Oct. 3, 2000 SEATTLE - Looking For A Win: Washington will hit the road for another pair of tough Pac-10 matches this weekend when the Huskies look to get back into the win column against California and Stanford. An Anniversary of Sorts: On October 4, 1991, Washington head coach Bill Neville coached his first game as a Husky, a 3-0 win at Oregon. Now, 10 years later, Neville remains as the fifth women's volleyball head coach in school history, compiling a 122-125 record. Neville has coached two All-Americans in his time at the UW, including Makare Desilets (1997) and Angela Bransom (1996), while leading the team to three NCAA tournament berths and a Sweet 16 appearance in 1997. A world-renowned figure in the national and international coaching circles, Neville was the head coach of the Canadian men's national team at the 1976 Olympics and was an assistant with the U.S. men's program at both the 1968 and 1984 Olympics. Neville's career record of 259-240 includes seven seasons at Montana State. Around the Pac-10: After another weekend of upsets, only two undefeated teams remain in USC (6-0) and Arizona (5-0). Oregon State defeated UCLA for the first time ever, while Cal beat Arizona State before the Sun Devils defeated Stanford. Around the country, the top four teams - #1 Nebraska, #2 Hawai'i, #3 Colorado State and #4 USC - remained the same. Scouting California: After scoring its first win over Arizona State since 1997, the Cal volleyball team is 6-6 overall and 2-4 in the Pac-10. The Bears, under head coach Rich Feller, are led by Alicia Perry, who averages 4.63 kills per game and 3.91 digs per game. With setter Candace McNamee running the offense (8.53 assists/game), Gabrielle Abernathy is also a threat (3.15 kills/game), while defensively, Jessica Zatica is first on the team in blocks per game with a 1.37 average. The Huskies lead the all-time series between the two schools at 18-15, having won seven straight matches before dropping a pair last season. Change of TV plans: The California-Washington volleyball match, originally scheduled to air live on Fox Sports Net on October 6, will no longer be televised because of a facility problem at Cal, the Pac-10 Conference announced Wednesday. The Huskies road match at Washington State (Oct. 27) will still be televised live at 7:30 p.m. (PT). Washington's match with Oregon State on November 10 also may be chosen as the "wildcard" selection as a specific match has yet to be picked. Fox Sports Net will televise seven other Pac-10 women's volleyball matches in 2000, all of which will air Fridays from September 15 through November 17 at 7:30 p.m. PT. Time Change: Because the California-Washington match will not be televised, the two schools have agreed to change the start time of their October 6, match to 7 p.m.. Scouting Stanford: After being ranked third in the country to start the season, the Stanford Cardinal has posted a 7-6 overall record and a 2-4 mark in the Pac-10. The Cardinal has dropped their last four matches to USC, UCLA, Arizona and Arizona State, while falling to non-conference opponents BYU and Utah earlier in the year. The current four-match losing streak is the longest in school history. Under interim head coach Denise Corlett, Stanford has been without sophomore sensation Logan Tom, who has been with the U.S. national team at the Olympics in Sydney. Without Tom, the Cardinal has been led by Sara Sandrik's 3.38 kills per game and setter Lindsay Kagawa's 2.37 digs per game. Jennifer Detmer, who is hitting .422, and Tara Conrad are also threats at both the net and on offense. The Huskies will be looking for their first win over the Cardinal since 1989, when they won 3-1 at Stanford. Connections, Connections: Washington's match against Stanford will be filled with special connections. First, UW freshman defensive specialist Libba Lawrence (West Linn, Ore.) and her sister, Stanford junior defensive specialist Emily Lawrence, will face each other for the first time collegiately. Washington junior swing hitter Kiki Maroutsos (Mission Viejo, Calif.) also will see her former high school teammate at Santa Margarita High School, outside hitter Michelle Chambers, when the Huskies play the Cardinal. In The Stats: In the fourth set of Pac-10 Conference statistics released October 1, sophomore Paige Benjamin (Redmond, Wash.) is fifth in blocks per game with a 1.20 average, sophomore Gretchen Maurer (San Clemente, Calif.) is ranked seventh in service aces per game with a 0.37 mark, while senior Emily Seacat (Ridgefield, Wash.) rounds out the group with the ninth-best kills per game average of 3.38. Promotions, Promotions: The following promotional offerings are on tap for upcoming Washington volleyball matches in October: *Every Friday - Family Friday: For $20 receive five tickets, five hotdogs and five sodas. *Oct. 14 vs. Oregon State - Autograph night and free team posters while supplies last. *Oct. 29 vs. Idaho State - Free admission Group tickets are available for $1 each for groups of 25 or more. For more information call (206) 543-2200 or visit www.gohuskies.com. The New Arena: For the second straight season, the Huskies will play their home schedule at the Hec Edmundson Pavilion Addition, while the new 10,000-seat Bank of America Arena is completed. The new arena will not open until November 24, when the women's basketball team plays host to defending national champion Connecticut. The Best Of The Best: The 2000 Husky schedule once again includes some of the best volleyball teams in the nation. Six of the UW opponents, including number one UCLA, have been ranked among the top 25 teams in the nation according to the preseason USA Today/American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) poll released August 14. Besides the Bruins, the Huskies also will face #3 Stanford, #7 USC, #10 Arizona, #18 Texas and #19 Texas A&M this season. Gillis Named Assistant Coach: Former Gonzaga Prep High School head coach Steve Gillis has been named an assistant volleyball coach at the University of Washington. Gillis replaces Diane Flick, who took over the head coaching position at Western Washington University. Gillis, a native of Spokane, Wash., will be in charge of the team's defensive efforts on the court and will play a major role in the Huskies' recruiting efforts. In addition, he will assist UW head coach Bill Neville in all administrative aspects of the program. A 1985 graduate of Westmont College in Santa Barbara, Calif., Gillis most recently taught history and English at Gonzaga Prep in Spokane, Wash., and coached the girls' volleyball team, beginning in 1995. |
