Women's Volleyball Travels To Arizona, Arizona State
October 18, 1999 | Women's Volleyball
Oct. 18, 1999
THE FACTS -- After a difficult 3-0 loss to crosstown rival UCLA on Wednesday night (Oct. 13), USC rebounded to defeat Oregon State, 3-1, and Oregon, 3-0, last weekend. The two victories improve the Trojans' record to 11-5 overall and 6-3 in the Pac-10. Already halfway through the 1999 conference schedule, the Women of Troy will again face Arizona on Thursday, October 21 in Tucson, Ariz. at 7 p.m. On Friday, October 22, USC will face Arizona State in Tempe, Ariz. at 7:30 p.m.
DID YOU KNOW? -- Against Oregon State and Oregon, head coach Jerritt Elliot awarded freshman setter Tracy Lindquist the starting position. After leading the team in each nonconference match this season, this marked Lindquist's Pac-10 debut. With an outstanding performance, she is accomplishing something not many volleyball athletes have been capable of... playing excellent volleyball both in the sand and on the court. Lindquist, and partner Chrissie Zartman, are the two youngest beach volleyball players to ever receive a triple AAA rating (the highest possible rating before reaching professional status). The duo is the current Junior Olympic Beach Volleyball Champion for girl's 18 and under.
RANKINGS -- USC remained ranked 17th in this week's USA Today/AVCA coaches poll. The Trojans are still ranked ahead of conference-rival Arizona (No. 18) heading into this week's match. UCLA (No. 6) and Stanford (No. 7) are the only other Pac-10 teams currently ranked.
USC NEWS & NOTES -- Trojans' .500 team attack percentage against Oregon ranks third among all-time program records... With a 6-3 advantage in the middle (UCLA's Tamika Johnson), USC practically matched the Bruins block-for-block with 7.0 total stops, compared to the UCLA's 8.0 in the three-game match... The Women of Troy lead the Pac-10 averageing 17.39 digs per game... USC also ranks among the nation's top-20 in team block average (3.00)... USC has played nine of the season's 16 matches on the road, exemplifying the true meaning of the term "Road Warriors" - this week, the Trojans add two more sites to their travels... USC has appeared in 15 of the last 17 NCAA tournaments.
LAST WEEK -- Despite a 11-kill, 16-dig effort by OH Janae Henry, the Trojans were out-played by UCLA on Wednesday (Oct. 13) at Pauley Pavilion. Unable to take advantage of scoring opportunities, The Women of Troy endured a 3-0 (15-10, 15-10, 15-5) loss to the conference-leading Bruins. Throughout the match, USC struggled to gain momentum. After a loss in game one (15-10), Troy allowed the Bruins to take a 11-3 lead in game two. Not willing to back down, the Trojans rallied to score seven consecutive points following two kills by MB Jennifer Pahl. But UCLA returned to earn the win on a USC block and attack error. The Trojans, plagued by errors in the third game, allowed UCLA to score on six USC attack errors leading to a 15-5 defeat in the final game.
In her conference debut, freshman setter Tracy Lindquist led No. 17 USC to a 3-1 (11-15, 15-6, 15-9, 15-8) defeat over Oregon State in Corvallis, Ore. on Friday (Oct. 15) night. Lindquist, who started for the Trojans during the non-conference season, had the opportunity to establish herself in the Pac-10. Aside from her 59 assists, she posted a career-best four service aces and four kills off of just nine attacks (.444). Lindquist rejuvenated Troy?s offensive attack, guiding four players to tally double-digit kills. OH Antoinette Polk, with a team-high 18 kills, posted her highest attack percentage (.378) since the USC-Tennessee match on September 11.
Led by OH Kashi Cormier?s .786 attack effort, USC defeated Oregon 3-0 (15-3, 15-3, 15-0) in Eugene, Ore. on Saturday night (Oct. 16). The three-game victory extended the Ducks? losing streak to 12 matches in front of an Oregon record crowd of 1,867 at McArthur Court. USC displayed another outstanding offensive performance capitalizing on a team .506 attack percentage and 34 team digs. Troy?s power was driven by Cormier and OH Antoinette Polk who each hit for .786 and .417, respectively. The Trojans only allowed the Ducks to score six total points in the match, the lowest opponent total this season. Oregon was plagued by service errors, while being held to a .143 hitting percentage and 19 team digs in the match.
TOP PERFORMANCES -- It was another career-best weekend for OH Kashi Cormier who has regained momentum in her last five matches. Cormier averaged 3.71 kills and 2.4 digs per game, and posted a .380 average in the three contests. Against Oregon, Cormier topped her former career-best .625 attack percentage (set Oct. 8 against Washington) with a .786 mark, including 11 kills, 14 attacks and no errors. Other top performers were OH Antoinette Polk who posted 18 kills against Oregon State, and setter Tracy Lindquist who averaged 15.43 assists against the Beavers and Ducks.
TRIPLE-DOUBLES -- Lauren Killian vs. Washington State, 9/31/99 (10k, 10d, 10b)
DOUBLE-DOUBLES -- 29 to date
30+ KILL PERFORMANCES -- Antoinette Polk vs. Washington State, 9/31/99 (30k)
TUNE IN! -- The Arizona State-USC match on Friday, October 22 will be televised on Fox Sports Net in the west region at 7:30 p.m. Check cable listings for the appropriate channel.
PAC-10 STATS -- Janae Henry (No.2 - 3.51 dpg) and Antoinette Polk (No.4 - 3.43 dpg) now share the top spot among Pac-10 defensive leaders with ASU's Jami Coughlin (No.1 - 3.56 dpg) and Cal's Brook Coulter (No.3 - 3.44 dpg). Polk also ranks sixth in kills (3.97 kpg). Other stat leaders include MB Jennifer Pahl who ranks fifth in blocks (1.22 bpg) and ninth in aces (0.34 sapg), OH/MB Lauren Killian who ranks tenth in blocks (1.13 bpg), and setter Heidi Munneke who ranks eighth in assists (10.74 apg).
OPPONENT NOTES -- Arizona currently owns a No. 18 AVCA/USA Today national ranking, and ranks third in the Pac-10. The Wildcats, who has never finished higher than fourth in the conference, enters this week's matches with a 12-5 overall record and 6-3 conference mark. Last week, Arizona defeated Cal 3-0, but fell to Stanford, 0-3. Freshman OH Lisa Rutledge and MB Marisa DaLee combined for 30 of the team's 45 kills, and out-hit Cal's entire team 30.0 to 25.0. As a team, Arizona held the Golden Bears to a .029 attack percentage, the lowest mark for an Arizona opponent this season.
With nearly identical results, Arizona State defeated Cal, 3-1, and lost to Stanford, 0-3, last weekend. The Sun Devils, who rank one spot behind the Trojans in the conference, are currently 10-5 overall, and 6-3 in conference play. Junior OH Amanda Burbidge averaged 6.0 kills per game in last week's contests. She also averaged 2.57 digs per game, and a .271 attack percentage. Against Cal, she posted a season-high 25 kills. Burbidge leads the Sun Devils with a 4.69 kills per game average this season.
SERIES RECORDS -- In the last meeting (Sept. 25), Arizona defeated the Trojans 3-1 (15-10, 15-12, 3-15, 15-13) at North Gym. The series now stands at 36-12 (.750) in USC's favor. Following the loss to the Wildcats, USC defeated Arizona State at home on Sept. 24. The 3-1 victory improved the series record to 36-10 (.783) and extends Troy's win-streak to seven matches against the Sun Devils.
INJURY UPDATE -- MB Amber Oliver suffered a sprained ankle (right) during a team practice on Wednesday, September 22. She resumes practice this week and may see playing time on Thursday and Friday.
PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE COACHES -- Jerritt Elliott is serving as interim head coach this season after being a Trojan assistant during the past four seasons under Lisa Love. Love, the Women of Troy's head coach the past 10 seasons, resigned in March of 1999 to concentrate on her associate athletic duties at USC. Following the 2000 Olympics, U.S. Women's National Team head coach Mick Haley will come aboard. Haley led Texas to two national titles during his tenure as head coach of the Longhorns in the mid-1980s.
COACH JERRITT ELLIOTT -- Interim head coach Jerritt Elliott, who has coaching experience at the high school, club, international and collegiate levels, is in his fifth year as a member of the USC staff. He joined the program in August of 1995 as a volunteer assistant and was promoted to assistant coach in 1996. Each season, the Women of Troy advanced to the NCAA regional semifinals and finished ranked in the national top 15. Elliott was an assistant coach on the 1998 U.S. Junior National team which won the NORCECA gold medal and qualified for the World Championships. He also served as director of the Westside Volleyball Club from 1992-95 (he led them to a fourth-place finish at the Nike Volleyball Festival in 1994) and as an assistant coach for the 1993 Cal State Northridge team that lost to UCLA in the NCAA championship match. His high school coaching stints included three years at Marymount High in Westwood, Calif. and one year at Palisades High in Pacific Palisades, Calif. As a player, he earned All-City second- team honors as an outside hitter at Palisades High where he played alongside former USC standout Kevin Shepard and Olympic gold-medalist Kent Steffes. In his first season as a collegiate head coach, Elliott currently owns a 11-5 career record.
#1 Tracy Lindquist (S, 5-7, Fr)
A graduate of Ocean View High in Fountain Valley, Calif., Tracy Lindquist was a Fab-50 selectee and a two-time high school All-American. She and partner Chrissie Zartman are the two youngest players ever to receive an AAA beach rating.
1999 Season Stats: 304 assists, 5.33 apg
? Had her best match against Long Beach State (Sept. 15), during which she collected 58 assists.
? In the first three weeks of the season, she has started in six of seven matches.
? Saw playing time against Arizona State and Arizona in the backrow.
? Lindquist assumed the backup setter role at the start of the conference season.
? Made Pac-10 debut at starting setter against Oregon State (Oct. 17) and Oregon (Oct. 18), and averaged 13.43 assists per game.
#2 Julie Mariani (DS, 5-5, Fr)
Julie Mariani is a defensive specialist from St. Francis High in Los Altos, Calif. As a prep, she earned all-league honors and helped lead her team to two CIF championships.
1999 Season Stats: 2.19 dpg, 0.27 sapg
? Tied a career-high three service aces against California (Oct. 9).
#3 Antoinette Polk (OH, 5-10, Jr)
A 1999 junior, starting outside hitter Antoinette Polk is looking to build on two strong seasons with USC. She is the team's most athletic player and its best leaper (at 5-10, she can dunk on a regulation basketball hoop).
1999 Season Stats: 3.97 kpg (.226), 0.16 sapg, 3.43 dpg, 0.55 bpg
? Tied her career-high with 24 kills against Long Beach State (Sept. 4).
? Named USC Athlete of the Week twice this season (Sept. 7 and Sept. 13).
? Earned all-tournament honors at the Wahine Volleyball Challenge after notching 57 kills (4.75 kpg) and 3.9 digs per game in three matches.
? Led the team with 18 digs against Arizona (Sept. 25).
? Set a career record with 30 kills against Washington State (Sept. 31).
? Posted her eighth double-double of the season against Cal (Oct. 9) with 11 kills and 13 digs.
? Led the team with 18 kills against Oregon State (Oct. 17) and 12 kills against Oregon (Oct. 18).
#7 Heidi Munneke (S, 5-10, Jr)
As a 1999 junior, Heidi Munneke has rotated as USC's starting setter after serving two years as a reserve with the Trojans.
1999 Season Stats: 505 assists, 10.74 apg, 2.00 dpg
? In the first three tournaments of the season, she has appeared in six of seven matches, with one start versus Tennessee (Sept. 11).
? Had three top performances against Hawai'i (48 assists), Nevada (46 assists) and Oral Roberts (42 assists).
? Made her first consecutive start of the season against Arizona State (Sept. 24) and Arizona (Sept. 25).
? Posted a career-high 80 assists against Washington State (Sept. 31), a mark which ranks fifth among USC match records.
? Added five kills without an error against Washington (Oct. 1) for a perfect attack percentage.
#8 Sara Peterson (MB, 6-1, Jr)
As a 1999 walk-on junior, Sara Peterson will is a reserve middle blocker for the Women of Troy.
1999 Season Stats: 0.86 kpg (.500), 0.43 dpg, 0.43 bpg
? Made her 1999 debut against Washington State (Oct. 1) and led the team with a .556 attack percentage and three blocks.
#15 Lauren Killian (OH, 6-1, Fr)
Lauren Killian prepped at Marlborough High School in Los Angeles, Calif., where she earned
1999 Volleyball Magazine Fab-50 honors. Her father, Don, was a member of the 1977 USC national championship volleyball team.
Season Stats: 1.65 kpg (.261), 0.57 dpg, 1.12 bpg)
? Made her first start with the Trojans against Arizona State (Sept. 24) and led the team with a .500 attack percentage.
? Posted a team-high nine blocks against Arizona (Sept. 25).
? Recorded an unprecedented triple-double against Washington State (Sept. 31) with 10 kills, 10 blocks and 10 digs.
? Led the team with 7.0 total blocks against Cal (Oct. 8).
#16 Amber Oliver (MB, 6-5, Jr)
Senior Amber Oliver, a starting 6-5 middle blocker, continues to provide solid performances for USC after recovering from two shoulder surgeries.
1999 Season Stats: 2.22 kpg (.283), 0.22 dpg, 1.48 bpg
? Helped the team to the UNLV Invitational Championship with top performances against both Oral Roberts and UNLV. Led the team in total blocks (12) and attack percentage (.524) throughout the tournament.
? Collected a career-high 13 kills (.458) and six blocks assists against the Rebels. Tied a career mark with six total blocks in each tournament match.
? Suffered a sprained ankle on Sept. 22 during practice and is listed as day-to-day.
#21 Kashi Cormier (OH, 6-0, Jr)
A talented and versatile athlete, 1999 junior Kashi Cormier starts at the outside or opposite hitters position.
1999 Season Stats: 2.91 kpg (.263), 2.73 dpg, 0.69 bpg
? Collected a career-high 20 kills against Hawai'i (Sept. 10), while adding 14 digs.
? Honored as an all-tournament selection at the Wahine Volleyball Challenge.
? After struggling in the first three conference matches, had an excellent showing against Washington (Oct. 1) with 10 kills, six digs and a .444 attack percentage.
? Had her best performance of the season against Stanford with a career-high .625 attack percentage and no errors off of 10 kills.
? Topped her previous career-best performance with an .380 average and 3.7 kills and 2.4 digs per game average against UCLA (Oct. 13), Oregon State (Oct. 15) and Oregon (Oct. 16). Posted a personal-best .786 attack percentage against Oregon with 11 kills and no errors.
#22 Janae Henry (OH, 6-0, Jr)
Junior Janae Henry is a starting outside hitter for the 1999 Trojans. A talented player with a solid all-around game, she continues to be a major contributor to the USC offense.
1999 Season Stats: 3.49 kpg (.209), 0.31 sapg, 3.51 dpg, 0.41 bpg
? Recorded a career-high 24 digs against Nevada (Sept. 9).
? Played one of her best matches against Tennessee (Sept. 11), collecting 14 kills and 15 digs, while hitting .433.
? Topped her previous performance with a 21-kill effort (.436) against Oral Roberts (Sept. 17). She also added 15 digs and two aces in the match.
? Named UNLV Invitational MVP after averaging 4.3 kills and 4.0 digs per game.
? Posted a career-best three aces against Arizona State (Sept. 24), and a team-leading 18 kills against Arizona (Sept. 25).
? Added 20 kills and 16 digs against Washington State (Sept. 31).
? Led the team with 13 kills and 10 digs against Washington (Oct. 1).
? Posted her ninth double-double of the season against Cal (Oct. 9) with 12 kills and 12 digs.
? Led the team against the Bruins (Oct. 13) with 11 kills and 16 digs.
? Posted a match-high 16 digs against UCLA (Oct. 13).
#26 Jennifer Pahl (MB, 6-1, So)
An explosive and dynamic player, sophomore Jennifer Pahl is a starting middle blocker for the Women of Troy.
1999 Season Stats: 3.29 kpg (.279), 0.34 sapg, 1.88 dpg, 1.22 bpg
? Honored as a UNLV Invitational all-tournament selection after leading the team in blocks (12 TB/1.7 bpg) and service aces (4).
? Set four personal career records in the tournament including, a personal best three blocks solos versus Oral Roberts (Sept. 17), and six block assists, seven total blocks and three aces against UNLV (Sept. 18).
? Tied two career records with 10 kills and seven digs against UNLV.
? Named USC Athlete of the Week after accounting for a career-high 18 kills and six blocks against Arizona State (Sept. 24), and leading the team with a .469 attack percentage against Arizona (Sept. 25).
? Had a personal record-breaking performance against Washington State (Sept. 31) 19 kills and 15 total blocks. The block record ranks sixth among USC all-time records.
? Led the team with 10 kills against Stanford (Oct. 8), and a .353 attack percentage against Cal (Oct. 9).
? Averaged 1.2 blocks per game against UCLA (Oct.13), Oregon State (Oct. 15) and Oregon (Oct. 16), including a team-high 7.0 stops against the Beavers.
