IDAHO’S CONWELL EARNS WAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORS
Idaho senior outside hitter Sarah Conwell has been named Western Athletic Conference Volleyball Player of the Week for the week of Aug. 31-Sept. 6. This is the first WAC Player of the Week honor ever for Conwell.
The Kent, Wash. (Kentwood HS), native tallied 52 kills, 23 digs and eight blocks over three matches en route to earning all-tournament team honors at the UNLV Alexis Park Classic last week. Conwell averaged league-bests of 4.17 kills and 4.54 points per set as she led Idaho to a 2-1 record, with its only loss coming at the hands of No. 9 UCLA. She opened the week with career highs of 27 kills and 15 digs vs. Loyola Marymount for her first career double-double. She then tallied 11 kills and three blocks in a win over UNLV before closing out the tournament with 12 kills on .353 hitting, five digs and three blocks in a three-set loss to the Bruins.
Other nominees included: Alisha Young of Boise State tallied 18 kills, five digs and four blocks over three matches and was named to the all-tournament team at the Northwest Challenge … Fresno State’s Allanah Munson was named MVP of the Wyoming Cowgirl Invitational after averaging 5.75 assists and 1.33 digs … Aneli Cubi-Otineru of Hawai’i was named to the Hawaiian Airlines Wahine Classic all-tournament team after averaging 2.46 kills and 2.23 digs … Louisiana Tech’s Kara Jones earned all-tournament honors at the Southern Miss Invitational after averaging 2.15 kills on .328 hitting, 1.00 blocks and 0.92 digs … Kylie Harrington of Nevada was named to the Wildcat Classic all-tournament team after averaging 3.00 kills, 2.09 digs and 3.50 points as the Pack went 1-2 … Kayleigh Giddens of New Mexico State averaged 2.75 kills, 0.75 digs and 0.75 blocks in a pair of losses at the Hotel Encanto Volleyball Invitational … Utah State’s Liz McArthur recorded a career-high 19 kills to go with nine digs and four blocks in a five-set win over Brigham Young in the Aggies’ only match last week.
ELEVEN WAC PLAYERS NAMED TO ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAMS IN WEEK TWO
The WAC had 11 of its players named to all-tournament teams in the second weekend of play, including Fresno State’s Allanah Munson, who was MVP of the Cowgirl Invitational. Teammates Lauren Berger and Kelly Leonardo joined Munson on the all-tournament team. Meanwhile, Alisha Young of Boise State was named to the all-tournament team at the Northwest Challenge and Hawai‘i’s Aneli Cubi-Otineru was named to the Hawaiian Airlines Wahine Classic all-tournament team. Sarah Conwell and Alicia Milo of Idaho earned UNLV Alexis Park Classic all-tournament honors, as did KC Clayton and Kara Jones of Louisiana Tech at the Southern Miss Invitational. Rounding out the group were New Mexico State’s Kelsi Phillips (Hotel Encanto Volleyball Invitational) and Nevada’s Kylie Harrington (Wildcat Classic).
HAWAI‘I DROPS TWO SPOTS TO NO. 6 IN NATIONAL POLL
After losing matches to No. 2 Texas and No. 10 California last weekend, the Rainbow Wahine dropped two spots to No. 6 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA)national poll this week. Last week, Hawai’i came in at No. 4, matching the highest ranking for the team since the 2005 preseason poll.
Boise State Broncos (0-6, 0-0 WAC)
The Broncos went 0-3 at the Northwest Challenge last weekend, falling to No. 3 Washington (15-25, 11-25, 12-25), Portland State (17-25, 12-25, 16-25) and Gonzaga (17-25, 25-27, 16-25) ... Alisha Young was named to the all-tournament team after averaging 2.00 kills over the three matches ... Boise State has won only two sets out of 20 it has played so far this season ... The Broncos are led on the season by Young, who averages 2.06 kills per set ... Libero Hamm averages 2.85 digs per set, while Sadie Maughan averages 1.10 blocks per set ... Boise State travels to Los Angeles for the Loyola Marymount Invitational this weekend, where it will face No. 20 UC Irvine, Houston and Loyola Marymount.
Fresno State Bulldogs (5-1, 0-0 WAC)
The Bulldogs went 3-0 to claim the title at the Cowgirl Invite last weekend, defeating North Dakota (23-25, 25-21, 25-17, 26-24), Montana State (20-25, 25-18, 25-16, 25-17) and Wyoming (25-18, 25-12, 23-25, 25-20) ... Senior Allanah Munson was named MVP, her first-ever MVP honor, after recording career highs in hitting percentage and blocks ... Kelly Leonardo and Lauren Berger were also named to the all-tournament team ... The Bulldogs’ start is their best since the 2004 team started out 6-1 ... Fresno State has won three-straight matches, its longest win streak since 2005 and its longest non-conference win streak since 2004 ...The Bulldogs travel to Sacramento, Calif., this weekend for the Hornet Invitational, where they will face Alabama, San Francisco and Sacramento State.
Hawai‘i Rainbow Wahine (4-2, 0-0 WAC)
The Rainbow Wahine went 1-2 at the Hawaiian Airlines Wahine Classic last weekend, defeating No. 19 Saint Louis (25-21, 25-23, 19-25, 25-15) before falling to No. 2 Texas (11-25, 22-25, 25-22, 11-25) and No. 10 Cal (21-25, 16-25, 25-20, 25-17, 11-15) ... Aneli Cubi-Otineru was named to the all-tournament team after averaging 2.46 kills, 2.23 digs and 1.0 blocks ... As a team, Hawai’i leads the WAC in hitting percentage (.261), assists (13.22) and kills (13.83) ... Individually, Amber Kaufman leads the conference in hitting percentage (.410), Kanani Danielson is tops in kills (4.13), Dani Mafua leads the WAC in assists (11.58) and Cubi-Otineru is tops in service aces (0.70) ... The Rainbow Wahine host Weber State, UT-San Antonio and No. 10 Stanford for the Honolulu Advertiser Volleyball Challenge this weekend.
Idaho Vandals (4-2, 0-0 WAC)
Idaho went 2-1 at the UNLV Alexis Park Classic last weekend, defeating Loyola Marymount (25-22, 25-22, 15-25, 21-25, 15-13) and UNLV (25-22, 23-25, 25-16, 25-11) before falling to No. 9 UCLA (21-25, 21-25, 17-25) ... Sarah Conwell was named to the all-tournament team after averaging 4.17 kills and 1.92 digs … Conwell posted her first career double-double with career highs of 27 kills and 15 digs vs. Loyola Marymount ... Alicia Milo was named to the all-tournament team after averaging 2.75 kills ... In the win over UNLV, Kelsey Taylor posted career highs of 14 kills and a .520 hitting percentage ... The Vandals travel across the border to Pullman, Wash., for the Nike Cougar Challenge this weekend, where they will face Washington State and Cal State Northridge.
Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters (6-2, 0-0 WAC)
Louisiana Tech swept Northwestern State (25-21, 25-22, 25-18) last Tuesday, before going 2-1 at the Southern Miss Invitational last weekend, defeating Jacksonville State (25-23, 18-25, 25-22, 25-21) and Sam Houston State (25-20, 23-25, 25-21, 25-12) and falling to Southern Miss (16-25, 13-25, 19-25) ... Kara Jones and KC Clayton earned all-tournament team honors. Jones averaged 2.20 kills, 1.10 digs and 1.10 blocks, while Clayton averaged 2.27 kills, 1.09 blocks and 0.73 digs ... Nataliya leads the WAC with four double-doubles this season ... The Techsters travel to Conway, Ark., for the Sugar Bear Classic this weekend, where they will face Central Arkansas, Air Force, Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Louisiana-Monroe.
Nevada Wolf Pack (2-4, 0-0 WAC)
The Wolf Pack went 1-2 at the Wildcat Classic last week, falling to Arizona (14-25, 17-25, 13-25) and Eastern Washington (25-19, 23-25, 22-25, 21-25) and defeating Houston (25-16, 23-25, 23-25, 25-21, 15-9) ... Kylie Harrington was named to the all-tournament team after averaging 3.00 kills, 2.09 digs and 3.50 points ... In the win over Houston, Harrington tied her career high with 21 kills and added 15 digs to post her first double-double of the season ... The win over the Cougars snapped a four-match losing skid for Nevada ... Harrington has led the Pack in kills in five of six matches this season ... Lindsay Baldwin is now tied for fifth in career block assists with 251 ... The Wolf Pack host the Circus Circus Invitational this weekend, where they will face UC Davis, Sam Houston State and Portland State.
New Mexico State Aggies (3-2, 0-0 WAC)
The Aggies went 0-2 at the Hotel Encanto Volleyball Invitational last weekend, falling to Florida State (17-25, 16-25, 21-25) and No. 8 Illinois (21-25, 15-25, 23-25) ... Kelsi Phillips was named to the all-tournament team after posting 3.67 digs per set ... The two consecutive home losses are the first since falling to Utah and No. 4 Texas in September of 2008 ... Kayleigh Giddens ranks second in the WAC in kills per set (4.06), while Phillips is third in digs per set (3.83) and Jennah DeVries is third in assists per set (9.78) ... The Aggies host UTEP on Tuesday before heading to South Bend, Ind., for the Notre Dame/addidas Invitational this weekend, where they will face Wisconsin and Notre Dame.
San Jose State Spartans (0-5, 0-0 WAC)
San Jose State went 0-2 at the Community Bankers Classic last weekend, falling to Pacific (19-25, 15-25, 19-25) and No. 11 Stanford (12-25, 20-25, 17-25) ... Freshman middle blocker Alex Akana hit .429 with 10 kills on 21 attempts and only one hitting error against the Cardinal ... Taylor Japhet leads the team with 2.59 kills per set, while Caitlin Andrade averages 6.36 assists and Kristal Tsukano averages 3.29 digs ... The Spartans play at Saint Mary’s on Wednesday before playing in the Molten/Hilton Garden Inn Classic this weekend in Berkeley, Calif., where they will face Eastern Washington and No. 13 California... The match against the Bears with be the Spartans’ third against a ranked opponent in as many weeks. SJSU also faces No. 24 San Diego next week.
Utah State Aggies (2-2, 0-0 WAC)
USU defeated BYU (25-18, 21-25, 25-15, 26-28, 15-11) in its only match last week ... Liz McArthur recorded a career-high 19 kills and tied her career high with four block assists ... Emily Kortsen added a career-high 15 kills, while Shantell Durrant posted career highs of 11 kills and nine block assists and Chelsea Fowles had a career-high seven block assists ... Utah State hit a season-high .338 in the match ... Over the last 10 years, Utah State is 75-32 (.701) in the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum, which includes a 17-5 (.773) record against non-conference opponents and a 13-3 (.813) mark against in-state schools ... The Aggies host Utah on Tuesday and Idaho State on Wednesday before traveling to Flagstaff, Ariz., for the Fiesta Bowl Tournament this weekend, where they will face The Citadel, Wyoming and Northern Arizona.
HAWAI‘I FAVORED IN WAC PRESEASON POLL
Hawai‘i, which shared the regular-season crown with New Mexico State a year ago, has been selected in a poll by the league’s coaches to defend its crown in 2009 and take home its 14th-straight regular-season title.
The Rainbow Wahine received eight of the nine first-place votes with New Mexico State earning the other first-place vote. Hawai‘i earned 64 total points followed by New Mexico State with 57. Utah State was picked to finish third with 45 points, followed by Idaho in fourth with 41 points. Nevada was picked fifth with 37 points, while Fresno State was selected sixth with 29 points, just ahead of San Jose State with 28 points in seventh place. Boise State and Louisiana Tech rounded out the poll with 12 and 11 points, respectively.
PRESEASON ALL-WAC
Hawai‘i sophomore Kanani Danielson was named WAC Preseason Player of the Year. This is the fifth-straight season that a Rainbow Wahine player has earned the preseason honor with All-Americans Kanoe Kamana`o (2005, 2006) and Jamie Houston (2007, 2008) each earning the honor in back-to-back years.
Hawai‘i placed the most student-athletes on the 12-player team with five. Along with Danielson, seniors Aneli Cubi-Otineru and Amber Kaufman, junior Dani Mafua and sophomore Stephanie Ferrell earned preseason honors. Cubi-Otineru and Kaufman were all first-team all-WAC selections in 2008, while Mafua was a second-team pick and Ferrell was on the All-Freshman Team.
Nevada placed two players on the preseason team in juniors Lindsay Baldwin and Kylie Harrington, as did New Mexico State with seniors Krista Altermatt and Kelli Goodan. Utah State also had two selections in juniors Chelsea Fowles and Christine Morrill. Senior Anna McKinney of Idaho rounded out the preseason squad.
2009 WAC TOURNAMENT TO BE HELD IN LAS VEGAS
The 2009 WAC Volleyball Tournament will be held Nov. 23-25, at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas and will include the top six teams in the regular-season standings. The championship match will be televised live on ESPNU.
All-session tickets are $45 and can be purchased over the phone (888-234-2334) or online (www.orleansarena.com/event-calendar/wac-volleyball-tournament).
Hawai‘i and Brigham Young are the only teams to have claimed the WAC Tournament title in the event’s 11 years. The Rainbow Wahine own the most titles with nine, including the last eight in a row.
The WAC Volleyball Tournament is a single-elimination event with the top two seeds receiving first-round byes and the champion earning the conference’s automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament.
2009 WAC TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
Monday, Nov. 23 (Quarterfinals)
No. 3 Seed vs. No. 6 Seed 5 p.m.
No. 4 Seed vs. No. 5 Seed 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Nov. 24 (Semifinals)
Winner Match 1 vs. No. 2 seed 5 p.m.
Winner Match 2 vs. No. 1 Seed 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Nov. 25 (Championship)
Winner Match 3 vs. Winner Match 4 6:30 p.m. (ESPNU)
*times local and subject to change
RETURNING ALL-WAC PLAYERS
Of the 12 first-team all-WAC players in 2008, five should return for the 2009 season, including three from Hawai‘i, Aneli Cubi-Otineru, Kanani Danielson and Amber Kaufman. Krista Altermatt of New Mexico State and Lindsay Baldwin of Nevada also return from the first team. Eight of the second-team all-WAC performers return this season, including Katie Astle, Chelsea Fowles and Christine Morrill of Utah State. The other returning second-team honorees are Brianna Amian of San Jose State, Kylie Harrington of Nevada, Dani Mafua of Hawai‘i, Sadie Maughan of Boise State and Anna McKinney of Idaho.
TOP STAT LEADERS
The following are the returning statistical leaders in the WAC from the 2008 season.
In hitting efficiency, seven of the top 10 hitters are back, led by Hawai‘i’s Amber Kaufman (.380), who led the league a year ago. Teammate Stephanie Ferrell (.292), who ranked fifth last year, also returns. The remaining leaders are Idaho’s Anna McKinney (.287- sixth), Hawai‘i’s Kanani Danielson (.286 - seventh), Boise State’s Sadie Maughan (.275 - eighth), Utah State’s Katie Astle (.275 - ninth) and Hawai‘i’s Aneli Cubi-Otineru (.268 - 10th).
Four of the top 10 kill leaders are back for the 2009 season. The top returner is Fresno State’s Baylee Platt, who ranked sixth last year with 3.46 kills per set. Danielson was seventh, averaging 3.02 kps. Kylie Harrington of Nevada was eighth, averaging 2.90 kps, while Fresno State’s Brianna Clarke rounds out the returning leaders in ninth place with 2.87 kps.
Six of the top assist leaders from last season return for the 2009 campaign. Hawai‘i’s Dani Mafua is the top setter to return, finishing last season first in the WAC (11.20 aps). Chelsea Fowles of Utah State was third in assists, averaging 9.49 aps, followed by Fresno State’s Allanah Munson (9.43 - fourth). The remaining leaders are Nevada’s Sonnie Sei (8.90 - sixth) and Louisiana Tech’s Bianca Bin (7.24 - eighth).
Six of the top blockers return, led by Idaho’s McKinney, who was first with 1.42 blocks per set. Nevada’s Lindsay Baldwin was fourth, averaging 1.14 blocks per set, followed by New Mexico State’s Erin Birmingham (1.06 bps - fifth). The remaining block returners are Idaho’s Debbie Pederson (1.05 - sixth), Louisiana Tech’s KC Clayton (1.05 - seventh) and Boise State’s Maughan (1.04 - eighth).
Six of the top 10 servers return, including the top two. Hawai‘i’s Kaufman led the WAC in service aces per set, averaging 0.47, followed by teammate Cubi-Otineru (0.32 - second). Fresno State’s Kasey Van Grouw was sixth, averaging 0.27 saps, followed by Nevada’s Nicole Link (0.26 - seventh) and Lauren Kelly (0.26 - eighth). The remaining top server is Utah State’s Lori Wilson (0.26 - 10th).
Five of the 10 dig leaders return for the 2009 season. Utah State’s Christine Morrill is the top returner (3.79 dps - fourth), followed by Nevada’s Link (3.57 - fifth) and Boise State’s Lauren Hamm (3.49 - sixth). Rounding out the group are San Jose State’s Kristal Tsukano (3.28 - seventh) and Hawai‘i’s Danielson (2.91 - 10th).
GARUS JOINS THE WAC FAMILY
Shawn Garus was named head coach at Boise State on June 30, becoming the ninth head coach in program history. He came from UNC-Greensboro, where he was head coach for the past four seasons. There he recorded three straight winning seasons with 20 or more victories while also leading his team to the Southern Conference finals twice. He also produced five all-SoCon players and 13 SoCon All-Academic honorees in his four-year tenure.
Prior to UNCG, Garus served as the top assistant coach at San Francisco during the 2003 and 2004 seasons, helping the team to a 35-27 record. In 2003, the Dons went 23-8 and Garus helped lead the team to its first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance and first-ever national ranking (No. 24).
Garus also spent time as an assistant at Texas Tech in 2002, helping the Red Raiders to a 14-14 record.
His first collegiate head coaching experience came from 1998-2002, when he directed the program at UC-Colorado Springs. During his time there, he led his team to its best school record of 22-9 in 2001 and first ever postseason appearance, as well as a regional ranking of No. 6.
The Glendale, Calif., native is a 1995 graduate of Cal State San Bernardino, where he played four years on the Coyotes’ men’s club volleyball team (1991-94). He earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration with a marketing specialization.
Continuing his playing career after college, Garus played in several Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) Tour events from 1994-2003. He was the top-ranked player in Colorado from 1999-2001 and had a career-best 13th-place finish at the 2001 AVP Michigan Open.
REGIONAL, SEMIFINAL/CHAMPIONSHIP SITES SELECTED
The NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Committee announced the following sites for regional and semifinal/championship competition of the 2009 NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Championships.
Regionals (4): Dec. 11-12, 2009
Host: University of Florida
Stephen C. O’Connell Center
Gainesville, Fla.
Host: University of Minnesota
Sports Pavilion
Minneapolis, Minn.
Host: University of Nebraska, Lincoln
Qwest Center
Omaha, Neb.
Host: Stanford University
Maples Pavilion
Stanford, Calif.
Semifinals and Championship: Dec. 17 and 19, 2009
Co-Hosts: University of South Florida and Tampa Bay Sports Commission
St. Pete Times Forum
Tampa Bay, Fla.