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NCAA RELEASES LATEST WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL DIVISION I RPI
The NCAA released its latest RPI (Rating Percentage Index), which included games as of October 10, 2010, measuring the of strength of schedule of all the Division I teams across the nation. Below is where the WCC schools fall in this month's report. San Diego - 36
Pepperdine - 49
Saint Mary's - 80
Loyola Marymount - 109
Portland - 137
Santa Clara - 140
San Francisco - 194
Gonzaga - 265
OCTOBER BRINGS WCC "DIG PINK" MATCHES TO RAISE BREAST CANCER AWARENESS
Through October ("Breast Cancer Awareness Month"), all eight WCC volleyball teams will be hosting a Dig Pink match to help promote breast cancer awareness and raise funds to benefit the Side-Out Foundation, a national 501(c)(3) located in the Washington DC Metropolitan Area that has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for Breast Cancer research nationally through volleyball tournaments, clinics, and rallies. Make sure to check each school's website to see what each team is doing on its campus to promote this nationwide effort.
2010 WCC Dig Pink Dates (first school name = host)
October 9 - SMC vs. USD @ 1 PM
October 14 - PEP vs. GON @ 7 PM
October 16 - USF vs. SMC @ 7 PM
October 22 - SCU vs. USF @ 6 PM
October 23 - POR vs. GON @ 1 PM
October 23 - USD vs. PEP @ 1 PM
October 30 - LMU vs. SCU @ 1 PM
October 30 - GON vs. USD @ 12 PM
SAINT MARY'S HOLDS STEADY AT NO. 23 IN AVCA NATIONAL RANKINGS
The University of San Diego women's volleyball team held steady at No. 23 in the latest AVCA top-25 poll after posting a 2-0 record this past week. The Toreros stretched their winning streak to five in a row and 11 of their past 12 matches. The Toreros beat Utah 3-1 at home this past Thursday and then swept No. 25 Saint Mary's in Moraga this past Saturday to knock the Gaels out of this week's rankings.
WCC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Ali Troost, San Diego, SR, RS
Senior right side Ali Troost of the 23rd-ranked USD volleyball team was named the WCC Player of the Week for the second consecutive week. This is also the third time this season she has captured this award. Troost, a 6-2 senior from Hemet, Calif., helped lead USD to a pair of wins over Utah and No. 25 Saint Mary's this past week. With the win over SMC, the Toreros remained unblemished in WCC action at 3-0. Troost paced the Toreros offense as she recorded 43 kills (6.14 kps), hit for a .474 clip and racked up 21 digs, while also recording three total blocks. In Saturday's win over SMC, Troost recorded a match-high 15 kills to go along with 12 digs to post a double-double, and she hit for a .414 clip. In Thursday's win over Utah, Troost recorded a season-high 28 kills, while only committing three errors to post a .511 attack percentage, while also recording eight digs. Troost and the Toreros will return to action on Thursday as they travel to the Bay Area to take on the University of San Francisco in a 7 p.m. WCC match.
Also Nominated: Jasmine Rankins, LMU; Kim Hill, PEP; Marissa Plummer, POR; Malina Terrell, USF; Kayla Lommori, SCU
2010 WCC PRESEASON COACHES POLL AND ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
After finishing in second place last season, the San Diego Toreros have been selected to regain the top spot in the 2010 West Coast Conference Coaches Preseason Poll and earn their fourth WCC title in six years. The Toreros received six first place votes and a total of 48 points from the conference coaches, as they return 2009 WCC Player of the Year and All-American Ali Troost, who was named to the preseason all-conference team along with 2008 WCC Player of the Year and All-American Amy DeGroot and 2009 all-conference honorable mention selection Kelsi Myers.
Reigning WCC Champion Saint Mary's took the second place spot with one first place vote and a total of 43 points. Rob Browning, the 2009 WCC Coach of the Year, returns four starters from a team that fell at fourth-seeded Stanford in five sets in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Gaels return 2009 All-WCC First Team member Shannon Lowell, 2009 All-Freshman Team member Lauren Corp, and all-conference honorable mention pick Kapua Kamana'o.
Pepperdine, which received the remaining first place vote, tallied 36 points to earn the third place spot. The Waves return five starters, three of which appeared on last year's all-conference team, including preseason all-conference selection Kim Hill, who garnered First Team honors last season after leading the WCC in hitting percentage. Rounding out the top half of the poll for the second year in a row was Santa Clara with 33 points. Bronco middle blocker Dana Knudsen was selected to this year's preseason all-conference team after earning all-WCC honorable mention honors last season.
San Francisco landed in the fifth spot with 23 points. The Dons return four starters, highlighted by preseason all-conference member Sarah Mandala, a 2009 All-WCC First Team member who led the conference in kills per set last season, while adding 10 newcomers to this year's roster. Gonzaga tallied 18 points for a sixth place finish and return five of its seven starters from last season in Kaprina Goodwin, Caitlin Cozad, Denise Van de Mortel, Laura Day and Allyson Powell.
Portland edged Loyola Marymount for the seventh place spot with 12 points. The team returns preseason all-conference member Ariel Usher, who led the team in points in 2009 and finished in the WCC's Top 10 in hitting percentage. Loyola Marymount rounded out the preseason poll with 11 points and is led this season by first year head coach Tom Black.
2010 WCC Preseason Coaches Poll
1. USD - 48 points (6)
2. SMC - 43 (1)
3. PEP - 36 (1)
4. SCU - 33
5. USF - 23
6. GON - 18
7. POR - 12
7. LMU - 11
(First place votes)
2010 Preseason All-Conference Team
Lauren Corp, SMC, SO, OH
Amy DeGroot, USD, RSR, OH
Kim Hill, PEP, JR, MB
Kapua Kamana'o, SMC, SR, S
Dana Knudsen, SCU, SO, MB
Shannon Lowell, SMC, SR, MB
Sarah Mandala, USF, SR, OH
Kelsi Myers, USD, SR, S
Ali Troost, USD, SR, RS
Ariel Usher, POR, SO, MB
WCC AMONG ELITE VOLLEYBALL CONFERENCES IN THE COUNTRY
Over the last eight seasons, the WCC has established itself as one of the premier women's volleyball conferences in the country. Over the past five seasons, the WCC has appeared in the top five RPI three times. In 2008, the WCC had one of its best seasons, tying for a conference high with the fourth best NCAA RPI ranking in the country. Since then, the WCC has remained in the top 10 in Division I RPI out of the 32 total conferences.
WCC RPI Rankings
2009 8th
2008 4th
2007 6th
2006 5th
2005 4th
2004 6th
2003 4th
2002 7th
SAINT MARY'S MAKES HISTORY IN 2009 SEASON
The Saint Mary's volleyball team clinched the 2009 WCC title by outdueling 2008 WCC Champion San Diego in a five set battle (25-18, 25-19, 20-25, 17-25, and 15-10) that featured 30 ties and 10 lead changes. The win was the Gaels' first ever WCC Championship in program history.
After taking home the championship title, Saint Mary's then finished off the regular season with a sweep over BYU to remain undefeated at home and record the team's third straight sweep. The Gaels' 13-1 record is the best conference finish in school history.
SMC Results in 2009 NCAA Tournament
FIRST ROUND
SAINT MARY'S def. UC Santa Barbara, 3-2
(24-26, 22-25, 25-20, 25-14, 15-13)
SECOND ROUND
No. 4 Stanford def. SAINT MARY'S, 3-2
(21-25, 25-21, 25-22, 24-26, 15-13)
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