Women's Volleyball Opens Pac-10 Schedule At Home
September 21, 1999 | Women's Volleyball
Sept. 21, 1999
THE FACTS-- The No.18 USC women's volleyball team (5-2) returns home this week to begin the 1999 Pac-10 schedule. The Women of Troy will host Arizona State (6-2) on Friday (Sept. 24) at 6 p.m. and face Arizona (8-2) on Saturday (Sept. 25) at 6 p.m. Both matches will be played in the North Gym.
USC NOTES--USC has appeared in 15 of the last 17 NCAA tournaments... The Trojans earned their first tournament championship of 1999 at the UNLV Invitational...The USC-Arizona State game is also USC's home-opener after seven road matches... Despite being ranked among the top 25, the Women of Troy (Pac-10 No.5) were picked to finish below Arizona State (Pac-10 No.4) and Arizona (Pac-10 No.3) in the Pac-10 preseason coaches poll.
RANKINGS--USC is ranked 18th in the latest USA Today/AVCA coaches poll, tying with Ohio State (each team recieved 427 votes).
LAST WEEK--USC garnered the UNLV Invitational championship last week in Las Vegas, Nev. After sweeping Oral Roberts, 3-0 (15-13, 15-13, 15-5) in the first round, the Trojans battled UNLV in the championship match on Saturday (Sept. 25). Despite the Rebels' strong efforts in the first game, USC garnered the 3-1 victory in a four-game match (12-15, 15-4, 15-10, 15-13).
HONORS--Following top performances against Oral Roberts and Nevada-Las Vegas, two Trojans earned all-tournament honors. Outside hitter Janae Henry was named tournament MVP after a record-setting performance against Oral Roberts, as she pounded a career-best 21 kills (.436), and accounted for 15 digs in the match. Middle blocker Jennifer Pahl was honored after posting 12 blocks (1.7 bpg), four aces and 19 kills in two matches.
PAC-10 OPENERS--USC is 9-4 (.692) in conference openers (does not include Pac-West or WCAA matches). In Pac-10 openers at home, the Trojans are 5-1 (.833), with their only loss coming in 1996 against Oregon State.
OPPONENTS NOTES--Arizona is ranked 14th in this week's AVCA/USA Today poll, while Arizona State remains unranked. The two teams enter this week's matches already having faced two conference opponents. The Sun Devils swept Oregon and Oregon State last week, improving their overall record to 6-2. Both of ASU's season losses came against top-ranked opponents: No. 9 UC Santa Barbara and No.12 Pepperdine. The team is led by OH Amanda Burbridge (5.0 kpg), MB Julia Leddy (1.21 bpg, .508 attack percentage) and setter Becky Sidoti (13.64 apg). The Wildcats own an 8-2 overall record, and will face UCLA on Friday (Sept. 24) prior to visiting USC. They also defeated Oregon, 3-0, and Oregon State, 3-2, last week. The Wildcats only two losses this season have come at the hands of No.4 Nebraska and Sacramento State. Arizona is led by OH Marisa DaLee, who is averaging 3.65 kills, 2.53 digs and 1.38 blocks per game.
SERIES RECORDS--USC is 35-10-1 (.772) versus Arizona State, having won the last six matches. The Trojans have swept the Sun Devils in three games in five of those six matches. Against Arizona, USC owns a nearly similar 36-11 (.766) record. The Trojans have won the last eight home matches, dating back to 1991.
ROAD WARRIORS--With a victory over UNLV, USC completed a seven-match road trip to open the 1999 season. The team's travels are far from over. USC will play nine of the next 13 matches on the road, before returning to Troy in mid-November for its first four-game home stand.
TOPPING THE CHARTS--Four Trojans surpassed personal career bests last week. OH Janae Henry set a new career-high with 21 kills against Oral Roberts. MB Amber Oliver recorded career-high marks against UNLV with 13 kills, six block assists and six total blocks (tying a previous mark set against Oregon State in 1996). MB Jennifer Pahl displayed two outstanding performances. Against Oral Roberts, Pahl collected a career-high three block solos. The following night, she had six block assists, seven total blocks and three aces, all career-highs. She also tied personal records with 10 kills and seven digs against the Rebels. OH Antoinette Polk tied a personal best with three block assists versus Oral Roberts.
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 5-2 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: 187 assists, 7.19 apg, 1.62 dpg ? 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.
#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.
#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: 4.38 kpg (.259), 0.15 sapg, 3.77 dpg, 0.62 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.
#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: 183 assists, 8.32 apg, 0.14 sapg, 1.59 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).
#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.
#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.
#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.
#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: 2.69 kpg (.266), 0.08 sapg, 3.00 dpg, 0.50 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.
#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: 3.48 kpg (.224), 0.15 sapg, 4.11 dpg, 0.33 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. #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: 2.89 kpg (.212), 0.41 sapg, 2.63 dpg, 0.96 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.
