Pac-12 | Pac-12 Power Rankings: Week Two

All but one conference team has a winning record, though some W/L marks are more impressive than others.

That sigh of relief you heard after midnight Monday was out of Berkeley. By defeating host Hawai’i in five sets, the Cal Bears avoided dropping to 1-4. Even so, that 2-3 record includes five-set losses to San Diego State and San Francisco, and a three-set stinker against Baylor in which all three sets were decided by two points. A lot of talent for such a slow start.

-Volleyblog Seattle photo by Leslie Hamann

The conference is now 63-16 in preseason play, including signature wins against Purdue (Washington), Kentucky (Oregon), Florida (Stanford) and Hawai’i (Cal). Of course, there are those signature losses against Nebraska (UCLA), Hawai’i (Stanford), Penn State (Stanford) and Pepperdine (Arizona). [Each of those losses were in five sets, except the Hawai’i/Stanford four-setter.]

Jiangsu, a touring team from China, has now defeated USC, UCLA, Arizona and Pepperdine in non-counting exhibition play. This week, they’ll take on Stanford and Cal. So far, only UCLA has been able to take them to five sets.

More exhaling after two weeks of nonconference play …

1	UCLA	3-1	Lost a squeaker in Nebraska; travel to Hawai’i this week. Face USC and Washington during first two weeks of conference play
2	USC	6-0	Mick Haley downplays his chances, but freshman Samantha Bricio is the real deal
3	Washington	6-0	Purdue marched in with big hitters and big blockers. As usual, little things like serving and serve receive made the difference.
4	Oregon	6-0	Knocked off Ohio State and then Kentucky, but poll voters reluctant to give them much respect. A motivator?
5	Stanford	3-2	Could shoulda beat Hawai’i (Cal could!) Coulda shoulda beat Penn State (Too bad UW/Penn State was cancelled.)
6	California	2-3	Coach Rich Feller must be thinking: what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Bears aren’t dead yet.
7	Arizona State	6-0	Sun Devils saw several promising players transfer elsewhere, but have worked through a mildly challenging schedule
8	Arizona	3-2	Both setbacks were in five sets; Pepperdine loss was frustrating, CS Northridge loss was embarrassing
9	Oregon State	4-2	Wins were against cupcakes, but loss to Miami (FL) was against a team with talent.
10	Utah	6-2	Beat almost every other team in Utah, lost a heartbreaker to Santa Clara, and collapsed against Carolina. BYU a real test.
11	Washington State	4-2	After middling start, absolutely creamed a couple teams that won’t be in NCAA Tournament. Cougars may not be, either.
12	Colorado	4-2	Any win is a good win for last season’s cellar-dwellers; may not get too many more once conference play begins.

†UCLA (3-1)		Pac-12
W	Notre Dame [@ Lincoln]	(25-17, 18-25, 25-23, 25-19)
L	@ #5 Nebraska	(20-25, 23-25, 25-23, 25-19, 13-15)
L	Jiangsu, China	[25-22, 25-23, 22-25, 14-25, 10-15)
W	Northeastern [@ UCSB]	(25-21, 25-18,25-21)
W	@ UC Santa Barbara	(21-25, 25-20, 25-17, 25-19)
	Idaho [@ Honolulu]	9/7
	San Diego St [@ Honolulu]	9/8
	@ Hawai’i	9/9
†USC (6-0)		Pac-12
W	North Dakota (@ Coll. Sta.)	(25-20, 25-23, 25-21)
W	@ Texas A&M	(26-28, 25-14, 25-18, 25-20)
W	Texas St (@ Coll. Sta.)	(25-18, 25-19, 25-22)
L	Jiangsu, China	(20-25, 25-23, 21-25, 19-25)
W	Northern Iowa	(25-18, 25-20, 25-19)
W	Boston College	(25-13, 28-26, 24-26, 25-10)
W	Mississippi St	(25-13, 25-10, 25-12)
	San Diego	9/7
	Cal Poly	9/8
	Notre Dame	9/8
Washington (6-0)		Pac-12
W	†Boise St.	(25-19, 25-17, 25-21)
W	†Gonzaga	(25-21, 25-17, 25-20)
W	†Portland St	(25-19, 25-18, 25-16)
W	†#7 Purdue [@ Baton Rouge]	(25-21, 25-17, 25-9)
W	†@ LSU	(25-21, 25-20, 25-22)
W	†Rice [@ Baton Rouge]	(25-21, 25-21, 25-22)
	†Seattle U	9/6
	†Long Beach St	9/7
†Oregon (6-0)		Pac-12
W	Toledo (@ Columbus)	(25-14, 25-12, 25-19)
W	Houston (@ Columbus)	(25-18, 25-19, 25-11)
W	@ Ohio St	(17-25, 21-25, 25-14, 26-24, 15-10)
W	W. Carolina [@ Athens, OH]	(25-6, 25-19, 25-18)
W	#10 Kentucky [@ Athens, OH]	(25-18, 25-14, 25-16)
W	@ Ohio	(25-21, 23-25, 25-19, 25-18)
	UC Santa Barbara	9/5
	St. Mary’s	9/10
†Stanford (3-2)		Pac-12
W	St. Mary’s [@ Honolulu]	(25-14, 25-16, 25-20)
W	Albany [@ Honolulu]	(25-14, 25-7, 25-15)
L	@ #7 Hawai’i	(25-17, 23-25, 15-25, 17-25)
L	@ #4 Penn St	(13-25, 27-25, 23-25, 25-23, 13-15)
W	#18 Florida [@ Univ. Park]	(22-25, 25-22, 25-20, 25-16)
	Jiangsu, China	9/5
	Santa Clara	9/7
	Loyola	9/8
	Pacific	9/8
†California (2-3)		Pac-12
W	Delaware (@ San Diego)	(25-11, 25-13, 25-20)
L	@ San Diego St	(22-25, 25-20, 17-25, 25-15, 11-15)
L	Baylor [@ Honolulu]	(23-25, 24-26, 23-25)
L	San Francisco [@ Honolulu]	(25-22, 19-25, 22-25, 25-20, 12-15)
W	@ #6 Hawai’i	(25-23, 16-25, 20-25, 25-17, 15-12)
	Jiangsu, China	9/6
	Penn	9/7
	UC Riverside	9/8
	Northern Arizona	9/8
†Arizona St (6-0)		Pac-12
W	Idaho St (@ El Paso)	(20-25, 25-17, 22-25, 29-27, 16-14)
W	Fresno St (@ El Paso)	(25-22, 25-11, 25-19)
W	@ UTEP	(23-25, 25-23, 26-24, 25-21)
W	@ UC Irvine	(25-21, 23-25, 13-25, 25-18, 11-15)
W	Colgate [@ Irvine]	(25-18, 25-18, 25-9)
W	@ Loyola Marymount	(27-25, 25-23, 25-21, 25-18)
	Wyoming [@ Lawrence, KS]	9/7
	@ Kansas	9/7
	C of Charleston [@ Lawrence, KS]	9/8
†Arizona (3-2)		Pac-12
W	Evansville	(25-19, 25-20, 25-14)
L	Cal St Northridge	(25-23, 25-22, 24-26, 21-25, 9-15)
W	Utah Valley	(25-16, 25-15, 25-17)
L	Jiangsu, China [@ Malibu]	(25-21, 25-16, 25-17)
W	Cal St Fullerton [@ Malibu]	(25-17, 25-23, 25-22)
L	@ #14 Pepperdine	(20-25, 23-25, 25-20, 25-20, 12-15)
	Iona	9/7
	TCU	9/7
	Lipscomb	9/8
†Oregon St (4-2)		Pac-12
W	Oakland (@ Manhattan)	(25-18, 25-15, 25-19)
W	UC Irvine (@ Manhattan)	(25-22, 20-25, 25-19, 25-22)
L	@ Kansas St	(24-26, 25-23, 25-23, 23-25, 8-15)
L	Miami, FL [@ Normal, IL]	(23-25, 24-26, 25-19, 23-25)
W	Presbyterian [@ Normal, IL]	(25-13, 25-21 25-22)
W	@ Illinois St	(23-25, 25-21, 25-22, 26-28, 15-6)
	@ Illinois-Chicago	9/8
	Penn St [@ Chicago]	9/8
	DePaul [@ Chicago]	9/9
†Utah (6-2)		Pac-12
W	Southern Utah (@ Logan)	(25-16, 25-17, 25-15)
W	@ Utah St	(21-25, 25-10, 25-17, 23-25, 16-14)
W	Weber St (@ Logan)	(25-17, 25-13, 25-23)
W	†Portland (@ Logan)	(25-9, 25-21, 25-21)
W	Utah Valley	(25-18, 25-17, 25-19)
L	Santa Clara [@ Davis]	(25-21, 21-25, 25-20, 20-25, 16-18)
W	@ UC Davis	(25-14, 25-22, 25-21)
L	North Carolina [@ Davis]	(17-25, 19-25, 16-25)
	@ BYU	9/7
	†Portland St [@ Provo]	9/8
	Bowling Green [@ Provo]	9/8
†Washington St (4-2)		Pac-12
W	Montana (@ Moscow)	(25-23, 25-12, 2-19)
L	Pacific (@ Moscow)	(21-25, 14-25, 16-25)
L	@ Idaho	(19-25, 25-21, 25-20, 26-28, 13-15)
W	Alabama St	(25-16, 25-9, 25-9)
W	†Seattle U	(25-8, 25-13, 25-16)
W	Weber St	(25-21, 25-14, 25-16)
	CS Fullerton [@ Reno]	9/7
	@ Nevada	9/7
	CSU Bakersfield [@ Reno]	9/8
†Colorado (4-2)		Pac-12
W	Texas Southern (@ Huntsville)	(25-8, 25-14, 25-8)
W	Louisiana (@ Huntsville)	(25-14, 25-20, 25-21)
W	@ Sam Houston St	(19-25, 13-25, 25-21, 25-12, 15-12)
W	Cornell	(25-19, 25-21, 25-21)
L	Northern Arizona	(26-24, 21-25, 22-25, 19-25)
L	Fresno St	(26-28, 21-25, 20-25)
	@UMBC	9/7
	Howard [@ Baltimore]	9/8
	Robt. Morris [@ Baltimore]	9/8

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WRITTEN BY Jack Hamann | PHOTOS BY Leslie Hamann

www.nolittlethings.com

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