Women's Volleyball Visits Stanford, Cal
June 21, 1999 | Women's Volleyball
September 15, 1998
THIS WEEK The No. 5 USC women's volleyball team (4-2) will start Pac-10 Conference play with a match at Stanford (4-2) on Friday (Sept. 18) at 7:30 p.m. The match will be televised live on FOX Sports Net. The Women of Troy will continue at California (3-5) on Sunday (Sept. 20) at 1 p.m.
SERIES NOTES The Women of Troy are 9-38 in the series with Stanford and have not defeated the Cardinal since September of 1993 and only twice in the last 10 years. USC is 24-6 in the series with Cal, not losing to the Bears since November of 1991.
LAST WEEK The Women of Troy returned from the Wisconsin Tournament in Madison, Wisc., after splitting two matches. USC defeated Indiana in the first match, 15-11, 16-14, 11-15, 15-2, on Friday (Sept. 11). USC's kill leaders for the match with Indiana were seniors Jasmina Marinkovic with 26 and Jennifer Kessy with 25. The Women of Troy faced Wisconsin for the second time this season on Saturday (Sept. 12), falling to the Badgers, 2-15, 16-14, 14-16, 15-10, 9-15. Senior setter Janice Mounts had 70 assists and 15 digs, while Kessy had 36 kills and 24 digs. Sophomore outside hitter Antoinette Polk had 16 kills with nine digs and Marinkovic had 15 kills and 12 digs.
RANKINGS USC is No. 5 in the latest USA Today/AVCA Coaches Top 25 Poll. USC took the No. 8 spot in the September 14 Volleyball Magazine Poll. Stanford is No. 9 in the USA Today/AVCA and No. 7 in the Volleyball Magazine Poll. Cal is not ranked.
NOTES USC loses only outside hitter Jeanne Vetter from the 1997 team that went 23-6 overall and 13-5 in the Pac-10, good enough for a second place tie behind eventual national champion Stanford. Senior outside hitter Jennifer Kessy moved into the USC top five career dig leaders after she collected 32 digs at the Wisconsin Tournament. Senior middle blocker Jasmina Marinkovic is now third on USC's career total blocks. She is also now eighth on the USC career kill chart after collecting 41 kills at the Wisconsin Tournament.
COACH LISA LOVE Her players have known her as one of the nations 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 womens volleyball while also handling the duties of her position as associate athletic director. She has been USCs womens 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 185-89 (.675) record with the Women of Troy and an impressive 384-167 (.697) mark in 17 seasons as a collegiate head coach. Loves 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) will be a major player in the Women of Troys 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 USCs first player to earn back-to-back All-American first team honors since Tracy Clark and Kim Ruddins did it in 1984-85. Marinkovic had 41 kills, 16 digs and nine blocks in two matches (nine games) at the Wisconsin Tournament in Madison, Wisc. She is now third on USC's total block career chart and eighth on the career kill chart. She has earned All-Tournament honors at all three tournaments the Women of Troy have played in this season (NACWAA, San Francisco/Saint Mary's College and Wisconsin). Marinkovic had 22 kills and 11 blocks at the NACWAA Tournament and 14 kills in six games at the San Francisco/Saint Mary's Tournament.
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 had 61 kills and 32 digs at the Wisconsin Tournament, with 36 kills and 24 digs during the Wisconsin match. She has 39 double-doubles in her career. Kessy has taken the fifth place spot on the USC career dig chart. 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 USCs 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 3,049 assists place her third on the USC career assist list, 642 short of Christine Brigmans record of 3,691. Her assist per game average (12.44) is second-best all-time, behind Brigmans career mark (12.60). At the Wisconsin Tournament, Mounts collected 128 assists and 25 digs, including 70 assists and 11 digs during the Wisconsin match. 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. As a 1997 junior, Mounts earned All-Pac-10 honorable mention for the second consecutive season.
ALAINA KIPPS Alaina Kipps, who put together a fabulous junior season, looks to continue her impressive play at middle blocker as a 1998 senior and Women of Troy co-captain. Kipps played in one match (four games) at the Wisconsin Tournament and collected six kills and seven digs. Kipps earned 1997 GTE/CoSIDA Academic All-America second team honors and District Vlll and Pac-10 All-Academic first team honors. Kipps suffered a knee injury in the fourth game of the Indiana match and is doubtful for this weekend.
ANTOINETTE POLK A 1998 sophomore, outside hitter Antoinette Polk is looking to build 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). Polk started in both matches of the Wisconsin Tournament collecting 23 kills, 23 digs and three block assists. Starting as a redshirt freshman in 1997, Polk was named 1997 Pac-10 Freshman of the Year (USCs 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 will vie for time at outside hitter. A quick player with great leaping abilities, her versatility gives Coach Lisa Love many options. 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 outside hitter Kashi Cormier has taken over one of the starting outside hitter positions for the 1998 season. Cormier had a career-best 20 digs against Wisconsin in the Wisconsin Tournament 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 outside hitter Janae Henry has earned a starting position on this year's squad after playing in 19 matches last season. In the San Francisco/Saint Mary's College Tournament, Henry collected seven kills and nine digs. She had her first career start against Wisconsin at the NACWAA Tournament to start off the 1998 season. Henry was the 1996 Volleyball Magazine "Player of the Year." She missed both matches of the Wisconsin Tournament due to a knee injury. She may return this weekend.
AMBER OLIVER Sophomore middle blocker Amber Oliver has returned to play after redshirting last season while rehabilitating 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.
JENNIFER PAHL One of two freshmen on the roster, middle blocker Jennifer Pahl will contribute depth and speed to the middle and challenge for playing time at the net. Pahl collected five kills and four block assists in five games at the Wisconsin Tournament. 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.
WALK-ONS The Women of Troy feature a talented cast of six walk-ons that provide Coach Love with key depth. Sophomore outside hitter Shannon Redfern played in five games and had 10 digs at the San Francisco/Saint Mary's College Tournament. Cynthia Corpuz, a sophomore defensive specialist, adds speed and quickness in the back row. She collected a career high 15 digs against Wisconsin at the Wisconsin Tournament. Corpuz had her first career starts at the San Francisco/Saint Mary's Tournament, playing in all six games. 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.
STANFORD No. 9 Stanford opens the conference season with a 4-2 record. The Cardinal graduated five players from the 1997 National Championship team and will be led by two-time All-American Kerri Walsh, who was named the Pac-10 Player of the Week for last week. Walsh has 67 kills, 40 digs and 28 blocks in the 1998 season. Leading the Cardinal this season in kills is sophomore middle blocker Jennifer Detmer with 86. She is also the team block leader with 70.
CALIFORNIA The Bears are 3-5 under fourth-year coach Sue Woodstra. Woodstra is a former USC All-American and a two-time U.S. Olympian who played at Troy in 1977. Sophomore outside hitter Jameka Stevens leads Cal in kills this year with 92 and junior outside hitter Brook Coulter is the team dig leader with 174.
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 As usual, USC faces one of the toughest schedules in the nation. Including possible tournament match-ups, the Women of Troy 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 Coaches Poll. The Women of Troy earned nine of the 10 first-place votes with defending national champion Stanford picking up the remaining vote. USC becomes the first 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.
