachel Grochmal is fourth in service aces (0.33) and sixth in points (3.48) ... Kim Hill is sixth in hitting percentage (.323) ... Lilla Frederick is sixth in kills (3.13) and eighth in points (3.39).

 

NATIONAL STATS — According to the NCAA, Stevi Robinson ranks 27th in the nation in service aces (0.48) and 30th in digs (4.93).

 

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

 

FIERS — The leader of Pepperdine’s attack is senior setter Kiah Fiers(Palos Verdes Estates, Calif./Peninsula HS), who is averaging 10.04 assists per set. She is a three-time All-WCC selection (once on the first team, twice on honorable mention). She has 3,775 career assists, which is #4 on Pepperdine’s all-time list.

 

GROCHMAL — Pepperdine’s other senior starter is outside hitter Rachel Grochmal (Brea, Calif./Brea Olinda HS). Formerly Rachel Lumsden, she got married this past summer. She is a two-time All-WCC honorable mention selection and is Pepperdine’s all-time leader in service aces per set (0.36). In 2009, she is averaging 2.93 kills and 2.73 digs.

 

ROBINSON — Possibly one of the best liberos in the country, sophomoreStevi Robinson (Hermosa Beach, Calif./Mira Costa HS) was the WCC Defensive Player of the Year in 2008 after averaging a WCC-leading 4.81 digs per set. She’s been even better in 2009 at 4.93 digs and 0.48 service aces per set.

 

FREDERICK — The Waves’ leading hitter thus far is sophomore Lilla Frederick (Huntington Beach, Calif./Cornelia Connelly HS) at 3.13 kills per set. She made the WCC All-Freshman team last season and played on the USA Junior National Team the past two summers.

 

HILL — After earning WCC Freshman of the Year honors last season, sophomore middle blocker Kim Hill (Portland, Ore./Portland Christian HS) should shoulder an even bigger load in 2009. She is hitting .323 and is averaging 2.20 kills and 0.75 blocks.

 

SEATON — Back in the lineup after redshirting 2008 due to a foot injury, sophomore Kristen Seaton (Terre Haute, Ind./South Vigo HS) is expected to be a potent force at opposite. She is averaging 2.15 kills and 0.73 blocks.

 

FRIEDMAN — An occasional starter in the back row, junior Krista Friedman (La Verne, Calif./St. Lucy’s Priory HS) has carved out a role as a defensive specialist. She is averaging 1.61 digs per set.

 

ADELHELM — Of Pepperdine’s seven newcomers, only one has been asked to step into the regular starting lineup, and that’s freshman middle blocker Victoria Adelhelm (Rancho Santa Fe, Calif./Santa Fe Christian HS). She has made a nice transition to Division I volleyball, averaging 1.57 kills and 0.82 blocks.

 

MORE NEWCOMERS — Among the other six newcomers, freshmenBrittney Clark (San Jose, Calif./Presentation HS) and Caitlin Racich(Santa Barbara, Calif./Dos Pueblos HS) have seen the most playing time. Clark has averaged 0.78 kills and 0.72 blocks as a middle blocker or opposite. Racich has averaged 1.55 kills as an outside hitter. Three other newcomers are also true freshmen. Justine Hunter (Hollister, Calif./San Benito HS) is the backup at setter, Ashley Broadwell (Bothell, Wash./Archbishop Murphy HS) is an outside hitter and Kelli Branning(Menlo Park, Calif./Menlo-Atherton HS) is a libero. Redshirt sophomoreJanea Rosell (Los Angeles, Calif./Bishop Montgomery HS), a transfer from Arizona State, is competing at middle blocker. The websiteprepvolleyball.com rated Pepperdine’s recruiting class as #12 in the country and listed Racich at #70 and Adelhelm at #85 on its Senior Aces list.

 

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

 

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

 

DIG PINK — The Pepperdine women’s volleyball team’s home match against San Francisco on Thursday, Oct. 22, will be the annual fundraising effort in the battle against breast cancer. Now known as “Dig Pink”, fans are asked to make pledges to help the cause. More information can be found at www.pepperdinesports.com.

 

ESPNU MATCH — The Pepperdine-San Diego match at the Jenny Craig Pavilion set for Wednesday, Oct. 28, will be shown live on ESPNU at 8 p.m.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

Week 7: Ball State Women's College Volleyball Team News

Week 7: Ball State Women's College Volleyball Team News

ARTICLE LINK: 

http://ballstatesports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=14200&ATCLID=204808668

 

► TWO MORE FOR VOLLEYBALL THIS WEEK: The Ball State women’s volleyball team returns to action Thursday, when it travels to Toledo for a 7 p.m. Mid-American Conference West Division showdown with the Rockets at the newly renovated Savage Arena . . . Saturday, the Cardinals host Buffalo at 7 p.m. in its first cross-division battle of the season . . . WCRD 91.3 FM will carry both matches live, while the BSCN in Ohio will webcast Thursday’s match at Toledo.

 

► WHAT’S IN A NAME?: After opening league play with a 3-0 sweep of Northern Illinois (Sept. 25), the Cardinals suffered three straight losses to MAC schools whose name ends in Michigan; Western Michigan (Sept. 26), Central Michigan (Oct. 2) and Eastern Michigan (Oct. 3) . . . BSU will look to snap its three-match league losing streak Thursday, when it battles Toledo . . . It is the first of six straight matches against non-Michigan programs.

 

► BIG OPENING SET: In last Friday’s loss at Central Michigan, the Cardinals limited the Chippewas to nine points in the opening set . . . The nine points tied CMU’s lowest set output of the season . . . BSU dominated the set offensively, posting a .560 (15-1-25) attack percentage, while limiting CMU to a -.030 (7-8-33) rate of success . . .Alisha Green and Jennifer Boyd each posted four kills in the frame, whileAlyssa Rio collected four of the team’s 14 digs . . . The 25-9 victory was BSU’s second-best set win of the season, behind its 25-8 opening set triumph over Chicago State (Sept. 11).

 

► BALL STATE IN MAC PLAY: Ball State enters the week with a 274-137 (.667) all-time record in league play, which ranks the Cardinals second in both wins and winning percentage . . . Western Michigan is the all-time leader in both categories with a 284-127 (.691) all-time MAC mark . . . In contrast, Toledo is 120-291 (.292) all-time in MAC action, while Buffalo is 21-169 (.111), ranking them 11th and 12th, respectively.

 

► SCOUTING THE CARDINALS: Ball State enters the week with an 8-9 (1-3 MAC) record after dropping road matches at Central Michigan and Eastern Michigan last weekend . . . Senior Alisha Green enters the week as BSU’s top attacker with a 3.35 kills-per-set average, while sophomoreKelsey Brandl leads the team and ranks third in the league with a .339 attack percentage . . . Sophomore Brittany McGinnis has set the Ball State offense to a .204 rate of success this season, while producing a 9.11 assists-per-set average . . . Junior Alyssa Rio leads the Cardinals’ backcourt with a 3.18 digs-per-set average, while Brandl is the team’s top blocker averaging 0.98 blocks per set . . . As a team, BSU is averaging 12.66 kills, 14.33 digs and 1.83 blocks per set . . . The Cardinals’ opponents are hitting .187, while averaging 11.64 kills, 12.98 digs and 1.77 blocks per set.

 

► SCOUTING TOLEDO: The Rockets enter the week with a 10-6 (1-3 MAC) record after falling at Eastern Michigan and Central Michigan last weekend . . . Toledo opened the season with nine straight wins, including a victory at Louisville, before dropping six of its last seven contests . . . Amber DeWeerdt is UT’s top attacker with a 3.62 kills-per-set average, while Sarah Wilson leads the team with a .264 attack percentage . . . Kassie Kadera has set the Rockets offense to a .203 attack percentage this season, while handing out 11.08 assists per set . . . DeWeerdt also leads the team with a 3.43 digs-per-set average, while Liz Sundberg is the program’s top blocker averaging 0.77 blocks per set . . . As a team, Toledo is averaging 13.11 kills, 16.30 digs and 1.52 blocks per set . . . The Rockets’ opponents are hitting .203, while averaging 12.34 kills, 15.66 digs and 1.90 blocks per set.

 

► BSU VS. TOLEDO: Ball State holds a commanding 51-4 advantage in the all-time series versus Toledo, despite seeing its 42-match winning streak over the Rockets come to an end last season . . . Both programs earned road wins in 2008, with Ball State posting a 3-0 (27-25, 25-19, 25-14) win at St. Ursula Academy (Oct. 2), while Toledo snapped its losing streak to BSU and claimed its first ever win in Worthen Arena with a 3-2 (25-21, 18-25, 23-25, 25-20, 18-16) victory Nov. 6 . . . UT has only won back-to-back matches in the all-time series once, scoring wins Sept. 24 and Oct. 29, 1983 . . . Ball State is 20-2 all-time versus the Rockets in Toledo.

 

► SCOUTING BUFFALO: The Bulls enter the week with an 11-6 (2-2 MAC) record after topping Kent State and falling to Ohio in league play last weekend . . . Buffalo, which is 5-2 in its last seven outings, hosts Akron Thursday before traveling to Ball State . . . Dani Silvers is UB’s top attacker with a 3.75 kills-per-set average, while Kelsey Lueders paces the team with a .319 attack percentage . . . Lindsey Schlegel has set the Bulls offense to a .214 attack percentage this season, while dishing out 9.90 assists per set . . . Tori Beckman leads the UB backcourt with a 4.33 digs-per-set average, while Kristin Bignell has a team-best 1.07 blocks-per-set average . . . As a team, Buffalo is averaging 12.60 kills, 13.72 digs and 1.90 blocks per set . . . The Bulls’ opponents are hitting .178, while averaging 11.70 kills, 13.25 digs and 2.39 blocks per set.

 

► BSU VS. BUFFALO: Ball State has won all 13 previous meetings with Buffalo . . . Last season, BSU scored a 3-1 (25-21, 26-28, 25-23, 25-20) win at Buffalo Oct. 4 . . . The Bulls are 0-8 all-time in Muncie.

 

► BRANDL FINDING A HOME: Sophomore middle blocker Kelsey Brandl is starting to find her home in the Ball State lineup, finishing last week with career-high for kills (13 at EMU) and total blocks (seven at CMU) . . . In addition, Brandl paced the team with a .488 attack percentage in the two matches, recording just three attack errors on 41 swings, while posting 23 kills.

 

► MORE FROM THE MIDDLE: After finishing the week with a .488 attack percentage, Kelsey Brandl now leads the team and ranks third in the MAC with a .339 attack percentage . . . Brandl, who has recorded double-digit kills in three of the last five matches, also ranks first on the team with a 0.98 blocks-per-set average.

 

► RIO DIGS 20: In Saturday’s match at Eastern Michigan, junior Alyssa Rio returned to the starting libero role for the first time since suffering an injury in the first match of the season . . . Rio went on to collect a season-high 20 digs versus the Eagles, marking the 29th time in her career Rio has collected 20-or-more digs in a match . . . One night earlier at Central Michigan, Rio posted 18 digs.

 

► GREEN SLAMS 500TH BSU KILL: In last Friday’s match at Central Michigan, senior outside attacker Alisha Green smashed a season-high 19 kills giving her an even 500 for her Ball State career . . . With 14 more markers last Saturday at Eastern Michigan, Green currently has 514 career kills for the Cardinals . . . Factoring in her 764 career kills in her two seasons at the University of Tampa, Green has amassed 1,278 kills over her collegiate career.

 

► MCGINNIS BEHIND THE LINE: Not only has sophomore setter Brittany McGinnis led the Cardinals to a .204 team hitting percentage this season, but she has also played a big role in leading BSU to the third-best serving average, 1.43 aces per set, in the league . . . McGinnis, who ties for eighth in the MAC with a 0.29 aces-per-set average, has recorded at least one ace in eight of BSU’s last nine matches, including a career-high four versus Penn (Sept. 18.) . . . She has also collected two aces in three of the last nine outings . . . McGinnis currently leads the Cardinals with 16 aces.

 

► KAKATOLIS BREAKS INTO TOP 20: After being credited with one block assist last weekend, senior opposite attacker Elaina Kakatoliscontinues to rank 19th in program history with 211 career block assists . . . In addition, her 232 career blocks are four shy of the top 20 in BSU annals, while her 722 career kills leave her 49 markers away from the top 20.

 

► BREIVOGEL EYES EIGHTH: Senior outside attacker Julie Breivogel, who recorded her 1,000th career kill versus Dayton (Aug. 29), enters the week with 1,137 career kills after smashing 13 in BSU’s two matches last week . . . The 13 kills moved Breivogel past Mindy Stanley’s (1993-96) total of 1,135 kills for ninth on BSU’s all-time list . . . Next on the list is Julie Zylka (1998-2001) who posted 1,199 kills over her BSU career.

 

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

 

►ON THE TUBE: The Ball State Sports Network will televise a pair of BSU matches (Oct. 24 versus Miami and Nov. 12 versus Toledo) . . . In addition, Ball State Sports Link will webcast the Oct. 23 match versus Bowling Green . . . The Oct. 23 match will be streamed for FREE onwww.ballstatesports.com, while fans will need a Ball State All-Access account to watch the other two contests.