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College Volleyball Games Scheduled For Tuesday September 7

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College Volleyball Games Scheduled For Tuesday September 7

 

University of Kentucky Volleyball Team Visits Cincinnati Tuesday
Final non-conference road match of the season

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The 16th-ranked Kentucky volleyball team will travel to Cincinnati, Tuesday for its final non-conference midweek match of the season for a 7 p.m. ET tilt. The Wildcats and Bearcats will meet for the second consecutive season with UK earning a thrilling five-set victory a year ago at Memorial Coliseum.
The Blue and White have posted four consecutive victories which include wins over South Florida and Ohio State. Senior Lauren Rapp has paced the squad earning MVP honors of the Kentucky Classic behind a pair of double-double efforts in UK’s three wins at the tournament. Rapp also struck for her 1,000th career kill against South Florida to become the 14th player in school allure to achieve the feat.
 
With three victories over Miami (OH), South Florida and Ohio State the Blue and White captured the Kentucky Classic for the second consecutive season. The Wildcats have now won three consecutive home tournaments over the last three seasons under coach Craig Skinner. Senior Lauren Rapp led the team for the week with three matches of double-figure kills, two double-double efforts and claiming MVP honors of the Classic Tournament. Freshman Whitney Billings continues to shine for the Wildcats as she paced the offense with double-digit kills in all four matches. Freshman Stephanie Klefot has continued to anchor the back-line defense which included a career-high 21-dig performance in a win over Miami (OH).
 
Cincinnati owns a 6-1 overall clip for the season and the lone loss suffered came at the hands of San Diego State which sits just out of the top-25 poll. The Bearcats are paced by Stephanie Niemer’s 4.23 kills per frame on .381 hitting. Cincinnati averages 15.14 kills per set and uses a .316 hitting percentage. Emily Macintyre leads the defense with 3.36 digs per set, while the squad posts 2.45 blocks per set.
 
In 2009’s meeting, the No. 17 Kentucky volleyball team rallied from a 2-0 deficit to capture its seventh consecutive win as they snatched a 3-2, (21-25, 27-29, 25-23, 25-22, 15-9) victory over Cincinnati in front of 1,099 fans at Memorial Coliseum.
 
It was Kentucky's veterans who paved the way for the Blue and White to remain perfect on the year. Kentucky showed tenacity in fighting back from the largest set deficit of the season as Blaire Hiler came off the bench to provide a much needed spark and rattled off three consecutive points in the decisive fifth set. Classmate Lauren Rapp posted 10 kills and added three blocks.
 
With the match tied at two sets apiece Kentucky showed the dominance on display all season. UK used a match-high .526 hitting percentage and 12 kills to claim the 15-9 set win and the match victory. Hiler led the set with five kills and Gretchen Giesler chipped in with three.
 
Follow along all season long with the Wildcats at UKathletics.com.

 

 

Auburn Volleyball Travels To Troy Tuesday For Mid-Week Match

AUBURN, Ala. – Auburn volleyball continues its 10-match road swing
Tuesday as the Tigers travel to Troy to take on the Troy Trojans in a 7
p.m. face off.

“This will be a good, mid-week road test for the team after a weekend
filled with tough competition,” head coach Wade Benson said. “We
played Troy at the start of the season and I believe that it will be a
tougher team we see, especially on their home court.”

Auburn (6-2) holds a 4-0 series record against Troy (3-4).The Tigers
opened the 2010 season with a three-set win over the Trojans at the War
Eagle Invitational in Auburn, Aug. 27.  Last season, Auburn recorded a
three-set victory against Troy in Auburn.

2010 BLUE RAIDER BASH
The Auburn volleyball team went 2-2 this past weekend at the Blue
Raider Bash in Murfreesboro, Tenn., on the campus of Middle Tennessee
State University. The Tigers opened the tournament with a 3-0 loss to
Miami (Fla.) Friday night and then followed with a 3-0 loss to Duke on
Saturday afternoon. The Tigers turned it around Saturday night as the
team defeated host MTSU in a five-set thriller. Auburn closed out the
weekend with a three-set sweep of Southern Miss on Sunday afternoon.
Junior Kelly Fidero led the Tigers with 36 total kills and was second on
the squad with 10 blocks. For her efforts, she was named to the
all-tournament team. Freshman Camila Jersonsky recorded a .571 attack
percentage and finished with 20 kills on 28 attempts for Auburn.

UP NEXT
The Tigers continue their road swing as Auburn heads to Charleston,
S.C., for the final in-season tournament of the year. The Tigers face
Oregon State Friday at 3:30 p.m. CT and then closes out the weekend
Saturday with a 12 p.m. CT match against host College of Charleston and
a 4:30 p.m. CT match with Cincinnati.

SCOUTING TROY
Troy enters Tuesday’s match with a 3-4 overall mark and finished the
weekend with a 2-1 record. The Trojans hosted the Troy University
Spiketacular, Sept. 4-5< and defeated Western Illinois and McNeese State
in three sets each. Troy closed out its own with a three-set loss to the
University of Evansville.

Devin Von Pingel leads the Trojans with 62 total kills and has a .328
attack percentage on the season, while tallying team-best 71 digs and 14
total blocks so far. Setter Megan Henderson has a team-best 181 assists
on the year and libero Courtney Cohen has 71 digs overall.

 

Alabama Volleyball Team Hosts Alabama A&M on Tuesday
 
Crimson Tide looks to continue its winning streak at home when it welcomes the Bulldogs to the CAVE
 
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The Alabama volleyball team (4-2) returns to action Tuesday, Sept. 7 when it hosts Alabama A&M (2-4) at 7 p.m. CT in the CAVE. The Crimson Tide enters the match fresh off its Bama Bash title where Alabama went 3-0 defeating Toledo, Furman and UAB. The Bulldogs are coming off a 2-1 weekend at the Jaguar Classic in Mobile, Ala., where they posted wins over UNC-Asheville and South Alabama.
 
“Having this short turnaround time will be a good test to see how we react as it is similar to how match play will be once we enter the SEC portion of our schedule,” said Alabama head coach Judy Green. “We are excited to hit the court again on Tuesday for our next match.”
 
The Tide showed much improvement from the first weekend of competition to the Bama Bash as Alabama knocked off the Rockets and Paladins in three sets and the Blazers in four sets. The Tide combined to hit .300 for the tournament where it averaged 15.1 kills per set. After collecting just 4.0 total blocks in the first tournament, Alabama racked up 20.0 in the Bama Bash for an average of 2.0 per set. In addition, the Tide registered 17 service aces in the three matches.
 
Redshirt sophomore Leigh Moyer and sophomore Kelsey Anderson were both named to the Bama Bash All-Tournament Team, with Anderson garnering MVP honors. Moyer had the match of her career against UAB where she collected 12 kills and zero attack errors for an overall hitting percentage of .923. Anderson scooped up 55 digs throughout the tournament in addition to six assists, two service aces and one kill. Both senior Alyssa Meuth and sophomore Kayla Fitterer recorded 33 kills total, while senior Kayla Schmidt was the Tide’s leader in assists with 73.
 
After going winless in its opening tournament, Alabama A&M picked up a pair of victories with a 3-1 win over South Alabama and a five-set win over UNC-Asheville at the Jaguar Classic. In the Bulldogs win over the Jaguars, sophomore Clarissa Moore tacked on a team-high 14 kills, while senior Rose Corneille added a match-best 21 digs. In the Bulldogs’ second win, it would be junior Karensa Beckford leading the team in kills with 18. Once again Corneille was Alabama A&M’s top defender collecting 20 digs against UNC-Asheville. Both Moore and Beckford were named to the Jaguar Classic All-Tournament Team.
 
Tuesday’s match marks the fifth overall meeting between Alabama and Alabama A&M with all four previous contests going in favor of the Tide by 3-0 decisions. The two teams first met in 2004 and most recently met last season.
 
Season tickets are still available for $30 and can be purchased at the door this week in addition to RollTide.com the Alabama Ticket Office at 1-877-TIDETIX (843-3849). Single match tickets are available 90 minutes prior to the start of the match at the door. The cost is $3 for adults and free for students and youth ages 18 and under. For those unable to attend, live scoring will be available on RollTide.com.
 
--UA--

 

 

 Ball State Women's Volleyball Team Hosts IUPUI Tuesday

►CARDINALS PLAY PAIR OF MATCHES THIS WEEK: The Ball State women’s volleyball team continues play this week with a pair of non-conference matches . . . Tuesday, the Cardinals host in-state rival and The Summit League member IUPUI at 7 p.m. . . . Saturday, BSU will travel to Dayton, Ohio, to battle regional foe and Horizon League member Wright State at 4 p.m.

►FOLLOW THE ACTION: Ball State fans have a new way to follow the women’s volleyball team this season, with Ball State All-Access streaming video . . . All of Ball State’s home matches will be streamed live through ballstatesports.com starting with the Active Ankle Challenge . . . A subscription to Ball State All-Access is needed to watch the matches, with prices starting at $9.95 a month . . . Fans can also watch Saturday’s match at Wright State through The Horizon League Network.

►BALL STATE VS. IUPUI: The Cardinals hold an 11-2 advantage in the all-time series versus IUPUI, including a 3-0 (25-20, 25-22, 25-23) road win in the most-recent meeting Sept. 15, 2009 . . . Prior to last season’s victory, the Jaguars had won the previous two meetings . . . Ball State holds a 7-1 edge in matches played in Muncie, Ind., including a 4-1 mark in Worthen Arena . . . IUPUI’s only win in Muncie was a 3-1 victory Sept. 9, 2008.

►BALL STATE VS. WRIGHT STATE: The Cardinals have a 12-6 edge in the all-time series versus Wright State, despite a 3-0 (30-24, 30-28, 30-22) setback in the latest match Sept. 19, 2006 . . . Prior to the loss, the Cardinals had won the previous three meetings between the two programs . . . Ball State is 3-4 all-time in matches played in Dayton, Ohio, with its last road win in the series coming Sept. 1, 2004.

►PICKING UP WHERE HE LEFT OFF: Ball State head coach Steve Shondell picked up right where he left off at Burris Laboratory School, winning his first six matches with the Cardinals . . . As the head coach for Burris, Shondell racked up an 1183-95 record over his 34-year career from 1976-2009 . . . He coached the Owls to 21 state championships, including 13 straight Indiana Class 2A titles . . . The Owls won four national championships (1990, 1992, 1997 and 2004), and finished with undefeated records seven times (1985, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1997, 2004 and 2009).

►SCOUTING THE CARDINALS: Last weekend, the Cardinals (6-0) captured the 2010 Active Ankle Challenge with sweeps of Tennessee State, Robert Morris and Oakland . . . For their efforts in the two-day event, Kelsey Brandl was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player, while Kylee Baker and Alyssa Rio joined her on the seven-member all-tournament team . . . Entering the week, Baker leads the Cardinals with 69 kills and a 3.83 kills-per-set average . . . Brandl is BSU’s top attacker based on percentage, at .425, while she ranks second in kills (60) and kills-per-set average (3.33) . . . Rio enters the week with 88 digs and a 4.89 digs-per-set average . . . As a team, the Cardinals are out-hitting their opponents .290 to .117 on the year, while holding a 14.72 to 9.44 advantage in kills per set.

►SCOUTING IUPUI: The Jaguars (1-7) posted a 1-3 record at last weekend’s IUPUI Hampton Inn Invitational, losing matches to Western Michigan (0-3), Austin Peay (0-3) and Wright State (2-3), while defeating DePaul (3-1) . . . Lindsey Weber leads the team with 82 kills and a 3.04 kills-per-set average, while Kalyse Reimbold is second with 80 kills and a 2.98 kills-per-set average . . . Shari Bernhardt leads the Jaguars’ backcourt with 172 digs and a 6.14 digs-per-set average . . . As a team, the Jaguars are being out-hit .140 to .237 on the season, with opponents averaging 13.86 kills per set compared to 11.64 for IUPUI.

►SCOUTING WRIGHT STATE: The Raiders (3-4) tallied a 2-2 record at last weekend’s IUPUI Hampton Inn Invitational, dropping matches to Austin Peay (1-3) and Western Michigan (0-3) before topping DePaul (3-0) and IUPUI (3-2) . . . Jessica Woods provides a bulk of the Raiders’ offense with 101 kills for a 3.74 kills-per-set average . . . Heidi Splinter is second on the squad with 72 kills and a 2.67 kills-per-set average . . . In the backcourt, Woods also has a team-best 117 digs, while Kenzie Egan is second with 110 . . .  As a team, the Raiders are being out-hit .188 to .196 on the season, despite holding a slim 12.41 to 12.37 edge in kills per set.

►BSU’S TOP CHEF: Freshman outside hitter Kylee Baker continued her stellar offensive play during last weekend’s Active Ankle Challenge, leading the Cardinals with 35 kills over the three matches . . . In the championship match versus Oakland, Baker turned in her best performance to date with career-highs of 16 kills and 11 digs for her first career double-double . . . However, the most impressive stat from the match was Baker’s .444 attack percentage, as she did not commit a single attack error in 36 swings.

►MORE ON BAKER: Through BSU’s first six matches, Kylee Baker leads the team with 69 kills and a 3.83 kills-per-set average . . . She has also compiled a .323 hitting percentage, while adding 2.50 digs per set.

►BRANDL EARNS MVP: Junior middle blocker Kelsey Brandl was named the Most Valuable Player of the 2010 Active Ankle Challenge after turning in a .444 (27-3-54) attack percentage in the event, while blasting 3.00 kills per set . . . She also led the Cardinals with seven total blocks, including four solo stuffs.

►SPREADING THE WEALTH: Junior setter Brittany McGinnis kept opponents guessing for the second-straight weekend as she led the Cardinals to a .304 hitting mark in the Active Ankle Challenge . . . In the championship match versus Oakland, McGinnis guided the Cardinals to a season-high .339 attack percentage, with the team committing just eight total attack errors (six errors and two blocks).

►TOPPING 1,500: With her second dig versus Robert Morris, senior libero Alyssa Rio became just the fourth player in program history to reach 1,500 career digs . . . Rio finished the Active Ankle Challenge with a tournament-best 54 digs, raising her career total to 1,538 . . . She needs 42 more digs to pass Amanda McCormick’s (2005-06) career total of 1579 for third on BSU’s all-time list . . . Rio also ranks third in program history with 74 career matches with double-figure digs.

►DEFENSIVE DOMINATION: BSU’s defense continued to dominate at the Active Ankle Challenge, limiting its three opponents to a combined .114 (87-51-317) hitting mark . . . BSU has held five of its opponents below .170 this season, including a -.084 (14-21-83) mark from Tennessee State . . . For the season, BSU is limiting its opposition to a .117 rate of success, while connecting at a .290 clip on offense.

►GOOD START: Ball State is off to a 6-0 start for the first time since 1989, which ties as the second-longest season-opening winning streak in program history . . . The longest winning streak to open a season came in 1973, when the Cardinals collected victories in their first 10 matches.

►SET STREAK: Ball State is a perfect 18-for-18 in sets played this season . . . The 18-set winning streak is the fourth-longest in program history . . . The longest set winning streaks in program history are 23 (11/3/93 - 11/27/93), 21 (10/9/04 - 10/30/04) and 19 (10/27/00 - 11/17/00).

 

 

Baylor Volleyball Set to Host TCU on Tuesday

Baylor (3-4) vs. TCU (3-3)
Sept. 7  | Waco, Texas | Ferrell Center (6,000)
 
 
GAME CENTER: Match 8
MEDIA INFORMATION
Date: Sept. 7, 2010
Location: Waco, Texas
Arena: Ferrell Center (5,700)
Internet Audio: www.BaylorBears.com
Internet Video: www.BaylorBears.com
Talent: Larry Little (pxp)
Live Stats: www.BaylorBears.com
 
THIS WEEK'S TOP FIVE- Baylor enters the week after taking on three top 25 teams at the Diet Coke Classic in Minneapolis, Minn. The Bears won at least one set in each match, but lost 3-1 to No. 8 Minnesota on Friday, then 3-1 to No. 20 Dayton and 3-2 to No. 22 Northern Iowa on Saturday. It marked the first time BU has played three straight top 25 opponents since November 2007.
- Libero Caitlyn Trice is on a record-setting pace so far this season in the digs category. She leads BU and the Big 12 in both digs and digs per set. The senior has racked up 175 digs, 63 more than any individual in the Big 12, along with an average of 6.25 per set, 0.62 ahead. Elizabeth Graham is also a league leader in blocks (43) and blocks per set (1.54).
- Despite a 3-4 record in 2010 against non-conference opponents, seventh-year head coach Jim Barnes has compiled an astonishing non-conference record of 62-17 (.785) during his tenure. Included in that mark is an 11-0 non-conference record BU put together to start the 2009 season, ending the year 13-1 overall in that department.
- Libero Caitlyn Trice has been a force in the back row for Baylor, tying the four-set match record for digs twice this season. The senior is playing libero for the first time in her career and has recorded double-digit digs in all seven matches, over 20 digs five times and over 30 digs on three occasions.She had 32 in five sets against UNI and 31 in four sets against SMU and Dayton.
- With three losses at the Diet Coke Classic in Minnesota, Baylor’s record dropped to 3-4 on the season, marking the first time the program has been under .500 since Oct. 13, 2007.
 
THIS WEEK'S OPPONENT
TCU
The Horned Frogs enter the non-conference match with a 3-3 record, including sweeps over Houston, McNeese State and Alcorn State. Two of the three TCU losses are to top 25 opponents, No. 2 Texas and No. 21 LSU. The other loss came to Central Arkansas at home in TCU’s last match.
TCU is led by ninth-year head coach Prentice Lewis. Lewis ranks as the all-time winningest coach in TCU history with a record of 159-108 (.596), including three consecutive 20-win seasons. Lewis returns four starters and the libero from her 2009 squad that compiled a record of 27-7.
The Horned Frogs’ attack is spearheaded by a combination of Kristen and Irene Hester (sisters) and Christy Hudson. Irene Hester leads the team with 56 kills, while Kristen Hester has 45 kills and a team-high .359 hitting percentage. Hudson, who led the team in kills in the first three matches of the year has 48 kills and a .287 hitting percentage. This season, Megan Munce and Meghan Horio have split the setting duties, tallying 91 and 93 assists, respectively.
On defense, Horio leads the team in digs with 70, while Kay Lin Connolly has 49 digs and a team-high 4.08 digs per set. TCU also averages 1.52 blocks per set as a team, led by Kristen Hester’s 0.90 average on 19 total blocks.
Baylor holds a 6-0 advantage all-time in matches against TCU, but the Horned Frogs took the Bears right down to the wire in 2009. In Fort Worth, Baylor took a 28-26 first set, but then lost each of the next two to fall behind. After winning the fourth set 25-9, Baylor held off a late TCU charge to win the fifth set 15-13.

Nicholls State Women's Volleyball Team Concludes Seven-Match Road Swing at Southern on Tuesday

THIBODAUX - The Nicholls State University women's volleyball team (3-3) concludes its season-opening seven match road trip with a visit to Southern (0-1) on Tuesday night.

The Colonels head into the match having already played six straight matches away from home to open the season.  Nicholls opened the year at the 2010 Southern Miss Invitational, dropping matches to Kennesaw State and the host Golden Eagles before a win against South Alabama.

Nicholls followed with another tournament, visiting the 2010 Ragin' Cajun Invitational hosted by UL-Lafayette.  The Colonels pushed their winning streak to three with a come-from-behind five-set win over Houston Baptist and a 3-1 win over Jackson State before losing to the host Cajuns on Sunday.

"One thing we've done well is that we've come from behind," head coach TeAna Tramel said.  "We've put ourselves in positions that weren't very good.  We've been down ten or 15 points at some times, and we've come from behind to win some sets.  It's been good to see the team push themselves and be able to come from behind.  I would like it if we could go out and establish ourselves from the very beginning and control the match."

The Colonels will try to take control against a Southern team that enters the match 0-1 against NCAA Division I competition.  The Jaguars opened the 2010 campaign on Sept. 3 with a 3-0 win against SWAC rival Alabama State.

Following their tilt with the Jaguars, the Colonels will return to Thibodaux to open the home portion of their 2010 schedule.  Nicholls will host the Nicholls Invitational and Nicholls Challenge in successive weekends, marking the first time in school history that the Nicholls volleyball program has hosted back-to-back weekend tournaments.

The Colonels will play host to South Alabama, Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Southern over the weekend for the Nicholls Invitational Sept. 10-11.  The following weekend, the Colonels will welcome Southeastern Louisiana, Louisiana Tech and Houston to Stopher Gym for the Nicholls Challenge.  After hosting Lamar (Sept. 23) and McNeese State (Sept. 25), the Colonels will have played eight consecutive matches at home.

 "I think our girls are excited for the chance to play at home for change," Tramel said.  "It's a good thing and it's a bad thing.  Being on the road so much early in the season, you kind of get used to being on the road.  Your routine gets set in stone.  Coming home can be kind of hard because you have to now balance going to class all day, a quick pregame meal and turning it on for a 7:00 p.m match.  I think it can be a little of a distraction.  But I think once we set foot into that gym and we have our actual fans there, I think that will make up for getting us out of our routine.  But we're excited to come home."

First serve for the Colonels match with Southern is set for 7:30 p.m. at Seymour Gym on the Southern campus.

 

Kansas Jayhawks Volleyball Scheduled to Face Middle Tennessee State in Tuesday Volleyball Action

 

Match notes available at http://www.kuathletics.com/sports/w-volley/spec-rel/090610aaa.html.
 
Just days after earning the tournament title during its own Jayhawk Classic, the Kansas volleyball team (7-0) is set to host Middle Tennessee State (3-4) on Tuesday, Sept. 7 at 6:30 p.m. in one of KU’s toughest matchups so far this season. Last year, KU opened its season with a 3-1 loss at MTSU. The Blue Raiders finished 25-10 in 2009 capped by a trip to the NCAA Tournament.
 
The Jayhawks, who are off to their best start since 2004, will rely heavily on middle blocker Caroline Jarmoc along the front line. The redshirt freshman, who was named MVP of the Jayhawk Classic last weekend, has averaged a .358 attack percentage with 2.21 kills per set. A versatile player, Jarmoc also leads the team with 1.00 blocks per set and is tied for fourth in the Big 12 Conference with 0.50 aces per set.
 
KU’s defense has shined through the first seven matches and currently leads the league holding opponents to a .123 attack percentage. The Jayhawks’ backcourt is led by freshman libero Brianne Riley. She is one of four players digging up over two balls per set averaging 3.38 digs per set.
 
A victory would also put head coach Ray Bechard one win closer to another milestone. The program’s winningest coach, Bechard owns 197 career victories with the Jayhawks as he needs just three more wins to reach 200.
 
 

 

 

This Week in Texas Volleyball

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This Week in Texas Volleyball
5-1 overall (0-0 Big 12)
Ranking: No. 2 AVCA Coaches Poll / No. 2 Volleyball Magazine Poll
 
This week:
Nike Big Four Volleyball Classic (Gainesville, Fla.)
Texas vs. No. 3 Stanford on Friday, Sept. 10 at 6:30 pm Central
Texas vs. No. 6 Florida or No. 1 Penn State on Saturday, Sept. 11 at 5:30 or 7:30 pm Central
 
Last Week at the Texas Invitational:
Texas defeated Florida A&M, 3-0Texas lost to No. 5 Illinois, 0-3
Texas defeated No. 23 Long Beach State, 3-2
 
This week’s media availability:
This week’s media availability is Tuesday, Sept. 7 at 1 p.m. Central at Gregory Gymnasium. Please contact me if you wish to attend so I can coordinate players and coaches arriving early to do interviews prior to practice.
Contact info: spencer.kitley@athletics.utexas.edu or (512) 848-8157.
 
Fast Facts:
· The Longhorns are ranked No. 2 in the most recent AVCA Division I Coaches Poll (Aug. 30) ... UT has now been ranked in the Top 10 for 59 straight weeks and in the Top Five for 33 straight weeks ... Texas has been ranked in the AVCA Top 25 for 95 consecutive weeks, dating back to 2004 ... UT opponents in the poll include No. 1 Penn State, No. 3 Stanford, No. 5 Illinois, No. 6 Florida, No. 7 Nebraska, No. 12 Iowa State and No. 23 Long Beach State ... UT was No. 3 in the preseason poll.
   
· Texas holds the No. 2 spot in the latest Volleyball Magazine Poll (Aug. 31) ...  Big 12 foes in the poll include, No. 8  Nebraska and No. 12 Iowa State ... four of Texas’ non-conference opponents are ranked (No. 1 Penn State, No. 3 Stanford, No. 4 Florida, No. 6 Illinois and No. 18 Long Beach State).
 
· Texas’ win over No. 23 Long Beach State at the Texas Invitational pushed  its all-time program win total to 1,000 victories in its 36 years of volleyball ... UT is one of eight programs to reach that feat (UCLA, Nebraska, Missouri State, BYU, Long Beach State, Penn State and Hawaii)
 
· The Horns loss to No. 5 Illinois on Sept. 4 snapped UT’s 25-match home winning streak at Gregory Gym which dated back to Nov. 1, 2008 … the streak tied for the second-longest home winning streak in Texas history.
 
· Texas posted a 2-1 mark at the Texas Invitational (Sept. 2-4), registering a 3-0 win against Florida A&M, falling to No. 5 Illinois, 3-0 and defeating No. 23 Long Beach State, 3-2 … sophomore opposite hitter Sha’Dare McNeal led the charge for the Horns, hitting at a .353 clip and averaging 2.36 kills, 1.91 digs and 1.00 blocks per-set … junior middle blocker Rachael Adams added 2.21 kills per-set and hit .581, while senior outside hitter Juliann Faucette posted a team-best 3.00 kills per-set … all three earned places on the all-tournament team, with Faucette and McNeal garnering all-tourney honors for the second-straight weekend.
 
· Senior outside hitter Juliann Faucette has now led the Longhorns in kills in five of its six matches in 2010, finishing just one kill off the team lead in the only other match … Faucette totaled a season-best 15 kills in Texas’ victory over No. 23 Long Beach State …
 
· The Horns are picked to finish second in the Big 12 in 2010 by a vote of the league’s head coaches ... Texas’ 91 points finished behind top choice Nebraska’s 98 and just ahead of Iowa State’s 84 ... senior outside hitter Juliann Faucette was chosen as the Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year.
 
 
Hook'em

Holy Cross Volleyball Team Edges NJIT In Five-Set Thriller

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Holy Cross Volleyball Team Edges NJIT In Five-Set Thriller
Crusaders win deciding set by a 17-15 score

September 4, 2010
POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. – Senior Rebecca DeSanti (Hampden, Mass.), senior setter Chelsey O'Donnell (Pittsburgh, Pa.) and sophomore Megan Lynch (Mendham, N.J.) each recorded double-doubles, and sophomore Elizabeth Watters (San Francisco, Calif.) tallied a career-best 30 digs, as the Holy Cross volleyball team defeated the New Jersey Institute of Technology, 3-2, on Saturday afternoon at McCann Field House on the campus of Marist by scores of 25-21, 25-17, 22-25, 20-25 and 17-15.

With the win, the Crusaders continue their best start since the 2001 season with a 3-3 overall record, while the Highlanders fall to 1-4 overall. The Crusaders continue action tonight when they play Marist at 7:00 p.m.Lynch posted a season-best 18 kills and also had 16 digs for her fourth double-double of the season and the 11th of her career, while O’Donnell tallied a season-best 46 assists and a season-best 18 digs for her second double-double of the season and the 21st of her career.

DeSanti had a big match as she recorded her first career double-double with a season-best 12 kills and a career-best 12 digs, while she also had a career-best six service aces to lead all players. Junior Kathleen Colpoys (Scituate, Mass.) was very accurate on the day with 10 kills on 17 attempts with only one error for a team-best .529 hitting percentage. Sophomore Liz Ashton (Milford, Mass.) also had an outstanding match with a career-best 10 kills. Watters’ 30 digs led all players and was a career-best performance. 

NJIT was led by Baaba Hughes who recorded 17 kills and 11 digs, while Janet Snell also posted a double-double with 12 kills and 17 digs. Anna Mercado tallied 40 assists and Audrey Snell had 18 digs.
After the Crusaders won the first two sets, NJIT bounced back and won the next two to force a fifth and deciding set. In the fifth set, Holy Cross jumped out to a 3-0 lead, but NJIT answered with three straight points to tie the set.

With the set now tied at 10-10, NJIT moved out to a 12-10 advantage, but the Crusaders secured two consecutive points to make the score 12-12. NJIT then won two straight points to earn two match points. After the Crusaders fought off the first match point, Watters tied the set at 14-14 with a crucial service ace.

With the set now tied at 15-15, Lynch recorded her 18th kill of the match and then senior Angela Chisholm (Millis, Mass.) clinched the victory with a service ace as the Crusaders won the set 17-15.For all the latest updates on the Holy Cross volleyball team or any other of the school’s 26 varsity sports, log on to

www.GoHolyCross.com.

Sauls' Double-Double Leads to UT Arlington Volleyball Team Sweep Over Louisiana Tech

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Sauls' Double-Double Leads to UT Arlington Volleyball Team Sweep Over Louisiana Tech

 

Bianca Sauls recorded a double-double, guiding UT Arlington to a 3-0 sweep over Louisiana Tech on Friday night at Texas Hall.
 
The senior outside hitter was the brightest star in the match, ending the night with 12 kills and 14 digs.
 
“She was very good,” UTA coach Diane Seymour said. “We knew if we got our middle blockers involved, that would help her to become more offensive as well – give her some more opportunities on the outside.
 
“I’ll reiterate again how well she is returning serve for us. That has not always been her strong point, but it’s something we have spent a lot of time working on and it’s paying off.”
 
Sauls also had plenty of support.
 
The newfound balance in UT Arlington’s offense helped the Mavericks coast to their second straight win – a 25-20, 25-19, 25-23 win over the Bulldogs.
 
Raegan Daniel found success in a wide distribution of passes, earning 33 assists and helping five different Mavericks obtain at least seven kills.
 
The spread-out offense also created a higher attack percentage for the Mavs (2-3). They hit .280 through the first two sets before falling to .216 to finish the match.
 
Tara Frantz, Emily Shearin and Eld-hah Kaswatuka posted nine, 10 and eight kills, respectively.
 
“We created some split situations for our outside hitters and Bianca and Tara and Eld-hah all jump very well and are able to hit the ball very hard tonight,” Seymour said. “If we provide them some one-on-one opportunities, there’s a good chance they’ll be able to put balls away from us.”
 
Daniel and Alicia Shaffer each finished with double-figure dig totals. Daniel had 11 and Shaffer finished with a match-high 19.
 
“We talked about it with our team,” Seymour said. “That was one opportunity that we knew would provide us better opportunities to win was if we could dig more balls. We certainly worked on it a lot this week. Today Alicia was digging close to seven balls a game.
 
“I think for her to be one of the top liberos in the conference and for us to win, she needs to dig about five balls a game. If she could keep up that pace, it would be incredible.”
 
Kassia Pinto led Louisiana Tech (2-3) with 13 kills.
 
UTA plays again Saturday at noon when it hosts UT Pan American (1-4) in the third game of the UT Arlington Maverick Classic. The Mavericks also host Mississippi State (5-0) at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday.
 
With two UTA wins already, Seymour’s team now shifts its focus on winning the first of its two home tournaments in 2010.
 
“I think the biggest thing for us is we had a good day today, can we turn around and have another good day tomorrow?” Seymour said. “We play well at home at Texas Hall, but there’s a mental part of playing back-to-back good days as well.
 
“I think it will be a good experience for us to come back tomorrow morning and match up against a pesky Pan-Am team and then try to finish it out against a quality SEC opponent. It would make us feel pretty good going into next weekend.”

TCU Volleyball Team Rolls Past Alcorn State

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TCU volleyball team Rolls Past Alcorn State
Horio tallies first career double-double
 
FORT WORTH, Texas – The TCU volleyball team got the weekend started on a strong note with a dominating 3-0 (25-3, 25-11, 25-6) victory  over Alcorn State. Jordan Raines keyed the offensive attack with a career-high nine kills. Meghan Horio notched the first double-double of the season for the Frogs with 22 assists and 12 kills.
 
The Frogs put on an offensive show against the Lady Braves as they hit .522 (39-4-67) in the match, a mark that ranks third all-time in school history. Hannah Fort blasted seven kills, while Sloane Sunstrum delivered six. Kristen Hester led the charge at the net with five total blocks. Seeing time as the libero in two sets, Kay Linn Connolly pitched in with eight digs, while Sunstrum tallied six.
 
It was all Horned Frogs in the first set as they took the early match lead with a 25-3 victory. TCU racked up 13 kills in the set, led by four each from Fort and Raines. Christy Hudson served up two aces to go along with one kill.
 
Sunstrum served the Frogs to a 4-1 lead thanks to kills from Raines and Hudson. With a 5-2 lead, Hudson took the ball to start a 19-0 run. Hudson served the Frogs to a 20-2 lead before giving way to Connolly behind the service line. A blast from Raines locked up the 25-3 set one win.
 
In the second set, the Frogs again tallied 13 kills and racked up three blocks en route to a 25-11 victory. Raines was solid once again, notching five kills on nine swings. Kristen Hester pitched in with four kills and took part in all three blocks.
 
TCU took charge early, racing out to a 13-6 lead. The run was highlighted by a loud denial in the middle from Fort and Kristen Hester and blasts from Raines and Sunstrum. Yvonne Igodan and Emily Kirby joined the party at the net and delivered loud kills to ignite the offense.
 
Alcorn State stayed within seven, 16-9, before Connolly took the service line and pushed the Frogs out to a 21-10 lead. Kristen Hester and Igodan teamed on back-to-back blocks and Raines dropped in a pair of kills to keep the rally going. Raines finished off the set in similar fashion to the first with a blast to the middle of the court.
 
Sunstrum was the star of the third set with five kills to help lead the Frogs to another dominating 25-6 victory to lock up the match. Cheyenne Giesecke served the Frogs to a 4-1 lead, mixing in her first career service ace around kills from Sunstrum and blocks from Kristen Hester.
 
Horio pushed the lead to nine, 13-4, with a strong serve. Igodan and Fort were instrumental in the run with kills and blocks. Sunstrum kept the momentum rolling with a 4-0 run that pushed the Frog lead to 17-5 and Connolly put the game away, serving the Frogs to a 24-6 lead. Hudson’s second kill of the set gave the Frogs the victory.
 
TCU improves to 3-1 on the season. The Frogs will resume tournament play at 7 p.m. Friday night when they host No. 21 LSU. The first 250 fans to the match will receive a rally towel.
 

No. 12 Iowa State Volleyball Team Sweeps Milwaukee, 3-0

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No. 12 Iowa State Volleyball Team Sweeps Milwaukee, 3-0
 
AMES, Iowa – Jamie Straube had a career-high 15 kills and hit a career-best .545 to lead No. 12 Iowa State past UW-Milwaukee, 3-0 (25-15, 25-14, 25-18), Friday afternoon at Ames High School. With the win, Iowa State improves to 2-1.
 
The Cyclones hit .400 as a team for the first time in 52 matches, last accomplishing the feat on Oct. 15, 2008 against Texas Tech. Victoria Henson was also in double-digits with 10 kills and no errors on 21 swings for a .476 hitting percentage. Kelsey Petersen joined the action with eight kills and just one error for a .700 hitting percentage.
 
The Cyclones’ defense was superb, holding Milwaukee (2-4) to a .133 mark. Ashley Mass led Iowa State with seven digs, snapping her 24-match streak of consecutive matches in double figures. The senior All-American has now been in double-digits in 94 of her 97 career starts at libero.
 
The Cyclones hit .290 in the opening stanza but held the Panthers to a -.037 hitting percentage. Straube was the key in the set, ripping seven kills as Iowa State overcame a slow start that saw Milwaukee tally the first three points of the match. The Cyclones went on to win the set 25-15.
 
In the second, Iowa State’s offense was unstoppable. The Cyclones hit .552 as a team en route to the 25-14 win.
 
The Cyclones used 13 players in the final set and went on to win 25-18. Iowa State hit .367 in the frame, with Tenisha Matlock and Taylor Knuth each getting three kills off the bench.
 
Alison Landwehr dished out 43 assists in the win.
 
The Panthers were led by Natalie Schmitting, who had seven kills. Morgan Potter finished with a match-high nine digs.
 
The Cyclones will meet North Dakota State at 6:30 p.m., following the FIU/South Dakota State match.

Liberty Lady Flames Volleyball Team Overcomes George Washington, 3-1

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Liberty Lady Flames Volleyball Team Overcomes George Washington, 3-1
 
   Charlottesville, Va. – Karyl Bacon and Lillie Happel each nabbed double-doubles, helping the Liberty Lady Flames overcome the Colonials of George Washington, 3-1 (25-20, 25-22, 18-25, 25-20), to open the UVA Holiday Inn Jefferson Cup, Friday morning, in Charlottesville, Va.
  Bacon, who tallied 15 kills and 10 digs, now has recorded four consecutive double-doubles to begin the 2010 season. Happel (10 kills, 11 digs), notched her second career double-double, after accomplishing the feat in her first collegiate start against Cleveland State on Aug. 27.
  With the win, the Lady Flames improve to 3-1 on the year, while George Washington drops to 2-2.
  The closely contested match had a total of 35 tie scores and 11 lead changes.
  Despite trailing most of the opening set, the Lady Flames stayed within reach of the Colonials, coming back near the end to seal the 25-20 win.
  Setter Jade Craycraft kicked the match off with a service ace, and a kill by Erica Manor gave Liberty an early two-point lead. The two teams traded the lead for the first 14 points, until George Washington went on a roll, scoring four straight points to take an 11-7 lead.
  The Lady Flames kept the Colonials within reach, finally tying it up at 19-19, on a Bacon kill.
  After several George Washington errors, two consecutive Bacon kills cemented the 25-20 first-set victory.
  Bacon had five kills to lead all players in the first set, and the Liberty defense held George Washington to a .289 attack percentage. Katie Zulandt led the team with four kills, while MacKenzie Knox, Lauren Whyte and Taylor Knox contributed three kills apiece.
  The two teams stayed neck-and-neck for most of the second set, as there were 12 tie scores and six lead changes throughout the frame. The Lady Flames stepped up when it counted, holding on to a narrow lead and taking the 25-22 win for the two-set advantage.
  Bacon once again contributed five kills, while Happel recorded four and Kendle Rollins notched three. Once again, the Lady Flames beat out the Colonials in hitting percentage, .300 to .179.
  The Colonials came roaring back in the third set, refusing to succumb to the sweep. Paced by Zulandt and assisted by Liberty errors, George Washington took a quick 12-5 lead. Liberty struggled to put a string of points together, and the Colonials maintained control to take the 25-18 win.
  The Lady Flames mustered a .100 attack percentage during the third frame, compared to the Colonials’ .304. Loren Thomas led the Lady Flames with three kills, while Zulandt and Whyte recorded four kills apiece to lead the Colonials’ surge.
  Liberty sparked back to life in the fourth set, but the point trade-off seen in the earlier sets returned. The two squads went back and forth to 15-all, until the Lady Flames made a run for a 20-15 lead.
  The Lady Flames took advantage of a couple of George Washington miscues, and Bacon recorded the match-winning kill to give Liberty the victory.
  Aside from Bacon and Happel, Rollins added 12 kills while Thomas recorded nine. Craycraft tallied 47 assists and libero Kelly Haseman made 23 digs, bringing her closer to the career 1,000 mark (she is now at 955).
  Middle blockers Thomas and Rollins had four blocks apiece, and Rollins’ 12 kills ties the career high for the redshirt freshman.
  Whyte led all players with 16 kills, while Zulandt contributed 12 kills and Leah Hill had 11 kills and 14 digs.
  Liberty will return to Memorial Gymnasium this evening, taking on host Virginia at 7 p.m.
 
- LibertyFlames.com -
 
 

University of New Mexico Volleyball Team Loses Tight One To Michigan State, 3-2

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University of New Mexico Volleyball Team Loses Tight One To Michigan State, 3-2
Meeter leads UNM with 18 kills

HONOLULU, Hawaii --- The University of New Mexico volleyball team lost its first match of the Hawaiian Airlines Wahine Classic on Thursday afternoon to Michigan State, 3-2.  Three Lobos reached double digit kills in the match, led by senior Lisa Meeter with 18.  The Lobos dropped to 2-2 on the season, while Michigan State improved to 4-0.

New Mexico came out strong in the first set building up a six-point lead at 18-12.  The Spartans cut the Lobo lead to one, 18-17, before tying up the score at 21-21. Back-to-back blocks by Jade Michaelsen and Taylor Hadfield put UNM up 23-21.  A kill by Kelly Williamson and a double block by Williamson and Ashley Rhoades sealed the first set win, 25-22.  Williamson had five of her career-high 15 kills in the set.

Michigan State took the second set, 25-19, after starting the set with a 9-2 lead.  The Lobos could not get a lead in the set.

Thirteen ties highlighted the third set.   After taking a four-point lead at 20-16, UNM ended up tied at 23, 24 and 25.  Kills by Meeter and Hadfield put UNM up 2-1 in the match with a 27-25 set win.

The Spartans took a 10-5 lead in the fourth set, but junior Allison Buck held serve to get the Lobos to a 13-11 lead.  The teams continued to battle to a 24-24 tie, but a kill by MSU and a UNM error forced the fifth set, 26-24.

The fifth set scoring went back and forth before MSU put down three kills in a row to take a 12-9 lead.  Meeter put in one more kill for the Lobos but a Spartan kill and UNM errors won the match for MSU, 15-10.

In addition to Meeter’s 18 kills, Hadfield had 16 and Williamson had 15.  Ashley Rhoades had a career-high eight block assists.

UNM returns to action on Friday, Sept. 3 against No. 10 USC at 9 p.m. (MT) in the second round of the Hawaiian Airlines Wahine Classic.  The match will be available on the internet for pay-per-view on uhstreaming.oceanic.com.

-UNM-

UCLA Women's Volleyball Team: Sara Sage Spears the Spartans in Sweep

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UCLA Women's Volleyball Team: Sara Sage Spears the Spartans in Sweep

 

SAN JOSE, Calif. - Junior Sara Sage tied a career high with 11 kills, hitting a personal-best .667 with just one error in 15 swings, as the 14th-ranked Bruins swept San Jose State on Thursday at the SJSU/SMC Tournament at Spartan Gym. Set scores were 25-13, 25-18, 25-17.
 
Sophomore Rachael Kidder added nine kills for the Bruins, who improve to 3-1 on the season. Two Bruins had perfect nights, as freshman Kelly Reeves recorded seven kills and no errors in 12 swings (.583 percentage), while senior Dicey McGraw tallied six kills and zero miscues in 11 attacks (.545). Junior Lauren Van Orden was one dig shy of a double-double with 36 assists and nine digs, while junior Lainey Gera produced 13 digs. The Bruins out-hit the Spartans (0-5) .378 to .156.
 
The Bruins never trailed in the opening set. Tied at one, UCLA scored the next five to go ahead 6-1. Sage had a kill, which was followed by back-to-back San Jose State attack errors, an ace by Reeves and a kill by Kidder. After a Spartan sideout, Sage, McGraw and Van Orden had consecutive kills, followed by a SJSU attack error, to make it 10-2. UCLA’s lead reached double figures for the first time at 14-4 after a Reeves spike.
 
The Bruins’ biggest advantage of the set was 12 on three occasions. UCLA was up 18-10 when it scored five of the next six to go ahead 23-11. Kidder had a kill, which was followed by back-to-back aces from sophomore Bojana Todorovic. After a Spartan sideout, McGraw had a kill and senior Amber McBenttez served the Bruins’ fourth ace of the set to make the lead a dozen. UCLA clinched the set on a McGraw kill to win it 25-13. McGraw had four kills in the first, Sage added three and Kidder, Reeves, Van Orden and freshman Mariana Aquino had two apiece. UCLA out-hit San Jose State .407 to .077.
 
San Jose State held an early advantage by as many as two at 5-3, but UCLA made a run and kept the lead for the rest of the set. Down 6-5, the Bruins received a kill from Sage, a Spartan attack error and a McGraw ace to go ahead 8-6. One sideout later, Reeves had back-to-back spikes and a kill by Kidder made it 11-7.
 
The Spartans closed to within one on a pair of occasions, but the Bruins held on to post a 25-18 victory. UCLA led by as many as seven on three occasions. With the score 17-15, the Bruins scored six of the next seven to take a 23-16 advantage. Aquino had a solo and combo block during the run, Sage had a kill and Van Orden posted an ace. The Bruins won the set on a kill by sophomore Mari Hole. Sage led the way in the second with four kills, while Kidder and Reeves had three apiece. UCLA out-hit the Spartans .273 to .125.
 
The Bruins led from start to finish in the third set. On top 5-4, the Bruins scored three straight on back-to-back kills from Sage and a spike by Reeves to make it 8-4. San Jose State cut the margin to a pair at 13-11, but UCLA went on a 3-0 run on consecutive kills by Hole and Sage and a Sage/Van Orden combo roof to go ahead 16-11.
 
The Spartans again cut their deficit to two at 17-15, but the Bruins finished the match by scoring eight of the final 10 points to win it 25-17. Kidder had three kills and a block during the last run, as UCLA won the match on a San Jose State service error. Kidder, Hole and Sage each had four kills in the third set. The Bruins out-hit the Spartans .467 to .156.
 
The Bruins continue play at the SJSU/SMC Tournament on Friday against Saint Mary’s at 5 p.m.
 
--- UCLABRUINS.COM ---
 

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Panthers Volleyball Team Falls In Five Sets To North Dakota

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University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Panthers Volleyball Team Falls In Five Sets To North Dakota

 

DES MOINES, Iowa - Devin Trefz tallied 18 kills as North Dakota earned a hard-fought 25-23, 26-24, 23-25, 29-31, 15-8 win over the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Thursday night at the Knapp Center.

The Panthers (2-2) had successfully fought off six match-point chances for the Fighting Sioux (4-1) in the fourth set but could not pull things out in the fifth frame.

In that deciding fifth set, North Dakota used a 6-0 run to build a 9-4 lead and then never let Milwaukee get closer than three points the rest of the way.

Kerri Schuh had 16 kills while Rachel Neuberger added 13 for Milwaukee, which has played three 5-set matches over its first four contests of the season.

Annika Smed added 11 kills, including the match-winner from the back row. Ronni Munkeby also pitched-in with 11 for North Dakota, which won the Great West Conference last season and is picked to win the league again this season.

Both teams posted strong defensive efforts, as UWM hit just .139 while North Dakota hit .124. In fact, the two squads were forced into a combined 68 hitting errors, with the Fighting Sioux tallying 18 blocks and the Panthers 13. Courtney Halvorson had a match-high 29 digs for the Fighting Sioux, which had 96 digs as a team. Milwaukee had four players reach double figures in digs, led by 18 from libero Morgan Potter.

No. 2 Texas Volleyball Team Blocks Its Way Past Florida A&M, 3-0

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No. 2 Texas Volleyball Team Blocks Its Way Past Florida A&M, 3-0

The Horns total a school rally-scoring record for total blocks in a three-set match as they sweep past FAMU.

AUSTIN, Texas – The second-ranked Texas Volleyball team recorded a UT rally-scoring era record for blocks in three-set match as it swept past Florida A&M, Thursday night at the Time Warner Cable Texas Invitational. Texas registered 20 total blocks in the 25-18, 25-18, 25-10 victory and the Longhorns improved to 4-0 on the season, while the Rattlers dropped to 0-4 overall.
 
The Horns’ mega-sized block total was the most they had posted since recording 20 in four sets against California on Sept. 3, 2009. Senior middle blocker Jennifer Doris headlined the Horns’ joyous ode to blocking with seven total blocks, while sophomore opposite hitter Sha’Dare McNeal tallied six and junior middle blocker Rachael Adams and freshman setter Hannah Allison posted five apiece. On a slow offensive night, senior All-America outside hitter Juliann Faucette highlighted the Texas offense with eight kills on 22 swings and a .318 attack mark
 
In the first, Texas trailed in the early going before a solo and a kill by Faucette paced a 4-0 run and put the Horns in front, 10-8. The Longhorns maintained their lead throughout and ballooned the lead to 20-14 behind a 6-2 run capped by an Adams/Allison block. Texas kept the heat on late and a kill from McNeal closed the door 25-18.
 
The Longhorns were slow out of the gate in the second frame until a kill and a solo block by McNeal on consecutive points gave UT a 12-9 advantage. Texas added a 5-0 run later in the frame to take an 18-14 edge and pushed the margin to 23-16 on a solo block by Allison. Doris recorded a solo to force set point and a FAMU attack error ended the set, 25-18.
 
Texas came out of the gate hot in the third stanza, taking advantage of a 5-0 run fueled by three Doris block assists that put UT ahead, 9-4. Adams had an ‘unreal-world’ performance the rest of the way recording five of her six kills in the set and pacing a 9-1 run with three kills to put UT in front 20-7. Adams added two kills and a solo block down the stretch as part of a 5-2 run that lifted the Horns to a 25-10 set victory.
 
Texas returns to action at the Time Warner Cable Texas Invitational on Friday, Sept. 3 against No. 5 Illinois. First serve is set for 6:30 p.m. Central.
 
POST-MATCH NOTES
· Texas’ win against Florida A&M improved the Longhorns all-time record against the Rattlers to 2-0.
· The Longhorns’ victory extended Texas’ home winning streak to 25 matches, which ties for the second-longest streak all-time at UT.
· UT totaled 20 team blocks in the win to set a Texas rally-scoring era record for most blocks in a three-set match.
· Texas’ victory over FAMU was the 999th in the history of the volleyball program.
· Sha’Dare McNeal’s five block assists and six total blocks both set new career-bests for the sophomore opposite hitter.
· Freshman Sarah Palmer and junior Michelle Kocher saw their first action of the 2010 season during the second set.
 
POST-MATCH QUOTES
Head coach Jerritt Elliott
General statement: We are happy with the results. Looking at the positives, I thought our blocking was really strong and in game three, I thought our commitment to controlling the ball was a lot better. Our serving was more crisp and our patterns were better therefore we were able to get much better rhythm going. We put more pressure on Florida A&M than we did in the first two games.
 
On the team’s height advantage in blocking: It’s a key component.  Blocking has a huge correlation to winning volleyball matches and if you are blocking three balls a game, you’re going to win a lot of games.  We were averaging over six blocks per-game tonight. It really made a difference.  Florida A&M had more kills than us through two sets so even though our offense was struggling our defense on the blocking side was very successful. I thought they responded very well to the conversation we had in the locker room between the second and third sets and as a result we came out strong in the third. 
 
Senior outside hitter Juliann Faucette
On recovering from a slow start: When you recognize that it’s a slow start and the other team is coming at us pretty hard running offense at us, we just talk about it and make sure that each player is stepping up. We can’t just come in here and relax, especially against a team like Florida A&M.  They are really good. They have a lot of foreign players who have been experienced volleyball players that come in here and are ready to play.  If we’re not then we definitely have to step it up. 
 
On their size advantage over Florida A&M: Especially with our practice gym, we’re seeing ourselves hitting high so that’s what we are doing and we have to adjust.  Especially when you’re playing scrappy shorter teams that hit lower to the tape and their getting kills that way. We have to adjust quickly because we aren’t used to that. 
 
 
 
 

Hofstra Volleyball Team: Nikki Kinnier Shines as Hofstra Defeats Iona for First Win

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Hofstra Volleyball Team: Nikki Kinnier Shines as Hofstra Defeats Iona for First Win

Hempstead, NY - Redshirt freshman outside hitter Nikki Kinnier slammed down a match-high 14 kills and added six digs and a .423 hitting percentage to lead the Hofstra Volleyball team to its first win of the season, a three-set sweep of Iona on Wednesday evening at the Volleyball Venue in the Physical Education Building.

Set scores were 26-24, 25-15, 25-21 in favor of Hofstra, which improved to 1-3 this season.  Iona falls to 2-2 with the loss.Hofstra jumped out to a two sets to none lead in the match as the Pride hit at a blistering .403 clip through the first two sets.  Kinnier led the way for the Pride as she notched 11 kills in the first two sets, and totaled a .474 hitting percentage.In the first stanza, Iona led 12-7 midway through following a Hofstra service error before the Pride reeled off 11 of the next 17 points to tie the match at 18 on a kill from freshman outside hitter Shelby Young. 

The two squads would go back and forth until kills from graduate student outside hitter Marina Markovic and senior setter Rachel August allowed Hofstra to pull away for the narrow 26-24 victory.It was all Hofstra in the second set as the Pride jumped out to a 4-0 lead, including a pair of kills from sophomore middle blocker Carolyn Jenkins, and never trailed in routing Iona, 25-15, to take the 2-0 lead in the match.  Kinnier had six kills on nine attempts in the second set, while Jenkins added four kills on seven attempts.The third set featured seven tie scores and four lead changes with Iona using a quick 4-0 run midway through the stanza to turn a 14-13 deficit into a 17-14 advantage. 

Hofstra would slowly chip away at the Gaels' lead and eventually knot the score at 21 following a kill from Young.  In fact, Hofstra would end the set and the match with six straight points, including kills from Jenkins and Young to end the contest.Joining Kinnier in double figures was Jenkins with 10 kills.  August "quarterbacked" the Pride offense to the tune of 37 assists, while sophomore libero Kylee Maneja had 14 digs and senior defensive specialist Jenna Connell added 10 digs. 

Colleen Genett posted 12 kills for the Gaels, while Theresa Harvey chipped in with nine kills and five digs.  Hofstra returns to action on Friday when they travel to the Thunder Invitational Tourney in Huntington, West Virginia. 

The Pride will open play at the tournament against Marshall at 7 p.m. on Friday.

 

Saint Louis Volleyball Team: Marcia E. Hamilton Active Ankle Challenge on Tap at Chaifetz Arena

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Saint Louis Volleyball Team: Marcia E. Hamilton Active Ankle Challenge on Tap at Chaifetz Arena
SLU hosts Creighton, Iowa, Wake Forest

This Week: Saint Louis volleyball opens its home slate with a trio of matches this weekend in the Marcia E. Hamilton Active Ankle Challenge at Chaifetz Arena. The Billikens face Creighton in their home opener, Friday, Sept. 3, at 7 p.m. SLU returns to action Saturday at 9:30 a.m. with a contest against Wake Forest before rounding out tournament action vs. Iowa at 7 p.m.

Tournament Origin: The Marcia E. Hamilton Active Ankle Challenge was created when Dr. John W. Hamilton, a professor in the University’s John Cook School of Business, contributed a major gift to the Billiken volleyball program in honor of his wife, Marcia, who recently lost her battle with breast cancer. The gift honors the legacy of Marcia E. Hamilton by increasing breast cancer awareness and supporting Saint Louis volleyball. 

Following the Action: All Billiken home matches this season will be video streamed live on the Internet via Billiken All-Access at www.slubillikens.com. Subscriptions are available for $79.95 annually or $9.95 a month. Only SLU's matches in the Marcia E. Hamilton Active Ankle Challenge will be available this weekend. All home matches will be available free of charge on GameTracker.

Ticket Information: Tickets for all volleyball home matches can be purchased at the gate, by phone at (314) 977-4SLU or online at www.slubillikens.com. Prices for single-match tickets are $8 for adults and $6 for youth. Groups of 20 or more receive discounted tickets for $4 apiece. Group tickets must be purchased in advance through the Billiken Ticket Office. Students with a valid SLU ID card receive free admission.

Boken Honored: After collecting three double-doubles and being named to the IPFW Invitational All-Tournament team last weekend, senior outside hitter Megan Boken picked up A-10 Defensive Player of the Week plaudits Aug. 31. It is the first weekly league honor of her career. Boken was a defensive stopper at the net and in the back row, posting 13 blocks (1.00 per set) and 47 digs (3.62). She led the Billikens with a .264 hitting percentage and ranked second on the squad with 3.77 kills per set.   

About the Billikens: Saint Louis (1-2) suffered a pair of five-set losses before claiming its first win of the season vs. Tulsa at the IPFW Invitational last weekend. The 2010 Bills, who are one of the youngest Division I volleyball teams in the country with eight freshmen on their roster, have been picked to finish second in the A-10 by the league's head coaches. SLU is the only club in the Marcia E. Hamilton Active Ankle Challenge field that began its season on the road. Junior outside hitter Alyssa Deno paces the offense with 4.08 kills per set, while senior outside hitter Megan Boken adds 3.77 kills per set. Boken, the reigning Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Week, also ranks second on the squad with 3.62 digs and 1.00 block per set. Freshman setter Hannah Kvitle directs the offense with 10.77 assists per set. Sophomore libero Andrea Bolt is the Billikens' top back-row defender with 4.15 digs per set, while redshirt freshman Carly Schumacher is SLU's top net-minder with 1.15 blocks per set.  

Head Coach Anne Kordes: Head coach Anne Kordes is in her seventh season at Saint Louis with a 128-64 (.667) ledger. The 1998 Louisville graduate guided the Billikens to the program's first Atlantic 10 Conference title and NCAA Tournament appearance in 2006. SLU also achieved A-10 regular-season titles and NCAA Tournament berths in 2008 and 2009. A three-time A-10 Coach of the Year (2006, 2008, 2009), Kordes helped her 2008 squad become the first team since 1997 to complete the league slate with an unblemished record. That same season, she earned CVU.com (Collegiate Volleyball Update) National Coach of the Year honors and was named AVCA Northeast Region Coach of the Year. Kordes is the first coach in program history to lead her teams to four consecutive 20-win campaigns. She is joined on the sideline by assistant coaches Kyle Walton and Angela Powers and volunteer assistant Jeannette Abbott.

About the Bluejays: Creighton (1-3), which fell to No. 7 Nebraska 3-0 on Tuesday, won its season opener vs. San Francisco before dropping matches against Lipscomb and Kansas at the Bluejay Invitational last weekend. The Bluejays return four starters, their libero and six additional letterwinners from the 2009 squad, which finished 14-17 overall, 10-8 in the Missouri Valley Conference. Senior right-side/outside hitter Alicia Runge, who leads the team with 4.00 kills per set and a .207 hitting percentage, is the only Creighton player averaging more than 3.00 kills per set. Fellow senior right-side/outside hitter Allie Oelke chips in 2.80 kills per set to go with 4.07 digs per set. Sophomore setter Megan Bober dishes out a team-high 9.67 assists per set in addition to posting 1.07 blocks per set. Senior libero Nayka Benitez digs a team-best 5.27 balls per set, while sophomore middle blocker Heather Thorson is the team's top stopper at the net with 1.33 blocks per set. Head coach Kirsten Bernthal Booth is 121-92 in eight career seasons at Creighton. SLU, which leads the series 3-1, swept the Bluejays in the last meeting in Omaha, Neb. in 2009.    

About the Demon Deacons: Wake Forest (2-1) began the 2010 campaign with consecutive wins over Coastal Carolina and East Tennessee State at its own Deacon Invitational last weekend before falling to Georgia in four sets. The Demon Deacons return five starters, their libero and six additional letterwinners from last season's squad that finished 11-20 overall, 9-11 in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Junior outside hitter Kadija Fornah, a preseason All-Conference pick, leads Wake Forest with 4.18 kills per set. Sophomore middle blocker Andrea Beck, who leads the squad with a .449 hitting percentage, contributes 3.45 kills per set and 1.00 block per set. Junior setter Kelsey Jones dishes out a team-high 9.82 assists per set, while sophomore middle blocker Carlin Salmon paces the Demon Deacons with 1.45 blocks per set. Senior libero Megan Thornberry is the team's defensive stalwart with 3.36 digs per set. Head coach Heather Kahl Holmes is 71-88 in her sixth career season at Wake Forest. This is the first meeting between the Billikens and WFU.  
 About the Hawkeyes: Iowa (3-0) defeated Alabama, Southern Illinois and Green Bay to win its own Hawkeye Challenge last weekend. Junior middle blocker and tournament MVP Mallory Husz was among four Hawkeyes named to the All-Tournament squad. She leads the team with 1.67 blocks per set and adds 3.00 kills per set. Redshirt senior middle blocker Becky Walters is Iowa's top offensive threat with 3.42 kills per set, while also adding a team-high 0.75 service aces and 1.33 blocks per set. Junior setter Paige Stevens directs the offense with 10.33 assists per set, while freshman libero Bethany Yeager leads the club with 5.25 digs per set. Sharon Dingman owns a 30-37 mark in her third season at Iowa. Her 20-year career record stands at 366-249. SLU fell at Iowa 3-0 in 1992 in the only meeting between the teams.

Rookie Starts: When Andrea Beaty, Hannah Kvitle and Carly Schumacher were in the starting lineup for SLU's season opener last weekend, it was the first time since the 2006 season opener that a freshman had been in the starting lineup on opening day. 

Betta' Blockers: In just three matches, SLU has already recorded higher single-match totals for team and individual blocks than it did all last season. The Bills kicked off the season with 10 blocks vs. Milwaukee, tying the 2009 season high. They improved on that figure with 14 blocks against IPFW. The last time SLU recorded at least 14.0 blocks was in 2008 against George Washington. Carly Schumacher's seven blocks against Milwaukee are one more than any Billiken recorded last season. Additionally, Alyssa Deno's 69 swings vs. IPFW are more than any player recorded in 2009.

Double Trouble: The Billikens collected six double-doubles during the first weekend of the season. Megan Boken turned in the first of three straight double-doubles in the season opener against Milwaukee with 16 kills and 12 digs. Boken (17K, 20D), Alyssa Deno (24K, 11D) and Hannah Kvitle (54A, 14D) each recorded a double-double at IPFW. Kvitle (40A, 17D) and Boken (16K, 15D) repeated the feat in the tournament finale vs. Tulsa. 

Among the A-10: Saint Louis ranks among the top five teams in the conference in four statistical categories. The Bills are second with 2.38 blocks per set, third with 12.23 assists and 12.92 kills per set, and fourth with 15.85 digs per set. Individually, Megan Boken ranks among the league's top 10 in four categories. She is third in kills (3.77) and points (4.62) per set, tied for fifth in blocks per set (1.00) and 10th in digs per set (3.62). Meanwhile, Alyssa Deno is second in kills per set (4.08) and fourth in points per set (4.50). Hannah Kvitle is second with 10.77 assists per set, Carly Schumacher is fourth in blocks per set (1.15) and Andrea Bolt is seventh in digs per set (4.15).

Polling Place: Saint Louis, which is slated to play six NCAA Tournament teams from a year ago, received 18 votes in the AVCA Preseason Top 25 Poll.  The Bills have been ranked in the AVCA Top 25 Poll 23 times since 2008. Four of SLU's opponents this season received votes in the latest AVCA Top 25 Poll. Dayton came in at No. 20 with 359 points, while Utah (nine points), Missouri State (seven points) and Oklahoma (six points) were listed among the other teams receiving votes. 

Billiken Veterans: Six players return to the Billiken lineup in 2010. The only six-rotation player reappearing on the roster is senior outside hitter Megan Boken. SLU's junior class consists of outside hitter Alyssa Deno, defensive specialist/libero Ashley Gaillot and setter Amelia Karges. Defensive specialist/libero Andrea Bolt and middle blocker Carly Marcum comprise the Bills' sophomore class.

Fab Freshmen: Saint Louis has one of the largest freshman classes in the country in 2010. PrepVolleyball.com voted SLU's rookies as the No. 18 recruiting class in the nation. SLU's roster features seven true freshmen and one redshirt freshman. Middle blocker Carly Schumacher returns to the lineup after sitting out the 2009 campaign. The true freshmen are outside/right-side hitter Lauren Baumet, middle blocker/outside hitter Andrea Beaty, defensive specialist/libero Grace Bonoma, right-side hitter Emma Goldschmidt, setter/defensive specialist Sarah Knouse, setter Hannah Kvitle and middle blocker Kelsey Toebben.

Holy Cross Volleyball Team Drops 3-1 Decision At Providence

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Holy Cross Volleyball Team Drops 3-1 Decision At Providence

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Holy Cross volleyball team won the first set of the evening, 25-21, but dropped three straight (24-26, 20-25, 18-25), falling to Providence 3-1 Wednesday in Providence, R.I. With the loss, Holy Cross falls to 2-3 overall, while the Friars pick up their first win of the year and improve to 1-4.
Sophomore Megan Lynch (Mendham, N.J.) led the Crusaders with 20 digs and15 kills, recording her third double-double of the season. Senior setter Chelsey O'Donnell (Pittsburgh, Pa.) recorded 30 assists and senior libero Angela Chisholm (Millis, Mass.) had 19 digs. Sophomore Elizabeth Watters (San Francisco, Calif.) had 11 digs.
Providence was led by Lauren Fletcher with 22 kills and Carly Morrison with 38 assists and 14 digs. Shelagh Dolan recorded 11 kills, Emily Morris made 10 digs and Cassie Muzzonigro had 17.
Holy Cross continues action on the road on Sept. 4, traveling to Poughkeepsie, N.Y. to play NJIT at 3:00 p.m. and Marist at 7:00 p.m.