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HOUSTON VOLLEYBALL: Lucy Charuk Completes Tryouts For Canadian National Team
Team Invitations To Be Sent April 8
HOUSTON – University of Houston junior middle blocker Lucy Charuk recently completed tryouts for the Canadian National “B” team in College Regina Assumpta, Montreal.
Charuk was one of 52 athletes to tryout for the team on March 18-20. While the tryouts were held for the “B” team, those trying out could also earn a spot on the “A” team.
Those selected to play on the team will receive invitations by April 8 for the Selection Camp. The camp will take place May 8-12 at the University of Manitoba IGAC. The team will then compete in the 2011 International Sports Federation Games, Aug. 12-23 in Shenzhen, China.
Charuk was an important member of the 2010 volleyball squad that finished third in the league standings. The team finished with a 19-13 record and a 13-7 league finish. The 13 C-USA wins marks the first time since 1999 that the team reached the 13-win mark.
The Tswwassen, British Columbia native also earned her second spot on the American Volleyball Coaches Association All-America Honorable Mention list after earning the award in 2008. In addition, Charuk was named an AVCA Midwest All-Region selection and was selected to the All-Conference USA First Team.
Charuk led the team with 361 kills and was second with a .348 hitting percentage. She also led the team with 148 blocks. Her block total is the 10th highest in school single-season history and her 124 block assists rank ninth. She also moves into fifth place in career blocks.
Charuk found herself ranked among the Conference USA leaders at the conclusion of the season. In the final leaguestandings, Charuk finished third in hitting percentage and second in blocks.
UK Volleyball: Ashley Frazier Selected to A2 National Team
Junior is among 36 athletes selected for program which includes training and competition
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Junior outside hitter Ashley Frazier has been selected to the 2011 United States Women’s National A2 Program it was announced by USA Volleyball. Frazier is among 36 athletes with college eligibility selected for the program which includes training and competition this summer.
“We’re really excited for Ashley,” UK coach Craig Skinner said. “This is an opportunity that is very much deserved. There’s no question that Ashley will represent the US and Kentucky well.”
The U.S. Women’s National A2 Program will take place in Dallas from May 23 through June 1. The program includes training and competition in the 2011 USA Volleyball Open National Championships in the Open Division from May 28-31. USA Volleyball considers the event as the National Championship for the sport of volleyball in the United States.
Athletes selected to the U.S. Women’s National A2 Program were selected from the U.S. Women’s National Team Open Tryouts held Feb. 25-27 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. A record 204 athletes participated in the three-day tryouts, representing 81 different college programs.
The 2011 U.S. Women’s National A2 Program will have six setters, nine middle blockers, 10 outside hitters, five opposites and six liberos.
Frazier sat out of competition during the 2010 season for the Wildcats after transferring from Alabama where she spent her first two seasons. Despite not appearing on the court on game days, she was instrumental in helping UK achieve an unprecedented sixth consecutive bid to the NCAA Tournament last season. Frazier provided a powerful force and a competitive fire on the ‘B’ side of the net during practice in helping Kentucky to its sixth straight 17-win season.
While with the Crimson Tide, Frazier averaged 2.85 kills per set and 0.49 blocks. Following a career high 20-kill performance against South Carolina, Frazier was tabbed the SEC Player of the Week and the Collegiate Volleyball Update National Player of the Week on Sept. 22, 2009.
During the training sessions in Dallas, the coaching staff will divide the 36 players into three teams of 12 players to compete in the USA Volleyball Open National Championships.
Follow along with UKathletics.com for the most up-to-date information regarding the Kentucky volleyball team and all of UK’s 22 sports.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Following a tryout session in Colorado Springs, Colo., last month, three members of the Tennessee volleyball team have been named to the 2011 U.S. Women’s National A2 Program roster, USA Volleyball has announced.
With Kayla Jeter, Leslie Cikra and Kelsey Robinson each making the squad, the Lady Vols tie with Texas, Florida and Illinois for the most representatives from a single college team. A total of 36 players from 22 different colleges were selected from a record-setting 204 tryout participants.
“To have three players represent our program with USA Volleyball is tremendous,” UT Head Coach Rob Patrick said. “It is really a testament to the incredibly talented student-athletes that have committed to be a part of Tennessee volleyball and much of that credit can be assigned to my assistant coach Gregg Whitis. We are extremely excited about the upcoming season and these three players are a big reason why. This is a fantastic opportunity for each of them and will only help to increase their skill level and confidence.”
The U.S. Women’s National A2 Program will take place in Dallas from May 23 through June 1. The program includes training and competition in the 2011 USA Volleyball Open National Championships in the Open Division from May 28-31. USA Volleyball considers the event as the national championship for the sport of volleyball in the United States.
During the training sessions in Dallas, the coaching staff will divide the 36 players into three teams of 12 players to compete in the USA Volleyball Open National Championships. Last year, two A2 teams competed in the Open Division, producing a gold and bronze medal. Former Lady Vol Nikki Fowler was a member of the gold-medal winning Blue squad.
A 5-11 outside hitter, Jeter was an All-SEC First Team and American Volleyball Coaches Association Honorable Mention All-American selection in 2010. The rising senior from Solon, Ohio, was second on the team with 340 total kills, an average of 2.98 putaway per set and a .304 hitting percentage during her junior campaign.
Cikra will join the A2 team as an opposite hitter. Standing at 6-4, the rising junior came on strong at the end of 2010 as she begun to play up to her massive potential. In the second round of the NCAA Tournament, the Chagrin Falls, Ohio, native had a breakout performance, posting a career-high 20 kills and hitting at a .459 clip with just three errors in 37 swings. For the season, Cikra tallied 215 putaways and a .298 attack average, in addition to 72 blocks.
After serving as a six-rotation outside hitter for the Lady Vols as a freshman, Robinson made the A2 team as a libero. The 2010 All-SEC Freshman Team selection led Tennessee with 324 digs, good for 2.89 per set which ranked her ninth in the conference. Having been born in 1992, the Bartlett, Ill., product is also eligible to be named to the U.S. Women’s Junior National Team roster which will be announced in early May. That squad will compete at the 2011 FIVB Women’s Junior (Under 20) World Championships held July 21-30 in Peru.
For more information about the Tennessee volleyball program, make sure you visit www.utladyvols.com/volleyball and follow @LadyVol_VBall on Twitter.
Ashley Neff, Kaitlin Mosher, Sareea Freeman and Elise Walch talk about their experiences against some of the nation’s top talent
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (seminoles.com) – Four Florida State University volleyball student-athletes recently competed in the U.S. Women’s National Volleyball Team Open Tryouts held at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.
Sophomore middle blocker Sareea Freeman, sophomore right-side hitter Elise Walch, freshman middle blocker Ashley Neff and freshman libero Kaitlin Mosher took their skills across two time zones to be among 204 athletes who trained against some of the best collegiate players on Feb. 25-27. The immense turnout was a record for the event.
“Obviously this was a very valuable opportunity for our girls to try out,” head coach Chris Poole said. “The best players in the nation are present for these tryouts and they have the opportunity to see how they size up overall. I'm really pleased with how well our girls matched up statistically to the best in the nation.”
The U.S. Women’s National Team coaching staff – including head coach Hugh McCutcheon (Christchurch, New Zealand) and assistant coaches Karch Kiraly (San Clemente, Calif.) and Paula Weishoff (Irvine, Calif.) – led the evaluation oversight process. According to McCutcheon, the tryouts were a success.
“Overall, I am very happy with the tryouts,” McCutcheon said. “We had a great group of athletes on the court, and our court coaches and stat crew did well in evaluating the talent. This was a good opportunity for the players to show what they could do.”
Among the 204 tryout participants representing 81 different colleges were 56 outside hitters, 51 middle blockers, 46 liberos, 27 setters and 24 opposites.
The U.S. Women’s National Team program is open to athletes who have concluded their college eligibility and who wish to train full-time. College athletes with collegiate eligibility remaining for the 2011 season and not selected to the USA Women’s National Team may be invited to participate in the U.S. Women’s National Senior A2 Team.
Neff received a bit of encouraging news when she found out that she was named as an alternate player to the U.S. Women’s National Senior A2 program, which consists of 36 collegiate athletes with remaining eligibility. Should a middle blocker decide to drop out of the program due to injury or any other circumstance, Neff would have an opportunity to train and compete for the program in Dallas from May 23 through June 1, and culminate with a chance to play in the 2011 USA Volleyball Open National Championships.
Neff, from Kennesaw, Ga., played in 15 matches as a freshman last season at FSU. She recorded 57 blocks, 1.10 blocks per set and 40 kills, and also won the team’s strength and conditioning award.
“It was a lot of fun to meet and play with girls from all over the country,” Neff said. “It was a great experience playing at such a high level with some of the top players. It’s always cool to be around so many people with the same goals and competitive drive.”
Mosher, who is expected to replace senior Jenna Romanelli as the team’s starting libero, also had a fulfilling tryout. She was one of 65 athletes eligible to be evaluated for the U.S. Women’s Junior National Team, which consists of prospects who were born in 1992 or 1993. The U.S. Women’s Junior National Team will compete in the FIVB Women’s Junior (U-20) World Championship to be held July 21-30 in Peru.
Mosher redshirted last season and has four remaining years of eligibility. She is from Fort Meyers, Fla., and has improved significantly since coming to FSU last fall.
“It was an awesome experience to play against some of the top players in the country,” Mosher said. “We had an opportunity to play against some of our quality opponents who we will see in the fall.”
Also competing were Freeman and Wisconsin transfer Elise Walch. Freeman will play a significant role in her junior season at FSU after teaming with former middle blocker Lauren Young to form one of the best tandems in the ACC. Last year, the Fresno, Calif., native averaged nearly one block per set and was fifth on the team with 145 kills.
“The Nationals Tournament was a great way to be exposed to all the great players,” Freeman added. “I really loved the fact that I had a chance to be a part of that experience. Even though I didn’t make the team, you make friends with a lot of the other players and I really had a ton of fun. I can’t wait to try out again next year.”
Walch is also expected to contribute next season, currently training with right-side hitting duties while having the ability to be a middle blocker. She finished second on the Badgers last season with 2.56 kills per set, and played in 28 matches. As a top-notch high school prospect in 2010, Walch continues to improve by training against some of the country’s best players as well as with her own teammates in what should be another strong season for the Seminole volleyball squad.
Southland Conference Volleyball Season Wrap Up UTSA upset No. 1 seed Central Arkansas to play in second NCAA tournament UTSA Falls to No. 8 Texas in NCAA Tournament The UTSA volleyball team saw its 2010 season come to an end as it fell in straight sets (25-11, 25-18, 25-15) to ninth-seeded Texas on Friday, Dec. 3, in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. The appearance marked the first for the Roadrunners (22-12) since 2000. As a team, the Roadrunners were limited to a .032 hitting percentage and committed 25 attack errors in the loss. Senior Kendra Rowland paced UTSA with 10 winners, while redshirt sophomore setter Kelsey Schwirtlich contributed 22 assists. Junior libero Kelsey Jewasko collected a match-best 11 digs. Texas (24-5), which is ranked No. 6 in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association poll, received a dozen winners from Rachel Adams, while Juliann Faucette chipped in with 11. Michelle Kocher guided the Longhorns to a .395 hitting percentage after dishing out a match-high 29 helpers. Nine attack errors and a -.130 hitting percentage doomed the Roadrunners in the opening frame. UTSA tied the set at 5-all before a 15-2 run by the Longhorns opened up a 13-point advantage (20-7). The Roadrunners used a 4-3 advantage to cut the lead to 12 (23-11), but a kill and a block by Texas closed out the frame. A service ace by sophomore Megan Wimbish helped the Roadrunners pull within three points (17-14) in the second set. However, a late 7-2 surge by the Longhorns pushed the lead back to eight (24-16). UTSA battled through two set points, but the Longhorns received a kill from Jennifer Doris to take a 2-0 lead into intermission. Texas proved to be too much for the Roadrunners in the final set after the Longhorns hit at a .536 clip with 16 winners and only one error on 28 swings. Back-to-back kills from Schwirtlich and Rowland pulled the Birds to within three points (15-12). Texas answered with a 5-1 run to push the lead to seven (20-13). Following a timeout, Schwirtlich posted another winner before the Longhorns took the next two points. An attack error by Texas gave UTSA its 15th point, but an Adams kill followed by consecutive attack errors from the Roadrunners ended the match with a 10-point win in the frame for the hosts. The loss concludes the most-successful season for the Roadrunners under head coach Laura Neugebauer-Groff. UTSA won 22 matches, including 13 Southland tilts and the program’s second-ever Southland Tournament Championship. UTSA Wins Southland Tournament Championship The No. 2 seed UTSA overcame a late fifth-set deficit to upend top-seeded Central Arkansas (25-17, 25-22, 19-25, 21-25, 15-13) at Johnson Coliseum to win their second Southland Conference Tournament Championship in program history. UTSA trailed 8-6 in the final frame before scoring four consecutive points to take a 10-8 lead. The Sugar Bears stopped the run with a winner from Kyle Hartman, but the Roadrunners then went on a 4-2 run for match point. Central Arkansas fought off elimination twice, but sophomore Whitney Walls slammed home a winner to send UTSA to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in a decade. “I’ve wanted this to happen for so long,” head coach Laura Neugebauer-Groff said. “It’s a dream come true. It was a tough match to win. Central Arkansas is a very good team, but I’m proud of our team for coming back.” Senior Kendra Rowland was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player after notching her third consecutive double-double of the weekend. The first-team All-Southland selection racked up a match-high 22 kills and 17 digs. Walls (15 kills) and fellow sophomore Kelsey Schwirtlich (49 assists/11 digs) joined Rowland on the all-tournament team. “I’ve been waiting for this moment for four years,” Rowland said. “It’s a phenomenal feeling. All the hard work we’ve put in this season has paid off.” UTSA received another solid performance from sophomore Brittney Malloy who notched 14 winners and blocked a team-best five Sugar Bears attacks. Junior Kelsey Jewasko collected a team-high 20 digs, while sophomore Megan Wimbish tallied 17. Central Arkansas received double-doubles from Jessica Hays (match-high 22 kills/22 digs), Chloe Smith (16 kills/14 digs) and Marissa Collins (53 assists/10 digs). Collins and Smith, along with Lamar’s Jayme Bazile, joined the trio of Roadrunners on the all-tournament squad. Kendra Rowland Named Southland Tournament MVP Three Roadrunners were named to the all-tournament team led by MVP selection, senior outside hitter Kendra Rowland. Sophomore setter Kelsey Schwirtlich and sophomore outside hitter Whitney Walls were also named to the all-tournament team. Rowland, a first-team all-conference selection, led UTSA with 51 kills and had 50 digs and five blocks including four solo. Rowland joins former UTSA standout Tamara Luckemeyer (2000) as the only Roadrunners to be named tournament MVP. Schwirtlich, also a first-team member, led all-tournament players with 142 assists. Walls was second on the team in kills with 42 and had five assists, four digs and five blocks. Central Arkansas Wins Second Consecutive Southland Regular Season Title Central Arkansas claims its second consecutive regular-season title posting a 28-8 overall record and a 15-1 mark in conference play. Over the last two seasons, the Sugar Bears have been the most dominant team in the Southland. UCA leads the league in overall wins (55) and wins against conference teams (31). They have finished atop the East Division in each of the last three seasons and have an unblemished record in the Farris Center winning its last 25 matches. Of the last 31 conference wins, UCA has swept league members 21 times. Chloe Smith Named Player of the Year Central Arkansas senior Chloe Smith, a native of San Diego, Calif., is the first player in Southland history to be named the league’s player of the year three times. A four-time all-conference selection, Smith is one of 12 players in conference history to be named first-team all-conference in three consecutive seasons. Smith ranks second in the league in kills (433), 11th in hitting percentage (.269), and recently became the all-time kills leader at Central Arkansas (1,689). Marissa Collins Named Setter and Freshman of the Year Central Arkansas’ Marissa Collins joined Smith in making league history as the first player to be named both the conference freshman and setter of the year. A native of Pearland, Texas, Collins was named first-team all-conference after leading the league in assists (1,419). She ranks 16th in the NCAA in assists per set (11.54). Collins is the fourth UCA freshman of the year selection in the last five years and is the third consecutive setter of the year recipient from UCA. Christina Hobbs Named Newcomer of the Year Lamar sophomore Christina Hobbs was named newcomer of the year. A native of Humble, Texas, Hobbs is the fourth Lamar newcomer of the year selection and first since Shalayne Blythe (2007). Hobbs ranks 12th in the league in hitting percentage (.258) and has also contributed 217 kills, 76 blocks, including eight solo and 34 digs. Steven McRoberts Named Coach of the Year Steven McRoberts was named coach of the year after leading UCA to its second consecutive regular-season title and first No. 1 seed in the school’s first Southland tournament. Central Arkansas posted a 28-8 overall record and went 15-1 against conference opponents. McRoberts is the first coach to receive league honors in three consecutive seasons since former UT Arlington coach Lisa Love won four straight (1984-87). Chloe Smith Named Southland Volleyball Student-Athlete of the Year Central Arkansas senior Chloe Smith, a native of San Diego, Calif., is the first player in Southland history in any sport to be named both the conference player of the year and student-athlete of the year three times. A three-time CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District VI selection, Smith maintains a 3.92 grade-point average in digital filmmaking. In UCA’s first year of postseason eligibility, Smith led the Sugar Bears to their second consecutive regular-season title and first No. 1 seed in the Southland tournament. Smith ranked second in the league in kills (433), 11th in hitting percentage (.269) and leaves her collegiate career as the all-time kills leader at UCA (1,689).
Iowa State Cyclones 2010 Volleyball Year in Review
2010 Volleyball Year in Review AMES, Iowa – Cyclone volleyball continued its tradition of success under head coach Christy Johnson-Lynch in 2010, finishing the season ranked 25th by the America Volleyball Coaches Association with a record of 20-9 overall and 13-7 in the Big 12. Iowa State closed the season with its fifth-straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament. In six seasons under Johnson-Lynch, the Cyclones are 109-52. The Cyclones compiled a 5-7 record against eight NCAA Tournament teams in 2010 to help them to a 33rd ranking in the final RPI rankings. In August, Iowa State lost to No. 13 Florida before beating No. 14 Kentucky the following day. The Cyclones began September with a 3-1 win over North Dakota State before sweeping No. 18 Northern Iowa. During the conference schedule, the Cyclones split the season series with Missouri and Oklahoma and lost two each to Nebraska and Texas. In the first round of the NCAA Tournament, the Cyclones traveled to Minneapolis, Minn. to play unseeded Creighton who was making its first-ever post season appearance. The teams traded sets through four games before the Bluejays made a final push to win the match in five sets, ending Iowa State’s season. Iowa State finished third in the Big 12 in 2010 behind Nebraska and Texas. The Cyclones ranked second in the conference in assists per set (13.77), kills per set (14.61) and digs per set (17.29) this season. For the third-straight season, the Cyclones’ assists average ranked in the top 10, coming in sixth in the nation. The Cyclones also ranked in the top 10 in kills per set for the second consecutive year, finishing seventh. Outside hitter Victoria Henson led the league with 4.50 kills per set and 4.90 points per set. Henson’s averages ranked ninth and 11th in the country, respectively. Sophomore setter Alison Landwehr paced the Big 12 and ranked seventh among Division I volleyball players with 11.89 assists per set. Both Henson and fellow senior Ashley Mass went out on top as they each ended their Cyclone careers in 2010. Henson leaves Iowa State as the school’s record holder in kills, with 1,726, and kills per set (3.90). Mass became the Big 12 leader in career digs in 2010, finishing with 2,294 digs. She is the only Big 12 student-athlete to ever amass 2,200 digs in a career. Mass’ average of 4.92 digs per set is an Iowa State record and, having participated in 129 matches at Iowa State, Mass, along with Steph McCannon (1992-95) is the most active player in Cyclone history. Awards rolled in throughout the season for the Cyclones, including the third-straight Big 12 Libero of the Year honor for Mass. On her way to being named the conference’s top libero, Mass picked up three defensive weekly awards from the league office on the year to finish her four-year career with 15 weekly conference awards, more than any other volleyball player in league history. Mass, Henson and Jamie Straube were named AVCA All-Americans for their superior play throughout the season. Henson, a previous all-American in 2008 and 2009, became only the second Cyclone in the volleyball program’s history to be named to the AVCA All-America First Team. Mass earned her third all-America nod, selected to the third team, and Straube, who led the Cyclones with a .326 hitting percentage and 1.05 blocks per set, garnered her first career honor as an honorable mention. The trio was also selected to the All-Big 12 First Team. A standout in the classroom as well as on the court, Straube was named to the ESPN Academic All-District VII First Team and was joined on the Academic All-Big 12 First Team by teammates Cassie Pratt. Defensive specialist Caitlin Mahoney was named to the conference academic second team.
Duke Volleyball: 2010 Season In Review December 30, 2010 Duke volleyball continued its ascent to the highest ranks of college volleyball in 2010 and capped a championship season with the most successful NCAA Tournament run in school history. The Blue Devils built on the previous season’s momentum by winning the 2010 ACC Volleyball Championship and breaking through to the NCAA Elite Eight for the second time in school history. Led by a balanced group of seven starters, the Blue Devils went 27-7 overall and 16-4 in the ACC on the way to the No. 18 national ranking in the AVCA Coaches Poll. Led by ACC Player of the Year and ACC and East Region Coach of the Year Jolene Nagel, Duke took down three opponents in the NCAA Tournament to advance to the NCAA Regional Final where they fell to eventual NCAA Champion Penn State 3-1. Duke placed a school-record five players on the All-ACC Volleyball Team and captured the program’s 11th ACC Regular Season Championship. The conference crown gave the Blue Devils their sixth consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament where the Blue Devils made the most of their opportunity and played in front of a national stage on ESPNU in the NCAA Regional Final. Duke Advances to NCAA Elite Eight The 2010 Blue Devils went further in the NCAA Volleyball Tournament than any other team in Duke history, reaching the Round-of-Eight Regional Final. Duke defeated High Point 3-0 in the first round, Ohio 3-2 in round two and Missouri 3-1 in the Sweet 16 to become only the third team in ACC history to reach the NCAA Regional Final. The No. 12 overall seed, Duke would fall 3-1 to eventual NCAA Champion Penn State in University Park, Pa., but earned the distinction as the only team in the entire NCAA Tournament to win a game against the four-time defending National Champion Nittany Lions. Catanach & Dunworth Named to NCAA Regional All-Tournament Team Kellie Catanach and Sophia Dunworth were both named to the University Park, Pa., NCAA Regional All-Tournament Team after leading Duke to the NCAA Regional Final against Penn State. Dunworth led Duke in kills for the entire NCAA Tournament while Catanach averaged 10.31 assists, 0.81 kills, 2.06 digs and 0.69 blocks in Duke’s four postseason matches. Blue Devils Win ACC Crown Duke won the 2010 ACC Volleyball Championship with a 16-4 conference record, giving the program three ACC Championships in the past five seasons. Duke has gone 88-16 (.846) in conference play during that span. Under head coach Jolene Nagel, Duke has a 160-62 (.721) ACC record, which is the best mark in the ACC since she took the helm in 1999. Catanach Named ACC Player of the Year Duke junior Kellie Catanach was named the top player in the ACC after pulling in Duke’s conference-leading seventh ACC Player of the Year award. A 6-2 setter, Catanach led the ACC with 1,419 assists and directed a Duke offense that ranked among the top 30 nationally in kills per set and assists per set. Catanach was also one of Duke’s top defenders, leading the team with 12 double-doubles while averaging 2.13 digs and 0.60 blocks per set. Additionally, she led the team with 29 service aces and will enter her senior season ranked third all-time at Duke with 4,104 career assists. Five Blue Devils Named All-ACC A school-record five Duke players were selected to the All-ACC team, as selected by the league’s coaches. Led by ACC Player of the Year Kellie Catanach, five of Duke’s seven starters made the team including senior middle blocker Becci Burling, sophomore middle blocker Christiana Gray, sophomore right side hitter Amanda Robertson and freshman libero Ali McCurdy. McCurdy was also named to the ACC All-Freshman team after starting all 34 of Duke’s matches at libero. Nagel Named ACC and East Region Coach of Year Duke head coach Jolene Nagel was honored as the ACC Coach of the Year and the East Region Coach of the Year awards, marking the third time she has received those honors during her 12-year tenure. Nagel led Duke to its first NCAA Regional Final appearance while capturing the program’s third ACC Championship in the past five seasons. In leading Duke to a 27-7 record, Nagel has guided the program to a school-record five consecutive 25-win seasons. Four Blue Devils Earn All-East Region Honors Along with Nagel’s Region Coach of the Year honor, four Duke players – Becci Burling, Kellie Catanach, Christiana Gray and Amanda Robertson – earned All-East Region awards. The four selections were the most in school history, and Duke was one of only two teams to place four players on a regional squad. Blue Devils Earn NCAA Tournament Bid for Sixth Straight Season Duke earned the ACC’s automatic bid to the NCAA Volleyball Championship after winning the conference outright, giving the Blue Devils an ACC-record tying six consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. The Blue Devils have made the tournament every year since 2005 and an ACC-leading 16 times overall. After moving on all the way to the Elite Eight in 2010, Duke has advanced into at least the second round in five of the last six seasons. Duke Records Fifth Straight 25-Win Season With a 3-0 sweep of High Point in the NCAA First Round, Duke recorded its school-record fifth consecutive 25-win season. Duke’s five-year run is the longest in school history and the second longest streak in ACC history behind Georgia Tech’s six-year from run 1991-95. The Blue Devils have the longest active 25-win streak in the conference and have won 25 matches 10 times, including five years under head coach Jolene Nagel. Home Court Advantage Cameron Indoor Stadium proved yet again to be one of the toughest volleyball venues on the east coast as Duke put together a 15-1 record on its home court. Duke ended the season on a 10-match home-court win streak that included back-to-back NCAA Tournament wins over High Point (3-0) and Ohio (3-2). Duke’s only loss on Coach K Court in 2010 was to 12th-ranked Minnesota. The Blue Devils have been one of the best home-court teams in the nation over the past decade, posting a 129-22 (.854) record in Cameron Indoor Stadium since 2000. Defensive Dominance Duke once again finished the season as one of the ACC’s top defensive teams, holding opponents to a .172 hitting percentage. The Blue Devils allowed only two teams to hit over .300 against them while holding offensive juggernaut Penn State to a .272 clip in the NCAA Regional Final. Led by the blocking of middle blockers Becci Burling and Christiana Gray and the floor defense of freshman libero Ali McCurdy, senior Claire Smalzer and sophomore Nailah Waterfield, the Blue Devils held 23 of their 34 opponents to a sub-.200 hitting percentage. Dunworth & Gray Tabbed Academic All-Dist. Junior outside hitter Sophia Dunworth and sophomore middle blocker Christiana Gray were both named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District III Team. Dunworth was named to the first team after posting a 3.88 GPA as a Biology major while Gray appeared on the second team with a 3.64 GPA. She is also Duke’s top blocker with 116 stops. Duke has now placed at least two players on the Academic All-District III Team for five consecutive seasons. ACC Players of the Week Duke had an ACC-leading four players selected as ACC Player of the Week in 2010. Junior right-side hitter Amanda Robertson was picked a conference-best three times with selections on Sept. 20, Oct. 4 and Nov. 1 while junior setter Kellie Catanach was selected on Nov. 8. Senior Class Goes Out on Top Duke’s senior trio of Becci Burling, Claire Smalzer and Alex Sall ended their careers with a 104-29 (.782) record, two ACC Championships and four consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament. They are only the second class in school history to post 25 wins every year and only the fourth to move on to the NCAA Postseason every year. Smalzer Climbs All-Time Digs Chart Senior Claire Smalzer, who switched from libero to outside hitter as a senior, finished her four-year career ranked third all-time at Duke with 1,637 digs. Smalzer trailed only Duke greats Jenny Shull (2,200 digs from 2004-07) and Ashley Wacholder (1,818 digs from 1991-94) on the list. Burling Gets 1,000th Career Kill Senior middle blocker and co-captain Becci Burling recorded her 1,000th career kill in 2010, becoming only the 19th player in school history to reach that mark. Burling finished her career ranked 14th all-time at Duke with 1,157 career kills and is only the ninth player in Duke history to post 300 kills in three different seasons. Gray Leads ACC in Hitting Percentage All-ACC sophomore Christiana Gray improved on an impressive freshman season with a second-year campaign that saw her lead the ACC with a .387 hitting percentage. A 6-5 middle blocker, Gray was Duke’s most efficient attacker with 280 kills and only 78 errors on 535 attacks. Her .387 clip in 2010 ranks seventh on Duke’s single-season list. Robertson Breaks Out Junior Amanda Robertson had a breakout season in 2010, emerging as one of Duke’s top attackers and one of the ACC’s best all-around players. The All-ACC and All-East Region right side hitter ranked ninth in the ACC with a .321 hitting percentage and among Duke’s top four with 350 kills, 304 digs and 62 blocks. She was named ACC Player of the Week three times and posted nine double-doubles. Freshman Phenom Freshman Ali McCurdy won the starting libero job in the preseason and emerged as one of the ACC’s best in her first year. The Tampa, Fla., ranked third in the ACC with 4.88 digs per set and was a key component of a Duke defense that holds the opposition to a .172 hitting percentage. An All-ACC selection, McCurdy posted the fifth-most digs in a single season in Duke history in her first year. She reached 30 digs twice in 2010. -d-u-k-e-
UWM Panthers Volleyball Season In Review - Panthers Post Another Impressive Campaign UWM wins 20 matches, league regular season title
(Printable Season In Review attached)
Milwaukee (20-9 Overall; 15-1 Horizon League)
Panther Points • The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee women's volleyball team won its 11th Horizon League regular season title.
• The Panthers posted a 20-9 overall record - their 12th 20-win season in the last 14 years - while also going 15-1 in league play.
• Milwaukee saw an 11-match winning streak snapped in the semifinals of the Horizon League Tournament, which was played at the Klotsche Center.
• Kerri Schuh led the list of league postseason honorees, claiming Horizon League Player of the Year honors. Schuh was joined on the All-Horizon League team by Jena Berg and Natalie Schmitting. Meanwhile, Rachel Neuberger was named the Horizon League Newcomer of the Year and was joined on the all-newcomer team by Elizabeth Egerer. Plus, Susie Johnson was named the League Coach of the Year for the third time in four years.
• Schuh was named an AVCA All-Midwest Region and Honorable Mention All-American performer, while Rachel Neuberger was the AVCA Midwest Region Freshman of the Year.
• Milwaukee wound up 14th nationally in blocks and 27th nationally in digs. Individually, Natalie Schmitting was 57th in blocks while Rachel Neuberger was 97th. Morgan Potter was 78th in digs.
• Summing Up The 2010 Campaign The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee women's volleyball team put together a strong 2010 season, capturing the Horizon League regular season title while winning 20 matches.
• Champions Again! The Panthers earned the right to host the 2010 Horizon League Tournament by winning the league regular season title. Milwaukee actually clinched the title on the second-to-last weekend of the regular season, claiming a four-set win at Butler to avenge its only league loss of the regular season. The championship was the 11th regular season crown for Milwaukee, which has now won either the regular season or tournament title for 14-straight years. UWM has also won seven of the last eight league regular season titles.
• Winning ... Winning ... Winning This season has added to an incredible legacy of success for Panther volleyball. UWM won 20 matches, the 12th 20-win season in the last 14 years. In league play, Milwaukee has won at least 10 league matches for 14-straight seasons and has gone through the league slate with just one loss eight times. Since the league expanded to a schedule of 16 league contests in 2007, UWM has had a pair of 15-win seasons and two seasons of 13 wins. UWM is 171-25 in league matches over the last 14 seasons. Milwaukee did see a 17-match winning streak against Horizon League foes snapped in the loss to Butler Oct. 10, but the Panthers have still won 26 of their last 28 matches against league foes.
• The Start Of Something Special Milwaukee made it clear from the start of the league it was ready to win another league crown. In fact, the Panthers won their first six league contests, the best start in league play under Susie Johnson. The Panthers have now actually started at least 3-0 in league play eight times in the last 14 seasons, and each time Milwaukee has gone on to win the regular season title. UWM's best-ever league start came in 2003, when the Panthers won their first 11 league contests.
• Streaking The Panthers had an 11-match winning streak snapped in its league tournament semifinal loss to Valparaiso. In fact, after starting season 3-7, UWM won 17 of its last 19 outings. Milwaukee has now had a winning streak of at least seven matches for 14-straight seasons. Under Susie Johnson, the Panthers have two 11-match winning streaks in addition to streaks of 14 and 12-straight wins.
• Always Happy To Be Home The Panthers have no complaints about playing on their homecourt. UWM went 10-4 overall and 7-1 in league play at home this season. The loss to Butler Oct. 10 was just the second regular season league home loss for the Panthers in their last 52 matches. At one point, UWM had a 37-match home regular season league winning streak and the Panthers have lost just seven regular season league home contests since 1997. Under Susie Johnson, UWM is 31-4 against league teams and 41-11 at home overall.
• League Awards The Panthers were well-represented when the Horizon League announced their postseason awards following the conclusion of the regular season. Junior Kerri Schuh collected league player of the year honors, while freshman Rachel Neuberger was the league newcomer of the year. And, Susie Johnson was named coach of the year for the third time in her four years as head coach. In addition, seniors Jena Berg and Natalie Schmitting joined Schuh on the all-league team, while sophomore transfer Elizabeth Egerer claimed a spot alongside Neuberger on the all-newcomer team.
• And Regional Honors, Too A pair of Panthers earned even further recognition when the American Volleyball Coaches Association announced its regional awards. Kerri Schuh was named to the All-Midwest Region team, while Rachel Neuberger was named the region's freshman of the year. This is the 14th time the Panthers have landed a player on the AVCA All-Region squad, while four other times Milwaukee has had an honorable mention honoree. Neuberger is the second-ever Panther to claim region freshman of the year honors, joining current assistant coach Lindsey (Spoden) Vanden Berg.
• And Then For The Nation Junior Kerri Schuh added another piece of hardware to her personal collection when she was named an AVCA Honorable Mention All-American. This is the sixth time a Panther player has earned AVCA All-America honors. Next season, Schuh will have the chance to join Leanne Felsing as the only two-time All-America honoree in UWM's Division I history.
• Senior Salute The Panthers had four valuable seniors on their 2010 roster. Natalie Schmitting started every match of her four-year career, becoming UWM's all-time blocks leader and the first-ever Panther to collect more than 500 blocks. She also finished her career with over 1,000 kills. Jena Berg has played the last two seasons in Milwaukee, putting together a strong overall stat line of over 500 kills, 700 digs, 800 assists and 100 blocks this season. She was a two-time All-Horizon League performer. Lauren Hintze was a regular for the Panthers in the back row, collecting 732 digs in her career. Maddie Sueppel was sidelined by injury nearly all of this past season but still had over 800 kills and 300 blocks in her career.
• Defense Steals The Show UWM has always leaned on its defense as the foundation for success and this past season the Panthers blocked their way to victory. Milwaukee led the Horizon League in blocks, with Natalie Schmitting (1st), Rachel Neuberger (4th) and Kerri Schuh (5th) all in the top 10 individually in the category for all matches. In league-only contests, UWM averaged nearly three blocks per set while Neuberger and Schmitting held down the top two spots. As a team, UWM reached double figures in blocks 18 times and ranked 14th in the nation in blocks per set. The Panthers also finished third in the league and 27th in the nation in digs per frame. Individually, Schmitting and Neuberger ranked in the top 100 in blocks (Schmitting 57th and Neuberger 97th) while Morgan Potter was 78th in digs.
• Emptying The Notebook UWM finished 59th in the final NCAA RPI and played 11 non-league matches against teams in the top 100 ... Milwaukee went 5-6 in those contests, with its best wins coming over #23 Tulsa and #58 Saint Louis ... if you then included #101 Valparaiso and #102 Cleveland State, Milwaukee went 9-7 against the top 102 teams in the country ... the Panthers played five sets eight times this season and have played 26 five-set matches over the last three seasons ... Milwaukee had 11 players start at least one match ... UWM was 5-3 in five-setters this season and the Panthers are 22-12 all-time in five-set matches under Susie Johnson ... the Panthers played 27 sets decided by two points, with UWM 14-13 in those sets ... Morgan Potter had 39 digs vs. Green Bay Oct. 15, the third-most in school history ... she was named league defensive player of the week three times ... the libero finished with 514 digs this season, sixth-most in a single season in school history ... Melissa Jansen became a key cog in the Panthers' rotation, collecting 78 kills in her last 11 outings after tallying just 19 in the first half of the season ... Elizabeth Egerer had seven or more kills in each of the final 15 matches, including nine double-figure outings ... she led the Panthers in kills during league matches ... Rachel Neuberger's 110 blocks are the third-most for a Panther freshman in school history ... her .269 hitting clip also ranks fourth on the freshman list ... UWM is 113-17 in October matches over the last 13-plus seasons ... the Panthers have gone 29-9 in their last 38 regular season league road matches and went 8-0 in away league matches this season ... Milwaukee recorded four league road sweeps, the most since 2006.
Season Review: 2010 California Golden Bears Volleyball Team The Golden Bears capped a record-setting year with the No. 2 ranking in the final AVCA poll BERKELEY - The California volleyball team capped off a record-setting season with the program's highest year-end ranking as the AVCA tabbed the Golden Bears No. 2 in its final poll. When the dust had settled, a squad the other nine Pac-10 coaches selected to finish fifth at the beginning of the season earned its first Pac-10 title and set a new mark for most wins in a single season.
The Bears (30-4 overall, 15-3 in the Pac-10) were led to new heights by the AVCA's pick for National Coach of the Year, Rich Feller, and its selection for National Player of the Year, senior setter Carli Lloyd. For the first time in school history, Cal had two first-team All-Americans in the same season in Lloyd and junior outside hitter Tarah Murrey.
But the Bears were on point in the classroom as well as they were honored with the Newmark Award for having the highest grade-point average of women's teams at Cal, and the most improved GPA as a team at Cal over a two-year period.
Lloyd was named to the Pac-10 All-Academic second team as was sophomore libero Robin Rostratter who also took home the NCAA's volleyball Elite 88 award with the highest GPA amongst competitors at the NCAA championships.
Back on the court, the Bears pushed one step further than any other squad in school history and made their first appearance in the national title match before Penn State won its fourth consecutive crown.
Final Illinois Volleyball Team Notes/Season Recap/Illini Finish Year No. 9 in AVCA Poll
The 2010 season saw Illinois volleyball continue to firmly cement itself as a national contender. The Illini defeated a pair of top-five teams, including eventual national champion Penn State and reached as high as No. 3 in the national poll.
The season also will be remembered for its share of adversity. Both Laura DeBruler and Erin Johnson missed time recovering from mononucleosis. Highly touted freshman Anna Dorn suffered an ACL tear during the second week of the season. But the biggest blow came on Oct. 9 when 2009 First Team All-American Laura DeBruler was lost for the season also with an ACL tear.
Early in the season, the Illini were as good as any team in the country. On Sept. 3, the Illini swept No. 2 Texas 25-23 25-18, 25-18 to end the Longhorns’ 25-match home court winning streak. Michelle Bartsch was named the Timer Warner Cable Invitational Tournament MVP after hitting .514 in leading the Illini to wins over Texas and Florida A&M.
Early the following week, the Illini found out DeBruler had mono, and the senior would miss the following two weekends. Even without DeBruler, the Illini defeated No. 20 Dayton and took the first two sets from No. 7 Nebraska in front of nearly 12,000 fans in Lincoln. In set three, however, Bartsch sprained an ankle and Nebraska came back to win in five sets. Bartsch returned the following weekend, but unranked Cincinnati also took down the Illini in five.
The Illini ended the weekend with a win over eventual NCAA qualifier Louisville and DeBruler returned the following weekend against No. 2 and three-time defending national champion Penn State.
With over 4,100 fans filling Huff for the first sellout in 18 years, the Illini posted a thrilling five-set victory over the Nittany Lions, ending their record 65-match Big Ten winning streak in a thrilling five-set match on Sept. 24. Colleen Ward led the Illini with 16 kills in that match. Johannah Bangert had 11 kills with no errors in 18 swings for a .611 attack percentage.
Illinois finished the first half of the Big Ten season 9-1, which included five-set victories over No. 25 Northwestern and at No. 20 Minnesota and stood in first place for the first eight weeks of the season. On Oct. 29, Illinois completed victories over every other Big Ten team with a five-set win over No. 15 Michigan at Huff Hall.
Illinois extended its string to 12-1 to start the conference, winning at Wisconsin for the third straight season. The only loss in the stretch, however, came at Michigan, where DeBruler suffered the ACL tear in set three of the match.
Illinois dropped five of its last seven conference matches, the most devastating coming in the rematch with Minnesota. The Illini led two sets to one and 24-20 in the fourth set, but the Gophers scored 13 of the next 14 points to take the match in five sets.
Illinois saw the NCAA Tournament as a fresh start. On the heels of six wins over ranked opponents, including two in the top five, Illinois received the No. 8 national seed and a pair of home matches. The Illini defeated Austin Peay in three sets in round one, then won the rematch with No. 21 Cincinnati in four sets in the second round to advance to their third straight Sweet 16, setting up another rematch -- this time with ninth-seeded Texas in Austin.
Junior Colleen Ward led the NCAA tournament with 44 kills in the first two matches Against Texas, it was freshman Jazmine Orozco who led the way with 21 kills, but the hosts battled back from 2-1 down to eliminate the Illini in five sets.
Three Illini earned All-America honors, Ward on the second team and Bartsch and senior setter Hillary Haen on the third team.
The year saw several milestones. DeBruler became Illinois’ all-time kills leader, passing Illini legend Mary Eggers at Wisconsin and finishing her career with 1,833.
Johannah Bangert set a new Illinois record for blocks, finishing with 653 for her career, which is also seventh in Big Ten history. In the final match of the year, Bangert set an all-time conference mark for block assists with 613, breaking the old mark by one. Bangert also became Illinois’ first First Team Academic All-American since 1990.
Freshman libero Jennifer Bonilla, an Honorable Mention All-Mideast Region selection, set a new single-season school record for digs with 623. Haen moved into fifth fourth on Illinois’ all-time assists list with 3,956 while finishing her career eighth on the single-season assist list with 1,471.
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The 2010 University of Dayton volleyball team became the first team of any sport in Dayton history to be nationally ranked for the entire season with a No. 15 ranking the final American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Top-25 Poll released on Tuesday.
“At the beginning of the year we talked about how great teams are ones that are consistently good over long periods of time,” Head Coach Kelly Sheffield said. “I thought this team brought it every night and improved throughout the course of the year. Those are the things we concentrate on during the season and this team was able to do that. It was a fun team to coach and it's nice to once again be considered one of the top programs in the country.”
UD began the season ranked No. 21 in the preseason poll and climbed to the program’s highest spot at No. 12 on Nov. 22 behind a 23-match winning streak which earned Atlantic 10 Regular Season and Tournament titles and a fourth consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament. It is the 19th consecutive week Flyer volleyball has been ranked dating back to last season, making it the first time the program has finished in the top 25 in back-to-back seasons. Dayton finished the 2009 season ranked No. 25.
Dayton (28-4, 15-0 Atlantic 10) finished the season in the Second Round of the NCAA Championship for the second consecutive year as the program’s highest seed (No. 14) in the NCAA Tournament.
Penn State (32-5) won its fourth consecutive NCAA Championship title on Saturday in Kansas City, Mo., to reclaim the No. 1 spot in the AVCA poll held by Florida for most of the season. Dayton played five top 25 teams in the final poll, including No. 7 Nebraska, No. 9 Illinois, No. 14 Northern Iowa, No. 10 Minnesota, and No. 19 Ohio State.
As the first team in Dayton history to be nationally ranked for the entire season, naturally the Flyers boast a lengthy postseason honor roll including AVCA Northeast Region and Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year Kelly Sheffield. Senior Lindsay Fletemier earned AVCA All-America honors for the third consecutive season as a Second-Team selection while being named the Atlantic 10 Player of the Year in back-to-back seasons. Senior Jessica Yanz was named an AVCA Honorable Mention All-American along with A-10 Setter of the Year and A-10 Tournament MVP honors. Senior Becky Novacek was named the A-10 Student-Athlete of the Year. Senior Amanda Cowdrey joined Fletemier, Yanz, and Novacek as First Team All-Conference and All-Tournament team selections.
Creighton Volleyball Team Receives First Top-25 Votes In Year-End Poll
OMAHA, Neb. -- The Creighton Volleyball team earned national recognition for its recently completed season, earning three votes in the year-end AVCA Top-25 Poll. It marks the first time in program history the team has shown up in the national poll.
Twenty-five teams are ranked, and Creighton was one of next 11 teams in the "Others Receiving Votes" category, putting the Jays at 36th overall. Teams must appear on at least two of the 60 ballots to be listed in the poll. Four-time national champion Penn State was a unanimous No. 1 selection in the year-end poll, finishing ahead of fellow Final Four qualifiers California, Southern California and Texas.
Earlier in the week, the year-end RPI released by the NCAA had Creighton 32nd overall.
"The goal is that our program becomes a regular in the top-25, and this is a step in that direction," said Creighton head coach Kirsten Bernthal Booth. "Much of the credit goes to our administration, fans and student-athletes who have helped build our program to what it has become."
Creighton finished the 2010 season with a 21-12 record, including a win over then-No. 16 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament and a second-round loss to then-No. 12 Minnesota. The Cyclones finished 25th in the final poll, while Minnesota moved up to 10th. Northern Iowa was the only other Missouri Valley Conference team to earn votes, finishing 14th in the year-end poll.
AVCA Division I Coaches Top 25 Poll Final Poll: December 21, 2010 Rank School (First-Place Votes) Total Points 2010 Record Last Week 1 Penn State (60) 1500 32-5 8 2 California 1439 30-4 4 3 Southern California 1364 29-5 4 Texas 1306 27-6 6 5 Stanford 1264 27-4 2 6 Washington 1153 23-9 11 7 Nebraska 1120 29-3 3 8 Florida 1031 29-2 1 9 Illinois 954 24-9 14 10 Minnesota 916 26-9 12 11 Purdue 882 24-11 24 12 UCLA 809 22-9 9 13 Hawai'i 744 28-3 7 14 Northern Iowa 616 31-3 10 15 Dayton 547 28-4 13 16 Colorado State 515 26-5 17 17 San Diego 485 24-6 18 18 Duke 454 27-7 NR 19 Ohio State 388 24-12 NR 20 Tulsa 345 31-3 22 21 Oklahoma 302 23-11 NR 22 Missouri 264 22-11 NR 23 Indiana 210 23-12 NR 24 Tennessee 182 25-7 19 25 Iowa State 153 20-9 16 Others Receiving Votes and appearing on two or more ballots: LSU 125; Cincinnati 120; Michigan 71; Arizona 58; Northwestern 44; Cal State Fullerton 36; Oregon 23; Louisville 19; Long Beach State 15; Florida State 13; Creighton 3.
Lady Vol Volleyball Team Finishes 2010 Ranked No. 24 by AVCA
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – After earning the highest national seed in school history and making its sixth NCAA Tournament appearance in the past seven seasons, the University of Tennessee volleyball team earned a year-end ranking of No. 24 in the nation in the final American Volleyball Coaches Association poll released Tuesday afternoon. The Lady Volunteers have now been ranked for 18 consecutive weeks dating back to 2009, which stands just one week off the school record of 19 set from 1982-84. They were ranked in all 16 polls this year, marking just the second time in program history and first time since 1983 that they have been rated as a top-25 squad for an entire season. The Big Orange finished the 2010 campaign with a 25-7 overall record, tallying the program’s most wins since it went 32-3 in 2004. The Tennessee offense was the best in school history, posting a .291 attack average to break the previous record of .286 set in 1980. That hitting percentage ranked seventh among all 328 NCAA Division I schools, while UT’s assists per set (13.55) and kills per set (14.54) averages both stood as the eighth-best in the country. Individually, the postseason accolades were plentiful in 2010, led by a trio of AVCA All-Americans. Senior Nikki Fowler was the team’s most decorated player, claiming AVCA Third-Team All-America accolades to go along with being named the 2010 SEC Co-Scholar Athlete of the Year, an ESPN/CoSIDA Academic All-American and an All-SEC First Team selection for the third straight year. Earning AVCA Honorable Mention All-American status were junior Kayla Jeter and senior Leah Hinkey. Jeter joined Fowler on the All-SEC First Team, while Hinkey was tabbed to the league’s second team. Junior Amanda Friday, meanwhile, was named to the SEC Community Service Team, and first year Lady Vol Kelsey Robinson was chosen as a member of the conference’s all-freshman squad. Tennessee has now finished the season with a top-25 ranking in each of the past two years and sixth time in program history. Prior to last season, the Orange and White last did so in 2005 when it finished sixth after a run to the NCAA Final Four. It also finished 10th in 2004 and 14th in both 1982 and 1983. For the complete poll, visit: http://www.avca.org/divisions/division-one-women/poll-12-21-10/ ##LADY VOL VOLLEYBALL##
Duke Volleyball Team Ranked No. 18 in Final AVCA Poll
Duke Ranked No. 18 in Final AVCA Poll December 21, 2010 DURHAM, N.C. – After a run to the NCAA Regional Final and an ACC Championship, the Duke volleyball team landed the No. 18 rank in the final AVCA Division I Coaches Poll, as announced by the American Volleyball Coaches Association on Tuesday. The Blue Devils (27-7, 16-4 ACC) won their third ACC Championship in the past five years before embarking on the best NCAA Championship run in program history. The Blue Devils defeated High Point 3-0 and Ohio 3-2 in the opening rounds of the 64-team national tournament and took down Missouri 3-1 to reach the NCAA Regional Final in University Park, Pa. Only the third team in ACC history to reach the Regional Final and the fourth to reach the Round of Eight, Duke fell to eventual NCAA Champion Penn State, but not before becoming the only team in the entire tournament to win a set against the Nittany Lions. Penn State, which won its fourth consecutive NCAA Championship after sweeping both opponents at the National Semifinals and Finals, took down Duke 3-1 on its home court to end the Blue Devils’ season. Duke was last ranked in the AVCA Coaches Poll on November 26, 2007, at No. 22 during a season that saw the Blue Devils reach as high as No. 13. Duke has received votes in the poll for the entire 2010 season and cracked it for the first time on Tuesday. -d-u-k-e-
