Pac-12 | Three keys as #2 Washington volleyball visits Eugene

Ignoring antics and smart serves are part of a recipe for success

• #2 Washington @ #21 Oregon | September 27 | 8PM | Pac-12 Network

Pac-12 | Washington’s Kelcey Dunaway awarded a postgraduate scholarship

Graduating senior is one of just three Pac-12 volleyball players to win honor

NCAA | What we learned from the 2012 Final Four

Lessons from Louisville for next year’s host: Seattle

We’re back from 12 days in the Midwest, soaking up Sweet 16/Elite 8 volleyball in Omaha, the Final Four in Louisville, with a few days in Chicago in between. Here’s what we learned:

Pac 12 | Coaches decide nation’s #1 blocker is not worthy of All-Conf honors

Washington’s Amanda Gil snubbed; Vansant, Muñoz and Strickland honored

Washington's Amanda Gil leads the nation in blocks per set
-Volleyblog Seattle photo by Leslie Hamann

Nearly 4,000 athletes are on the rosters of women’s Division 1 volleyball teams this season.

Of all those players, Washington’s Amanda Gil put up more blocks per set than any other: 1.79. She was, statistically, the most dominating blocker in the country.

Pac-12 | What we learned about Washington’s win at Washington State

#5 Washington 3, Washington State 0 (25-15, 25-17, 25-22)

next: NCAA Tournament bracket announcement | November 25 | 1PM | ESPNU

Pac-12 | Power Rankings: Week Thirteen

Yes, it’s true: Pac-12 is the nation’s toughest conference

Pac-12 | What we learned from Washington’s win over Oregon

#6 Washington 3, #4 Oregon 2 (26-24, 16-25, 21-25, 32-30, 25-23)

next: Oregon State @ #6 Washington | November 17 | 7PM

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

Secret revealed: How to be named Pac-12 Player of the Week

[11.01.12 | CORRECTED VERSION: Correcting name in photo caption to Lianna Sybeldon]

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

Will first half of conference season end in a three-way tie?

Pac-12 | What we learned from Washington’s loss to Oregon

#5 Oregon 3, #2 Washington 1 (26-24, 20-25, 25-22, 25-17)

Next: #7 Stanford @ #2 Washington | October 19, 2012 | 6PM [EARLY START]

Pac-12 | Washington’s Willamette Valley watch list

#2 Washington @ Oregon State | October 12 | 7PM [no TV, no web stream]

#2 Washington @ #5 Oregon | October 13 | 7PM [no TV;
free web stream via http://pac-12.com/live/goducks.aspx]

All-American selections snub Pac-12 & Vansant

SAN ANTONIO—As we reported yesterday, Washington’s Bianca Rowland was named a second team All-American by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA). Rowland’s AVCA citation reads:

Bianca Rowland, a 6’0 middle blocker for the University of Washington, is a senior from Lynwood, Wash. Rowland averaged a career-best 1.50 blocks per set on the season, second in the Pac-12, and her .345 attack percentage ranked fifth in the conference. She wound up third in career blocks at UW with 492, and second in career attack percentage at.387. After making AVCA All-American honorable mention the past two seasons, this is her first time appearing on an All-American team.

Bianca Rowland
[Volleyblog Seattle photo by Leslie Hamann]

It bears mentioning that few, if any, D1 middle blockers were more efficient in the second half of the season. When the Huskies switched to a two-setter offense before the Bay Area road trip, Rowland’s offense soared, repeatedly hitting above .400, and often much higher.

Overall, the Pac-12 got just middling respect from the AVCA voters. Three USC players—outside hitter Alex Jupiter, setter Kendall Bateman and libero Natalie Hagglund—joined UCLA’s Rachel Kidder on the 14-member First Team. Jupiter was the Pac-12 player of the year, and should be among the leading 3 candidates for national player of the year.

Rowland was joined by just one other Pac-12 player on the Second Team, Cal’s talented outside hitter Tarah Murrey. USC’s Lauren Williams and Oregon’s Alaina Bergsma were named to the Third Team, for a total of 8 Pac-12 players of the 42 First, Second and Third Team All-Americans.

Pac-12 players earning honorable mention include WSU’s Meagan Ganzer, Oregon’s Lauren Plum, Stanford’s Rachel Williams and Carly Wopat.

From where we sit, the Pac-12 was given short shrift this year. I would have put Murrey on the First Team, Lauren Williams on the Second Team, and Ganzer (whose WSU coach, Jennifer Greeny is on the All-American selection committee) and Wopat on the Third Team. California—last year’s Final Four runner-up—has a lot to complain about: Correy Johnson should have made Honorable Mention, and I’d put libero Robin Rostratter on the Third Team.

Nebraska’s three honorable mentions were a bit much, particularly Lauren Cook, given her off-court troubles this season. I also question putting Texas’ Bailey Webster on the First Team and teammate Haley Eckerman on the second. Eckerman was named national Freshman of the Year.

Krista Vansant (16) and Bianca Rowland (15)
[Volleyblog Seattle photo by Leslie Hamann]

The real head-scratcher, however, is how Pac-12 Freshman of the Year—and Pacific Region Freshman of the Year—Krista Vansant was completely left off the list. C’mon, committee, really? There are four other freshmen (Texas’ Eckerman, North Carolina’s Chaniel Nelson, Marquette’s Chelsea Heier, Tenessee’s Mary Pollmiller) more deserving than the best freshman in the west?  

NCAA Round 1: Cal & Oregon both lose in 5

NCAA D1 VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT

First-Round Results

Thursday, December 1, 2011

[Volleyblog Seattle photo
by Leslie Hamann]

The Cal Bears—last year’s National Runner-Up (to Penn State)—squandered a 2-1 lead and was knocked out in the first round of the 2011 NCAA Tournament tonight by underdog North Carolina. The set scores in Malibu were 25-17, 16-25, 23-25, 25-17, 15-9.

Another Pac 12 team—Oregon—also lost in five, falling in Honolulu to Colorado State (24-26, 25-21, 25-21, 15-25, 15-10). Unofficially, Oregon’s Alaina Bergsma had 30 kills on 81 attempts (.210) in the loss. The Rams’ setter is Deedra Foss, who attended Lakes High School in Lakewood, WA. She had 49 assists, 9 digs, 8 blocks and one ace. Foss took over setting duties when Evan Sanders transferred this season to Washington.

In 2009, Colorado State upset the Washington Huskies a second round match on the Rams’ home court. In 2010, California beat Washington in Seattle in the Elite Eight.

NOTE: The NCAA has advertised that all tournament matches are being streamed free, but Hawai’i has imposed a fee to watch the matches played in Honolulu tonight.  We’ll await an explanation from the NCAA Friday.

Knoxville, TN	L	Middle Tennessee (21-12)	Sun Belt	23	27	21	18
	W	Ohio State (20-14)	Big Ten	25	25	25	25
	L	Duke (21-9)	ACC	15	25	19	16
	W	#14 Tennessee (28-3)	SEC	25	23	25	25
Lincoln, NE	L	Wichita St (20-11)	MVC	18	22	17
	W	Kansas St (21-10)	Big 12	25	25	25
	L	Jackson St (26-9)	SWAC	10	16	13
	W	#2 Nebraska (25-4)	Big Ten	25	25	25
College Station, TX	L	Dayton (25-7)	Atlantic 10	20	25	25	15	14
	W	Kentucky (27-5)	SEC	25	16	22	25	16
	L	Lipscomb (20-11)	Atlantic Sun	16	16	25	22
	W	#16 Texas A&M (23-7)	Big 12	25	25	12	25
Malibu, CA	W	North Carolina (24-8)	ACC	25	16	23	25	15
	L	California (26-7)	Pac-12	17	25	25	17	9
	L	Missouri St (22-9)	MVC	22	21	16
	W	#15 Pepperdine (23-6)	WCC	25	25	25
Honolulu, HI	W	Colorado St (23-5)	Mtn West	24	25	25	15	15
	L	Oregon (21-9)	Pac-12	26	21	21	25	10
	L	Northern Colorado (22-9)	Big Sky	21	15	15
	W	#10 Hawai’i (30-1)	WAC	25	25	25

Friday, December 2, 2011

Knoxville, TN		Ohio State (20-14)	Big Ten
round 2		#14 Tennessee (28-3)	SEC
Lincoln, NE		Kansas St (20-10)	Big 12
round 2		#2 Nebraska (25-4)	Big Ten
College Station, TX		Kentucky (27-5)	SEC
round 2		#16 Texas A&M (23-7)	Big 12
Malibu, CA		North Carolina (24-8)	ACC
round 2		#15 Pepperdine (23-6)	WCC
Honolulu, HI		Colorado St (23-5)	Mtn. West
round 2		#10 Hawai’i (30-1)	WAC
University Park, PA		Delaware (20-12)	Colonial AA
		American (23-10)	Patriot
		Liberty (20-12)	Big South
		#8 Penn St (23-7)	Big Ten
Tallahassee, FL		Cincinnati (26-9)	Big East
		Samford (24-9)	Southern
		Albany NY (21-8)	America East
		#12 Florida St (24-7)	ACC
Austin, TX		Michigan St (21-11)	Big Ten
		Arizona (19-12)	Pac-12
		Texas St (27-7)	Southland
		#1 Texas (22-4)	Big-12
Minneapolis, MN		Western Michigan (24-8)	MAC
		Washington (23-7)	Pac-12
		North Dakota St (25-8)	Summit
		Minnesota (18-11)	Big Ten
Ames, IA		Northern Illinois (28-6)	MAC
		Miami FL (25-4)	ACC
		UW-Milwaukee (25-4)	Horizon
		#4 Iowa St (22-5)	Big 12
Champaign, IL		Marquette (23-10)	Big East
		Western Kentucky (31-3)	Sun Belt
		Central Michigan (19-13)	MAC
		#3 Illinois (27-4)	Big Ten
West Lafayette, IN		Morehead St (26-7)	Ohio Valley
		#5 Purdue (27-4)	Big Ten
		Ball St (25-7)	MAC
		Louisville (23-8)	Big East
Cedar Falls, IA		Florida (24-5)	SEC
		Missouri (21-12)	Big 12
		Niagara (25-8)	MAAC
		#6 Northern Iowa (32-1)	MVC
Westwood, CA		Long Beach St (23-6)	Big West
		San Diego (27-4)	WCC
		Maryland E. Shore (24-6)	MEAC
		#9 UCLA (24-6)	Pac 12
Los Angeles, CA		Tulsa (27-6)	Conf. USA
		Oklahoma (21-11)	Big 12
		Yale (18-6)	Ivy
		#7 USC (25-4)	Pac 12
Stanford, CA		Baylor (18-14)	Big 12
		Michigan (20-12)	Big Ten
		Sacred Heart (27-7)	Northeast
		#11 Stanford (21-7)	Pac 12