the wwwesterlies: September 2011

Friday, September 30, 2011

NCAA Volleyball Week Five Highlights (9/19/11-9/25/11)

Week Five Selected Match Highlights:
  On a trip to the northwest corner of their conference, top-rated Illinois easily got by struggling Wisconsin 3-0, and they had an epic five-set battle with Minnesota before emerging victorious. The other great Big Ten match saw host Nebraska get by struggling Penn State, 3-2. In other Big Ten action, Purdue proved they belonged in the top ten with shutout victories at home over previously undefeated Michigan and one-loss Michigan State.
  In the Pac-12, the best match had UCLA triumph over an excellent Stanford squad, 3-2. Cal-Berkeley proved they were over-rated (not in my RPI index) in the coaches' poll, due to a soft cupcake preconference schedule and last year's NCAA tourney run, by winning only one set total in matches with both USC and UCLA. Speaking of the revitalized Trojans, they shut out both Cal and Stanford at home. Winning the conference will still be a tough task, as other squads had great weeks, too. Besides UCLA's victories over Stanford and Cal, Washington and Oregon served shutouts on the road against Arizona and ASU, and Colorado and Utah, respectively.
  In the SEC, the match of the week was Tennessee's marathon fight with host and traditional power Florida, the Volunteers winning in a minor upset, 3-2. The Vols also beat South Carolina on the road, 3-1. Another Southeast powerhouse, Kentucky, had mixed results on the road, beating South Carolina as well, 3-1, but falling to Florida, 3-1.
  In the Big 12, traditional power Texas, over-rated in the coaches' poll so far this year based on quality recruiting classes and reputation, had two significant shutout victories over quality opponents TCU on the road and Kansas at home. Iowa State also had a great week, with shutout wins against tough Missouri and mediocre Texas Tech. Oklahoma beat down Baylor on the road, 3-1, while Missouri split the week with a 3-1 victory over Texas A&M.
  In the ACC, the match of the week was Duke's five-set win at home against Clemson. The Blue Devils also shut out Georgia Tech. Other conference powers Miami and Florida State had shutout wins on the road against both Virginia Tech and Virginia. High-quality North Carolina also had shutout victories on the road, but the victims were Maryland and Boston College.
  In the Big East, underrated (due to a tough preconference schedule) Villanova beat DePaul in five sets on the road in the match of the week before beating Notre Dame on the road, 3-1. The Bearcats of Cincinnati had a three-win week, including shutout conference home matches against UConn and St. John's and a squeaker five-set nonconference home match against Evansville. Traditional power Louisville also had shutout victories over UConn and St. John's at home.
  In the WAC, superpower Hawaii beat both Idaho and Utah State on the road by 3-1 scores. In the Mountain West, powerhouse Colorado State had a couple of shutouts at home, beating Air Force and Boise State. The other MWC powerhouse, TCU, was humbled by nonconference Texas as previously noted, 3-0, but triumphed over quality conference rival New Mexico on the road, 3-1.
  In the WCC, San Diego beat Santa Clara in five sets on the road in the conference match of the week. In the country's biggest upset of the week, San Diego fell to previously undistinguished USF on the road by a 3-0 margin! Another conference powerhouse, Pepper-dine, struggled on the road, beating Portland, 3-2, and Gonzaga, 3-1. BYU shut out Saint Mary's in its only match of the week.
  In the Big West, undefeated host UC Davis outlasted the Anteaters of UC Irvine, 3-2, in the conference match of the week, while easily disposing of former powerhouse Pacific on the road, 3-0. Some critics say the Aggies of Davis don't belong in anybody's top 40 power ranking due to a soft schedule. Really? It's true they've only played one ranked team so far, beating Missouri at a neutral site, 3-1. More impressive was UCD's 3-0 shutout win at Tulsa. Why? Tulsa is 11-4, with its other losses being 2-3 against Kentucky, 1-3 against Florida State, and 2-3 against current top-rated superpower Illinois. Tulsa also beat Central Florida (the team that beat Southern Cal) and North Carolina. Case closed. The other conference power, Long Beach State, had two five-set matches at home, beating Cal Poly and losing to UC Santa Barbara.

Week Five Selected Individual Highlights:

  Purdue's wins over Michigan and Michigan State were due in large part to Ariel Turner (27 kills and 5 blocks), Catherine Rebarchak (14 kills and 6 blocks), Tiffany Fisher (15 kills), Blair Bashen (28 digs), and Rachel Davis (66 assists and 24 digs). Illinois had another great week, with strong efforts by Michelle Bartsch (33 kills, 24 digs, and 5 blocks), Colleen Ward (28 kills and 21 digs), Erin Johnson (15 kills and 12 blocks), Jennifer Beltron (31 digs and 2 aces), and Rachel Feldman (22 dis and 2 aces).
  Out west, USC crushed Cal and Stanford thanks to Alex Jupiter (31 kills, 19 digs, and 3 aces), Katie Fuller (24 kills and 16 digs), Lauren Williams (12 kills and 8 blocks), Sara Shaw (18 kills and 12 digs), Kendall Bateman (83 assists and 16 digs), and Natalie Hagglund (42 digs). UC Davis kept winning in the Big West with Allison Whitson (33 kills, 23 digs, and 9 blocks), Devon Damello (19 kills and 30 digs), Valerie Brain (21 kills), Katie Denny (16 kills and 10 blocks), Betsy Sedlak (also 16 kills and 10 blocks), Caroline Mercado (34 digs), and Jenny Woolway (89 assists, 26 digs, 5 kills, and 5 blocks). Legendary Bill Russell's alma mater USF, a solid team, upset San Diego, an excellent to near-great team, thanks to Vendula Strakova (13 kills and 2 blocks), Malina Terrell (11 kills and 4 blocks), Valentina Zaloznik (9 kills and 4 aces), Joan Caloiaro (7 kills, 10 digs, and 34 assists), and Rebecca Kopilovitch (17 digs). Accuracy was crucial: the Dons outhit the Torreros, .256 to .124.
  Iowa State had two big wins over Missouri and Texas Tech due to superlative performances from Carly Jenson (29 kills, 23 digs, 5 blocks, and 4 aces), Hannah Willms (21 kills and 4 blocks), Tenisha Matlock (13 kills and 10 blocks), Kelsey Petersen (14 kills and 4 blocks), Alison Landwehr (8 kills and 80 assists), and Kristen Hahn (34 digs).
  Tennessee had huge wins over Florida and South Carolina thanks to Carly Sahagian (31 kills and 26 digs), Kelsey Robinson (39 kills, 27 digs, 5 aces, and 4 blocks), DeeDee Harrison (23 kills and 12 blocks), Ellen Mullins (32 digs), and Mary Pollmiller (112 assists, 14 digs, 5 kills, and 3 blocks).

Week Six Selected Match Previews:
  It may be a quiet week in the Pac-12 for big matches, with Oregon-Washington Friday being the only contest of great national significance, but the Big Ten has its usual menu of heavyweight battles. Friday, Minnesota plays at Ohio State. Saturday, Minnesota's at Penn State, Nebraska's at Michigan, and , in the conference match of the week, Purdue plays at Illinois.
  The Big 12 has a nice slate, with Iowa State playing at Kansas and Texas sparring with Oklahoma on Wednesday, followed by Texas traveling to Iowa State on Sunday. The ACC features Duke at Florida State on Friday and Duke at Miami on Sunday.
  LSU is involved in both key SEC contests this week, hosting Tennessee on Friday and Kentucky on Sunday. Likewise, Notre Dame hosts both important Big East matches this week, starting with Cincinnati on Saturday and Louisville on Sunday.
  Out west, the Big West features undefeated UC Davis on the road at Cal Poly SLO on Friday and UC Santa Barbara on Saturday. The WCC features Saint Mary's at Pepperdine on Thursday and BYU at San Diego on Saturday. Finally, the Mountain West features Colorado State at UNLV on Friday and the Rams at San Diego State on Sunday.

Monday, September 26, 2011

Sandflea's Week Five NCAA Women's Volleyball Top 40

Sandflea's Week Five 2011 NCAA Women's Volleyball Top 40

   (through games of 9/25/11)

Rank School Record Ranked Opponents Rank Last Week
   Played to Date

  1. Illinois (13-0) 5 1
  2. Hawaii (8-1) 7 5
  3. Purdue (13-0) 4 6
  4. Washington (9-1) 4 9
  5. Nebraska (9-1) 4 10
  6. Oregon (11-1) 3 11
  7. Michigan (13-1) 4 3
  8. UCLA (11-2) 7 13
  9. N. Iowa (14-1) 3 8
10. Miami FL (11-1) 2 16
11. Southern Cal (9-3) 6 21
12. California (12-2) 3 4
13. Michigan State (12-2) 1 17
14. Stanford (8-3) 7 7
15. Texas (8-3) 7 34
16. San Diego (14-1) 2 2
17. TCU (14-1) 1 14
18. Minnesota (8-3) 5 18
19. W. Kentucky (15-1) 19 3
20. Kansas (11-2) 4 20
21. Iowa State (11-2) 5 24
22. Oklahoma (14-3) 2 25
23. UC Davis (16-1) 1 26
24. Florida (9-3) 5 15
25. Missouri (14-4) 3 29
26. Florida State (9-4) 6 30
27. Arizona (10-3) 3 23
28. Louisville (10-4) 3 28
29. Houston (10-3) 4 37
30. Tennessee (11-2) 4 NR
31. Penn State (8-4) 4 27
32. Duke (8-4) 4 NR
33. Kentucky (12-3) 5 12
34. Texas A&M (11-3) 3 22
35. Ohio State (11-4) 4 33
36. Pepperdine (8-5) 6 38
37. Clemson (10-4) 3 36
38. Colorado State (8-3) 2 NR
39. BYU (12-3) 1 NR
40. Oregon State (11-3) 2 NR

Others to Watch: Bowling Green (13-1), LSU (10-3), Cincinnati (10-6), North Carolina (10-3), Tulsa (11-4), Wisconsin (9-5), Florida International (11-3), Long Beach State (7-5), Northwestern (9-4), Villanova (10-5)

Dropped Out: Northern Illinois (12-4), Central Florida (10-4), Bowling Green (13-1), Notre Dame (8-4), LSU (10-3)

Sandflea's Week Four 2011 NCAA Football Top 40

Sandflea's Week Four 2011 NCAA Football Top 40

   (through games of 9/25/11)

Rank School Record Ranked Opponents Rank Last Week
   Played to Date

  1. LSU (4-0) 3 1
  2. Alabama (4-0) 2 2
  3. Oklahoma (4-0) 1 4
  4. Boise State (3-0) 1 5
  5. South Carolina (4-0) 2 6
  6. Stanford (3-0) 3
  7. Nebraska (4-0) 11
  8. Clemson (4-0) 2 13
  9. Oklahoma State (4-0) 1 17
10. South Florida (4-0) 1 9
11. Wisconsin (4-0) 8
12. Michigan (4-0) 1 15
13. Texas (3-0) 1 7
14. Florida (4-0) 1 19
15. Oregon (3-1) 1 24
16. Houston (4-0) 26
17. Illinois (4-0) 1 32
18. Georgia Tech (4-0) 1 34
19. Texas Tech (3-0) 33
20. Baylor (3-0) 1 23
21. TCU (3-1) 1 22
22. Iowa State (3-0) 31
23. Kansas State (3-0) 1 NR
24. Virginia Tech (4-0) 18
25. Texas A&M (2-1) 1 16
26. West Virginia (3-1) 2 12
27. Utah (2-1) 2 29
28. Arkansas (3-1) 1 28
29. North Carolina (3-1) 1 20
30. Arizona State (3-1) 2 NR
31. Penn State (3-1) 1 40
32. Washington (3-1) 2 NR
33. Auburn (3-1) 1 NR
34. Ohio State (3-1) NR
35. Michigan State (3-1) 1 NR
36. Tennessee (2-1) 2 39
37. Syracuse (3-1) NR
38. Temple (3-1) 1 NR
39. Southern Cal (3-1) 1 10
40. Colorado State (3-1) NR

Others to Watch: California (3-1), San Diego State (3-1), Wyoming (3-1), Vanderbilt (3-1), Florida State (2-2), Florida International (3-1), Notre Dame (2-2), Northwestern (2-1), Washington State (2-1), Pittsburgh (2-2), Missouri (2-2), Air Force (2-1), Navy (2-1), Cincinnati (3-1), Southern Mississippi (3-1), Mississippi State (2-2), Georgia (2-2), Hawaii (2-2)

Dropped Out: California (3-1), San Diego State (3-1), Florida State (2-2), Utah State (1-2), Wyoming (3-1), Vanderbilt (3-1), Miami FL (1-2), Florida International (3-1), Maryland (1-2)

Friday, September 23, 2011

NCAA Volleyball Week Four Highlights (9/12/11-9/18/11)

Week Four Selected Match Highlights:

  An untested Cal-Berkeley squad finally played a ranked team in its first Pac-12 match of the season, and the Golden Bears responded with a 3 sets to 1 victory over powerful Stanford. Due to a preponderance of cupcakes on its early schedule, Cal still doesn't deserve a number one ranking, but it moved up on this blog site to the 4 spot.
  In other Pac-12 action, USC returned to form and past reputation with a stunning 3-0 upset of host Washington.
  Illinois proved its mettle with a 3-2 grudge match win over #28 at the time Louisville. A lowly 2-9 Denver team proved you have to play the game to beat them. Number 23 Colorado State, 6-2 at the time, including a win over Nebraska, didn't and so they fell in four sets.
  Proving that FSU, Miami, and Florida aren't the only quality programs in the state, Florida International upset Central Florida (who had earlier upset the Trojans of USC) in five sets. Speaking of upsets, a .500 Wichita State squad knocked off 9-2 Oklahoma in five sets.
  Oregon State defeated Arizona State in five sets. On the opposite coast, Wake Forest upset the troubled Blue Devils of Duke in four sets.

Week Four Selected Individual Highlights:

  California's three victories last week, including a beat-down of arch-rival Stanford, resulted from Tarah Murrey's 45 kills and 26 digs, Shannon Hawari's 21 kills and 4 blocks, and Robin Rostratter's 69 digs.
  USC's undefeated trip to Washington state for matches with the Huskies and the Cougars was thanks to Katie Fuller's 27 kills and 16 digs, Sara Shaw's 23 kills and 17 digs, Alex Jupiter's 19 kills and 15 digs, Lauren Williams' 18 kills and 4 blocks, Natalie Hagglund's 41 digs, and Kendall Bateman's steady setting.
  San Diego's undefeated run through its own tourney, including wins over Big 10 Indiana and Big West UCSB, was due in large part to Chloe Ferrari's 28 kills and 6 blocks, Amber Tatsch's 25 kills and 8 blocks, Katie Hoekman's 24 kills and 6 blocks, and Kandiss Anderson's 51 digs.
  There were three huge upsets last week, when teams rose above their previous play to overwhelm stronger foes. Denver knocked off Colorado State thanks to Faime Kingsley's 15 kills and 7 blocks, Kate Oakes 6 kills and 14 digs, and Lyndi Johnson's 15 digs. Florida International upended Central Florida due to Jovanna Bjelica's 21 kills and 16 digs, Marija Prsa's 15 kills and 18 digs, Sabrina Gonzalez' 12 kills and 7 blocks, and Chanel Araujo's 24 digs. Wake Forest roofed Duke thanks to Carlin Salmon's 21 kills and 4 blocks, Kadija Fornah's 21 kills and 5 block, Kristin Grissom's 10 kills and 5 blocks, and Dani Thompson's 15 digs.
  Three solid programs--TCU, Western Kentucky, and UC Davis--won four times each last week. TCU was led by Kristen Hester with 51 kills and 8 blocks, Jordan Raines with 38 kills and 29 digs, and Sarah Joeckel with 98 digs. Western Kentucky was led by Jordyn Skinner with 45 kills and 43 digs, Tiffany Elmore with 20 kills and 12 blocks, and Ashley Potts with 61 digs. UC Davis was led by Allison Whitson with 66 kills and 38 digs, Betsy Sedlak with 35 kills and 19 blocks, Katie Denny with 38 kills and 19 blocks, and Devon Damello with 24 kills, 45 digs, and 18 blocks.

Week Five Selected Match Previews:

  There may be great volleyball played throughout the country, but the best college volleyball is played in the Midwest, the Far West, Texas, Florida, and North Carolina. Fact. With Nebraska's defection to the Big 10 (with good reason), there are only two super-strong volleyball conferences: the Big 10 and the Pac-12. With Florida, Kentucky, LSU, and Tennessee, the SEC is not exactly chump change, but what's with Vanderbilt not fielding an intercollegiate team? With Pepperdine, BYU, and San Diego, the WCC is the fourth best volleyball-playing conference in the country.
  Those four conferences are where the best matches are found now that preseason tourneys and individual nonconference contests are winding to a close. One of the last great preconference matches pits TCU against Texas on Tuesday.
  The Big 10 finds Nebraska hosting Penn State on Wednesday and Minnesota hosting Illinois on Friday. Nebraska hosts Ohio State on Saturday, while Wisconsin takes on Illinois in Madison on Sunday.
  The monster matches of the week occur in the Pac-12, as Stanford and Cal visit a surging USC and UCLA this weekend. If Cal returns to the Bay Area undefeated, they will deserve the number one ranking next week.
  In the SEC, the featured matches find the Gators of Florida hosting Kentucky Friday and Tennessee Sunday afternoon.

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Sandflea's Week Four 2011 NCAA Women's Volleyball Top 40

Rank School Record Ranked Opponents Rank
   Played to Date Last Week

  1. Illinois (11-0) 4 2
  2. San Diego (13-0) 2 5
  3. Michigan (12-0) 3 6
  4. California (12-0) 1 11
  5. Hawaii (8-1) 7 7
  6. Purdue (11-0) 2 13
  7. Stanford (8-1) 5 1
  8. Northern Iowa (12-1) 3 9
  9. Washington (9-1) 3 10
10. Nebraska (7-1) 2 12
11. Oregon (9-1) 3 17
12. Kentucky (11-2) 4 21
13. UCLA (9-2) 5 8
14. TCU (13-0) 14
15. Florida (8-2) 4 24
16. Miami FL (9-1) 2 4
17. Michigan State (11-1) 19
18. Minnesota (7-2) 4 22
19. Western Kentucky (13-1) 3 NR
20. Kansas (11-1) 3 NR
21. Southern Cal (7-3) 4 36
22. Texas A&M (10-2) 2 15
23. Arizona (9-2) 2 20
24. Iowa State (9-2) 4 3
25. Oklahoma (13-3) 2 26
26. UC Davis (14-1) 1 NR
27. Penn State (7-3) 3 31
28. Louisville (8-4) 3 28
29. Missouri (13-3) 1 27
30. Florida State (7-4) 6 NR
31. Northern Illinois (11-3) 4 33
32. Central Florida (9-3) 4 25
33. Ohio State (10-3) 3 34
34. Texas (6-3) 5 35
35. Bowling Green (12-0) 1 NR
36. Clemson (9-3) 2 37
37. Houston (7-3) 4 32
38. Pepperdine (6-5) 6 30
39. LSU (9-3) 1 39
40. Notre Dame (7-3) 1 NR

Others to Watch: Tennessee (9-2), Duke (6-4), Colorado State (6-3), Cincinnati (7-6), BYU (11-3), Oregon State (9-3), North Carolina (8-3), Northwestern (9-2), Georgia Tech (7-4), Tulsa (9-4), Wisconsin (8-4), Florida International (8-3), Long Beach State (6-4), Dayton (7-5), Northwestern (9-2), Wichita State (7-4)

Dropped Out: Colorado State, Tennessee, UTEP, San Diego State, Cincinnati, Duke

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Sandflea's Week Three 2011 NCAA Football Top 40

Sandflea's Week Three 2011 NCAA Football Top 40
   (through games of 9/18/11)

Rank School Record Ranked Opponents Rank Last Week
   Played

  1. LSU (3-0) 2 1
  2. Alabama (3-0) 1 2
  3. Stanford (3-0) 3
  4. Oklahoma (3-0) 1 6
  5. Boise State (2-0) 1 7
  6. S. Carolina (3-0) 1 4
  7. Texas (3-0) 1 12
  8. Wisconsin (3-0) 8
  9. S. Florida (3-0) 1 9
10. Southern Cal (3-0) 1 11
11. Nebraska (3-0) 22
12. West Virginia (3-0) 1 27
13. Clemson (3-0) 1 NR
14. California (3-0) 14
15. Michigan (3-0) 1 16
16. Texas A&M (2-0) 10
17. Oklahoma State (3-0) 21
18. Virginia Tech (3-0) 23
19. Florida (3-0) 1 31
20. N. Carolina (3-0) 34
21. San Diego St. (3-0) 35
22. TCU (2-1) 1 15
23. Baylor (2-0) 1 13
24. Oregon (2-1) 1 18
25. Florida State (2-1) 1 20
26. Houston (3-0) 17
27. Utah State (1-1) 1 19
28. Arkansas (3-0) 36
29. Utah (2-1) 2 NR
30. Wyoming (3-0) NR
31. Iowa State (3-0) NR
32. Illinois (3-0) 1 NR
33. Texas Tech (2-0) NR
34. Georgia Tech (3-0) NR
35. Vanderbilt (3-0) NR
36. Miami (FL) (1-1) 2 NR
37. Florida International (3-0) NR
38. Maryland (1-1) 1 33
39. Tennessee (2-1) 2 32
40. Penn State (2-1) 1 NR

Others to Watch: Syracuse (2-1), Arizona State (2-1), Michigan State (2-1), Ohio State (2-1), Pittsburgh (2-1), Central Florida (2-1), Missouri (2-1), Washington (2-1), Kentucky (2-1), Washington State (2-1), Notre Dame (1-2)

Dropped Out: Northwestern (2-1), Colorado State (2-1), Syracuse (2-1), MIssissippi State (1-2), BYU (1-2), Arizona State (2-1), Hawaii (2-1), Michigan State (2-1), Ohio State (2-1), Pittsburgh (2-1)

Friday, September 16, 2011

NCAA Volleyball: Week Three Highlights (9/5/11-9/11/11)

Week Three Selected Match Highlights:

  Some of the best matches last week had unlikely results: Iowa State beat host Florida 3-2, a rising Pepperdine upset previously undefeated UCLA 3-2, a struggling Texas overcame struggling defending national champion Penn State 3-2, Florida triumphed over Texas 3-2, Wichita State upset host Colorado State 3-1, and Portland upset host Notre Dame 3-2 while losing in the same tourney to less-talented Valparaiso and Lipscomb.
  Some of the best matches last week had more predictable results: host Nebraska outlasted stubborn Saint Mary's 3-2, Stanford made it past Florida 3-2, and Michigan outdueled Pepperdine 3-2 in Dayton.
  Besides Stanford, who won their own Nike Big Four Tournament with wins over Penn State and Florida, other impressive weeks were turned in by 1) Michigan, who not only beat an improving Pepperdine, but shut out previously ranked Dayton and Florida State, 2) an improving Kentucky, who lost only one set in wins against Louisville, West Virginia, Houston, and Loyola Marymount, 3) San Diego, who lost only two sets in wins on the road against Georgia Southern, Duke, North Carolina, and Arizona State, and 4) a surging Pepperdine, who besides losing to Michigan in five sets in Ohio, beat Dayton and Florida State on the road and highly-ranked UCLA at home.
  Unpredictability makes volleyball as engaging as football. How can one explain Wichita State falling rather easily to Northern Colorado while upsetting Colorado State the night before in front of a rabid Ft. Collins crowd? How can one explain a 3-6 University of Portland beating a 4-2 University of Notre Dame in South Bend? Good luck.

Week Three Selected Individual Highlights:

  Why did Pepperdine have a great week? Try Katie Messing's 49 kills, Kim Hill's 78 kills, and Lilla Frederick's 55 kills. Try Kellie Woolever's 204 assists.
  How did Kentucky triumph over Louisville, Houston, Loyola Marymount, and West Virginia? Try Whitney Billings' 34 kills and 41 digs, Lauren O'Conner's 40 kills, Ashley Frazier's 41 kills and 6 service aces, and Stephanie Klefot's 69 digs. Try setter Christine Hartmann's 9 kills and 6 blocks, besides the usual bushels of assists.
  What explains Michigan's hot streak? Try Jennifer Cross' 31 kills and 8 blocks, Courtney Fletcher's 34 kills and 8 blocks, Lexi Erwin's 25 kills and 37 digs, and Alex Hunt's 42 kills and 7 service aces.
  How was BYU able to cruise by four opponents during the week? Try Christie Carpenter's 41 kills and 21 digs or Jennifer Hamson's all-around play with 51 kills, 42 digs, 13 blocks, and 4 service aces.
  What got perennial power Stanford by equally powerful Penn State and Florida? Try Rachel Williams' 45 kills and 26 digs, Carly Wopat's 24 kills and 13 blocks, Kyle Gilbert's 28 digs, and Karissa Cook's masterful 92 assists and 18 digs.
  In single-match highlights, Wichita State upset Colorado State due to Emily Adney's 18 kills and 4 blocks, Camri Zwiesler's 17 kills and 6 service aces, Sara Waldorf's 17 digs and 3 service aces, and Mary Elizabeth Hooper's 42 assists and 6 kills.
  Iowa State beat down Florida thanks to Kelsey Peterson's 15 kills and .565 hitting percentage, Hannah Wiims' 12 kills and 12 digs, Alison Landwehr's 52 assists and 11 digs, Jamie Straube's 13 kills, and Kristen Hahn's 25 digs.
  Samford upset Georgia Tech because Katie Murphy had 14 kills while hitting .500, Elizabeth Neisler had 19 kills and 6 digs, Lauren Hutchinson had 14 kills and 3 blocks, and Alexis Bauer had 17 digs.
  Amazing!

Week Four Selected Match Previews:

  This will be an interesting week, as some conferences have already started play, while several schools are still involved with preconference tournaments or individual matches. In Pac-12 play, Stanford travels to Cal to take on the Golden Bears. The Berkeley squad has played a cupcake schedule thus far: the Cardinal will be their first real test and the match will be a chance to see if AVCA has over-rated the Golden Bears based on reputation from last year's national runner-up team.
  In other Pac-12 play, generously talented Washington will host equally talented USC and UCLA on consecutive nights. It is curious why the Huskies shamelessly self-promote themselves as the "business model" volleyball program, since such an assertion can only alienate as many as it attracts. I wasn't aware "business models" included creating the impression of raiding other schools of top talent--just ask Utah, UCLA, and Colorado State. Business model or not, Washington and Amanda Gil didn't deserve a major injury--nobody wishes ill health or injury on anybody. We only wish for speedy recoveries. After all, it's far more fun to beat the Huskies and other transfer-magnet schools when they play at full strength.
  Outside the Pac-12, look for the two matches between streaking Pepperdine and host Hawaii to be brilliant. The best tournament appears to be in Madison, where the Badgers of Wisconsin will host Notre Dame, South Florida, and, um, Western Michigan. It's a chance for the Badgers to get on the right track again.

Dig It: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of Volleyball//Part Three: Volleyball Popularity on the Rise in 2011 Is Good

Numbers are up around the country for women's collegiate indoor volleyball. I'm talking live attendance, not television numbers, although it would be interesting to see how ESPNU's faring with their Wednesday night match of the week. Over 4,000 students and fans regularly attend games at Colorado State, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Hawaii, Stanford, and Penn State. At USC, UCLA, Washington, Long Beach State, Minnesota, Illinois, Michigan, Texas, New Mexico, and Oregon, similar-sized crowds show up for big home games. Not bad for a small non-revenue Olympic sport which suffers rule changes every other minute.
What can explain this surge in popularity? I offer three reasons. First, the sport is booming in AAU club and secondary schools for girls. For participation, it is a top three team sport for girls (with soccer and softball), particularly strong in the Midwest and the Far West. That explains why the strongest college teams hail from the Midwest and Far West, Duke's efforts notwithstanding. That partially explains why the best-attended matches are in the Midwest and Far West.
  Second, while purists may scoff at it, beach volleyball and its television exposure (generated perhaps by exposure of another kind) has made the game more popular and familiar to the average sport fan. Even ESPN's Chris Spielman, while doing an interview with Fox Sports Radio's Petros & Money late this week, admitted he was talking from a Georgia Tech volleyball match where he was watching football broadcast boothmate Urban Meyer's daughter play. The Olympic success of beach volleyball's Kerri Walsh and Misty May definitely helped the positive trending and was far more important to the sport in general than last year's bankruptcy of the pro beach volleyball tour.
  The third reason women's collegiate indoor volleyball has gotten off to such a good start in 2011? Believe it or not, it's not the great match-ups and tournaments. That happens every year. While some coaches and athletic directors believe in and strictly adhere to solid cupcake scheduling before conference play begins, most schools crave great matches with great foes. Such contests boost the popularity of the program and the sport. It also boosts network interest.
The third reason women's collegiate indoor volleyball has gotten off to such a good start in 2011? Believe it or not, it's not the advent of social media and video streaming on team websites. Of course, the exposure doesn't hurt. Most teams now have Facebook and Twitter accounts; many schools have video highlights and interviews--a few even stream complete matches. All of that is positive advertising for the program and the sport.
  However, I believe the third reason for the sport's upward trending popularity in live attendance is simple: it's the economy, stupid. With underemployment and unemployment both at post-Great Depression highs in the USA, and the price of a college football game getting further and further out of the reach of the average family of four, non-revenue sports and their bargain ticket prices make a wonderful substitute for the school fan or alumnus who still wants to "share the experience" of an intercollegiate rivalry in person. At many venues, obtaining a good seat is easy, making the experience that much more positive.
  You may agree or disagree with my reasoning, but one thing is certain: spiking attendance for indoor volleyball is a good thing.

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Sandflea's Week Three NCAA Volleyball Top 40

Sandflea's Week Three NCAA Volleyball Top 40
   (through 9/11/11)

Rank School Record Ranked Opponents Previous Ranking
   Played to Date

  1. Stanford (6-0) 4 6
  2. Illinois (9-0) 2 2
  3. Iowa State (9-0) 2 7
  4. Miami (FL) (9-0) 2 8
  5. San Diego (10-0) 2 13
  6. Michigan (9-0) 2 26
  7. Hawaii (8-1) 5 4
  8. UCLA (7-1) 4 1
  9. N. Iowa (9-1) 2 14
10. Washington (8-0) 1 3
11. California (9-0) 15
12. Nebraska (6-1) 1 20
13. Purdue (9-0) 22
14. TCU (9-0) 24
15. Texas A&M (9-0) 1 27
16. UTEP (11-0) 28
17. Oregon (6-1) 2 9
18. San Diego State (5-0) 1 16
19. Michigan State (8-1) 25
20. Arizona (8-1) 1 29
21. Kentucky (9-2) 4 36
22. Minnesota (5-2) 4 12
23. Colorado State (6-2) 2 11
24. Florida (7-2) 4 5
25. Central Florida (8-2) 3 19
26. Oklahoma (9-2) 2 21
27. Missouri (11-2) 23
28. Louisville (8-2) 1 30
29. Tennessee (7-2) NR
30. Pepperdine (6-3) 4 NR
31. Penn State (4-3) 3 10
32. Houston (6-3) 4 39
33. N. Illinois (9-3) 4 35
34. Ohio State (7-3) NR
35. Texas (3-3) 5 33
36. Southern Cal (5-3) 3 31
37. Clemson (7-3) NR
38. Duke (4-3) 3 37
39. LSU (7-3) 1 18
40. Cincinnati (7-4) 5 34

Others to Watch: Bowling Green (9-0), Western Kentucky (9-1), Kansas (8-1), UC Davis (10-1), Samford (9-1), BYU (9-2), North Carolina (6-2), Oregon State (8-2), Northwestern (6-2), Georgia Tech (6-3), St. Louis (5-3), Notre Dame (5-3), Florida State (6-4)

Dropped Out: Dayton, Long Beach State, Florida State, Northwestern

Monday, September 12, 2011

Sandflea's Week Two 2011 NCAA Football Top 40

Sandflea's Week Two 2011 NCAA Football Top 40
   (through games of 9/11/11)

Rank School Record Ranked Teams Played Rank Last Week

  1. LSU (2-0) 1 1
  2. Alabama (2-0) 1 29
  3. Stanford (2-0) 6
  4. S. Carolina (2-0) 1 8
  5. Auburn (2-0) 1 11
  6. Oklahoma (1-0) 3
  7. Boise State (1-0) 1 2
  8. Wisconsin (2-0) 9
  9. S. Florida (2-0) 1 5
10. Texas A&M (1-0) 7
11. Southern Cal (2-0) 12
12. Texas (2-0) 1 14
13. Baylor (1-0) 1 4
14. California (2-0) 21
15. TCU (1-1) 1 25
16. Michigan (2-0) 1 NR
17. Houston (2-0) 17
18. Oregon (1-1) 1 24
19. Utah State (1-1) 1 28
20. Florida State (2-0) 30
21. Oklahoma State (2-0) 31
22. Nebraska (2-0) 32
23. Virginia Tech (2-0) 33
24. Northwestern (2-0) 1 20
25. Colorado State (2-0) 23
26. Syracuse (2-0) 22
27. West Virginia (2-0) 13
28. Mississippi State (1-1) 1 10
29. BYU (1-1) 1 16
30. Arizona State (2-0) 1 NR
31. Florida (2-0) 38
32. Tennessee (2-0) 1 NR
33. Maryland (1-0) NR
34. N. Carolina (2-0) NR
35. San Diego State (2-0) NR
36. Arkansas (2-0) 34
37. Hawaii (1-1) 18
38. Michigan State (2-0) 35
39. Ohio State (2-0) 36
40. Pittsburgh (2-0) NR

Others to Watch: UCF (2-0), Texas Tech (1-0), Penn State (1-1), Utah (1-1), Missouri (1-1), Wyoming (2-0), Iowa State (2-0), Illinois (2-0), Virginia (2-0), Washington (2-0), Kentucky (2-0), Clemson (2-0), Georgia Tech (2-0), Vanderbilt (2-0), Florida International (2-0), Kansas (2-0), Washington State (2-0), Notre Dame (0-2), Georgia (0-2), Air Force (1-1), Iowa (1-1), Arizona (1-1), Mississippi (1-1)

Dropped Out: Southern Mississippi (1-1), Northern Illinois (1-1), Cincinnati (1-1)