No. 8 Volleyball Finishes First Round of Pac-10 Play
June 21, 1999 | Women's Volleyball
October 13, 1998
THIS WEEK - The No. 8 USC women's volleyball team (11-3 overall, 6-1 in the Pac-10 in second place) hosts Washington State (7-9, 4-3) on Friday (Oct. 16) at 6 p.m. and Washington (4-7, 3-4) on Sunday (Oct. 18) at 1 p.m. Both matches will be played in the North Gym.
SERIES NOTES - The Women of Troy are 16-9 in the all-time series with Washington State, while the series with Washington is 18-9.
LAST WEEK - The USC women's volleyball team defeated Arizona State, 15-13, 15-9, 15-10, in a conference match on Friday (Oct. 9) in Arizona. Senior outside hitter Jennifer Kessy led the Women of Troy to victory with 18 kills and 17 digs. Senior middle blocker Jasmina Marinkovic contributed 17 kills, six digs and four blocks. Sophomore Antoinette Polk posted a season-high 15 digs. On Sunday (Oct. 11), the Women of Troy defeated Arizona, 15-8, 15-4, 15-12. Kessy posted 19 kills and seven digs while Marinkovic added 15 kills and seven digs. Sophomore outside hitter Shannon Redfern had a season-high 12 digs.
RANKINGS - USC is No. 8 in the lastest USA Today/AVCA Coaches Top 25 Poll. Washington State and Washington are not ranked.
NOTES - USC is on a seven-match winning streak, the longest winning streak since the nine-match streak at the beginning of the 1997 season. The Women of Troy have suffered all three losses on the road to top 10 teams (No. 2 Long Beach State, No. 7 Wisconsin and No. 9 Stanford). Senior middle blocker Alaina Kipps suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament and will undergo season-ending surgery. Kipps was the team's lead blocker in 1997. Freshman Jennifer Pahl has taken over the vacated middle blocker position. Senior setter Janice Mounts now boasts a 12.71 assist per game average, USC's best all-time. USC has three players in the top 10 in the Pac-10 hitting percentage (Marinkovic, Pahl and Kessy).
PAC-10 PLAYER OF THE WEEK - Senior middle blocker Jasmina Marinkovic has been named the Pac-10 player of the Week for the week of Oct. 12. This is the fourth time she has earned this honor. Only four other Pac-10 players have received the honor more than that. She is tied with teammate Jennifer Kessy for the most times a Women of Troy player has received this recognition. Kessy was named Pac-10 Player of the Week for the week of Oct. 4.
CLIMBING THE CHARTS - Senior middle blocker Jasmina Marinkovic is now second on the USC career charts in block assists and in total blocks and is third in solo blocks. Marinkovic is also eighth on the USC career kill and attack charts. Senior outside hitter Jennifer Kessy is currently third on the USC career attack list, fourth on the dig list and fifth on the kill chart. Kessy needs 21 kills to move into the third spot on the USC career kill chart. She holds the USC record for attacks in a match after collecting 92 during the Wisconsin match (9/12). Kessy needs to average 12.84 kills per match the rest of the season to take the top spot on the USC career list. Senior setter Janice Mounts is second on the USC career assist chart with 3,456.
COACH LISA LOVE - Her players have known her as one of the nation's best volleyball coaches for more than 16 years. Colleagues know her as one of the top athletic administrators in the country. Equally determined and successful on both fronts, Lisa Love, the 1997 Pac-10 Co-Coach of the Year, has perpetuated the tradition of USC women's volleyball while also handling the duties of her position as associate athletic director. She has been USC's women's volleyball head coach since 1989 and was named to her administrative post in June of 1991. She will also complete a two-year stint as the President of the American Volleyball Coaches Association when her term concludes in December. Love has posted an outstanding 192-90 (.681) record with the Women of Troy and an impressive 390-168 (.699) mark in 17 seasons as a collegiate head coach. Love's teams have been nationally ranked in the final Top 20 in 10 of those years and have made nine NCAA regional appearances and 12 NCAA trips overall. Love came to USC in 1989 from Texas-Arlington, where she built the volleyball program into a national contender. She was awarded the highest collegiate volleyball coaching honor when she was named the 1988 AVCA National Coach of the Year for leading UTA to its fifth Southland Conference championship and a Top 10 national ranking.
JASMINA MARINKOVIC - One of the most exciting players in the country, senior All-American middle blocker Jasmina Marinkovic (pronounced Yaz-MEE-nah Ma-RINK-o-VITCH) is a major player in the Women of Troy's 1998 campaign. Known to her friends as Jasna, Marinkovic is an excellent leaper and one of the most athletic middle blockers in the country. She is looking to become USC's first player to earn back-to-back All-American first team honors since Tracy Clark and Kim Ruddins did it in 1984-85. Marinkovic has been named Pac-10 Player of the week for the week of Oct. 12. This is the fourth time she has received the honor. Only four players in Pac-10 history have earned the honor more than that. She is tied with teammate Jennifer Kessy for the most a USC player has been recognized for this honor. She is currently fourth in the Pac-10 in hitting percentage (.347). Against Arizona State (10/9), she tallied 17 kills, six digs and four blocks. She added 15 kills and seven digs in the USC victory over Arizona (10/11). Marinkovic posted 15 kills while hitting a match-high .609 against UCLA (10/2). She posted 15 kills and five blocks in the match against Oregon State (9/25) and collected 12 kills and five blocks against Oregon (9/27). Marinkovic had 24 kills and seven blocks against Stanford (9/18). She is second on USC's block assist and total block charts and third on USC's solo block chart. She is also eighth on USC's career kill and attack charts. She has earned All-Tournament honors in all three tournaments the Women of Troy have played in this season (NACWAA, San Francisco/Saint Mary's College and Wisconsin).
JENNIFER KESSY - An All-American candidate as a 1998 senior, Jennifer Kessy is one of the top outside hitters in the country and one of the most feared attackers in the Pac-10. She was named Pac-10 Player of the Week, for the week of Oct. 4. This is the fourth such honor of her career and she is tied with Jasmina Marinkovic for the most a Women of Troy player has received the honor. Only four players have ever received this honor more than four times in Pac-10 history. She is second in the conference in kills with 5.40 per game. Kessy is currently the team leader in kills (270) and digs (168). Against Arizona State (10/9), Kessy had match highs in kills (18) and digs (17). She added 19 kills and seven digs against Arizona (10/11). Kessy collected 27 kills and 15 digs, helping lead USC to their fourth consecutive win over UCLA (10/2). She posted 14 kills and five blocks against Pepperdine (9/30). She collected 17 kills and nine digs against Oregon State (9/25) and 18 kills and nine digs Oregon (9/27). Kessy had 16 kills and 13 digs during the California match (9/20). She has 44 double-doubles in her career. Kessy holds the all-time USC record for attacks in a match with 92, vs. Wisconsin (9/12). This is also the most attacks in a Pac-10 match this season. She has taken third on the USC career attack chart, is fourth on the dig chart and is fifth in kills. She has been named to the All-Tournament team at all three tournaments the team has played in this season (NACWAA, San Francisco/Saint Mary's College and Wisconsin). As a standout junior in 1997, Kessy was named to the KAEPA/AVCA All-District VIII and All-Pac-10 first teams.
JANICE MOUNTS - Janice Mounts, a 1998 senior All-American candidate, is in her third year as USC's starting setter. A savvy veteran with loads of court experience, Mounts, a Women of Troy co-captain, is one of the top floor leaders in the nation. Mounts' 3,456 assists place her second on the USC career assist list, 235 short of Christine Brigman's record of 3,691. Her assist per game average (12.71) is best all-time, above Brigman's career mark (12.60). She leads the Pac-10 in assists this season with 688 (14.04 per game). Mounts collected 57 assists, six kills and 11 digs against Arizona State (10/9) and had 45 assists and eight digs in the match against Arizona (10/11). She posted 58 assists in USC's victory over UCLA (10/2). She had 92 assists in the two matches against Oregon State (9/25) and Oregon (9/27). She posted 59 assists, 14 digs and four blocks during California match (9/18) and 69 assists, eight digs and two blocks against Stanford (9/20). Against Wisconsin (9/12), Mounts had a season-high 70 assists. She has earned All-Tournament honors at all three tournaments the squad has competed in this season (NACWAA, San Francisco/Saint Mary's College and Wisconsin). In the NACWAA Tournament, Mounts collected 111 assists, 10 digs and six blocks, including 61 assists, six digs and two blocks during the Long Beach State match (8/29). As a 1997 junior, Mounts earned All-Pac-10 honorable mention for the second consecutive season.
ALAINA KIPPS - Alaina Kipps, who suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament during the Indiana match, will undergo surgery and will not return to play this season. Kipps was the team block leader in 1997 and is currently a Women of Troy co-captain. Kipps earned 1997 GTE/CoSIDA Academic All-America second team and District Vlll and Pac-10 All-Academic first team honors.
ANTOINETTE POLK - A 1998 sophomore, outside hitter Antoinette Polk is building on a promising freshman season in which she established herself as one of the top up-and-comers in the Pac-10. She is possibly the most athletic player and best leaper on the team (at 5-10, she can dunk on a regulation basketball hoop). She tallied seven kills and eight digs against Arizona State (10/9). Against Arizona (10/11), Polk collected eight kills and a season-high 15 digs. She had 12 kills and 13 digs against UCLA, her first double-double of the season. She added six kills and 12 digs to the USC win over Pepperdine (9/30). In the two matches against Oregon State (9/25) and Oregon (9/27), Polk posted 13 kills and nine digs. Polk had a career-high 21 kills and added nine digs during the match against California (9/20). Starting as a redshirt freshman in 1997, Polk was named 1997 Pac-10 Freshman of the Year (USC's second such honor. The first was Jasmina Marinkovic in 1995).
SARA STEPHEN - One of the quickest members of the Women of Troy and perhaps its hardest hitter, 1998 senior Sara Stephen is a multi-dimensional player who provides key defensein the back row. A quick player with great leaping abilities, her versatility gives Coach Lisa Love many options. She had a season-high 14 digs in the USC victory over Arizona (10/11). Stephen started in the Stanford (9/18) and California (9/20) matches, collecting 11 digs. She played in both matches at the Wisconsin Tournament, collecting 14 digs and three aces. In 1997, Stephen finished tied for third on the team with 19 aces and fourth in digs with 163.
KASHI CORMIER - Sophomore Kashi Cormier is a contributor at outside hitter this season. In the Stanford (9/18) and California (9/20) matches, Cormier collected 11 digs, three blocks and one service ace. Cormier had a career-best 20 digs against Wisconsin (8/28) and had four block assists. She has had two double-doubles this season (11 kills and 16 digs vs. Wisconsin on 8/28 and 11 kills and 12 digs vs. Long Beach State) at the NACWAA Tournament. In 1997, Cormier was named a Pac-10 All-Freshman honorable mention selection.
JANAE HENRY - Sophomore Janae Henry is vying for time at the outside hitter position. Henry collected five kills and six digs in the two matches against Oregon State (9/25) and Oregon (9/27). She posted 15 kills, nine digs and two blocks in USC's effort against Stanford (9/18). She had her first career start against Wisconsin (8/28) at the NACWAA Tournament to start off the 1998 season. Henry was the 1996 Volleyball Magazine "Player of the Year."
JENNIFER PAHL - One of two freshmen on the roster, Jennifer Pahl has taken over the middle blocker position in the absence of Alaina Kipps. She is currently sixth in the Pac-10 in hitting percentage (.333). Pahl posted six kills, four digs and two blocks in the match against Arizona State (10/9) and had six kills and three blocks against Arizona (10/11). She had eight kills and a career-high six blocks in USC's win over UCLA (10/2). She had four kills and seven digs against Pepperdine (9/30). Adding to the USC win over California (8/20), Pahl contributed nine kills and three blocks. She had a career high 10 kills in the match against Stanford (9/18). As a prep senior in 1997, Pahl was named to Volleyball Magazine's "Fab 50" and was the CIF Division V-AA Co-Player of the year.
SHANNON REDFERN - Walk-on sophomore Shannon Redfern has earned one of the outside hitter positions for the 1998 season. Redfern had a career-tying 10 kills and three digs against Arizona State (10/9) and a career-high 12 digs in the match against Arizona (10/11). She had her first career-start at the outside hitter position against Oregon State (8/25) and posted career highs in kills (10) and blocks (five) while adding a season-high three aces and seven digs. Against Arizona in 1997, Redfern had a USC season-high seven aces, one short of tying USC's three-game match record. Redfern is seventh in the Pac-10 Conference in service aces this season with 12.
AMBER OLIVER - Sophomore middle blocker Amber Oliver has returned to play after redshirting last season to rehabilitate a shoulder injury. Oliver is a welcome returner at middle blocker and is looking to return to the form that made her a force at the net as a blocker and a quick attacker in 1996. At the Wisconsin Tournament, Oliver played in seven games, collecting 11 kills and six block assists.
HEIDI MUNNEKE - An instinctive setter with an exceptional touch, sophomore setter Heidi Munneke will compete for time behind starter Janice Mounts. At the San Francisco/Saint Mary's Tournament, Munneke had 23 assists and four aces in three games.
WALK-ONS - The Women of Troy feature a talented cast of six walk-ons that provide Coach Love with key depth. Cynthia Corpuz, a sophomore defensive specialist, adds speed and quickness in the back row. She collected a career-high 15 digs against Wisconsin (9/12). Corpuz had her first career starts at the San Francisco/Saint Mary's Tournament, playing in all six games. Corpuz has appeared in 40 of USC's 49 games this year. Christine Bohle, a sophomore outside hitter, serves the Women of Troy mainly as a back-row specialist and situational server as she did in the 1997 season. Bohle saw time in two games at the San Francisco/Saint Mary's College Tournament, collecting five kills. A competitive player who can provide a spark off the bench will be sophomore defensive specialist and a reserve setter Ashlyn Dyer, a first-year player. Sophomore middle blocker Sara Peterson is again a solid contributor, adding depth to the blocking ranks. Freshman Emily Dalbeck is a valuable back-up at outside hitter and as a defensive specialist. Dalbeck earned CIF Division 3-A first team honors in her senior year at La Canada (Calif.) High.
WASHINGTON STATE - The Cougars (4-3, 7-8) are coached by Cindy Fredrick, who is in her ninth season with Washington State. Senior middle blocker Jennifer Stinson leads the team in kills (195) and blocks (64). The Cougars are led in digs by senior outside hitter Wendy Rouse. Rouse is also second in kills (141).
WASHINGTON - The Huskies (3-4, 4-7) are led by junior outside hitter Kristina Laffling, who leads the team in kills (177) and digs (124), and senior middle blocker Leslie Tuiasosopo, who is second in kills (153) and leads the team in blocks (75). Head coach Bill Neville has been with Washington for seven seasons and has a 105-91 record.
USC IN THE PAC-10 - USC leads the Pac-10 in hitting percentage (.276), in kills (17.30) and in service aces (1.60). The Women of Troy are second in the Pac-10 in digs (805). Senior setter Janice Mounts leads the Pac-10 in assists with 14.04 per game. Senior outside hitter Jennifer Kessy is second in the Pac-10 in kills with 5.40 per game. Her 92 attacks at Wisconsin (9/12) is not only a school record but the most in the Pac-10 this year. She is also third in the Pac-10 in digs (3.36). The Women of Troy have the conference's highest hitting percentage in a match with .493 (Sam Houston State on 9/5). USC is 8-0 in three-game matches, 3-1 in four-game matches and 0-2 in five-game matches.
VOLLEYBALL HALL OF FAME - Assistant volleyball coach and former USC All-American Paula Weishoff will be inducted into the Volleyball Hall of Fame on Oct. 19. Weishoff, a three-time Olympian ( won a silver medal in 1984 and a bronze in 1992 and also played on the 1996 team in Atlanta). In 1980, she played under Coach Chuck Erbe, leading the Women of Troy to a 46-4 record and the AIAW national championship.
TOUGH SCHEDULE - USC faces one of the toughest schedules in the nation. Including possible tournament match-ups, USC could face up to 10 schools ranked in the USA Today/AVCA Coaches Preseason Top 25: Stanford, Long Beach State, Washington State, Washington, UCLA, Pepperdine, Wisconsin, Pacific, Arkansas and Notre Dame. USC will also face three teams that received votes in the preseason poll: Arizona, Arizona State, Oregon State and possibly Houston in the Banker's Classic.
PAC-10 PRESEASON POLL - USC was ranked No. 1 in the Pac-10 Preseason Poll. The Women of Troy earned nine of 10 first-place votes with defending national champion Stanford taking the remaining vote. USC becomes the only team other than Stanford or UCLA to hold the spot in the preseason poll. The coaches have chosen correctly in seven of nine previous polls. Following are the results: 1. USC, 2. Stanford, 3. UCLA, 4. Washington, 5. Washington State, 6. Arizona, 7. Oregon State 8. Arizona State, 9. Oregon, 10. California.
