1. Nebraska Cornhuskers (2-0)
Previous Ranking: 1
Results From Last Week: AVCA College Volleyball Showcase – vs.
Tennessee (W, 3-0); vs. UCLA (W, 3-1)
This Week’s Matches: Holiday Inn Downtown Classic – vs.
Creighton
(Fri.); vs. Penn State (Sun.); vs. Cal Poly (Mon.)
Summary: The defending national champions began their title defense in fine
fashion this past weekend, capturing the AVCA Showcase in Omaha, Neb. First up,
Nebraska used visiting Tennessee as target practice, holding them to a
dismal 0.088 hitting percentage and never letting them earn more than 19 points
in the three-game sweep. In winning the program’s 1,000th match overall, the
Cornhuskers had five players hitting over .400, led by AVCA Player of the Year
Sarah Pavan and AVCA First Team All-American Jordan Larson with 14 and 13 kills,
respectively. Against the Bruins, Rachel Holloway continued to set a diverse
attack, dishing out 61 assists while enabling five hitters to tally at least 10
kills. Again, Pavan was the top weapon of choice, hammering out 25 kills from
the right side while also pitching in 12 digs. While former AVCA Player of the
Year Christina Houghtelling struggled to find her hitting groove, she averaged
an impressive 5.00 digs per game over the weekend. Nebraska next hosts the
Holiday Inn Downtown Classic beginning on Friday, featuring an in-state rival
Creighton, national power Penn State, and 2006 Big West Champion Cal Poly.
2. Stanford Cardinal (1-0)
Previous Ranking: 2
Results From Last Week: at Long Beach State (W, 3-0)
This Week’s Matches: Diet Coke Classic – vs. San Diego (Fri.); at
Minnesota (Sat.); vs.
Ohio (Sun.)
Summary: Playing in front of hometown family and friends, outside
hitter Cynthia Barboza helped Stanford sweep Long Beach State to open up the
2007 season. Barboza’s powerful swings from the outside left the 49ers on their
heels, as she racked up 18 kills on a .484 hitting percentage to go along with
her team-leading 10 digs, one block, and one service ace. In addition to dishing
out 45 assists and setting the team to a .427 clip, senior Bryn Kehoe played
incredible defense to the tune of 10 digs and three blocks. Heralded freshman
Alix Klineman had a solid outing for the Cardinal, with seven kills, seven digs,
two blocks, and one service ace and will only get stronger as the season forges
on. Next week, Stanford heads to the Midwest to compete against some stiff
competition, highlighted by Minnesota and its fabulous freshman class.
3. Penn State Nittany Lions (2-0)
Previous Ranking: 3
Results From Last Week: vs. Texas (W, 3-1); vs. Texas (W, 3-1)
This Week’s Matches: Holiday Inn Downtown Classic – vs. Cal Poly (Friday); at
Nebraska (Sunday)
Summary: In one of the most anticipated matchups this season, Penn State
hosted Texas not once, but twice this weekend and came away victorious both
times. In both matches, outsides Nicole Fawcett and Megan Hodge did a
majority of the damage, throwing down 59% of the Nittany Lions kill tally for
the weekend. While Fawcett and Hodge were the main offensive outlets for setter Alisha Glass, middle blocker Christa Harmotto was as impressive putting the ball
away as she was protecting the net. She averaged 3.50 kills on a .535 clip,
while also turning away 1.25 attacks per game. While neither team played
particularly well in the two heavyweight matchups, Penn State was able to gain
the upper hand thanks to good passing and the integration of Harmotto into the
offensive scheme. While Cal Poly will be a tough matchup for Penn State next
weekend at the Nebraska Labor Day, the marquee match-up for volleyball fans
everywhere will be Nebraska on Sunday.
4. USC Trojans (3-0)
Previous Ranking: 7
Results From Last Week: Trojan Invitational – vs.
Michigan State (W, 3-0);
vs. St. John’s (W, 3-1); vs. Loyola Marymount (W, 3-0)
This Week’s Matches: USC Classic Tournament – vs. Cal State Northridge
(Thu.); vs. Duke (Fri.); vs. Mercer (Sat.)
Summary: Last season, Southern California had a powerful lineup at the
antennas, but lacked a true presence in the middle to contend for a Final Four
berth. Enter Zoe Garrett, a 6-2 product out of nearby Laguna Beach (Calif.) who
was the starting middle blocker for the U.S. Junior National Team and with good
reason – she’s a shut-down blocker and a terminal hitter. For the weekend, she
averaged 2.60 kills and 1.10 blocks per game while putting up a team-high .368
hitting percentage and she will only get stronger as the season goes on. Asia Kaczor
picked up where she left off last year, as the 2006 AVCA All-American racked up
4.10 kills per game at a .366 clip in guiding the Trojans to a 3-0 start and the
tournament title at the Trojan Invitational. USC again hosts its own tournament
this weekend, with a showdown with 2006 ACC Champions Duke as the featured
match.
5. Florida Gators (2-0)
Previous Ranking: 5
Results From Last Week: at Illinois State (W, 3-0); at
Notre Dame (W, 3-1)
This Week’s Matches: Campus USA Credit Union Invitational – vs. Georgia Southern (Fri.); vs. N.C. State (Fri.); vs. Santa Clara (Sat.)
Summary: With a four-member senior class leading the way, this is the time
for Florida to shine and deliver head coach Mary Wise a much-deserved national
title. However, the Gators will need to turn up their intensity quite a bit
after a lackluster performance on opening weekend. After an easy win against
Illinois State to open the season, Florida had difficulty against Notre Dame.
Passing issues caused problems throughout the night and setter Angie McGinnis
found it difficult to connect with her middle blockers Kelsey Bowers, Kristina
Johnson, and Kisya Killingsworth. On a positive note, outside hitter Marci
Hampton was a rock at the antennas for Florida, registering a double-double of
20 kills and 16 digs, while Elyse Cusack had a match-high 25 digs. The good news
for Gator fans is there is plenty of time to work out the kinks before December,
starting with their own tournament this weekend.
6. UCLA Bruins (1-1)
Previous Ranking: 6
Results From Last Week: AVCA College Volleyball Showcase – vs.
Utah (W, 3-0);
at Nebraska (L, 3-1)
This Week’s Matches: Hawaiian Airlines Wahine Volleyball Classic – vs.
Louisville (Fri.); vs.
Kansas State (Sun.); at Hawai’i (Mon.)
Summary: With the graduation of All-Americans Nana Meriwether and Katie
Carter, many wondered if the Bruins would be able to continue to compete with
the elite programs this season. The fact that UCLA was able to take a game off
of Nebraska, the defending national champions, proved that this team is still a
formidable opponent. Missing some main components from its lineup, the Bruins
still displayed some great floor defense and pinpoint passing that enabled
setter Nellie Spicer to showcase her impressive skills and make the case that
she is the best setter in the nation. For the weekend, the 5-11 junior averaged
13.00 assists, 4.14 digs, and 1.00 blocks per game to led the Blue and Gold.
Junior outside hitter Ali Daley stepped up her production from the previous
season to give notice that she is looking for All-American recognition,
averaging 4.29 kills and 4.43 digs per game. UCLA looks to defend its title on
the Islands, as it competes in the Hawaiian Airlines Wahine Volleyball Classic
for the 20th straight year.
7. Texas Longhorns (0-2)
Previous Ranking: 4
Results From Last Week: at Penn State (L, 3-1); at Penn State (L, 3-1)
This Week’s Matches: Houston Invitational – at Houston (Fri.); vs.
New Mexico State (Sat.)
Summary: No one will dispute that Texas is talented. No one will argue that
the Longhorns are tall – very tall. What people will debate is just how well Jerritt Elliot & Co. will fare in the NCAA Tournament. Although offense can be
generated at any moment when you have the likes of 6-4 Destinee Hooker on one
end and 6-3 Ashley Engle on the other, defense is surprisingly non-existent and
the number of balls hit out or into the net can rack up in a hurry. For a team
with such height, Texas is maddeningly inconsistent with its block; in the first
match of the season against Penn State, the Longhorns averaged a respectable
3.13 blocks per game; the following night, they only managed a measly 1.75
blocks per game. While there are still pieces to the championship puzzle that
need to be worked out, the offensive abilities of Hooker will always be a
highlight. She averaged a team-leading 4.00 kills per game this past week,
followed closely by freshman wunderkind Julianne Faucette who had 3.50 kills
per. Texas will try to bounce back when it participates in the Houston
Invitational over Labor Day Weekend.
8. Wisconsin Badgers (3-0)
Previous Ranking: 8
Results From Last Week: InnTowner Invitational – UW-Milwaukee (W, 3-0);
Gardner-Webb (W, 3-0); Syracuse (W, 3-0)
This Week’s Matches: BYU Molten Classic – at BYU (Fri.); vs.
Northern Iowa
(Sat.); vs. American (Sat.)
Summary: The competition might not have been top-notch, but Wisconsin was
still able to receive a quality workout on its way to winning its own InnTowner
Invitational for the 13th time in 16 tries. AVCA All-American Jackie Simpson was
awarded the MVP crown after distributing the ball so well this weekend, as seven
Badgers averaged at least 2.00 kills per game in three victories. The 6-0 senior
notched 14.00 assists, 3.00 digs, and 1.00 blocks per game. Outside hitter
Brittney Dolgner was the leading attacker, powering down 4.88 kills per game on
her way to a berth on the all-tournament team. Senior Jocelyn Wack also found
her way onto the all-tourney squad after defending the back row to the tune of
5.44 digs per game, including a weekend-high 20-dig performance against
Syracuse. The competition only gets stiffer from here on out, starting with the
BYU Molten Classic beginning this Friday.
9. Washington Huskies (3-0)
Previous Ranking: 9
Results From Last Week: Husky Classic – vs. San Francisco (W, 3-0); vs.
Fresno State (W, 3-0); vs. Cal State Northridge (W, 3-0)
This Week’s Matches: Gonzaga Tournament – at Gonzaga (Fri.); vs.
Boise State
(Sat.); vs. Morgan State (Sat.)
Summary: While head coach Jim McLaughlin is going to depend a lot on his
All-American superstar Christal Morrison this season, he can take comfort in
the fact that he’ll have plenty of players to turn to after the 2006 Pac-10
Player of the Year graduates. Redshirt freshman Becky Perry and true freshman
Kindra Carlson lit up the competition, combing for 57 kills and 16 blocks in
three matches, while hitting at a combined .490 clip. While the two youngsters
were getting it done offensively, redshirt sophomore Tamari Miyashiro made sure
that the Huskies floor defense did not suffer, averaging 5.56 digs per game,
including a match-high 25 digs in a three-game victory against Fresno State.
Washington continues its cupcake preseason schedule with an instate trip to
Spokane (Wash.) to participate in the Gonzaga Tournament.
10. California Golden Bears (3-0)
Previous Ranking: 11
Results From Last Week: California Molten Classic – vs.
Idaho (W, 3-0); vs.
Northeastern (W, 3-0); vs. Florida International (W, 3-0)
This Week’s Matches: Colorado Invitational – vs.
Central Florida (Fri.); vs. UNC-Wilmington (Sat.); at
Colorado (Sun.)
Summary: California started off its season with a bang, hosting and winning
the California Molten Classic. Senior Angie Pressey captured MVP honors after
putting together an efficient performance over the weekend, hitting .441 while
downing a team-leading 3.88 kills per game. Middle blocker Ellen Orchard and
setter Carli Lloyd earned spots on the All-Tournament team, but for different
reasons. Orchard was an absolute wall for the Golden Bears, turning away 2.69
attacks per game, highlighted by a 10-block effort against Florida
International. Lloyd, who showed no nerves stepping into the position vacated by
four-year starter Sam Carter, ran the Cal offense to perfection, averaging 11.00
assists per game while guiding her squad to a .270 hitting percentage.
California will look to win its second straight tournament when it travels
to Colorado next weekend to compete in the Colorado Invitational.
11. Minnesota Golden Gophers (1-0)
Previous Ranking: 12
Results From Last Week: at Notre Dame (W, 3-0)
This Week’s Matches: Diet Coke Classic – vs. Ohio (Fri.); vs. Stanford
(Sat.); vs. San Diego (Sun.)
12. Cal Poly Mustangs (2-1)
Previous Ranking: 10
Results From Last Week: Shocker Volleyball Classic – vs. Kansas State (L,
3-2); vs. North Texas (W, 3-0); at
Wichita State (W, 3-0)
This Week’s Matches: Holiday Inn Downtown Classic – vs. Penn State (Fri.);
vs. Creighton (Sun.); at Nebraska (Mon.)
13. San Diego Toreros (1-0)
Previous Ranking: NR
Results From Last Week: at Long Beach State (W, 3-0)
This Week’s Matches: vs. Fairfield (W, 3-0); Diet Coke Classic – vs. Stanford
(Fri.); vs. Ohio (Sat.); at Minnesota (Sun.)
14. Purdue Boilermakers (2-1)
Previous Ranking: 13
Results From Last Week: Duke Invitational – vs. Winthrop (W, 3-1); vs.
East Carolina (W, 3-0); at Duke (L, 3-1)
This Week’s Matches: Mortar Board Premier – vs.
Dayton (Fri.); vs.
North Carolina (Sat.); vs. Utah (Sat.)
15. Michigan Wolverines (3-0)
Previous Ranking: NR
Results From Last Week: ASICS Rainbow Wahine Invitational - at Hawai’i
(W, 3-2 ); vs. Oregon State (W, 3-0); vs.
Colorado State (W, 3-1)
This Week’s Matches: Miami (Ohio) University Invitational – at
Miami (Fri.);
vs. Pittsburgh (Sat.); vs.
Wake Forest (Sat.)
Dropped Out: Hawai’i (14); Long Beach State (15)
Player of the Week Honors
AVCA:
Sarah Pavan, Nebraska, 6-5, OPP, Sr.
- vs. Tennessee – 14 kills, .417 hitting percentage, four
blocks two aces, and two digs
- vs. UCLA – 25 kills, 12 digs, three blocks, and one ace
- For the Week – 5.57 kills, two digs, and one block per
game; .382 hitting percentage
Big 10 Conference:
Christa Harmotto, Penn State, 6-2, MB, Jr.
- vs. Texas – 15 kills, .545 hitting percentage, and six blocks
- vs. Texas – 13 kills, .534 hitting percentage, four blocks and two digs
- For the Week – 3.50 kills and 1.25 blocks per game; .535
hitting percentage
Anne Mastandrea, Purdue 5-5, L, Sr. (Co-Defensive)
- vs. Winthrop – 31 digs
- vs. East Carolina – 23 digs
- vs. Duke – 29 digs
- For the Week – 7.55 digs per game
Stesha Selsky, Michigan, 5-10, L, Sr. (Co-Defensive)
- vs. Hawai’i – 24 digs and five aces
- vs. Oregon State – 20 digs
- vs. Colorado State – 25 digs
- For the Week – 5.75 digs and 0.42 aces per game
Big 12 Conference:
Sarah Pavan, Nebraska, 6-5, OPP, Sr. (Offensive)
Christina Houghtelling, Nebraska, 6-2, OH, R-Sr. (Defensive)
- vs. Tennessee – Eight kills and 12 digs, four blocks, and two aces
- vs. UCLA – 10 kills, 23 digs, two blocks and one ace
- For the Week – 2.57 kills, 5.00 digs, 0.86 blocks, and 0.43 aces per game.
Big West Conference:
Lauren McLaughlin, UC Santa Barbara, 5-11, OH, Jr.
- vs. San Diego State – 22 kills, 12 digs, and one block
- vs. Long Island – 19 kills, 10 digs, six blocks, and one ace
- vs. Fairfield – 27 kills, 11 digs, and six blocks
- For the Week – 5.23 kills, 2.54 digs, and 1.00 blocks per game
Pac-10 Conference: Did not announce
Southeast Conference:
Jessica Dorrell, Arkansas, 6-1, OH, Sr. (Offensive)
- vs. Georgia Tech – 19 kills, .300 hitting percentage, six digs, and one block
- vs. Pittsburgh – 13 kills, .400 hitting percentage, eight digs, three blocks,
and one ace
- vs. Pepperdine – 26 kills, .340 hitting percentage, 14 digs, four blocks, and
three aces
- For the Week – 4.83 kills, 2.33 digs, and 1.00 block per game; .339 hitting
percentage
Leah Hinkley, Tennessee, 6-1, MB, Sr. (Defensive)
- vs. Nebraska – Six kills and one dig
- vs. Utah – Eight kills, 13 blocks, and six digs
- For the Week – 1.62 kills and 1.62 blocks per game
West Coast Conference:
Amy DeGroot, San Diego 6-2, OH, Soph.
- vs. Long Beach State – 17 kills, .389 hitting percentage, 10 digs, and two
blocks
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