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Post by jake on Aug 23, 2014 13:25:47 GMT -5
The biggest test will be after the regular season. When the NCAA Women's Volleyball Selection Committee meets to award at large selections, the BCS dominated committee will usually ignore the Big West and WCC and give a dispportionate number of slots to BCS member schools--many who are inferior RPI's. If early projections come to fruition, there is no reason the Big West shouldn't send 2, or 3, at large teams to the NCAA tournament. The NCAA has embraced the financial riches of the BCS and, as a result, mid major conferences--like the Big West--will always be cheated out of receiving their just at large berths to the tournament. Who are the committee members and their affiliation? GoPOLY!!!
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Post by SmokeDogg on Aug 23, 2014 20:08:28 GMT -5
Titans Outlast Alumni
FULLERTON, Calif. – The Cal State Fullerton women's volleyball welcomed their veteran counterparts to Titan Gym and scored a 3-0 (25-23, 25-20, 25-23) victory in the program's annual alumni match on Saturday afternoon.
The match served as a final tune-up before the Titans start their season on Friday when they host the Titan Classic at Titan Gym, opening up the tournament with a match against Bucknell.
Tickets for the Titan Classic and the rest of the 2014 Titans home schedule are available by clicking here or calling the Cal State Fullerton Athletic Ticket Office at (657) 278-CSUF.
The alumni squad held a late lead in the first as well as some large leads in the other two sets but the Titans were able to capitalize on mistakes to comeback and secure the sweep.
Freshmen Niki Withers and Steph Buss looked impressive in their debut with Fullerton, with the latter notching the match-winning kill in the third set. Others making their debut included Rachel Brown, Megan Kurz, Mackenzie Olsen, Katelyn Nielsen and Katie Roux while returners Holland Crenshaw, Paige Reed, McKenna Painton and Devin Ulmer also logged playing time on Saturday afternoon.
The Fullerton volleyball alumni squad featured 2008 Big West Player of the Year Brittany Moore (2005-08), 2010 Big West Player of the Year Erin Saddler (2007-10), Titans all-time digs leader Cami Croteau (2007-10), Julie Geissert (2004-07), Genie Francisco (2007-10), Leah Best (2011-13), Cari Bailey (2006-07), Amanda Pfielschiefter (2005-06), Danika Miller (2010-12), Bre Moreland (2010-13) and Jennifer Edmond (2008-11). Former Titan Jamie Ivers (1999-2000) also made an appearance, serving as coach for the alumni.
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Post by network155 on Aug 24, 2014 0:13:13 GMT -5
Titans Outlast Alumni FULLERTON, Calif. – The Cal State Fullerton women's volleyball welcomed their veteran counterparts to Titan Gym and scored a 3-0 (25-23, 25-20, 25-23) victory in the program's annual alumni match on Saturday afternoon. The match served as a final tune-up before the Titans start their season on Friday when they host the Titan Classic at Titan Gym, opening up the tournament with a match against Bucknell. Tickets for the Titan Classic and the rest of the 2014 Titans home schedule are available by clicking here or calling the Cal State Fullerton Athletic Ticket Office at (657) 278-CSUF. The alumni squad held a late lead in the first as well as some large leads in the other two sets but the Titans were able to capitalize on mistakes to comeback and secure the sweep. Freshmen Niki Withers and Steph Buss looked impressive in their debut with Fullerton, with the latter notching the match-winning kill in the third set. Others making their debut included Rachel Brown, Megan Kurz, Mackenzie Olsen, Katelyn Nielsen and Katie Roux while returners Holland Crenshaw, Paige Reed, McKenna Painton and Devin Ulmer also logged playing time on Saturday afternoon. The Fullerton volleyball alumni squad featured 2008 Big West Player of the Year Brittany Moore (2005-08), 2010 Big West Player of the Year Erin Saddler (2007-10), Titans all-time digs leader Cami Croteau (2007-10), Julie Geissert (2004-07), Genie Francisco (2007-10), Leah Best (2011-13), Cari Bailey (2006-07), Amanda Pfielschiefter (2005-06), Danika Miller (2010-12), Bre Moreland (2010-13) and Jennifer Edmond (2008-11). Former Titan Jamie Ivers (1999-2000) also made an appearance, serving as coach for the alumni. Wow, can't wait to see them in action!
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Post by vballfreak808 on Aug 24, 2014 0:16:26 GMT -5
FIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN 2014 (Hawaii) Roster Depleted in Offseason: Hawai’i may be entering 2014 as the preseason favorite, according to the Big West coaches poll, but this year may pose more of a challenge than previous years. In order to keep their 19-consecutive conference titles intact, the Rainbow Wahine need to fill the void of four All-Big West members lost in the offseason, including two-time Big West Player of the Year and All-American Emily Hartong. The outside hitter tallied a conference-best 507 kills, while averaging the nation’s seventh-best kills per set average of 4.69. The setter position is also open for Hawai’i following the graduation of Mita Uiato, a common trend we are seeing with many Big West schools this year. Uiato paced the league with an 11.11 assist average a year ago. Dandy Of A Recruiting Class: With the loss of such a talented quartet of players, the Rainbow Wahine will definitely benefit from the 12th-best recruiting class in 2014, according to PrepVolleyball. The freshmen class includes Kalei Greeley, Savanah Kahakai, Emily Maglio, and Megan Huff. Greeley was named 2012 CIF Southern Section Division II Player of the Year and was ranked No. 35 on PrepVolleyball.com’s Senior Aces list and Huff helped her PSVBA squad win gold in the Patriot Division of the 2013 Girls Junior National Championships. Joining the diaper dandies is junior transfer Olivia Magill, a two-year starter at middle blocker for the University of Arizona who led the Wildcats with 119 total blocks and a .335 hitting percentage while registering 202 kills in 2013. Head Coach Dave Shoji commented about her range and ability to block and feels she may be the biggest addition to the team. Sophomore Standout: Headlining the 2014 Hawai’i roster is outside hitter Nikki Taylor, who made an immediate impact on the team with selections to both the All-Big West First Team and All-Freshman Team in 2013. The Honolulu native finished her freshman campaign ranked second on the team with 284 kills and a .287 attack percentage, which ranked ninth in the conference. She also tallied 81 total blocks and a 2.70 kills per set average. Taylor was the focal point of UH’s attack in the spring and will be looked upon to pace the offense and take a lot of swings this year. Preseason Love: Along with being tabbed the preseason favorite in the Big West coaches poll, the Rainbow Wahine, led by the NCAA Division I wins leader Head Coach Dave Shoji (1,128), are ranked 17th in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) preseason Top 25 poll. Hawai’i is the lone Big West team represented in the top 25, while a trio of teams were listed in the ‘others’ receiving votes category. Hawai’i, who led the league in four statistical categories - hitting percentage (.278), kills (14.44), assists (13.44) and opponent hitting percentage (.171), concluded the 2013 season ranked 18th after advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Home Court Advantage: The Rainbow Wahine are hosting a bevy of preseason tournaments, bumping their home contest tally to a conference-high 20. Included in the mix are match-ups against a trio of 2013 NCAA Tournament participants with Ohio, Oregon and UCLA making their way to the Stan Sheriff Center. Hawai’i was nearly unbeatable at home with a 16-3 mark in 2013. The home court dominance is even more impressive when looking at conference-only contests. UH hadn’t sustained a conference loss at home since the 2008 season, before UC Santa Barbara pulled off a 3-2 victory in Honolulu on Oct. 11, 2013. It’s worth mentioning that Hawai’i has sold more season tickets this year than last year so the roar of the crowd just got louder. QUOTABLES – DAVE SHOJI(On the loss of four star players during the offseason): “We are going to be very challenged this year, not only in the Big West but within ourselves. We need to have people get better or have the newcomers step in and play at a high level right away and we are confident that we can do this. There will be a combination of new players and old players and I think we have some weapons so I am confident that we can still win the Big West.” (On up-and-coming players): “No question Olivia (Magill) will be a big part of our team this year. She started two years at Arizona and has some great athletic ability and it is only a matter of time before she learns our system and becomes part of the offense. Tai Manu-Olevao has been a part-time starter for two years and we are counting on her to win a spot and be a solid player for us. She really needs to have a good year for us to do well. We groomed Tayler Higgins to be the starting setter this year. She has had a year under her belt and I think she is going to be a tremendous setter. She should be able to step right in and replace Mita Uiato this year.” (On the hometown fan support): “I think our crowd is volleyball savvy, they understand the game. They appreciate good plays, whether it’s us or the opponent. It isn’t what you call a hostile crowd but certainly they cheer very loudly for us, the home team. It’s not like some arenas where there is a lot of negativity towards other teams. They appreciate good volleyball and I think that is what we are known for. They love volleyball here in Hawai’i so they support us very well.” (On thoughts of being back in the Big West): “It was really nice to get back to some of the campuses that we used to be at with the towns and gyms being familiar. Feels like we have gone full circle, come home sort of speaking. The fans at these schools are also very knowledgeable and they love volleyball on the west coast so it’s been nice to come back to the Big West.” (On competition in the Big West): “I think the league is way stronger than where we came from, top to bottom. Just about every night you have to battle and play your best to win. It is good for us to have balance in the league where we really have to play hard every night. That has been good for us to understand and know that our players have to be prepared all the time.” INSIDE THE NUMBERS.278 UH’s conference-leading hitting percentage in 2013, which ranked 13th in the country and was the highest in the league since 2005 7 Conference wins needed for Head Coach Dave Shoji to become just the fourth coach to collect 200 Big West wins 10 Underclassmen on the 2014 Hawai’i roster 19 Consecutive conference titles earned after sharing the 2013 crown with CSUN and UC Santa Barbara. Hawai’i, which captured the 1995 Big West crown, competed in the Western Athletic Conference from 1996-2011 and won the championship all 16 years 32 Appearances in the NCAA Tournament See more at: www.bigwest.org//story.asp?story_id=17884#sthash.6dPMaNuh.dpuf
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Post by VivaLaVolley on Aug 24, 2014 21:06:20 GMT -5
It was a great win for the Fullerton Titans over their Alumni this weekend with a 3-0 sweep. According to UCI Social Media they swept their Alumni as well this weekend. 5 more days! Fullerton over AlumniUCI over Alumni
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Post by thebeach1 on Aug 24, 2014 22:15:02 GMT -5
I think it is a mild exaggeration to describe a win over an alumni squad--who probably put together a couple of plays together just hours before the match--as a "great win." An alumni match is just a great opportunity for the fans to see the new squad and also to see former players who were part of the legacy of the program. I wouldn't read too much into importance of the match.
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Post by BeachbytheBay on Aug 24, 2014 22:41:28 GMT -5
I think it is a mild exaggeration to describe a win over an alumni squad--who probably put together a couple of plays together just hours before the match--as a "great win." An alumni match is just a great opportunity for the fans to see the new squad and also to see former players who were part of the legacy of the program. I wouldn't read too much into importance of the match. unless the alumni team has one of the greatest players of all time setting, and an Olympian to hit to agreed, alumni games tend to mean about as much as patent pending, basically a step up from a pick-up game, it just depends
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Post by truthandjustice on Aug 24, 2014 23:06:46 GMT -5
Long Beach will go 16-2 in BWC play, AT LEAST. Saw all I needed to see at the alumni match. They are incredible.
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Post by Victory At Hand on Aug 24, 2014 23:35:15 GMT -5
Long Beach will go 16-2 in BWC play, AT LEAST. Saw all I needed to see at the alumni match. They are incredible. No videos at all on Long Beach State, even practice. Does Brian Gimmillaro allow cameras in on practice? Even with the Alumni match....ditto!
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Post by truthandjustice on Aug 24, 2014 23:36:57 GMT -5
Fullerton, Irvine, Riverside, Davis.... all fighting for 5th
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Post by beachvball on Aug 24, 2014 23:46:20 GMT -5
Long Beach will go 16-2 in BWC play, AT LEAST. Saw all I needed to see at the alumni match. They are incredible. I think you're exaggerating a little. We have a lot more work ahead. We will be competitive.
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Post by thebeach1 on Aug 25, 2014 0:13:32 GMT -5
Can anyone, who attended last night's LBSU Alumni game, shed some light on who "started" the match? I'm curious to see who BG will likely start at OH and the #2 MB to Okpala. Also, did TJ keep her starting position over Minnesota transfer, and Los Al product, Lindsey Lawmaster?
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Post by beachvball on Aug 25, 2014 1:30:41 GMT -5
Can anyone, who attended last night's LBSU Alumni game, shed some light on who "started" the match? I'm curious to see who BG will likely start at OH and the #2 MB to Okpala. Also, did TJ keep her starting position over Minnesota transfer, and Los Al product, Lindsey Lawmaster? Started set 1: OH, Reid and Bukovec, MB, Okpala and Murray, Libero, Jackson set 2: OH, Reid and Miley Set 3: OH, Reid and Bukovec, MB, Okpala and Brinke Set 4: OH, Reid and Miley, MB, Okpala and Murray
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Post by VivaLaVolley on Aug 25, 2014 1:56:37 GMT -5
Long Beach will go 16-2 in BWC play, AT LEAST. Saw all I needed to see at the alumni match. They are incredible. AT LEAST huh? They wont even go 16-2, considering you only play 16 games total in the Big West this year.
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Post by VivaLaVolley on Aug 25, 2014 1:57:38 GMT -5
Fullerton, Irvine, Riverside, Davis.... all fighting for 5th What about Cal Poly? They should be fighting for 5th too!
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