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.
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