16th-Ranked Trojans Travel To California, Stanford
November 01, 1999 | Women's Volleyball
Nov. 1, 1999
THE FACTS -- USC (15-5, 10-3 Pac-10) completed a sweep of the Washington schools last week by defeating Washington, 3-0, and Washington State, 3-0, at North Gym. The Trojans had previously defeated the two teams on the road in late September. This weekend, 16th-ranked USC prepares to face California (Nov. 5) and No. 2 Stanford (Nov. 6) in the Bay Area.
DID YOU KNOW? -- Starting outside hitter Antoinette Polk has been one of the most powerful hitters at USC, so just imagine if there were two of her. Well... there is. Polk has a twin sister, Elisha, who is currently a starting outside hitter at Baylor. The only difference between the two is that Antoinette is a natural left-side hitter, while Elisha hits on the right. At the net, Elisha owns a higher kill average (4.13 kpg to 3.88 kpg), while Antoinette averages a better blocking average (0.51 bpg to 0.41 bpg). Elisha has helped lead the Bears to a 20-5 overall record and 5th place (8-4) standing in the Big XII this season.
RANKINGS -- USC enters this week ranked 16th in the USA Today/AVCA coaches poll, moving up one spot. UCLA (No. 7), Stanford (No. 2) and Arizona (tie - No. 19) are the only other Pac-10 teams currently ranked.
USC NEWS & NOTES -- With the two victories, USC ensured its ninth consecutive wining record in the Pac-10 (only Stanford has a longer streak at 14)... Troy owns a 15-match win streak against Cal... Trick or Treat? Halloween weekends have generally been without tricks and rather good to the Trojans who improved the all-time holiday weekend record to 23-7 last week... The Women of Troy rank among the top three teams in the Pac-10 in hitting percentage (No. 3), kills (No. 3), assists (No. 3), digs (No. 2) and winning percentage (No. 3)... USC has played 14 of the season's 20 matches on the road, exemplifying the true meaning of the term "Road Warriors" - this week, the Trojans add two more to the road list.
LAST WEEK -- Three Trojans tallied double-digit kills in USC's 3-0 (15-12, 15-9, 15-8) defeat of Washington last Friday night (Oct. 29) at North Gym. With renewed strength at the net, the Women of Troy out-hit (.309 to .158) and out-blocked (11.0 to 8.0) the Huskies in the one hour, 45-minute match. Posting a .474 attack percentage on the night, OH Kashi Cormier accounted for a career-high 23 kills and recorded 12 digs for her fourth double-double this season. Cormier was accompanied by OH Antoinette Polk (17 kills, .279) and MB Jennifer Pahl (13 kills, .320) who each also added 13 and 8 digs, respectively. OH Janae Henry guided the Trojan defense with a match-high 16 digs, while tieing a personal record with five total blocks in the match. Freshman Lauren Killian led the team at the net with six blocks.
With a 18-kill effort from OH Janae Henry, USC defeated a competitive Washington State squad to earn a 3-0 (15-5, 17-15, 15-11) victory tonight at North Gym. Henry, who posted a .293 attack effort, was accompanied by MB Jennifer Pahl who added 14 kills (.370) and two blocks. For the third consecutive match, both setters were utilized in the win. Starter Tracy Lindquist accounted for 21 assists and guided the team to a 15-5 win in game one. Junior setter Heidi Munneke assumed the duties in game two and tallied 24 assists and a personal-best .833 hitting percentage (5 kills, 6 attacks). USC scored 10-straight points, including seven consecutive points without a sideout, to earn the win in game one. With the score tied at six in game two, the Cougars gained incredible momentum to gain a 14-8 lead and serve for game point. A kill by Pahl stopped the Cougars and returned the ball to the Trojans. USC then embarked on a 6-0 run to again tie the score, 14-14. As the teams traded sideouts, Henry pounded one last kill to end the game, 17-15. In game three, Washington State again kept the contest close, before dropping the final contest, 15-11.
TOP PERFORMANCES -- Last week's top performance came from OH Kashi Cormier who was unstoppable at the net against the Huskies (Oct. 29). Aside from pounding a career-high 23 kills, averaged a .474 attack percentage and had only five hitting errors. She was flawless at the net in the first game after adding seven kills off of seven attacks, and did not post her first error until midway through the second game. Against Washington State, OH Janae Henry added 16 digs and tied a career-high with five blocks (Nov. 1).
TRIPLE-DOUBLES -- Lauren Killian vs. Washington State, 9/31/99 (10k, 10d, 10b)
DOUBLE-DOUBLES -- 36 to date
30+ KILL PERFORMANCES -- Antoinette Polk vs. Washington State, 9/31/99 (30k)
PAC-10 STATS -- Janae Henry (No.2 - 3.58 dpg) and Antoinette Polk (No.4 - 3.44 dpg) rank among Pac-10 defensive leaders, while Henry holds onto the No. 2 spot after adding 23 digs last week. Polk also ranks sixth in kills (3.88 kpg). Other stat leaders include MB Jennifer Pahl and DS Julie Mariani who rank eighth among service ace leaders, each with a 0.32 sapg average.
OPPONENT NOTES -- California is coming off of two decisive victories over Oregon and Oregon State last weekend (Oct. 29, 30). The wins, combined with two victories earlier in the season, marked the first time that Cal has swept Oregon and Oregon State since 1993. Under first-year head coach Rich Feller, the Bears are 10-11 overall and 5-7 in the Pac-10, already having won more matches than in the past four seasons. Last week, the team was led by OH Courtney Guerra who posted a .500 attack percentage against the Ducks, and a .353 percentage against the Beavers. OH Brook Coulter still leads the team in kills (243), aces (34) and digs (266) this season.
Stanford enters this week's matches with a 19-2 overall record, and 11-1 mark in the Pac-10. In its last visit to Los Angeles, the Cardinal endured its only conference loss at the hands of UCLA in a four-game upset. Since then, Stanford has won the last eight matches and has only lost two total games throughout the matches. The team saw two players record outstanding performances against Oregon State (Oct. 30) last week. OH Kerri Walsh tallied 13 kills off of 15 attacks for a .800 hitting percentage, while MB Jennifer Detmer posted 11.0 total blocks in a 15.0 team block effort. As a team, three players average a .300 or better attack percentage, and four average at least 1.19 blocks per game.
SERIES RECORDS -- In the last meeting (Oct. 9), USC swept the Golden Bears 3-0 (15-8, 15-12, 15-10) at North Gym, improving the all-time series record to 27-6 (.818). The Women of Troy have now won 15-straight matches against California. The Bears last victory against USC came at home in 1991. When the Trojans and Cardinal last met on October 8 at North Gym, Troy was swept 3-0 (15-8, 15-6, 15-9) for the first time in 1999. The series now stands at 40-10 in Stanford's favor. USC's last victory came in 1998 at home when the Trojans broke the Cardinal's 23-match win streak.
INJURY UPDATE -- MB Amber Oliver re-injured a right ankle sprain last Wednesday (Oct. 27) during practice. She did see limited playing time last weekend. Her status for this week's matches is yet to be determined.
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 15-5 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: 434 assists, 6.03 apg, .296
? 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.
? Started against both Arizona (Oct. 21) and Arizona State (Oct. 22) and averaged 10.55 apg, while averaging a .333 attack.
#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: 2.16 dpg, 0.32 sapg
? Tied a career-high three service aces against California (Oct. 9).
? Again, posted a career-best three service aces against Arizona State (Oct. 22)
#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: 3.88 kpg (.218), 0.14 sapg, 3.44 dpg, 0.51 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).
? Despite a struggling attack percentage, posted 17 digs against Arizona (Oct. 21) and 20 kills against Arizona State (Oct. 22).
? Added 17 kills and 13 digs against Washington (Oct. 29).
#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: 583 assists, 10.23 apg, .272, 1.86 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.
? Did not start, but rotated in against Washington (Oct. 29) and Washington State (Oct. 30) and averaged 13.8 apg. Collected five kills off of six attacks (.833) against the Cougars.
#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: 1.54 kpg (.250), 0.57 dpg, 1.11 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).
? Provided a spark for the team in the fourth and fifth game against Arizona State (Oct. 22) by serving the game-winning point in the fourth, and recording seven kills and two blocks on the night, including two of the final fifth-game points.
? Led the match with six blocks against Washington (Oct. 29).
#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: 2.03 kpg (.281), 1.30 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.
? Made her first appearance since injury in three games against Arizona (Oct. 21) and added four kills (.333). Made first start against Arizona State (Oct. 22) and led the match with six blocks.
#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: 3.01 kpg (.254), 2.85 dpg, 0.71 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.
? Had a career-high 23 kills (.474) against Washington (Oct. 29) and added 12 digs.
#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: 3.50 kpg (.215), 0.30 sapg, 3.58 dpg, 0.42 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).
? Named USC Athlete of the Week after recording a top performance against Arizona (Oct. 21) with 13 kills off of 30 attacks (.400) and 15 digs. Tallied 20 digs against Arizona State (Oct. 22).
? Had 16 digs against Washington (Oct. 29), then followed the performance with 18 kills against Washington State (Oct. 30).
#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: 3.36 kpg (.295), 0.32 sapg, 1.92 dpg, 1.11 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.
? USC's most consistent performer, she averaged a .365 attack percentage and 2.56 kills per game against Arizona (Oct. 21) and Arizona State (Oct. 22).
? A reliable athlete, she averaged a .346 attack percentage against Washington (Oct. 29) and Washington State (Oct. 30) with 27 total kills.
