Volleyball Travels To UCI, Hosts UCLA
October 02, 2000 | Women's Volleyball
Oct. 2, 2000
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The Facts
No. 1/4 USC women's volleyball (11-0, 6-0 Pac-10) broke the all-time program win streak in the second game against Oregon State on Friday (Sept. 29) en route to the 3-0 victory. On Saturday (Sept. 30), USC defeated Oregon 3-0 for its 11th sweep of the season. The Women of Troy begin the week traveling to UC Irvine on Tuesday (Oct. 3) for a non conference match-up, before facing crosstown rival No. 8 UCLA. The Bruins and Trojans meet on Friday (Oct. 6) at North Gym at 6 p.m.
Trojans Win Championship On "The West Wing"
In preparation for the 2000 NCAA Championships, USC women's volleyball has already been crowned national champions by the cast, crew and viewers of the Emmy Award-winning "West Wing." Catch the season premier this Wednesday, Oct. 4, at 9 p.m. on NBC and look for the Women of Troy as they present Vice President Hoynes (Tim Matheson) with their own championship jersey.
The Rankings...
USC is No. 1 according to Volleyball magazine's Division I poll. The Women of Troy also moved up one spot this week in the AVCA/USA Today Coaches Poll -- at No. 4, the Trojans are the highest ranked team in the Pac-10 and received two first place vote. Volleyball also ranked the freshman class as the nation's No. 1 recruiting class, and among Pac-10 coaches, USC is picked to finish 3rd in the conference.
Squeaky Clean Record
As of Oct. 2, the Trojans are among five Division I women's volleyball teams that remain undefeated. Of the five - Ohio State (14-0), Nebraska (13-0), Hawai'i (12-0), Minnesota (15-0), and USC (11-0) - USC is the only remaining team that has yet to lose a game.
The Last Outing
In front of 688 at USC's North Gym, the Women of Troy claimed a 15-7, 15-3, 15-8 sweep in one hour, eight minutes over Oregon State on Friday (Sept. 29). The Trojans held Oregon State to a .162 hitting performance and only 23 digs in the match. USC averaged .417 hitting and posted 45 kills, 35 digs and 4.0 blocks. Four Trojans hit above .400 in the match - April Ross, Lauren Killian, Janae Henry and Jennifer Pahl.
Freshman Katie Olsovsky had a game-high 11 kills to lead USC to a 15-5, 15-3, 15-5, sweep of Oregon on Saturday (Sept. 30). USC hit a blistering .556 as a team - an all-time program record. Jennifer Pahl led the Women of Troy with a .769 clip (including 10 kills), followed by Olsovsky's .688 and Antoinette Polk's .455. USC led Oregon in aces (6-1), digs (37-19) and blocks (5-0) and held the Ducks to a .193 hitting percentage.
33... and counting!
The 2000 USC squad put an end to a 23-year old record by winning the second game against Oregon State on Friday (Sept. 29) and collecting its 29th-straight game victory of the season. Over the 1976 and 1977 seasons (both national championship years) the Women of Troy won 28 consecutive games until they faced UCLA on Oct. 26, 1977. Despite earning a 3-2 win on that date, USC dropped the first game 7-15 to the Bruins. The current streak now stands at 33 straight game wins.
Pac-10 All-Time Win Streaks
UCLA holds the Pac-10 record for all-time game win streaks. In 1992 the Bruins won 14 consecutive matches (42 games) from Oct. 9 through Nov. 14. Next on the list is Stanford who won 12 straight matches (36 games) in 1995 from Oct. 27 through Dec. 9.
Pounding the Ball
The Women of Troy did nothing but pound the ball in wins over Oregon State and Oregon. As a team, USC averaged .417 against the Beavers and .556 against the Ducks - a program record. Against OSU, four hitters averaged above .429, and five of six hitters averaged above .455 against Oregon. Jennifer Pahl hit a career-high .769 with 10 kills against the Ducks, while and Katie Olsovsky hit .688 with 11 kills.
Did You Know?
* The team's six errors in the match against Oregon (Sept. 30) rank fourth among all-time program lows.
* The Women of Troy held Oregon to only 13 points in the match, tieing the lowest point total for a USC opponent this season (Temple and Texas-San Antonio each scored 13 points).
* Washington State is still the only team that has hit above .200 against the Women of Troy in 2000. USC held Oregon State and Oregon to .162 and .193 hitting, respectively.
* The Trojans have allowed their opponent to score double digits in a game only three times this season (Texas - 17-15 game two, Rhode Island - 16-14 game three, Washington State - 16-14 game one).
* USC broke Stanford's 45-match home win streak with the win on Sept. 22, and put an end to a 23-year USC drought at Maples Pavilion. The Trojans had not won at Stanford since 1977.
* USC's longest match of the season was a one-hour, 30 minute bout against Washington State (Sept. 14)... the shortest lasted one-hour, three minutes against Texas-San Antonio (Sept. 7).
Splitting Sets
Uncommon for most teams, the 2000 squad has found great success by splitting sets. Setters Toni Anderson (Fr.) and Tracy Lindquist (So.) have seen equal time on the court in every match and head coach Jerritt Elliott keeps them in constant rotation. The duo has combined for 13.9 assists per game while each averaging 6.67 and 6.24, respectively.
Keeping The Numbers Low
The only down side to sweeping nine consecutive opponents is that the USC statistics remain low. Though the Trojans have dominated their opponents, the team has yet to collect more than 60 kills or digs in a match... last season the Trojans averaged 60 kills and 61.4 digs per outing. There have only been 10 double digit kill performances, and only twice has a player collected double digits in kills and digs (Janae Henry did so against Stanford and Texas).
Reaching for the Millennium Mark
Senior Antoinette Polk needs just 23 kills and 76 digs to become the 35th player in Pac-10 history to reach 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs. So far this season she has collected 75 kills and 73 digs.
Freshmen Bring Reminders of the Past
The nation's No. 1 (according to Volleyball magazine) freshman class has made a definite impact on USC women's volleyball this season. Not only are three of the six (April Ross, Katie Olsovsky and Toni Anderson) currently starting for the Women of Troy, but their contributions have been significant. Ross leads the team in kills per game (3.11), Anderson is splitting time and assists at setter, and Olsovsky is averaging 1.33 blocks per game. As a group (which also includes Kelli Lantz, Nicole Davis and Jamie Carroll), the freshmen have been compared to the class of newcomers that joined USC in 1976 under head coach Chuck Erbe. With Terry Place, Paula Dittmer-Goodwin, Debbie Green and Debbie Landreth, the '76 Trojans went on to win the AIAW National Championship.
Jennifer Pahl Named Pac-10 Player of the Week
Junior Jennifer Pahl was named the Pac-10 Player of the Week for the week of Sept. 19-24. She led the Trojans to two road victories in the Bay Area, while hitting .615 with 16 kills (2.7 kpg) and no errors in 26 attempts, and adding ten blocks (1.66 bpg) and eight digs (1.33 dpg). This is the first Player of the Week honor for Pahl, and USC's 23rd of all time.
Against Ranked Opponents
No. 8 UCLA will be the Trojans third ranked opponent of the season. USC defeated then-ranked No. 11 Stanford on Sept. 22, following a victory over then-ranked No. 18 Texas, 3-0, to open the 2000 season. Texas has since fallen out of the Top-25 and Stanford dropped to No. 21.
Opponent Notes
UC Irvine -- UCI enters Tuesday's match with a 6-5 overall record and 1-3 start in Big West play... Last week, the Anteaters dropped two matches to Long Beach State, 0-3, and Idaho, 1-3... UCI played at the USC Met-Rx Invitational at the start of the the season, but did not face the Trojans... The team is led by OH Larissa Carter who is averaging 4.5 kills per game with a .402 attack percentage... Head coach Charlie Brande is currently in his first season at UC Irvine... The team finished sixth in the Big West conference last year with a 8-20 overall record and 1-15 mark in conference play... The Anteaters returned all six starters from the 1999 squad.
UCLA -- The eighth-ranked Bruins are coming off an upset loss to Oregon State, 2-3, last Thursday (Sept. 28), and a 3-0 victory over Oregon on Friday (Sept. 29)... UCLA owns a 10-4 overall record and 5-1 conference mark... The Bruins have faced eight ranked opponents this season, and are 5-3 against those teams... OH Kristee Porter collected 30 kills against the Beavers - her third 30-kill performance of the season... MB Elisabeth Bachman averaged 2.13 bpg over the weekend, including 12 blocks and 11 kills against OSU... The team is led by 34th-year head coach Andy Banachowski and returns five starters from the 1999 squad which won* the conference title in 1999 (*shared title with Stanford).
Series Records
Since the first meeting in 1976, USC has never dropped a match to UC Irvine, winning six straight. The last meeting was in 1984 when the Trojans opened the season with a 3-0 victory over the Anteaters in Irvine. In six all-time matches, USC has won 18 of 19 games.
The rivalry continues as the Bruins and Trojans meet for the 73rd time in program history on Friday (Oct. 6). After enduring two losses to the Bruins last season (0-3 at UCLA, 1-3 at home), USC is looking to even the series record in 2000. Currently, the Women of Troy are 35-38 (.479) all-time against UCLA.
Past, Present and Future Coaches
Jerritt Elliott enters his second season as USC's interim head coach after serving as the Trojans' assistant for four seasons under former head coach Lisa Love. Following the 2000 Olympics, U.S.A. Women's National Team head coach Mick Haley will join the USC program.
Interim Head Coach Jerritt Elliott
USC interim head coach Jerritt Elliott was tabbed the 1999 Pac-10 Coach of the Year in his rookie season. Elliott, serving as the Trojans' head coach while Mick Haley leads the national team in the 2000 Olympic Games, became just the second coach in Pac-10 history to post 13 league wins in their first season. Troy's 13-5 (.722) conference mark was the best win percentage ever recorded by a rookie coach in the conference. In 1999 Elliott led the Women of Troy to a third-place Pac-10 finish, a 20-8 overall record, and a No. 17 final ranking in the USA Today/AVCA Top-25 poll. Thanks to his efforts, USC's incoming class of 2000 was named the nation's No. 1 recruiting class according to Volleyball magazine.
Head Coach Mick Haley
U.S.A. Women's National Volleyball Team head coach Mick Haley, who won two national championships in the 1980s while guiding the Texas women's team, will join the USC women's volleyball program following the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia. Due to the fact that he will not join the team until the middle of the collegiate season, Haley does not expect to take an active coaching role until 2001. Haley accepted the USC coaching position in June of 1999. In his fourth season as head coach of the U.S.A. National Volleyball Team, his squad earned a berth to the 2000 Olympics by defeating Canada to win the Nike Americas' Volleyball Challenge. Before taking over the national team, he spent 17 successful seasons (1980-96) at Texas, where he earned a 522-137-1 overall record, won two national championships and 13 Southwest Conference titles, and captured 15 NCAA tournament berths.
Olympic Update
Under the leadership of head coach Mick Haley, the U.S.A. women's volleyball team surprised many by advancing to the semifinals before falling to Russia 2-3 and Brazil in medal contention. The Americans, who weren't favored to make the semifinals much less push the powerful Russians to a fifth game, relinquished the bronze medal to Brazil with a 0-3 loss. The United States made a strong start at the 2000 Olympic Games by defeating China (3-1), Kenya (3-0), Croatia (3-0) and Australia (3-0). The team lost its first match of the Games to Brazil (1-2) in the first round of play, but returned to beat South Korea 3-2 and advance to the semifinals.
Player Profiles
#1 Tracy Lindquist
Setter * Sophomore
A returning starter... named to the 1999 Pac-10 All-Freshman first team... averaged 7.86 assists and 1.95 digs per game while sharing the setter's role... finished the season tenth in the Pac-10 in assists... an extremely versatile player and a great competitor for the Women of Troy.
Did You Know?... A true beach buff, Lindquist played in the 2000 Pro Seal Beach Open and represented the United States in 2-man beach volleyball in Israel this summer with her partner, sister Katie Lindquist.
This Season... Has played in 33 games and started 2 matches... Averaged 6.67 assists and 2.5 digs against Texas (Sept. 1) and Arkansas (Sept. 2) while splitting time at setter and DS... Averaged 6.6 assists per game at the Met-Rx Invitational (Sept. 6-8) and recorded a career-high five service aces against Temple... Collected six digs against Oregon State (Sept. 29) and averaged 5.0 apg for the weekend series.
#2 Julie Mariani
Defensive Specialist * Sophomore
A returning letterwinner who made several starts in the backrow... collected 243 digs (2.27 dpg) and led the team with 50 service aces in 1999... led the Pac-10 averaging 0.47 aces per game... an aggressive player on the court.
Did You Know?... Mariani currently holds the USC career and single season record for ace average after posting 0.47 aces per game as a freshman.
This Season... Has played in 10 games... Entered the match against Oregon (Sept. 30) and accounted for one ace and one dig.
#3 Antoinette Polk
Outside Hitter * Senior
A returning starter... named to the 1999 All-Pac-10 honorable mention team... led the team in kills (407) and kills per game (3.82), finishing sixth in the conference... Ranked second on the team and fifth in the Pac-10 with 338 digs and 3.19 dpg... a premier ball control player whose offensive power makes her an All-American candidate.
Did You Know?... Polk was also a member of the USC women's basketball team during the 1996-97 season. She spent her freshman year as a redshirt on the volleyball team, and played nine games at guard with the basketball team.
This Season... Has played in 33 games and started 11 matches... Averaged 2.33 kills against Texas (Sept. 1) and Arkansas (Sept. 2)... Added five blocks against Rhode Island (Sept. 6)... Averaged a career-high .647 attack percentage against Washington State (Sept. 14) with 12 kills, one error and 17 attacks... Against Washington (Sept. 15) she added 13 digs... Hit .333 (9-3-18) against Oregon State (Sept. 29) and .455 (6-1-11) against Oregon (Sept. 30).
#4 Nicole Davis
Defensive Specialist * Freshman
Considered one of the nation's best defensive specialist of the incoming class... played on the Junior National Team as the libero this summer... a two-time all-league selection at Lincoln High in Stockton, Calif.
Did You Know?... Davis owns a black belt in karate.
This Season... Has played in 15 games... Made her collegiate debut against Texas (Sept. 1) and added one dig... Saw playing time in four of six games against Stanford (Sept. 22) and Cal (Sept. 23).
#6 Jaime Carroll
Defensive Specialist * Freshman
A three-time all-league honoree at Medfield (Mass.) High... played outside hitter and setter as a prep.
Did You Know?... Carroll is the daughter of former NFL head coach Pete Carroll.
This Season... Has played in 3 games... Made her collegiate debut against Washington (Sept. 15) and recorded an ace on her first serve... Played two games against Oregon (Sept. 30).
#8 Sara Peterson
Outside Hitter * Senior
A three-year letterwinner... made several appearances in 1999, including a .556 hitting performance at Washington State to lead the Trojans in a 3-0 sweep of the Cougars.
Did You Know?... Peterson's uncle, Tom Peterson, is the current women's volleyball head coach at Utah State and was named the 1994 National Coach of the Year after leading the Penn State men's volleyball program to a national championship.
#12 Kelli Lantz
Middle Blocker * Freshman
A Volleyball Fab 50 selection and member of USC's No.1-ranked recruiting class... helped lead Centennial High (Bakersfield, Calif.) to the Division I state and national championship as a prep.
This Season... Has played in 10 games... Made her collegiate debut against Arkansas (Sept. 2) and added one kill and one block... Added three kills off of five attacks (.400) against UTSA (Sept. 7)... Played one game against Washington (Sept. 15) and added one kill (1.000) and a block... Entered the match for one game against Cal (Sept. 23) and added one kill off of one attack... Against Oregon (Sept. 30), she added two kills off of two attacks and one block.
#14 April Ross
Outside Hitter * Freshman
The 1999 Gatorade National Player of the Year and a Paul Mitchell prep All-American... enters as one of the nation's top freshmen and a member of USC's No. 1-ranked recruiting class... she guided Newport Harbor High (Newport Beach, Calif.) to the state and league championship in 1999.
This Season... Has played in 33 games and started 11 matches... Made her collegiate debut in the starting lineup against Texas (Sept. 1) and Arkansas (Sept. 2)... Averaged a .409 hitting percentage at the Texas Invitational, while collecting five blocks and 10 digs, including 13 kills (.417) against the Razorbacks... Honored as MVP of the Met-Rx Invitational (Sept. 6-8) after adding nine kills (.333) and 10 digs against Temple, and averaging 8.7 kills and a .365 attack percentage in the three tournament matches... Posted a season-high .562 attack percentage against the Huskies (Sept. 15), committed no hitting errors and also tied two season bests with 10 digs and four blocks... Led the team with 15 digs against Cal (Sept. 23)... Accounted for a season-high four aces against Oregon State (Sept. 29) while hitting .444 (9-1-18)... Hit .417 (7-2-12) against Oregon (Sept. 30).
#15 Lauren Killian
Opposite Hitter * Sophomore
A returning starter... named to the 1999 Pac-10 All-Freshman honorable mention team... played in the middle and on the outside last season... averaged 0.94 blocks per game to finish second on the team... also added 1.67 kills per game... will pose problems for opponents playing her more natural right side position.
Did You Know?... Killian's Trojan roots span nearly four generations amounting to 10-plus USC alumni, including her father, Don, who played for USC's 1977 NCAA champion men's volleyball team.
This Season... Has played in 33 games... Led the team with a .450 attack percentage (11-2-20) against Texas (Sept. 1) and Arkansas (Sept. 2) and added seven blocks... Was flawless at the Met-Rx Invitational (Sept. 6-8), adding 15 kills off of 27 attacks with no errors for a .556 attack percentage... After a five-kill, error-free performance against Washington State (Sept. 14), she made her first hitting mistake in 14 games against Washington, despite another .545 hitting display... Hit .429 (4-1-7) against Oregon State (Sept. 29), then struggled against the Ducks (Sept. 30) with three kills and two errors off of eight attacks (.125).
#22 Janae Henry
Outside Hitter * Senior
A returning starter... named to the 1999 All-Pac-10 honorable mention team... led the team and ranked second in the Pac-10 with an average of 3.5 digs per game last season... with a 2.88 career dig mark, she is currently fifth on USC's all-time list... one of the strongest and most consistent players this season who should be considered an All-American candidate.
This Season... Has played in 33 games and started 11 matches... Led USC in win over Texas (Sept. 1) with 10 kills (.400) and 14 digs... At the Texas Invitational she averaged a team-leading 4.33 digs per game and finished with 19 total kills... Named to the Met-Rx Invitational all-tournament team after hitting .538 and posting nine digs against Temple (Sept. 8)... She averaged 3.3 digs and a .405 attack percentage in the tournament... Led the team with 15 kills against Washington State (Sept. 14)... Posted her second double-double of the season with a team-leading 11 kills (.474) and 11 digs against Stanford (Sept. 22)... Hit .500 (7-1-12) against Oregon State (Sept. 29) and a career-high .600 (7-1-10) against Oregon (Sept. 30).
#26 Jennifer Pahl
Middle Blocker * Junior
A returning starter... named to the 1999 All-Pac-10 first team... led the team with a .293 attack percentage and 0.93 blocks per game... also averaged 3.38 kills and 2.27 digs per game... one of the premier middle blockers in the country due to her speed and quickness... an All-American candidate.
Did You Know?... Pahl spent the summer traveling throughout India with Athletes In Action.
This Season... Has played in 33 games and started 11 matches... Averaged 1.5 blocks to lead the Trojans against Texas (Sept. 1) and Arkansas (Sept. 2)... Also posted 2.5 digs and 2.5 kills per game... Averaged 1.7 blocks and a .396 attack percentage at the Met-Rx Invitational (Sept. 6-8), including a season-high seven stops against Rhode Island... Tied a career-best with three aces against Washington (Sept. 15) and added nine kills (.500) and five blocks... Named Pac-10 Player of the Week (Sept. 25) after posting six blocks and a then-career high .750 attack percentage (6 kills, no errors, 8 attacks) against Stanford (Sept. 22), then following with 10 kills (.556) and three blocks against Cal (Sept. 23)... Led the team against Oregon State (Sept. 29) and Oregon (Sept. 30), averaging a .692 attack percentage and 10.0 kills per game with only two hitting errors... Her .769 hitting effort against the Ducks was a career high.
#30/5 Toni Anderson
Setter * Freshman
A Volleyball Fab 50 selection, Paul Mitchell prep All-American and member of USC's No.1-ranked recruiting class... played with the Junior National Team after graduating from Esperanza High in Anaheim, Calif.
This Season... Has played in 27 games and started 7 matches... Made her collegiate debut against Texas (Sept. 1) and her first start against Arkansas (Sept. 2)... Split time at setter at the Texas Invitational and averaged 7.17 assists per game... Made her first start against Rhode Island (Sept. 6) and averaged 5.4 assists and 2.0 digs at the Met-Rx Invitational... Aside from 22 assists, she added six kills (.353) against Washington State (Sept. 14)... Added 31 assists while splitting time against Cal (Sept. 23)... Averaged 7.0 apg against Oregon State (Sept. 29) and Oregon (Sept. 30).
#33 Katie Olsovsky
Outside Hitter * Freshman
A Volleyball Fab 50 selection and four-time Paul Mitchell prep All-American... a member of USC's No.1-ranked recruiting class who was also named the CIF Division I Player of the Year in 1999... led Bishop Montgomery High (Torrance, Calif.) to the league and CIF championships.
This Season... Has played in 27 games and started 9 matches... Made her collegiate debut as a starter against Texas (Sept. 1) and Arkansas (Sept. 2), averaging 2.17 kills, 0.67 blocks and a .423 attack percentage... Averaged 1.2 blocks and a .333 attack percentage at the Met-Rx Invitational (Sept. 6-8)... Hit .538 against the Huskies (Sept. 15), with eight kills and a team-leading five blocks... Added 11 kills (.500) and seven blocks to lead the squad against Cal (Sept. 23)... Against Oregon (Sept. 30), she recorded a season-best with a .688 attack percentage, 11 kills, no errors and 16 attacks - the mark ranks eighth among USC records.
