University Southern California Trojans
USC Women's Volleyball Picked To Compete At 2004 NACWAA
February 19, 2004 | Women's Volleyball
Feb. 18, 2004
Wilmington, N.C. - For a second straight year, the USC women's volleyball team has been selected by the National Association of Collegiate Women Athletics Administrators (NACWAA) to compete at the 10th annual Women's Volleyball Classic. The tournament will be held Aug. 27-28 at Colorado State in Fort Collins. The 2004 field will feature Georgia Tech, Minnesota, Colorado State and the two-time defending NCAA Champion Women of Troy.
"It is a huge honor for Colorado State to be chosen to host the 2004 NACWAA Women's Volleyball Classic," said Colorado State volleyball head coach Tom Hilbert. "To bring in the top teams in the country is an exciting thing for both Colorado State and the community of Fort Collins. I believe this is truly a reflection of the support the community has shown for our program as well as the success we have enjoyed throughout the years."
USC notched its second-consecutive and sixth national championship overall in 2003, capturing the title with a perfect 35-0 record and establishing a 47-match win streak. The Women of Troy head into the 2004 season attempting to become the first-ever women's volleyball team to win three consecutive titles. The task will be challenging for the Trojans, who lose five players from the title squad, including All-Americans April Ross and Katie Olsovsky, as well as setter Toni Anderson and libero Nicole Davis. USC returns nine letterwinners who are not without their share of accolades - All-American middle blockers Emily Adams and Bibiana Candelas, as well as two-time NCAA Championship MVP outside hitter Keao Burdine.
Colorado State advanced to the NCAA Regional Semifinals for the fourth time in five seasons in 2003 after winning the Mountain West Conference Tournament and posting a perfect 14-0 record in regular season conference play. The Rams return six starters from last year's squad, including All-American honorable mention selections Katie Jo Shirley and Melissa Courtney.
Minnesota made the program's first-ever NCAA Final Four appearance in 2003, falling to the eventual-champion Trojans 3-0 in the semifinals. The Golden Gophers finished tied for second in the Big Ten with a 15-5 conference record and finished the season with the highest national ranking in school history at No. 4. Minnesota returns 11 letterwinners, including AVCA All-America second team pick Paul Gentil.
Georgia Tech advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight in 2003 NCAA for the first time in school history. The Yellow Jackets posted a school best 34-4 record and were ranked as high as No. 4 during the season. Eleven total letterwinners, including six of seven starters, return for the Yellow Jackets in 2004. The team will be led by AVCA All-Americans Lauren Sauer and Lynnette Moster.
"The field for the 2004 NACWAA Volleyball Classic is outstanding and will provide excellent competition to begin the collegiate season," said NACWAA Executive Director, Jennifer Alley. "This will be the 10th offering of this prestigious tournament and NACWAA is proud to celebrate this event with these talented teams. Colorado State has an experienced tournament staff and a great fan base which will provide an excellent environment to kick off the collegiate volleyball season."
