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The University of Utah Athletics
Utah Volleyball Garners First Ranking
9/12/2000 12:00 AM | Volleyball
Sept. 12, 2000
Salt Lake City - COMING UP: No. 18 ranked Utah is back in action at home on Fri., Sept. 15 vs. Temple University at 7:00 p.m. (MST). On Sat., Sept. 16, the Utes take on the No. 13 ranked Arizona Wildcats at Crimson Court at 4:00 p.m. (MST).
A QUICK LOOK AT UTAH: The University of Utah women's volleyball team earned its first-ever national ranking, coming in 18th in the USA Today/AVCA Top 25 poll released Monday. Utah, which wasn't ranked last week received 417 points and boasts a 7-0 overall record entering this week's match-ups with Temple University and 13th ranked Arizona.
Utah defeated the Cal Poly SLO Mustangs to win the Cal Poly SLO Tournament last weekend. Utah is on a seven-match win streak and is still undefeated (7-0 overall). The Utes defeated Nevada-Reno, 3-2, (15-12, 11-15, 9-15, 15-6, 15-10) on Fri., Sept. 8. On Sat., Sept. 9, Utah shut-down No. 24 ranked San Diego in five games, (14-16, 15-6, 11-15, 15-12, 15-10) and its host Cal Poly SLO in four games, (9-15, 15-8, 15-12, 15-10). In the match-up against then-No. 24-ranked San Diego, Adrianne Bradley-Drake set a Mountain West Conference record, racking up 31 digs. Lenka Urbanov? recorded career-highs for both kills and digs in the Cal Poly SLO Tourney. Three Utah players were named to the Cal Poly SLO Tournament all-tourney team. They were Jen Snow-Richards, Lenka Urbanov? and tournament MVP, McKelle Stilson. The Utes made a five-game comeback win over No. 1 ranked Stanford University in a 2 1/2-hour match at Crimson Court on Tues., Sept. 5. The Utes won 13-15, 12-15, 15-6, 15-10, 15-9. Katrena Ellett, Jen Snow-Richards and Lucie Turkov? all posted career-highs in the match-up with Stanford. Against the Cardinal, Utah set a school record for team assists (93) and tied a school record for team kills (97). The win against Stanford was the first-ever win over a top ranked opponent in Utah volleyball history.
Possible starters for the Utes in the match-up against Temple and Arizona are: McKelle Stilson (Jr., MB), Jen Snow-Richards (Sr., OH), Lucie Turkov? (Sr., S), Katrena Ellett (So., MB), Alisa Geddes (Jr., OH), Brooke Barton (Sr., OH/DS), Kim Turner (Fr., MB) and Adrianne Bradley-Drake (Jr., OH/DS). The Utes return five starters, 12 letterwinners and add three true freshmen to this year's roster. Utah received 31 votes to rank 29th in the 1999 season end USA Today/AVCA Top 25 Poll. Utah's 1999 final RPI ranking, produced by the NCAA, was 22nd.
SCOUTING TEMPLE: The Temple University Owls are now 3-4 overall, 0-0 in the Atlantic 10 Conference. The Owls defeated Colgate University in three games, 15-4, 15-0, 15-3 and Seton Hall, 3-0 (15-6, 15-8, 15-11) on Fri., Sept. 1. Temple lost to Ohio State, 3-1 (2-15, 15-10, 5-15, 11-15) at home on Sat., Sept. 2. On Thurs., Sept. 7, the Owls fell to No. 5 ranked Long Beach State, 3-1 (15-8, 3-15, 8-15, 2-15). Temple bounced back and defeated Texas-San Antonio in three games, 15-11, 15-8, 15-6 on Fri. Sept. 8. The Owls dropped the next two matches to USC in three games and No. 8 ranked Pepperdine in four games.
Temple's Alma Kovaci leads the team in kills per game, racking-up 17 kills in the match-up with USC and 16 kills vs. No. 8 ranked Pepperdine. Solana Lee leads the team in assists, averaging 9.4 assists per game..
Head Coach Bob Bertucci enters his fifth year at Temple University, posting a 469-232 career record and a 117-42 record at Temple.
SCOUTING NO. 13 RANKED ARIZONA: The No. 13 ranked Arizona volleyball team is 5-1 overall, 0-0 in the Pac 10 Conference. The Wildcats have won their last five matches, with wins most recently against Santa Clara and Baylor University. Arizona defeated Baylor in three games, 15-7, 15-8, 15-3 and Santa Clara, 3-0 (15-1, 15-12, 17-15).
Senior Marisa DaLee leads the team, averaging 3.86 kills per game for an impressive .485 hitting percentage. Sophomore Lisa Rutledge averages 3.05 kills per game for a .306 hitting percentage. Stefani Saragosa leads the team in blocks per game (160) and totals 2.60 kills per game. Junior Dana Burkholder posts 13.19 assists per game and 2.19 digs per game, while Jill Talbot averages 2.14 digs per game.
David Rubio enters his ninth year at the helm of the Wildcat volleyball program. He has accumulated a 264-152 career record and a 144-87 record at Arizona.
SERIES SHORTS: Utah and Temple will match-up for the first time ever on Fri., Sept. 15. Arizona leads the all-time series with Utah, 13-3. In their last meeting on Sept. 6, 1985, Utah lost to the Wildcats, 3-1 in Tucson, Ariz. Utah is 1-5 at home, 0-3 away and 2-5 at a neutral site vs. Arizona.
QUOTING LAUNIERE: On the upcoming Temple and Arizona match-ups-"Both Temple and Arizona have very good volleyball programs. Temple is a team that went to the NCAAs last year, and although I don't know a lot about them at this point, I know they are a very good program. Arizona is a Top 25 team and they are very talented. They've had some really good recruiting years, especially in the past few years. We lost to them last spring and they're going to be a big challenge for us. It doesn't get any easier, but it will be good to be at home because we've been on the road a lot and we're looking forward to these two match-ups. "
UTES IN THE POLLS: The University of Utah women's volleyball team earned its first-ever national ranking, coming in 18th in the USA Today/AVCA Top 25 poll released Monday. Utah, which wasn't ranked last week received 417 points and boasts a 7-0 overall record entering this week's match-ups with Temple University and 13th ranked Arizona.
Utah has already defeated two ranked teams this season. The Utes defeated then-No. 1-ranked Stanford in five games last Tuesday and then-No. 24-ranked San Diego last Saturday.
Utah is one of six undefeated teams ranked in the polls. Other MWC teams ranked are: Colorado State (4th) and BYU (10th).
"It is really nice recognition for our program and for our players because they deserve it," said Launiere. "Even though we are ranked now, we still have our focus and each match is an important one for us. We've done very well near the end of the season for the past few years and we want to continue that because that is when it counts."
NEXT WEEK: Utah opens its conference schedule with San Diego State at home on Fri., Sept. 22 at 7:00 p.m. (MST) and UNLV on Sat., Sept. 23 at home at 7:00 p.m. (MST). The Utes hit the road on Fri., Sept. 29, taking on the Wyoming Cowgirls at 7:00 p.m. (MST in Laramie, Wyo. On Sat., Sept. 30, Utah travels to Fort Collins, Colo. to face the No. 7 ranked Colorado State Rams at 7:00 p.m. (MST).
CAL POLY SLO RECAP: The University of Utah women's volleyball team won the Cal Poly SLO Tournament by shutting down its host Cal Poly in four games, 9-15, 15-8, 15-12, 15-7 on Sat., Sept. 9. Cal Poly SLO dropped to 3-3 overall.
For the Utes, junior Lenka Urbanov? led the team and recorded a career-high 17 kills for a .286 hitting percentage and 17 digs. Senior Brooke Barton racked up 14 kills and 10 digs, while McKelle Stilson added 11 kills. Jen Snow-Richards posted 16 digs and freshman Kim Turner added 11 kills. Adrianne Bradley-Drake totaled 15 digs and Alisa Geddes had 10 digs. Setter Lucie Turkov? posted 40 assists and 10 digs in the match. As a team Utah posted a .228 hitting percentage.
Melanie Hathaway led the Mustangs with 19 kills for a .241 hitting percentage and 15 digs. Teammate Kristen O'Halloran totaled 10 kills and 16 digs, while Kristen Sigel added 12 digs. Carly O'Halloran posted 47 assists. Cal Poly managed a .162 hitting percentage as a team in the match.
"I was proud of our team's performance because we had to fight for every point and every side out in this tournament. We played four matches this week and three of them have been five game matches and one four game match. We beat two Top 25 teams this week, and physically and mentally we were pushed to the limit. It was a real gutsy win tonight."
SAN DIEGO RECAP: The University of Utah women's volleyball team upset the then-No. 24-ranked San Diego Toreros in five games, 14-16, 15-6, 11-15, 15-12, 15-10 at the Cal Poly SLO Tournament on Sat., Sept. 9. San Diego moved to 2-3 overall.
For the Utes, junior McKelle Stilson had a season-high 17 kills for a .243 hitting percentage and three blocks. Outside hitter Lenka Urbanov? totaled 14 kills for a .333 hitting percentage and a career-high 17 digs. Senior Jen Snow-Richards had 12 kills and nine digs, while Alisa Geddes added 11 kills and 13 digs. Adrianne Bradley-Drake set a Mountain West Conference record as she racked up a career-high 31 digs. Brooke Barton added 13 digs in the match and senior setter Lucie Turkov? racked up 67. As a team Utah posted a .221 hitting percentage.
Noel Frohman led the Toreros with 17 kills and 14 digs. Teammates Adrian Frediani and Debra Robertson added 11 kills. Ali Martin posted 21 assists and 13 digs. Holly Olmsted totaled 12 assists and 10 digs. San Diego managed a .139 hitting percentage as a team in the match.
"It was a great team effort. It was a tough match and Lenka Urbanov? came off the bench and really helped us out. Her play, as well as the rest of the team's play was critical. It took everybody's effort to get the win, because it was a hard fought match."
NEVADA RECAP: The University of Utah women's volleyball team defeated the Nevada Wolf Pack in five games, 15-12, 11-15, 9-15, 15-6, 15-10 at the Cal Poly SLO Tournament on Fri., Sept. 8. The Nevada fell to 1-3 overall.
For the Utes, senior Jen Snow-Richards led the team with 12 kills for an impressive .524 hitting percentage and led the team with 14 digs. Middle blocker McKelle Stilson added 11 kills and six total blocks, while teammate Alisa Geddes posted 14 digs. Senior setter Lucie Turkov? racked up 32 assists and 10 digs in the match. As a team Utah posted a .174 hitting percentage and combined for 14 blocks on the night.
Suzanne Stonebarger led the Wolf Pack with 17 kills and 15 digs. Teammate Lauren Heri added nine kills and Kelly Jameson posted 11 digs. Jennifer Harris totaled 37 assists. Nevada managed a .131 hitting percentage as a team in the match.
"It was a tough match and Nevada came in really fired up. I thought we started out a little bit flat, but I was really proud of our players for finding a way to win it. We really had to earn it because it was a tough match."
STANFORD RECAP: The University of Utah women's volleyball team came back from an 0-2 deficit, taking the next three games (13-15, 12-15, 15-6, 15-10, 15-9) to upset the No. 1 ranked Stanford Cardinal at Crimson Court on Tues., Sept. 5. Stanford dropped to 3-1 on the season, 0-0 in Pac 10 play.
Three Utah players posted career-highs, one school record was broken and one was tied. Sophomore Katrena Ellett led the team with a career-high 24 kills for a .250 hitting percentage and totaled nine digs. McKelle Stilson racked up 23 kills for a .366 hitting percentage and six total blocks. Senior Jen Snow-Richards posted a career-high 30 digs, four blocks and nine kills in the match. Setter Lucie Turkov? had a career-high 81 assists and 13 digs. Teammate Adrianne Bradley-Drake posted 12 kills and 13 digs, while teammate Alisa Geddes totaled 22 digs. Twelve Utes saw time in the match, and as a team Utah posted a .202 hitting percentage. Utah set a school record for team assists (93) in tonight's match-up and tied a school record for team kills (97).
Ashley Ivy totaled a career-high 20 kills and 19 digs to lead the Cardinal. Sara Sandrik posted 19 kills and 13 digs, while teammate Lindsay Kagawa racked up 64 assists and 19 digs. Stanford managed a .148 hitting percentage as a team for the match.
"It was a classic, unbelievable win," said Head Coach Beth Launiere. "I felt we could play with them and have a good match against them. I can't say enough about this team, they came back from two games down and won the match. I thought we served really well and it was our serving and passing that took them out of their game."
"They played hard and came out in game three and took over the match," said Interim Head Coach Denise Cortlett. "They out-hit us and out-blocked us. They put a lot of pressure on us and I'm not sure we held up against it. I give all the credit to Utah. We're a young team and hopefully we'll get better."
UTAH VS. RANKED OPPONENTS: Utah is 2-0 vs. opponents ranked in the Top 25 USA Today/AVCA Coaches' Poll. On Tues., Sept. 5, the Utes made a five-game comeback win over No. 1 ranked Stanford University in a 2 1/2-hour match at Crimson Court. Utah won 13-15, 12-15, 15-6, 15-10, 15-9. On Sat., Sept. 9, Utah shut-down No. 24 ranked San Diego in five games, (14-16, 15-6, 11-15, 15-12, 15-10).
ALL-TOURNAMENT HONORS: Three Utah players were named to the 2000 University of New Hampshire All-Tournament Team. They were: Lucie Turkov?, Jen Snow-Richards and Tournament MVP Katrena Ellett.
Three Utah players were named to the 2000 Cal Poly SLO All-Tournament Team. They were: Lenka Urbanov?, Jen Snow-Richards and tournament MVP, McKelle Stilson.
INDIVIDUAL AND TEAM NOTES: Senior Brooke Barton tied a career-high for kills (14) vs. Cal Poly SLO on Sat., Sept. 9, 2000. Senior Jen Snow-Richards set a career-high .722 hitting percentage against UMass and a career-high four service aces vs. New Hampshire on Sat., Sept. 2, 2000 On Tues., Sept. 5, 2000, Snow-Richards racked up a career-high and a MWC record for digs in a five-game match (30). Snow-Richards racked-up a career-high 11 assists vs. Nevada-Reno on Fri., Sept. 8, 2000. Senior setter Lucie Turkov? posted a career-high 81 assists vs. Stanford on Tues., Sept. 5, 2000. Adrianne Bradley-Drake tied a career-high with five total blocks vs. Stanford University on Tues., Sept. 5, 2000. On Sat., Sept. 9, 2000, Bradley-Drake broke Snow-Richards MWC record for digs in a five-game match with 31 digs. She also tied a career-high for assists with five. Lenka Urbanov? recorded a career-high .353 hitting percentage against Eastern Michigan on Fri., Sept. 1, 2000. On Sat., Sept. 9, Urbanov? posted a career-high 17 digs against No. 24 ranked San Diego. Urbanov? had a career-high 17 kills and tied a career-high 17 digs against Cal Poly SLO on Sat., Sept. 9, 2000. Against Eastern Michigan on Fri., Sept. 1, 2000, Katrena Ellett totaled a career high 14 digs. On Sat., Sept. 2, 2000, Ellett posted a career-high three service aces against UMass. Against Stanford University on Tues., Sept. 5, 2000, Ellett racked-up a career-high 24 kills and three assists.
Utah set a school record for team assists (93) in the match-up with Stanford University on Tues., Sept. 5, 2000, and tied a school record for team kills (97).
HEAD COACH BETH LAUNIERE: In her 11th season, Beth Launiere has not only resurrected the Ute volleyball program and turned it into a consistent winner, she has also guided Utah to unprecedented success on the national level.
Under Launiere's leadership, Utah made its second consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance in 1999, and for a second year advanced to the second round. It is the crowning achievement of Launiere's ten-year tenure at Utah, in which she has posted a 187-138 (.575) career record.
The winningest coach in school history, Launiere has overseen a significant transformation since her arrival in 1990. In the last six years alone, Launiere has guided the Utes to five 20-win seasons and Utah's third-place finish in the MWC in 1999 marked its seventh consecutive upper division finish in conference play.
Launiere worked hard in 1999 to maintain the level of play and expectations of the previous season. With a 22-10 overall record, Utah posted its fourth consecutive, and fifth overall, 20-win season. The Utes' .688 overall winning percentage equaled the third-best in school history. Utah also equaled the third-best conference winning percentage in school history last season (10-4, .714).
Utah received 31 votes to rank 29th in the final USA Today/AVCA Top 25 Poll. Utah's final RPI ranking, produced by the NCAA, was 22nd.
PRACTICE SCHEDULE: The Utes practice from 1:00-6:00 p.m. Mon.-Fri. in East 101 at the HPER building on the University of Utah campus. All practice times and dates are tentative and subject to change. For regular scheduled practice times, please contact Julie Lapomarda. Utah Women's Volleyball practices are closed to the media. To set up interviews before or after practice with Head Coach Beth Launiere or Ute players, please contact Julie Lapomarda women's volleyball SID at: (801) 581-3771 (office), or at (801) 468-0571 (home).
POST-MATCH SERVICES/INTERVIEWS: Head Coach Beth Launiere and Utah players will be available for interviews outside the Utah lockerroom following a 10 minute cooling off period. A member of the Utah sports information staff will gather interview requests immediately following the match. Box scores will be provided and faxed upon request.
WEEKLY INTERVIEWS: Members of the media who wish to interview Head Coach Beth Launiere should contact her at her office (801-581-6843) between 12:30 to 2:00 p.m. weekdays. Interviews with the athletes should be arranged through Julie Lapomarda (801-581-3771).
THE MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE: The newest conference in the nation has quickly emerged as one of the best. The Mountain West Conference, which officially commenced operation on July 1, 1999, sent three volleyball teams to NCAA post-season play in its first year. League champion BYU made it to the NCAA Sweet 16, Colorado State made it to the NCAA Regional semifinals and Utah advanced to the NCAA second round.
MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE MEDIA INFORMATION: Ron Christian, Assistant Director of Communications, handles all information requests related to volleyball at the Mountain West Conference office. The MWC address is P.O. Box 35760, Colorado Springs, CO 80935-3567. The MWC telephone number is (719) 533-9500. The fax number is (719) 533-9512.
MWC PRE-SEASON POLL: In a survey of the Mountain West Conference coaches before the season, Utah, which received votes in the preseason national poll, was picked to finish third. Brigham Young and Colorado State each received four first-place votes to headline the 2000 Mountain West Conference Women's Volleyball Preseason Coaches Poll.
USA TODAY/AVCA PRE-SEASON POLL: Utah was one of three Mountain West Conference schools that appeared in the USA Today/AVCA (American Volleyball Coaches' Association) Preseason Poll, announced on Mon., Aug. 14. Colorado State and Brigham Young ranked 13th and 15th, while Utah, with 59 points, checked in at No. 30.
1999 TEAM AND PLAYER NOTES: Utah made its second-consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament, and its second-consecutive 2nd-round finish last season. The Utes, seeded No. 9 in the Mountain Region, defeated eighth-seeded Colorado in three games (15-10, 15-6, 17-15) in the first round and lost to top-seeded Hawaii in three games (15-11, 15-6, 15-4) in the second round at the sub regional in Honolulu, Hawaii.
With a 22-10 overall record, Utah posted its fourth consecutive, and fifth overall, 20-win season. The Utes' .688 overall winning percentage equaled the third-best in school history. Utah also equaled the third-best conference winning percentage in school history last season (10-4, .714). Utah finished third in the MWC, marking its fifth consecutive upper-finish in conference play.
Utah received 31 votes to rank 29th in the final USA Today/AVCA Top 25 Poll. Utah's final RPI ranking produced by the NCAA was 22nd and the Mountain West Conference was third.
The winningest coach in school history, Beth Launiere has overseen a tremendous change since her arrival here in 1990. She has posted a 180-138 (.566) career record in ten seasons. In the last five years alone, Launiere has guided the Utes to four 20-win seasons, and three 3rd place and two fourth place finishes in conference play.
Brooke Barton, Jennifer Snow-Richards, Lucie Turkov?, McKelle Stilson, Megan Anderson and Brenda Beal earned academic all-MWC honors last season. Utah and Colorado State garnered the most honorees with six out of a field of 37 student-athletes.
Graciela Torres-Lopez ended her career as Utah's all-time leader in assists with 5,130. She broke the 5,000 mark on Wed., Nov. 24 in the opening match of the inaugural Mountain West Conference Tournament against San Diego State. She broke the record for the number of assists in a season with 1,424.
Utah had four players selected as members of the inaugural All-Mountain West Conference Volleyball Teams. Sophomore McKelle Stilson was a first-team (MB) selection. Senior setter Graciela Torres-Lopez and sophomore outside hitter Alisa Geddes were second-team picks, while junior Brook Barton was named the second-team defensive specialist of the year.
Middle blocker McKelle Stilson ranked in at number five on Utah's individual season record list with a .296 hitting efficiency. She currently ranks sixth with 130 block assists, seventh with 149 total blocks and ninth with 431 kills.
Outside hitter Alisa Geddes ranked in at number five on Utah's individual season record for digs with 375.
All but one loss last season was to top 25 teams beginning with No. 18 Northern Iowa, No. 9 Pepperdine, No. 2 Stanford, No. 10 BYU, No. 11 Colorado State and No. 3 Hawaii. Utah's only other loss last season came from Georgia, a non-ranked team, in five games.
Utah ranked 29th in the nation in home match attendance. In 12 matches at home, the Utes brought in 9,234 fans, an average of 770 fans per match.
Nine of Utah's wins came in three games. Ten of Utah's wins came in four games, while three wins came in five games. Five of Utah's losses came in three games, one loss came in four games, while the remaining four losses came in five games.
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