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College Volleyball Players: UCLA'S Boat Is Leaking
All-American Amanda Gil Transfers To Huskies
The 2008 Pac-10 Freshman of the Year ranked second in the NCAA in blocks last year.
SEATTLE – Washington volleyball received a huge boost today as All-America middle blocker Amanda Gil transferred into the Husky program from UCLA. The Pac-10 leader in blocks in 2009 and an All-Pac-10 First Team selection, Gil will have two years of eligibility remaining and will be able to patrol the net for UW starting in 2011.
Gil, a 6-foot, 6-inch native of San Jose, Calif. was voted to the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-America Second Team following her sophomore season with the Bruins in 2009. Gil’s 180 total blocks and 1.57 blocks per set average both easily led the Pac-10, and ranked second in the NCAA.
“We are very excited about Amanda joining our program,” said head coach Jim McLaughlin. “Not only is she an outstanding volleyball player, she is also a wonderful young lady. We were impressed with her ability coming out of high school and, at this point, we feel she has the potential to upgrade our team in a number of areas. We have big plans for her and each day will be important as she works towards the objectives we have set for her.”
Despite knowing she would have to sit out a year due to Pac-10 transfer rules, Gil knew she had found the right fit when she visited Seattle.
“I know in my heart Washington is the right place for me because Washington has everything I could have ever wanted in a school: a beautiful campus, a great community, an amazing coaching staff, hardworking and committed girls, and excellent academics,” said Gil.
Washington has had great success in recent years developing standout middle blockers, with Alesha Deesing (2006) and Jessica Swarbrick (2006-08) earning AVCA All-America honors and sophomore Bianca Rowland earning AVCA honorable mention and Volleyball Magazine Second Team All-America honors this past year.
“What I like most about the coaching staff at Washington is that they are genuine people. Jim, Leslie (Tuiasosopo), and Keno (Gandara) care about you as a volleyball player and as a person,” said Gil. “I was impressed with how the coaches conducted their practices, and how focused and hard all the girls were working to improve as volleyball players. I have always been a hard worker and to see the commitment from everyone involved was impressive.”
Gil also led the Bruins last season with a .360 hitting percentage that ranked fifth in the conference while averaging 2.37 kills per set. The Bruins tied with Washington for second in the Pac-10 with a 13-5 league record, and they reached the NCAA second round. She was named the 2008 Pacific Region as well as Pac-10 Freshman of the Year when her 1.46 blocks per set ranked sixth in the NCAA.
“She has a very good arm and a good feel for the game and I can’t wait to have the opportunity to work with her in the gym on a daily basis,” McLaughlin says. “She is a tremendous talent and we feel very fortunate that she has decided to come to the University of Washington.”
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It's great once you know you've earned a scholarship to play volleyball in college, but the
key as a volleyball recruit is to remember that volleyball will not last forever. I cannot
believe I just said that. But it's true. I've got too many friends on Facebook who will tell
you the same thing.
But the education you get while attending THAT college should...so when you are being
recruited, even if your goal is to become a professional volleyball player-which is a
career that wont last forever--make sure you look for schools that are going to give you
something in a return.
You want a return on your investment.
Where are you going to get the biggest return on YOUR investment of the time, energy,
blood, sweat and tears spent for four-five years on a college volleyball court.
When you are done what kind of education are you going to walk away with?
“The biggest thing for me was academics,” she said. “It’s my bad for not looking into this before I committed to UCLA, but they just weren’t able to offer me the major I want which is event planning. It just so happened that recently Nebraska has added that major.”
The college volleyball player transfer issue was discussed in an earlier post by guest contributor and ESPN and FOX volleyball analyst Phil Bush. Have a gander at...
“She's a great athlete who is determined to make the most of this opportunity. We didn’t have the chance to see her play in high school, but she caught our eyes when she played here in the Field House last fall with South Dakota. I immediately noticed her athleticism and realized that we had missed a real diamond in the rough from the northern part of Wisconsin.
(coach Pete Waite)
From The Islands To Colorado Springs, girl bring your coat!
The national team tryouts in a few weeks will have some Hawaiian flavor because Kanani Danielson is trying out for the team. Sand or snow. Sand or snow. Sand or snow... I'm thinking. I'm thinking....would I do it again? heck yeah.. Good luck KD!
Sand Volleyball wasn't the only big issue at the NCAA Convention last week.
Some of the biggest legislation passed regarding Division II sports which included moving the start of volleyball season back a week in addition to every measure that was on the table and part of Bylaw 17.
“This is all about the overall picture of balancing the lives of student-athletes,” Kurtz said. “There’s a feeling that over the years there’s been a creeping up of increased games and practices and less time for student-athletes to be regular students.
Time for my two cents and I'm sure a lot of club volleyball coaches who make a living coaching full time won't agree, but some of the best volleyball players have become so because they have had time to dedicate to playing other sports.
Not just cross training, but playing full seasons of other sports or participating in other disciplines like ballet, modern dance, handball, ping pong or martial arts., besides the usual soccer, basketball, swimming or tennis.
Simple reason...different muscles are developed, different reflexes are honed, there's a marked increase in hand-eye coordination enhancement, peripheral vision, speed and mobility issues are addressed, and the undeniable benefit of different coaches and mental conditioning practices are explored and instilled.
(As a kid I had to wear Forrest Gump leg braces for a while so I know about the leg and muscle strengthening benefits from taking years of ballet, but that wasn't the only discipline I benefitted from by far.)
Guess what, all these things contribute to the development of a better athlete who can be trained to become an excellent volleyball player.
You can teach an athlete to be a great volleyball player. It's much harder the other way around and it can take more of a coach's time and energy.
Don't get me started on the increased number of high school girls with overuse injuries before they get to college. Two and three ACL tears by the senior year in high school? Really?
Playing one sport all the time and overusing the same muscles at practice day in and day out may be a huge factor. But playing different sports will give different muscles an opportunity to either get strengthened or to get rested whatever the case may be. I'm just sayin...
Unfortunately, many volleyball parents who don't know any better think MORE volleyball is the answer to creating a better volleyball player, which will get them closer to getting the beloved college scholarship.
I know. What I'm saying is blasphemous. Shame on me.
I've heard it too many times so I know, but for those of you who don't, I'll bet if you asked a volleyball coach to choose between coaching a great young volleyball player and coaching a great young all-around athlete, they would choose a great young athlete. Volleyball parents take heed.
(of course there are exceptions, but that's what they are, exceptions.)
And speaking of training athletes... in College Sand Volleyball news...
The second annual Fiesta on Siesta Key will be held this year on April 17, 2010.
“Last year, the Fiesta was comprised of a number of sand volleyball tournaments in one. We are looking forward to seeing the growth of the event, along with this sport, this April.”
“The Fiesta on Siesta Key is clear evidence of the growth and popularity of the sport,” American Volleyball Coaches Association Executive Director Kathy DeBoer said. “It provides good, competitive opportunities for student-athletes in another part of the country.”
FIESTA ON SIESTA KEY w SCHEDULE OF EVENTS (ALL TIMES EASTERN)
Friday, April 16, 2010
Team Practices: 12 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Individual Team Practices: Times TBD
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Fiesta on Siesta Key
Play begins at 10 a.m.
I like to find and share college volleyball videos where you can learn about the team and what the school brings to the table.
This is Luther College
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In the 40th winning season in BYU women’s volleyball history, the Cougars finished the season with an overall record of 15-14 and 1,046 all-time wins. In the 41-year recorded history of the program, the Cougars rank sixth among NCAA Division I teams.
BYU earned a fifth-place Mountain West Conference finish, also with a winning regular-season record of 9-7 in head coach Shay Goulding’s second year. With injuries plaguing the team in the middle of the season, the Cougars were unable to grasp an NCAA Tournament berth for only the fifth time in the Tournament’s history.
The Cougars kicked off the season at the Missouri Tournament in Columbia, Mo., taking on Ole Miss, Texas State and Missouri. The team had a 2-0 start in the tournament before falling to host Missouri in four sets. Senior Kayla Walker and junior Christina Measom earned all-tournament honors, Walker averaging 3.70 kills and 1.9 digs per game while Measom averaged 1.90 kills and 0.90 blocks while hitting .350.
On the road for one more game before beginning the home season, the Cougars traveled to Utah State where they lost a hard fought, five-set match to in-state rival Utah State. At the Smith Spectrum in front of 1,557 USU fans. Despite the loss, Walker posted a then season high 25 kills and nine digs.
Preseason tournaments hosted by BYU have been a tradition since 1977. With the exception of two years (1993 and 1999), the Cougars have hosted at least one tournament each year. In 2009 BYU hosted the Nike Classic with No. 23 Kansas State, Weber State and Cal Poly in attendance. The Cougars started the tournament with a 3-2 win over Cal Poly and a win over Weber State in three until dropping the championship game to No. 23 Kansas state in five sets. Although the team didn’t finish first in the tournament, Walker and sophomore Christie Carpenter were named to the all-tournament team.
With one more preseason tournament, the Cougars traveled to Nebraska for the Ameritas Players Challenge to take on three of the best teams in the country. Starting out against No. 8 UCLA, the Cougars lost in four. Against No. 5 Nebraska in front of the largest crowd the Cougars faced all season (4,124), BYU hushed the crowd by winning set one, 25-18. The Huskers came back to win the match in the next three sets. The next day of the tournament brought Virginia, with BYU also losing to the Cavaliers 1-3.
Mountain West Conference play began for the Cougars hosting San Diego State and Air Force, posting back-to-back wins. In the 3-2 win over SDSU, Walker had a career night with 32 kills at .500 hitting. She also added 12 digs for her third double-double of the season. The 32 kills marked the third highest total in MWC history.
The Cougars next traveled to in-state rival Utah where head coach Beth Launiere looked for her 300th win. After reaching match point in set four, the Cougars battled hard but fell in sets four and five. Despite the loss, Walker came out with 19 kills on the night and 11 digs, her fourth double-double of the season. Camilla Phillips had a then career-high eight kills while Kiana Rogers posted 41 assists. Morgan Lloyd Sorensen held up the back row with 24 digs, tying her career high.
Coming back home to Provo to finish up September, BYU hosted North Dakota State, sweeping the Bison in three sets to bring the BYU record to 7-7 overall. With big comebacks in two of the sets, the Cougars came out with a win thanks to Walker’s fifth double-double of the season with 16 kills and 13 digs. Setter Rogers also had a double-double, racking up 38 assists and a season-high 16 digs.
Two more MWC wins gave the Cougars a winning record again. BYU was first on the road against UNLV where they swept the Rebels. The next week the Cougars came back home to take on New Mexico and TCU. BYU beat UNM in three, followed by a tough 0-3 home loss to TCU to bring the Cougar record to 9-8 overall and 4-2 in the MWC.
Next traveling to Colorado State and Wyoming to finish the first half of MWC play, the Cougars split road wins. CSU was up first, then boasting a perfect 6-0 MWC record for first place in the conference. BYU battled, but the Ram defense was too much for the Cougar squad. Busing up to Laramie, Wyo., the Cougars crept past the Cowgirls in five with three spikers in double digits. Christie Carpenter led the way with a career-high 21 kills, Christina Measom had 13 while Nicole Warner added a career-high 12. On the defensive side of the ball Morgan Lloyd Sorensen led the team with 18 digs, accompanied by Melissa Lake Wright with 12 and Carpenter, Chelsea Goodsell and Kiana Rogers all tallying eight digs each.
Coming back to the Smith Fieldhouse, the Cougars took on in-state rival Utah only to fall again in five in front of a season-high 2,249 fans in attendance. With only five miles separating Utah Valley University and BYU, the Wolverines came to campus looking for a win, but only scaring the Cougars by coming out with the third set. BYU again established a winning record with the victory at 11-10 overall and 5-4 in the MWC.
BYU finished November with a 3-1 win against UNLV at home to then be defeated on the road in back-to-back matches against TCU and New Mexico to bring the Cougars down to fifth in the MWC rankings. In the last two home matches of the season the Cougars beat Wyoming in three and then fell to Colorado State in five, putting up a good fight.
Ending the season with three road games the Cougars came out 2-1 with wins over Air Force and SDSU and a loss to No. 21 Saint Mary’s College. The Cougars came out with a winning record both overall and in the MWC (15-14, 9-7).
Demonstrating the strength and competitiveness of the MWC, BYU finished first in the league and 19th in the country in blocking with 2.66 blocks per set. The Cougars were also fourth in service aces (1.15 per set), second in opponent hitting percentage (.164), fifth in hitting percentage (.201) and sixth in digs (13.42 per set).
While BYU’s 14 losses were uncharacteristic, four of those defeats came to ranked teams and five came to teams that competed in the NCAA Tournament. On the other side of the coin, the Cougars were dominant in victory, recording nine of their 15 wins in just three sets.
The Smith Fieldhouse once again proved magical as the Cougars averaged of 1,198 fans per match, the 34th-best home attendance mark in the nation. BYU was 9-4 at home, 9-7 in conference play, 4-8 on the road and 2-2 in neutral court contests.
Several Cougars made an impact on the court in 2009 as both newcomers and returners made their presence known.
Junior defensive specialist Melissa Lake Wright finished 10th in the MWC for tallying 2.88 digs per set. She chalked up double-digit digs in 15 matches, including one with 20.
Freshman middle blocker Nicole Warner boasted the best hitting percentage for the Cougars, ranking third in the MWC averaging .346. She also finished eighth in blocks in the MWC with 1.10 per set and 42nd in the nation for her overall 1.22 blocks per set.
Junior middle blocker Christina Measom ranked second in MWC play for blocks at 1.37 per game. She also played in all 110 sets for the Cougars, recording nine matches with double-digit kills.
Junior setter Kiana Rogers made the most of her second year as the full-time setter with a team-best nine double-doubles. She averaged 9.50 assists per set overall and ranked fifth in MWC play with 9.79 assists per set. Rogers also tallied 2.13 digs per set to rank third on the team.
The Cougars also said goodbye to two talented seniors at the conclusion of the season, rightside hitter Kayla Walker and libero Morgan Lloyd Sorensen.
Senior Kayla Walker began her second and final year as a Cougar on the rightside, where she had been since midway through the 2008 season. The 6-foot-5 All-MWC honoree ranked second overall among the league leaders and second in MWC play in kills per set at 3.68 and 3.70, respectively. She finished the season with six double-doubles and had at least 20 kills in a match three times among 20 matches with double-digit kills. Her climax of the season came against SDSU on Sept. 17 when she recorded 32 kills and only three errors on .500 hitting, which was the third-highest total in MWC history.
Senior Morgan Lloyd Sorensen started in the libero position for most of the year, finishing seventh in the MWC with 3.50 digs per set. She tallied double-digit digs in 19 matches, including five over 20. On Sept. 12 against Virginia she tallied 21 digs in four sets, which ranks fourth in the BYU record book.
Head Coach Erin Appleman has announced that Kelly Ozurovich ’11 will serve as captain of Yale Volleyball for the 2010 season, as decided by a team vote. Ozurovich, a libero from Playa del Rey, Calif., has earned All-Ivy recognition in all three of her seasons in a Bulldogs’ uniform.
“As a three-year starter at Yale, Kelly has shown all of the leadership qualities I look for in a captain”, said Appleman. “She has a strong relationship with me and with her teammates, and she understands what it takes to be successful in the Ivy League. The team is in very reliable hands with Kelly as its captain”.
Ozurovich, the starting libero on the 2008 Ivy League Championship team, earned her second consecutive All-Ivy Honorable Mention in 2009 after finishing the season ranked second in the Ivy League and 13th in all of Division I with 5.38 digs per set. An All-Ivy Second Team honoree in 2007, Ozurovich will enter her senior campaign ranked fifth on Yale’s all-time digs list with 1,241. Her 449 digs in 2007 marked the second-highest single season total in program history, while her 41 aces in that season were the eighth-best in 27 seasons of varsity volleyball at Yale.
The 2009 Bulldogs finished with a 21-4 mark, the best record in program history. Ozurovich will lead a 2010 squad that returns six letterwinners from that season, including fellow All-Ivy honorees Bridget Hearst and Kerry Clavadetscher.
BATON ROUGE – Former LSU middle blocker Brittnee Cooper is one of 18 players selected to train with the United States Women’s National Team Team during its second winter training block. The session begins Monday and ends on April 9th held at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.
“I’m very excited about this opportunity but at the same time I’m nervous,” Cooper said. “I know that with the support of my family, friends, LSU coaching staff, teammates and God that I’ll do just fine.”
Cooper, the 2009 SEC Player of the Year, also became the third player to notch AVCA First-Team All-America honors as LSU won its first SEC championship since 1991. She powered home 1,110 career kills and racked up 504 blocks, one of four players to accomplish that feat in program history. Her .329 career hitting percentage ranks third in the LSU record book. The Houston native has already won a pair of medals as a member of the 2008 & 2009 USA Women’s National A2 Team.
“We’re extremely proud of Brittnee for getting this chance to train and compete with the nation’s best volleyball players,” head coach Fran Flory said. “She was a key part to our program’s success and developed into one of the nation’s elite players during her time at LSU. We wish her nothing but the best of luck as she continues her career.”
USA Volleyball could expand the training group at the end of February following the U.S. National Team Open Tryouts set for Feb. 19-21.
Hooker signs contract to play in Korea Texas’ three-time All-American inks a deal to play for the GS Caltex professional volleyball club in Korea.
AUSTIN, Texas – Texas senior All-America outside hitter Destinee Hooker has signed a professional contract to play for GS Caltex professional volleyball club in Seoul, Korea. Hooker has begun play with GS Caltex and in her first match she was named most valuable player.
“We are very excited for Destinee,” head coach Jerritt Elliott said. “She had a tremendous four years here, learning the game and growing as a player. Now she is able to take the next step in an incredible volleyball community. I know she will continue to improve and I’m excited about the possibility of her competing for a U.S. roster spot for the 2012 Olympics.”
In 2009, the San Antonio, Texas, native was named a Honda Award Finalist, AVCA All-America First Team, AVCA All-Central Region First Team and All-Big 12 First Team honors. She also earned NCAA Championship and NCAA Omaha Regional Most Outstanding Player honors.
Hooker’s 6.09 points per-set ranked No. 1 in the NCAA, while her 5.06 kills per-set ranked fourth nationally. The senior hit .358 on the season, ranking second in the Big 12 and tops among all outside hitters.
Hooker will forgo her final season of track and field eligibility to pursue volleyball. On the track, Hooker claimed four individual national titles, six All-America honors and six individual Big 12 titles. She also set school and NCAA records in the indoor high jump (6-6, 1.98m) and tied the UT outdoor high jump record (6-4.75/1.95m).
Visit the GS web site and check out volleyball photos at:
"What you would hope would happen is that there's a whole bunch of young kids around the country watching volleyball that see two charismatic players going out there and playing hard and playing with passion, and that it sparks more young kids playing volleyball around the country," Rose said.
“We’re extremely excited to represent the University of Texas in the championship match,” Elliott said. “We want to play whichever team is better, and we’re just focused on winning the championship.”
"If the No. 1 Penn State women's volleyball team wants to win a third straight national championship, the way to do so is quite clear -- stop Destinee Hooker.
"Penn State senior and Durham, NC native, Megan Hodge was named the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division I National Player of the Year for 2009."
AP Photo- Penn State's Megan Hodge, left, blocks against Hawaii's Dani Mafua, right, and Stephanie Brandt (10) during the NCAA college volleyball national semifinal
"...This is the second ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District honor of Hodge's career."
Glass, Hodge finalists for Honda Sports Award from Penn State Live
"Penn State women's volleyball senior setter Alisha Glass(Leland, Mich.) and senior outside hitter Megan Hodge (Durham, N.C.) have been named two of four finalists for the 2009-10 Honda Sports Award to determine the top woman collegiate athlete in that sport. Cal's Hana Cutura and Texas' Destinee Hooker join Glass and Hodge as finalists."
CONWAY, Ark - The University of Central Arkansas volleyball team will be honored at Tuesday night's City Council meeting. Conway Mayor Tab Townsell will read a proclamation highlighting the Sugar Bears Southland Conference championship season, in which they finished 27-3 overall and 16-0 in the league. Head coach Steven McRoberts and senior Robyn Smith will speak at the start of the meeting at 6:30 p.m. in the City Hall meeting room.
Women's Volleyball players Megan Hodge and Alisha Glass enter the final year of their already successful careers at Penn State. The duo and head coach Russ Rose talk about their style and how their special chemistry has helped make Penn State a volleyball powerhouse.
Santa Clara, Calif. - Senior Lindsy Davigeadono is being looked at to provide more than just a few kills on the court this year with 11 underclassmen. The xx, Calif. native is also providing a lot of leadership.
Davigeadono, who is averaging 2.5 kpg and .5 bpg, talks below about being a senior, her favorite play and what she likes to cook for her husband.
SCU: A couple weeks into the season and the team is headed to Cal Poly this weekend. What have you guys been working on in practice the last couple days?
Lindsy Davigeadono: We've been focusing on our energy levels because last week during practice before we played Arizona it was kind of off so we really wanted to make sure that we had a strong practice.
SCU: You and Kim Courtney are the only seniors on the team. With having 11 underclassmen on the team, do you sometime feel like the Mama Bear?
LD: Yes, a lot of the times (big smile). Not so much on the volleyball court, but it's more off the court with outside questions. They just ask things like 'where should I go?', or 'how do I do this?'
SCU: Your team has rules as to how you all want to carry yourselves. Can you give me an example of a couple of those rules?
LD: We have a saying when were on the road we want to be style and class. Santa Clara is very classy so we all try to dress in a similar manner and wear our team stuff. We try to be presentable everywhere we go, and when we have conversations in airports, that they are appropriate conversations. We all really try to be
polite to each other and to whomever we come into contact with.
SCU: Who sets the tone on that? Did you meet as a team to set the tone? Or is it the coaches that have the rules?
LD: It's been passed down from prior teams. My freshman year I got the talk about the rules and so Kim and I sent an email out to some of the younger girls to give them a heads-up as to how we act and what is expected of them before they came to camp. Jon (Wallace) didn't really say much this year; he just knows that we know what is expected of us as a group. I think it's really good to have these kinds of rules, because we represent our university everywhere we go, and we want to do the best we can.
SCU: As a high schooler did you think that was part of collegiate life as a student-athlete?
LD: I kind of assumed it would be because I remember seeing other college teams at airports and they all seemed very together. They all dressed the same and they all had very good manners and they all hold themselves on another level. I knew that it was going to be different traveling as a team, compared to traveling with a club or high school team.
SCU: Last year you worked as a setter and now you are back working as an outside hitter. Do you ever forget on the court this year and start calling plays?
LD: There has been a couple times in practice where I stay there, and the setters tell me to move. But it works out nice when the setters are back row and they pass and I'm just right there to set the ball. But luckily I haven't forgotten in a game yet.
SCU: Which would you rather play: setter or outside hitter?
LD: I really like both. I really like setting because you are more in charge and more in control and it's definitely a lot more demanding. Hitting is more free for all, and just going after it, and you really don't have to worry about anything except for hitting it hard. Each day I feel different about it.
SCU: Do you think being as tall as you are, 6-3, worked to your advantage when you played setter?
LD: Definitely. It's kind of hard to see sometimes when the pass is tight, and our setters are shorter and sometime they can't really save it. I can get to those balls and it helped our passers out, because any kind of pass that they made I was able to somehow save. Also, being able to block is really crucial as well. I was
probably the tallest setter in the country last year.
SCU: What is your favorite play in volleyball?
LD: I love hitting quick's. Because I've never been a middle blocker before and everyone expects me to be a middle. I know that in my club in high school I would hit them and everyone would always be really impressed. I love them because it's so quick, and I really don't have to think about anything, I just go up and
hit the ball.
SCU: So - you are a senior already! Have you had a senior moment?
LD: I had a moment after our game against Arizona. We had a meeting with Jon (Wallace) after the game, and then we had a meeting as a team. We went around the room with each of us saying what we were going to change, or what we expect out of ourselves when we play. I started to say that we all need to cherish this time, and how it all goes by so quickly. Even if we lose a game, we all need to love what were doing and I started to get really emotional because I started to realize that I'm almost done. I didn't really
realize it because I just got so caught up in the moment.
SCU: What are you majoring in and what do you want to do when you graduate?
LD: I'm majoring in Liberal Studies to become an elementary school teacher. I'm still unsure though as to what I'm going to do though. I might play in Europe and try to find a team over there. I might train with the national team, because I think they are looking for setters and I might also get my teaching credential. That
would take about a year of student teaching, and I might get my masters after that.
SCU: So you have been married for a couple years to Kevin Davigeadono. Do you go home at night and make dinner?
LD: Yes I do! I actually cook dinner every night. Sometimes my husband will cook if I'm really tired from practice. My favorite meal that I cook is salmon, with broccoli and couscous. I cook a lot of pasta dishes. I cook bow tie pasta with olive oil, pine nuts, spinach, and tomatoes. We do Hamburger Helper some nights
with the turkey burger. I made burritos the other night, so we have got some variety.
He is on his own for match nights! We go out to eat after the matches with my parents usually. But before the match, he is on his own.
SCU: How did you end up playing volleyball instead of basketball?
LD: In eighth grade I had to make a decision: to play either basketball or volleyball. My dad really wanted me to play basketball and my mom really wanted me to play volleyball. They didn't force me to play either. I just decided that volleyball was more my kind of sport. But then my brother played basketball, so my dad was happy.
SCU: What are some of your highlights of your career here at Santa Clara?
LD: I would definitely have to say my sophomore year when we won conference at Pepperdine, and that was a really fun match. My dad can't make all the matches because of his job, but he drove down for this one with my mom and Kevin. After it was over, he was so excited that we won! He is more of a basketball kind of guy, so it was really cool to see him get that excited.
SCU: What would make this season great?
LD: I really just want to have fun with this group of girls and to become really good friends, and for them to have someone to look up to. I want to help them along the way so that they can also make other people's experiences great. I think that is really important that they enjoy themselves and that we can keep it fun and
competitive. We definitely want to win conference and advance further in the NCAA Tournament than we did last year. But I really just want to help the younger girls so they can build up a really strong program for themselves.
ASU's Fielder, Bowman Sweep Sun Belt Conference Volleyball Weekly Awards
JONESBORO, Ark. (9/14/09) – Arkansas State sophomore middle blocker Cayla Fielder and senior libero Heather Bowman have been named the Sun Belt Conference Volleyball Player and Defensive Player of the Week, respectively, as voted on by the league’s 13 head coaches. The award marks the first for both student-athletes this season and the first time a school has swept the awards since Denver during the 2007 season.
“I think it’s a great honor to receive any conference award,” said ASU head coach Justin Ingram. “I think it’s a credit to how we’ve been playing as a team and how strong we’ve been this past week. I think overall our effort was strong.”
Fielder earned tournament Most Valuable Player honors for the second consecutive weekend at the Mississippi State Bulldog Invitational, leading the Red Wolves to an undefeated week and their ninth consecutive win. Fielder pounded out a team high 43 kills on the weekend, averaging 3.91 kills per set. She led the Red Wolves with 14 blocks over the three-match tournament. In ASU’s 3-0 win over UT-Martin Tuesday night, Fielder led the team with four blocks and added 11 kills, hitting .400 in the match.
On the season, Fielder has recorded a league-best 48 total blocks – 1.45 per set – along with 111 kills and a .366 hitting percentage. The local Jonesboro product has put ASU atop the Sun Belt in blocks and opponent hitting percentage, as the Red Wolves lead the league with 94 blocks -- a 2.69 per set average -- while limiting their competitors to just a .114 hitting percentage.
Bowman notched a career-high 31 digs in ASU’s 3-1 win over Eastern Michigan Saturday in the Mississippi State Bulldog Invitational. Bowman earned her second all-tournament honor of the 2009 season over the weekend with her 70 digs, four service aces and six assists. She also led the Red Wolves with 20 digs Tuesday night in ASU’s 3-0 win over UT-Martin.
Bowman also leads the league with 192 total digs and has helped ASU top the conference in the same statistical category. Behind Bowman’s 5.82 digs per set, the Red Wolves have registered 572 digs so far this season, for their conference-best 16.34 per set average.
“Offensively, Cayla was tremendous at the Mississippi State tournament and Bowman was very strong defensively,” added Ingram. “I give a lot of credit to those two players. They’re playing great for us, and we have to keep it going this weekend at UT-Arlington.”
Meet Volleyball's Katherine Douglas!
Santa Clara, Calif. - The Santa Clara volleyball team, 4-2 on the young season, welcomes six freshmen this season, including Woodside, Calif. native Katherine Douglas (KD). Santa Clara, 4-2, opens the 2009
home schedule at the Leavey Center this weekend when it hosts No. 25 Arizona Thurs., Sept. 10 at 7 pm and then Utah at 7 pm on Sat., Sept. 12. Arizona comes in with a perfect 6-0 record. Utah is 5-2 and the highest non-ranked team in the country this week based on votes. Arizona will be the third ranked season the Broncos have played the early season.
Douglas was named to the Sac State Invitational All-Tournament team, collecting two double-doubles this weekend. On the season Douglas is averaging 2.50 kpg, .29 apg, 2.21 dpg and .67 bpg. She has had
double-figure kills in half of the Broncos matches this year.
Below Douglas talks about her favorite play on the court, why she came to Santa Clara and how much fun it is to be on a team with five other freshmen.
SCU: What are you looking forward to about the tournament this weekend?
KD: I'm really excited to play the teams that are ranked. Both the teams we are playing should be a challenge for us. And I know we played Utah last year and it didn't go so well, so we are really excited to get
the opportunity to play them again.
My mom, dad and sister, and I think my grand-parents, cousins, aunts and uncles are coming this weekend. And actually a lot of my friends from high school who play volleyball want to come, so I'm really excited. I
just wish there were more students around at Santa Clara to come.
They are going to be a really exciting matches! It gets really intense when it gets close and everyone is really competitive and it's fun to watch good players. You're close to the action as a spectator so I hope we
have a lot of fans - including any students on campus.
SCU: What's been the best part so far of playing college volleyball?
KD: Definitely going to Hawaii was really fun. It was a great way to start as a freshman, and there were huge crowds against Hawaii-I don't know if I'll ever play in front of that big of a crowd again, but that was really
fun.
SCU: Why did you choose Santa Clara?
KD: I liked the team and I felt so comfortable here. Every time I came to campus, it just felt like the right place. I thought about other schools, it just felt so right every time I came here, and I just love the coaches
and the team.
It was a very hard decision. I knew I didn't want to leave Northern California, which narrowed it down, but it came down to Cal, Santa Clara and Stanford-I thought sometimes "you like Cal", but every time I came to
visit Santa Clara, it was just perfect. The campus is beautiful here and the people are so nice.
SCU: Have things gone like you expected they would go since you've come to college?
KD: I would say so far it's better than I expected. There's nothing I don't like so far-everything has been great. It's been really fun.
SCU: How has the freshman class adapted?
KD: I absolutely love our freshman class. I think that's a huge part of why it's so much fun here. It's fun to be around a group of six, and we always hang together, so it's really fun.
SCU: Your first collegiate match was against No. 9 UCLA at Hawaii. How did you feel before the match? A few pre-game jitters?
KD: At the beginning it was really overwhelming. It was a big crowd to start off to in Hawaii, and being a freshman, it was my first match. But after a few points I got used to it, but it felt like everyone was a little
uncomfortable with our first game. So, I was nervous, but after we played against Hawaii and Western Michigan, I felt like we really came together as a team and it was fun.
SCU: You played in front of more than 6,000 fans at No. 7 Hawaii the next night.
KD: The entire match was very intense. The feeling on our side of the court was great-you could tell everyone wanted to win so badly and it was just so competitive, which was great. We lost the match 3-1 to
Hawaii, but we learned a lot about ourselves.
SCU: Is it more fun to play against someone who's going to challenge you, or is it more fun to just knock down kills left and right?
KD: Both are fun, but I would say that playing against someone who is a challenge is much more fun.
SCU: Talk a little about the Western Michigan match in Hawaii. They went to Sweet 16 last season and returned a very experienced team.
KD: That match was a little up and down. They would win 25-18 and then we would win 25-18, but before our fifth game - Dustin Moore gave us a great speech at the beginning and we came out and did our thing.
Before the fifth game, Dustin told us that the freshmen don't know the Broncos history and how they always win, and that they've never lost a fifth game. He was full of fire, but it got us all so pumped up, so it helped a
lot.
SCU: You played another fifth game at Sac State this past weekend, and they actually served to win the match three times. What was the energy like on the court then?
KD: Similar to Hawaii. It was really intense and we all wanted to win, and Dustin gave us another speech that got us really fired up, so it was really fun.
SCU: You will have played 12 matches before your first day of college because Santa Clara is on quarters (school starts Sept. 21). How is that to adjust to?
KD: Honestly, I think this is the best way to go because you have a certain amount of time to adjust to volleyball and school and get used to your surroundings before even starting school-you can just focus on
volleyball, which is great.
I think classes are going to be really challenging and hard; and I have to time-manage everything.
SCU: What's one thing that when you came to college, you said "I want to make sure I do that this year"?
KD: I want to go to the NCAA Tournament, of course!
SCU: What's your favorite play in volleyball?
KD: I play outside left. I really like to hit the 2. I have a lot better vision when I'm coming from the middle, so I like that.
SCU: What's something you don't like to do on the volleyball court?
KD: That's hard - I love playing volleyball. My least favorite part is probably serving. We do a lot of serving in practice and I think it's a good thing-it's the only way to get better.
SCU: Who is your favorite volleyball player all-time?
KD: I really like Kerri Walsh. I met her once - actually at the airport. We took pictures-I was with Tareh Murrey (Cal volleyball player). We were just freaking out!
SCU: Thanks so much for taking the time to meet with us! Go Broncos!
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (www.BigSouthSports.com) – UNC Asheville’s Lauren Ficker has been named the Big South Conference Choice Hotels Player of the Week in volleyball, while Desiree Aramburu from Radford was tabbed the Freshman of the Week. Asheville’s Raquel Miotto picked up Defensive Player of the Week honors for matches played Aug. 31-Sept. 6, the League announced today.
Ficker, a senior from Hendersonville, N.C., posted 46 kills, 3.54 kills per set and a .394 attack percentage en route to Tournament MVP at the USC Upstate Tournament over the weekend. After registering six kills, two blocks and one dig against Western Carolina on Sept. 2, the middle blocker returned to the court to tally 14 kills, two aces and four digs to lead Asheville to a 3-1 win over N.C. State on Sept. 4 in the first match of the USC Upstate tournament. The next day against The Citadel, Ficker put down 14 kills, a .423 kill percentage and came up with three digs and two blocks to lead the Bulldogs to a 3-0 win. She closed the weekend out with 12 kills and a .478 percentage at the net, with four digs and two blocks in Asheville’s 3-0 win over the Spartans. Ficker scored 51 points in the four-match span, averaging 3.92 points per set.
Aramburu, a setter from Chicago, Ill., was named MVP of the Radford Tournament after posting 91 assists, 9.10 assists per game, 15 kills, 20 digs and five blocks in leading her Highlanders to a 3-0 record in the tournament. She got her weekend started with 26 assists, five kills, three digs and one block as Radford downed Coppin State, 3-0 on Sept. 4. The next day against South Carolina State, Aramburu posted 27 assists, six kills, 10 digs and two blocks in Radford’s 3-0 shutout against the Bulldogs. In the closing match of the tournament against Bradley, Aramburu dished out 38 helpers, put down four kills and came up with seven digs and two blocks to lead the Highlanders to the 3-1 win. She also posted a .667 hitting percentage in the three-match span.
Miotto, a senior from Sau Paulo, Brazil, posted four-straight double-digit dig matches in helping the Bulldogs to a 4-0 record and the title at the USC Upstate Tournament. She kicked off her week with 17 digs and three aces against Western Carolina and followed with 24 digs and four aces against N.C. State. Against The Citadel, Miotto posted 19 digs and she closed out her weekend with 16 digs and two aces against USC Upstate. She averaged 5.85 digs per set in the four-match span.
Also nominated for volleyball Player of the Week for Week 2: Amanda Hill (Charleston Southern), Chelsea Kimes (Coastal Carolina), Regina Feagin (Gardner-Webb), Holly Fong (High Point), Chelaine McCarty (Liberty), Lisa Shelley (Presbyterian), Desiree Aramburu (Radford) and Kelly Taylor (Winthrop).
Also nominated for volleyball Freshman of the Week for Week 2: Michaela Luna (Charleston Southern), Sierra Livesay (Coastal Carolina), Molly Rhyne (Gardner-Webb), Molly Barlow(High Point), Loren Thomas (Liberty), Presley Mabrey (Presbyterian), Holly Shelton (UNC Asheville) and Baylee Strachan (Winthrop).
Also nominated for volleyball Defensive Player of the Week for Week 2: Tricia Rodl (Charleston Southern), Jill Nyhof (Coastal Carolina), Julie Hershkowitz (High Point), Courtney Cooper(Liberty), Elizabeth Heineman (Presbyterian) and Katelyn Meeks (Radford).
BATON ROUGE The LSU gymnastics and volleyball teams volunteered at the annual Muscular Dystrophy Association of Greater Baton Rouge telethon Monday by answering phones to take donations at the Hilton Capitol Center.
Both teams answered phones from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. to help raise funds for the telethon.
This is something that the local MDA group asks us to do every year, gymnastics coach D-D Breaux said. The kids and I are always excited to help them. Its the first team-building experience we have each season, and its great that the team can come together to donate time and effort to the cause.
It feels great to be here answering phones and helping out, gymnast Susan Jackson said. Were really excited to be here and give back to the community, especially for this cause because it is such a terrible disease, so all the money we can help raise for research is something were very glad to be a part of.
LSU volleyball (4-2) swept Louisiana-Lafayette and Tulane after going the distance against 2008 Final Four participant and No. 6 Nebraska at the Tiger Classic last weekend. The team was extremely happy to take time out before its afternoon practice to volunteer at the telethon.
This was a great chance for our team to make a difference and give back to the community, middle blocker Tania Schatow said. Were thrilled about how much money was contributed in the time that we were there.
Tiger volleyball returns to action against Tulane, Long Beach State and New Orleans at the Allstate Sugar Bowl Classic hosted by Tulane this weekend. The gymnastics team continues individual workouts Tuesday.
Chelsea Goodman was in Puerto Rico not only to play professional volleyball, but to have the experience of a lifetime.
In the past few years the BYU women’s volleyball team has graduated many stellar student-athletes, some of which have been able to play professionally in other countries.
Three-time All-Mountain West Conference selection and 2007 graduate, Erica Lott, is in Germany while AVCA All-America honorable mention honoree, Rachel Dyer, competes in Spain and AVCA All-Region player, Lauren Richards Evans is in Austria, all representing their Alma Mater while playing professional volleyball.
Also the first Cougar to be named an All-American since 2000, Chelsea Goodman, had the opportunity to play professionally in Puerto Rico.
Goodman finished playing at BYU in 2007 and was asked to stay as an assistant coach to the then first-year BYU head coach, Shay Goulding. After coaching the 2008 season at BYU, Goodman accepted to play professional volleyball in Puerto Rico, arriving in January of 2009.
She ended up playing for about three months in Puerto Rico’s professional league, traveling around the island to different matches, but never expected what was right around the corner that she would later describe as the greatest thing she has ever done in her life.
“It was awesome playing professional volleyball,” said Goodman. “It was very different from collegiate volleyball. It is a business down there – it is a professional sport. It was awesome in the sense that it was my job and I love playing volleyball.”
When asked if she would ever do it again, she expressed that she wouldn’t because her body hurts.
“But if you were to ask me before, I would absolutely say yes,” said Goodman. “It was a great experience and I wouldn’t trade it, but I am now ready to retire.”
Goodman realized while in Puerto Rico that not only does she love volleyball, but she loves BYU volleyball.
“There is nothing like it,” said Goodman. “You’re not going to get the relationships that you get here, you’re not going to get the loving coaches, the BYU environment, you’re not going to get the trainers, etc.”
However, the one thing that Goodman didn’t expect to happen when she packed up and moved to a foreign country to play professional volleyball, was ending up serving a full-time two-month mini mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
When she first got down to Puerto Rico at the beginning of January she started volunteering in the mission office because she didn’t have practice until 5 p.m.
“I got to know the mission president down there really well,” said Goodman. “I started to become better friends with the his family and would hang out at their house. I just started talking to him about different things going on in my life and he talked to me about serving a mini-mission.”
A mini-mission is when one serves as a full-time missionary would, the time commitment being whatever you choose – a day, a week, a couple of weeks or even a couple of months.
“Push came to shove and I decided to finish up volleyball a month and a half early in order to start my mini-mission,” said Goodman. “It was definitely the best thing that I have ever done in my entire life.”
Goodman was able to serve in two different areas with three different companions, teaching the people of Puerto Rico about her religion in the Spanish language.
When asked how she learned Spanish so quickly, she expressed how she was very blessed with being able to talk and to be understood, but it wasn’t easy.
“My first week I was with two other girls, and then I got a companion from Provo, Utah who helped me so much,” said Goodman. “There were daily tears and me saying, ‘I can’t do this!’ But day by day, prayer by prayer, I was able to teach and understand and I got better and better. I saw miracles not only in myself, but in other people.”
To Goodman, the best part of serving a mission was being able to go up to any stranger and strike up a conversation with them, telling them about the best thing in her life, the gospel of Jesus Christ.
“I know that I was led to some people that I needed to meet and talk to while serving my mission,” said Goodman. “I know that when I was in third grade I was prompted to play volleyball instead of basketball so I could eventually play for BYU and play professionally in Puerto Rico so I could serve this mission.”
Goodman returned to the states in May when she accepted her first teaching job at Spanish Fork Junior High teaching Health. In addition to teaching she will continue coaching volleyball, but on the high school level at Payson High School in Payson, Utah.
“I love the relationships that I am able to build on the volleyball court as a coach and I love being in the classroom,” said Goodman. “I love teaching because the hours are good and I love coaching high school because it keeps me in contact with volleyball.”
BATON ROUGE – LSU volleyball has dominated the SEC Western Division by racking up four consecutive division championships. The Tigers are 28-2 against its fellow division foes since 2006, including 20 straight wins.
LSU also has accumulated four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances and posted an impressive 90-31 record during its four-year run. The Tigers .743 winning percentage ranks 14th nationally. With a core of seasoned veterans and a crop of talented newcomers, LSU is more than capable of building on its championship tradition during the 2009 season.
Last in a four-part series previewing the upcoming season breaks down what LSU fans can expect from the Tiger middle blockers this fall.
LSU returns three of its strongest weapons in Brittnee Cooper, Lauren DeGirolamo and Michele Williams. Cooper and DeGirolamo earned AVCA All-America Honorable Mention accolades in 2007 and 2008, respectively.
Cooper has spent the offseason in each of the last two seasons training with the U.S. National A2 Team. She won medals on both occasions and returns as one of the most-respected players in the SEC. The Houston native popped 302 kills on a .336 hitting percentage and paced the league averaging 1.21 blocks per set in 2008.
DeGirolamo’s 2008 season was cut short due to injury, but she will rely on her proven ability to hit and block consistently to bounce back this season. She slapped 430 kills on a .332 hitting percentage to go along with 1.51 blocks per set in 2007.
Williams, a unanimous pick to the SEC All-Freshman Team in 2008, knocked 162 of her 191 kills in SEC action registering a .302 hitting percentage and will be looked upon to reach even greater heights in her sophomore campaign.
“We’ve made being an extremely disciplined blocking team one of areas of emphases during the spring and something that we will continue to fine tune in the fall,” head coach Fran Flory said. “With Brittnee, Lauren and Michele, this portion of the game can be dominating for us. Both players have the capable of taking over matches and controlling the match from the net.”
Additionally, Tania Schatow is a physical blocker that continues to build her game and will battle for playing time in the middle. She notched 48 blocks over 23 matches last season.
Ally Judkins, a 2008 TSWA All-State First-Team pick in Texas, enters LSU as one of PrepVolleyball.com’s Class of 2009 Top 50 recruits. She brings a strong swing and notable blocking ability that will be an asset at the net for the Tigers.
LSU opens the 2009 season this weekend at the Shamrock Invitational. The Tigers square off against No. 5 Stanford, Denver and host Notre Dame. Live stats for all three matches will be available on LSUsports.net
The Fall Sports Pass which costs $50 for adults, $25 for youth is now on-sale at www.LSUsports.net, the official Web site of LSU Athletics. Tickets also can be purchased at the ticket office or by calling (225) 578-2184 or (800) 960-8587. LSU students, faculty and staff are admitted free with a LSU ID.
The pass features 21 action packed events and results in a 66 percent savings off regular season ticket prices between the volleyball and soccer programs. Fans who purchase a Fall Sports Pass receive an LSU T-Shirt, Visor and Frisbee.
Four-sport athlete is SWAC's Student Athlete Advisory Committee rep
"I am looking forward to serving as a student-athlete representative on the CWA," Carroll said. "I am excited about the opportunity to give my input on issues that affect women's athletics. We have made progress toward achieving gender equity and complying with Title IX in athletics, but there is still work to be done. One of the more exciting topics I will get to deal with is whether Sand Volleyball should stay on the list as an emerging sport. Overall I am looking forward to a productive year on the CWA."
ARLINGTON, Texas – It was just over a year ago, the Mavericks were off to a 3-4 start with a young team (eight freshmen) and hosted undefeated TCU for their 2008 home opener at Texas Hall.
The crowd was a season best – 842 fans – with some in attendance saying it was the most fans they had seen at Texas Hall for a volleyball match in years.
UT Arlington dominated the first set with a 25-16 victory before the Horned Frogs evened the match with a second-set win.
Then, in the third set, UT Arlington’s season took a devastating blow when starting right-side hitter Bianca Sauls went down with an injury that placed her on the sidelines for the next eight weeks, forcing her to miss 18 matches.
“Obviously it was a big blow to us,” UT Arlington head coach Diane Seymour said about Sauls’ injury. “At the time Bianca was leading us in a lot of categories and was coming off being named all-tournament in a couple non-conference tournaments.”
Entering the match against TCU on Sept. 10, which the Mavericks ended up dropping in five sets, Sauls was leading the team in kills (64), kills per set (2.56), hitting percentage (.319), aces (4) and was second in digs (45).
“To have Bianca go down in that match against TCU when conference was two weeks from starting was a big blow to a young team at the time,” Seymour said. “Bianca was our most experienced player on the court.”
UT Arlington went 3-15 without Sauls in the lineup. They finished their non-conference slate with a 1-5 record before dropping 10 of 12 to start Southland Conference competition.
The injury Sauls suffered was an avulsion of the rectus femoris (muscle attached to the bone was partially torn off) of the upper quad-hip flexor.
“We were battling it out with TCU and I just remember one of their players hit the ball and it deflected off our blocker’s hand,” Sauls said of the play she was injured. “I thought the ball was going one way but it didn’t, and I went the other way, and I just felt a rip in my right hip area.”
Sauls made a perfect pass on the play but the damage had been done. The next play a ball was hit in her direction and when she tried to move she landed on the floor in pain and didn’t return to the court.
“Right away I was just worried that I wouldn’t get to play for a long time because I knew I was hurt,” Sauls said.
Sauls’ departure from the Mavericks’ lineup was felt immediately as the team suffered four, three-set sweeps in their next eight matches.
“I think it was tough for Bianca to sit there and watch such a young team struggle,” Seymour said. “We would talk at practices and during match-play about how she was learning from watching, but it was a struggle because she knew she could go out there and help our young kids out.”
After Sauls started the season at the right-side in the first eight matches, Seymour tried different combinations with five different players starting matches at the right side position the remainder of the season.
“It was frustrating to see the young girls struggle while I was out of the lineup,” Sauls said. “I really wanted to be out there helping them. I just knew that when I was able to get back onto the floor I wanted to help our team be more consistent and go out there and do my job.”
Sauls made her return to the floor in the Mavericks’ match against Sam Houston State in Huntsville on Nov. 7. Seymour would not start Sauls the rest of the season and used her sparingly to make sure her progress wouldn’t be set back with only a few matches remaining in the season.
Having Sauls back on the court –even though she wasn’t completely at full strength – was still noticeable based on the performance of the team.
While Sauls was out of the lineup the Mavericks were averaging 10.3 kills per set and hit a combined .144 as a team while setter Raegan Daniel averaged 7.8 assists per set.
In matches that Sauls did play, the Mavericks recorded 11.1 kills per set, hit .209 as a team and Daniel averaged 8.7 assists per set.
“She worked very hard at her rehab to be able to return at the end of last season,” Seymour said. “When she came back those last few matches we started to settle in.”
With the regular season ending after a four-set loss to UTSA on Nov. 15, Sauls had over two months to prepare for the start of spring practice.
“It was about two weeks into spring practice where I could tell I was at full strength again,” Sauls said. “I was able to go out there and not worry at all about my hip and just go play.”
Seymour feels good about Sauls’ rehab and is ready for her to be at 100 percent again for the upcoming season.
“We have monitored her and the injury closely since the spring,” Seymour said. “She knows what it feels like when her hip gets tired or if we need to worry about it. She has showed no signs of it bothering her during two-a-days, which is a good sign, because two-a-days are a very rough time for kids physically.”
Sauls, who enters her junior season, will now have the ability to lead a young Mavericks squad that features just one senior (Teena Sobczak) along with three freshmen and six sophomores.
“I know our kids are looking forward to playing with her,” Seymour said. “I expect for her to put up some good numbers – like she did at the start of last season – and emerge as one of our team leaders.”
“I think I can be a leader on this team by pushing my teammates on the court and trying to help make them better players,” Sauls said. “I have a lot of fire that I think will help get our team going this season.”
Sauls and the Mavericks have a week of two-a-day practices under their belts and will have one more week of two-a-days before the start of the UT Arlington fall semester that begins on Monday, August 24.
Hudson selected to repeat as an all-conference performer
FORT WORTH, Texas – The TCU volleyball team was selected to finish 5th in the Mountain West this season in a vote conducted by a voting panel of head coaches and selected media.. In addition, two Horned Frogs earned preseason recognition on the all-conference team. Christy Hudson was selected to repeat while Katelyn Blackwood was named the preseason Libero of the Year.
Hudson earned all-conference accolades in 2008 after leading the team in hitting percentage (.353) and ranked third on the squad averaging 2.25 kills per set. Blackwood ranked third in the league with an average of 3.97 digs per set.
Defending volleyball league champion Utah is the favorite to win the 2009 MWC regular season title. The Utes collected eight first-place votes and 138 total points. Colorado State was a close second with 135 points and four first-place votes, while New Mexico (three first-place votes) was picked third, totaling 112 points.
BYU collected 96 points and two first-place nods for fourth place in the poll, while TCU (89 points) and UNLV (87 points) claimed fifth and sixth place, respectively, followed by San Diego State (seventh, 53 points), Wyoming (eighth, 38 points) and Air Force (ninth, 17 points).
TULANE VOLLEYBALL ADDS JUCO TRANSFER HANAH RASMUSSEN
Former Missouri State-West Plains standout to sit out 2009 season, suit up in 2010
NEW ORLEANS – The Tulane University volleyball team added a player for the future as former junior college standout Hanah Rasmussen joined the Green Wave program, first-year head coach Sinisa Momic announced Thursday.
A native of Omaha, Neb., Rasmussen comes to Tulane following a year at Missouri State-West Plains where she helped the Grizzlies finish ranked seventh in final NJCAA Poll last season. She will have to sit out the 2009 season but will suit up for the Wave in 2010 with two years of eligibility remaining.
“It’s a good thing that she’s here,” Momic said. “We had 11 people so she gives us that 12th player to scrimmage in practice. It would be great to have even more, but we’ll have the coaches playing with us so we’ll be competitive in our scrimmages. The good thing about Hanah is she already has experience playing at the college level.
“She’s a bit rusty now but she’s going to be able to train with us for a year before she plays. She has experience. She will be polished here, she will be ready for next year and we expect her to be our starting libero. She has the tools now, but we’re going to work on changing some technical things that she could do better. Overall, she’s going to help us this year and develop.”
Rasmussen originally signed to play at Division II Montana State-Billings before transferring to MSU-WP where she lined up primarily at libero for coach Trish Kissar-Knight. She helped guide the Grizzlies to a 34-13 overall record, finis 2-2 in the NJCAA Region 16 Tournament and go 2-2 in the NJCAA Division I National Tournament to finish seventh in the 16-team field in Council Bluffs, Iowa.
In her lone junior college season, Rasmussen finished sixth on the team in with 232 digs, a 1.63 digs-per-set average and 13 service aces.
As a prepster, Rasmussen played three seasons at Millard West High School before starring her final season at Millard North High for coach Dave Cork. She helped the Mustangs go 33-3 in 2007, earn a trip to the state semi-finals and finish the year ranked third in the state. That year, Rasmussen posted 134 digs and 49 aces, and graduated at the conclusion of the fall semester.
In addition, Rasmussen played six seasons of club volleyball: one each for Nebraska Impact and Omaha Wave before the starring for four seasons with Nebraska Elite for coaches Troy Gilb and Kael Busing. During her club career, Rasmussen helped her teams post three Top 10 finishes in the Junior Olympics and five Top 10 finishes in National Qualifiers.
“She’s already played at a high level,” Momic said. “She played with good players, she had some international players on her (junior college) team and she played for a very good coach. Basically, this beats having a freshman libero that you have to put on the spot as a true freshman. I think this will work out for us and for her.”
Season tickets for the 2009 Tulane volleyball season are currently on sale through the Tulane Athletics Ticket Office at a cost of $55 for adults and $35 for youths. In addition, all Tulane faculty and staff may purchase tickets for half price.
Tickets may be purchase in person on the first floor of the James W. Wilson, Jr., Center, over the phone at (504) 861-WAVE (9283), or online atwww.TulaneGreenWave.com. Single-match tickets will go on sale beginning Aug. 24 at a cost of $6 for adults and $4 for youths. The Tulane Athletics Ticket Office also offers a five-match pack for $20, and each fan can pick any five matches they wish to attend. In addition, single-match tickets can also be purchase on the date of competition at Fogelman Arena.
QUOTES FOLLOWING THE ADDITION OF HANAH RASMUSSEN
HEAD COACH SINISA MOMIC
On the addition of Hanah Rasmussen
“It’s a good thing that she’s here. We had 11 people so she gives us that 12thplayer to scrimmage in practice. It would be great to have even more, but we’ll have the coaches playing with us so we’ll be competitive in our scrimmages. The good thing about Hanah is she already has experience playing at the college level. She’s a bit rusty now but she’s going to be able to train with us for a year before she plays. She has experience. She will be polished here and she will be ready for next year and we expect her to be our starting libero. She has the tools now, but we’re going to work on changing some technical things that she could do better. Overall, she’s going to help us this year and develop.”
On how the team learned of Rasmussen
“She sent us a video and we liked what we saw. We liked the fact that she has experience, and that’s better than going out and getting a freshman libero. I like the fact that she can be here for a year before she starts playing. I guarantee that she will be ready and she’ll have two more years to play for us.”
On the fact that she played for a good junior college program
“She’s already played at a high level. She played with good players, she had some international players on her team and she played for a very good coach. Basically, this beats having a freshman libero that you have to put on the spot as a freshman. She has to hold down our passing unit. I think this will work out for us and for her.”
SOPHOMORE LIBERO HANAH RASMUSSEN
On what attracted her to Tulane
“It was a really good balance of academics, a really valuable degree and a very good volleyball program. There were a couple of other schools that I looked at, mostly in Texas, and I even considered not even playing volleyball anymore, but that would have been too hard for me.”
On if she considers her route to being on the Green Wave team a unique one
“It really has been. It’s kind of been like someone out there has a bigger plan for me. There have been times when I felt like I have no idea what is going on. I feel a lot more stable now and someone has a plan for me. I’ve very excited to be here.”
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