Volleyball Travels To Arizona State, Arizona
October 09, 2000 | Women's Volleyball
Oct. 9, 2000
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The Facts
No. 1/4 USC women's volleyball (13-0, 7-0 Pac-10) put an end to its 38-game win streak, but earned an important conference victory over No. 8 UCLA last Friday (Oct. 6). Earlier in the week, USC defeated UC Irvine, 3-0, in Irvine. This week, the Women of Troy will travel to face Arizona State (12-5, 4-3 Pac-10) on Thursday (Oct. 12) and Arizona (14-1, 7-0 Pac-10) on Friday (Oct. 13). The ASU match will begin at 7 p.m. and the Arizona match at 8 p.m.
Midway Through
Following this week's matches, Pac-10 play will have reached the halfway mark for 2000. After this week, there will also be only one Pac-10 leader as undefeated USC (7-0) and Arizona (7-0) come face-to-face. The conference No. 3 and 4 team - UCLA and Arizona State - will also match-up on Friday.
The Last Outing
In a nonconference match-up, USC swept UC Irvine 15-10, 15-5, 15-4 on Tuesday (Oct. 3). The Anteaters hit .202 on the night, while the Trojans posted a .398 performance of their own. USC was led by freshman Katie Olsovsky who added 16 kills and a .591 hitting percentage. Equally as impressive was freshman Kelli Lantz who made her first career start and pounded six kills off of nine attacks (.556). Lantz took the place of All-American candidate Jennifer Pahl who rested a sore shoulder.
USC defeated the eighth-ranked UCLA Bruins 15-11, 15-11, 8-15, 15-11 in front of 1,057 Friday night (Oct. 6) at North Gym. Despite enduring their first game loss of 2000, the Women of Troy managed to outdo the Bruins in hitting percentage (.291 to .221), digs (75 to 68) and blocks (15.0 to 9.0). The Bruins collected 91 team kills compared to the Trojans' 78, but it was USC's defensive efforts that kept it ahead of the game. It was the longest match of the season (2:27) for the Women of Troy. USC received outstanding performances from all six starters. Among them, Antoinette Polk finished with 17 kills and 12 digs, April Ross led with 25 kills, a .352 attack percentage and 12 digs, Janae Henry added 12 kills and a career-high 25 digs, and Katie Olsovsky notched seven blocks.
The Rankings...
USC is No. 1 according to Volleyball magazine's Division I poll. In the AVCA/USA Today Coaches Poll USC remains No. 4 -- the Trojans are the highest ranked team in the Pac-10 and received one first place vote. Volleyball also ranked the freshman class as the nation's No. 1 recruiting class, and among Pac-10 coaches, USC is picked to finish 3rd in the conference race.
Time Tested
Doubts regarding whether or not the Trojans' endurance had yet been tested were laid to rest against UCLA on Friday. Until facing the Bruins, USC was averaging one hour, 15 minutes per outing. The USC-UCLA match lasted nearly twice as long - two hours, 27 minutes.
Squeaky Clean Record
As of Oct. 9, the Trojans are among four Division I women's volleyball teams that remain undefeated. Of the five - Ohio State (16-0), Nebraska (15-0), Hawai'i (14-0) and USC (13-0) - USC was the last to lose a single game.
Game Win Streak Ends At 38
USC put an end to a 23-year old record by surpassing a 28-game win streak previously set over the 1976 and 1977 championship seasons. The 2000 USC volleyball team extended its single game win streak to 38 before dropping its first game of the season to UCLA in a 3-1 victory on Friday (Oct. 6). Ironically, the previous record was also broken by UCLA on Oct. 26, 1977 in a USC 3-2 win.
Pac-10 All-Time Win Streaks
UCLA holds the Pac-10 record for all-time game win streaks. In 1992 the Bruins won 14 consecutive matches (42 games) from Oct. 9 through Nov. 14. USC is now next on the list, having won 38 consecutive games to start the 2000 season. The Women of Troy surpassed Stanford's record of 37 games set in 1995 from Oct. 27 through Dec. 9.
Polk Just Two Kills Shy of 1,000
After posting a season-high 17 kills against the Bruins (Oct. 6), senior Antoinette Polk needs just 2 more kills to reach the 1,000 career mark. She also needs 55 digs to become the 35th player in Pac-10 history to reach 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs.
Fourth Freshman Enters Lineup
With Jennifer Pahl pulled from the starting lineup against UC Irvine to rest a sore shoulder, the freshman class found a fourth opportunity to prove itself on the court. MB Kelli Lantz made her first career start against the Anteaters, changing USC's lineup to include two seniors and four freshmen. She hit .556 on the night with six kills off of nine attacks and one error.
Did You Know?
* Against the Bruins (Oct. 6), senior Janae Henry surpassed a career-high with 25 digs in the four-game match.
* The Women of Troy held Oregon (Sept. 30) to only 13 points in the match, tieing the lowest point total for a USC opponent this season (Temple and Texas-San Antonio each scored 13 points).
* UCLA is only the third team to hit above .200 against the Women of Troy this season. Washington State still owns the highest attack percentage for a USC opponent in 2000 after hitting .257 on Sept. 14.
* USC broke Stanford's 45-match home win streak with the win on Sept. 22, putting an end to a 23-year USC drought at Maples Pavilion. The Trojans had not won at Stanford since 1977.
* USC's longest match of the season was a two-hour, 30 minute bout against UCLA (Oct. 6)... the shortest lasted one-hour, three minutes against Texas-San Antonio (Sept. 7).
* The Women of Troy set a program record with a .556 team hitting percentage against Oregon (Sept. 30). The team's six errors in the match rank fourth among all-time program lows.
Splitting Sets
Uncommon for most teams, the 2000 squad has found great success by splitting sets. Setters Toni Anderson (Fr.) and Tracy Lindquist (So.) have seen equal time on the court in every match and head coach Jerritt Elliott keeps them in constant rotation. The duo has combined for 14.48 assists per game while each averaging 6.90 and 6.47, respectively.
Freshmen Bring Reminders of the Past
The nation's No. 1 (according to Volleyball magazine) freshman class has made a definite impact on USC women's volleyball this season. Not only are three of the six (April Ross, Katie Olsovsky and Toni Anderson) currently starting for the Women of Troy, but their contributions have been significant. Ross leads the team in kills per game (3.11), Anderson is splitting time and assists at setter, and Olsovsky is averaging 1.33 blocks per game. As a group (which also includes Kelli Lantz, Nicole Davis and Jamie Carroll), the freshmen have been compared to the class of newcomers that joined USC in 1976 under head coach Chuck Erbe. With Terry Place, Paula Dittmer-Goodwin, Debbie Green and Debbie Landreth, the '76 Trojans went on to win the AIAW National Championship.
Jennifer Pahl Named Pac-10 Player of the Week
Junior Jennifer Pahl was named the Pac-10 Player of the Week for the week of Sept. 19-24. She led the Trojans to two road victories in the Bay Area, while hitting .615 with 16 kills (2.7 kpg) and no errors in 26 attempts, and adding ten blocks (1.66 bpg) and eight digs (1.33 dpg). This is the first Player of the Week honor for Pahl, and USC's 23rd of all time.
Against Ranked Opponents
USC earned a 3-1 win over then-ranked No. 8 UCLA - it's third ranked opponent of the season. This week the Trojans will face their fourth - No. 6 Arizona. USC defeated then-ranked No. 11 Stanford on Sept. 22, following a victory over then-ranked No. 18 Texas, 3-0, to open the 2000 season. Texas has since fallen out of the Top-25, Stanford dropped to No. 21 and the Bruins fell to No. 10.
Opponent Notes
Arizona State -- The Sun Devils enter Thursday's match with a 12-5 overall record and 4-3 mark in the Pac-10... It's conference losses have been to Arizona, 2-3, Cal, 1-3, and Oregon State, 1-3... OH Amanda Burbridge leads ASU with 5.24 kills and 3.93 digs per game... She has recorded double digits in kills in each match she's played in this season (15 of 17)... Burbridge added 20 or more kills in nine of those matches... Freshman setter Cheryl Anglin ranks third in the conference with 13.0 assists per game... Head coach Patti Snyder-Park is in her 12th season at ASU... This season she has four returning starters from the 1999 squad which finished 14-13 overall and fifth in the Pac-10 (10-8).
Arizona -- The sixth-ranked Wildcats are riding a school-record 14-match win streak this season... With a 14-1 overall record and 7-0 Pac-10 mark, Arizona has not lost a match since dropping a 2-3 decision to UC Santa Barbara in the season opener... Arizona has out-blocked its opponent in 14 of 15 matches and ranks second in the conference with a 3.21 bpg average... The team has not lost a single game in conference play, winning its last seven matches by 3-0 scores... OH Marisa DaLee leads the team averaging 4.0 kills per game... DaLee has registered double digits in kills in the last nine matches... Head coach David Rubio is in his ninth season at Arizona... The 2000 squad has five returning starters from a team that placed fourth in the Pac-10 last season.
Series Records
USC and Arizona State will meet for the 49th time in program history on Thursday (Oct. 12). The Women of Troy own a 37-10-1 advantage in the series (.787) and have won the last eight meetings. Last season, USC defeated the Sun Devils 3-1 at home and 3-2 in Tempe.
USC owns a 37-12 (.755) all-time record against Arizona, as the two teams face each other for the 50th time in school history on Friday (Oct. 13). Last season, Arizona upset the Trojans with a 3-1 defeat at home. USC returned to defeat the Wildcats 3-1 in Tucson.
Past, Present and Future Coaches
Jerritt Elliott enters his second season as USC's interim head coach after serving as the Trojans' assistant for four seasons under former head coach Lisa Love. After leading the U.S.A. Women's National Team at the 2000 Olympic Games, head coach Mick Haley has joined the USC program.
Interim Head Coach Jerritt Elliott
USC interim head coach Jerritt Elliott was tabbed the 1999 Pac-10 Coach of the Year in his rookie season. Elliott, serving as the Trojans' head coach through the 2000 season, became just the second coach in Pac-10 history to post 13 league wins in their first season. Troy's 13-5 (.722) conference mark was the best win percentage ever recorded by a rookie coach in the conference. In 1999 Elliott led the Women of Troy to a third-place Pac-10 finish, a 21-9 overall record, and a No. 17 final ranking in the USA Today/AVCA Top-25 poll. Thanks to his efforts, USC's incoming class of 2000 was named the nation's No. 1 recruiting class according to Volleyball magazine.
Head Coach Mick Haley
U.S.A. Women's National Volleyball Team head coach Mick Haley, who won two national championships in the 1980s while guiding the Texas women's team, has joined the USC women's volleyball program after the conclusion of the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia. Due to the fact that he arrived in the middle of the collegiate season, Haley does not expect to take an active coaching role until 2001. Haley accepted the USC coaching position in June of 1999. In his fourth season as head coach of the U.S.A. National Volleyball Team, his squad earned a berth to the 2000 Olympics by defeating Canada to win the Nike Americas' Volleyball Challenge. Before taking over the national team, he spent 17 successful seasons (1980-96) at Texas, where he earned a 522-137-1 overall record, won two national championships and 13 Southwest Conference titles, and captured 15 NCAA tournament berths.
U.S.A. Women's Volleyball at the 2000 Olympics
Under the leadership of head coach Mick Haley, the U.S.A. women's volleyball team surprised many by advancing to the semifinals before falling to Russia 2-3 and Brazil in medal contention. The Americans, who weren't favored to make the semifinals much less push the powerful Russians to a fifth game, relinquished the bronze medal to Brazil with a 0-3 loss. The United States made a strong start at the 2000 Olympic Games by defeating China (3-1), Kenya (3-0), Croatia (3-0) and Australia (3-0). The team lost its first match of the Games to Brazil (1-2) in the first round of play, but returned to beat South Korea 3-2 and advance to the semifinals.
Player Profiles
#1 Tracy Lindquist
Setter * Sophomore
A returning starter... named to the 1999 Pac-10 All-Freshman first team... averaged 7.86 assists and 1.95 digs per game while sharing the setter's role... finished the season tenth in the Pac-10 in assists... an extremely versatile player and a great competitor for the Women of Troy.
Did You Know?... A true beach buff, Lindquist played in the 2000 Pro Seal Beach Open and represented the United States in 2-man beach volleyball in Israel this summer with her partner, sister Katie Lindquist.
This Season... Has played in 40 games and started 2 matches... Averaged 6.67 assists and 2.5 digs against Texas (Sept. 1) and Arkansas (Sept. 2) while splitting time at setter and DS... Averaged 6.6 assists per game at the Met-Rx Invitational (Sept. 6-8) and recorded a career-high five service aces against Temple... Collected six digs against Oregon State (Sept. 29) and averaged 5.0 apg for the weekend series... Added 33 assists and one ace against UCLA (Oct. 6).
#2 Julie Mariani
Defensive Specialist * Sophomore
A returning letterwinner who made several starts in the backrow... collected 243 digs (2.27 dpg) and led the team with 50 service aces in 1999... led the Pac-10 averaging 0.47 aces per game... an aggressive player on the court.
Did You Know?... Mariani currently holds the USC career and single season record for ace average after posting 0.47 aces per game as a freshman.
This Season... Has played in 13 games... Entered the match against Oregon (Sept. 30) and accounted for one ace and one dig... Played three games against UCI (Oct. 3) and UCLA (Oct. 6), contributing three digs.
#3 Antoinette Polk
Outside Hitter * Senior
A returning starter... named to the 1999 All-Pac-10 honorable mention team... led the team in kills (407) and kills per game (3.82), finishing sixth in the conference... Ranked second on the team and fifth in the Pac-10 with 338 digs and 3.19 dpg... a premier ball control player whose offensive power makes her an All-American candidate.
Did You Know?... Polk was also a member of the USC women's basketball team during the 1996-97 season. She spent her freshman year as a redshirt on the volleyball team, and played nine games at guard with the basketball team.
This Season... Has played in 40 games and started 13 matches... Averaged 2.33 kills against Texas (Sept. 1) and Arkansas (Sept. 2)... Added five blocks against Rhode Island (Sept. 6)... Averaged a career-high .647 attack percentage against Washington State (Sept. 14) with 12 kills, one error and 17 attacks... Against Washington (Sept. 15) she added 13 digs... Hit .333 (9-3-18) against Oregon State (Sept. 29) and .455 (6-1-11) against Oregon (Sept. 30)... Added a season-high 17 kills (.250) and 12 digs against UCLA (Oct. 6).
#4 Nicole Davis
Defensive Specialist * Freshman
Considered one of the nation's best defensive specialist of the incoming class... played on the Junior National Team as the libero this summer... a two-time all-league selection at Lincoln High in Stockton, Calif.
Did You Know?... Davis owns a black belt in karate.
This Season... Has played in 18 games... Made her collegiate debut against Texas (Sept. 1) and added one dig... Saw playing time in four of six games against Stanford (Sept. 22) and Cal (Sept. 23).
#6 Jaime Carroll
Defensive Specialist * Freshman
A three-time all-league honoree at Medfield (Mass.) High... played outside hitter and setter as a prep.
Did You Know?... Carroll is the daughter of former NFL head coach Pete Carroll.
This Season... Has played in 3 games... Made her collegiate debut against Washington (Sept. 15) and recorded an ace on her first serve... Played two games against Oregon (Sept. 30).
#8 Sara Peterson
Outside Hitter * Senior
A three-year letterwinner... made several appearances in 1999, including a .556 hitting performance at Washington State to lead the Trojans in a 3-0 sweep of the Cougars.
Did You Know?... Peterson's uncle, Tom Peterson, is the current women's volleyball head coach at Utah State and was named the 1994 National Coach of the Year after leading the Penn State men's volleyball program to a national championship.
#12 Kelli Lantz
Middle Blocker * Freshman
A Volleyball Fab 50 selection and member of USC's No.1-ranked recruiting class... helped lead Centennial High (Bakersfield, Calif.) to the Division I state and national championship as a prep.
This Season... Has played in 13 games and made one start... Made her collegiate debut against Arkansas (Sept. 2) and added one kill and one block... Added three kills off of five attacks (.400) against UTSA (Sept. 7)... Played one game against Washington (Sept. 15) and added one kill (1.000) and a block... Entered the match for one game against Cal (Sept. 23) and added one kill off of one attack... Against Oregon (Sept. 30), she added two kills off of two attacks and one block... Made her first career start against UC Irvine (Oct. 3) in place of the injured Jennifer Pahl... Had an outstanding performance with six kills off of nine attacks and one error (.556).
#14 April Ross
Outside Hitter * Freshman
The 1999 Gatorade National Player of the Year and a Paul Mitchell prep All-American... enters as one of the nation's top freshmen and a member of USC's No. 1-ranked recruiting class... she guided Newport Harbor High (Newport Beach, Calif.) to the state and league championship in 1999.
This Season... Has played in 40 games and started 13 matches... Made her collegiate debut in the starting lineup against Texas (Sept. 1) and Arkansas (Sept. 2)... Averaged a .409 hitting percentage at the Texas Invitational, while collecting five blocks and 10 digs, including 13 kills (.417) against the Razorbacks... Honored as MVP of the Met-Rx Invitational (Sept. 6-8) after adding nine kills (.333) and 10 digs against Temple, and averaging 8.7 kills and a .365 attack percentage in the three tournament matches... Posted a season-high .562 attack percentage against the Huskies (Sept. 15), committed no hitting errors and also tied two season bests with 10 digs and four blocks... Led the team with 15 digs against Cal (Sept. 23)... Accounted for a season-high four aces against Oregon State (Sept. 29) while hitting .444 (9-1-18)... Hit .417 (7-2-12) against Oregon (Sept. 30)... Led USC with 25 kills against UCLA (Oct. 6) - a personal and team season high... Also added 12 digs and four blocks against the Bruins.
#15 Lauren Killian
Opposite Hitter * Sophomore
A returning starter... named to the 1999 Pac-10 All-Freshman honorable mention team... played in the middle and on the outside last season... averaged 0.94 blocks per game to finish second on the team... also added 1.67 kills per game... will pose problems for opponents playing her more natural right side position.
Did You Know?... Killian's Trojan roots span nearly four generations amounting to 10-plus USC alumni, including her father, Don, who played for USC's 1977 NCAA champion men's volleyball team.
This Season... Has played in 40 games... Led the team with a .450 attack percentage (11-2-20) against Texas (Sept. 1) and Arkansas (Sept. 2) and added seven blocks... Was flawless at the Met-Rx Invitational (Sept. 6-8), adding 15 kills off of 27 attacks with no errors for a .556 attack percentage... After a five-kill, error-free performance against Washington State (Sept. 14), she made her first hitting mistake in 14 games against Washington, despite another .545 hitting display... Hit .429 (4-1-7) against Oregon State (Sept. 29), then struggled against the Ducks (Sept. 30) with three kills and two errors off of eight attacks (.125)... Added three blocks against UC Irvine (Oct. 3) and five kills (.364), two blocks against UCLA (Oct. 6).
#22 Janae Henry
Outside Hitter * Senior
A returning starter... named to the 1999 All-Pac-10 honorable mention team... led the team and ranked second in the Pac-10 with an average of 3.5 digs per game last season... with a 2.88 career dig mark, she is currently fifth on USC's all-time list... one of the strongest and most consistent players this season who should be considered an All-American candidate.
This Season... Has played in 40 games and started 13 matches... Led USC in win over Texas (Sept. 1) with 10 kills (.400) and 14 digs... At the Texas Invitational she averaged a team-leading 4.33 digs per game and finished with 19 total kills... Named to the Met-Rx Invitational all-tournament team after hitting .538 and posting nine digs against Temple (Sept. 8)... She averaged 3.3 digs and a .405 attack percentage in the tournament... Led the team with 15 kills against Washington State (Sept. 14)... Posted her second double-double of the season with a team-leading 11 kills (.474) and 11 digs against Stanford (Sept. 22)... Hit .500 (7-1-12) against Oregon State (Sept. 29) and a career-high .600 (7-1-10) against Oregon (Sept. 30)... Surpassed another career high with 25 digs against the Bruins (Oct. 6)... Also added two aces, 12 kills and three digs in the match.
#26 Jennifer Pahl
Middle Blocker * Junior
A returning starter... named to the 1999 All-Pac-10 first team... led the team with a .293 attack percentage and 0.93 blocks per game... also averaged 3.38 kills and 2.27 digs per game... one of the premier middle blockers in the country due to her speed and quickness... an All-American candidate.
Did You Know?... Pahl spent the summer traveling throughout India with Athletes In Action.
This Season... Has played in 37 games and started 12 matches... Averaged 1.5 blocks to lead the Trojans against Texas (Sept. 1) and Arkansas (Sept. 2)... Also posted 2.5 digs and 2.5 kills per game... Averaged 1.7 blocks and a .396 attack percentage at the Met-Rx Invitational (Sept. 6-8), including a season-high seven stops against Rhode Island... Tied a career-best with three aces against Washington (Sept. 15) and added nine kills (.500) and five blocks... Named Pac-10 Player of the Week (Sept. 25) after posting six blocks and a then-career high .750 attack percentage (6 kills, no errors, 8 attacks) against Stanford (Sept. 22), then following with 10 kills (.556) and three blocks against Cal (Sept. 23)... Led the team against Oregon State (Sept. 29) and Oregon (Sept. 30), averaging a .692 attack percentage and 10.0 kills per game with only two hitting errors... Her .769 hitting effort against the Ducks was a career high... Did not play against UC Irvine (Oct. 3) due to a sore shoulder... Hit .304 (10-3-23) and added three blocks against UCLA (Oct. 6).
#30/5 Toni Anderson
Setter * Freshman
A Volleyball Fab 50 selection, Paul Mitchell prep All-American and member of USC's No.1-ranked recruiting class... played with the Junior National Team after graduating from Esperanza High in Anaheim, Calif.
This Season... Has played in 40 games and started 11 matches... Made her collegiate debut against Texas (Sept. 1) and her first start against Arkansas (Sept. 2)... Split time at setter at the Texas Invitational and averaged 7.17 assists per game... Made her first start against Rhode Island (Sept. 6) and averaged 5.4 assists and 2.0 digs at the Met-Rx Invitational... Aside from 22 assists, she added six kills (.353) against Washington State (Sept. 14)... Added 31 assists while splitting time against Cal (Sept. 23)... Averaged 7.0 apg against Oregon State (Sept. 29) and Oregon (Sept. 30)... Added 19 assists against UC Irvine (Oct. 3) and 37 against UCLA (Oct. 6).
#33 Katie Olsovsky
Outside Hitter * Freshman
A Volleyball Fab 50 selection and four-time Paul Mitchell prep All-American... a member of USC's No.1-ranked recruiting class who was also named the CIF Division I Player of the Year in 1999... led Bishop Montgomery High (Torrance, Calif.) to the league and CIF championships.
This Season... Has played in 40 games and started 11 matches... Made her collegiate debut as a starter against Texas (Sept. 1) and Arkansas (Sept. 2), averaging 2.17 kills, 0.67 blocks and a .423 attack percentage... Averaged 1.2 blocks and a .333 attack percentage at the Met-Rx Invitational (Sept. 6-8)... Hit .538 against the Huskies (Sept. 15), with eight kills and a team-leading five blocks... Added 11 kills (.500) and seven blocks to lead the squad against Cal (Sept. 23)... Against Oregon (Sept. 30), she recorded a season-best with a .688 attack percentage, 11 kills, no errors and 16 attacks - the mark ranks eighth among USC records... Averaged 1.57 blocks per game with four against UC Irvine (Oct. 3) and seven against UCLA (Oct. 6)... Also led the squad with 16 kills (.591) against the Anteaters.
