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Volleyball Video: Morehead State University Volleyball Senior and OVC Player of the Year Ellie Roberson

Volleyball Video: Morehead State University Volleyball Senior and OVC Player of the Year Ellie Roberson 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Ivy, Arneson Named Southland Volleyball Players of the Week #collegevolleyball

Ivy, Arneson Named Southland Volleyball Players of the Week

Ladyjacks earn offensive honors for second consecutive week while Arneson gets defensive nod for second time

 

FRISCO, Texas – Stephen F. Austin sophomore Jill Ivy earned the Offensive Player of the Week award while Northwestern State’s Keelie Arneson earned Defensive Player of the Week honors, following the conclusion of week five, the league announced Monday.

 

Offensive Player of the Week – Jill Ivy- Stephen F. Austin

The Ladyjacks got a great week from Jill Ivy, who led SFA to a trio of wins and helped them maintain its status as the lone Southland Conference team with an unscathed record. The sophomore averaged 3.92 kills per set for the week, hitting at a .326 clip to up her season average to 3.11 kills per set for the year. She opened the week with an 18-kill, two-block outing in a five-set win over Sam Houston State. Ivy then followed that up by hitting .333 with 10 kills and five blocks in a sweep of McNeese State. She then closed out the week with a 19-kill, five-block match in a four-set win over Lamar, hitting .375 in the process. 

 

Honorable Mention:  Jessica Hays, Central Arkansas; Caiti O’Connell, Northwestern State; Sheina Fernandes, Oral Roberts

 

Defensive Player of the Week – Keelie Arneson, Northwestern State

Keelie Arneson was tabbed as the Defensive Player of the Week for the second time (9/10) in the 2012 season. The sophomore from Tomball, Texas played in all 12 sets over the week and chipped in with four aces and 13 assists as the Lady Demon’s have won five in a row. Arneson had a great week defensively, digging up 29 balls in NSU’s five-set win over Lamar and 23 while defeating of AMCC.

 

Honorable Mention: Shelbee Berringer, Central Arkansas; Bruna Silva, Oral Roberts; Sabrina Burns, Stephen F. Austin

 

Each school’s sports information director nominates and votes for the players of the week, though is not permitted to vote for his or her own player. To receive honorable mention, a player must receive votes from 25 percent of the Southland sports information directors.

 

 

#SouthlandStrong

 

Iowa State Female Volleyball Players Bigbee, Hahn Earn Conference Honors #collegevolleyball

Iowa State Female Volleyball Players Bigbee, Hahn Earn Conference Honors

 

AMES, Iowa – For the second-straight week, Iowa State volleyball players have earned recognition from the Big 12 conference. Freshman right side Mackenzie Bigbee earned her first career nod as the Big 12 Rookie of the week and junior libero Kristen Hahn repeated as the top defensive player for the second-consecutive week and for the sixth time in her career.

 

Bigbee smashed 18 kills (4.50 kills per set) on .424 hitting last weekend as the No. 19 Cyclones (7-4, 1-0 Big 12) opened their conference schedule with a four set win over Baylor. Bigbee’s 18 kills are the most for a conference player during league play this season and her 18.5 points in the win are tied for first in the league. Overall, Bigbee is ranked seventh in the league with 3.37 kills per set, one of two freshmen on the top-10 kills list this season, and she is the only freshman in the top-10 in points, with an average of 3.57 per set, ranked eighth.

 

After one full week of conference play, Bigbee is the only freshman in the top-10 in kills per set ranked second, and is one of two freshmen in the top-10 in points per set, with a 4.62 average. In 10 matches played this season, the Williamsburg, Iowa native has double-digit kills in nine matches, including a Big 12-best 25 kills at No. 19 Illinois earlier this season.

 

Continuing where she left off against Nebraska, Hahn collected 25 digs, the most for a conference player during league play this season. In the early Big 12 season, Hahn’s average of 6.25 digs per set against the Bears puts her atop the league rankings, with no other player averaging better than 4.80 digs per set.

 

The performance against Baylor was Hahn’s second-straight with at least 25 digs, after the junior posted 26 digs in Iowa State’s upset of the then-No. 1 Huskers two weeks ago. On the year, Hahn has six matches of at least 20 digs and is third in the league with 4.78 digs per set. She is also one of only two players in the Big 12 ranked in the top-10 in both digs per set and aces per set (10^th in aces, 0.29 per set).

 

Texas’ Haley Eckerman was the third league player honored, earning top offensive marks.

 

Bigbee, Hahn and the No. 19 Cyclones play in their first conference road match this week, heading to Lawrence, Kan. to play the Jayhawks (13-2, 1-0 Big 12). First serve is set for 6:30 p.m. CDT and the match will be broadcast on Metro Sports in the Kansas City area.

 

 

 

 

Dayton's Campbell Named Atlantic 10 Offensive Volleyball Player of the Week #collegevolleyball

Dayton's Campbell Named Atlantic 10 Offensive Volleyball Player of the Week

 

NEWPORT NEWS, VA. - The Atlantic 10 Conference announced their women's volleyball Players of the Week Monday and recognized University of Dayton junior Megan Campbell as the Offensive Player of the Week.

Campbell led the No. 22 Flyers to a pair of wins to open up Atlantic 10 play as Dayton defeated Butler and Saint Louis this past weekend. The junior from Versailles, Ohio hit an outstanding .635 attack percentage, while averaging 3.86 kills per set. Campbell totaled 16 kills on 22 attempts against Butler with two service aces, three blocks, and a .682 hitting percentage. She followed that up with an 11-kill, .558-percentage performance against Saint Louis Saturday.Campbell has played a big role in Dayton’s success this season.

Duquesne had two players honored as Patti Abshire was named Defensive Player of the Week and Mary Henry was named Rookie of the Week.

Joining Rachel Krabacher and Janna Krafka as a 2012 A-10 Player of the Week, Campbell has picked up her first nod of the season. Dayton stayed in the AVCA Coaches Poll this week at No. 22 with a 10-4 overall record and 2-0 conference mark.

The Flyers will continue league action this weekend as they head to Philadelphi, Pa. Dayton will take on La Salle at 7 p.m. ET on Friday, Sept. 28. The next night the Flyers will face Temple, also at 7 p.m. ET.

Horizon League Volleyball Players Koch, Groth Named Volleyball Players of the Week #collegevolleyball

Horizon League Volleyball Players Koch, Groth Named Volleyball Players of the Week

 

INDIANAPOLIS -- Cleveland State senior Kara Koch has been named Horizon League Volleyball Offensive Player of the Week, while Green Bay senior Brittany Groth has earned Defensive Player of the Week honors for the period of Sept. 17-23.

Koch, from West Salem, Ohio, earned her second Offensive Player of the Week nod of the season after recording two double-doubles last week for Cleveland State. She started the weekend with a 19-kill, 24-dig performance in CSU’s 3-1 win over Green Bay. She had 17 kills and 10 digs in the Vikings’ 3-0 win over Milwaukee on Saturday. Cleveland State’s win on Saturday night snapped the Panthers’ 26-match conference winning streak.

The Vikings (10-5, 2-0) are back in action this weekend when they host Loyola (9-6, 1-1) on Friday and UIC (8-8, 2-0) on Saturday.

Groth, from Oak Creek Wis., averaged 6.9 digs per set last weekend for Green Bay. She had 31 digs in the Phoenix’s four-set loss to Cleveland State on Friday and 31 digs in GB’s five-set win over Youngstown State on Saturday. For the season, Groth’s average of 5.96 digs per set leads the Horizon League and ranks third in NCAA Division I.

 

The Phoenix (8-6, 1-1) play one match this week, traveling south to Milwaukee to face the Panthers (6-9, 1-1) on Friday night.

Other Top Performers for the Week:

Anna Eytchison, Loyola (Sr., OH) - Eytchison had 41 kills (5.12 per set) as the Ramblers split their first two conference matches of the season. She had a career-high 28 kills, hitting at a .510 clip (28-3-49) in Loyola’s four-set win over Wright State. Her 28 kills are the third-most in school history in the rally scoring era and tops since the change to the current 25-point format.

Leah Van Zeeland, Green Bay (Jr., RS) - Van Zeeland had a season-high 18 kills and career-highs in digs (21) and blocks (8) in Green Bay’s 3-2 win over Youngstown State on Saturday. She had 15 kills and 16 digs against Cleveland State on Friday.

 

MaryKate Imrie, UIC (Jr., S) - Imrie had two double-doubles last week in helping the Flames get off to a 2-0 conference start. She had 50 assists and 12 digs against Valparaiso and 55 assists and 15 digs versus Wright State.

Morgan Beil, Valparaiso (So., MH/RS) - Beil had a career-high 18 kills on a .417 hitting percentage in Valparaiso’s 3-1 win over Loyola on Saturday as the Crusaders evened their conference record at 1-1.

 

Jenna Cavanaugh, Youngstown State (Jr., MB) - Cavanaugh posted 25 kills and just three errors in 56 total attempts against Milwaukee and Green Bay last weekend. She had 19 kills against just two errors in 36 attempts (.472 hitting percentage) in YSU’s 3-2 loss to Green Bay on Saturday.

Julie Kolinske, Milwaukee (So., OH) - Kolinske averaged 4.57 kills and 3.43 digs in UWM’s first two League matches. She tallied 19 kills and 16 digs in UWM’s 3-1 win over Youngstown State on Friday. It was her 13th double-double of the season. She had 13 kills and eight digs in Milwaukee’s loss to Cleveland State on Saturday.

Maggie Strus, UIC (So., DS) - Strus averaged 5.88 digs per set in UIC”s two victories last week. She had a match-high 25 digs against Valparaiso and had 22 digs, also a match-high, versus Wright State.

 

Amanda Medvetz, Cleveland State (Sr., L) - Medvetz had 28 digs, her third 20+-dig match of the season, in the Vikings 3-1 at Green Bay. She had a team-leading 15 digs in CSU’s win over Milwaukee on Saturday.

 

Stephanie Kinane, Loyola (Fr., L) - Kinane averaged 5.38 digs per set for the Ramblers last weekend. She had 19 digs in Loyola’s win over Wright State and a match-high 24 digs in LU’s four-set loss to Valparaiso.

 

Ellen Vanden Berg, Valparaiso (Jr., MH) - Vanden Berg averaged more than a block a set this weekend for the Crusaders. She had seven blocks in four sets in Valpo’s win over Loyola on Saturday. She also posted 12 kills on a .417 hitting percentage against the Ramblers.

Alexis Egler, Youngstown State (So., OH) - Egler averaged a team-best 4.0 digs per set in Penguins’ two matches last week. She posted 14 digs at UWM and a career-best 22 digs at Green Bay. She also had 15 kills against the Phoenix on Saturday.

 

Pac-12 Announces Volleyball Players of the Week #collegevolleyball

Pac-12 Announces Volleyball Players of the Week

Oregon’s Plum Selected Offensive Player of the Week

Stanford’s Burgess Named Defensive Player of the Week and Freshman of the Week

 

WALNUT CREEK, Calif. -- The Pac-12 Conference office announced today the Pac-12 Volleyball Players of the Week for the week of Sept. 17-Sept. 24. OREGON’s Lauren Plum was voted Offensive Player of the Week, while STANFORD’s Jordan Burgess was selected Defensive Player of the Week, as well as the Conference’s Freshman of the Week.

 

Under the direction of junior setter Lauren Plum (Poway, Calif.), OREGON took the Pac-12 lead in the standings, with two three-set victories over then-No. 2 USC and rival OREGON STATE. The Ducks are the first team this season to top .300 against the defending Pac-12 Champion Trojans, posting a .357 hitting mark, also snapping a 21-match losing streak to USC in Los Angeles. Likewise, UO’s .368 hitting percentage versus OSU was 63 points higher than the next-best Beaver opponent mark. Plum’s 48 and 46 assists were team season highs for three-set matches as she directed the balanced, fast-paced Duck attack that had four hitters with +10 kills and +.290 marks vs. OSU, while three hitters had +8 kills and topped .375 vs. USC. Her 15.67 assists weekend per set average easily topped her season average entering the week (12.55) that led the nation. Plum also became the third Duck setter to connect on 3,000 career assists, ending the week with 3,034.

 

STANFORD freshman outside hitter Jordan Burgess (Fort Meyers, Fla.) led the Cardinal to a sweep over California and a win at Utah in the first Pac-12 matches of her career. She averaged 4.57 kills, 4.29 digs, 0.86 blocks and 5.07 points per set in the two matches. Against Bay Area rival Cal, Burgess recorded a match-high 16 kills on 30 attempts with just two errors to hit .467. She also racked up 13 digs and five blocks to register her fourth double-double of the season. In Salt Lake City, she again led the team with 16 kills and 17 digs for her fifth double-double of the year against the Utes. For the season, Burgess is averaging more than 3.00 kills (3.05), digs (3.21) and points per set (3.51).

 

It is Plum’s third-career offensive player of the week honor and first this season. It is the Ducks’s 22nd all-time selection and second this year as senior outside hitter Alaina Bergsma was voted offensive player of the week earlier this season. It is Burgess’ first-career weekly honor and Stanford’s 80th all-time. Burgess is the second Cardinal this season to earn freshman of the week nods, after teammate Madi Bugg won the award on Sept. 10.

 

Weekly awards have been selected every week of the season since the Conference began sponsoring women’s volleyball in 1986. It is the second year the Pac-12 has announced an offensive, defensive and rookie honoree.

 

The Ducks remain at home this week, hosting Utah on Friday, Sept. 28 and Colorado on Saturday, Sept. 29. Stanford closes a three-match road swing, traveling to Arizona on Friday and Arizona State on Sunday.

 

Another nine Pac-12 volleyball matches will be televised on the Pac-12 Networks this week. With the Pac-12 schedule getting started last week, it begins to heat up this week. Highlighting the TV slate is WASHINGTON, which hosts UCLA on Wednesday and USC on Friday. All three teams were ranked in the top five in the nation last week.

 

For more information, including a full television schedule, visit www.pac-12.com.

 

Also Nominated:

OFFENSIVE: Madi Kingdon, ARIZ; Erica Wilson, ASU; Shannon Hawari, CAL; Alexis Austin, COLO; Inky Ajanaku, STAN; Rachael Kidder, UCLA; Katie Fuller, USC;  Morgan Odale, UTAH; Krista Vansant, WASH.

 

DEFENSIVE: Candace Nicholson, ARIZ; Allison Palmer, ASU; Haley Jacob, ORE; Bojana Todorovic, UCLA; Natalie Hagglund, USC; Shelby Dalton, UTAH; Jenna Orlandini, WASH.

 

FRESHMAN: Halli Amaro, ARIZ; Macey Gardner, ASU; Lara Vukasovic, CAL; Nicole Edelman, COLO; Clelia DeFelice, ORE; Becca Strehlow, UCLA; Samantha Bricio, USC; Katy Beals, WASH

 

 

2012 Pac-12 Women’s Volleyball Players of the Week

 

Offensive Defensive Freshman

Aug. 27 Alaina Bergsma, ORE  Arica Nassar, OSU Samantha Bricio, USC

Sept. 3 Krista Vansant, WASH  Karsta Lowe, UCLA Samantha Bricio, USC

Sept. 10 Camille Saxton, OSU  Becky Defoe, OSU Madi Bugg, STAN

Sept. 17 Arica Nassar, OSU  Marcelina Glab, WSU Macey Gardner, ASU

Sept. 24 Lauren Plum, ORE  Jordan Burgess, STAN  Jordan Burgess, STAN

 

 

- www.pac-12.com -

Serna named Big West Female Volleyball Player of the Week

Serna named Big West Female Volleyball Player of the Week 

 

LONG BEACH, Calif. – Sophomore middle blocker Alma Serna was named the Big West Player of the Week as announced by the conference office on Monday. Serna is the first 49er to win the weekly award this season.

 

                In the first week of conference play, Serna helped lead the 49ers to a 2-0 record as Long Beach State defeated both Cal Poly and UC Santa Barbara at home.

 

                On Friday against the Mustangs, Serna set a career high with 16 kills and tied her career best with six digs in a 3-1 victory. The next night against UCSB, she finished with a team-high 11 kills on .611 hitting, making no errors as the 49ers swept the Gauchos to remain unbeaten in Big West play.

 

                Over the week, Serna made just three errors in 47 attempts and hit .511 with 27 kills, leading the 49ers in kills during both of Long Beach State’s wins.

 

                The honor is the first of Serna’s career, and the first for Long Beach State volleyball this season.

 

LSU Volleyball Player Haley Smith Earns SEC Freshman of the Week Honors

LSU Volleyball Player Haley Smith Earns SEC Freshman of the Week Honors

 

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – LSU defensive specialist Haley Smith secured SEC Freshman of the Week accolades Monday as announced by the league office. For Smith, it’s her first career weekly award from the SEC.

 

“We are very proud of Haley and her ability to step into a vital role in our backcourt defense,” head coach Fran Flory said. “There’s a lot of pressure to perform at a high level, and she has done an amazing job of handling everything thrown her way. She is a testament to what hard work and dedication are all about.”

 

Smith racked up consecutive 18-dig performances as LSU split its matches versus 2011 NCAA Tournament foes in Kentucky and Missouri. It marked the first time in her career that she compiled double figure scoops. Smith also was a perfect 32-for-32 in her reception attempts on the weekend.

 

LSU (5-8, 1-3 SEC) returns to the road for a pair of SEC Western Division match-ups. The Tigers meet Mississippi State [Friday - 7 p.m.] before traveling to Arkansas [Sunday - 1 p.m.]. Both matches will have free live audio available in the Geaux Zone on LSUsports.net/live.

 

For all of the latest news and information on Tiger volleyball, visit www.lsusports.net/volleyball. Fans can also follow the program on its social media outlets at www.Facebook.com/lsuvolleyballalong with @lsuvolleyball and @lsucoachfran on Twitter.

 

Admission to all 2012 home matches is free compliments of the Advocate's "Geaux Free" program.

 

 

Butterfield, Shaw Sweep Mid American Conference Volleyball Player Of The Week Honors

Butterfield, Shaw Sweep Mid American Conference Volleyball Player Of The Week Honors

 

Cleveland, Ohio – Bowling Green junior outside hitter Lindsey Butterfield was named the Mid-American Conference East Division Offensive Player of the Week, while senior middle Leah Shaw was named MAC East Division Defensive Player of the Week. For each player it was the first time they were named a MAC Player of the Week in their careers.

 

Bowling Green got conference play started the right way this weekend as the Falcons swept MAC East favorite Ohio and then beat Kent State the next night without dropping a set. Butterfield and Shaw were integral to the team’s success in starting conference play 2-0.

 

Butterfield hit .360 with 21 kills in the two matches. In the win over Ohio, she helped the Falcons to a tight first-set victory, posting a kill with the score tied at 21-21 and then another with the Falcons clinging to a 23-22 lead. Butterfield ended with 10 kills and had a .450 attack percentage in that match.

 

She followed that up with 11 kills and a .300 attack percentage in the win over Kent State, adding two blocks. In MAC games only, she ranks third in the lead in attack percentage and eighth in kills.

 

Shaw was named Defensive Player of the Week on the strength of a career-high seven blocks against Kent State. She had all of those blocks in the first two sets, taking the Golden Flashes out of any offensive rhythm they tried to reach. In fact, Kent State hit -.028 in those opening two frames.

 

Shaw also had two blocks in the win over Ohio and added 17 kills on the weekend, finishing with at least eight in each match. In that close first set against Ohio, Shaw had the set-clinching kill with the Falcons holding to a 24-23 lead.

 

With the two victories, Bowling Green improved to 6-7 on the year and won its first two conference games for the first time since 2007. The Falcons will head on the road this weekend looking to extend their conference win streak, playing at Akron Friday night at 7 p.m. and at Buffalo Saturday night at 7 p.m.

Mid American Conference Volleyball Players of the Week

Mid American Conference Volleyball Players of the Week

ast Division Offensive Player of the Week

Lindsey Butterfield, Bowling Green, Jr., LS, Springfield, Ohio/Springfield

Lindsay Butterfield hit .360 with 21 kills as Bowling Green jumped out to a 2-0 start, including a three-set sweep of preseason East Division favorite Ohio, in conference play this weekend. Butterfield had 10 kills and hit .450 in the victory over Ohio and followed that up with 11 kills and a .300 attack percentage in a three-set sweep of Kent State. She added three blocks on the week as well.

 

East Division Defensive Player of the Week

Leah Shaw, Bowling Green, Sr., MB, Princeton, Ill./Princeton

Leah Shaw had nine blocks on the weekend, including a career-best seven against Kent State, as Bowling Green jumped out to a 2-0 start in MAC play. Shaw was dominant defensively against Kent State, posting all seven of her blocks, two of them solo, in the first two sets to take the Golden Flashes out of their offensive rhythm. Shaw added 17 kills on the weekend, posting at least eight in each match.

 

West Division Offensive Player of the Week

Kaitlyn McIntyre, Central Michigan, So., OH, Beaver Dam, Wis./Beaver Dam

Preseason All-MAC selection sophomore Kaitlyn McIntyre proved her selection in Central Michigan’s opening two matches of Mid-American Conference play Friday and Saturday, racking up 43 kills versus Northern Illinois and MAC favorite Western Michigan. After a 16-kill performance versus NIU in the MAC opener, McIntyre slammed home a career-high 27 kills to help the Chippewas defeat the preseason favorite Broncos, 3-1. After the Chippewas allowed the Broncos to even the match with a victory in set two, McIntyre put the team on her back and recorded nine kills in set three and eight kills in set four to seal the victory for the Chippewas. The sophomore averaged 5.38 kills per set with a hitting percentage of .323 on the weekend, while also finishing with two aces in each match. 

 

West Division Defensive Player of the Week

Jenna Coates, Central Michigan, Jr., L, Clarkston, Mich./Clarkston

Central Michigan junior Jenna Coates opened Mid-American Conference in a big way, recording 30-plus digs for the second time this season by recording 31 in the MAC opener versus Northern Illinois Friday night. Coates followed up her performance by out performing three-time MAC West Defensive Player of the Week Lena Oliver of Western Michigan in a match up of two of the top liberos in the conference. The junior finished with 16 digs versus the Broncos as the Chippewas’ defense held WMU to a .139 hitting percentage, including a .080 hitting percentage in set one and a .000 hitting percentage in set four, to earn the victory. Coates finished the weekend averaging 5.88 digs per set and upped her season average to 5.21 digs per set. She has now also held the match-high dig mark in 11 of the Chippewas’ 13 contests this season. 

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Additonal Nominees for Defensive Player of the Week

Jill Paluch, Akron, Jr., DS, Chicago, Ill./Nazareth Academy

The reigning MAC East Co-Defensive Player of the Week, Jill Paluch proved she was deserving of the award and then some in Akron’s first two conference matches of the season. The Zips swept Buffalo at home for the first time since the 2009 season, and Paluch kept the defense alive with her match-high 16 digs. She also recorded team-leading numbers with 13 digs at Ball State, fielding every ball that was served at her cleanly without posting an error in 29 attempts. Paluch has averaged over four digs per set every week so far this season.

 

Catie Fredrich, Ball State, Jr., L, Menomonee Falls, Wis./Menomonee Falls

Led the Ball State defense with a 4.43 digs-per-set average last week, while also posting a .970 reception percentage with just one reception error in 33 attempts. 

 

Sierra Reed, Eastern Michigan, Fr., L, Parker City, Ind./Wapahani

Freshman libero, Sierra Reed, posted double-figure digs in both matches against Mid-American Conference opponents this weekend. The freshman libero had just one reception error in 47 attempts earning a .979 reception percentage. The Parker City, Ind. native had 4.62 digs per sets over the weekend, with 20 digs in five sets against Western Michigan, Sept. 21, and 17 against Northern Illinois, Sept. 22.

 

Hannah Herc, Kent State, Jr., DS/L, Eden, N.Y./Eden

Kent State junior defensive specialist/libero Hannah Herc (Eden, N.Y.) tallied a team-high 38 digs and 4.75 digs per set as the Golden Flashes opened Mid-American Conference play over the weekend on the road. Herc posted a career-high 22 digs in a 3-2 comeback victory over Miami on Friday (Sept. 21), followed by a 16-dig performance in a 3-0 loss at Bowling Green on Saturday. On the season, she leads the Golden Flashes in digs (183), digs per set (3.73), and aces (14). Herc has tallied double-digit digs in four consecutive matches and eight of the last nine overall.

 

Madison Hardy, Miami, Jr., L, Louisville, Ky./Mercy Academy 

Hardy was very strong defensively for Miami this past weekend. She recorded 40 digs in two matches, 20 in each game. It was an average of 5.00 digs per set. She was targeted 52 times on serve in the two matches and had a perfect 1.000 reception percentage, making zero reception errors all weekend. She recorded three kills on the weekend, including twice sending the opponent’s serve right back across the net for a point.

 

Amber Walker, Northern Illinois, Sr., L, Juneau, Alaska/Juneau Douglas/Western Oregon

Has recorded 14 or more digs in seven of the last eight matches.  Has had only one reception error in the last seven matches (109 attempts).

 

Kelly Lamberti, Ohio, So., OH, Cary, Ill./Cary Grove

Lamberti averaged a double-double this week with 22 kills and 21 digs in conference matches against Bowling Green and Miami. The sophomore was also second on the team with seven blocks. After leading the squad in digs against BG, Lamberti led the squad with 17 kills while also notching nine digs and five blocks.

 

Brooke Frazer, Toledo, So., MB, Monroe, MI

Sophomore Brooke Frazer led the Rockets’ dominant defensive performance at the net this weekend with 1.57 blocks per set. UT averaged 3.71 blocks per set in its two matches vs. Ball State and Buffalo. Frazer tallied four rejections in three sets in addition to a .455 ATK% vs. the Cardinals and seven blocks along with eight kills in four sets against the Bulls. As a team, UT tallied 10 blocks at Ball State and a season-high 16 against Buffalo.

 

Lena Oliver, Western Michigan, Jr., L, Battle Creek, Mich. / St. Philip Catholic Central

Oliver earned a special place in the Broncos’ history books this past weekend, and led the team in digs over the weekend as they earned their first MAC win of the year over Eastern Michigan on Friday.  Oliver tied the match-high against the Eagles with 25 digs, which moved her past Katie Eberling for fourth place on the career digs list at Western Michigan.  Oliver would add 15 more digs on Saturday in the loss to Central Michigan, which put her over 1,600 digs for her career; Oliver is just the fourth player in program history to surpass 1,600 digs.  With 48 more digs, Oliver will move into second place, passing Katy Duffy and Allyson Doyle.

 

Additional Nominees for Offensive Player of the Week

Alex Cocklin, Akron, Jr., OH, Rochester, Mich./Marian High School

Alex Cocklin led an offense that was first in the MAC in hitting percentage heading into the week. She hit for a 2.57 kills per set average against Buffalo and Ball State, fueled by a .208 clip in Akron’s win over UB. Cocklin played an all-around solid match at BSU, finishing with 11 kills and just one dig shy of a double-double with nine digs. She also chipped in a pair of assists and had a hand in three of Akron’s 16 block-assists. The outside hitter’s 3.22 kills per set season average is the highest on the team.

 

Kara Bates, Ball State, Sr., OH, Bradley, Ill./Bradley Bourbonnais Community

Helped the Cardinals post a perfect 2-0 record last week and to first place in the MAC West Division as BSU claimed wins over Toledo and Akron. Turned in a dominating performance in the win over Toledo, racking up a match-best 19 kills and hitting .410 in a three set win. Also served up a dig and tallied a solo block in the contest.  Followed with another solid performance against Akron, with a match-high 14 kills and a .281 hitting mark. Also collected a season-high five blocks in the victory, including a pair of solo stuffs. Added 18 digs in the two matches for a 2.57 digs-per-set average.

 

Rachel Iaquaniello, Eastern Michigan, Sr., OH, Plymouth, Mich./Dearborn Divine Child

Senior outside hitter, Rachel Iaquaniello, led the Eagles offense over the last weekend notching 40 kills, averaging five kills per set. In both of Eastern’s matches over the weekend, Iaquaniello posted double-doubles with 26 kill, 14 dig and 14 kill, 11 dig performances in the opening weekend of conference play. In Eastern’s opening match of the 2012 Mid-American Conference schedule, the Plymouth, Mich. native posted 26 kills and a .314 attack percentage (26-4-70) against Western Michigan Friday, Sept. 21. Iaquaniello picked up 14 more kills in the Eagles’ three-set victory Saturday, Sept. 22, over Northern Illinois University. The senior hit at a .281 clip for the week, averaging just one attack error per set. 

 

Kathy Krupa, Kent State, So., MB, Burbank, Ill./ Reavis

Kent State senior middle blocker Katy Krupa (Burbank, Ill.) tallied team-bests with 19 kills, 2.38 kills per set, 3.31 points per set, and a .300 hitting percentage as the Golden Flashes went 1-1 over the weekend to open Mid-American Conference play. Krupa posted season-highs of 16 kills and a .582 hitting percentage, as well as a match-high three aces, to help the Golden Flashes defeat Miami, 3-2 (19-25, 25-23, 15-25, 25-13, 15-7), in their 2012 Mid-American Conference opener Friday (Sept. 21) in Oxford, Ohio. 

 

Christina Menche, Miami, Sr., MB/OH, Hamilton, Ohio/Hamilton

Menche set a new career high with 15 kills against Kent State on Friday. She did that on only 27 attempts with two errors for an impressive .481 hitting percentage. She also had six kills against Ohio for a total of 21 over the weekend. She recorded 2.62 kills per set and led the team by far with a .419 hitting percentage on the weekend. Menche had five block assists in two games, including four in three sets vs. Ohio. She scored 24.5 points this weekend.

 

MacKenzie Roddy, Northern Illinois, So., OH, San Bernardino, Calif./Cajon

Roddy led the way in NIU’s win over CMU by totaling 19 kills 12 digs, two aces and hitting .311. Her elevated play over the past few weeks continued as she has 56 kills, 29 digs and six aces over last three matches and is hitting .286. Since a tough showing at the Pacific Invitational, Roddy has rebounded to tally double-figure kills in eight of the 11 matches since and has had multiple aces in four of the last six. 

 

Jessica Brown, Western Michigan, Sr., MB, Kentwood, Mich. / East Kentwood

Brown was the leading offensive player for the Broncos in their first weekend of MAC play, leading them in kills over the course of two matches and helping them to a five-set road win against Eastern Michigan.  Brown poured in 12 kills in five sets against the Eagles on Friday, helping the Broncos rally from a 1-0 deficit to defeat EMU 3-2 on the road.  Brown was the leading attacker for the Broncos against Central Michigan on Saturday, recording 13 kills in the loss.  Brown’s performance on Saturday put her over 1,300 kills for her career; the senior middle blocker now has 1,310 career kills, which ranks seventh on the career list at WMU.

 

 

 

Tulsa Volleyball's Jessica Adams Earns Conference USA Defensive Player of the Week Honor

Tulsa Volleyball's Jessica Adams Earns Conference USA Defensive Player of the Week Honor

  Libero Jessica Adams earns her 12th defensive player of the week honor during her career

TULSA, Okla. – Senior libero Jessica Adams was named the Conference USA Defensive Player of the Week for the third time this season, the league office announced Monday.

For Adams, the Tulsa career digs leader with 2,065, this marks the 12^th time she has the won the award.

Adams recorded her 2,000^th kill against SMU on Wednesday as the 2011 C-USA Libero of the Year tallied 31 digs against the Mustangs in a 3-1 victory. She followed up the performance with a 21-dig performance in a sweep of Marshall where she recorded a career high eight assists. Adams rounded out the weekend with 23 digs and four assists against East Carolina as the Hurricane swept the Pirates.

During the three game stretch, Adams averaged 7.50 digs, 1.20 assists and 0.30 service aces per set. Additionally, the Hurricane as a whole hit .259, in part to the passing of Adams.

"Jessica is off to a tremendous start,” commented Head Coach Steven McRoberts. “She's doing great job with her positioning. I think she does a really good job of watching film and understanding what hitters are going to do, and listening to Ronaldo (Pacheco) on positioning and where she needs to be. She's taking advantage of it, and doing a good job of anticipating. She's not only digging, but she's putting the ball in spots where we can run our hitters and we can attack the ball back. I'm really proud of her. Of course this week, she got her 2,000th dig, and boy, she's just really taken off since then and continued to tear it up from a digging perspective.”

After a six-game home stand, the Hurricane will head to Houston, Texas for a pair of matches. TU will face Houston on Friday, September 28, at 7 p.m. before taking on Rice on Sunday, September 30, in a 1 p.m. affair.

 For all Tulsa volleyball news and information, visit www.TulsaHurricane.com. Follow Tulsa Athletics on Twitter atwww.Twitter.com/TulsaHurricane and Facebook at www.facebook.com/TulsaHurricane. Follow Tulsa Volleyball on Twitter (www.twitter.com/TulsaVolleyball) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/TulsaVolleyball).

 

-TulsaHurricane.com-

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USC Tabbed Fifth in AVCA Preseason Coaches Top 25 Poll

USC Tabbed Fifth in AVCA Preseason Coaches Top 25 Poll

 

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The USC women’s volleyball team received the fifth-place ranking in the AVCA (American Volleyball Coaches Association) preseason poll for the 2012 season. The Women of Troy are coming off back-to-back appearances in the NCAA national semifinal match; their seventh in the last 12 years. USC finished with a 29-5 record last year and held the No. 3 ranking in the final AVCA coaches poll.

 

The Trojans are the first-ever defending Pac-12 champions after posting a 20-2 mark in conference play with four players named to the AVCA All-America team a year ago. USC returns its first-ever All-American libero in 2012 as junior Natalie Hagglund leads a squad that was selected to finish third in the Pac-12 by the league’s head coaches.

 

Defending NCAA champion UCLA received 54 first-place votes (out of 60) and holds the top ranking in the preseason poll. Texas, Penn State, and Nebraska follow the Bruins. Stanford is ranked sixth and is followed by Illinois, Hawai’i, Purdue, and Iowa State.

 

The Pac-12 has five teams in the top 25 as Washington checks in at No. 14, with California at 17th, and Oregon at No. 20. Arizona also received votes in the first poll of the season, but did not crack the top 25.

 

USC’s 2012 schedule will involve 14 matches against teams that received votes in the preseason poll. In addition to each of the Pac-12 teams they face, the Trojans will host 19th-ranked San Diego and 21st-ranked Northern Iowa in home tournaments, this fall. Texas A&M, who also received votes, is USC’s second opponent in a season-opening road tournament at College Station, Texas.

 

USC will host rival UCLA on Wednesday, Sept. 19, to open the Pac-12 schedule; a match that will be televised nationally by ESPNU. For a complete schedule and more information, please visit USCTrojans.com.

 

UAB Sand Volleyball Drops Match To Pepperdine, 5-0

 

 

UAB Sand Volleyball Drops Match To Pepperdine, 5-0
Blazers to play two matches on Sunday

MOUT PLEASANT, S.C. ---- The UAB sand volleyball team fell to Pepperdine, 5-0, in the team’s first of three matches at the College of Charleston Sand Volleyball Classic.

Due to inclement weather in the area, Saturday’s match against North Florida has been moved to Sunday at 9 a.m. ET.  The Blazers will also Mercer later in the day on Sunday.

“I thought we played pretty well and a lot better than we played on Wednesday (at Mercer),” head coach Hal Messersmith said.  “We played solid just made a few too many mistakes against a great team, but we hung with them.”

The top pair for the Blazers, Sam Serley and Alison Woods, battled against Pepperdine’s Summer Ross and Caitlin Racich, falling 21-10 and 21-14.  Serley finished with 11 kills and five blocks, while Woods corralled four digs.

“Sam and Alison played really well against one of the top pairs in the country and Pepperdine (5-0) as a team is the best I’ve seen this year,” Messersmith said. 

Kiriana Hirini and Rachel Fairbanks fought tooth and nail as the second UAB pairing, but dropped both sets, 21-18 and 21-14.  Hirini rocketed eight kills and added two blocks and teammate Fairbanks recorded seven kills and seven digs, respectively.

The loss dropped UAB to 2-2 on the season. 

Pepperdine 5, UAB 0
1. Summer Ross/Caitlin Racich (PEP) def. Alison Woods/Sam Serley (UAB) 21-10, 21-14
2. Kim Hill/Lilla Frederick (PEP) def. Kiriana Hirini/Rachel Fairbanks (UAB) 21-18, 21-14
3. Kelley Larsen/Stevi Robinson (PEP) def. Heather Thomas/Kirsten Gallagher (UAB) 21-8, 21-15
4. Victoria Adelhelm/Kellie Woolever (PEP) def. Kate Morrell/Thais Soares (UAB) 21-14, 21-15
5. Michaela Christiaansen/Emily Cook (PEP) def. Michele Simmons/Becca Howard (UAB) 21-11, 21-5