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The University of Utah Athletics
Utah Volleyball To Host Ute Invitational
8/25/2008 12:00 AM | Volleyball
Aug. 25, 2008
Utah opens season hosting Ute Invitational
The Utah volleyball team begins its 2008 season with a pair of matches in the Ute Invitational this weekend at Crimson Court. In the season opener for both teams, the Utes will face Utah Valley at 7 p.m. Friday. The Utes have faced off against the Wolverines in each of the past five seasons and own a perfect 5-0 mark, having lost only one set, during a 3-1 victory Sept. 9, 1989, in Orem, Utah.
Utah wraps up its home tournament against Santa Clara at 4 p.m. Sunday in the second match of the season for both schools. The Utes are 3-3 all-time against the Broncos. SCU took the first three matches of the series during the 1980's, but after a 14-year hiatus, Utah has taken control of the series by winning all three matches this decade. Five of the matches between the programs have been played on neutral courts, including a 3-2 Utah win in the second round of the 2003 NCAA Tournament in Seattle, Wash.
In other Ute Invitational action, Utah Valley will face Santa Clara at 4 p.m., Saturday at Crimson Court.
Utes receiving votes
Utah received 45 votes in the 2008 CBS College Sports Network/AVCA Division I Coaches Top-25 Preseason Poll. Two other Mountain West Conference teams were recognized, as Colorado State was ranked 17th and BYU was 20th.
For starters
Utah head coach Beth Launiere is 6-3 when starting a season at Crimson Court and is 10-8 in openers overall. The Utes are 15-18 all-time in season-opening matches. Utah's all-time record in its first home match of the season is 17-16.
Approaching Club 1,000
Middle blocker Lori Baird and outside hitter Kathryn Haynie both have more than 800 career kills in their first three seasons with the Utes. Baird holds a slight edge with 891 kills in 367 sets for a 2.64 kills-per-set average, while Haynie has 855 kills in 237 career sets for a 3.13 kill-per-set mark.
Baird among the nation's best
Baird was one of only 22 players from around the country selected to participate in the U.S. Women's Senior A2 National Team program this past offseason.
Baird has earned honorable mention recognition on the AVCA's All-West Region team and All-Mountain West Conference honors each of the last two seasons. In 2007, Baird ranked among the top-20 in the nation and second in the MWC with a team-leading 1.53 blocks per set. She ranked second on the team with 27 aces, third on the squad with 2.93 kills per set and also ranked fifth in the conference in hitting percentage (.316).
Utes Picked Second in MWC Preseason Poll
Utah was picked to finish second in the 2008 Mountain West Conference Preseason Volleyball Coaches Poll. The Utes accumulated 95 points in the poll, after finishing last season tied for fourth in the regular season with a 9-7 conference record before surging to finish second at the MWC Tournament.
Toone In
After tearing her ACL and taking a redshirt year in 2007, Preseason All-Moutain West Conference selection Emillie Toone returns to the Utah lineup this season needing only two blocks to move past Sheila Cottrell-Sorenson (482 from 1982-86) into sole possession of third place on the school's career total blocks list. The redshirt senior enters this season with 482 career blocks, all coming between 2004 and 2006. The American Fork, Utah native finished the 2005 campaign with 182 blocks then came up with 207 blocks in 2006, which was the second-best total in the country and still ranks as the second-highest single-season total in school history.
Scouting Utah Valley
Last season, Utah Valley won the NCAA Division I Independent championship for the second time in school history with a 21-10 record, inlcuding an 8-4 mark on the road. Junior middle blocker Kristin Anderson started in 28 matches last season and led all players from independent schools with 1.23 blocks per set and posted a .296 hitting percentage, which ranked third among the nation's independent players. Libero Alyce Wilson earned the Division I Independent Defensive Player of the Year award and was second among independent players with an average of 5.56 digs per set. Wilson earned the D-I Independent Defensive Player of the Week four times.
Scouting Santa Clara
Santa Clara received 65 votes in the CBS College Sports Network/AVCA Division I Coaches Top-25 Preseason Poll and was picked third in the West Coast Conference Coaches Preseason Poll. SCU returns nine players from last year's team that finished 19-12 overall and 11-3 in the WCC. The Broncos have been to 10 consecutive NCAA Tournaments and are led by All-American middle blocker Anna Cmaylo, who returns to the court for her senior season after redshirting last year to recover from a shoulder injury. Sophomore outside hitter Krista Kelley was the 2007 WCC Co-Freshman of the Year after finishing second on the team with 352 kills on a .204 hitting percentage and totaling 15 aces and 177 digs. Broncos' head coach Jon Wallace enters his 10th season at Santa Clara with a 195-78 all-time record.
`Coachspeak'
Quotes from Utah head coach Beth Launiere regarding her squad and this week's opponents:
Launiere on the most competitive position battle throughout preseason camp:
"It's definitely been our setters. Both [Stephanie Shardlow and Abby Simmons] have been working very hard to improve throughout camp and we feel comfortable with either one of them running our offense."
Launiere on the Ute Invitational field:
"Utah Valley has been an up-and-coming program ever since it started on the Division I level. Sam [Atoa] has done a tremendous job building that program. The same thing can be said for Jon [Wallace] at Santa Clara. [Santa Clara] is a perennial power, so this weekend will provide a good test for us, especially to open the season."
Launiere on what her team gained from preseason practice in St. George, Utah:
"The biggest thing we gained was team chemistry. Everyone in our program got on the same page, both on and off the court. Not only did our players benefit, but our coaching staff did as well. We became much more focused as an entire group."
Players Mentioned
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