Volleyball Voices

NCAA Volleyball Tournament Bid Reactions: UWM Head Volleyball Coach Susie Johnson Comments

 

NCAA Volleyball Tournament Bid Reactions: UWM Head VolleyballCoach Susie Johnson Comments

 

 

 

NCAA Volleyball Tournament Bid Reactions: Wichita State Volleyball Team Shockers Advances

 

 

 

NCAA Volleyball Tournament Bid Reactions: Wichita State Volleyball Team Advances

 

Wichita State advanced to the NCAA Tournament and will play Kansas State in a first-round match at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 1 in Lincoln, Neb.

 

 

 

 

Pepperdine Adds Sand Volleyball To Its List Of Sponsored NCAA Sports

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PEPPERDINE ADDS SAND VOLLEYBALL TO ITS LIST OF SPONSORED NCAA SPORTS 

 

Click here for interview with Caitlin Racich, Pepperdine’s first scholarship recipient for the sport of sand volleyball:
http://www.pepperdinesports.com/allaccess/?media=255336

 

MALIBU, Calif. – The Pepperdine University Department of Athletics announced today that it will add women’s sand volleyball as an intercollegiate sport under the direction of indoor coach Nina Matthies, one of the best beach volleyball players in the history of the sport.

 

“We are excited to add women’s sand volleyball to the Pepperdine athletic program and believe it will prove to be a popular sport for our community,” Director of Athletics Dr. Steve Potts said. “Volleyball has a great tradition here and we are committed to building a championship women’s sand volleyball program. Also, we are fortunate to have one of the sport’s greatest players, Nina Matthies, as our head coach.”

 

In January 2010, the NCAA added sand volleyball to its list of emerging sports for women for Division I with a start date of the 2011-12 school year. The sport will begin competition in spring 2012, likely at the start of March, and will run for approximately two months.

 

The Waves have the built-in advantage of having world-class beaches just across the street from campus and up and down the coast, and will begin competition by using one of several already-existing sand volleyball spots to practice and compete. In the future, the possibility exists that on-campus facilities will be added.

 

Matthies and the Waves began gearing up for sand volleyball by taking a date out of their spring schedule each of the last three years to take part in the USA Volleyball Beach Collegiate Championship. Pepperdine won the team title in both 2009 and 2011.

 

“Where we are is such a great spot for sand volleyball,” Matthies said. “We’re one of the few schools that can truly say we’re right at the beach already. Pepperdine and sand volleyball are like two peas in a pod, it’s such a great fit.

 

“When the ball got rolling for sand volleyball becoming an NCAA sport, I wanted in. I really appreciate the work that the AVCA and Kathy DeBoer did to make this happen.”

 

Matthies, who begins her 29th year as head coach of the Waves’ women’s indoor team in 2011, was recognized as one of the top beach players in the world before she retired in 1992. An inductee into both the Women’s Professional Volleyball Association Hall of Fame and the Manhattan Beach Volleyball Walk of Fame, Matthies won 43 titles and had 93 podium finishes in 139 career beach appearances.

 

Volleyball Magazine named Matthies as one of the "Most Influential People in the First 100 Years of Volleyball." In 2004, she was named to the 75th Anniversary All-Era Team by USA Volleyball.

 

Many of her players have gone on to success on the professional beach tours as well, most notably Nicole Sanderson (who finished fourth at the 2004 Olympics for her native Australia), Mary Bailey (who recently retired after more than 25 years of competition), Christina Hinds (who is attempting to make the Greek sand volleyball team for the 2012 Olympics) and Carrie-Romer Wright.

 

Matthies will also continue to coach the indoor team, where she has a career record of 530-313 (.629). Her assistants will take on different roles during the spring, with Marcio Sicoli focusing on sand volleyball and Tim Jensen continuing to work with the indoor team during its spring practice and exhibition season.

 

Pepperdine’s first-ever recipient of a sand volleyball scholarship is junior Caitlin Racich (Santa Barbara, Calif./Dos Pueblos HS), who has chosen to forego playing indoor in order to focus on sand volleyball. The initial NCAA rules for the sport state that players on an indoor scholarship may play sand volleyball, but those on a sand volleyball scholarship may not play indoor. Matthies anticipates 12 to 14 of the 18 players on her 2011 indoor roster will end up playing sand volleyball this spring.

 

“My vision is that eventually we’ll have six kids on sand volleyball scholarships, six kids on indoor scholarships and others on indoor scholarships who are hybrids that will play both,” Matthies said.

 

Matthies is still working on scheduling the spring season while the final count of schools that will initially sponsor sand volleyball is still being counted. It is anticipated that the spring will culminate in some sort of championship event (40 schools must sponsor the sport for it to become an official NCAA Championship).

 

ADDITIONAL Q&A WITH HEAD COACH NINA MATTHIES

 

Q: You’ve been a part of the process of making sand volleyball into an NCAA sport since its infancy, but what is your reaction now that the vision has become a reality?

 

A: “I’m ecstatic!  Pepperdine is well suited to play sand volleyball. It fits in well with what we are already doing with the indoor team, and it fits within the culture of Pepperdine. It’s exciting to be a part of this from the very beginning, and to be involved in the start of the new tradition here at this school. It’s not just a new chapter we are opening, but an entirely new book.”

 

Q: What is the biggest challenge for both coaches and student-athletes with the addition of sand volleyball to their schedules?

 

A: “I don’t really know if it is a challenge at this point. We’ve always incorporated sand volleyball to our workouts during our spring exhibition season, so there won’t be too many drastic changes this year. We’ve competed at the USA Volleyball Collegiate Challenge the past few years, so we’re already used to competing in the sand arena. As the sport grows, there may be more challenges as we become separate groups. It is my goal that the indoor and sand teams remain an integrated group, and that as coaches, we are able to maintain a balanced environment for our student-athletes.”

 

Q: What will the team and schedule look like this season?

 

A: “Right now we are looking to have a 12-person roster. Caitlin Racich is currently on the roster, and we’ll hold tryouts in January to determine the rest. The format of competition is still up on the air. It’s going to be the year to experiment with different formats, see what works and what doesn’t, and decide what is best for collegiate sand volleyball.”

 

Q: What opportunities does this create for student-athletes after college?

 

A: “There’s a limited amount of volleyball that can be played after a student-athlete has graduated from college. Some go pro in Europe, but that’s mostly for national team members. Now with sand volleyball, that’s another option as a feeder to national teams or perhaps another professional tour. This will help with the Olympic development program for the U.S., something that’s needed. It’s happening all around the world. We have some of the top teams, but it’s not deep.”

 

Q: How does this benefit women’s athletics in general?

 

A: “Volleyball, period, is one of the best showcases for female athletes. The sport, sand or indoor, showcases their athletic abilities very, very well.”

 

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Illinois Volleyball Team Falls in Five Sets to Texas in NCAA Volleyball Regional Semifinal

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Illinois Volleyball Team Falls in Five Sets to Texas in NCAA Volleyball Regional Semifinal

TEXAS WINS FIVE-SET THRILLER IN REGIONAL SEMIS
Illini end season at 24-9

Austin, Texas – The match had all the characteristics of an instant classic. Eighth-seeded Illinois battled host ninth-seeded Texas to five sets with a berth in the Elite Eight on the line. In the end, the combination of Texas’ All-American outside hitter Juliann Faucette and middle hitter Rachael Adams, who each posted 19 kills, were too much for the resilient Illini as Texas pulled out a 19-25, 26-24, 18-25, 25-14, 15-11 victory. Texas (26-5) advances to meet Purdue, an upset winner over top-seed Florida, in Saturday’s Regional Final. Illinois ends its season at 24-9 after advancing to its third straight Sweet 16.

“I thought that was a fun match to be a part of,” said Illinois head coach Kevin Hambly. “It was real physical. [It was an] explosive, athletic match. I enjoyed being a part of it. I'm disappointed we didn't do a better job. It wasn't consistent. The match came down to what we thought it would be. If we could get them out of their system, we could score some points. We didn't.”

Illinois battled back from deficits in sets one and three to take those sets and quiet a boisterous crowd of 3,731 at Gregory Gym. Freshman Jazmine Orozco had her best effort of her career, hitting .545 with 21 kills. Orozco had six kills and hit 1.000 in the fourth set alone.

“I thought she did a great job for us,” said junior outside hitter Colleen Ward of Orozco. “She got around any ball, she would find the kill and swing high, which is what we needed. She played great. She stepped up tonight.”

Senior middle blocker Johannah Bangert broke the Big Ten career block assists record in the fifth set in trying to pull Illinois closer. Bangert finished the night with seven kills and five blocks while hitting .583. She finishes her career with 613, one better than the old record held by Heather Dodaro of Wisconsin.

“It is a great personal accomplishment for me, something that will mean more later, I’m sure,” Bangert said. “It’s really hard right now because this is my last match.”

The Illini set the tone for its fight in the first set. Trailing 13-9, Illinois rebounded to out-score the Longhorns 16-6 the rest of the way. Illinois. Ward, the leader in the first two rounds, hit .556 with five kills in pacing the comeback. Ward ended the match with 16 kills. Junior outside hitter Michelle Bartsch, meanwhile, had five of her 17 kills in the first set. Ward had three straight kills in turning a 13-11 deficit into a 14-13 advantage. The Illini slowed down Faucette, who had just two kills while hitting .000 in that set. Orozco had the final kill of the set, a foreshadowing of things to come.

That same resiliency was evident in the second set as well. Texas built a 15-9 lead only to see the Illini chip away. Trailing 18-14, Bartsch and Johnson started the rally with a block. Bartsch hit it through the triple block and Orozco sent it down the line. Texas went back in front 21-17, Bangert scored from the middle and Haen posted back to-back aces to make it 21-20. After exchanging side outs, Ward scored an ace to tie the set. It was tied at 23 and 24 and it looked like Michelle Bartsch had aced her way to an Illini lead. However, the officials called a replay, saying the line judge impeded the opportunity of a Longhorn player to receive. After the pivotal call, Texas scored the final two points to take the set.

Illinois didn’t trail in taking the third set. The Illini out-scored the Longhorns, 10-4 to end the set. Orozco hit .800 with four kills while Bangert had three kills in three attacks to pace the Illini.  Illinois sided out at a 78 percent efficiency and hit .353 in that set, this despite Adams’ five-kill, .500 attack percentage performance.

That was the last time Texas would trail the rest of the night. Texas built a 21-12 lead in the fourth set en route to a 25-14 victory, then built leads of 4-0 and 6-1 before fighting off a late Illinois surge in taking the fifth set 15-11. In that fifth set, the Illini battled back to within 12-10 and 13-11 before Texas scored the final two points of the match. Texas turned the wick up with its serve, scoring five aces in the fourth set and holding the Illini to a .130 attack percentage in the fifth.

“We were trying really hard to be aggressive with the serve, but they were just passing all of them,” Bangert said. “It made it really hard in the back because they had three options every time. It also made it hard on defense because they were in system and swinging as hard as they could. I think that was definitely the big thing, and in those last two [sets], they were just on fire.”

(video)Purdue Boilermakers Volleyball Players Jaclyn Hart, Ariel Turner on Upset Over No. 1 Florida

Purdue Boilermakers Volleyball Players Jaclyn Hart, Ariel Turner on Upset Over No. 1 Florida

 

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Santa Clara Kicks Off Third Annual Zappos.com WCC Shoe Drive

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Santa Clara Kicks Off Third annual Zappos.com WCC Shoe Drive

 

SANTA CLARA, Calif. – The West Coast Conference and Zappos.com have announced it will be kicking off the third annual Zappos.com WCC Shoe Drive to collect shoes for Soles4Souls, a non-profit organization that donates footwear to those in need around the country and the world.
This season Santa Clara University is setting its sights high, with the goal of collecting over 3,500 shoes – slightly more than last year's winner, LMU, collected in 2010. To accomplish this goal Santa Clara's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) has come up with several innovative strategies and incentives to mobile the SCU student body and greater Santa Clara community to donate.
"SAAC just didn't really see the point in setting a goal that wasn't going to win this competition," said Bronco Associate Athletic Director Staci Gustafson. "They really believe that with greater SAAC involvement, campus and community presence this goal could easily be achieved."
Allie Sibole, a member of the cross country team, proved this over the Thanksgiving break. She collected almost 50 pairs of shoes and the team collected over 100 pairs - giving SCU a great head start on their ultimate goal of 3,500 shoes.
Monetary donations are also being accepted in order to purchase new shoes, and collections of both shoes and money will continue throughout basketball season, ending on Sat., Feb. 26 at the final men's home game against Pepperdine.
In addition, SAAC, whose members include runners Carey Parker and Richard Zhu, baseball's Joe Supple and Jason Westerberg, and tennis' Kelly Lamble, want to reach out into the local community for donations. Plans are being made to have an organized community pick up date in which SAAC members will go into nearby neighborhoods and gather donations.
All Bronco athletics teams are also being challenged to contribute to the cause, with a competition among the various SCU sports teams being held to see which team can collect the most shoes per person.
The conference-wide competition challenges the eight WCC schools to collect as many pairs of gently-used shoes over the course of the basketball season, culminating in March at the WCC Tournament in Las Vegas, Nev. The university that collects the most shoes by this time will receive a student fan group party and be honored during a halftime ceremony at the conference championships.
The competition, which began in 2008 when the WCC Tournament relocated to the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, has been a great success in its first two years with over 15,200 shoes donated and distributed both nationally and internationally.
"It's been amazing to see the support for the Zappos.com WCC Shoe Drive from all of the WCC students, families and communities," said Aaron Magness of Zappos.com. "Over 15,000 pairs of shoes have been donated to date – that's a lot of happy toes!"
Aside from having donation boxes at the entrances to the Leavey Center, shoe collection boxes will also be present across the SCU campus including boxes in every RLC, making it easier for faculty, staff, and students to participate in the shoe drive. A competition between the RLCs will reward the dorm that collects the most shoes with a pizza party. SAAC also wants to integrate the shoe drive with other on-campus groups and events, hoping to have a presence at various AS programs and throughout Spirit Week.

(video)NCAA Volleyball Tournament: Miami Hurricanes Volleyball Player Lane Carico On Upcoming Tournament

(video)NCAA Volleyball Tournament: Miami Hurricanes Volleyball Player Lane Carico On Upcoming Tournament

 

 

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New Capital One Cup to Honor Top-Performing NCAA Athletics Programs

New Capital One Cup to Honor Top-Performing NCAA Athletics Programs

Men’s and Women’s Division I programs to compete for

Capital One Cup and $200,000 scholarship

 

 Capital One Financial Corporation (NYSE: COF) announced the launch of the Capital One Cup, a prestigious new program rewarding NCAA Division I athletics programs for their cumulative on-field performance across multiple men’s and women’s sports. 

     Starting with the 2010-11 academic year, NCAA Division I men’s and women’s athletics programs will compete for the Capital One Cup and $200,000 to fund graduate-level scholarships for student-athletes.  The Capital One Cup will be served by an advisory board of prominent former NCAA student-athletes and current broadcasters, including Heisman Trophy winner Doug Flutie, women’s soccer legend Brandi Chastain, former NCAA basketball player of the year Lisa Leslie, former NCAA baseball player Robin Ventura, and broadcasters Rece Davis and Clark Kellogg.

     “The Capital One Cup was created to extend our support of college sports, its student-athletes and its fans by recognizing on-field supremacy at the highest level,” said Capital One Chief Marketing Officer, Bill McDonald.  “This annual new program represents a year-long quest to claim the ultimate bragging rights in collegiate sports.”

     In the annual race for the Capital One Cup, schools will earn points based on their teams’ top 10 finishes in NCAA Division I championships and in final official coaches’ polls in 13 men’s and 13 women’s sports throughout the year.

     “The creation of the Capital One Cup is an excellent way to highlight the outstanding accomplishments of NCAA student-athletes,” said Greg Shaheen, NCAA interim executive vice president of championships and business strategies.  “As student-athletes continue to excel in the classroom, the Capital One Cup will be another measure of success for teams who perform at the highest level competitively.  We’re proud to work with Capital One as it bestows this athletics honor and supports the values of higher education with the scholarship donation.”

     The official Capital One Cup standings will be released at the end of the fall, winter and spring athletics seasons.  In July, the two athletics programs with the highest aggregated point totals across the represented men’s and women’s sports will be announced as the Capital One Cup winners.  Each school will be presented with the Capital One Cup Trophy and a scholarship donation from Capital One in the amount of $200,000 at the annual ESPY Awards televised live by ESPN. 

     Points will be earned by NCAA Division I athletics programs based on their teams’ performance in the following sports:

 

 

Tier 1 Men	Tier 2 Men	Tier 3 Men
Football Basketball Baseball	Soccer Swimming & Diving Outdoor Track & Field Lacrosse	Cross Country Wrestling Ice Hockey Indoor Track & Field Golf Tennis
Tier 1 Women	Tier 2 Women	Tier 3 Women
Volleyball Basketball Softball	Soccer Swimming & Diving Outdoor Track & Field Lacrosse	Cross Country Field Hockey Indoor Track & Field Golf Tennis Rowing

 

 

     The Capital One Cup Advisory Board members embody success, integrity, leadership and a commitment to excellence.  In their role, they will educate the sports community and fans about the program and help promote the positive values of college athletics.  The Capital One Cup Advisory Board members are:

 

• Doug Flutie – 1984 Heisman Trophy Winner, football (Boston College)
• Brandi Chastain – Two Women’s College Cup® Quarterfinals appearances, women’s soccer (Santa Clara)
• Lisa Leslie – 1994 NCAA National Player of the Year, women’s basketball (USC)
• Robin Ventura – 1988 Golden Spikes Award winner, baseball (Oklahoma State)
• Clark Kellogg – CBS Sports’ lead college basketball analyst and 1982 Big Ten MVP (Ohio State)
• Rece Davis – ESPN college sports commentator (University of Alabama)

 

     “Being the best in college sports requires hard work, dedication and a commitment to excellence, and it's an honor to serve on the Capital One Cup Advisory Board,” said former Boston College quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Doug Flutie. 

     Throughout the year fans can follow the official standings, announcements and news updates about the Capital One Cup at www.capitalonecup.com.  The website will include video of advisory board member appearances, Capital One Cup information, NCAA Division I Championship results and the Capital One Cup Trophy appearance schedules.  In addition, starting this fall, ESPN will introduce the Capital One Cup Impact Performance of the Week on its college sports telecasts, allowing fans to vote for the plays they think will have the biggest impact on the race for the Capital One Cup.

 

About Capital One:

Capital One Financial Corporation (http://www.capitalone.com) is a financial holding company whose subsidiaries, which include Capital One, N.A. and Capital One Bank (USA), N. A., had $117.3 billion in deposits and $197.5 billion in total assets outstanding as of June 30, 2010. Headquartered in McLean, Virginia, Capital One offers a broad spectrum of financial products and services to consumers, small businesses and commercial clients. Capital One, N.A. has approximately 1,000 branch locations primarily in New York, New Jersey, Texas, Louisiana, Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. A Fortune 500 company, Capital One trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "COF" and is included in the S&P 100 index. 

 

Capital One, an NCAA corporate champion, began its affiliation with college sports with the sponsorship of the 2001 Capital One Florida Citrus Bowl (now the Capital One Bowl) and ESPN’s Capital One Bowl Week. In addition, Capital One sponsors the ABC College Football Halftime Report, Capital One All-America Mascot Team, all 88 NCAA Championships including the Division I Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships, and numerous other collegiate athletics programs.

 

About the NCAA:

The NCAA is a membership-led nonprofit association of colleges and universities committed to supporting academic and athletic opportunities for more than 400,000 student-athletes at more than 1,000 member colleges and universities. Each year, more than 54,000 student-athletes compete in NCAA championships in Divisions I, II and III sports. Visit www.ncaa.org and www.ncaa.com for more details about the Association, its goals and members and corporate partnerships that help support programs for student-athletes.  

Dayton Flyers Volleyball Team Enters NCAA Volleyball Tournament Ranked No. 13 In AVCA Coaches Poll

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Dayton Flyers Volleyball Team Enters NCAA Volleyball Tournament Ranked No. 13 In AVCA Coaches Poll
Flyers Are Highest Ranked Team From A One-Bid Conference

AVCA Top-25: http://www.avca.org/divisions/division-one-women/poll-11-29-10/

***NCAA TOURNAMENT TIME CHANGE NOTE:
***Friday, Dec. 3 - Frericks Center - Dayton, Ohio
***Ohio State vs. Lipscomb, 6 p.m. ET
***Dayton vs. Butler, 8 p.m. ET

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Dayton volleyball will enter the NCAA Championship ranked No. 13 in the in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Top-25 Poll released on Monday.

Ranked for 18 consecutive weeks, the Flyers are on the cusp maintaining a top 25 national ranking through the entire season for the first time in program history. UD began the season ranked No. 21 in the preseason and last week tied the highest ranking in program history at No. 12 for the second time since the week of Oct. 15, 2007.

Dayton (27-3, 15-0 Atlantic 10) finished the regular season on a 22 match winning streak after sweeping Mid-American Conference Tournament Champion Ohio on the road last Friday. On Sunday UD earned the program’s highest seed (No. 14) in the NCAA Championship and will host the First Round through the Regional Final. As the Atlantic 10’s only representative in the field of 64, the Flyers are the only seeded team from a one-bid league.

Florida (27-1) remains the top seed in this week’s top 25 with 55 of the 60 first-place votes. Dayton has played four top 15 teams in this week’s poll, including No. 3 Nebraska, No. 14 Illinois, No. 10 Northern Iowa, and No. 12 Minnesota.

The back-to-back Atlantic 10 Regular Season and Tournament Champions begin the NCAA Championship by hosting Butler at 8 p.m. ET on Friday at the Frericks Center. The winner will face Ohio State or Lipscomb on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. ET. The Buckeyes and Lady Bisons will play on Friday at 6 p.m. ET.

Tickets for the NCAA Championship First and Second Rounds go on sale tomorrow. For more information visit the NCAA First & Second Rounds page (http://www.daytonflyers.com/womens/volleyball/firstrounds/) or call the Dayton Ticket Office at (937) 229-4433.
 

NCAA Volleyball Tournament Selection Show-Watch Iowa State Volleyball Team Reaction

NCAA Volleyball Tournament Selection Show-Watch Iowa State Volleyball Team Reaction

 

 

NCAA Volleyball Tournament Selection Show-Watch Dayton Flyers Volleyball Team React

NCAA Volleyball Tournament Selection Show-Watch Dayton Flyers Volleyball Team React

 

Head Coach Kelly Sheffield reviews the 2010 NCAA Championship field on Selection Sunday. The Flyers will host the opening rounds with Butler, Ohio State and Lipscomb.

 

 

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University of Central Arkansas Volleyball Player Robyn Smith Named Candidate For NCAA Woman Of The Year

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University of Central Arkansas Volleyball Player Robyn Smith Named Candidate For NCAA Woman Of The Year

 

INDIANAPOLIS - Former University of Central Arkansas volleyball standout Robyn Smith has been selected as the Southland Conference's candidate for the NCAA Woman of the Year award. She was one of 131 student-athletes recognized from all three divisions, cut down from 452 nominees.

The NCAA Woman of the Year award, now in its 20th year, honors female student-athletes who have distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate career in the areas of academic achievement, athletics excellence, community service and leadership.

"What a great honor for Robyn," said UCA Assistant Athletic Director and Senior Women's Administrator Natalie Shock. "She has been the definition of what it means to be a student-athlete. Besides being a great student and a tremendous athlete, Robyn found the time to do a large amount of community service and serve on numerous committees. What a fitting way to end her career."

Smith, a setter from Lubbock, Texas, holds the Sugar Bear record with 5,148 career assists and 11.59 assists per set. She is only the player to lead the Southland in assists for three consecutive seasons. Smith was a three-time All-Southland Conference First Team and Academic All-SLC selection. She was named the 2006 Southland Freshman of the Year and the Setter of the Year in 2008 and 2009.

Smith was selected to the NCAA Leadership Conference in 2009. She also served on the University's Athletics Committee and as president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. Smith graduated from UCA with a degree in Physical Therapy in the spring of 2010.

"I am very proud of Robyn," said head volleyball coach Steven McRoberts. "She was a great player, teammate, and an even better person when she played for us the past four years. She is extremely deserving of this honor.

Later this month, a selection committee composed of representatives from NCAA member schools and conferences will select 10 nominees from each division to form the Top 30. The selection committed will narrow down the Top 30 to three finalists from each division. From the nine remaining finalists, the NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics will select the national winner. The recipient will be annoucned during the 2010 Woman of the Year dinner in Indianapolis on October 17.

NCAA Womens Volleyball: Sarah Reaves Eye On The Prize: One of the Best ASU Volleyball Has Ever Seen is Ready to Lead in 2010

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NCAA Womens Volleyball: Sarah Reaves Eye On The Prize: One of the Best ASU Volleyball Has Ever Seen is Ready to Lead in 2010

Senior outside hitter Sarah Reaves is an undeniable force on the Arizona State University volleyball court, bringing experience and extraordinary athletic ability to a youthful team that many expect to make a big impact in the NCAA tournament this year.

A highly decorated athlete, Reaves made the Pac-10 Freshman team, and was named all around Pac-10 Honorable Mention the past three years. As a junior, she led the team in kills for the third consecutive year with 459 kills. This season, Reaves says she is looking forward to breaking a few more personal records and to the team surprising people on the hardwood.

Head Coach Jason Watson recognizes the prominent role Reaves plays on the team.  “She's a wonderful teammate. She works hard and brings her work ethic with her daily.  She gives so much of herself to our team.  That's not easy to do and it's something we don't take for granted.”

Reaves says the key to this season’s success lies in the squad’s mindset, “As a team we need to believe that we can beat those good teams out there.”

“I know that we ask a lot of her - not only in the gym, but as a potential leader on our team,” said Coach Watson. “Clearly, her experience is what helps her and those around her prepare for the battles we'll face this season.  So, we'll look for her to continue to provide for us the play and competitive drive as she's done in past seasons.”

An Arizona native, Reaves attended Ironwood High School, where as a multi-sport athlete she earned three varsity volleyball letters and lettered all four years in track and field. Reaves began playing volleyball at 14, and played competitively for Zia Athletic Club.

The Kinesiology major says she chose ASU because she liked the idea of playing at a large university close to home. Reaves is happy with her decision saying, “How ASU treats and works with student-athletes is amazing.”
When asked what girls with Division-I volleyball aspirations can do to follow in her footsteps, Reaves says young players need to, “believe that they can (do it) and don’t let anyone tell them differently.”

When not competing, Reaves enjoys hiking, reading and playing her new guitar. Once her playing days are over, she plans to attend school to become a physical therapist.

Read the story here: http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/w-volley/spec-rel/080510aaa.html

Hawai'i Wahine Volleyball Team Favored by Coaches to Win 2010 Western Athletic Conference Title

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Hawai'i Favored by Coaches to Win 2010 Western Athletic Conference Volleyball Title

DENVER – The Western Athletic Conference volleyball coaches have selected Hawai‘i to win its 15th-straight WAC regular-season crown in 2010. The coaches also voted on the preseason award winners and Hawai‘i junior Kanani Danielson was the unanimous pick for WAC Preseason Player of the Year.

The Rainbow Wahine received eight of the nine first-place votes with New Mexico State earning the other first-place vote. Hawai‘i earned 64 total points followed by New Mexico State with 57. Fresno State was picked to finish third with 44 points, followed by Utah State in fourth with 38 points. Boise State was picked fifth with 35 points, while Idaho was selected sixth with 32 points, just ahead of Nevada with 30 points in seventh place. Louisiana Tech and San Jose State rounded out the poll with 15 and nine points, respectively.

Hawai‘i is coming off a 32-3 season in 2009 that saw the Rainbow Wahine earn their 14th-consecutive WAC regular-season title with a perfect 16-0 record. Hawai‘i also captured its 10th WAC Tournament title and advanced to the national semifinals for the ninth time in school history.

New Mexico State placed the most players on the preseason all-WAC team with four, while Hawai’i had three and Nevada had two. Joining Danielson on the preseason team are teammates Brittany Hewitt and Dani Mafua, New Mexico State’s Kelsey Brennan, Jennah DeVries, Kayleigh Giddens and Whitney Woods, Nevada’s Lindsay Baldwin and Kylie Harrington, Boise State’s Sadie Maughan, Fresno State’s Brianna Clarke and Idaho’s Kelsey Taylor.

All but one member of the preseason all-WAC team was named to the 2009 all-WAC team. Seven members were first team all-WAC honorees a year ago (Brennan, Danielson, DeVries, Giddens, Harrington, Mafua and Woods), while four 2009 second-team honorees are on the team (Baldwin, Clarke, Hewitt and Maughan).

The 2010 season begins the weekend of Aug. 27 with all nine teams in action. The 2010 WAC Volleyball Tournament will be held Nov. 22-24 at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas and will include the top six teams in the regular-season standings. The championship match will be televised live on ESPNU.

2010 WAC Preseason Coaches’ Poll

  Rank   Team   Points   
  1   Hawai‘i (8)   64   
  2   New Mexico State (1)   57   
  3   Fresno State   44   
  4   Utah State   38   
  5   Boise State   35   
  6   Idaho   32   
  7   Nevada   30   
  8   Louisiana Tech   15   
  9   San Jose State   9  

2010 Preseason All-WAC Team

  Player   Yr.   Pos.   School   
  Lindsay Baldwin   Sr.   MB   Nevada   
  Kelsey Brennan   Jr.   MH   New Mexico State   
  Brianna Clarke   Jr.   MB   Fresno State   
  Kanani Danielson   Jr.   OH   Hawai‘i   
  Jennah DeVries   Jr.   S   New Mexico State   
  Kayleigh Giddens   Sr.   OH   New Mexico State   
  Kylie Harrington   Sr.   OH   Nevada   
  Brittany Hewitt   So.   M   Hawai‘i   
  Dani Mafua   Sr.   S   Hawai‘i   
  Sadie Maughan   Sr.   MB   Boise State   
  Kelsey Taylor   Sr.   MB   Idaho   
  Whitney Woods   Sr.   OH   New Mexico State  

Preseason Player of the Year
Kanani Danielson, Jr., Hawai‘i