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8.26.03.PDF
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LET THE GAMES BEGIN All 10 WAC teams will be in action this week after Hawaii started the season last week at home against two ranked teams. This week, nine of the 10 teams will be participating in tournaments. Hawaii, Fresno State and Boise State will all be hosting tournaments. Nevada and Rice will both travel to California for tournaments, the Wolf Pack in Fullerton and the Owls in San Diego. SMU travels south to Winston-Salem, N.C., for the Wake Forest Invitational, while Tulsa travels to Ohio for the Dayton Flyer Classic. Louisiana Tech remains instate to play in the Louisiana-Lafayette Tournament. San Jose State will host Santa Clara on Aug. 30. UTEP will be playing both at home and on the road as part of the Borderland Invitational.
HAWAI`I'S WILLOUGHBY BREAKS SCHOOL CAREER KILL RECORD In the first WAC match of the 2003 season, No. 2 Hawaii defeated the Kansas State Wildcats, 30-26, 30-23 and 30-23 to advance to the State Farm Women's Volleyball Classic/NACWAA final. Senior left-side hitter Kim Willoughby broke the career UH record for kills, formerly held by Teee Williams. Willoughby got her 28 kills on 39 attacks for a hitting percentage of .564, while adding nine digs. Lily Kahumoku had 14 kills, eight digs and three blocks while hitting .324. Kanoe Kamana`o played well in her first collegiate match, putting up 42 assists, six digs and two blocks. Lauren Duggins added seven kills and six digs while Melissa Villaroman led the way with 11 digs.
TOP STAT LEADERS The following are the returning statistical leaders in the WAC from 2002.
In hitting efficiency, seven of the top 10 hitters are back, led by Hawaiis Lauren Duggins (.396) and Maja Gustin (.350), who finished No. 1 and No. 2 in the WAC, respectively. Duggins .396 is the highest hitting percentage in the WAC since Hawaiis Angelica Ljungquist hit a WAC-record .417 in 1996. Hawaiis Kim Willoughby ranked third (.342), followed by teammate Lily Kahumoku (.333 - sixth), Tulsas Dana Weddle (.310 - seventh), Fresno States Kristen Fenton (.301 - eighth) and Louisiana Techs Megan Rush (.300 - ninth).
Nine of the top 10 kill leaders are back, once again led by Hawaiis Kim Willoughby, who is a two-time WAC leader. After setting the WAC record with a 7.20 kpg average in 2001, Willoughby averaged 6.31 kpg in 2002. Teammate Kahumoku was second, averaging 5.27 kpg. Rices Rebeca Pazo also returns (4.93 kpg - fourth) along with UTEPs Jennifer Abbruzzese (.4.22 kpg - fifth), followed by Fenton (3.84 kpg - sixth). San Jose States Kimberly Noble was eighth, averaging 3.73 kpg, followed by Louisiana Techs Cristine SantAnna (3.58 kpg - ninth) and Weddle (3.55 kpg - tenth).
Nevadas Jill Couwenhoven, Fresno States Whitney Arena and UTEPs Michelle Norman are the only assist leaders missing from this seasons returners. SMUs Jessica Mihm is the top returner in assists (12.28 apg - second), followed by San Jose States Lindsey Rule (11.63 apg - fourth). Rices Rebekah Neal finished fifth with an average of 11.47 apg, followed by Louisiana Techs Lia Mora (11.28 apg - ninth) and Tulsas Vanessa Thon (10.77 apg - eighth).
Six of the top 10 blockers return, including Fresno States Carrie Hartt, who was first in the league, averaging 1.36 blocks per game. Also returning is Duggins (1.33 bpg - second) and Rices Rebecca Kainz (1.27 bpg - third). Nevadas Salaia Salave`a, the WACs Freshman of the Year, finished fifth (1.17 bpg), followed by Gustin (1.07 bpg - seventh) and Rices Catherine DuPont (0.98 - tenth).
The WAC record for digs was broken last season by SMUs Kristen Peterson (4.38 dpg). She is one of two leaders not returning this season. Eight of the top 10 dig leaders return led by UTEPs Abbruzzese who finished second in the league, averaging 3.67 dpg. Also returning are Tulsas Araujo (3.58 dpg - fourth), Hawaiis Melissa Villaroman (3.52 dpg - fifth), Fresno States Tina Brennan (3.40 - sixth) and Pazo (3.36 dpg - seventh). Tulsas Evyn Bandy and Willoughby were tied for eighth, averaging 3.35 dpg, while Thon finished tenth (3.33 dpg).
RETURNING ALL-WAC PLAYERS Of the 12 first-team all-WAC players in 2002, six will return for the 2003 season, including Hawaiis Kim Willoughby, the WACs Player of the Year, and teammates Lily Kahumoku and Lauren Duggins. Rices Rebeca Pazo and Fresno States Kristen Fenton and Carrie Hartt also return from the 2002 first team. Seven of the second-team all-WAC performers will also return this season, including Hawaiis Karin Lundqvist and Melissa Villaroman. Louisiana Tech has a pair of all-WAC returnees in Lia Mora and Cristine SantAnna. Also returning are Nevadas Salaia Salavea, UTEPs Jennifer Abbruzzese and Rices Rebecca Kainz.
AROUND THE COURT News and notes from around the league:
Fresno State opens its 2003 season Aug. 29-30, with the Fresno State Invitational. The Bulldogs, who open at home for the first time since 1993 and for the ninth time overall, will battle New Mexico on Fri., Aug. 29, at 7:30 p.m. before facing Idaho State (2:30 p.m.) and Cal Poly (7:30 p.m.) the following day.
In her 13th season as head coach of the Fresno State volleyball program, Lindy Vivas will look to become just the third WAC coach to amass 300 career wins. Vivas, who has guided the Bulldog volleyball program to six post-season appearances and seven 20-win seasons, enters the year with a 299-207 career mark.
In 2003,
Boise State's home in the 1970s, '80s and first half of the '90s, Bronco Gym, has been renovated to include fresh paint on the walls, new lights, a new sound system, and a refinished floor. The Bronco volleyball team is moving back to that facility, where the Broncos were 373-306 from 1975 through 1996, made two post-season tournament appearances and tallied 14 winning seasons in 22 years. The Broncos are looking forward to the teams return, from the Pavilion where the Broncos have played for the past six years, back into the friendly confines of Bronco Gym.
Hawaii continues its grueling non-conference schedule, hosting the 16th annual Hawaiian Airlines Wahine Volleyball Classic, starting with a 7 p.m. match against No. 6 Minnesota on Friday, Aug. 29. The match will be preceded by a match between No. 22 Louisville and No. 13 UCLA. The Rainbow Wahine look to improve upon their 1-1 record against ranked teams.
Louisiana Tech senior outside hitter Cristine SantAnna needs five kills to reach the 1,000 kill mark in her career as the season begins. Louisiana Tech plays 17 of its first 18 matches away from home this year. The Lady Techsters went 15-6 in non-conference action a year ago. Tech is 15-2 against instate opponents under head coach Heather Mazeitis. The Lady Techsters play two instate opponents in the season opening tournament at Louisiana-Lafayette. Tech returns five starters and eight letter winners off of last years squad that posted a 19-16 mark.
Nevada's 2003 squad returns eight letterwinners from last year's 22-10 squad that advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the third time in school history and second consecutive year. Five starters return in Laura Wooley, Salaia Salave`a, Kellie Burton, Christine Harms, and Lindsay Holda. Salave`a earned second team all-WAC honors a year ago and was the WAC Freshman of the Year. Seven of the 14 players on the 2003 roster come from the state of Nevada with four being from Reno, one from Sparks and the remaining two are from Fallon.
Rice will be led on the court once again by junior returning starter, and all-WAC first-team honoree, Rebeca Pazo. Pazo enters the season ranked among the top-10 in career kills and hitting percentage. Also back for the Owls is fellow classmate Rebecca Kainz. Kainz was a second-team all-WAC selection in 2002, and led the Owls blocking corps with 119 blocks last year.
San Jose State graduating senior Stephanie Pascucci and Nevada baseball player Taylor Pullins have been named as the 2002-03 Western Athletic Conference Stan Bates Award winners. The award is named in honor of former WAC Commissioner Stan Bates. The award honors the WAC's top male and female scholar-athletes and recognizes the recipients athletic and academic accomplishments. In addition, the awards carry a $2,000 postgraduate scholarship. Pascucci is currently an assistant coach with the Spartans.
SMU will join the fight against cancer with Ace for the Cure, raising money for breast cancer awareness and cure research through donations and bids per aces (season total). The squad will be on SMU's campus and out in the community asking for donations with all proceeds going to the Susan G. Komen Foundation. In the programs seven-year history the team has averaged 166.7 service aces per season, and the 2002 squad served up 162 aces.
UTEP opens the season this week, coming off an 11-14, 6-7 WAC season. This will be the second season for head coach Scott Swanson. UTEP should benefit from improved depth as it returns six letterwinners, including two-time all-conference second-team selection Jennifer Abbruzzese, as well as two redshirts and four newcomers. Abbruzzese, a preseason first-team all-WAC selection, is just 62 kills shy of breaking the school career record. Also back from last year's squad is senior Megan Brock. She led the team in blocks in 2002 with 63, while starting all 25 matches.
Tulsa returns one senior, Natalia Araujo, and a quintuplet of juniors, Kristin Bailey, Lindsay Eaves, Patricia Marques, Vanessa Thon and Dana Weddle, will lead the Golden Hurricane in 2003. Last season, Araujo set a school single season record with 405 digs. Thon finished the season with a school-best 51 service aces, while Weddle became the first Hurricane to ever record a hitting percentage over .300 for the year. Weddle recorded a team-high 376 kills in 2002 in route to a .310 hitting percentage.
TERRIFIC TOURNAMENTS The following players have been named to all-tournament teams:
Lily Kahumoku , UH State Farm Women's Volleyball Classic
Kim Willoughby, UH State Farm Women's Volleyball Classic
*Most Outstanding/Valuable Player
IMPROVEMENTS Tulsa and Louisiana Tech had the WAC's biggest overall record improvements. The Golden Hurricane ended the 2001 season with an overall record of 11-14. This season, Tulsa was 20-13. The Lady Techsters finished their first season in the WAC 8-20 in 2001. One season later, Louisiana Tech ended the season 19-16. Fresno State also made an improvement, ending this season 23-7 and advancing to the NCAA Tournament. Last season, the Bulldogs ended the season 14-10.
2003 WAC PRESEASON VOLLEYBALL AWARD WINNERS NAMED The Western Athletic Conference volleyball coaches selected their 2003 preseason award winners. For the second-straight season Hawaii senior left-side hitter Kim Willoughby earned preseason Player of the Year honors.
Hawaii, which was picked to finish first in the WAC in 2003, led all schools with four players on the all-WAC preseason team. Fresno State, which was picked to finish second, placed two players. Eight of the 10 WAC schools placed at least one player on the preseason team with Boise State, Louisiana Tech, Nevada, Rice, San Jose State and UTEP each placing one.
Willoughby, a native of Napoleanville, La., has also earned the 2001 and 2002 WAC Player of the Year honors, as well also being named and a first-team all-WAC selection. She and teammates Lily Kahumoku and Lauren Duggins were also 2002 AVCA All-Americas. Willoughby led the WAC in kills (688) and kills per game (6.31).
Along with Willoughby, five other first-team all-WAC honorees return this season, including Hawaiis Lily Kahumoku and Lauren Duggins, Fresno States Carrie Hartt and Kristen Fenton and Rices Rebeca Pazo. Nevadas Salaia Salave`a, Louisiana Techs Lia Mora and UTEPs Jennifer Abbruzzese are all second team all-WAC selections that were named preseason all-WAC.